World Vegan Day: Burmese Yellow Split Pea Samosa Soup

Oh can it be true? Yes indeed!  Two of my favourite dishes on one big bowl: South Asian style spicy Dal and deep fried triangles of delicious Samosa.

Today it is World Vegan Day and the start of Vegan Mofo.   I have no set theme for the month of November, so I will probably follow some of the Vegan Mofo themes and prompts. The theme today is what is your favourite food?  I am of South Asian heritage and very fond of my Dals and deep fried snacks including the pakora aka onion bhaji.  I consider both these dishes to be comfort food in my eyes, so you can imagine my delight when I stumbled across the recipe a few years back. 

Inspired by a Burmese Samusa Thouk they had at San Francisco's Burma Superstar  in 2007, the food blogger NCJay went back home and re-created a version.  And guess what Samusa Thouk is still featured today at the Burma Superstar restaurant.   Burma Superstar assert that it remains one of their most popular soups for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.  Well I don't think I will be travelling from Wales, United Kingdom to San Francisco anytime soon, so I am pleased this recipe was recreated in their home so that I could enjoy it in my home here in the Welsh valleys and shared with my readers as well as those of you visiting my blog for the first time through Vegan Mofo on World Vegan Day.

I think this Burmese Yellow Split Pea Dal is perfect to share on World Vegan Day as its very different from those dals you find in South Asian homes and eateries.  It contains an added ingredient in the form of shredded white cabbage.  Most Indian style dals are just made with the lentil and spices and then simmered slowly to be transformed into something quite simple, yet delicious.

The Samosa drowning in the Yellow Split Pea Dal Soup acts like a crusty bread roll or croutons.  This combination may sound a bit unusual, but it makes sense to me as my family do eat samosa this way but its with salad and a raita and then crushed into those components into a spoonful of messy deliciousness.  I won't fib, the samosa's are homemade, but not by me.  My sister in law sometimes makes me a batch that I put in the freezer and shallow fry at home when snack attacks, but feel free to make your own or even buy from a good South Asian take-away. I also loved the sharp tangy undertones of the tamarind that was soothing on my throat. 

Even though the Burmese Yellow Split Pea Soup was tad too spicy for me, I loved it.  We had it over the weekend when the Welsh weather outside turned a little nippy.  My original thoughts were this would be like a starter, but to be truthful - we were both way to full the rest of the evening to eat anymore, other than grazing on some left over Birthday cake.  Once again Happy World Vegan Day.


I am sharing the Burmese Yellow Split Pea Soup with Inheritance Recipes co hosted by Solange at Pebble Soup and Coffee and Vanilla as this recipe combines two dishes from my heritage: Dal and Samosa.  

I am also sharing it with  Soups, Salads and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen; Sneaky Veg, Hijacked by Twins for CookBlog Share; My Legume Love Affair that was started by The Well Seasoned Cook and now administed by Lisa's Kitchen.  this month is is hosted by Briciole; Honest Mum for Brilliant Blog Posts; and finally Healthy Vegan Fridays hosted by Rock My Vegan Socks and V Nutrition.

Tintagel, Holywell Bay Sunset, Vegetarian Cornish Pasty and Rodda's Clotted Cream Scones

Last week we returned from a lovely long week in Cornwall and as promised this week I will share lots of photographs.

It was my first time in Cornwall and it did not disappoint, even the sun rewarded us with good weather.  

First stop on route to our rented abode was a little village called Tintagel.

This medieval building was once Tintagel Old Post Office with a rather quaint cottage garden It is now managed by The National Trust of which we are members.  

D an myself also took a walk towards Tintagel Castle, but we did not go into it as my mother in law was left with a cup a tea at one of the cafe opposite this place Tintagel Toy Museum.  We wandered  back towards the streets and visited a couple of the local Craft fairs and picked up some Cornish Pasties (see above), mine was Cheese and Onion before driving towards out destination Cubert.

We had rented a static caravan with a balcony at a Holiday Park in Cubert (above cute salt and pepper shakers in the shape of caravans).  

