Rum Truffles

 

 Simmer 100 ml of soya cream (or double cream) gently with 10g of sunflower spread

Melt 150g cooking chocolate - don't allow it to get hot

 Transfer the warm soya cream & spread into a cold bowl then add the melted chocolate and mix, add 2-4 tsp of dark rum

Place a heaped tsp of the mixture into paper cases and refrigerate until set

Sprinkle cocoa powder or edible glitter over the top... 

 Store in the fridge and consume within a week

Trifle

 I made my own version of a vegan trifle with: 

Stale cupcakes -  I made some and left them out overnight to dry out

Raspberries

Rasberry Jelly (vegetarian) Prepare as per instructions (I reduced the water by 10%)  add hot water just before use

A bit of Sherry

Custard (Ready made dairy free/vegan, you could make your own if you want)

Mock cream ( 250 ml of soya milk + 2 tbs of cornflour, dissolve the cornflour in a bit of the milk than mix in the rest of the milk in a small pan on a low heat, stir until it starts to thicken. Mix in  1 oz of icing sugar and 1 oz of sunflower spread. Allow it to cool before using)

Place the cupcakes in a bowl or large wine glass

Pour some sherry over the cake

Sprinkle some rasberries on the cake

Pour the jelly and place in the fridge until the jelly has set

Top with custard, cream and decorate with dessicated coconut or coloured decorative sprinkles

Serve chilled.

Some other recipes to try out : 

http://www.veganfamily.co.uk/trifle.htm

http://veganyumyum.com/2007/06/happy-hour-trifles/

http://www.suite101.com/content/vegan-mixed-berry-trifle-recipe-a82264

Sage & Onion Stuffing

3 slices of bread
1/2 an onion
5-10 sage leaves
1 oz sunflower spread
Salt & pepper

Cut the crusts off the bread and use a blender to create breadcrumbs, put to one side
Chop the sage and onions finely using a blender
Mix the breadcrumbs, sage, onion and sunflower spread adding a little water just enough for the mixture to bind. Place the mixture in an oven proof dish.

Bake in a hot oven for 20 min.

Cashew and chestnut loaf

200g  cooked & peeled chestnuts chopped finely
250g cashew nuts (unsalted uncooked) chopped finely
1/2 an onion chopped finely
2tsp dried parsley
1tsp mixed dried herbs
2oz sunflower spread
4oz flour
1 stock cube
100ml water

Mix all the ingredients to form a sticky dough, place in an oiled loaf tin and bake in a hot oven for 25 min.

Peppermint slice

For the shortbread:

250g plain flour

75g icing sugar

175g sunflower spread

Pre-heat the oven to 180'C and lightly grease a 10 inch square foil tray

Mix the flour and icing sugar; rub in  the sunflower spread until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs; pour the mixture into the foil tray and press it down; bake for 20 min or until it's light brown. 

Allow to cool before adding the peppermint cream layer.

For the peppermint cream: 

6 oz icing sugar

6 tsp of liquid ( peppermint oil and water, I used 3 tsp of each, it depends how strong the peppermint is and how you like it) 

Mix the icing sugar, peppermint oil and water to form a thick past, spread over the shortbread and leave to set. 

The topping: 

Melt 150g of dark cooking chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water, once melted pour over the cold caramel and leave to set. Cut into 1 inch squares. 

Ginger Shortbread

Mix 6oz of plain flour with 2oz icing sugar and  1 tsp of ground ginger.

Rub in 4oz of sunflower spread or butter until it forms breadcrumbs.

Add 1oz grated fresh ginger (squeeze some of the juices out)

Kneed the mixture until it forms a dough

Roll out on a piece of floured  greaseproof paper

Cut shapes out and bake in a hot oven (180C with fan) for 10 min. 

Store in an airtight container.

Apple Sauce

Peel and grate 1 bramley apple

Sqeeze half a lemon onto the grated apple to prevent it turning brown

Add a little sunflower spread and some black pepper.

