Fennel Relish or Fennel Salsa

So how are my blog readers?!  I have noted that some of my regular blog reads and favourite bloggers have been quiet.  I hope your all well and perhaps like me energy for blogging is waning, especially after a long day at work that all you want to do is crash out when you get home; or concentrate on other things that matter more, and that is cool.  I have been doing the same too.

I haven't been that experimental in the kitchen either, relying on recipes in my repertoire for evening meals. Saying that I did make  some flapjacks for work colleague for Vegetarian Week in the UK, they were popular; and also some Wild Nettle Hummus.  The nettle came from the garden plot. Today I am sharing  Fennel Relish that I made a few weeks back.  

 

This was actually meant to be Fennel Salsa for snacking on in the evenings, but we never got round to snacking on it with pitta chips, crackers or crisps.  I did not want to waste it, so during the working week, I ended up stirring it into come cooked pasta with the addition of slice black olives and taking it into work for lunch.  It made for a nice change. 

Also I know it does not look very green here, but I am still going to share this fennel relish with Eat Your Greens challenge that I co-host with The Veg Hog.  

Please do share with us your vegan or vegetarian green recipe as there is still time to join in. 

Fennel Relish
Ingredients
1 medium fennel
1 fresh red chilli, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tablespoon extra virgin oil
Salt to taste
Method
Remove the outer layers and discard any discoloured part of the bulb
Cut out the core of the fennel
Thinly slice the fennel, with a mandolin if you have one
Put all the ingredients into a small pot including oil and salt.
Gently bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Turn off heat and allow to cool, before transferring to a dish.
Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Beetroot Feta Pate with Rainbow Carrot Crudites

For those of you who follow me on twitter, will have seen this Beetroot Pate early on in the year, as I made it for New Years Eve.  

Its also my new blog header to celebrate ten years of blogging.

I just haven't got round to sharing it on my blog for various reasons, but mostly being busy at work.  So here it is finally. 

Its very pleasing to the eye with the rainbow purple carrot crudites, posh word for raw veg for dipping. 

Versatile Dippy Green Pate and Pesto Presto Pasta

This Dippy Green pate was made in the same week as the Blood Orange Tart when time in the kitchen was becoming more annoying than enjoyable.

This originally started off as a walnut and spinach pate that were meant to be turned elegantly into quenelles, but it didn't work out so well. The mixture was just too wet, so in a bid to rescue them, I adapted or rather enhanced the recipe. 

I turned some of it into Spinach Cream Cheese.  Here it is spread onto some rye crackers and then finished off with some alfalfa sprouts.

 Here is the Spinach Pate au naturale.

I am sharing this with The Veg Hog  is hosting #EatYourGreens Vegetarian and Vegan Blog challenge this month, so please do join in there is plenty of time.   For those of you who have not participated before, please Follow this link on how to join in.   

Paprika Nut 'Cheese' Served on Red Crackers

It's Friday evening and the start to our weekend. Yay, even better its a long weekend with the public Bank Holiday in the UK on Monday.

Later on this evening, we will be sipping white wine and snacking on some crackers with some homemade red Nut Cheese.

Nut cheeses are all the rage right now with vegans.  

I first came across Nut cheeses in 1990s when I stumbled across publication by a little known vegetarian writer called Dave Dutton - I think the cookbook was The Green Revolution Cookbook, but I cannot remember for sure as he has a few publications.  His vegan nut cheese recipe also contained soya flour which is not used often as it once was. However, the recipe I made was not based on his recipe, as I could not locate the book on my shelves. 

The red in this vegan Nut cheese comes from smoked paprika.  To give you an idea of how this red nut cheese sliced. I have served it on some red crackers.  It was really good with umani undertones from the miso paste. I have also stirred in into a pasta salad for lunch.

Luxurious Hazelnut Tempeh Pate

I made this Luxurious Hazelnut Tempeh Pate a few weeks back when I needed a bit of a mental break and sometimes kitchen therapy helps.

The Hazelnut Tempeh Pate is packed with rich flavours.

This vegan meat-free Pate seriously puts those tube ones to shame, but I understand there place as I have used them in the past and see their convenience when time is of the essence. But if you want to impress or just want a pate with deep 'meaty' flavours, then it is definitely making your own from scratch.  