 Our spacious caravan was called 'Beachcomber' offering all the creature comforts of home.  

A lovely welcoming touch by our hosts was opening the fridge and finding homemade scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream.  It took us no time to devour them.  D said this was the best clotted cream he has ever had in his life and the scones were light and fluffy too, that it had me yearning for more.

After checking in, we went into the village to check out every tourists essentials - the nearest shop, pub and 'chippy'!.  (Above) St Cubert Church.  

 Later in the evening, D and myself left his mother with her novel, whilst we took a drive out to explore Holywell Bay.  

We parked up and cut through the sand dunes to watch the sunset in Holywell Bay.  

It truly was stunning.  

I will share more pictures of it tomorrow, but this is my contribution for Sunday Snap hosted by JibberJabber UK for Sunday Snap; and My Sunday Photo hosted by One Dad 3 Girls.

Smoked Paprika Mushroom Loaf with Coconut 'Bacon'

The weather in Wales is so strange at the moment.  For the past two days its been heavily foggy, only to clear and then smack us in the face with a mini heatwave.  It does make a change from the rain though, so I better not complain.  

I made this Golden Mushroom Loaf a couple of weeks back at the weekend when D brought home a lot of mushrooms.  It is golden partly from being baked, but also from the addition of smoked paprika.  I garnished the mushroom loaf with homemade smoky coconut flakes aka 'coconut 'bacon'.  

We enjoyed this Mushroom Loaf as a Nut Roast with one meal, the others with a side of salad.

It was tasty.  It was firm and crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside, but not a claggy soft. It made a nice change from the occasional mock 'meat' sausages we pick up for  during the working week for easy meals.  

Asparagus and Black Garlic Pastry Loaf

I know all sliced up this vegetable loaf looks like its holding garden peas, but I assure you these green polka spots are sliced asparagus baked in a pastry loaf.  It is based on my Vegetable Pasta Loaf recipe.  I decided to replace the pasta this time with seasonal asparagus.  I also remembered having some black garlic showcased on my blog a couple of months back for Celia's In My Kitchen Series, so decided to include a few sweet, chewy balsamic flavoured black cloves too.  

It turned out pretty okay.  The asparagus still had some crunch, slight saltiness came from the feta cheese and the black garlic, surprised us with each bite.  D likes this kind of food and doesn't understand why I don't make it often, but then he loves the leggy asparagus.

A slice of this Asparagus and Black Garlic Loaf is perfect for today with the weather being quite Mediterranean 25 degrees Celsius in some parts of the U.K, The kind of weather when you would sit out in your garden and dine with some lovely light salads.  I actually do feel like doing that, except for the fact that I have a bunged up nose, I think I may nibble on some black garlic something about it just makes me feel better!   I am sharing this post with Simple and in Season: April hosted by Fuss Free Flavours and Ren Behan. 

Vegan Savoury Croissants

D likes traditional croissants more than I do.  I can take them or leave them.

So what made me decide to go ahead and make a savoury version.  Well the truth is that I had some green  filling left over, and instead of lobbing it in the bin, I decided to slather some unbaked supermarket croissant dough with it.  Then baked them according to the packet instructions until puffed and golden.  

The savoury croissants were a hit with him, he requested that I make them again. I did.  

Only thing,  (I criticise myself too you know), I need more practice to master rolling the croissants into proper croissant shapes, so that they resemble those croissants you see piled high at French bakeries. 

But my excuse is that I covered the whole dough with the savoury filling and then rolled it up.  It was a fatty, making it more pigs in blanket, albeit a vegan version, than the elegant croissants that we are all used too.  Yes, I know not good enough excuse - yes Miss.  I will try harder next time round.  

Vegan Garlic Mushroom Parsley Pies

I've created lots of individual hand-made pies over the past year with unusual pie fillings such as these  Paprika Mushroom and Potato Pies , Soy Mince 'Keema' Pies,  so much so that some people jokingly call me 'Veggie Pie' or 'Vegan Pie Girl' in my little corner of Wales.   There are also a couple of vegetarian ones such as my Caerphilly Cheese, Leek and Potato Pies aka the Welsh Pie; and Butternut Squash, Chickpea and Feta Pie.

