Tuesday 31 March 2015

March

Ke$ha 28 on 1st March


Yes its another month gone by, where does the time go eh! Thats one quarter of the year gone by now, spring is upon  us and summer is just around the corner. The weather is certainly picking up so we will soon be into salad season so watch out for some tasty recipes on Cotswold Vegetarian.
So with March gone it time to take a quick look back and see what we have had on the site over the last thirty days,
As well as me celebrating being vegetarian for one year what else did the month bring? We started the month during Fairtrade Fortnightwith with sucessful events in both Witney and Banbury, We had American singer and vegetarian Ke$ha celebrating her 28th birthday on the 1st.

Morrocan chickpea & aubergine soup
Food wise we had some great recipes. How about those soups? The tasty carrot & ginger soup and the Morrocan chickpea and aubergine soup, or did you fancy the split pea stew with Ethiopian spices, thats such a tasty dish. We also had the broad bean dip. now who would of thought you could make such a tasty dip from broad beans?


Bombay potatoes


 On the 23rd we had the spring vegetable casserole, easy to make and so tasty. We followed that with thold curry house favorite bombay potatoes and rounded the month off with the lentil bolognese. 
Great recipes for March from Cotswold Vegetarian.






Sunday 29 March 2015

Lentil Bolognese



Everyone seems to be watching TV cookery shows but then saying they don't have the time to cook. Well here is something that won't take up your evening when you get in from work, its another easy recipe for you to make. We all love a good bolognese and this one is so simple to make. This tasty vegetarian version of the Italian classic spaghetti bolognese is lentil based and you can do the whole thing in less than half an hour.


Ingredients

  • 200g (7oz) red split lentils
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 4 carrots (200g approx)
  • 4 sticks of celery
  • 400g of chopped tomatoes
  • 400ml veg stock
  • 1tsp mixed dried herbs
  • 400g Dried whole-wheat spaghetti

 

Method

    1. Rinse the lentils, finely chop the onion and crush the garlic. Dice the carrots and celery
    2. Heat a little oil in a large pan, gently fry the onion, garlic, carrots and celery for around 4-5 mins
    3. Add the lentils, tomatoes and herbs along with the vegetable stock
    4. Bring the mixture to a simmer, partially cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils are cooked.
    5. Cook the spaghetti and serve with the bolognese sauce

Friday 27 March 2015

Bombay potatoes



I love a curry as I am sure you do too. A good curry can be made even better when complimented be a good side dish. One of the side dishes that I like to have is Bombay potato, Well I must admit I do love a mushroom bhajee  and I covered that recipe a few weeks back so I thought it was high time to give you guys the recipe for the old curry house favourite of Bombay potatoes. Its not hard and tastes far better than anything you can buy in a can. 

Ingredients



  • 1lb potatoes
  • 1 fl oz oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp black mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt  
  • ½ tsp chilli powder (cayenne)
  • 4oz fresh tomatoes finely chopped
  • 5 fl oz water
  • A small amount of chopped fresh coriander 
 

Method 



1.   Peel potatoes and cut into 1” cubes

2.   Heat the oil to a high temperature in a large pan and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Leave to cook for a few seconds

3.   Add the potatoes, turmeric, salt, chilli powder and tomatoes. Stir continuously and cook for around five minutes.

4.   Add the water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes

5.   Place in a serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander.



 

Monday 23 March 2015

Spring into action. Spring veg casserole

Theres nothing better than cooking with fresh produce that is in season, so spring time is a great time for cooking. People always seem to be saying that they have no time for cooking sothis recipe is a really quick and easy spring veg casserolethat you are going to love. It is so tasty when served up with garlic bread.

                    Serves 4                              Prep ime 5 mins                        Cook time 30 mins 
        

Ingredients:

  • Olive oil (2 tbsp)
  • 2 leeks
  • Sliced carrots (100g/3oz)
  • 1 small swede or 4 small turnips, peeled and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • Vegetable stock cube (500g/18oz)
  • Spring greens (150g/5oz), shredded
  • 1 tin of borlotti beans (400g/14oz), drained
  • 1 garlic bread
  • Pesto (2 tbsp) (optional)

 Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 200ÂșC/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
  2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the leek, carrots, turnips and garlic. Fry over a low heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and golden.
  3. Add the stock to the pan. Season and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  4. Add the drained beans and shredded greens, then cover the pan and simmer for five minutes until piping hot and cooked through.
  5. While the casserole is cooking, heat the garlic bread following the pack instructions. Stir the pesto (optional) into the casserole, and serve with warm garlic bread.

Monday 16 March 2015

Bean and gone and done it! Broad bean dip.





