Sage Green Quiche

Today, I read  'You are not working from home, you are at home during a crisis trying to work'.  And it is so true to emphasize this distinction.

Anyway, not wanting to go off on a rant, let me share this Green Sage Quiche.  I made this Green Sage Quiche in the first week of quarantine, with eggs that had to be used.  

At our last 'normal shopping trip' we picked up some Sage Cheese from the supermarket to try, part of the attraction was the green marbled effect on the cheese, but neither of us have been nibbling in the evening on cheesy crackers so it was used in this rather green Quiche.

In the absence of spinach, there is also some lettuce in the Quiche as that was the only green vegetable in my fridge, that's if you can count salad leaves as a vegetable.  

Black Charcoal Cheddar Macaroni Cheese

Last year I made a Black Garlic Macaroni Cheese for World Pasta Day and Halloween that has become a big thing in the UK in the last five years, but this year I had neither the energy or  or motivation to do anything at home or for the trick and treaters banging on the front door. 

This Black Charcoal Cheddar Macaroni Cheese only appeared on my table as some friends rang me out of the blue wanting to come on over for a short visit  last weekend; and as good hostess I wanted to make them something to eat and as it was short notice, I made do  with what I had at home - pasta, milk and cheese.

Despite how it looks, it tastes just as you would expect - like Mac'n'cheese.  To break the grunge grey-blackness, I did scatter over some chopped spring onions. 

I had picked up the Black Charcoal Cheddar Cheese whilst I was in Cardiff recently.  I had bought some Black Charcoal Cheddar last year but never got round to sharing what it looked like, so partly with blogging in mind and partly because we liked the black charcoal cheese I indulged and paid a few extra pounds to bring this cheese home. Look this one is even designed to look like coal!

This is not a sponsored blog post 

I also spotted this creepy graffiti art on the side of a building in Cardiff recently and thought it would compliment my blog post and a late Link to other Black coloured food recipes 

Black Charcoal Cheddar Macaroni Cheese Bake
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
75g butter
1 medium onion - peeled and chopped
75g plain flour800g milk

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

200g-225g Charcoal cheddar cheese, grated plus extra for topping
Salt and ground pepper

300g macaroni pasta

Method
Melt butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onions and cook gently until soft, then garlic and cook until soft.
Stir in the flour and cook for a minute, then gradually add the milk, whisking all the time.

Then whisk in about three-quarters of the cheese and allow to melt into the sauce.  

Cook until you have achieved the required thickness.

Season to taste and combine well.

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions until al dente. 

Drain, then stir into cheese sauce and gently transfer into an ovenproof dish.

Sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
Bake in oven Gas mark 6 for 20 - 30 minutes until golden.  
This dish can be made in advance and reheated. 

Black Sesame and Purple Cauliflower Cake

When the opportunity presents itself, I do like going to farmers markets to see what's in season and also what new and what different vegetables I can get hold off, plus I am always looking for inspiration. It did not disappoint I came home with a purple and green cauliflower. 

At the time I was not sure what to make with it to be honest, but that is me - buy first - think later.  At one point I had considered making a warm cauliflower salad with them, but then D suggested making a Savoury Cauliflower Cake that I made many years ago.  

I don't make this Savoury Cauliflower Cake that often because it uses 10 eggs, but as we had some friends coming over, I thought it was worth the effort.  

Of course in true Shaheen style I adapted it a little from the original recipe only in that I added some beetroot powder to the egg batter. I also made the topping looking a little more pretty with red onions filled with some black sesame seeds. Here it is looking vivid and incredible before going into the oven to be transformed into a golden bake. 

This is not a recipe that you knock up after work.  Its takes time from steaming the cauliflower, cracking 10 eggs, grating the cheese - I know so much work - but its worth the effort when your guests exclaim 'Wow'!

Just a shame when you slice into it that the beetroot colour has faded upon cooking and so did the steamed purple cauliflower.  Shame really, still it was a very nice savoury cake to eat and share.  

Other Savoury Cakes on my blog
Celery and Pecan Cake
Leek and Stilton 'Eccles' Cake
Persian Style Upside Beetroot Rice Cake
Savoury Broccoli Cake
Vegetarian Chorizo, Sun dried Tomato and Pistachio Savoury Cake

Black Garlic Macaroni Cheese Bake

So apparently its World Pasta Day and it is truly by coincidence that today I blog this pasta dish. 