I've mentioned the Garlic and Mushroom Pies in a past blog post, but noted recently that I had not yet shared a recipe or blogged about it in much detail.  My Garlic Mushroom Pies were the first pies to sell out at the cafeteria.  It was also the first pies to sell out at the couple of food and crafts Fayre's I've attended.  I've learned recently because of my absence at a vegan food fayre this month, one of the other vegan stalls has decided to recreate a version of my vegan Garlic Mushroom Pies - I guess I should see it only as a compliment; not just that a fairly newish vegetarian cafe in South Wales has also started making tarts with garlic mushroom filling - I guess I'm a trend setter.

I think its quite funny how I came to create these Garlic Mushroom Pies and its something I'd like to share with those of you still reading my blog (Thank you). I would have people coming into the cafeteria, sitting down and without even looking at the daily chalked boards: ordering Jacket potato topped with buttery garlic mushrooms. My staff would look at them and think when was it the last time you were here?! Certainly not a loyal customer as the previous owners sold the cafeteria to my landlords three - four years ago. It hasn't been on the menu for yonkie years.

I don't mean to sound snobbish, but I am a serious vegetarian cook and jacket potato for me is homely food that anyone can make.  Its also a easy peasy back up for those mainstream eateries that don't have many suitable options for vegetarians and vegans.  Well you won't find jacket potatoes topped with salads on the menu here. I also don't understand some people, they don't come by an independent family run eatery for months, then come back a few years later expecting the same grub on the menu.  This is not a high street food chain.  

Anyway, enough of the rant.  It got me thinking, instead of turning away these potential customers (albiet they may not be back again in another three - four years) what could I do to encourage them to stay and try something new and different.  Well I thought I'd merge garlic mushroom and potatoes in a pastry casing.  The response from my regular loyal customers of all diets has been fantastic.  It also shows how much people have becomes adventurous, I remember a time when people used to turn their noses up at garlic, accuse people of having garlic breath and blurt out their stereotypes of the French. The opportunity to travel abroad has definitely opened up some peoples eyes and palettes to different worldwide cuisines and versatility of ingredients such as the garlic that is the star of this pie.

Whenever these pies are featured, they do really sell out and unlike the original Jacket Potato with garlic Mushroom which were drenched in butter, l these are suitable for vegans and those who avoid dairy. They are so popular and are on the menu every two weeks. Usually at the start of the week when I have loads of mushrooms left over from Saturday Vegetarian Breakfast.  

If too much garlic worries you. You can tame it a little by adding in a couple of cooked and diced potatoes to the mix, this would also sup up some of the juices and stop the pie from getting a soggy bottom. The trick really is to make the pastry bottom a little thicker than the lid.

For those of you interested, this week I also made Wild Garlic Mushroom Pies.  I will share that recipe later this month.  They were just as popular as these.   I am sharing these Garlic Mushroom pies with Javelin Warrior's for his Made with Love Mondays as they fit in nicely with this weeks optional theme of fresh mushrooms.
Garlic Mushroom Parsley Pies
Makes 6 - 8pies
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bulb of garlic, peeled and crushed
400g - 600g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned, halved or quartered if large
1 teaspoon dried parsley or I tablespoon freshly minced parsley
Optional: 200g peeled, cubed and cooked potatoes 
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a wide pan, heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the garlic and sauté for 1 minute before adding in the mushrooms. Keep the heat high and cook the mushrooms, stirring frequently until softened.
Stir in the parsley optional potatoes and seasoning to taste.  Stir to combine well, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Now make the pastryYou have three choices for the pastry.
For ease, you can use shop bought puff pastry or shortcrust pastry – in which case pour the filling into a casserole and top with the pastry and cook according to packet instructions.
Or you can make your own shortcrust pastry. For recipe follow here.
Or You can make you own hot water crust pastry. Follow here for the recipe. For individual pies, see here.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5.
Fill the pastry and top with lid.
Bake for 30 - 40 minutes depending on the size of your shortcrust or hot water crust pastry pie(s). Allow to cool, before serving.