 It’s wonderful when you discover something new, something that you had never considered before that turns out to be so tasty as well as simple to make. Well that’s exactly what happened when we got broad beans in our Veg delivery.

 In my younger years I was never keen on broad beans so to say I was not excited would be a bit of an understatement. First off it was a quick scan through the cook books, nothing there grabbed me so then it was onto that World Wide Web thing to discover a recipe that took my fancy. Dippable broad beans. Yes you did read that right, a broad bean dip courtesy of our old pals at Abel & Cole. Their recipes had always been good to date so I was up for giving it a go and was not disappointed in the least, Easy to make and so tasty served with toasted pitta bread I would recommend you give this a try.  



Broad bean dip

 Prep time 15 mins                              Cook time 10 mins                                            Serves 2-3 

Ingredients





  • 1 mug of shelled broad beans
  • 1 small red chilli deseeded and finely chopped (use more or less to suit your taste)
  • A handful of fresh basil or mint leaves
  • 1 lemon
  • A glug of olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper



  • Method

    1. Simmer the broad beans in a little watter until tender, approx 5 mins. refresh in cold water
    2. Peel away the shell of the beans with your fingers leaving the soft centre.
    3. Add the beans, chilli and mint to a food processor with a splash of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a good squeeze of lemon.
    4. Whiz till smooth. Taste. Adjust seasoning and add more lemon or olive oil, if needed.
     Pop in a tub, gloss the top with olive oil and it’ll keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’ll also freeze. Just defrost and get dippin’

    Serve with toased pittas or fresh crusty bread 





    Thursday 12 March 2015

    Be a ginger ninja.Tasty Carrot & Ginger soup



    Well time was tight, another busy evening and not much time for doing anything. That’s just how i found myself yesterday evening. It can be so temping to just pop down to the chip shop or dial up a pizza and dinner is sorted in an instant. Easy eh! Or maybe there are other options. Charlotte said “lets look in the freezer and see what we have in there” good call. After a minute we found a soup tucked away at the back. Ideal! Carrot & Ginger soup a real treat.

    We made this soup a couple of months ago and froze the some of the leftovers and what a treat to find it was.  

    A simple but tasty treat, the ginger lightly spices the soup, creating a wonderfully warm dish.

    Carrot & Ginger Soup

    Serves 4                Prep time 10 mins          Cook time 20 mins

     Ingredients
    • 2tsp olive oil
    • 1 onion peeled & chopped
    • 1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
    • ¼ tsp ground ginger
    • 450g carrots peeled & chopped
    • 1 litre Vegetable stock
    • 2.5 cm piece of root ginger peeled and finely grated
    • Salt & freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice


    Method
      1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Gently cook the onion and garlic for 3-4 mins
      2. Stir in the ground ginger and cook for one minute to release the flavour
      3. Add the chopped carrots, then stir in the stock and fresh ginger. Simmer for 15 minutes
      4. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon juice

    Absolutely delicious served up with crusty bread.

    Sunday 8 March 2015

    One year a Vegetarian



    Well, today makes it one whole year since I decided that I would become a vegetarian. For those unfamiliar with my story my partner Charlotte became a vegetarian some 25 years ago at a young age. I was different; I had eaten meat all my life until our paths crossed in 2010.



    We moved in together back in 2011 and almost immediately my meat consumption dropped overnight. It was nothing to do with her preaching vegetarianism at me, as far as she was concerned if I was going to eat meat that was my choice and she accepted me as I was. From my point of view I didn’t think it was necessary to cook separate meals; I would eat whatever Charlotte ate, and that’s what we did at home. It was an easy choice for me because the food Charlotte prepared was absolutely delicious. When we ate out on occasions I would venture into the meat dishes on the menu but this was becoming rarer as time went on.



    Eventually the penny finally dropped.  Why was I still bothering to eat meat? The food I was eating at home was all vegetarian and was by far tastier than meat dishes.  I was also feeling a whole lot better for my reduced meat intake so, one year ago, I made the decision: “no more meat”.



    Has it been hard? No not at all.  What is there not to like about vegetarian eating? It’s tasty, healthy and nutritious food.  Charlotte has inspired me and given me the confidence to experiment more in the kitchen.  Now I enjoy discovering new recipes and sharing them through this blog. I can honestly say that I don’t miss the meat in the slightest.  I only wish I’d embraced a vegetarian diet sooner in life.



    You won’t get in a stew over this stew

    Split pea stew with Ethiopian spices



    I have found that the Times newspaper often has some great vegetarian recipes.  Last weekend, I made this lovely stew with Ethiopian spices.  It takes a little time, but please don’t be put off.  It tastes delicious.  I halved the recipe and it made enough for 4.






