Southern Fried Cauliflower

I do somewhat seem to attract people who think they are in influential and powerful positions and somehow I should bow down to them because they think they can make things happen.  When truth is they have very little power and abuse it.  I'd even go down as saying, perhaps there is an element of class and racism coming into play as well, but its hard to tell when people hide behind a fascade of being people led, when really its a few dominant people really in charge who are pulling their puppet strings. The problem people have with me is, I don't tolerate this nonsense and confront them, and tell them as I experience it - then they are clever and are able to twist things, so it appears that I am the one with the issue, but then I learn from others like me - that they have also been treated the same way. This cannot continue. 

Anyway, onto something really delicious.  I have only ever had  KFC once in my life, it was in my early teens.  My father took us out on a day trip to Birmingham and we ate out.  This was a big deal for as we rarely ate out, my mother is a fantastic home cook you see.  

I remember only ever liking the spicy batter, even then I disliked the eating meat.  

D has had KFC or the equivalent from his time in the US. He said the batter was spot and the cauliflower worked well in place of chicken.  I have mentioned before, my husband only ever eats fish and seafood now and even then, that's quite rare as I don't make it at home. So he was really delighted with this change of flavourful lunch. Of course, he dipped his in blue cheese with some pickled gherkins - apparently that is the way to eat it. 

Just a word of warning, when deep frying the cauliflower - your hot oil will turn red from the paprika.  

Colourful BBQ Cauliflower Salad Bowl

I have to throw my hands up and admit that I have somewhat lost my blogging groove.  At the same time I have also found myself uninspired in the kitchen, I am not begrudging this at all, in fact I am a little thankful for it as it has allowed me to both cook those bookmarked recipes as well as peruse cookbooks from my burgeoning bookshelf,  to which I have to confess I have added some more cookbooks. 

For those of you who read my blog, will know that I went to the last Bristol Vegfest at the weekend.  Whilst there, I picked up some vegan cookbooks including Kristy Turners But I could Never Go Vegan and  But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan.

I had considered last year to put them both on my Christmas wish list, but then for some reason decided  not to as I had other vegan and vegetarian cookbooks that I wanted more, but then when I saw both of them at the Vegfest.  I was finally swayed to get the cookbook as my blogger friend Johanna who cooks much like I do at home, was making recipes on her blog and commenting, even fellow blogger Faye Veganopoulous was recommending it.  Both Faye and Johanna have cooked extensively from them.

That evening when I returned home after the Bristol Vegfest, feet up, sitting in front of the TV with a glass of wine and paging through the cookbook very slowly, I knew exactly what I wanted to make first.  It was the s BBQ Cauliflower Salad , not only did it look delicious, I had most of the ingredients to hand. 

The following day, this BBQ Cauliflower Salad was made. The salad is smothered with a vegan blue cheese dressing and some oven baked onion rings, but I found the  BBQ Cauliflower substantial enough on its own and quite hearty lunch after a spell in the garden Sunday afternoon.  It was quite easy to put together with ready made BBQ sauce.

The cookbooks have some vegan recipes that are new to me, especially those made with sauerkraut (as I never know what to do with the jars I bring at home), Jackfruit Crabless Cakes and the Savoury Corn Cheesecake but some not so much like Chickpea Scramble, Chickpea Fries,   Faux Tofu Fish and Chips. I have been making my own and Tofu Fish and Chips inspired by Something Fishy that started their vegan fish and chips business in 2008 now almost 10 years later its appearing all over blogosphere and in cookbooks.

Still the cookbooks have enough inspiration for me to have finally wanted a copy of my own. The next bookmarked from the cookbook are Samosa Cakes and the Sunflower Sausage. 
For the full BBQ Cauliflower Salad Recipe - see here. 

To read Green Gourmet Giraffes Review of But I could Never Go Vegan  see here
And to read Veganopoulous review of But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan click here

Jackfruit Seitan 'Steaks'

Wonderful regular and loyal readers please do not be concerned I have not become 'a meat and two veg' person overnight. This 'Steak' may not look it, but it is 100% vegan it is made with vital wheat gluten (seitan) and jackfruit.

I have been wanting to make Seitan Steaks again for a while and as much as I enjoyed them in the past I found the texture too firm, as well as a little dry.  Then I remembered a while back seeing a few recipes that incorporated jackfruit and seitan together.  I thought this made sense in relation to adding stringy texture to the seitan, but wondered if it also added moisture and decided to have a go at making them.

