Off to University - an Essential Kitchen List for Vegetarian Students

I started this blog 7 years ago when my older daughter was 11 years old and had just started high school. She's now 18 and off to university. Where have the years gone?

Anyway, as she's going to be self-catering in her halls of residence, I've been helping her buy some essential kitchen equipment (Home Bargains and IKEA are your frugal friends!) and have drafted a basic food shopping list. As I don't know if she'll find anyone to food-share with, I'll be buying many of these items to fill her cupboard in the shared kitchen, so that I know she'll be eating OK for at least the first couple of weeks.

I thought I might as well share the list, in case it helps anyone else. As you can see, most of the items are cheap and cheerful, but nutritionally sound, providing plenty of carbs and protein for hard-working (and partying) students!

From my experience at uni, many years ago, it might also be worth name-labelling any food left in communal areas (such as the fridge and freezer) with a sticker or Sharpie pen, unless you want all and sundry to eat it!

Obviously vegan students can made the necessary changes to their list, but this would mainly be the fridge and freezer items.

You can also find lots of simple recipes and tips for veggie students here.

Not food-related, but if you're off to uni, do make sure you get your meningitis ACWY vaccination before you go.

Equipment	Cupboard	Freezer	Fridge
Medium frying pan Medium sauce pan Non-stick baking tray Small pyrex dish Plastic spatula/fish slice, serving spoon, potato masher Small cheese grater Potato peeler Garlic crusher Can opener Sharp knife Knife, fork, spoon, teaspoon x2 Dinner plate, side plate, bowl x2 Large glass, small glass x2 Scissors Biscuit jar/tin Plastic lidded containers to store food Kettle (for own room)	Refried beans Baked beans Chickpeas Tinned new potatoes Tinned beans Dried lentils Tomato puree Tin of soup Tinned tomatoes/passata Pasta Rice Pizza base mix Squash Cereal Jam/peanut butter/Marmite etc. Biscuits Cereal bars Vegetable/olive oil Herbs and spices Tea bags/coffee/hot chocolate Long life milk individual (for own room)	Wraps Bread Veggie bacon Bean burgers Veggie sausages Frozen mixed veg	Cheese Milk Butter Fruit juice Yogurt Eggs Garlic Fresh fruit Fresh veg

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Veganuary 2017

A slightly belated Happy New Year! 

I can't believe all the festivities are over and I'm back at work already!

This year, both Miss K (now aged 15) and I are attempting Veganuary. In case you don't know, Veganuary is a campaign in association with Viva! to encourage people to go vegan for January and "Eat delicious, healthy food, save lives and help the environment."

As a long-time vegetarian (myself) and a lifelong one (Miss K), I reckon we've done our bit to save more than a few farm animals' lives between us, however the dairy and egg industry does, of course, play on our minds from time to time. It's something which I don't often blog about, as I try not to be a 'preachy' type of vegetarian; I am married to an omnivore after all.

After a week of eating a vegan diet, I've only encountered a couple of obstacles. One is that you can't easily buy vegan cakes and I haven't had time for any baking...so guess what I've been craving? The second is eating out as a vegan; this seems to be incredibly difficult if you're a strict vegan but the Veganuary website has this covered for a variety of chain restaurants.

If you've recently discovered my blog, you might like to know that I try to avoid fussy recipes and fashionable 'out-there' ingredients, as I work full time and have a family to feed, who want wholesome, tasty but not weird, vegetarian meals. I don't have time to faff around for hours, or to knit my own quinoa, goji berry and spirulina brownies, but I do enjoy cooking.

Although not all of my recipes below are vegan, they are all budget friendly, relatively low in fat and can all be easily adapted (for example, if the recipe uses Quorn or cheese, simply swap for a vegan alternative.) I hope you enjoy them. Please let me know what you think, by leaving me a comment if you do try any of my recipes.

Veganuary meal plan - week 1

Veganuary meal plan - week 2

A cheap and lower-fat meal plan for Veganuary

For an amazing array of vegan recipes, take a look at the Veganuary recipe index.

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Granose Meat-Free Mixes - A Review & Give-Away

I generally like to make most meals from scratch, but sometimes it's good to have a few convenience products to fall back on. I hadn't tried packet mixes for a while, so was interested to see how the new range of Granose Meat-Free mixes, from Symington's would compare to ready-made products.