Simmer stirring occasionally until cooked

Store in a sterilized jar and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Bread Sauce

 3 slices of bread cut into small pieces (I used bread with linseeds)

300 ml of soya (or any milk) milk

half a small onion

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Mix all the ingredients in a small pan and simmer gently, stirring occasionally until the bread falls apart, take out the onion and bay leaves and liquidise the bread sauce until it is smooth, then return the onion and bay leaves to the sauce. Put the sauce in a sterilized jar and store in the fridge. Keeps for up to a week if stored in the fridge.

Cranberry Sauce

Place 250g Fresh or frozen cranberries in a pan, add a very small amount of water, just enough to cover the base of the pan with a thin layer and simmer for 5-10 minutes. When the cranberries are cooked and start to fall apart. Then add sugar to taste, I added 2tsps as we don't like it too sweet. 

Fill a jar with boiling hot water, this serves two purposes, it sterilizes the jar, and warms the jar up and stops it breaking when you put the hot sauce in it. Seal the jar immediately and allow to cool before storing in the fridge. Keeps for up to a week if stored in the fridge.

Roasted Veg

Heat the oven up to 180-200 C (180 with fan, 200 if without fan)

Fill the first roasting dish with some cherry tomatoes with garlic cloves and a bit of olive oil, put the dish at the bottom of the oven

Second roasting dish: Peel and slice the sweet potatoes, add a bit of olive oil, mix then add chillie flakes, 1/2 tsp each of ground cumin and corrainder, and fresh or dried rosemery and thyme to taste. Place on the top shelf in the oven.

Third rosting dish: Slice 1 aubergine, 2 large courgetts, 1 each of red, yellow and green peppers, add some olive oil and some rosemerry or thyme and pine nuts and sunflower seeds and place on the middle shelf in the oven. You can also add onions sliced into quarters to this.

Cooking times vary depending on your oven, but are usually around 45 min. Check progress half way through and stiry things to stop the veg round the outside of the dishes from burning.

Serve with couscous, rice or qunioa or on its own

We had some left over last time I made it so I made a Very Full Tart minus the onions with it!

Gingernut Biscuits

Another recipe from The Good Housekeeping Compendium circa 1952:

Mix:

8 oz flour 

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground ginger

 1/2 tsp mixed ground spice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 oz brown sugar

then rub in 

3 oz of margarine

add 

2tbs of warm treacle or date syrup 

 (warm up in the microwave for 20 seconds) and mix to form a dough.

Knead lightly, roll out and cut with cookie cutters

Bake in a moderate oven (180 C with fan)  for 10 minutes 

Store in an air tight container

Chestnut Risotto

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion  finely diced
350g risotto rice
200ml white wine 

1 Liter hot vegetable stock
200g sliced cooked chestnuts

200 g peas (fresh or frozen) 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

2 tsp dried parsley

4 small pumpkins

Roast the pumpkins for 20 minutes, then take them out of the oven, slice the top off and scoop the seeds out and return to the oven for 20-30 min until the are well cooked

While the pumpkins are in the oven fry the onions in a medium hot pan until they are soft

Stir in the rice and cook for a couple of minutes

Turn up the heat and add all the wine and cook for a couple of minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate

Once the wine has reduced add the stock in portions stirring the rice constantly, until the stock is absorbed then add some more. It takes around 30 min for the rice to cook.

When the rice is almost cooked add the chestnut and peas (from frozen) and dried parsley, season with salt and pepper and stir for a further 5 min.

Fill the pumpkins and serve.

Quinoa with Broccoli and Tofu

Add 100g Quinoa to 200 ml stock

Stir fry 200g Tofu

Steam 200g Broccoli

Once all the ingredient are cooked mix them together and serve

Bluberry Muffins

I made muffins last night for the first time ever, I followed this recipe with a few modification. I  reduced the sugar to 1/2 a cup, didn't sprinkle any suger on top and used grapefruit zest because I didn't have any fresh lemons:  Eggless cooking: Blueberry Muffins

Here is the result: 

They didn't rise as much as I expected... they were edible though.

