August in My Kitchen

I may not have loads of new things to share in my kitchen, but I am always happy to join in with In My Kitchen series hosted by Sherry's Pickings with my home grown produce and homemade eat. 

So here goes, starting off with some homegrown vegetables. 

First of the purple, yellow and green beans. 

Our neighbour gave us a couple of aubergine plants aka eggplant.  We put them in the greenhouse. This is the first aubergine we have harvested, instead of being the oblong shape, its more of a ball, i think this may have been because the plant had hit the ground and was unable to shape in the traditional manner that we expect aubergines to shape.  I will be cooking this burgundy beauty later today.  

These are meant to be courgettes aka zucchini, but as you can see some have become marrows.  Most of these have been devoured in pasta dishes, quiches or bakes. I also char griddled some of the courgettes these were enjoyed as anti-pasti, stirred into pasta and covered puff pastry base with the addition of feta cheese. 

These yellow courgettes encountered a similar fate. 

We have been very fortunate with home grown strawberries, every other day I'd come back with a bowl full. Sadly, those featured in the image below - we the last of the season.  They were good while they lasted.

Same with these broad beans and peas, though we may still have more peas to come.  But truth is, with the new puppy, we have both been distracted and neglecting the garden.  It is overgrown and needs serious attention and weeding.  We had both intended to spend some time out in the garden this weekend, but its both blustery and raising, so its house work instead.   

I am also sharing this post with Dave over at Happy Acres who hosts Harvest Monday.  

Now let me share with you some homemade bake - well one, Courgette and Raisin muffins.  The recipe made way too many for us, that we ended up sharing them with neighbours. 

I also made Thai Green Curry.  We also have some Pak Choi growing in the garden. But this is the only one that got to enjoy, as those remaining in the garden have bolted and gone to seed, due to neglect. 

I made Quiche with the Chargriddled courgettes.  Yes, i made the shortcrust pastry from scratch.  I tend to trim of the pastry ends, when the quiche filling has been baked and set.

It was handy making this Chargrilled quiche in advance, as last week it was extremely hot and this made for buffet style lunch and dinner. I am also taking the opportunity to share this slice of quiche with a simple side salad of cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion with  Soup, Salad and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen.  

I haven't picked up many edible things for the kitchen, however on of our day trip out to a place called Pontypridd.  I picked up this Welsh Honey.  We have been to Pontypridd a few times over the years including its Museum, for the indoor market and Pete's Shop where i picked up this golden Welsh honey.  I am surprised at myself, that i have never shared photographs of it on my blog.  So I will share some in the next few days.   Just before the pandemic, Pontypridd had been hit by Storm Dennis and was one of the many towns and villages hit by flooding. 

On another one of our day trips, i also had the popped into a couple of charity shops and was pleased with myself coming out of one of them with not one, not two, not three, but four vegan - vegetarian cookbooks that all cost me less that £6.00.  I was mot pleased with Planted as I had wanted that for a while and kept borrowing a copy from the library pre-pandemic, and as for V for Vegan by Kerstin Rodgers - i do have copy, but decided to pick this up to gift to a friend. 

I remember the hype around the Blender Girl and the other Vegan cookbook author was new to me, but peaked my interest enough to bring it home with me.    Now, let us hope that i cook from these in not to long. 

Some Vegetarian and Vegan Christmas Cookbooks In My Kitchen

I am  joining  in with In My Kitchen series hosted by Sherry's Pickings just in the nick of time as the link is closing in a couple of hours.

In fact, I was not going to join in as I don't have anything new in my kitchen, but then I thought I would share some Vegetarian and Vegan cookbooks on my shelf that I have ben flicking through for inspiration and ideas.  

First and foremost, i have to start of with my go to Christmas Vegetarian Cookbook has always been Vegetarian Christmas published in 1992 from the British Queen of Vegetarian Cuisine - Rose Elliot.  I've made many of Rose Elliot's recipes from various cookbooks,  but from this cookbook the Parsley Potato Stars are always popular, but I shape as Christmas Trees.

Then we have Vegan Christmas Feasts by Jackie Kearney. 

And Happy Vegan Christmas by KarolineJonsson.  I was given these two books last year for Christmas by  D, so have not yet cooked from them as of yet.

So funny, a decades or ago you could hardly find a vegetarian or vegan Christmas book and in the last two years there has been an explosion.