In the UK, we have access to a wide variety of processed, chilled or frozen vegetarian products, but sometimes, it's useful to have a standby in the cupboard. Maybe you're a not vegetarian but occasionally have veggie friends or family over, or maybe you need a product which doesn't need to be chilled. For example, when camping or on Duke of Edinburgh type expeditions, or to take on holiday to countries where vegetarian products are still hard to find, such as France. They would also be great for students going away to university, who might have limited fridge and freezer storage.

"Granose has a 100 year history, making it the natural choice when it comes to providing dried mix meat free meals that are healthy, hearty and delicious. What’s more, they are easy to prepare and designed entirely with your convenience in mind. Granose means goodness, for all the family.
There are 6 products in the range, Meat Free Lincolnshire Sausage Mix, Meat Free Burger Mix, Meat Free Bolognese Mix, Meat Free Savoury Mince Mix, Falafel Mix and finally the Soya Mince."

With this in mind, I tried out some of the products to see how they compared to ready-made products.
All of the products are labelled as vegetarian, but actually appear to be vegan too. The mixes were really easy to prepare as you basically add water, stir well and leave to firm up, before shaping into burgers, sausages or balls (I used my burger press). You then bake, fry or barbecue.

The joy of packet mixes, is that you can add extra ingredients, such as herbs or spices to vary the flavour, so if you like your falafels spicy, you can add some extra chilli! One thing I will mention, is that I found I needed a little less water (just a few tablespoons less) than stated on the packet, so don't add it all at once. I brushed my burgers and sausages with oil and barbecued them; they held together surprisingly well.

The finished products all tasted pleasant, but had a different (less meaty) texture to ready-made products which my teens were a little dubious of! Once we'd added the required amount of ketchup, relish etc, I think they tasted pretty good. Maybe not as succulent, but certainly a good, convenient alternative.

If you want to try out the products yourself, they are available at Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Holland & Barrett.

You also have a chance to win a selection of Granose products. Just leave my a comment, telling me your favourite vegetarian/vegan convenience product and fill in the Rafflecopter entry form. 
UK ONLY, closes midnight 3rd Sept. 2016. 

 Integrity Statement
 I received the products pictured in consideration for a review  and giveaway. All views expressed are genuine.


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The Vegetarian Italian Kitchen - Review & Give-Away

I don't actually blog many Italian-inspired dishes, but I do cook quite a few simple and rustic Italian dishes at home. That's why I was quite excited to receive a copy of The Vegetarian Italian Kitchen by Italian born author and journalist, Veronica Lavenia. This book isn't full of fancy ingredients and celeb-chef anecdotes. It's a book written with a passion for simple, healthy and easy-to-prepare vegetarian food.

"The Vegetarian Italian Kitchen represents the true contemporary culture of Italian homemade cooking that is both healthy and affordable for everyone."

The book is arranged in seasons, so is great for anyone who receives an organic vegetable box or has a kitchen garden or allotment. Not every recipe is illustrated, but each recipe is made from wholesome, fresh ingredients. Some of the specialist pasta shapes might be hard to come by in the UK, but I don't see why they can't be swapped for a penne, spaghetti or macaroni, if that's what you have in the cupboard!

Some recipes are vegan (or can easily be adapted by omitting the cheese!) and gluten free too, although, unfortunately, the recipes don't indicate this. Another small gripe, is the inclusion of non-vegetarian cheeses, such as Parmesan, but again, these are easy to substitute.

As usual, I had to try out several recipes, before posting my review. I really enjoyed eating the carrot and dried fruit salad as a side with the baked oven anellini. Both really easy to prepare using seasonal ingredients, but very tasty too.

If that's whet your appetite, I have a copy of The Vegetarian Italian Kitchen, published by New Holland Publishers, to give away.

Just enter your details on the Rafflecopter widget below and leave me a comment, telling me your favourite Italian dish. Competition closes at 12.00 am on Sun 10th July. UK ONLY.

