Welsh Laverbread Seitan Faggots (vegan) with Onion Gravy

I've featured vegan Welsh Faggots on my blog in the past, but have always wanted to enhance them textually and visually.  I was able to do this a few days ago for our homely St Davids Day Welsh Vegan Menu with the addition of another Welsh delicacy Laverbread.  

For those of you not  from Wales and not familiar with Welsh faggots, well in a nutshell Faggots were traditionally made with the innards of pigs. The pate like mixture was then wrapped in the lacy casing of the animals caul and oven roasted slowly.  

I remember reading a while back, that the Welsh faggots is what haggis is to the Scots and is often referred to as Welsh Haggis in some parts of Wales.  There may be some truth in this as The Scotsman also make reference to haggis being popular in the Welsh Valleys of Wales, but they still credit the Scots for the haggis jokingly writing that a Scottish haggis escaping to Wales in 1690, hence its popularity in Wales. 

Faggots are still made in Wales and are still quite popular.  Faggots are traditionally served with mushy peas and onion gravy or brown meaty gravy.  My Welsh Laverbread Seitan Faggots are of course is suitable for vegetarians and for vegans and so is the onion gravy. 

D absolutely loved the onion gravy.  He didn't mind the Welsh Laverbread Seitan Faggots either.

At last French Onion Soup at Home

I made this soup last week, or was it the weekend before...I can't remember now.  What I do remember is wanting to make French Onion Soup for a long while.  I think the idea had been planted in my head during Vegan Mofo when I saw a good looking vegan variation of French Onion soup that got me drooling.  This one is not vegan though it could easily be by replacing the butter with vegan margarine and vegan 'cheese'.

Previous to making this soup, I have only ever had French Onion soup once in my life.  No it was not when I was in Paris, France for my honeymoon; or when I was in Brittany visiting friends. No it wasn't even when we went to Marseille quite recently, no I had my first ever French Onion Soup in Loch Lomond, when I lived in Scotland.  

We had friends visiting us from America and we went to the shores of Loch Lomond.  It was the only dish on the menu, other than Ploughman's Lunch that was marked as suitable for vegetarians and I liked it - sweet salty caramelised onions  flavours were very pleasing. 

Onion Storage Pot

After graduating, one of my very first jobs was at a Law Centre in Glasgow city centre.  During my lunch hour, I would spend time either flicking through cookbooks or admiring kitchen things and making a mental 'wish list'.  It was always for small things, but even they cost a fair bit. 

So at the end of the month when I got paid. I would treat myself to either a cookbook or something for the kitchen.  

Next to the garlic keeper, I have I guess what you would call an Onion Store Pot.  I got it from this  shop at a reduced price, because it had a small chip in it. See the brim of the main body. It doesn't bother me. I still liked how the onions were illustrated on the base and on the lid. This terracota pot stores about up to 6 - 7 medium onions.  I've been told by my mother, that I won't need to buy any onions (or potatoes) when we move down to Wales, as they buy in bulk from a farmer.  Ah I foresee lots of benefits coming my way.   

Spiced onion and potato roast

This is really a healthier and succulent version of Bombay potatoes, that really do melt in your mouth.

I made these with my own homegrown onions. My onions this year have been disappointing compared to the previous year, as they were much smaller. Yet I am pleased in the knowledge that they are mine and can still make me cry (when I am peeling them of course).

I served the spiced onion and potato roast with a vegetarian chilli bean. Most people have a good vegetarian chilli bean recipe up their sleeve, so I am not posting one. Just make your own and enjoy it with this potato and onion roast, a change from the usual plain rice or tortillas wraps.

Spiced onion and potato roast
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder

salt to taste
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
680g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
Method
Heat oil in a casserole dish and cook the onion and spices until soft and the flavours are well infused. Add garlic and potatoes to the casserole dish and coat well in spicy onion mixture. Then place casserole dish in oven gas mark 6 for 45 minutes to an hour until cooked through. Adapted from Entertaining with Friends by Simon Hope.