    Serves 4-6



    Ingredients

    250g yellow split peas, rinsed and thoroughly drained

    2tbsp olive oil

    20g butter

    3 onions, finely chopped

    3 garlic cloves

    1tbsp grated ginger

    1tsp cardamom seeds, crushed

    1tsp turmeric

    Salt and ground black pepper

    250g spinach, cooked, drained and chopped

    Handful torn basil leaves



    Method

    1). Simmer the split peas in a saucepan with 600ml of water for about 50 minutes, until they are tender and beginning to break up.

    2). Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan, and fry the onion over a gentle heat until translucent and sweet smelling

    3). Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, taking care they don’t burn.  Stir in the cardamom and turmeric and cook for another 1-2 minutes. 

    4). Drain peas, reserving any water, stir into onions and spices.  Season and cook for another 20-30 minutes. 

    5). Stir in spinach and basil and serve.



    I served the stew with some onion seed flatbreads from a recipe I’d also found in the Times.  Here it is:



    Makes 8 flatbreads



    Ingredients

    250g plain flour

    1tsp salt

    2tbsp olive oil

    150ml warm water

    1tbsp black onion seeds



    Method

    1). Form ingredients into dough with hands.

    2). Knead on floured surface until smooth.

    3). Roll into sausage and cut into 8.  Roll balls into thin discs.

    4). Cook in hot, dry frying pan for 2 minutes each side until charred.



    Unlike the stew, I didn’t halve the quantity here.  We ate the left over flatbreads with houmous.



    I’d recommend searching for flatbread recipes online.  I can’t believe how much ready-made flatbreads cost – it’s so much cheaper making them yourself.  And so simple too.  If you haven’t got onion seeds, then you could experiment with other store-cupboard herbs and spices, for example, paprika or parsley.

    Wednesday 4 March 2015

    Moroccan Chickpea & Aubergine soup



    Moroccan Chickpea & Aubergine soup

    A frugal soup that is very warming and utterly delicious. A great soup in the autumn and winter.



    Ingredients



    • 2tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil
    • 1 onion, finely chopped
    • 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
    • 1 large mild red chilli, finely diced



    • Spices
    • ½ tsp turmeric:
    • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon:
    • 1 tsp ground cumin;
    • 1 tsp Paprika;
    • ¼ tsp ground white pepper.



    • 1 Aubergine cut into rounds then 1cm dice
    • 5-6 sun dried tomatoes, finely sliced
    • 1x400g tin of chopped tomatoes
    • 1x400g tin of chickpeas
    • 500ml vegetable stock
    • Large handful of chopped coriander, stalks and all
    • A handful of mint leaves, picked from the stalks and shredded
    • Salt & Pepper to taste



    Cooking method



    1. In a saucepan, heat the oil and then add the onions and garlic and cook over a medium heat for 6-7 minutes stirring occasionally until golden and softened



    1. Add the diced chilli and then the spice mix, stir well until combined.



    1. Chop the aubergine and add into the spiced oil, turn around well in the pan until coated with the spices.



    1. Add in the sun dried tomatoes, tinned tomatoes, chickpeas and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes



    1.  Finally check the seasoning, add salt and pepper if required, add the fresh herbs and serve

    Sunday 1 March 2015

    Todays famous vegetarian birthday



    Ke$ha

    Born 1st March 1987



    American singer, rapper, and songwriter Kesha Rose Sebert was born in Los Angeles, California on March 1, 1987.



    Her breakthrough came in early 2009 after appearing on rapper Flo Rida's number-one single, "Right Round", although she was uncredited. Her debut album, Animal, and her first extended play, Cannibal, were released in 2010. Kesha's music and image propelled her to immediate commercial success, with Animal debuting as the number-one album in the United States. She also achieved two number-one singles, "Tik Tok" and "We R Who We R", and a string of top ten hits from the album and its re-release.



     Kesha has gone on to work with and write for many artists including Britney Spears, Iggy Pop, Nicki Minaj and Alice Cooper



    Kesha was named rights group Humane Society of the United States's first global ambassador for animal rights, for which she is expected to bring attention to such practices as cosmetics testing on animals and shark finning. She also appeared alongside rock singer Iggy Pop in a campaign for PETA, protesting the clubbing of baby seals in Canada and later wrote on behalf of the organization to fast food chain McDonald's over the conditions of their slaughterhouses.



    In February 2012, VH1 placed Kesha in the 57th spot of the Top 100 Greatest Women in Music. Kesha is a vegetarian and an ordained minister, having been ordained online. She has performed legal commitment ceremonies for gay couples as well.



    Happy Birthday Ke$ha 28 Today