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Tuscan Vegetable and Bean Stew - Recipe Feature

To me, the name Cranks is synonymous with great tasting, wholesome vegetarian food. You might not know that their first restaurant and deli opened on London’s Carnaby Street in the swinging 60's; those were the days when people were considered to be cranks if they were vegetarian or vegan! Over 50 year later, the brand is still going strong and have a restaurant, Cranks Kitchen, in Devon, published several recipe books, and have recently launched a new, exclusively vegetarian, sandwich range. As a long standing vegetarian, I was amazed and a little humbled that such a well known vegetarian brand would want me to develop a seasonal recipe for them...

This is my economical and vegan adaptation of the traditional Tuscan stew, Pollo alla Cacciatore (hunter's chicken). I know you don't have to hunt very far to find vegetables and pulses in your local supermarket, but I find they work well with the flavours in this recipe and are hearty enough to make this a warming, winter dish.

If you prefer, you can cook this dish in the oven or slow cooker.

Serves 4:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or crushed 
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 200g/8oz chestnut mushrooms, wiped and halved or quartered 
• 200g/8oz chantenay carrots, peeled or scrubbed and cut in half vertically 
• 100g/4oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 5cm pieces
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes (add 1 tbsp tomato purée if you use economy tinned tomatoes)
• 250ml/1 cup vegan, dry white wine 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp fresh, chopped parsley
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 tin cannellini beans, drained
• 50g/2oz pitted olives

Heat  the oil in a large saucepan, on a medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook gently for a few minutes, until softened. 
Remove from the heat and sprinkle in a heaped tsp of cornflour. 

Add all of the remaining ingredients (except for the tinned beans and olives), place back on a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. 
Simmer for 25-30 minutes with the lid on, until the carrots and green beans are almost tender.

Add the tinned beans and olives to the sauce. 

Simmer with the lid off for a further 5-10 minutes, to allow the sauce to thicken slightly 
Remove the bay leaf and sprigs of rosemary before serving. 

Serve with your choice or rice, pasta, potatoes or rustic, crusty bread.

Alternatives: Swap the wine for a vegetable stock, if preferred.

Sponsored Post
I received payment for recipe development and ingredients, from Cranks. All views expressed are genuine.

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The Hungry Student Vegetarian Cookbook: A review and giveaway

My children are growing up way too quickly; Miss O has finished her GCSEs and has started at 6th form college (she's studying for A Levels in English, History, Drama and Art History, if you're interested!) and Miss K has just started her GCSEs in year 10.
If all goes well with their studies, it won't be long until they leave for university. Like most parents, I worry about how well they'll cope in the big, wide world, despite the fact that they have both helped me with shopping, cooking and household chores since they were little (sometimes reluctantly, sometimes willingly!).

With this in mind, I was glad to be able to review The Hungry Student Vegetarian Cookbook, as it seems like a great book to give to vegetarian teenagers or young adults who can cook more than beans on toast, but aren't quite ready for Ottolenghi. The book contains a wide range of cheap and simple to cook dishes, including breakfasts, lunches, main meals and desserts...plus a few cocktails too!

...The Hungry Student Vegetarian shares more than 200 quick and cheap meat-free recipes that are so tasty, even hardened carnivores will keep turning up for dinner. There are also indispensable tips on budgeting, lunchbox ideas, healthy eating and how to get creative with leftovers. All the recipes in this book are balanced for a healthy vegetarian diet, and they each have an affordability stamp to help with budgeting as well as detailed instructions to make them accessible to even the most novice cook. 

I do have a couple of criticisms of the book; one is that most recipes feed four people, rather than one or two; I can't imagine that my girls are going to find three fellow veggies to share food and cooking with, although this would obviously make their living costs much cheaper. The other thing I noticed was that quite a wide array of herbs, spices and curry pastes are suggested in different recipes. I find curry pastes are pretty expensive and don't keep well compared to whole or ground spices, so I'd suggest investing in the basic spices - cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, cinnamon and paprika - rather than buy curry pastes.

Having said that, I love the handy tips at the start of each section, they really are worth reading and set this book apart from other budget-friendly/student cookbooks.