The next vegetarian cookbook I have is 'Tis The Season by Nanette Blanchard.  I've had this for years.  I think I picked it up from Oxfam Bookshop when i lived in Glasgow. I've made White Chocolate and Cranberry Muffins and Egg Nog Pineapple Loaf. 

I also this from Marie Laforet called The Vegan Holiday Cookbook: From Elegant Appetizers to Festive Mains and Delicious Sweets.

I am sharing another two cookbooks, although not focusing on the festive holidays as such in it's book titles, the innovative recipes and elegant presentation in Neither Fish Nor Fowl: Meat Free Eating for Pleasure  by Sarah Beattie is a superb cook book I'd like to recommend.  This stylish, sophisticated  and sumptuous vegetarian cookbook was published in 1993and  featured recipes ahead of its time like Beetroot and Cranberry Consomme, Raspberry Soup, Avocado Soup, Stuffed Nasturtium Salad and that's just for starters.  It was and still is a pioneering cookbook in my eyes, as it was the first vegetarian dinner party cookbook I came across that moved away from  the wholemeal way of cooking.  It also has Asparagus Eclairs and Chestnut Souffles and Raspberry Brulee and so so much more .   

And if you like the sound of Neither Fish Nor Fowl, then i'd also say look out for Sarah Beatties second cookbook The Table of Content: A Vegetarian Dinner Party Book for All Seasons (1995) is just as amazing... 'from the simplest vegetables to the more esoteric delights of borscht poached uszki with smetana...'. 

I am planning on doing some baking later in the week.  One of which will be gingerbread people  (and may up-date this blog post), the other thing I may make are these vegan Oreo Christmas Wreaths vegan Cakes, but if not - i thought I would share here as to provide you with some festive inspiration. 

I'm very much looking forward to seeing what is in your kitchen and thank Sherry for hosting the In My Kitchen Series through the pandemic and these strange, unusual and scary times.  

Vegan Eats from The Superfun Times

I made these recipes from  The Superfun Times: Vegan Holiday cookbook a few of months back, way before the global pandemic and for some reason, did not get round to sharing them.

So thought, I would do so today as I made these Chickee Style Seitan pieces again.
I really liked the seitan, but D was not happy with the way i had sliced them, making them look more like sausages than chick'n wings.  Fortunately for him, i have some more to cook with.  Regardless of his grumbles, these were good.  

Irish Stout Stew with Potato Biscuits, I made this only because i liked the potato biscuit topping (not shown) rather than the stew itself.
Cauliflower Tikka Masala Bake based on British Tikka Masala.
Cauliflower Tikka Masala Bake was a good vegan take and enjoyable to eat.

Buffalo Cauliflower was delicious and one that I will be making again - for sure!

I am sharing this blog post with Weekend Cooking usually hosted by Beth Fish Reads, but this month is hosted by The Intrepid Reader, as I have cooked a number of recipes from The Superfun Times Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. 

Please see other recipes cooked from the book:

Black Eyed Pea 'Crab' Cakes

Chinese Tofu Short Ribs

Cincinnati Spaghetti

June in My Kitchen

So I have found some time for myself to sit down and blog in what have been some very busy days and they are not over, as I start work all over again tomorrow.  I am looking forward to taking some annual leave. I really did not think I would say that whilst in quarantine as I thought working from home would be less tiresome, but it has been anything but.  I am hoping to take some time off early July and of course when I do, like most of the world I won't be going very far, but i need the break its been manic at work, it really has.

Anyway, let get down to what is in my kitchen this month.  

Last year I volunteered to be a recipe tester for a cookbook for a charity called Heart & Parcel.  Well I finally got my hands on Heart & Parcel cookbook.  Heart & Parcel was established in 2015.  The project supports women from ethnic minority communities in Manchester to develop their English language (ESOL) and communication skills by coming together to cook dishes from around the world, sharing recipes, stories, experiences and connections. All the recipes were contributed by migrant, asylum seeker and refugee women. 

I tested for two recipes including this Middle Eastern recipe called Aubergine Fatta - Iraqi Salad with Toasted Bread, which was delicious by the way.

I have put on some weight.  I know haven't we all - I know why in my case though, mostly because I have not been exercising, rather than excessive or comfort eating.  

I have been eating melon.  I have been making an effort in slicing them and sitting down to eat them with some mindfulness.  I have really been enjoying eating them.

