Start of January 2020 In My Kitchen

Happy New Year.

Here's the robin that hangs out in our garden all year round.  Its belly is not that red all the time but it makes its presence known with its chirping, this is simply to say that robins are not just for Christmas. 

Last month kept me busy, that I failed to write up and take many pictures over the festive holidays; and it shows as I do not that have much in my kitchen, just a handful of kitchen related gifts.

First one comes from my mother in law, a pestle and mortar. 

 Secondly some marble coasters with painted elephants, this came from one of D's aunties.  

Here is our 2019 Christmas tree with its eclectic ornaments. 

Every year we get the tree a new ornament, this year we have this quirky old fashion typewriter., not food related I know.

Under the Christmas tree, I was gifted with a bar of Hassalacher's  drinking chocolate.  I've had this before and its featured on IMK in the past.  These are actual chunky dark pieces from Colombia which you melt in dairy or non-dairy milk and enjoy with optional extra sweeteners such as agave syrup, honey or maple syrup.  Its utterly gorgeous.  My Secret Santa at work gave me a cookie mix. I had intended to bake them over the festive season to share, but never got round to it. i will bake them, but think I will end up using a different cookie cutter than the bear.  I was also given some savoury snacks in the shape of Christmas tree (not featured).  

D bought me loads of presents like music Cd's film DVDs, non fiction reading books and a very cool T-shirt, but the kitchen related ones are these three cookbooks, two of which are Vegan Christmas related: Happy Vegan Christmas; and Vegan Christmas Feasts.  So funny, decades ago you could hardly find a vegetarian or vegan Christmas book and in the last two years there has been an explosion.  My go to Christmas Vegetarian Cookbook has always been Vegetarian Christmas published in 1992 from the British Queen of Vegetarian Cuisine - Rose Elliot.  

I look forward to seeing what's in you kitchen if you join in with Sherry's Pickings for the In My Kitchen series.  

Some Festive Eats over Christmas

I hope my readers had a good Christmas break.  I had a good one and I must confess I am pleased as I am still on my holidays, I don't go back until after the New Year.  

So with some time on my hands, I thought I would share some homemade festive eats.

A very simple and easy recipe for pinwheels made to look like a Christmas tree.  These are green wraps filled with hummus, strips of yellow, orange and red peppers, rocket and spring onions.  

Vegan sausage roll bites in two flavours: apricot and yellow pepper; the other was beetroot and horseradish served with Smoked Paprika Ketchup.

Black chickpea and sweet potato frittata bites.

As well as the homemade chocolate 'salami', I made another festive bookmarked recipe from the Green Gourmet Giraffe, this time for Gingerbread Cookies.  This was also actually an excuse to play with my box of eclectic cookie cutters.   

A Whole Lot of Fudge In My Kitchen

I really thought I was not going to be able to join in with In My Kitchen this month, but here I am with a little time on my hands to participate, before I get back to what I really should be doing...  

Early on in the month in My Kitchen were some Red Brussels Sprouts.  I used them in a warm salad.  I have taken a photograph of it, but it does not do the dish or the sprouts any favours. 

D is a fan of beetroot, so I picked this up with plans to make Beetroot Pasta Salad for work.

In My Kitchen I am still enjoying foodie gifts from the festive holidays, as well as the Beetroot
savoury beetroot and poppy seed, smoked paprika and black pepper and Chive and Sea-salt biscuits that I shared last month, I also have some Charcoal Crackers from Cradoc's.  These were given to me by my nephew.  These dainty charcoal crackers were in a box described as a Welsh Hamper, stick with me as I have more from that hamper below to share.  Just a note, these must have been made special for Christmas as it is not presently listed on the Cradoc's website.  I consider myself lucky!

Still Festive in My January Kitchen

It is still quite festive in my home, especially as I am enjoying an extended holiday.

I was bestowed with lots of good things to eat and cherish over the festive holidays. 