I set 14 year old Miss K the challenge of cooking one of the recipes from the book by herself. She chose the Cheddar burgers with cucumber salsa. These burgers are mainly made from beans, cheese, carrot and onion, so with the salsa and a bread roll, they are budget-friendly and cover all the food groups. Miss K made them easily and with the use of a burger press, they held together well, were simple to cook and tasted really good.

The Hungry Student Vegetarian Cookbook: More Than 200 Quick and Simple Recipes, Published by Spruce, £7.99, www.octopusbooks.co.uk 

I have two copies of the book to give away. Just tell me your favourite cheap-and-cheerful/student dish in a comment below, using the Rafflecopter widget. UK ONLY. Closes midnight Sunday 27th September.

You can find my own student recipe ideas and tips here.

Integrity Statement
I received a complimentary copy of the book for the purpose of this review and two copies to give away. All views expressed are genuine.

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Ocado: Vegetarian Grocery Shopping Online - A Review

This year, Ocado won the award for Best Online Retailer for Vegetarians and have since launched their brand new Vegetarian Shop, based on feedback from customers. As I do most of my food shopping online, I was eager to test this out, as one of my pet peeves is that a search for vegetarian or vegan will often bring up the most obvious foods (like Quorn and dairy-free milk), not the necessarily ones you're looking for.

The new Ocado vegetarian shop categorises products by eating occasion and food type, making it easy to browse for meat-free alternatives, filled pasta and deli products, plus of course cheeses, store cupboard ingredients and even raw foods. There's also a wine category, which is useful, as animal by-products in wines are often something that people forget about, especially when entertaining vegetarian and vegan guests. As well as the dedicated veggie shop, each product is clearly labelled with a v for vegetarian...including toiletries. An extra symbol for vegans would be great, but it's quite easy to search for vegan products, as there's also a vegan check box in the search menu.

I recently tried out the new vegetarian categories and was amazed to find the wide range of products available, which I might not have found if I just shopped through my favourites list and special offers, as I normally do. In the meat substitute section, there were 30 different types of veggie sausage and 25 varieties of burger alone...that's far more choice than most supermarkets can offer in store. My only real criticism is that if you don't know where to find the vegetarian shop section, as it's not that easy to locate (you need to click on World Foods & Free From first and then select Vegetarian.)

By using some of the many special offers available and selecting Ocado's own brand products, my weekly shop cost almost exactly the same as it would from the other major online supermarkets, so that dispels the myth that Ocado are much more pricey than their competitors. 

Of course, the after-sales emails and delivery were both up to their usual standard. I particularly liked the email telling me the name of my delivery driver and which van they'd be driving. Ocado also pack their bags well, which makes it so much quicker to put the shopping away, when all of the frozen and chilled products are packed together. Without wishing to sound snobby, Ocado delivery drivers are a cut above the rest, which is probably down to better training in customer service. 
When it comes to quality, all of my fruit, veg and chilled products were well within their use-by dates and of a good quality. I would definitely recommend Ocado to my fellow veggies, as it makes online shopping so much more simple.

Integrity Statement
I received a complimentary shop with Ocado for the purpose of this review. All views expressed are genuine.

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Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook - A review & give-away

A few years ago, I had a wonderful meal at Mildreds vegetarian restaurant in London's West End. There are no exclusively vegetarian restaurants where I live, so it's always a real treat to be able to choose anything from a menu, without scrutinising it for traces of chorizo or anchovy!

I recently found out that there's now a Mildreds cookbook, packed full of recipes for the sort of homely dishes served in the restaurant, including some of their classic starters, mains, mezze dishes and desserts. These are mainly a mix of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian-inspired recipes...just the sort of meals I love to both cook and eat.

"An exciting new cookery book from the popular vegetarian restaurant, Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook has something for everyone. Whether you are a vegetarian, or are trying to cut down on your meat intake, the international influences in these recipes promise variety and flavour."

Once I'd had a quick browse, I was really excited to get cooking. First on the list was the vegan chocolate and peanut butter brownies, which tasted as good as they sounded. I then made the halloumi, courgette and mint fritters and the roast pepper and black olive lahmacuns (Turkish pizzas) which turned out really well, as you can see below.