Black food or dark coloured food continues to dominate my blog in the run up to Halloween and today I have a whopper. I thought surely someone must have made a Black Garlic Macaroni Cheese recipe.  I googled and there was no recipe for black garlic pasta, yeah a little grated like parmesan - but not drowned in black garlic dyed cheese - no doubt, now there will be some more now. 

Here is my Black Garlic Pasta Macaroni Cheese before going into the oven for the final bake.  I promise you it gets much darker on baking; and you will have to take my work for it as I didn't take a picture of it, blame it on the dark evenings.

I adore my husband for allowing me to experiment in the kitchen and eating whatever I present to him.  We have rarely ever thrown a dish in the bin, not always delicious, but always edible.  This was a really rich and quite tasty actually.  The black garlic adds colour, but also balsamic zingy sweetness.  Please do serve it with some salad greens, but you'd do that right with a macaroni cheese to balance the cheese indulgence guilt, or it that just me?!

By the way, for those of you who follow me on twitter will have noticed that I have changed my photo avatar to keep it seasonal, right! But for those of you who do not follow me on twitter - here it is.  It was taken in the city of Cardiff last year, I had wondered whether I'd get to share it and I have.

I am sharing a Black Garlic Macaroni Cheese Bake #CookOnceEatTwice hosted by Searching For Spice.

Other  Black Garlic recipes
Wild Garlic, Black Garlic and White Garlic  Cake
Asparagus and Black Garlic Loaf

Smoked Cheddar Cheese Nut Roast

I have lots of flavoured cheddar cheese in the fridge from Christmas and the New Year.  We have been snacking on them in the evening with crackers, but I have also decided to incorporate some of it into our cooked meals.

This is a Smoked Cheddar Cheese Nut Roast that I made to accompany Sunday Veggie Roast Dinner. 

D is never excited by nut roasts.  So to please him I told him he would also get some mock meat slices on his plate (left over from a previous meal).   This Smoked Cheese Nut Roast recipe comes from Green Gourmet Giraffe.  Johanna's version is vegan. 

Wow this was a flavourful nut roast.  

It was very textual too. I changed it just a little, but they are not worth mentioning really.  Adding a red pepper for colour and upping the smoked paprika and Smoked cheddar cheese and finally because it just seemed right, I had to use the Outback Spirit Tasmanian Pepper Salt seasoning that Johanna sent me last year all the way from Australia.

Marrow, Manchego Cheese, White Beans and Sage Pithivier

I made this Marrow, Manchego Cheese, White Beans and Sage Pithivier with some of the marrow that was left over from the Marrow Conserve recipe (featured in the photograph) next to the jars.

I have to admit, I was not overly impressed with the filling whilst I was making it.  It looked a bit simple and boring.  I was also unsure what cheese to use and still had some remnants of Manchego cheese left over from Griddled Summer Vegetable Tart with Manchego Cheese Tart and added that to the mixture when it had cooled down. The puff pastry was filled, folded into pasties and then baked to taken into work the following day for lunch. 

Well surprising  these Marrow, Manchego Cheese, White Beans and Sage Pasties were delicious.  I have to concur with my husband that I too also enjoyed it. 

The following day, I  used the last of the filling to make some into pithivier style, but you can also just top puff pastry sliced like a flat tart or pizza.

Zucchini and Cheese Bread

This is not bread 'bread'.  It is not one that is kneaded.  

It is more cake form but even then its not a cake, its a savoury loaf.

We have had it a few times, over the weekend and then twice in the evening, early on in the working week as a light snack in the evening.  It is perfect as a portable savoury snack too. 

Cauliflower Cheese Gratin with Black Olives

I know it don't look much, but this Cauliflower Cheese Gratin with Black Olives made for an interesting change.  

The onions were soft and caramelised, the cauliflower was blistered gold here and there as if it were sprayed lustre gold and then studded with black pearls of sliced black olives.  It was surprisingly quite good and this is a compliment from someone who still snugs her nose at cauliflower dishes.   I must say though, this is not a creamy gratin.  The cream clings onto the cauliflower florets or  sinks into the gaps.

I served the gratin with some crusty crisp bread, but you could happily have it with sauteed new potatoes if you wish. 

