Today’s post is a little short but no less tasty. You want a quick dinner, then stir fry is often the way to go. The veg gets crisp and tasty but not overcooked. What’s more, it’s just so easy – for the perfect stir fry, get a proper wok and put it on a high high heat with a little oil. Don’t stop stirring when you add your veg otherwise they’ll cook unevenly, burning on one side and raw on the other. That’s all there is too it, a proper wok, truly high heat, and constant stirring. This is an incredibly easy recipe that makes a great side dish. I…
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The Best Vegan Lemon Curd (Vegan & Gluten Free)
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, instead I tend to crave sour sweets and citrus flavours. Fizzy cola bottles always used to be my favourite treat before I went vegan (anyone happens to find a good vegan version, please let me know!) so I don’t think you’ll be surprised when I say this lemon curd isn’t that sweet. Instead it’s delightfully tart with rich undertones. This was actually one of the first recipes I came up with when I first turned vegan. I started by trying to veganise recipes that my family would appreciate. My father’s favourite dessert always used to be lemon meringue pie and a good…
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Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Pancakes (Vegan & Gluten Free)
Tomorrow is pancake day. We’re not short on pancake recipes on this blog – I’m a big fan of exploring what this recipe looks like around the world – but today I wanted to give you an extra special recipe. Okonomiyaki is a traditional snack on the streets of japan. Sold at food stalls and small, hole in the wall restaurants, it’s incredibly popular. There are a few traditional elements that I’ve had to look at substituting. There are no eggs in this batter normally, instead a Japanese yam called a nagaimo is grated. It produces a thick sludge that works as a great binder but it practically impossible to…
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Kimchi Pancakes (Kimchi-Jeon) – Vegan & Gluten Free
I’ve got pancakes on the brain at the moment, not sweet pancakes but savoury. I’ve looked at chickpea pancakes (really tasty, full of protein and gluten free) and pancakes across the world from Dutch babies (tricky to make vegan and gluten free) to Japanese okonomiyaki (look out for that recipe next week!). It makes sense really, pancake day is next week and want you to have lots of options to choose from. I’m told kimchi pancakes are the solution to those odd bits of leftover kimchi but I struggle to believe that. Personally I’ve never had a problem getting rid of kimchi, it’s always been very happy in my stomach.…
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Indian Beetroot Pancakes or Beetroot Dal Chilla (Vegan & Gluten Free)
I’ve made pancakes inspired by dal chilla before (see here) but with these I’ve gone along the more traditional route. Healthy, nutritious, and packed with protein, these make the ideal companion to your next curry night. We paired them with last week’s Gobi Manchurian which made for a very colourful dinner. I’ve flavoured the pancakes with beetroot and chives and it’s a great way to squeeze in yet another vegetable into your dinner. Provided you have a blender, these are really quite easy to make. Stuff them with your favourite vegan cheese to make a quick snack, fold them up and they make a great addition to any lunchbox, or…
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Courgette Rotis (Vegan & Gluten Free)
I regularly make my own gluten free flour blends so getting bags of random flour types being delivered to the house is pretty normal here. On my last batch of sorghum flour I noticed a serving suggestion I’d never thought of before- parathas! Now I love a good flatbread alongside a curry so this was a perfect idea for us. After trying to make a good paratha however, I had to change my techniques and look towards making chapatis instead. There are numerous different types of Indian flatbreads and I love them all but, paratha is special. A decadent dish all by itself, you’re looking for a texture similar to…
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Banana Ketchup (Vegan & Gluten Free)
This is going to be a but of a controversial post today, I know. As I’m sure everyone did, we bought more than we could ever eat over Christmas. Now I’m trying to work through the excess before everything goes off. One of the things that just didn’t get eaten over the festive season were bananas. After all the lockdown banana bread last year I don’t think I could handle yet another batch. So instead I’ve taken a look the culinary habits of Asia for inspiration and gone for Banana Ketchup! Now I know, this is a little odd. Kenny turned his nose up at it without even trying it…
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Spiced Potato Croquettes (Vegan & Gluten Free)
We’re heading into the festive season and for many people, that also means it’s the high point in the year for leftovers as well. If you’re anything like me, then you’d rather have too much food than too little. The festive season has always meant an overloaded dinner table surrounded by family, followed by a fridge heaving with leftovers. There’s nothing wrong with a leftovers, I’m a big fan of them. I always have a freezer full of them but who wants to eat the same thing day after day? Croquettes are one of my answers to this problem and they’re surprisingly easy to make. The perfect solution to any…
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Secret Noodle Sauce (Vegan, Gluten Free)
I struggled with what to call this one but I always have a jar of it in the fridge. This is my secret to a drool worthy bowl of noodles. I’ve been known to spoon some into my pan of breakfast mushrooms or use it to add flavour to plain rice. Spend a few spare minutes on toasting some spices and mixing this together and I swear you’ll have a jar full of fragrant deliciousness. My fridge isn’t complete without of jar of this stuff and nor will yours once you try it! Makes: 500ml (aprox) Ingredients 1 1/2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds 1 tsp Szechuan Peppercorns 3 tsp Chilli Flakes…
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Dauphinois Potatoes (Vegan, GF)
Many years ago, my brother and sister in law gifted me a copy of Julia Child’s cooking classic “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. I still find it quite inspiring, even though the majority of the recipes don’t match our dietary needs. The basics of today’s recipe came from that book but I’ve modified it heavily so that we can eat it. Dauphinois Potatoes, or scalloped potatoes as they are sometime known, are the ultimate in potato indulgence. Thin slices of potato are traditionally layered with garlic, cream, and (occasionally) cheese. There are strong debates on whether the cheese is truly authentic. A french friend strongly argued against it but…
