Feel Good Vegetable Palette Round Up #7

Welcome to January 2015 Round up of 'The Vegetable Palette: natures colours - natures goodness''.  

The theme for January was Feel Good Vegetables.   

The fist entry comes Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.  Elizabeth presents to us a simple and stunning red bowl of Slow roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup.  I really have no words to add, other than this is deep, gorgeous and delightful.  Someone, please pass me over a spoon.  

Then we have a Spicy Root Soup from Linzi who blogs at Lancashire Food.  This warming glowing bowl of goodness is made from carrots, swede, parsnips, potatoes and lots of warm spices like ginger, cumin and chilli flakes.  This is a proper winter soup made with seasonal vegetables and store-cupboard spices.   

Janet from the Taste Space brings to the table a Jamaican Jerk Plantain Soup .  Just looking at the colours from the red peppers, yellow plantains, and green spring onions makes me feel happy and all warm inside. I can only imagine how good this tastes with all those spices like allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and thyme.  And that's not it, the vegetables are swimming in a fragrant coconut broth...mmmm. 

Linsy Patel from Home Cooked Food delights us with Vegetarian Kashmiri Rogan Josh.  This Kashmiri Rogan Josh is made with soy chunks, aubergine and lots of Kashmiri spices.  Its thickened with yogurt.  The colour is just warming.  Linsy served it with Chana Dal Pilav.

Next we have the lovely Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes with a vibrant Orange, Carrot and Goats Cheese Salad with Pumpkin Seeds.  Wow, just look at the colours on that plate, bright and in your face, just looking at it I feel virtuous.  Orange comes from not just carrots, but also navel oranges, then topped with goat cheese balls and added crunch from the pumpkin seeds.   

Next we have is Nasifriet from the blog 'By the Way...' with Makizishi Meal Kit a Volente.  This is what I love about blogging, you meet new bloggers and I so welcome Nasifriet to the Vegetable Palette Challenge.  I need to invite Nasifriet to my home as D my husband has been nagging me for vegetable sushi for a while and these light morsels would satisfy him surely.  She also has a recipe where sushi is stuffed into a Tofu Pocket, you have to go on over and have a look please.  

Helen at Family-Friends-Food shares with us an unfussy, quick and comforting plate of Spaghetti with Herby Leeks and Cheesy Crumbs.  Helen writes that 'the leeks lend a sweet oniony flavour to counter the savoury richness of the cheese, and the breadcrumbs soak up the butter and oil to become tiny nuggets of chewy, golden deliciousness' - now that sounds yummy.  What I like about this recipe too is the use of the under-rated leeks, the Welsh in my must promote this vegetable much more.  

Anne from Anne's Kitchen shares with us a comfort dish Sweet Potato and Mozzarella Bake. A generous helping of this would be most welcome for sure.  I think I may just be tempted to make this.  Not only does it look good, but the fact is that I have most of the ingredients at home  (except for the mozzarella cheese).  This bake looks really wholesome and hearty and with its colours -  orange and purple, well these can only make your feel hip. 

And finally, from Vanesther at Bangers and Mash we have a unusual, yet still very delicious snack - Kale and Cauliflower Samosas .  If I had thought about it, my blog would probably had been called The Adventures of Samosa Girl, as I really really like them, but I was never that sassy or forward thinking at that time.  Anyway, back to these awesome Indian style hand pastry pies made with seasonal vegetables and spices - love it and a clever way to get little ones to eat more vegetables. 

I would like to thank everyone for their contributions.  If you would like to participate in the Vegetable Palette, then please follow this link on how to participate.  The theme for February is Love Vegetables.  Please share vegetables that you LOVE and ENJOY eating!

Eat Your Green Round Up #8

Welcome to 'Eat Your Greens' Round Up  #8.    

This is a monthly vegetarian cooking challenge for food bloggers to make something with a green vegetable (or fruit) each month.  

