Jamaican Jerk Roasted Vegetable Tray Bake

Its really wild and windy outside, so I am appreciating the warming colours of this Roasted Vegetable Tray Bake.  

I like halloumi, let me correct that - I love halloumi, but sadly my husband equates halloumi with a bad food reaction he had a long while back and has avoided it ever since.  However in the last few months, I am glad to say it has been slowly creeping back, albeit cautiously into his diet and I am secretly pleased about this as I can start cooking with the squeaky salty chew once again.  

Well one of his most favourite dishes is a Roasted Tray Bake, a very simple recipe.  This time though instead of roasting the vegetables in a little oil, I also coated the vegetables with some home-made Jamaican Jerk Paste. 

This is essentially Nigella Lawson's Double Potato Halloumi Bake, but spiced up with a little attitude by the addition of homemade Jamaican Jerk Paste and fresh thyme.  Also please don't feel restricted by the vegetables listed below, You can choose any vegetables you like, just make sure you chop them up so they roast and are ready at the same time.

Halloumi slices ready for its blast in the oven to go golden crispy around the edges!

If you like Jamaican Jerk flavours. then you may also like my Vegetarian Jerk Spiced Scotch Egg.  

Butternut Squash and Peanut Butter Curry

Work has been keeping me distracted, so blogging about my vegan eats in the month of Veganuary has been low priority, but I have continued with the challenge and have to say I am doing very well indeed.  

I am very tired when I get home, I think the early morning starts are getting to me now, especially when it is unwelcoming outside.  The weather has been blustery, wet, icy, snowy and windy which is absolutely fine when your in a warm home or wrapped up well before stepping outdoors, but it has been playing havoc with our garden.  The garden pergola has moved a bit more, its looking more like the 'leaning tower of Pisa', but unlike the Tower of Pisa this pergola will be falling down the next time we get a strong gust of gale force winds, we are certain of it.  The greenhouse has lost a window pane.  You lose one and its impacts on the rest of the greenhouse.  We can only hope the weather calms down.

So back to food.  Of course I have been cooking and eating, just not blogging about it.  I have been making large one-pot meals.  The most recent was a Butternut Squash and Peanut Butter Curry.  I apologise in advance that there is no photograph as its just way to dark in the evening to take a photograph that would do the recipe justice.  The recipe for the Butternut Squash Curry is exactly the same as the African Sweet Potato and Groundnut Curry. I just substituted the Sweet Potatoes for Butternut Squash. It was delish!

Peanut butter is a fabulous natural thickener.  I do tend to buy the Meridian brand, but was recently tempted by this Mother Africa Peanut Butter jar as the colourful packaging and name grabbed my attention.  Sometimes I am a sucker for labels, not designer labels though - I have never ever been a follower of fashion or trends, I know its not the case, but I do sometimes think that I must be among a small minority of people living in the U.K, and more specifically Wales who has not done a selfie?! 

African Sweet Potato, Kidney Bean Groundnut Curry

I make this African Sweet Potato, Kidney Bean Groundnut Curry every so often.  The sauce is both sweet and spicy, thickened by the groundnuts. Sometimes I will make this African Curry with butternut squash, or throw in a bag of baby spinach to bulk it up when cooking for other people.   Its very popular with friends and acquaintances, except for one....

Vegetarian Jerk Spiced Scotch Egg

I have quite a number of Vegetarian Scotch Egg recipes on my blog making everything from scratch. I created one not that long ago when I returned back home to Wales called Welsh Glamorgan Eggs made with Caerphilly cheese, leeks and mustard; or even my Red Dragon Welsh Vegetarian Scotch Eggs enhanced with chilli flakes for fiery warmth. My last effort was last year around Halloween Beetroot Scotch Eggs dubbed Vampire Eggs, not because of garlic content but the beet red colour. 

After having made some Za'atar  infused vegan meatballs with the Vegetarian 'sausage' mix  D suggested that I make some vegetarian Scotch eggs with the remainder of the packet. Oh what a smarty pants I thought, then it dawned on me, sneaky man - You like them, but that is okay as I was more than happy to make them for him and some for me. But they were not going to be plain Vegetarian Scotch Eggs, these were going to be enhanced further, this time with some Jamaican flavours - namely thyme, all spice, scotch bonnet and limes.

Oh my, they were super super tasty and zesty too.  I would so so make these again.  Of course you can make everything from scratch and I often do, but there are times when convenience suits. These Vegetarian Jerk Spiced Scotch Eggs were really easy to put together and quick to make if you use some ready made products: Vegetarian 'sausage' mix . You can even buy ready made Jerk paste, but I actually did make my own as I have found some shop bought ones ridiculously salty. 

My homemade jerk paste was sweet and fiery, I also loved the kick not just from the Scotch Bonnet, but the black peppercorns too.  The only fiddly part of this recipe was removing the egg shells and moulding the eggs with the mixture, but the more you practice the easier it gets.  

So what was D's verdict - nom nom nom...what more can I say.  He is already hinting that I should make some mores, especially as I have been boasting that they are so easy to knock up. 

Rasta Chilli Bean

If there was such a dish, I think you will agree this would be it. This creation (made with respect) only came about because I had three peppers in red, yellow and green, so I was positively influenced by the colours of the Rastafari to make this dish.
Say 'Rasta' to anyone and the first few words that will come out of their mouths will be: Jamaica, dreadlocks, the ritual inhalation of marijuana, Rasta music and Bob Marley. And this is so, it is true that Rastafarian became globally known because of the success of Bob Marley and his music in the 1970s, but it is much more than these things. It is the religion of over 5000 Rastafaris in the U.K.

The Rastafari colours are red, green and gold, sometimes black is added.
Red for the blood
Green for the Earth and the eradication of suppression
Gold for the Sun and the wealth of Ethiopia
Black signifies the colour of the Africans who initiated Rastafari

The lion is the symbol of Rastafari. This lion represents Haile Selassie I, who is referred to as the 'Conquering Lion of Judah'. Rastafarians' dreadlocks represent the lion's mane.

The Rastafarian diet is essentially a vegetarian one, but like most movements there are factions, some who extend to white meat but try and refrain from the consumption of red meat, especially pork. Rastafarians also abstain from alcohol.

I recently learned that the Rastafari always cooks without salt, a practice commonly known as ‘ital’ as emphasis is on the natural flavour, not additives or flavour enhancers. I kept that in mind when I put together this dish.

Rasta Chilli Bean

Serves 4

Ingredients1 onion, finely sliced

3 pepper (red, yellow and green), seeded and diced into even size cubes

2 clove of garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
Tin of gungo peas or black-eyed or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Tin of tomatoes, gently crushed

1 habernero pepper (pierced) or 1 red chilli finely sliced

1 teaspoon garam masala

Method

Fry the onion, garlic and garam masala in the oil for 15 minutes until tender. Add the tinned tomatoes and chilli and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add all of the diced pepper cubes. Cook for a few minutes until peppers are starting to soften, but not too much. Add the beans and gently heat through before serving with plain boiled rice. Optional: garnish with coriander and lemon wedge. PS please don't forget to remove the chilli pepper - you don't want someone chomping on it - now way.