Butternut Squash and Feta Tartlets

Thank you so much to every one who took the time to leave a comment on my previous post and for your warm thoughts and congratulations on my New Covent Garden Soup recipe being sold U.k wide.  Every comment was truly appreciated. 

I recently read on my lovely blogger friends blog - Poppycock and other creative nonsense that October is orange - so true, the pumpkins and toffee apples are beginning to appear and peoples outfits are changing from the light stuff to the cosy hats, gloves and scarves.  Yes everyone wants to be warm on the outside and inside.

I like autumn.  Its my favourite season, when I lived in Glasgow I would often enjoy strolling through the Botanical Garden kicking the dry golden leaves up high with my boots and feeding the gutsy squirrels with peanuts. 

It is for this reason I decided to garnish some of my Butternut Squash and Feta tartlets with little squirrel pastry shapes.  

These individual tartlets are both sweet and savoury. Sweetness from the butternut squash and savoury from the feta cheese.  To some of the tartlets I also added some cooked black turtle beans for texture.  I liked it, but it is optional.  These tartlets are a variation of my Butternut Squash and Feta Pastry. See here.

Well after a bit of a sleep in, I am off to enjoy the rest of my Sunday which means doing some laundry and housework.  Hope to do some catch up on blog reading later tonight and respond to questions on my previous post.  Enjoy your Sunday.  I am also sending this tart to Ren's Simple and in Season event, that is being hosted by Kate of Feeding Boys and a Firefighter. 

Caerphilly Cheese, Leek and Potato Pie

Well this is the first proper recipe I have made in my new home: Caerphilly Cheese, Leek and Potato Pie.  Its going to take me a while to get used to the kitchen lay-out though.  In my previous  galley style tiny kitchen, I just used to just literally turn around to get something.  Now I have to walk a few paces, yeah I know such hard work. 

I was actually going to make four individual pies, similar to these Cauliflower pies. I changed my mind though in case I had unexpected visitors and made a large family friendly pie instead.   I have to admit, it is not the prettiest of pies I have ever made and sliced it doesn't look so pretty either, but its packed with texture and real Welsh flavours. Its real food after all.  I should also add its good both warm and cold.

Caerphilly cheese as the name suggests was originally made in Caerphilly, South Wales.  You may be interested to note as I am, that last year the town of Caerphilly held its first annual The Big Cheese event.  I hope to check it out the event in person this year.  

Now back to the cheese, Caerphilly cheese is a ivory-white crumbly cheese with a very delicate flavour.  It is fondly known as 'the crumblies'.  I like it because it holds its shape well when cooked.  I've used Caerphilly cheese many times, and not so long ago in a South Asian street food recipe: the popular Pakoras aka onion bhajis.  See my Caerphilly Cheese Pakora recipe here if your intrigued.  They really were good. 

Not that I have ever eaten a pork pie, but the pastry reminds me of it, which is why I think these would have also been perfect as individual hand held pies.  Also not that you can see it well, I used my alphabet cookie cutters to cut out 'Croeso' translated 'Welcome' in Welsh, but it's got a bit lost on baking.  I am submitting this recipe into a competition calling for Leek Recipes . Of course, as a Welshcake - how can I resist.  It is also being hosted by lovethegarden.com and being judged by the rather marvellous Kerstin Rodgers also known as Ms Marmite from The Secret Garden Club.  I've been hogging a copy of her book from the library since I joined: Supper Club, but I have to admit - I would love to have a signed copy of my own, as well as gardening vouchers to spend.  So let's see how this pie goes down with the judges. 

On another note, I am so glad to get back in the kitchen.  Time now to turn my thoughts to the growing space outside too.  Seeds need sowing.  Oh I haven't been this excited in a long while.   

Updated: March 2012 - Fellow blogger Patty at Poppycock and Other Creative Nonsense made a variation of this pie, please follow this link to see.  It is rather pretty.