Zimbabwean Squash Stuffed with Pulled Jackfruit 'Pork"

One of the aims of Refugee Week is to promote positive encounters between asylum seekers and refugees and members of the receiving communities, as well as raising awareness.   The theme for Refugee Week for 2016 is Welcome.  As my blog is a vegetarian food blog my Simple Act is to Cook A Dish from Another Country and try and raise some awareness that way among some of my readers.

Today I will share a vegetarian Zimbabwean Butternut Squash recipe.  But before I share the recipe, I would like to shine a little light on Zimbabwe.  Since 2000, the scale of state violence, the political instability and economic deprivation  in Zimbabwe has seen the UK receive refugees from there. 

A refugee is someone whose asylum application has been successful and who is allowed to stay in another country having proved they would face persecution in their homeland.

Zimbabwe's human rights record under Robert Mugabe has been criticised by the international community, including the European Union, UN, US and other countries. Mugabe's authoritarian regime has used force and torture to oppress political opposition. But not all Zimbabweans in the UK are refugees.  The NHS has attracted many Zimbabwean doctors and nurses, so it is important to recognise and embrace the positive contributions made by Zimbabweans too. 

Zimbabwean cuisine is heavily meat based.  However there are some crucial vegetable based dishes, but they are staples and are often served as accompaniments such as covo, maize and sadza.   Sadza is made from maize.  It is described as a across between mashed potato and rice. Covo is a green vegetable similar to spring greens and is often served with sadza, meat and sauce.  

After speaking to two of my colleagues, both of Zimbabwean heritage, they both recommended a Pumpkin dish, a change from the traditional Peanut Stew known as Haku ne dovi, but like true African men neither cooks.  One relying on his mothers cooking ;and the other on his wife's, neither were not able to give me a recipe.  I did a little research and got their approval on the authenticity of a vegetarian dish made with Gem squash.  The only comment was that they had had this dish, but it wasn't filled up so much with additional ingredients.   I went ahead and adapted the recipe with the more readily available butternut squash in the UK.  The roasted butternut squash was really delicious.  It was cooked well that you could literally spoon it from the glossy skin like mash lifting upon your fork popping sweetcorn and melty cheesy goodness.  The original recipe states that you could make it with your choice of protein, instead of some cooked beans like kidney beans, I decided to add Jackfruit.  It was truly one of the best dishes I have made without the addition of spices, just some fresh herbs and seasoning.  This is made with cheese, but is very easy to veganize.  I am sharing this with Bake of the Week hosted by Casa Costello and Maison Cupcake; Cindy for Gluten Free Fridays 

and CookBlogShare hosted Hijacked By Twins;  

Supernatural Green Quiche with Spirulina Shortcrust

Nothing supernatural about this quiche, its really just a Broccoli Quiche on a green pastry base. 

The shortcrust pasty is naturally dyed green with the addition of spirulina powder to the dough; and the eggy filling.  Well I steamed some broccoli and blitzed half of it with the milk, then poured it into a bowl and whisked it with the eggs and poured it over the pastry case that had been lined with the remaining broccoli heads and doused with some Welsh cheddar cheese. 

At one point during the cooking process, I actually panicked and thought the quiche was not going to set but fortunately it did.  This Broccoli quiche was packed with lots of flavours.  Even the spirulina powder in the shortcrust pastry imparted its sea earth flavours.  Its just a shame the photograph here doesn't pick up the green in pastry, though I must admit it is a little scorched here and there.  Here's a song by the Jamaican Reggae Band The Dread & Terrible called 'Spirulina'. 

I am sharing this recipe with 'Eat Your Greens' which I am hosting this month and my new Co-Host The Veg Hog;  and Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Searching for Spice.

Welsh Rarebit Laverbread Scones

The Welsh Laverbread Diaries continue...

These Welsh Rarebit Laverbread Scones were with a capital A - Amazing.  D scoffed down two and would have easily gone for a third had I not given him the beady eye.  

The mustard seeds give it pop and warmth, the Welsh laverbread a little colour and saltiness. and of course the cheddar cheese metled on top gives it that golden Blonde hue, gorgeous just on the cusp of almost burnt, but not quite.  To give the scones additional oomf, I've used both self raising flour and baking powder, but you can just leave out the baking powder if you wish.  Most of my recipes are easy to veganize, and this one is no different, just make a vegan savoury scone, then add vegan alternative non dairy milk and cheese.