This Hazelnut Tempeh Pate does  take time to make, but its well worth the effort when plated up and served to your guests with good crusty bread.

Tomato Salsa on Toasted Bread

Whether its the start of the tomato season or the end of it, the best way to enjoy homegrown tomatoes is fresh of course, but its not always easy.

This recipe started off as Pan Con Tomate - Catalan Tomato Bread  or is it  Catalan Pa Amb Tomaquet - bread with tomatoes, but it quickly evolved into a Tomato Salsa on Toasted Bread.  

It was good and enjoyed just before the griddled bread could go soft and soggy.  As I have mentioned before I don't do soggy bread.

Many oif the Pan Con Tomate recipes I found did not use a herb, and those that did used either basil or parsley, so i was not sure if this was authentic.  My version has coriander because I always have some to hand.  I have also eaten something similar in Cyprus, but it was doused with good extra virgin olive oil. 

Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa

My first ever experience of a fruit in a salsa was at a deli, the name of the place escapes me - it may not even be there anymore as this was 10 years ago.  

Anyway, it was a salsa made with mangoes.  I have bee n making fruit salsas on and off since.  Last year it was Strawberry Salsa and a few year before that it was Papaya Salsa and way before that Kiwi Salsa.    Today on this bright sunny day, I share you with Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa.  

Handsome Whippet and Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa

Most salsas are made with fresh tomatoes, but this Pineapple Jalapeno one is not but enhanced further with red onions and my absolute favourite herb, fresh coriander.  This salsa was really lovely and complimented the Green Chile, but of course you can dip your tortilla chips in this chunky refreshing salsa. 

On another note, a little while back a fellow blogger asked me about the images in the background of some of my food photographs.  I have been doing this for as long as  I have been blogging.  It was a suggestion introduced to me by my husband as we do not have the luxury of a dedicated space with good (natural) lighting; and also a lack of crockery that comes with food styling for food bloggers, so playing around with images from various sources has been most welcome.  Although not an original ideas, it was nice to see that in doing it on my blog that I had inspired other fellow bloggers in doing this too.
Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa 
Ingredients
Makes enough for six servings
Half fresh pineapple, peeled and diced as small as you can
60g fresh coriander, minced
1 small red onion, peeled and minced
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoon jalapenos from a jar, minced including 2 - 4 tablespoons of its liquid (or use 1/2 lemon or lime juice)
Pinch of salt
Method
In a wide bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
Good for a few days if kept refrigerated.

Bara Lawr – Welsh Laverbread Hummus

Another really easy lush green Bara Lawr – Welsh Laverbread recipe. This time I decided to stir some bara lawr into a traditional hummus base. 

I have also used Bara Lawr – Welsh Laverbread Hummus as a sandwich spread.  

Bara Lawr - Welsh Laverbread Hummus
Your will need
Ingredients
4-6 tablespoons fresh laverbread
1 x 400g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic
Juice of a lemon
Olive oil
1 teaspoon Tahini
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a food processor blend all the ingredients to taste adding more of less oil if necessary.

Previously shared Hummus Recipes on my blog
Carrot Hummus - July 2014
Beetroot Hummus - February 2013
Wild Garlic Hummus April 2011 
Traditional Hummus January 2010 

Very Easy Red Cabbage Pesto

A few months ago, I got hold of some purple sweet potato.  I made a Pizza with it, but we were so hungry that evening that I never got round to photographing its bold vivid colour.  I did not want to lose out on sharing the striking bright colour of this easy red purple cabbage pesto.  So I asked D to get a photograph for me while I got on with other things in the kitchen.  

I had half a red cabbage in the fridge, left over from another another dish  that I had made (also not photographed).  I was inspired to make a Red Cabbage Pesto that I saw a long while back in The Guardian and bookmarked.  

Its a relatively simple and easy recipe, only four ingredients: red cabbage, garlic, sunflower seeds and olive oil.   I have to admit the raw garlic was quite pungent to the point it had heat and left that burning sensation in the mouth, not particularly pleasant.  So I sauteed the pesto in a little oil before using it for the required dish, once of which included a Pasta Salad.  However, if your okay with raw garlic, this step is not necessary. 