Waffles

Another excellent recipe from the trusty old Good Housekeeping's Cookery Compendium circa 1956, with a couple of modifications:

Before you start turn the waffle maker on to heat up

6 oz self raising flour 

(or plain flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)

2 eggs

1/2 pint of soya milk 

or cow's milk (10 fluid oz/285 ml) 

The recipe also calls for 1tbsp of castor sugar, 2 oz of melted butter and vanilla essence, but I prefer not to add them and they still come out great.

Whisk the egg whites in  a grease free bowl until they form stiff white peaks with an electric mixer

In a large measuring jug mix the flour, egg yolks and milk by hand.

Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture of flour etc.

Grease the waffle maker then  pour the mixture into it.

Toppings:

Mixed Berry Coulis

Defrost a bowl full (as much or as little as you like) in the microwave

Liquidise the fruit and then sieve it to remove the seeds etc.. add a bit of honey or sugar to taste

Sliced peaches

Chocolate spread or Nuttella!

Blueberries

Ground Almonds

I have just tried making peppermint creams for the first time, I followed the recipe below, but next time I will leave out the lemon juice and add 2-3 more teaspoons of peppermint oil. I also substituted the egg white for vegan egg replacer, I think it worked really well. I was impatient and didn't  chill the mixture though!

mi

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/peppermint_creams_00124

Peppermint creams

Try Simon Rimmer’s easy, homemade version of this retro classic. They make delicious Christmas presents.

Ingredients

• 1 free-range egg white
• ½ lemon, juice only
• 1 tsp peppermint flavouring
• 425g/15 oz icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 175g/6¼oz dark chocolate

Preparation method

1. Whisk the egg white in a bowl until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice, peppermint and icing sugar to a stiff paste.
   
2. Tip the peppermint mixture onto a work surface dusted liberally with icing sugar and roll out thinly.
   
3. Use a 5cm/2in cutter to cut out circles and place them onto a baking tray. Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours, or until the mixture has set.
   
4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.)
   
5. Dip each peppermint cream into the melted chocolate and set aside on a baking tray. Chill the peppermint creams until set

Mince Pies

For the mincemeat

Mixed dried fruit - anything you like including, sultanas, raisns, currents, orange peel,  chopped dates and apricots

Nuts -optional

Fresh orange and lemon zest

Grated Apple

Mixed spices

Orange juice

Rum or Brandy

Mix the above and store in an air tight jar, if you make this months in advance it is best to store in the fridge. Mix it once a week or so.

Traditional recipes have sugar and fat in them but I prefer not to add them...

Pastry

Short crust or puff pastry, make your own or cheat and use ready made

Fake Pizza 2

Today's lunch, made quickly after an exhausting walk in the snow:

Roll out an oblong or square of ready made puff pastry, stab it with a fork otherwise it will rise too much in the middle , top with slices of mozzarella and halved cherry tomatoes. Next time I'm going to try spreading some pesto on it first.

Bake in a hot oven for 20 min.

Garnish with plenty of fresh basil.

Enjoy

Mexican Veg Stew

3 peppers (Red, green and yellow)

3 medium courgettes

1 aubergine

Chop and stir fry each of the above separately until well cooked

At the same time in a separate pan: 

Fry a chopped onion in some olive oil until it softens

then add the following: 

a heaped tsp of ground cumin

a heaped tsp of ground coriander

a tsp ground ginger

2 tsp of grated fresh ginger

1/2 a  tsp of turmeric 

1 tsp of chilli flakes or fresh chopped Scotch bonnet chilli to taste

 Mix the above

Add a can of chopped tomatoes and a can of kidney beans and simmer

Add the stir fried veg to the mixture above and simmer on a low heat for 45 min 

Serve in a wrap topped with cheese and grilled or with rice