Among the trees... » cooking

This is a dish we’ve had a lot over the years but never written up. Original credit goes to Sarah Brown’s Vegetarian Kitchen (BBC cookery series). It’s a wonderfully filling and wholesome meal. Topped with mashed potatoes, the base is made of aduki beans (goodness direct link there, which links back to our aduki bean cottage pie recipe!), brown rice and vegetables in a gravy. The name comes from the beans which are referred to as ‘red dragons’ in the East; their nutrient content is said to give you the strength of the dragon

Here’s how we do it:

Soak beans overnight if using dried ones. For the mammoth pie above which did dinner and lunch next day for four, we used 250g of dried beans. Place in a large pan, cover well with water, bring to the boil and let simmer for a long time… (should be instructions on the bag). Throw in the rice (200g) about half way through cooking. Add more water if needed. Once it’s all nearly cooked add the vegetables. In this pie there were four carrots and one head of celery, all chopped. Onion is good too.

As that cooks up a bit, add a teaspoon of mixed herbs, a good squidge of tomato puree and a teaspoon of yeast extract. Taste and add salt if needed. Stir well. Top with mashed potatoes – especially easy if using cookware that does hob and oven like our favourite Le Creuset Cast Iron Round Casserole – and bake in a hot oven until nicely browned.

dished up

a stone circling day

hogmany

chocolate rice pud

Glazed Parsnips and Carrots with Pistachio

Lucy — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:14:44 +0000

: Yule Dinner

Everyone agreed that this side dish was the best, it’s been added to Vegan Christmas/Yule but is reproduced here too as it’s not just for Christmas but good anytime

recipe:

8 medium parsnips (you can of course use bigger/smaller and adjust quantities)

8 medium carrots

a little sunflower oil to rub

a couple of teaspoons of maple or golden syrup

a teaspoon of rough seasalt

a handful of natural pistachios (not salted or roasted)

Peel/scrape the vegetables and cut into quarters, once lengthways and once across the middle. Rub them with oil and place in roasting tin. Drizzle syrup. Sprinkle salt and pistachios. Roast in a hot oven for about half an hour.

castle and pizza

Halloween 2008

itunes U, coconut and summer reading

it’s not too late

Lucy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:14:55 +0000

to make a Christmas cake or plan your vegan Christmas dinner

to buy a vegan cookbook or kids book – today, Monday 19th is the last day for free shipping with Amazon but there are various other delivery choices all week.

to get a t-shirt from us, the deadline is 20th Dec with express shipping

order from hotel chocolat by 4pm Friday for Christmas Eve delivery.

Ethical Superstore‘s last order dates are Tuesday 20th 12pm for standard delivery and Thursday 22nd for express

The Book People have next day delivery available until the 22nd.

Or you can just say, ‘no, I am not buying anything else,’ and go for a nice walk instead… probably the better option

in the woods

In case we don’t blog before it’s all over, have a happy festive time

mmm

outdoor fun

special

toad in the hole

Lucy — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:40:03 +0000

toad in the hole with onion gravy, peas and roast tatties

Turned out lovely, soft and light and delicious. Here’s what I did:

cook sausages in hot oven (chocolate cake beside optional)

once sausages are nearly cooked, pour over the batter

Batter made thus: mix 5 tablespoons of self raising flour with 3 tablespoons of gram (chick pea) flour, a pinch of salt and a pinch of bicarb. Beat in enough soya milk to make a creamy pouring batter. This quantity was to cover 12 sausages, adjust as needed.

back into hot oven until it looks like this (maybe 20 mins?)

Yum, yum, yum.

that's a roast potato

friends and mince pies

Christmas 2008

toast, Valentine cookies and a cheesecake