I am sharing this Very Easy Red Cabbage Pesto with Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary for No Waste Food Challenge; Cook Blog Share co-hosted between Sneaky Veg;  Easy Peasy Foodie and  Hijacked By Twins and with Healthy Vegan Fridays hosted by Rock My Vegan Socks and V Nutrition.

Quick and Easy Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa

I am in Wales, a land not known for the sunshine but rain rain rain, but today it felt like I was somewhere in the Mediterranean.  I stepped out of the office onto the busy streets and honestly it felt like I had walked into a greenhouse.  

Anyway, you know what hot, clammy weather means - no energy for cooking and your appetite to eat leans more towards quick light and easy bites: such as this Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa which requires no cooking at all, even better.  

I actually made this Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa at the weekend with homegrown strawberries. The strawberries take the place of tomatoes which can either be acidic or sweet.  I have to admit, as much as I wanted to make this and experiment, I was not sure that I would like it and I could see D looking down at the bowl and thinking the same. 

Then we both tucked in with our tortilla chips and were Wooed! 

This is not the first savoury strawberry recipe I have made, I have made a Savoury Strawberry Quiche with strawberries and even Strawberry Risotto before and more recently Strawberry Spinach Asparagus Salad, so don't quite understand why it has taken me a while to make this Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa in my home. I will even go as far and say, I think I prefer this  Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa to the spicy Tomato salsa.  

Easy Aubergine - Eggplant Jam

This Aubergine also known as Eggplant Jam is not sweet 'jammy' in the traditional British sense, but its definitely  jammy, thick and spreadable.  

I made this savoury Algerian aubergine spread a little while back.  

We had mostly spread on crusty bread or stuffed with salad in pitta bread.  It made a good change from chickpea hummus.

I am sharing this with  Sunday Fitness and Food Fitness hosted by Marathons and Motivation and Ilka's blog; 

Sweet Black Sesame Seed Butter

Halloween theatrical feasts have come and gone and so has Friday the 13th, but I share with you something dark, dramatic and bold - Spreadable Black Butter.  Please don't be judgemental and deceived by its menacing appearance, it is nutty and subtly sweet.  Give it a chance and it may win you over.  

I've had a jar of these black tear-drop shaped seeds in my kitchen cupboards for a couple of years.  I've reached for the jar a few times, but its mostly been used as a garnish than an ingredient in its own right.  So recently when a Korean friend was telling me about the new rage in the West for (Kimchi and) Black Sesame Tahini being sweetened a little either with honey or maple syrup and then used as a spread, well I just had to give it a try.  

I made it.  I tried it.  I spread on a toasted bagel and liked it, but the man in the house wasn't that keen on it.  So,  the sweet black sesame butter is pretty much all for me. 

The only other time I've actually had black sesame seed paste was in a Japanese mochi rice cakes.  And I liked that too, but again the man didn't, I guess black sesame seed paste is an acquired taste.  I am sharing this with Kimmy at Healthy Vegan Fridays #74. 

Spicy Green Harissa

I used to make red harissa and chermoula quite a lot in my University days.  I preferred both the red harissa and chermoula on my oven baked (sweet) potato chips to the brand name ketchup, but I haven't made either in a long while.  

This was about to change when my mother gave me a bunch of coriander and from my own garden, I harvested about a small bunch of parsley - a mixture of flat and curly, just in case your wondering. 

This is a fresh, fragrant and flavour packed green harissa. Please do come on over in the next few days when I will showcase some dishes that have been enhanced with a dollop or two of this lively green harissa sauce.  I am sharing this recipe with Lavender and Lovage for Cooking with Herbs  challenge.

My tolerance of chilli is quite high (advancing to bhut jolokia aka ghost chilli), but you can be cautious and use as many or as little as you like. If your interested in trying the red devil version, then follow this link for red harissa. 