Some gifted mangoes. I loved eating them, squished the pulpy fruit in its skin, then bit off the nib and sucked the sweet mango smoothie fruit.  

I cannot blame my excess weight on junk food, like i said its lack of exercise, but you may think otherwise as i share a vegetarian burger. I am only sharing this because of the home grown pea shoots.

I am trying unsuccessfully to cut down on my excessive coffee drinking too.  I find myself drinking five to six mugs a day when normally I would have two.  The last time D went to the supermarket, he picked me a selection of fruit teas.  I like the Echinacea & Raspberry, Spiced Ginger and Cranberry & Blood Orange, but I was not at all keen on the Mango & Strawberry combination - it just doesn't seem to work well. 

He also came back with some Maldon sea salt. 

We were grateful to get a delivery of Strong White Flour for breadmaking.  Those of you may remember from my last  In My Kitchen blog post that we were running out.  This will last us a good while. 

Talking of fruit earlier, we also harvested our first bowl of homegrown strawberries and wild strawberries that taste like sherbert that of course demanded either cream or ice-cream - of course we had neither, but we did have Greek yogurt.  The strawberries not only tasted amazing, the fragrant was quite powerful too. 

As my kitchen is relatively quiet with new and exciting things, let me share with you what's been going on in my parents kitchen.

Some of you may remember that last month on my In My Kitchen blog post I shared that I had made Nigella Lawson's 'Chocolate Brownies'.  Well this inspired my niece and nephew to have a go at making some Brownies in their own home. This was the final result elevated further with white chocolate drizzle and strawberries dipped in white chocolate.  I wish I was there! 

I am sharing this post with Sherry's Pickings who kindly continues to host the In My Kitchen series in these difficult times and its goods to be able to participate and continue to support the event. 

Celia Brooks SuperVeg and Baked Mexican Eggs

Yesterday, I spent much of it in the garden greenhouse up-potting vegetable plants, whilst D made wigwam frames for climbing beans and peas.  I have said it before and I will say it again that we are very fortunate to have a garden in these challenging times, as many people do not have this outdoor green space.

I will share progress in the vegetable garden plot tomorrow, today I want to share what I made for brunch a few weeks back with what I had in the house - Baked Mexican Eggs. 

We don't normally have a cooked breakfast during the working week, often only munching on a oatmeal flapjack.  Cooked vegetarian breakfast is reserved for weekends, but since the lockdown and working from the safety of our homes, we have been having breakfast, or rather brunch quite a lot.  

The recipe for these Baked Mexican Eggs comes from Celia Brooks, but don't ask me which cookbook - I can't remember as I have all 9 of them - Yes, I am a fan. I think it may be Entertaining Vegetarians also called Vegetarian Party Food. 

The eggs are baked into a tortilla, beneath the egg either harissa or chipotles in adobo is smeared. The cracked egg is then topped with grated cheese and spring onions, with a little dusting of paprika.  These are really good and I recommend them.

Those of you who read my blog, may remember the name Celia Brooks.  She is one of my favourite vegetarian food writers and chefs. I have featured many of her recipes on my blog over the years from Rhubarb Lentil Curry  and Avocado Soup with Tortilla Cheese Topping .  See bottom of blog post for further recipes.

Her last cookbook is called SuperVeg:  Over 100 Recipes Celebrating the Joy and Power of the 25 Healthiest Vegetables on the Planet.

Butter Bean, Sweet Potato and Okra Stew

This is a follow on from my previous blog post where I shared recipes I cooked from the cookbook Original Flava Caribbean Recipes from Home by Craig and Shaun McAnuff.  

Well here is another recipe from the cookbook. The reason I made this is because of the okra.  I usually buy and cook with okra fresh from a South Asian food store, but I had some in a jar that was picked up by D last year and featured in my kitchen blog post here. 

It was time for it to be used, otherwise the okra jar would have languished in my kitchen cupboards passing its expiration date, and therefore a waste on my part. The okra in the jar was alright, but I definitely prefer fresh. 

This Butter Bean, Swet Potato and Okra stew was good to eat and good to look at - warming colours for cold wintery days.  The butteryness of the butter beans melted in the mouth, the sweet potatoes still had a bit of bit  and the coconut sauce was mildly curried. The recipe was good for two days, served with rice on the first day and the second, it was eaten out of a bowl like chunky soup.

Although this is not a soup recipe, I am still sharing it with  Soup Salad and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen as it was eaten like a chunky soup the following day of it being made.