First a work colleagues and someone who I would certainly call a friend, Joel gave these to me.  One was a belated Birthday present (from November) and the other a Christmas present. 

These stunning embroidered wall plaques are made by his very talented Mother.  Thank you so much.  Both these gifts were unexpected,  I will really cherish them.

A little bit of Australia in my kitchen

In my kitchen are some Australian gifts which come courtesy of Johanna who blogs over at Green Gourmet Giraffe.  

Johanna was one of the first bloggers I got to know when I started blogging and although we have never met, I feel like we have become good friends.

Laying on top of the Australian tea-towel are all my foodie gifts.  first some Outback Spirit Tasmanian Pepper Salt and a souvenir Australian dollars notebook - all of which I will use as bookmarks for my many cookbooks.  This idea of Australian dollar bookmarks got me thinking as to how many vegetarian or vegan cookbooks I have that are from Australian cooks and chefs? Perhaps Johanna can name me some other than Amy Chaplin and Kurma Dasa, as I am really not that sure. Or perhaps this can be a future blog post for her, if she wishes to accept.  

I am proper excited to try these Vegemite Bagel Crisps and look forward to ripping the bag open when I return home from my short holiday. 

Crafted Blends Greens, Pumpkin Seed, Spinach and Chickpeas has me curious as it sounds like a savoury bar.  The Milo protein clusters made me smile.  Johanna mentioned that Milo products are a little sentimental to her as it reminds her of her childhood.  

Some golden apricot bites and a couple of interesting bars: Apricot and a Cacao and Orange. I have not tried any of these yet, but as I have alluded above we will be away for a short break, driving to our destination tomorrow for a few days - so all these treat bars will be consumed on our road trip and I may up-date this blog post on my return for those curious as to how these Australian treats taste.

I do like my herbal teas so look forward to trying this Dandy Chai Blend with Roasted Dandelion Root

And spices.  Johanna on her blog has mentioned Herbie's Spices many times, so I was pretty chuffed to find these in the cotton tote bag (featured above).  Lemon Myrtle Leaf and Balmain & Rozelle Spice Blend, neither of which I have ever used.  I had heard of Lemon Myrtle, but not Balmain & Rozelle Spice Blend, but on a little bit more digging I learned that this spice blend was created to celebrate Australian broad food heritage.  I will be using it very soon as a marinade for a Summer vegetable bake, unless some of my Australian readers can give me recipe suggestions to use both spice blends.

I was also sent a chocolate bar of Freddo frog - one of Australia's popular children characters but with the hot weather got to him an d was more melty the frog, but I did still enjoy it with a cuppa tea.  Thank you so  much Johanna for your warmth, kindness and generosity.  

I am sharing this with Sherry Pickings for In My Kitchen series.  its one of my favourite blog events and one I have encouraged other fellow bloggers to join in too as its a way I could have a good cheeky nosy not only into their kitchen, but other peoples kitchen too, please do join in. 

Cardiff Viva Vegan Festival

Over the weekend, we went into the city of Cardiff for the Vival Vegan Festival.  

This was Cardiff's largest vegan festival organised by the charity Viva!  Viva! is an animal and environmental campaigning charity that exposes animal abuse.  

Cardiff Viva Vegan Festival was held at Cardiff City Hall. 

Christmas Came and Went

Christmas day came and went and before I knew it I was back in work.

I had some lovely gifts thanks mostly to my lovely husband like a gorgeous peacock T-shirt, a couple of DVDs, a CD amongst other things, but the two gifts that I want to share here are food related.  

I had two cookbooks on my Christmas wish list: Meat Free Any Day: Food For all Reasons by Sarah Beattie; and The Adventurous Vegetarian: Around The World In 30 Meals by Jane Hughes - my wishes was granted...Now to decide what to cook from them first?! 

And from my nephew - the oldest one that I am really really close too, I got a foodie hamper. 