Caerphilly Cheese, Leek and Potato Pie
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
For the pastry (to line a 7 - 8 inch round cake tin)
225g plain flour
pinch of salt
65g butter, diced
65g vegetarian suet
1 egg, beaten
You can cheat and make it also with readymade shopbought shortcrust pastry
For the filling
400g potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely slice
1 large leek or 2 medium leeks, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
200g Caerphilly cheese, coarsely chopped
Method for the pastry
Sift the flour into the bowl with salt, then rub in the butter with your fingertips and stir in the suet.  Add a little cold water to make a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
Method for the filling
Boil the potatoes for the filling in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water until soft, then drain.
Heat the oil in a wide pan or frying pan, add the onions, leeks and garlic and fry until very soft.  Season well and allow to cool.
Combine the fried vegetables with the boiled potatoes and the rest of the filling ingredients, then allow to cool.
To assemble the Pie
Set aside enough pastry for the top lid.  Roll out the rest on a lightly floured surface to fit snuggly into your round baking tin.  It must come up at the sides, so press gently.  Place all the filling in the pastry round and press down, then roll out the remaining pastry to the size of your cake tin and cut out round with a knife.  Gently ease it on top of the filling.  Bring the sides of the pastry down and pinch around it to bind.  Brush with egg wash, then bake for 30 - 35 minutes at gas mark 6/200oC.  Allow to cool, before removing from the tin.

'Welsh Dragon' Pastry Pie

I have to lull myself back to blogging and what a way to start.  Celebrate both being back in Wales and celebrate St David's Day.  I am of course wearing my daffodil, though its starting to look a bit limp now. 

I was going to make some Welsh cakes; and put a twist on them, perhaps using some dark or white chocolate to appeal to the nephews and nieces.  But on my way back from the employment agency this morning, I was coaxed by the smell of freshly griddled Welsh cakes from the market, that I just had to go in and get some and whilst still warm, tuck into right away.  Oh they were so easy to eat.  So light and melt into your mouth like sweet warm shortbread crumbs.    

I've written about from Sant Dewi aka St David: The National Saint of Wales before, so I won't do a repeat post.  If your interested see here, but what is worth repeating is that Saint David was a vegetarian.  Interesting fact as Wales is now known for its vegetarian cuisine.  Saying that though, there are a handful of famous Welsh vegetarian recipes: Welsh Rarebit, Leek and Potato Soup,  Glamorgan Sausages,  Leek and Cheese Flan, Anglesey Eggs, Penbryn Cheese Pudding, Laverbread in its purest form  and one that is not really Welsh but often gets associated with Wales is the 'Red Dragon Pie'.   Oh I am guilty of it too.  I made my own version of Red Dragon Pie a long while ago.   

So what have I got to share with you on this rather nippy, yet fine sun-shining day.  I must admit I have made a 'Caerphilly Cheese, Leek and Potato Pie', but I have decided to share a pie I made a few months back when I was still in Scotland.  I played with my Welsh Dragon cookie cutter.  Instead of making cookies, I decided to use it for the shortcrust pastry casing; and for the other I made castle turrets (see back photo in photograph below).  I have to admit both were a little fiddly, as on baking the pastry flopped, so a bit more  experimenting before its made to my full satisfaction.  Still the result impressed me enough to share with you all. 

If you want more Welsh Recipes to celebrate St Davids Day in style, well check out my sidebar or follow this link for some inspiration.      

D is presently with me in Wales, though he will have to travel back and fro to Scotland regarding the sale of the flat.  He has been teasing me about my Welsh accent, saying that it's like I've never been away from Wales.  Those of you who don't live in Wales, may be interested to note that the BBC in Wales are currently showing 'The Story of Wales' - fine timing for me.  I am so looking forward to rediscovering my  playground.  I may even get to visit the village with the longest name in Britain - Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - very unlikely.  I only wish I had known about it when I lived in North Wales.  Still plenty of new places to explore.

Anyway, this evening, I won't be listening to Welsh icons like Tom Jones or Shirley Bassey, nothing against them,  I am just of a different generation.  Instead it will be the Sterephonics and Manic Street Preachers for me.