The first entry comes from Linzi at Lancashire Food and its a very, very green Potato, Spinach, Pea and Basil Soup.  Linzi described it as 'Shreks Swamp', but I have to tell you I would be more than happy to dive into this green swamp of good green vegetables albeit from the freezer and herbs.   Go on tuck in, you know you want too.

Next we have The Veg Hog with Freekeh Salad with Roasted Courgettes and Halloumi.  The smoky freekeh is enhanced with roasted baby courgettes and mixed green salad leafy greens and fresh coriander. Topped off beautifully with golden halloumi cubes.

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Janet at The Taste Space shares with us a Yellow Moong Dal and Spinach Curry.  This golden bowl with hues of orange is flecked with green from the spinach and coriander.  As a South Asian chic this is pure comfort food for me.  Tuck into this curry with either a naan bread or rice.  

And finally from Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe we have Beetroot and Lentil Salad and before you go, woaw wait where is the green here?  Well take a closer look and you will find baby spinach, spring onions and capers!  This makes for a lovely winter salad with its thick yogurt dressing.

Thank you so, so much to everyone who shares their green eats.  If you would like to share your #Eat Your Greens recipes for February, then please follow this link for details on how to participate.

February 2015 In My Kitchen

My goodness is it already February 2015, I cannot believe how fast January has gone by. Okay onto what's in my kitchen for February.  Well there were a lot of vegan ingredients in my kitchen last month as I was following the Veganuary challenge, but this month begins with a bit of a mish mash. of crockery, edibles and bites.  Hope you like.  

I share with you a a plate, a bowl and a mug that I picked up from a charity shop last month.  

This is what it looks look when put together.  The child in me likes it.  I don't think I will ever use it, but it makes me smile whenever it catches my eye. I am sharing this charity shop treasure with Thriftasauraus.

This little tub of Black Garlic has been sitting at the back of my kitchen cupboard for a few months, its time to use it, so come back to check out some of the recipes I make with it this month.

I haven't opened either of these jars yet, but am looking forward to spreading them on my bagels, it would make a nice change from peanut butter.  The Curd Herd Heavenly Blackcurrant and Star Anise sounds unusual; and the Meridian Crunchy Hazelnut Butter well just would make a lovely change.

From Steenberg Organics I have some Fair trade Saffron, Orange Blossom Water and Apple Stuffing.   Any one have any suggestions as to what to do with orange blossom water, I do have some ideas, but other suggestions are always appreciated. 

Marigold Pomegranate Molasses that will go perfect with my Zaytoun ingredients to cook up a Middle Eastern inspired dish. Just in case your wondering, the accompanying pomegranates are fake, they come out for Christmas table, but I forgot to pack them away this year, so they are adorning a fruit bowl in the kitchen window. 

I have had a bit of a sore throat recently, so have been putting a few drops of Echinacea liquid into my herbal and fruit teas, fortunately the cold has stayed away and so far no time has been taken off work, so it must be doing me some good. 

I have had a recipe bookmarked from Johanna at Green Gourmet Giraffe for vegan coconut bacon for a little while, and finally got round to making it today, but I couldn't help myself and adapted it a little by adding some sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds to the mix - its very moreish.  Here it is cooling down. 

And just as my adaptation of the vegan coconut bacon came out of the oven, these potato slices coated in chilli flakes were about to go into to the oven.  Come back later in the week to find out what dish this is.

And finally, 5:2 Vegetarian Cookbook by Celia Brooks.  I have been borrowing a copy of this book from the library the past year, but I was kindly bestowed my own hard copy by the talented Celia Brooks herself.  Other than the vegetarian and vegan recipes, what I like about this book mostly is that it is handbag size, so that I can pop it into my bag and take a gander for cooking inspiration for the coming week.    

I am sharing this post with the dynamic  Celia at Fig and Jam for February 2015 edition of In My Kitchen Series. Please go by and check out her post as well as the other IMK posts.