The finished result was amazing to look at.  I have never in my life eaten a meat steak, but this visually mimicked the real stuff, it was kind of freaky.   Then I tasted it.  It tasted amazing, not at all dry.  In fact it was very moist and the addition of the BBQ sauce on top was not necessary, but it added another level of flavour.  I have to confess, it was way too big for my belly and I could only eat a half, so I have suggested dividing the sietan jackfruit mixture into 6 pieces, than just 4 - but this is up to you. 

I served the Jackfruit Seitan Steaks with Roasted Sweetheart Cabbage and Sweet Potato Wedges. But on another day we had it with oven chips and mushy minted peas. Both times we really enjoyed both the flavour and moist texture of the Jackfruit Seitan 'steaks'.  

I am sharing this big plate of food with Jackfruit Seitan 'Steaks' with Healthy Vegan Fridays by Rock My Vegan Socks and V Nutrition.

Vegan BBQ Pulled Jackfruit

I've had a vegan BBQ pulled Jackfruit 'pork' bookmarked for a long while (2012) by Clean Green Simple who was given the recipe by a friend of a friend who owned a restaurant in Los Angeles, USA called Pure Luck (now sadly closed).  The Pure Luck restaurant and its famous eats are even acknowledged in the cookbook Thug Kitchen which inspired the authors BBQ Bean Burritos with Grilled Peach Salsa recipe.

Anyway, I was then reminded of my bookmarked recipes when a fellow blogger shared on Facebook a link to Buzzfeed Food of a film clip called BBQ Pulled Jackfruit That'll Fool Meat-Eaters.  

I've had Jackfruit a few times in a curry, but it never crossed my mind to share it on my blog as its one of those dishes that I take for granted and don't think of it being overly unusual or exotic, but when I saw Jackfruit being used as a substitute for meat and in a BBQ type dish, well like any greedy vegetarian person, I wanted to try it.  

Baked Tandoori Butterflied Eggplant Aubergines

So it was the weekend and it was BBQ time, except no BBQ in our garden.  The thunder was rolling in the skies and the rain drip drip dripping.

I was inspired to make these Tandoori Butterflied Aubergines by Sarah Beattie from her cookbook Meat-Free Any Day.  But I didn't follow the recipe completely, for a start Sarah grills her Tandoori Butterflied Aubergines over white-hot embers.   Mine conjured up no smoke, no flames and no associated BBQ smells.  Mine were simply baked in the oven, on a baking sheet covered with foil.  It worked remarkably well.   

To be honest, this is how my family have come to make Tandoori chicken.  My father wishes for a traditional Tandoor - clay oven, but settles for his Tandoori chicken baked/roasted in the oven. If he did ever get his wish granted, I would be over for Tandoor Naan breads, cooking them straight on a hot tandoor oven imparts a flavour that is hard to capture on a skillet or even from an oven.   Sarah Beattie rightly points out that in the U.K we have come to accept  food marinated in red (paprika) or yellow (turmeric) spiced coloured yogurt as 'Tandoori'.  

I have to point out in addition to baking these Tandoori Butterflied Aubergines, I have cheated a little further mostly for ease and laziness after all this was meant to be a chilled out BBQ afternoon. I confess and put my hands up and admit that I did not make my own tandoori spice blend.  Instead I asked my sister in law to fill me a small jar of tandoori paste and that made for easy cooking, well I don't do it that often so cut me some slack.  

The finished dish was served with some Puy Lentil Pilav style rice. 

Hot and Spicy Cauliflower Florets

The weekend is coming to an end, but we have made the most of the dry spell, spending most of the daytime hours in the garden catching up with weeding, replacing the shattered greenhouse glass with plastic sheets and fixing the fencing that separates our garden and the neighbours garden further. Its been a really busy day.

So what do sun-shining days in the garden normally bring?!  Outdoor BBQ food and if your a veggie, it is often veggie sausages and veggie burgers.  This year I am ringing the changes with these Buffalo Cauliflower Wings aka Hot and Spicy Cauliflower Florets.  I've been wanting to make these for a long long while.  These Buffalo Cauliflower Wings did not disappoint, they were awesome.  Really finger licking, that is if your happy to eat these with your fingers as I am.

You can use a ready made BBQ sauce or a bottled hot sauce.  I've actually used Sriracha sauce here.  Some of you will know that I love the Sriracha sauce and I mean love the stuff I even douse it on my oven baked chips!  It was introduced to me by a Malay student when I was at Glasgow University all those years ago.  These cauliflower florets are proper hot, not for chilli wimps.  