Cauliflower Steak and Stilton Pie

I know purists will be throwing their arms in the air in disbelief, but hey if celebrity chefs can mess with traditional recipes, so can home cooks, even those who love their veggies. 

'Steak and Stilton Pie' is a meat pie.  It can be found at many Blighty pubs who often offer it on their menu for evening suppers.  It is often enjoyed with a pint of beer or a dark ale.  Vegetarians have gone a step further, replacing the beef steak with mushrooms.  Why not - mushrooms are the natural meat of the vegetarian world.  Its makes a fine vegetarian supper indeed.  This afternoon though, I decided to take the vegetarian 'Mushroom Steak and Stilton Pie' another step forward, and make it with cauliflower steaks.  A cauliflower steaks is simply a large cauliflower cut into thick slices, and cooked either in the oven; or a wide frying pan with little olive oil until cooked through and golden on both sides.  You can also do this with Romenesco, yellow and purple cauliflower if your blessed to find them.

I was introduced to Cauliflower Steaks about 3-4 years ago.  It was then seen as a hearty vegan alternative to pan-fried meat.  As you can see, its quite simple to make if you want to try.  I''d encourage even those of you who like your meat to try it, you can still enjoy this it as a side veg. 

Anyway, the idea for this 'Cauliflower Steak and Stilton Pie' came to me yesterday after catching up with some of my blog reads.  I was going to make a Cauliflower Soup with the second cauliflower that D picked up - actually it was going to be a twist on 'Broccoli and Stilton Soup', but then I changed my mind and decided to encase it in a shortcrust pastry.  The result – good, very good - an excellent verdict from a person whose not that keen on cauliflower.

Raw Shortcrust Pastry

You will have to forgive me for not showing you the Cauliflower Steak and Stilton filling.  Lighting is so bad in the evenings, that even the shortcrust pastry pictures here are not that great.  A shame really, as its made by my cold hands.  I even played with my letter cookie cutter set with the remaining pastry trimmings.  I think the last time I got to use the cookie cutter set was when I made a Cabbage Pie.   I do hope you get the idea of what the filling is like: cauliflower dyed tomato red and funked up with stinky blue cheese.  If you wish you can make this in advance and assemble it when you want to eat it. Then it can be served right from the oven to the table, hot with a golden crust - just like they do in the pubs! 

I've made one large pie here, but if you have individual pie dishes, then you can definitely make four of these. This will be our evening meal tomorrow too.

Shortcrust Pastry Cooked

Cauliflower Steaks and Stilton Pie
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
For the pastry
225g plain flour
100g butter
1 egg
About 2 – 3 tablespoons milk to bind
1 egg, beaten for coating
Method
In a large bowl combine the flour and butter until resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the egg and enough milk to bind.  Knead to form a dough.  Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.

For the Cauliflower Steaks and Stilton Filling
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 large cauliflower.  To mimic steaks: slice the cauliflower from top to bottom into about 4 thick slices, then slice again once through the core, so that they are quartered.
OR simply chop the cauliflower into bite-size florets, (please use the core too – it is very good).
1 tablespoon tomato puree
300ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
200g Stilton cheese, crumbled
Method
In a wide pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions until soft, then sir int the florets, tomato pure and stock.  Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook until the cauliflower is tender and the sauce has thickened.  Season to taste.
Pour the filling mixture into a pie dish, then scatter over the cheese evenly. 
Preheat the oven to gas mark 6.  Roll out the pastry to cover the pie dish..  Trim the edges and cut a hole in the middle.  Brush all over with the beaten egg.  Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes, or until crisp and golden.  Serve with mashed potatoes and green peas.

Welsh Laver Bread Pies

I was watching a repeat episode of Rick Steins 'Food Heroes' on T.V and he was somewhere in Wales, U.K.  I think it was in Carmathenshire.  I’m not 100% certain.  Anyway, he was in a pub and tucking into a  'Meaty Steak and Laverbread Pie'.   