As I said earlier, D loved these.  We had finished of the remaining  scones in the following coming day, but gave them about 30 second in the nuker (microwave)  for a bit of warmth, but they are at their best on the day.

The lovely Louise from Months of Edible Celebrations wrote a fantastic insightful piece on Welsh Rarebit - Chasing the Rabbit  that may interest those of you  interested in the origins of the Rarebit.  Follow this link.   

And if your looking for more Welsh Laverbread inspiration, see the links below.
Welsh Laverbread Pies
Welsh Woman's Laverbread Caviar
Welsh Laverbread Suet Pudding with Mushrooms and Puy Lentils
Glorified Laverbread Cakes aka Welsh Welsh Vegetarian Burger with Caerphilly Cheese
Welsh cottage Pie with Laverbread Mash
Welsh
Laverbread, Samphire and Seaweed Quiche with Perl Las Cheese

Vegetarian Welsh Cawl Hot Pot

In anticipation of St David's Day, I made this Welsh Cawl Hot Pot yesterday afternoon.

Most people in the U.K are familiar with Lancashire Hot Pot made more famous by a barmaid called Betty (now deceased) in a popular British soap drama called Coronation Street.  It was Betty's signature dish at the Rovers Return Inn - a English pub.   

Hot Pot is a slow cooked recipe traditionally made with lamb and vegetables, but as this is a vegetarian blog I made mine with some vegan mock 'lamb' meat pieces.  I also decided to give this Hot Pot a Welsh touch with the addition of leeks and good Welsh cheese.  

Actually this can easily be a vegan Welsh Cawl Hot Pot, if you omit the cheese, but as I had some Dragon Welsh Caerphilly and Colliers Welsh Cheddar I opted to use them.  Although not authentic in any way, I enjoyed my vegetarian Welsh Hot Pot alternative.  It delivered on flavour, texture and substance.  there was also some gravy juices sitting at the bottom of the hot pot when it came out of the oven that made for moist mock 'lamb' pieces.  I served the finished dish with some steamed broccoli heads. 

This is not a sponsored blog post

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagne

In my household, I am not the one who makes lasagnes, that  task if often left in the capable hands of my darling husband.  Not this time though, as I wanted to have a go, especially after feeling a tad better.  

Please bare in mind, if you wish to make this recipe, or any other lasagne recipe - its not one of those you can knock up in minutes, it does take a bit of time to prepare the elements and then put together.  So its perhaps best to make it at the weekend, when you may have a little more time on your hands, but once it'd done, it can be kept in the fridge for a few days.  As it re-heats wonderfully, just don't use the same baking dish to re-heat it in the oven, the cheese on the sides of the rim will bake to blackness and set off your smoke alarms, as well as make it a hard task for scrubbing, that is of course when you come to wash the dish, unless your blessed with a dish washer.  I am not, but I am blessed with a husband who does not mind doing the washing up, so he tells me. 

Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese Bake

I had mentioned in one of my previous posts that I had not indulged in much cheese of late, after having loudly stated that, I think I have subconsciously been making dishes that have vast amounts of cheese in them.   August has truly been a cheesy month and its not over yet.

I made a  very large portion of this Mediterranean Mac and Cheese.  I was able to find some Mediterranean cheese at a local supermarket.  Its was studded with peppers, black olives and oregano, so I added that to this Mac'n'Cheese, but if you can't find it that okay, just use plain cheddar cheese.

Quesadillas with Jalapeno Pinto Beans

I must have been introduced to Mexican food when I went to University all those good years ago, but even then it was limited to the corn chips, salsa or the avocado green guacamole which was all the rage at the time and the dips of all dips!  If I am honest, it was really on my first visit to America to see my best friend Leah that I got a chance to try proper Mexican food and I was hooked, the flavours were bold and unapologetic. 

When I got back to the U.K, Mexican style food had become a way of life for me.  One of the dishes, I've been making on and off for years has been Quesadilla.  Quesadilla's  are not only very simple and economical to make, they make for a surprisingly filling and delicious snack anytime of the day.  They consist of nothing more than two tortilla wraps filled and stuck together with melted cheese, then halved and served.  I have to say I prefer them more than I do a doughy doorstop toastie any day.