I loved the book and it's one I'll definitely be returning to time and time again. The recipes are clearly laid out, easy to follow and use fresh and seasonal, mainstream ingredients, available from most supermarkets. They're marked with a V for vegan recipes and GF for gluten-free, but most recipes also include a vegan option if they contain eggs or dairy. Due to the unpretentious and fuss-free nature of the recipes, I would particularly recommend this book to new or young vegetarians, meat reducers and vegetarian families, who want to cook simple, quick and tasty, vegetarian food. 

For recipes and news from Mildreds, do pop over and take a look at their blog. 

Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook by Mildreds, Photography by Jonathan Gregson, Published by Mitchell Beazley, £25, http://www.octopusbooks.co.uk/

I have a copy of this fabulous book to give away (UK ONLY). Just tell me your favourite vegetarian meal in a comment below and add your details to the Rafflecopter widget. Competition closes 12:00 am 16th June 2015.

Integrity Statement
I received a complimentary copy of the book to review and one to give-away. All views expressed are my own.

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National Vegetarian Week 2015 - Win Seed & Bean Chocolate

Happy National Vegetarian Week! Whether you're vegetarian, vegan or just veg-curious, Vegetarian Week is a great time to try out new foods and test out some mouth-watering, meat-free recipes on the family. Being vegetarian these days doesn't mean living on lentils, even though some people still have these out-dated misconceptions.

When I went fully veggie over 20 years ago, meat-free convenience foods were in their infancy and you had to go to a health-food store to buy them. Dried TVP mince and Sos-Mix were a couple of the limited range of products available; there were no ready-made veggie sausages, burgers or Quorn products available in supermarkets (that makes me sound old!).

These days, there's a great range of fresh and frozen veggie/vegan-friendly products available, and a wealth of cook books, blogs and apps to inspire you to cook an exotic range of cuisines. I've been particularly encouraged to see so many new young, vegetarian and vegan food bloggers in the (social)media lately. After a lull in vegetarianism, and a rise in the interest and popularity of so called ethically-raised meat, it seems that being vegetarian/vegan is becoming fashionable again.

I hope you'll take a look at some of my recipes and those on the Vegetarian Society website and recipe app and maybe share them with your friends and families, to show them that vegetarian food doesn't need lots of weird fancy ingredients to make it taste good!

To celebrate the week, and to keep in with the share theme, I'm sharing some delicious organic and award-winning Seed and Bean Chocolate with you, by hosting a give-away.

This year Vegetarian Week is all about sharing delicious vegetarian food with friends, family and colleagues, exploring all the amazing tasty offerings that can be enjoyed. 

At Seed and Bean we believe in courageous chocolate. Creating, exciting, vibrant flavours, with no ‘hints of’ or ‘flavourings’. If we can’t use real, we don't make it. Bars include Chile, Lime, Coffee, Coconut, Cornish Sea Salt, Raspberry, Cardamom, Poppy Seed, Hemp and are available in either milk, white or dark, with 12 being suitable for vegans. 

Some flavour combinations are smooth and easy on the palette, some will rocket your taste buds - but whatever takes your fancy we can promise that Seed and Bean will change your chocolate life forever.

I tried out three of their dark, dairy-free varieties including pumpkin seed and hemp oil, hazelnut, and sea salt. Some of the flavour combinations might sound a bit adventurous, but you won't be disappointed. The dark chocolate is amazingly smooth and rich, and contrasts well the the additional flavourings. With distinctive recyclable, matt packaging in a rainbow of colours, the bars are easy to spot in-store; Seed and Bean chocolate is stocked in Waitrose, Planet Organics, Whole Food Markets, and on line at www.seedandbean.co.uk with a RRP £2.49 for an 85g bar.

To win 4 bars of Seed and Bean chocolate, just enter the Rafflecopter widget below, and leave me a comment telling me which bar you'd most like to try. Please also mark your entry 'vegan' if you wish to win dairy-free chocolate only. Competition ends midnight Wednesday 27 May 2015. UK ONLY

Integrity Statement
I received a selection of complimentary chocolate bars from Seed & Bean to review and give-away. I was not required to, or paid to promote the Vegetarian Week. All views expressed are my own.

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Jealous Sweets - a review and giveaway

I must admit that I've been waiting for a review request from Jealous Sweets for quite a while. Not only is one of their founders a local lad, and went to the same school as my children, but their entire range of luxury sweets is also vegan, halal and gluten-free. 