As a Welsh girl with a voracious appetite for vegetable based cuisine, it occurred to me why not create a vegetarian variation of this seaweed pie.  Well why not? and without intending to sound to boastful I have been quite successful in creating a Welsh Laver Bread Veggie Burger ; Laverbread Oat Biscuits at home, as well as Welsh Glamorgan Pakora Bites based on Glamorgan sausages; and Leek and Caerphilly Cheese Pakoras.   So the kitchen culinary experiments began at the weekend. This was also a good opportunity for me use up one of the laver bread tins my nephew brought me up, still in date (2014).   For those of you unfamiliar with Welsh Laver Bread, please follow this link - but in a nutshell its cooked seaweed - a vegetable of the sea!

I have to say I was real chuffed with the result.  Not only did I decide to include seaweed in the pie filling, I also decided to incorporate some in the hot water pastry.

When you slice into it with your knife, the smell of the laver bread hits you first as it is quite strong, but the flavour not so strong.  In fact, you will fidn yourself saying, 'where is the 'fishy' laver bread?!  Believe me it in there, its flavour enhancing both the meaty texture of the mushrooms and pebble dash Puy lentils.

I appreciate that not everyone will be able to find/access Welsh Laver bread after all it is a specialist ingredient, so you will be pleased to note that this recipe can also be made without it if you so wish.  I am sharing some of these Seaweed Pies with Just Another Meatless Monday#79 hostd by Hey What's for Dinner Mom?; and Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays #51 hosted by Midnight Maniac.

Welsh Laverbread, Mushroom and Puy Lenti Pie
Makes 1 large pie or 8 – 10 individual pies
Ingredients for the filling
300g Portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon plain flour
175ml vegetable stock
100g Puy lentils, cooked
120 - 150g laver bread
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Wipe clean the mushrooms. Slice or quarter each mushroom. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onions until soft and translucent, but not brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute before adding in the mushrooms. Keep the heat high and cook the mushrooms, stirring frequently until softened.
Gradually add the flour and stir until evenly combined.
Add the vegetable stock and stir, over high heat until the sauce thickens, before stirring in the puy lentils and laverbread. Continue to cook for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature

Hot Water Pastry
Makes 8 - 10 individual pies or  one large 7 - 8 inch round cake tin
Ingredients
Optional: 1 teaspoon of rehydrated hijiki  seaweed
325g plain flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
100g vegetable fat - I use Trex
175ml water
Olive oil for glazing
Method
For the hot water pastry, mix together the dry ingredients.
Melt the fat in the water and heat until about to boil.
Add the liquid to the flour, along with the rehydrated hijiki and stir with a wooden spoon until a dough is formed.
Now you have to work very quickly with your hands, as the dough will get cold and be tough to work with.
With your fingers mould a ball of pastry into the shape of the individual muffin holes leaving a bit of the pasty overlapping over, but not too much.
Then fill with the cooled filling, press in well.
Roll out the remaining dough, and using a cookie cutter about the size of the muffin hole, cut out required number of lids.
Place over the pastry filling tops, push over the overlapped pastry and gently fork so seal the casing. Brush with  oil and make a small steam hole in each pie.
Bake in preheated oven Gas mark 6 for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.

Scottish Macaroni Cheese Pies

I made these little macaroni cheese pies a little while ago. I wanted to create a homely version of those you find at this High Street low cost bakery in the U.K, especially in Scotland.

Its not that far removed from the Caribbean 'Mac'n'Cheese, except in Scotland, the macaroni pie is made from hot water crust pastry, that is filled with macaroni cheese and then baked in the oven. I'm not that keen on them, but I have to admit that whenever the hunger pangs strike and I am near this bakery, I would indulge in them for two reasons. They are cheap and cheerful - value for money, and secondly, this was the best of a bad batch in the way of vegetarian options  The other being a greasy cheese and onion pastry that lacked onions; or a cold congealed pizza slice.

Anyway, a couple of months ago, I thought I'd have a go at making my own version of the Scottish Macaroni Pie.  Although I was happy with my pies.  The filling was creamy and the cheesy topping golden crisp, they were far from perfect.

