Once upon a time, I used to snug my nose if someone gave me a pot of homemade jam. I don't know where that snobbery came from, certainly not from my parents. I think it was partly to do with peer pressure and the rise of supermarkets and consumerism. I also took for granted the domestic goddess that was my mother snubbing homemade stuff for brand names that became the desirables, but then something happened in my mid 20s. It made me think, I mean seriously think and re-evaluate what was important to me and since I have always preferred homemade. This was further enhanced by my own vegetable growing antics at the allotment. Also I now try my utmost to support indie craft stallholders and snatch the opportunity when I am offered a jar of homemade jar of jam; homemade anything in fact gets me excited - Yes I am easily pleased these days.
Unlike previous years, I've not been the most organised this year with foodie gifts for family and friends. Saying that though, a little while back I did make some Beetroot Chutney and some Plum Jam and Plum Chutney; and a new work colleague friend from Slovakia has given me some homemade Dandelion Honey that happens to be accidentally vegan. But I have decided to show off some of my favourite preserves, jams and chutneys that I have made over the years.
Popular Rose Petal and Rhubarb Butter. I also have Hibiscus and Rhubarb Butter. The colour is utterly gorgeous.
Seasonal Golden Pumpkin Rum Butter
Carrot Halwa Butter
My famous Slow Cooked Apple Butter (2010) thanks to my Scottish neighbour Nessie (RIP)
Honeydew Melon and Chilli Jelly Jam Spread
Apple Chilli Jelly
Time to start foraging for those rosehips. Here is another very popular recipe on my blog Rosehip Jelly.
I made these jars of Pickled Nasturtium Seed Pods this year, they are very similar to capers.
Will you believe me if It ell you that i still have some green tomatoes in my greenhouse - I do and I plan to make some Green Tomato Chutney with it.
Another one that was very popular with D's friends when they came over to visit us from America many years ago. D's friend absolutely loved this Fiery Scotch Bonnet Apple Chutney.
And something that I have been making on and off since discovering the magic of chia seeds - Chia Seed Jam. I've made Chia jam with every berry fruit you can imagine. This blog post is part of Vegan Month of Food: The Theme is Holidays.
This Beetroot, Horseradish Pasta Salad was made in a hurry a few weeks back over the weekend.
I took inspiration from what was in my fridge: cooked beetroot and green beans and kitchen cupboards: horseradish powder and dried pasta and lunch was on the table in less than 30 minutes.
The amount of horseradish you put in is subjective, put in as much or as little as you want. I made the horseradish myself with some horseradish powder that I picked from Glastonbury earlier on in the month. But if you use ready made, albeit a vegan brand make sure you get good horseradish - nothing disappoints than a tame horseradish in your mouth when your expecting a boom!
We had some Beetroot Horseradish Pasta Salad left over, so I took some into work and shared it with a colleague who comes from Slovakia where they do like their beetroot. By the way this is the same work colleague who gave me some beetroots from her allotment plot a little while back and I made a vegan Beetroot and Soy 'Lamb' Curry. She liked it and wanted the recipe. I told her 'there is no recipe, but this is what I did'... I cooked the pasta and stirred in cooked green beans, cooked beetroot and then stirred in a little olive oil along with some horseradish , finished of with a good grinding of salt and pepper.
I was never a fan of beetroot when I was small and it was not something that my parents cooked with. The only form I ever saw it was in jars for making cheese and beetroot rolls, the stuff was harsh. However, when I left home for college and then University, I became more adventurous with my food and my culinary adventures had just begun. I met my husband, then a friend, then a boyfriend, then fiancee for many many years before we got married - well he loved the red beet root, so I began discovering the versatility of this earthy vegetable and began making both savoury and sweet dishes with it. I would not say that I love beetroot, but I have over the years begun appreciating it much more than I did in my early formative years.
Other Beetroot Sweet and Savoury Recipes that may appeal
Beetroot Chocolate Cake Runner Up in the Great Vegan Bake Of 2013
Chocolate Beetroot Black Bean Chilli
Raw Beetroot Coconut Halwa Hearts
Beetroot Pakora Bites
Beetroot Pearls
Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry
This blog post is part of Vegan Month of Food: Memories and Traditions. I am also sharing this Beetroot, Horseradish and Green Beans Pasta Salad with Soups, Salads and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen; and
Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Searching for Spice; and Simple and In Season hosted by Feeding Boys;
It been an extremely busy week at work, so my blog post this evening will be short. My evening dinner today is Pizza, don't diss me - its homemade pizza! Check out my Instagram for the photograph, I promise you it will be very different from other pizzas you've seen.
Right now though, I am sharing a fusion snack of Aloo Tikki Bagel. I am constantly amazed at how much i eat is accidentally vegan. Aloo Tikki is a South Asian snack made from spicy oniony mashed potatoes (aloo) that is shaped into cutlets or burger shapes, then coated in a spicy blend of chickpea batter and deep fried. It important to eat it whilst it is still hot as that is when it is at its most deliciousness.
You can eat the Aloo Tikki as you wish, we and I mean my siblings would often stuff it in roti aka chappati slathered in tomato sauce, it had to be a red sauce to temper the spices, then rolled up like burrito and munched on. These days I tend to either stuff it in a burger bread bun or a bagel; and my siblings children in a tortilla wrap.
Like my Samosa Soup recipe: a combination of Dal and Samosa, Aloo Tikki is another firm favourite comfort food and not one I indulge in that often as it requires deep frying, but when I do, I ravish it within minutes.
This blog post is part of Vegan Month of Food. The theme is memories and traditions. I am also sharing this with Soups, Salads and Sammies and this is kind of a sandwich hosted by Kahakai Kitchen;