Spicy Green Harissa
Makes a jar 
Ingredients
1 bunch of coriander, including stems
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley including stems
2 - 3 cloves garlic, sliced
4 - 8 long green chillies (or more), depending on how spicy you like it- with or without the seeds
60ml olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste
Method
Put all the ingredients into a blender (I used my super duper Optimum 9400) and process until smooth.  Taste and adjust salt if necessary and blitz again briefly before pouring into a jar or bowl. Keeps well in the fridge for a week.

Wild Stinging Nettle Hummus

I've declared in the past that nettles are my favourite weed to eat and I mean it.

In the past I've made Nettle Risotto, Nettle Gnocchi, Nettle Tortilla and many others, but this time round as my harvest was very small (from the garden), I made a small bowl of Nettle Hummus.  

I actually made it this rather green  Nettle Hummus at the weekend as an evening nibble to be enjoyed with a glass of red wine.  Normally I would serve hummus with home-made pitta chips or crispy chunky bread, but this time round it was with some rather posh crackers that had quinoa, spelt and poppy seeds.

Even though we enjoyed the green nettle hummus with these crackers, we still had some hummus left over and were able to use it as a spread in our sandwiches in place of butter. Other than having a bit of a garlic breath, the sandwich was good.

Previously shared Hummus Recipes on my blog
Carrot Hummus - July 2014
Beetroot Hummus - February 2013
Wild Garlic Hummus April 2011 
Traditional Hummus January 2010 

Wild Nettle  Hummus
Your will need
Ingredients
A good bowl full of nettles, stripped from the stalk, washed and then blanched in simmering water for a few minutes.  Drain, set aside.  When cool, squish out as much water as you can with your hands.
1 x 400g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic
Juice of a lemon
Olive oil
1 teaspoon Tahini
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a food processor blend all the ingredients to taste.

Vegan Barbecue 'Butter' Spread

I've been making sandwiches for work, and I have to admit I have been getting a little bored with the plain filling.  I like a little flavour kick in the mouth, so was inspired to make some home-made vegan butter enhanced with some Barbecue Sauce Extra Hot Habenero; it was really really good.  It really made for interesting eating and tasty sandwiches - in fact my tongue was dancing in my mouth from the spice heat from the sauce.  Lovely.

I've also spread this dark, smoky hot BBQ Sauce 'Butter' on toast and bagels.

I must add, its not the melty kind of 'butter' that you put on hot toast and it melts, no this is the spreading kind of butter, I guess a bit like peanut butter.   And my oh my, it spreads beautifully too, not claggy and lumpy, but if your looking for a plainer vegan 'butter' recipe check out this link. 

Vegan Broad Bean and Coriander Soft 'Cheese'

Today I share with you a recipe that I bookmarked and made pretty much made as soon as I saw it.  The recipe in for Broad Bean 'Cheese' comes from Jasmine Trinity over at Self Sufficient Cafe.  When I saw it only last month as part of Eat Your Greens challenge, I bookmarked it immediately.  In fact I  was so bowled over by its awesomeness (a word that I do not use lightly) that  I made it within a week or so of seeing it, another reason for this haste was wanting to use up the last of my late broad beans.  

I've made vegetarian and vegan jelly's (in the British sense) with agar agar at home plenty of times mostly with fruit and vegetable juices, but I had never used agar agar and green vegetables in this way before and I was very, very impressed, not just with the result, but how it looked and tasted.  

Chilli, Carrot and Coriander Pâté

The weather has been gloriously warm, in fact quite hot that even those of us who like to be found cooking in the 'kitchen at parties', usually quite content to stand over a bubbling hot pot, are now finding stirring its contents beginning to look less and less appealing when we could be sitting out in the garden, absorbing the sunshine and sipping something cool; biting into something easy, light and yet flavour packed.  

A change from cooking up a homely grub is taking the easy option like eating out in a restaurant or ordering a take-away, but we rarely, and i mean rarely eat out and ordering a take-away even less so, unless its a pizza.  So the next option for us is to have a mezze, an antipasti sort of meal, with lots of light salad like dishes, good bread and dips and spreads that people can help themselves too.  You get my drift, so that is what was on our table a few days back.  

I had picked up some lovely bread from a bakery: Sun-dried Tomatoes and Black Olives; and another made with three seeds.  Instead of making the Carrot Hummus that I made early in the month, I opted to make some spreadable Chilli Specked Carrot Pâté .  It is a little soft at the start, but it does firm up in the fridge. 