The hot water crust pastry still needs a bit of tweaking, hence the reason I had not posted this earlier.  But for those of you who can't wait for it here are two pastry recipes.  Follow this link for hot water crust pastry and the other is below, but be warned this recipe still needs improving.

Scottish Macaroni Cheese Pies
For the macaroni pie pastry crust
Makes about 12
Ingredients
200g plain flour
¼ teaspoon salt
140g butter, chopped into cubes
1 egg yolk
60ml cold water
Method
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Then add in the cubed butter and rub in with flour until the mixture begins to resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Then gently add in the egg yolk and enough water to make a dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Now make the macaroni cheese filling
Macaroni Cheese
Fills about 12 individual pastry cases
Ingredients
75g butter
1 medium onion,  peeled and sliced
75g plain flour
800g milk
200g cheddar cheese, grated, plus extra for topping
salt and ground pepper
250g macaroni pasta
Method
Melt butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onions, cook gently until soft.
Stir in the flour and cook for a minute, then gradually add the milk, whisking all the time and then whisk in about three-quarters of the cheese and allow to melt into the sauce. Season to taste.
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions with a teaspoon of salt until soft.
Drain and then stir into cheese sauce.  Set aside while you roll out the pastry.
Lightly grease a 12 muffin pan.  Then roll out pastry dough thinly on floured surface. Then using a cookie cutter measuring about 3½ - 4  inch rounds and cut out 12 rounds. Gently press these pastry cases into the greased muffin pan.
Then spoon the cooled macaroni filling into the pastry cases and sprinkle them with the remaining cheese.
Bake in oven Gas mark 6 for 20 - 25 minutes until golden. Allow to cool before removing from the tin and serving.

Parsnip chips with Spring Onion Pancakes

These oven roasted parsnip chips are simple and quite tasty. You do have to be careful baking them, as a little too long in the oven and they could easily end up being charred.

These savoury Spring Onion Pancakes reminded me of of my mothers methi aka fenugreek parathas - a buttery, crispy, flaky pan fired flat bread often stuffed with spicy vegetables - that we as children would often have for brunch at weekends. So when we had two of these Spring Onion Pancakes left over, I knew exactly what I'd do with them. I reheated them in the oven the following day for brunch and served them simply with a fried egg. Though these Spring Onion pancakes are not that tough to make, they do take a little practice, so don't be too hard on yourself if the first two aren't perfect, they will still be good to eat.

Oven Roasted Parsnip chips

Ingredients
Serves - Depends on how many parsnips you want to roast
Parsnips, peeled and if necessary remove the woody core
Olive oil
Sea salt
Method
Heat oven to gas mark 7. Cut the parsnips length ways into eight long pieces. Spread out on a large baking sheet and add enough olive to lightly coat the parsnips and sea salt to taste.
Bake on middle shelf  for 20 - 25 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, until golden brown and tender. Serve immediately.

Spring Onion Cakes
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

275g plain flour
200-250ml hot water (you may not need to use all of it)
8 Spring onion, finely sliced
1 teaspoon salt
Sunflower or vegetable for brushing and shallow frying
Method
Pour flour into a large heat proof bowl. Add a little hot water at a time and stir vigorously. The flour will start to form small lumps. Continue to add water until it forms a soft dough, it should not be sticky.
Remove the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth. Put back in the bowl and cover with a damp cloth and leave for 30 minutes.
Divide into four or six pieces.  Take a piece at a time and roll into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a disc about 1/8 inch thick. Brush the surface with oil. Sprinkle it with sat and some chopped spring onions. Roll the dough into long sausage shape and coil it around itself like a snake. Lightly roll to flatten the cake to about /2 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Heat a large pan and add 1/4 inch oil. Add one cake at a time and cook one side until golden, then turn and Cook he other other side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the others. Slice and serve sweet or spicy hot with sauce.  Adapted from Master Lam Kam Chuen's The Feng Shui Kitchen via a ripped page from a supermarket magazine.