Pasta with Greek Tomato Sauce (Vegan)

After many years holidaying in Greece, I'm still yet to recreate an authentic copy of the Greek version of Napoli/Napolitana sauce. I've tried various variations from a very basic sauce with just onion, garlic, herbs and tomatoes, to a sauce with different combinations of vegetables (courgettes, peppers and carrots), but none are quite right...it's probably due to the fresh, ripe, Greek tomatoes, but may be due to some other hidden ingredient, which I am yet to discover. 

Do let me know the traditional recipe if you have it!

Anyway, here's my take on the dish, which is low-fat, only takes about 30 minutes to make and costs a very economic £2 to serve 4-6 people. It has lots of garlic plus an added kick of chilli and a touch of fragrant cinnamon - simply omit these for an Italian rather than Greek-style sauce. I generally make a double batch of this sauce and freeze half. You can use the sauce for lasagne, bolognese, veggie meatballs, aubergine parmigiana etc.

Serves 4-6

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 bay-leaf
• ½ tsp dried Greek oregano (optional)
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon/½ cinnamon stick (optional)
• ½ tsp fresh red chilli, very finely chopped
• 2x400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes (use good quality, not an economy brand for the best flavour) - or about 800g/1lb 12oz fresh, ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• ½ tsp sugar (optional)
• Black pepper to taste
• 450g/1lb dried pasta (rigatoni, penne etc.)

Heat the oil in a large pan.

Add the onion and cook on a medium heat for a few minutes, before adding the garlic.

Allow the onion and garlic to cook without colouring.

Add all of the remaining ingredients (except the pasta) and simmer for 15-20 minutes with the lid on.

Remove the cinnamon stick and bay-leaf (if using).

Blend briefly with a hand blender if you prefer a smooth sauce.

Return to a low heat and allow to reduce whilst cooking the pasta for 10-12 minutes. Drain the pasta and serve topped with the tomato sauce.

For vegan garlic bread, simply mix a further small crushed clove of garlic with 2 tbsp dairy-free spread and a little chopped fresh parsley. Spread generously onto fresh crusty bread and bake in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

I'm linking this post to this month's, garlic-themed Pasta Please Challenge hosted by Tina at The Spicy Pear and started by Jac at Tinned Tomatoes. Pop over and take a look at the other great pasta dishes all using garlic.

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Three Festive Gravies for a Vegetarian Christmas Dinner

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I was asked by one of my Facebook followers to post some gravy recipes suitable for Christmas dinner, so I've come up with three different variations which should suit various vegetarian and vegan options such as nut roast, mushroom Wellington or a meat-free roast turkey substitute e.g. Quorn roast.

Port and Cranberry Gravy
This is a rich, sweet gravy, best served with a robust, savoury dish such as nut roast.

• 2 rounded tsp original Bisto powder (or any other vegetarian gravy powder/granules)
• 120ml/½ cup port
• 2-4 tbsp cranberry jelly (depending on how sweet you like your gravy)
• 350ml/1½ cup hot vegetable stock or vegetable cooking water

Mix the Bisto with a little cold water, in a pan.
Add the port and cranberry jelly and mix well.
Add the hot, but not boiling vegetable stock (or water that you have boiled the vegetables in).
Bring to the boil stirring occasionally, until the jelly has melted and the sauce has thickened.
Simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the alcohol content!
Add a little more water/stock if you prefer a thinner gravy.

Creamy Mushroom & Tarragon Sauce
This herb-infused, creamy sauce goes well with meat substitutes and is a tasty alternative to a traditional brown gravy. Omit the cream or swap for dairy-free cream for a vegan option.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 100g/4oz button mushrooms, finely sliced
• 150ml/ ⅔ cup dry white wine 
• 300ml/1⅓ cups vegetable stock or vegetable cooking water
• 1 level tbsp corn flour/corn starch
• 1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped
• 5tbsp/100ml double cream (optional)

Heat the oil in a pan. 
Add the shallots and garlic and saute for a few minutes on a medium heat, until soft, but not coloured.
Add the wine and simmer for a couple of minutes - strain through a sieve and retain liquid.
Add the mushrooms and tarragon to the pan and cook gently until most of the moisture has evaporated. 
Remove from the heat.
Season with a little black pepper and stir in the corn flour.
Add the stock and wine slowly to the pan, stirring well and making sure there are no lumps.
Return to the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring regularly, so that the gravy thickens..
Before serving, remove from the heat and stir in the cream, if using.

Cider Gravy
This tasty gravy would go well with savoury pies, mushroom Wellington or anything containing sweeter vegetables such as squash or sweet potato.