I have never received an hamper in my life, so this was a lovely treat. 

He managed to stuff it with with additional sweet and savoury nibbles, a lot that you can't even see, so I will have to share that with you in my blog January In My Kitchen blog post, 

I hope you had a good Christmas with your family and friends, now we wait to welcome the New Year and what is may bring.  

In My Kitchen: Big Bread Bin

This is one of my favourite storage jars.  I sometimes pretend the chef character is an illustration of me, especially with the wavy hair.  I actually had two of these jars with the same character, but my nephew smashed it by accident.  I've never let him forget it - no I'm just teasing, he did smash it though, that part is true.  

Do you remember me mentioning in my last IMK post that I treat myself to some lovely artisan bread now and again.  Well sometimes the bread loaves just do not fit snuggly into the bread bin I already have in the kitchen, so the lovely husband got me an even bigger Bread Bin.  This creamy hunk of enamel will certainly house more than one loaf for sure (or maybe he picked it up to stash his chocolate bars!).

I've won a couple of foodie goodies too.  I went to a Vegetarian food festival and won a goodie basket filled with vegan goodies, including four packets of vegan cheese from Vegusto.  Blogger friends like Johanna over at Green Gourmet Giraffe has given it the thumbs up, so I'm looking forward to cooking with it.  I've already  got a number of  ideas of what to do with it.  

Secondly, I entered my vegan Mexican Tamale Pie in a blogger contest and I was runner up and was sent a jar of Gran Luchito - an intensely smoked chilli spice paste. I've already made one dish with it and am looking forward to making the most of my jar, slowly of course - its powerful stuff. 

Other than rhubarb, I don't have much to harvest from my  garden yet, oh I fib there are herbs, here is some thyme and chives with allium flower head in tact - perfect to garnish a salad plate or a summer soup.

Whilst at the farmers market at the weekend, I also picked up a punnet of seasonal green gooseberries.  Any suggestions what to do with them would be most appreciated.  I'd hate to see them go to the compost bin.

In My Kitchen Series is hosted by Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.  It is an opportunity for worldwide bloggers to share what is happening in their kitchen.  Please do go by and read about the other bloggers sharing what's going on in their kitchen - the heart of many homes!

Dreaming of Britanny

Around this time last year, I was on holiday in South Finistere in the Bretagne region of France. 

Early this year, we had planned to take a camping trip around France and Brittany.  We had even purchased a book of campsites around France, but sadly with things happening outwith my control, it has got pushed further and further into the background.

 So instead I am taking a trip down memory lane of our last holiday with the nephews.

I don't think I shared some of the foodie related treats I bought back with me, so here are some: tea towels; popular Mama Goudig moulds

 A tin of biscuits; some crêpe related gadgetsr and a recipe cookbook.

D was rather taken by Mam' Goudig, so here are a number of other novelty things such as toppers, an ingredient board, salad bowl and an enamel mug for hot apple cider.  As well as Black Buckwheat flour, cider and some tiny serving cider cups.

Edible purchases were violet jam, violet syrup, rose liqueur, mint syrup and sea salt. 

I have to be honest and tell you that I still have not opened the first three.  Naughty really.  I better check out the sell by date.

Glorified Laverbread cakes aka the Welsh Vegetarian Burger

My oldest nephew has come up for a long weekend and with him he brought me some goodies from Wales. Here are a few.
Laverbread oatcakes, cranberry cheese - not very Welsh I know, but very seasonal and a bread board inscribed in Welsh 'Bara Cartref wedi ei wneud a chariad' which translates as 'Home made bread made with love'. I have some tinned laverbread too. I actually still have a stash left over from his last visit. Laverbread also known as 'Seaweed bread' is seaweed porphyra umbilicalis gathered from rocks around the coast. It is rinsed repeatedly in changes of water to get rid of grit and sand, then soaked in fresh water to reduce its strong salty flavour. Then it is cooked gently in water until it is reduced to a mush literally. I like to describe it as the 'Saag of the Welsh world'.