PS I must advise not to try Carrot Pâté with tortilla chips as featured here, the  Carrot Pâté is much better with good crusty bread, flat breads or even rice cakes.  Next watch out for my Beetroot Pate; or even my Beetroot Hummus, follow this link to one I 've made in the past!

You can make this Carrot Pâté in you blender, but I made it in my new Optimum 9400 Blender.  I've mentioned before that I do have a blender from a  well known designer brand, and often make dips such as Hummus, but it does not offer the smooth bit- free consistency that I got from the Optimum 9400 Blender.  I did not even have to cook the carrots here.    

Spiced Coriander and Carrot Hummus

I've had a couple of busy days, so it was nice to finally have a lazy day.  With the sun shining ablaze, we decided to spend our day in Bristol.  Whilst D was driving towards Bristol, I put on my sunny shades to protect my eyes from the bright light and looked out of the car window towards the skies.  The skies were absolutely amazing, the blues vivid, but the white floaty clouds looked almost 3D and absolutely stunning. 

After walking around Bristol streets, spending some pounds here and there including on street food such as a: mezze that consisted of couscous, dolmas, hummus, olives, a red mildly spiced sauce and salad; vegetarian sausage rolls; and frozen blueberry and white chocolate yogurt.  

When we were coming back on the ferry boat from Brunels SS Great Britain visit, it was nice to watch people enjoying the sunshine and going about their day.   Many were sitting having a picnic of sorts ton the Quay, for example we spotted some women sipping champagne from fluted glasses evidently celebrating something, it made us both smile.   

When we got back home we were not feeling overly hungry. I made this simple Coriander and Carrot Hummus to enjoy with some decent crusty bread.  With the weather being so warm, I have been keeping most of my vegetables that ordinarily go straight into the vegetable wicker basket into the fridge.  I had forgotten about them, as they have been sitting at the bottom of my fridge for a few days now and now had to be used, and this was a good way to use up some of the carrots.   

Raggy Rani doll is peering over some orange tinged hummus that I have potted up to enjoy during the course of the week.  Its also good for making to take on a picnic whether that be the beach, park or Quay. Its also good to use in place of butter for work - lunch sandwiches or over rice cakes. 

Gothic Black Olive Tapenade

Yesterday morning thunder and lightning at woke me up.  The day began overcast and drizzly, but by the afternoon the sunshine was out and it was lovely and relatively dry.  

I picked up some bread from the farmers market - my fortnightly foodie treat, so not to waste it and enjoy it whilst still fresh.  It was suggested to me by D to make some spreads and dips.  I've shared the recipe for chickpea hummus (and different ingredient combinations  such as wild garlic, courgette and beetroot before), but never olive tapenade.  I am not sure why not, as I've made both green and black tapenade a number of times, since starting this blog. 

I first had tapenade when I went to Turkey with my in-laws and their friends.  It was often offered as a complimentary dish, a bit like bread sticks.  I remember sitting at a Turkish restaurant and someone said 'I don't like olives'.  I responded 'do you know that the tapenade your tucking into is made from olives'.  His response with a big smile right back at me ' Oh, then I guess I must like olives then'.   I understand where he was coming from, because the first time an olive passed my teenage lips I spat it right out and never tried it again until my adult days, when my tastes were becoming more adventurous.  Between the two though, I have to admit green olives are my preference.  

Anyway, back to the black olive tapenade.  A jar of black olives was lurking at the back of my fridge, opened a few weeks back when I made D a pasta dish with black olives for his working lunch. Unsure what else to do with it, I was prompted by D to make tapenade.  Tapenade - green or black costs a fair bit if picked up from the deli or shop, so why not make your own at home.  This one is vegetarian and vegan too, many of the shop bought ones contain anchovies.  It will keep in the fridge for two weeks.  Its quite versatile too, not just for spreading on fresh bread, try it on toasted bread too; or even with pasta.

Beetroot Mousse

I made some Beetroot Mousse a few weeks back.  To amuse myself I poured some of the beetroot mousse into heart shaped ramekins.