Better beans on toast…

900g broad beans in their pods, shelled, boiled for 5 minutes and skinned

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 tbsp light tahini

2 slices sourdough rye bread, toasted 

Tofu "cream cheese" or your preferred alternative

Once you have boiled the beans and taken the thick outer skins off you should have around 5 to 6 tablespoons of beautiful vivid beans.

Pour the olive oil into a small frying pan and place on a medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle but  not colour. 

Add the beans to the pan and stir to incorporate the garlic.  Keep stirring for a could of minutes, the beans only need warming through rather than frying.

While the beans are heating through toast the rye bread and spread with a layer of cream cheese.

Add the lemon juice and mint to the pan and remove from the heat.  Stir in the tahini and carefully spoon the beans onto the toast.

Perfect as a light lunch or to accompany a beer or a glass of white wine on a sunny summer evening.

A better breakfast

2lbs ripe black cherries

3 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Stone and halve the cherries, place in a heavy bottomed pan and stir in the sugar.

Leave for half an hour to let the sugar draw the juices.

Add the vanilla extract and place the pan on a medium heat, stir from time to time.  When the fruit has softened take off the heat and leave to cool before storing in the fridge.

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup Alpro chocolate soya milk

1 tsp ground flaxseed

1 tbsp maple syrup

Before you go to bed mix all the ingredients together in a nice big jar (I use a Kilner jar as these have plenty of space for fruit and seal well). 

Pop the jar into the fridge and leave it to do its thing while you get your beauty sleep.

In the morning layer up your beautiful dark cherry compote and your favourite yogurt (I used cherry Alpro) on top of the oats.  If you are short of time pop the lid back on your jar and run for the bus or take your time and enjoy with a cup of good coffee.

Winter Salad - Beetroot and Kale Panzanela

We have been getting an organic veg bag from Goodness Growing for the last few months which has inspired me to be much more creative when it comes to dinner.

I have been meaning to share this recipe for some time, a nice wintery variation of my favourite summer salad Panzanella.  I used a mix of candy stripe and normal beetroots to make a pretty plateful.  Anything to brighten a gloomy winter day!  And as always use the best real bread you can get your hands on, this time I used a Malthouse Sourdough from The Haxby Bakehouse.

Beetroot Panzanella

Feeds One

2 large ripie tomatoes

1 thick slice of sourdough bread

1 clove garlic 

A sprig of fresh rosemary

1tbsp salt and pepper

2 beetroots, boiled, peeled and diced

A handful of curly kale or cavelo nero, shredded and blanched for 3 minutes in boiling water

8 cherry tomates, halved

1/4 red onion, finely sliced

1 tbsp hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Dressing

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp maple syrup

Salt and pepper

Preheat the grill on high.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and tip into a large bowl.  Squash them with your hands until all the flesh is reduced to juice.

Rub the slice of bread with the clove of garlic and crushed rosemary.  Drizzle with olive oil and place on a baking sheet under the preheated grill.  Toast on both sides until golden then carefully cut into rough cubes and add to the tomatoes in the mixing bowl.  Mix together and set aside for ten minutes while you prepare the remaining vegetables.

In a separate small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Add all the other ingredients to the tomatoes and bread and mix well.  Drizzle over the dressing, plate and enjoy.

Recipe Sunday! Vegan Christmas treats

I know, I know it is a little early to mention the C word quite yet! You know...Christmas, but I posted a quick snap of this treat on Instagram last week and someone very sweetly asked for the recipe!  So here it is.  This is my variation of a recipe which my Mum and Grandma used to make.  It has gone down so well in our house that it will now replace the traditional mince pies this year.  I think Grandma would be proud.

Happy Baking!

160g soya margarine

95g soft brown sugar

2tsp cardamom, ground

250g wholemeal plain flour

125g porridge oats

1 340g jar vegan mincemeat 

(my favourite is this one from Meridian which is widely available)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Line an 11x7" flapjack tin with baking parchment and set aside.

Place the margarine, sugar and cardamom in a small non-stick pan over a low heat until the margarine has melted and the sugar dissolved.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine the flour and oats.

When the margarine mixture is ready pour into the flour and oats and mix well.  The mixture will look like rough bread crumbs rather than a dough so don't panic if it feel a little dry.

Spoon half the mix into the prepared tin and press down well to form the base of the slice.  Next spread the mincemeat over in an even layer.  Sprinkle over the remaining flour mixture and place into the oven.  

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is lightly golden.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Cut into pieces and enjoy, I like it best a little warm with a spoon of vanilla soya yogurt and a cup of Earl Grey.

Quick dull health and safety note:  The mincemeat achieves a temperature close to lava so don't give in to temptation and try and sample too soon!! Let it cool for a good ten minutes at least.  Remember a burnt tongue is no fun at all.

The smell of wood smoke in the air.

As we enjoy the last few days of sunshine the Summer has to offer I have been out gathering the hedgerow treats of early Autumn.  Blackberries!

This has encouraged a bit of culinary experimentation!  On the tame side there have been crumbles and several breakfasts of bright purple porridge using the plump berries.  The most successful creation has been blackberry and cardamom jam (recipe below).  Blackberry fruit jellies need a little bit more work but taste like amazing home made Fruit Pastilles! 

Blackberry and Cardamom Jam

Makes 2 small jars

310g blackberries, washed

Juice of 1 lemon

10 cardamom pods, crack the pods to get to the fragrant seeds then grind to a fine powder

2 tsps vanilla extract

200g preserving sugar

Method

1. Put the washed berries, lemon juice, vanilla and cardamom into a heavy bottomed stainless steel pan over an low heat.  Stir from time to time until the berries are soft and the juice is running.  Squish some of the fruit but do not reduce all the berries to mush!!

2. Still on a low heat add the sugar and stir until it dissolves, around 10 minutes.  Now increase the heat until the jam is boiling steadily keep stirring and boil for about 7 minutes, until you reach 105C on a sugar thermometer.  Remove from the heat and stand for 5 minutes then stir well and pour into hot sterilised jars.  Seal and allow to cool. Then enjoy!

Note:  Once the jam has been opened it needs to be kept in the fridge. 

Fig Frangipane Tart with Blackberry Jam

If you can resist easting the jam straight from the jar then it makes an amazing addition to baking.  I used it in the bottom of this fig frangipane.

To make it blind bake a short crust pastry in a loose bottomed fluted tin.  Once cooled spread a good generous layer of blackberry jam in the bottom.  Make a frangipane mix and fill up to just under the edge of the pastry.  Cut 6 figs into 6 segments and then line them up along the length of the tin.  Bake until set and golden.