I would never have described Laverbread as gourmet food. Apart from the way it looks - jet green, its distinct smell from the iodine content was more likely to turn people off it before they even had a chance to try some. But it seems that things are changing. The 200g tin my nephew gave me cost almost £3.00. Looks to me that laverbread in Wales is making a comeback. The best known dish made with laver is laverbread cakes. Its a very simple recipe, 200g laverbread is combined with 50g rolled oats then fried. It is often served at part of a Welsh breakfast.  Talking of gourmet food, my nephew told me that there is even a Laverbread Caviar, now that is one I look forward to seeing, and if its vegetarian - even trying - so I hope he brings me some next time he comes up to visit me here in Scotland.

Anyway, yesterday in an effort to use some of my store cupboard ingredients one of which included a tin of laverbread, I decided to create some Welsh Vegetarian Burgers for Brunch.
Now in all my time of growing up and living in Wales, I have never ever had a Welsh Vegetarian burger, so thought wouldn't it be cool to create one, or at least attempt to create one using the recipe for 'laverbread cakes' as a starting point. I had bucket loads of leeks picked up on Saturday, but no Caerphilly cheese. You can't make a Welsh vegetarian burger without Caerphilly yells my nephew. He is right. I remembered the last time I tried to make a Welsh recipe I struggled to find Caerphilly cheese in Scotland. I searched high and low for the real stuff, even the West Ends cheesemonger informed they did not keep any. Anyway, determined that I was going to make some burgers with the laverbread and Caerphilly cheese it occurred me to try, this place which opened up early last year. Well I was so glad I did. I was the first person to get a wedge of Caerphilly cheese from the wheel. It wasn't particularly cheap, but it was worth this novelty treat - a little taste of home. These Welsh Vegetarian burgers or 'glorified Laverbread cakes' as my nephew called them, were a great success.

Glorified laverbread cakes aka the Welsh Vegetarian Burger
Makes 5 - 6
Ingredients120g tinned laverbread
75g - 100g rolled oats, medium or jumbo (I used a mixture of both)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large leek, washed and sliced
50g fresh breadcrumbs
50g Caerphilly cheese, grated or vegan alternative
1 teaspoon mustard
Pepper to taste
Vegetable or olive oil for shallow frying
Method
In a bowl, add the laverbread and rolled oats and combine well. Set aside for it to firm up.
In the meantime, heat olive oil and add leeks and cook on low heat until soft. Stir into the laverbread and oat mix, then add in the breadcrumbs and combine well. Gently stir in the Caerphilly cheese or vegan alternative, mustard and pepper to taste. Then divide the mixture into 5 or 6 balls and shape into patties or burgers. You can either leave these in the fridge to firm up or cook immediately. Heat about 4 tablespoons oil, when hot add the burgers, shallow fry for about 4 minutes before flipping over and cooking for another 4 minutes or until golden. Press gently with a spatula if necessary. Enjoy immediately, either in a bread roll or as a side with wedges or chips.

A2K Pay It Forward

Last week I received a lovely parcel from Jee of Jee and Me. I love this feeling, it feels a bit a Birthday or Christmas when you get presents. Its such a joyful feeling of being spoiled. My gifts from Jee were these: a pretty hanging plaque with the words 'Sow with passion, grow with pride', a soap neatly wrapped in pink tissue paper,
with it I received a wonderful hand -made and hand-written card. In it Jee writes 'Tried to find things suitable for a cook/gardener! Soap comes from our local health food place and is supposed to be good for getting oniony/garlicky smells off hands'. Thank you so much for your thoughtful gift Jee.