D loved them also and said it reminded him of his time in the United States of America with friends eating Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip.  He complimented that these were a fantastic substitute for those who are vegan.  I will so be making these again, I think this is the recipe that has made me really really appreciate Cauliflower. 

These red hot spicy Cauliflower florets are perhaps my favourite grub at the moment and I am hoping to pick up more cauliflower tomorrow, so that I can make them again. I am sharing this recipe with Choclette who now blogs at Tin and Thyme.  She is hosting The Cool Cauliflower Collection with Karen of Lavender and Lovage.  

Vegan Barbecue 'Butter' Spread

I've been making sandwiches for work, and I have to admit I have been getting a little bored with the plain filling.  I like a little flavour kick in the mouth, so was inspired to make some home-made vegan butter enhanced with some Barbecue Sauce Extra Hot Habenero; it was really really good.  It really made for interesting eating and tasty sandwiches - in fact my tongue was dancing in my mouth from the spice heat from the sauce.  Lovely.

I've also spread this dark, smoky hot BBQ Sauce 'Butter' on toast and bagels.

I must add, its not the melty kind of 'butter' that you put on hot toast and it melts, no this is the spreading kind of butter, I guess a bit like peanut butter.   And my oh my, it spreads beautifully too, not claggy and lumpy, but if your looking for a plainer vegan 'butter' recipe check out this link. 

BBQ Purple Kale Crisps

I know this bowl looks like a bowl full of dried up Autumn leaves, but let me assure you that these leafy greens are edible.  Its a bowl of healthy BBQ Kale crisps.  

I've made Kale Crisps a number of times, but its the first time that I have made some that are BBQ flavoured. 

I picked up this purple kale came from a Farmers market in Monmouthshire a couple of weeks back, sadly those that I have had growing in my garden have been attacked by beasties. 

These kale crisps are heavily coated on both sides with a thick layer of BBQ sauce. This particular Extra Hot Habenero BBQ sauce comes from Jack Daniels.  It is both suitable for vegans and vegetarians. I loved the flavour of this one, with not just the smokiness coming through, but also the heat and warmth from the habenero. 

When the kale crisps came out of the oven, I left them on the side for a moment or two, whilst I looked for little airtight tubs to transfer them too.  When I got back, the mountain of crisp kale (okay I exaggerate a little) had shrunk, they really had shrunk! as D's big man hands had got to some of them.  I was quite surprised he liked them, as in the past he hasn't been that enthused by them, perhaps the BBQ flavours appealed to him more.   

Anyway I still have half a jar of these packed in an airtight container and will be nibbling on them tonight with a glass of red wine.  Thank goodness for Friday nights. 

Vegan BBQ Beetroot Seitan 'Steaks'

Oh wow, how real do these vegan BBQ Beetroot Seitan 'Steaks' look?!

At first, these vegan BBQ Beetroot Seitan 'Steaks' intimidated me a little, as they looked so real and 'meaty' on the plate.  I actually felt like I was eating out at a British pub, but I was at home.  These 'beetroot seitan 'steaks' were substantial and had texture and bite, had I not made them with my own hands, I would have been a bit sceptical tucking in, especially as you need a proper carving or a sharp knife to cut through the thick red slabs, motioning back and fro to reveal the beetroot 'bloody' seitan innards.  Succulent is not a word often associated with vegan grub, but these certainly were.  

Regular reader will know, that I don't do OMG!  But OMG and I am not exaggerating here, you should have seen the blender with the beetroot concoction, like a scene from a gory horror movie, my hands were too full to get the camera and take a picture.  The recipe can get messy, if your a tad clumsy, so be prepared to do some wiping down with a cloth, but you won't regret the end result that lands on  your plate, its pretty 'spoof', yet real!  

I also have to point out my mistake (not the recipe) that the first batch I made were a little over-done, but the second batch, I was more mindful of the timing and they turned out pretty perfect. The beetroot seitan 'steaks' are basted on both sides with a thick layer of BBQ sauce. This particular Smooth Original BBQ sauce comes from Jack Daniels.  It is both suitable for vegans and vegetarians. My taste buds are adventurous and can certainly take more smokiness and warmth, so I am looking forward to trying out the other two bottles: Extra Hot Habenero; and Hot Pepper Steak Sauce that I have, but you can use BBQ sauce any that you like. 