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion finely sliced
• 1 stick celery, finely sliced
• 1 level tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
• 225ml/1 cup dry/hard cider
• 225ml/1 cup stock made with boiling water and 1 veggie stock cube
• 1 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped
• Black pepper

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan. 
Add the onion, sage and celery and saute for a few minutes until soft. 
Remove from the heat and stir in the cornflour.
Slowly stir in the cider and stock, making sure there are no lumps.
Season with a little black pepper.
Return to the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring regularly, so that the gravy thickens.
Serve as it is, or blend or strain before serving if you prefer a smooth gravy.

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Cherry & Almond Microwave Fudge

With Christmas looming, I thought I'd blog an old family favourite recipe for traditional fudge, which makes a great homemade gift. I've adapted the cooking method, so it's made in the microwave, but you could make it on the hob in a large pan if you prefer. I would suggest that you have a trial run first as recognising the right consistency and colour can be a bit trial and error, unless you have a sugar thermometer.

Top tips: Do use a LARGE Pyrex (oven-proof glass) bowl for this...a plastic bowl will melt at the temperature the sugar reaches, and the mixture will bubble up a lot as it boils. The glass bowl and fudge mixture will be EXTREMELY HOT, so please do use oven gloves when you take the bowl in an out of the microwave. 

• 1 tin sweetened condensed milk
• 8oz/200g caster sugar
• 4oz/100g butter, softened
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1oz/25g flaked almonds
• 3oz/75g glace cherries, halved

Put the condensed milk, sugar, butter and syrup in an large oven-proof bowl, stir.
Microwave for 2 minutes on medium. Stir and repeat, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

Heat on high for approximately 10 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the mixture changes to a dark golden-brown colour, thickens and starts setting a little at the sides of the bowl (see the middle image below).

If you have a sugar thermometer, you need to reach 120C/235F, alternatively, drop a little of the hot mixture into a cold cup of water. It should form a soft ball.

Remove from the microwave and allow to cool, without stirring for 5 minutes.
Mix in the vanilla and beat with a wooden spoon until you can feel the mixture starting to thicken and set. If you find that the fudge isn't setting at all, reboil for a further couple of minutes.
Add the cherries and almonds and stir in.
Pour into a greased and lined 7"/20cm square tray and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Allow to cool for an hour or so, before marking into pieces. 
Cool fully before removing from the tin.
Store layered between sheets of grease-proof paper, in an air-tight box (in the fridge), until you are ready to bag it up for gifts.

Keeps for 2-3 weeks (if you haven't eaten it all within a couple of days!).

Alternatives: Omit the vanilla, cherries and almonds and change the flavourings to make different fudges: try rum & raisin or coffee & walnut for example. 

To make hot fudge sauce for ice cream or profiteroles, add 125 ml/½ cup of evaporated milk to the above ingredients. Melt as above and then boil the mixture for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you have a smooth, golden sauce. Add the vanilla but omit the cherries and almonds. Pour into sterilised jam jars, seal and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Re-heat to serve.

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Veggie Sausage & Baked Bean Pasta

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Not only is this meal quick and easy to prepare, it's cheap and filling too, especially if you use store's own economy brands! (I used ASDA's veggie sausages £1.58, baked beans 25p, passata 29p, onion 10p, red peppers 75p, pasta 29p - total to feed 4 people £3.26)

Serves 4, takes 30 minutes to cook.

• 1-2 vegetarian/vegan sausages per person
• 1 tin of baked beans (or any other kind of tinned beans)
• 500ml passata
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• ½ tsp mixed dried herbs or oregano
• 2 red bell peppers cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp veggie Worcester sauce (optional)
• Black pepper to taste
• 250g dried pasta

Heat a drop of oil in a large pan.
Cook the onion, garlic and peppers for 5 minutes on a medium heat until softened.
Add the passata, Worcester sauce, herbs and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile cook the sausages and pasta.
Drain the pasta, chop the sausages into chunks and mix both into the pasta sauce.

Alternatives: For an even quicker meal, use a jar of ready made tomato pasta sauce instead of the onion, garlic and passata. 
Swap the baked beans for any other tinned beans, to reduce the sugar content.
Use any vegetables you need to use up (mushrooms, sweetcorn, courgette etc), rather than the peppers, to make this dish even more economical.

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Quick and Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce

This simple pasta sauce can be made up in bulk, frozen in batches and defrosted when needed.

• 1 small onion, diced finely
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 500ml passata
• 1-2 tsp chopped fresh basil, or ½ tsp dried oregano
• dash of hot chilli sauce or a pinch of cayenne (optional)

Fry the onion in a drop of olive oil for a couple of  minutes, until soft. 
Add the herbs and chilli and stir well. 
Add the passata, stir and then put the lid on the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes.   

Suitable for freezing.

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