Some of you may have aware of the background to 'Pay It Forward', others not so let me please share. I think the idea of Pay it Forward was started by fellow bloggers in the U.S.A. The parcels have always contained something linked to the orientation of the fellow blogger blog, for example gardening, cooking, craft and something local. This is then forwarded to a lucky recipient or recipients in some cases. The aim of the 'Pay it Forward' primarily is to spread a little kindness - gifts don't have to be expensive or elaborate, it's the thought that counts.

So if you would like to take part in my second Pay It Forward Giveaway, leave a comment with the words 'I'm in' after this post. Just remember, by entering this Pay it Forward you're agreeing to post about your parcel and hold a giveaway of your own. I will announce the name of the recipient on Saturday 7th August 2010.

Goodness, Gracious Me! Its my 555th post

Just over a year ago, I began my blog. I meant for it to be a hobby, to record my allotment antics and showcase some of my culinary creations. Blogging also served as a distraction. It meant that I could switch off from thinking about work. It has steadily grown more central to my leisure time and has brought me so much personal pleasure and joy, with D, my husband sharing many of these moments with me. Most of all, it has brought many wonderful people into my lives, people who I perhaps ordinarily would not have the opportunity to converse with. Normally I am quite a private person and tend to keep myself to myself. I am sure I will cross paths with some of you one-day, whilst others of course I will never meet in reality, yet I want to Thank You all for taking time to read my blog and to comment now and again. I do now, and have always, appreciated each and every comment.

So, as a small thank you to you, my readers, and by way to celebrate my 555th post, I am going to have a giveaway. Here's are the things you will find in the A2K giveaway parcel.
As you all have diverse interests and backgrounds I wasn't completely sure what to include in the A2K box. After deliberation I came up with these few items which I hope will have wide appeal. In the A2K giveaway you will find cookie cutters, a traditional Scottish cookery booklet, some coloured paper baking cups, a gardening mug, and finally - from one of the Scottish Museums - a 'Dig for Victory Now' pill box.

So to be in with a chance to receive this parcel, please just leave a comment on this post. I will select the winner from the posts entirely at random, and the winner selected will be announced on Sunday 11th April, 2010. My overseas readers are most welcome to enter, as well as all of you silent background readers: here is a chance to participate and introduce yourself!

Once again, may I take this opportunity to Thank You All for making this blog a personal success for me.
THIS IS NOW CLOSED.

My letterbox part 3

There was a knock on the door at the end of last week, D looked out the window and said theres a postman down there, have your ordered anything?! I said no, everything outstanding has arrived. Well I opened the door and the postman handed me this long parcel, I looked at the postmark and I instantly knew whom it had come from. It was from my best friend in America, but why, its not my birthday, anniversary or…
Inside it was a silicone baking mat excellent for rolling out doughs and for using in place of parchment paper, and these small, yet beautiful Japanese tea tins. The gold flower paper covering the tins were hand-crafted in Japan. These were belated Birthday and ‘paper’ Wedding Anniversary presents. She wrote this is your paper anniversary, hence the paper covering.

She also wrote I went ahead and filled the tins with an assortment of nice teas from my kitchen, so they wouldn't be empty. And now, it is like we can have tea together, since we can share the same tea'. I am all choked up. There is oolong, spicy mint, Genmai cha and chocolate mint truffle tea, wow - I never knew that such a flavour existed. This of course had to be the first to try.

The chocolate mint truffle tea was absolutely delicious without milk. So if you are reading this dearest friend Thank you my dearest friend for the wonderful surprise. I miss you truly. One-day, we will share a cup a tea and a piece of cake at the same table.

She thinks she’s a terrible friend for the delay in forwarding these gifts, I am just as bad too. I went to Kelburn Castle and Country estate in the West of Scotland five-six years ago and got the pottery shop there to make her a handmade salt pig. The salt pig is still with me. I am too afraid to post it in case it breaks. Maybe it is time to forward it to its rightful owner. Oh, this made me smile too, this brown paper bag was used by my dear friend to carefully wrap my gifts. It is one I would frame. Wouldn't you?!