If you don't wish to make Beetroot Seitan 'Steaks', then you can easily shape the seitan into patties and make them into 'Beefy' Beetroot Seitan Burgers.  The recipe should make 8. 

Thanks to the availability of vital wheat gluten in the UK, I am so pleased to be able to get vital wheat gluten that is more affordable and accessible.  And be a bit more adventurous with wheat meat creations that end up on my plate at home,  I know D is even more excited than me. 

These BBQ Beetroot Setian 'Steaks' are inspired and adapted from my lovely blogger friend Jules over at Little Black Fox.  I've written quite fondly of her before.  Jules has been quiet on the blog frontier for a couple of reasons.  First she was busy enjoying entrepreneurship with her partner, and most recently, motherhood.   I  know she will be delighted that more people will get to enjoy the recipe, albeit it with some little changes.  

Baked BBQ Black-Eyed Peas and Rice

My memories of home BBQ's are probably similar to yours - where the menfolk in the house (in my case my father) took over the cooking.  As my father set alight the garden grill, the dramatics commenced.  The rising flames were marvelled and welcomed by our childish woos and ahhs, all of us waiting patiently for the first bite. 

My nephew asked a question a couple of months ago, when he learned that we could be moving closer to family in Wales.  I can't remember his exact words, but it was something along the lines of 'When Nana (Grand Pa) has a family BBQ what are we going to make you and D?'.  I told him it wouldn't be too much of a problem.  D's a demi-vegetarian by association so will eat fish and seafood now and again; and me -I may seem difficult to cater for but I actually think I am not.   I told him not to worry his little head, as I am sure I will be making a veggie contribution towards the family BBQs in the future - what it will be, well that is something we will both have to wait and see.

But back to present day Scotland, where the sun is still blazing - there is no meaty or veggie BBQ taking place in my little garden, however there are some Baked BBQ Black-Eyed Peas and Rice on the table.  The flavour of these beans sure are smoky, with a sweetness from the agave syrup.  The black-eyed peas are so soft that they just melt in your mouth like butter.  The tempeh gives this dish extra texture in the form of bite. I just wish I had served it with some greens on the side.

This recipe comes from Vegan Soul Kitchen and is described by the author Bryant Terry as a remix of Hoppin' John, a dish that is eaten throughout the South in America.  Hoppin' John is especially eaten on New Year's Day when it is thought to bring the eater good luck.

The recipe does not stray that far from the original. But I did have to make a few changes.  I replaced the kombu with bay leaf, omit the lime juice - only because I didn't have any citrus fruit in the flat.  Chipotle in adobo sauce is quite expensive in the U.K, so I just re-hydrated some dried chipotle peppers in hot water and added them to a blender with the tinned tomatoes and other ingredients.  I also increased the brown rice ratio.

This post is linked to Just Another Meatless Monday #70 hosted by What's for Dinner Mom?; Meatless (Vegan) Mondays hosted by Veggie Converter. 
Baked BBQ Black-Eyed Peas and Rice
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
280g dried black eyed peas, sorted, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
2 bay leaves
100ml plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice (optional)
120ml tamari or soy sauce
200g tinned tomatoes
2 medium or 1 large dried chipotle chile, re-hydrated
60ml agave nectar; maple syrup or other sweetener
1 generous teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1 teaspoon dried thyme
250g - 280g tempeh, diced
Method
In a large pot, add the soaked and drained black-eyed peas, bay leaves and cover them with enough water.  Bring to a boil, then allow to simmer for 50 minutes or until tender.  Drain the beans, reserving the cooking water.
While the beans are cooking, combine 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, the onions, garlic and pepper in a wide pan over medium heat. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5
In a blender, combine the vinegar, lime, tamari, tomato, chipotle chile, agave, cumin, cayenne, thyme, and 250ml of the reserved bean water and the remaining olive oil. Puree until smooth. Combine the cooked beans with the sauteed vegetables, BBQ sauce and tempeh pieces, then stir well. Transfer mixture to an ovenproof casserole dish and bake, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

While the beans are baking, make the rice.
Brown Rice
200g long grain brown rice, rinsed
400ml water
Method
In a medium pan, combine the rice and the water.  Bing to the boil.  Then reduce the heat an simmer for 40 minutes, until tender.  Remove from the heat and set aside.
In the last 30 minutes of the beans baking, stir in cooked rice and return to the oven.  Serve at room temperature.  Adapted very slightly from Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry.