There have been a few incidents over the last few weeks which got me thinking and cooking. Over the St.Patrick's day weekend I ended up going out with a very good college friend. Before we hit the town it was necessary to have a good feed. No...no potatoes this time. Curry. Thai red curry to be precise. Chicken Thai red curry. YES, YES..I know...I'm supposed to be a vegetarian there are two caveats to Lent. One, apparently Sunday's don't count. I'm slightly sceptical about that one. Two, St.Patrick's day doesn't count either. This one I heard from the priest so I'm going to say there is some ecclesiastical basis to it.
So I had a great plate of spicy, tasty Thai curry. It was amazingly good. But what really interested me about the particular meal is that we were sharing it with a 2 year old. Who set into eating it with great gusto. I've often been cynical about fussy eaters. If children are given food (not choice) they'll eat what's put in front of them. Yes, of course there are some foods that children won't like due to taste (children have many more taste buds than grownups) but if you don't let them try, or assume that they won't like it, then in my opinion, your setting yourself up for years of misery and pickiness when it comes to the dinner table. It was so refreshing to see a child eat what was put in front of him, rather than push it around the plate, cry, scream, kick, or throw the food away (And yes, I have seen ALL of the above).
Another moment arrived this past weekend, following a night away. I got into a conversation about hummus. I'd been on a bit of a pesto kick of late and had forgotten how creamily yummy hummus was.
I also forgot to post the 3 recipes I had for hummus a few weeks back. Hummus is pretty versatile and with your base of chickpeas and tahini you can add an flavour you want. My favourite shop bought one is the Tesco sweet chilli, but it the use by date on them are awful and I've never managed to finish a tub within the time frame + 3 days. So when I arrived home I decided to make a pot of hummus favoured with my left over sun dried tomatoes from my pesto making time.
So for my vegetarian feast, which would make a nice romantic meal (unlikely in my case) / Saturday night dinner / dinner party food / or cooked separately for different reasons will include : home made sun-dried tomato hummus with naan breads and vegetarian tikka masala.
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For the sun-dried tomato hummus:
1 can of chickpeas - drained
60ml tahini (I used a light version)
about 8 sundried tomatoes -drained of their oil
2 cloves of garli
60ml lemon juice
2tbsp olive oil (you may need more, depending on how you like the consistency of your hummus)
salt, pepper and smoked paprika to taste.
Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend together until smooth.
Serve with toasted nann bread and olives
For the curry paste:
4 garlic cloves
1 thumb sized piece of ginger - peeled and chopped
1tsp cayenne pepper
1bsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garma masla
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp dried chilli flakes
1tbsp dessicated coconut
2 tbsp ground almonds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp corriander seeds.
In a small frying pan, toast the cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant.
Put into a pestal along with the rest of the spices and grind down.
In a food processor but all the other ingredients and the mixed spices.
Blend together until it forms a smooth paste (it make it smoother, I return it to the pestal to finish it off)
I know it seems a waste of time making your own curry paste but hoenstly, there is no comparison to shop bought ones (which are grand when you're in a hurry) if you have the time, make your own, you won't regret it - I promise.
This mix makes about enough for 2 currys that will serve 4 people. It keeps well in the fridge, in an airtight container.
To make the curry:
1 red pepper - chopped into similar sized pieces
1 sweet potato, peeled and choppped into chucnks
100g quorn chicken pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 onion, chopped
1tsp coconut oil
1 can chopped tomatoes
200 mls reduced fat coconut milk
1. Sweat the onion in the coconut oil over a medium heat.
2. Add the curry paste and fry until fragrant.
3. Add the sweet potato and pepper and cook for 5 mins
4. Add the tomatoes and quorn and simmer for 20 mins.
5. Stir through the coconut milk and add the chickpeas. Cook for another 5 mins.
6. Test a piece of the sweet potato to make sure it's cooked through.
7. Serve with boiled rice.
I don't like lentils.
Well, that's not strictly true. I actually really liked them up to about two years ago. Muggins didn't read the package properly and forgot to soak and rise them. Anyone who's ever prepared lentils will know it's essential to do this step or, they are, in fact, toxic. What followed was 48 hours of agony.
I've not been brave enough to face lentils since. But they're a great source of protein, and take flavour really well if made with a bit of care and cooked properly. So with lentils (for the moment) off my vegetarian shoppping list, I turned to the other veggy cupboard staple, chickpeas.
Chickpeas are fab. They are really yummy in all forms, from hummus to curry. If you're short on meat or veggys for a curry, toss in a can of chickpeas and vóila! Instant bulkage.
It has struck me on this veggy voyage, that, much like any diet or lifestyle, sometimes you just need something quick and easy, that can be whipped up in minutes and requires little to no shopping and preparation. And what is quicker and more tasty than a burger? A burger I hear you ask? But they are made of meat, numb nuts. And no, I won't be making a burger out of tofu. Rather it will be chickpeas. Imagine a falafel. turned into a burger. Without that nasty coriander taste. Now we're talking.
This has to be on a par with the cookie dough yoghurt recipe in regards to easiness. It really couldn't be simpler. All you need is a food processor and a frying pan (And the ingredients obviously)
You will need:
1 can of chickpeas (Rinsed and drained)
1 small shallot
1 egg
2tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1tsp chilli flakes
1/4 tsp salt
to serve:
wraps or pitta bread
sauce:
100ml greek yoghurt
2tbsp tahini
splash of lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
chopped parsley to taste
method:
1) Place all the burger ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you've formed a course mixture. The mixture will be quite moist. Form into Four patties and place in the fridge until ready to cook.
2) to make the sauce, but all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well to combine.
3). Heat some oil (about 2 tbsp) in a frying pan. Cook the patties until golden brown and crisp on one side, about 4-5 mins on a medium heat. Flip over and cook for another 2-4 mins.
4) Serve in the pitta bread or wrap with the sauce and any other fillings such as baby spinach, red onion, red pepper or baby corn.
Nutritional info for the burgers
Cal: 181
Carbs: 18g
Fat: 10g
Protein: 7g
Fibre: 3g
Iron: 2 g
For the sauce:
Cals: 37
Carbs: 1g
Fat: 3g
Protein: 1 g
So my vegetarian Lent is going well so far. Apart from a dinner party over which I had no control I've been enjoying the challenge of coming up with interesting veggy dinners and snacks. Since I've started, Pintrest has become an even greater source of inspiration, it's like a global free cookbook and I've had tear myself away from it of late as I was becoming addicted. I am a bit worried that my diet might become a little carb heavy though so am looking for other options (mainly as Id' use it as an excuse to eat all the bread..I have to..I can't eat meat..is a lame excuse )
Anyway today's blog is about yoghurt. The natural ice-cream (apart from it not being frozen..or made of cream..) When I was little, I like many of my peers grew up on Petit Filous. And we all thought it was yoghurt. I was particularly fond of the raspberry one.
As it turned out, petit filous isn't yoghurt. Its fromage frais. Which, when translated, means fresh cheese. Appealing no? (its basically milk with added cultures to turn it into a form of cheese.
This kind of blew my mind. It's no wonder they don't market it was cheese. Who'd want to eat raspberry flavoured cheese?
(the cheese pictured is actually flavoured with raspberry flavoured ale...)
Even thinking about it makes me gag. Funny thing is, if I don't think about that childhood trauma, I still love fromage frais, particularly with fresh fruit compote and fruit. It's a common way to end a meal in France. It tastes like a treat, but is surprisingly healthy.
My yoghurt addiction hasn't really abated since I grew up. (I will admit to buying petit filious in college..I may have been hungover..)I love trying new yoghurt. It's a food source that takes flavour really well, and with a bit of adjustment can be made healthy and at home.
One of my favourites when I was in primary school was the Cadbury flake yoghurt as a dessert treat. Or the Wispa one.
But lately I've taken to Greek yoghurt. Well, Greek style yoghurt to be more precise. The difference? well, after some research, it would appear that Greek style yoghurt has more stuff added to it. Usually cream or stabilisers. And I'm good with that. Because I find the taste less sour than Greek yoghurt. But to each their own. I'm not going to yell at you if you prefer the other stuff.
One of the nicest ones I've come across and became addicted to last summer was Muller Light Greek style yoghurt, particularly the coconut flavour (yes, coconut again. so sue me :P ) It's incredibly light and creamy. Eat it on it's own as a snack or mix some granola into it for breakfast..either way it's yummy.
Last week I required a pot of Greek style yoghurt for making a sauce. I was left with a half tub and began to wonder what I could make with the rest of it. Ya, it's good in baking but I wanted something different.
I decided to ask the trusty source that is Pintrest. And that's where I found it. Cookie dough Greek style yoghurt. Who wouldn't want to try cookie flavoured yoghurt??
You will need: (for 3 snack size servings (for a girl)
200ml greek style yoghurt (I used Glenisk)
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence
10g mini chocolate chips
Mix all the ingredients together until smooth and well combined. It'll last in the fridge in a sealed container for about a week or whatever the bbd on the yoghurt was.
It's sinfully yummy and probably will be hard to make 3 servings from it. but for 3 servings the nutritional info is as follows:
Cals: 149cals
Carbs: 7g
Fat: 10g
Protein: 4g
If you can find it, you could always use low/no fat greek style yoghurt which would lower the fat content if you were watching your fat intake.
So Lent started yesterday. Now, I'm not the most religious person in the world. Born and bred a Catholic like 90% of the population in Ireland, I've grown up with the rules and regulations that that entails. And for a long time I've gone along with it because of Catholic guilt.
Like a thunder bolt will come hurtling out of the sky towards if I eat meat on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday (FYI I had such a blonde moment yesterday, thinking I was doing good having soup for lunch..turns out if I'd taken a minute to read the label it was chicken soup..oh well).
I'm not saying I don't believe in God. I just don't know. AND I'm also incredibly stubborn. I don't really take well to been told what to do. But a part of me will always want to ''do'' Lent. As an exercise in personal will. It's only 40 days and I should be able to control myself for that long. (expect obviously for St.Patrick s day..cause, yano, we're allowed that off)
In the past, when I was a kid, the usual things that were given up were sweets/crisps/chocolate/biscuits. I remember having an old Roses tin where I would keep all the chocolate etc that was given to me during Lent. You can imagine Easter Sunday.
But time moved on and I lost my sweet tooth so giving up chocolate or sweets wasn't really a huge issue and so for a lot of years I pretty much sailed through Lent without doing anything. Last year, I decided to be creative and did a craft/new experience for every day of Lent. Well..almost everyday. With a thesis to write and work piling up I think I managed nearly 30..and wrote a blog about most of them.
So anyway, for Lent this year I've decided to give up meat and go vegetarian. Don't run away screaming. I promise I won't become one of those preachy, holier than thou, sandle wearing bores who insist meat is murder. I like meat. Hell I'm never going to turn down a medium rare steak with a brandy sauce..or chorizo..man, I'm going to find that hard to give up. But I don't usually eat much meat anyway. For the past few months I'd been veggy 3 days a week at least anyways so I'm taking this Lenten opportunity to experiment more with vegetarianism and come up with some ways to make it was exciting as I'm sure it can be. (and no, no alcohol will be given up. I'm not crazy into self-flagellation like)
Yesterday I bought an igredient that I had been reading about for ages in magazines and online. Quinoa. For those who are like 'da fuk?' it's basically a grain that orginated in South America and is a relative of plants like beetroot, chard and spinach. As such, it's a good source of protein in comparison to other grains and also provides twice to three times as much iron and calcium as other grains (it's also gluten free) So for someone transitioning to vegetarianism it was an excuse to buy it to ensure my protein intake was good. Also, I'm pretty much always anaemic so the more iron the better. After reading up on it, it became apparent that its quite like rice in the manner of cooking and absorbs flavour really well. So the first recipe I was going to try was a salad.
This salad is filling, will serve 6 and comes in at appox 260 cals per serving
You will need:
65g quinoa
1 red pepper diced
1/2 red onion diced
half a tin of baby sweet corn
1 head of brocolli, steamed
30g honey roasted peanuts, halfed
squeeze of fresh lime
for the dressing:
57 g peanut butter
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
3 tbsp low salt soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1tsp olive oil
water to thin as required
Method:
1) to cook the quinoa, bring 355 mls of water to the boil in a small saucepan. Add the quinoa, and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 mins or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool completely.
2) Make the dressing. Put all the ingredients a bowl and stir to combine. If you want to loosen the mixture add water ( you probably will need to do this, add water little by little until you've reached you're desired consistancy)
3) In a large bowl, mix the quinoa with some of the dressing. About half of the dressing should be enough. You can do this in advance as the quinoa will absorb the flavour and make it even more yummy.
4) Add the rest of the salad ingredients and toss well to combine. Squeeze some lime juice on top and maybe more dressing if you want to.
5) EAT!
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