Founded by old friends Imran Merza and Taz Basunia, Jealous Sweets were created as a luxury vegan/vegetarian/halal brand for adults, as an alternative to premium boxes of chocolates. They are stocked in the food halls of Selfridges and Harvey Nichols and in luxury hotels. They have also been endorsed by celeb. chefs including Tom Aiken and Jamie Oliver.

As a vegetarian, it's great to find a brand of sweets which tastes good, looks good and is free from gelatine, artificial colours and flavours.The range include Yummy Bears, Tangy Worms, Fizzy Friends, Wild Cherries, Grizzly Bears and Sour Beans...

"Naughty doesn't have to mean nasty - Jealous Sweets are full of natural fruit juices, free from artificial colours and flavours. With flavours like Grapefruit & Orange, Morello Cherry & Pineapple and Pomegranate, Jealous Sweets are a firm favourite of chefs such as Tom Aiken and Jamie Oliver, as well as the world’s most luxurious hotels as a mini bar staple. As they’re beautifully presented in gift boxes they also make a very interesting, alternative gift!"

I loved the design of the of the individual 50g (RRP £2.49) boxes, and can see them fitting in very well as mini-bar snacks in boutique and luxury hotels, Eid gifts or even as wedding favours. The taste didn't disappoint either; all of the varieties I tried were delicious, with a real fruity kick. My favourites were the Fizzy Friends, which were an upmarket version of a certain tangy but gelatine filled popular sweet! In case a 50g box isn't enough, there are also 200g gift boxes retailing at £8.99. 

I must admit that these sweets aren't in my normal price range, but I would buy them (or would love to receive them) as a gift. If you can't find a local stockist, you can buy them online here.

You can win a gift bag of Jealous Sweets, by entering below and leaving me a comment. Competition closes at midnight Sunday 10th May 2015. UK Only

Integrity Statement

I received some complimentary Jealous Sweets products to review/give-away. All views expressed are genuine. 

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Lubia bi Zeit with Maftoul & Spiced Roast Potatoes - Suma Blogger's Network

These recipes have been inspired by my recent delivery from Suma, for my second Blogger's Network post of the year. When I ordered Maftoul and Lebanese 7 spice, I had no idea what to do with them! After looking through my cook books and Googling for various Middle-Eastern recipes, I came up with this themed meal:

Serves 4

Lubia bi Zeit (Lebanese Green Bean Stew)
This vegan bean stew can be served hot or warm. The mushrooms and peppers aren't traditional, but I think they give the stew more flavour and texture. Serve with pitta, for an alternative, quick meal.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 200g/8oz fresh green beans, ends trimmed, cut in half
• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 100g/4oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Alfez Lebanese Baharat 7 spice mix (use less if you prefer a milder flavour)

Heat the oil in a large pan.
Fry the onion gently for around 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the tomato purée and spice mix and cook out for a further 2 minutes.
Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir together.
Simmer with the lid on for 20-25 minutes, or until the beans are almost tender. Uncover the pan and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes to reduce the sauce.

Maftoul with Chickpeas 
Maftoul, also known as Palestinian couscous, is similar to giant couscous, but is made from sun-dried bulgur wheat which is hand rolled, giving it an uneven grain size. This dish is traditionally made with chicken.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 125g/5 oz/¾ cup maftoul
• 350ml/1½ cups boiling water/vegetable stock
• 1 small onion, diced
• ½ tin of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained
• 2 tsp  Alfez Lebanese Baharat 7 spice mix
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 cinnamon stick

Heat the oil in a pan, on a medium-low heat. Gently fry the onion for a few minutes, until softened. Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir.

Simmer for around 20 minutes, with the lid on, stirring occasionally.

7 Spiced Potatoes

• 450g/1lb baking potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges or chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp  Alfez Lebanese Baharat 7 spice mix
• ½ lemon, cut into chunks

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6/400F 

Coat the potato wedges in the oil and spices. 

Place in baking dish, top with the lemon pieces and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, shaking occasionally, then uncover and roast for a further 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Labneh
Labneh is a basic soft cheese, made by straining yogurt through muslin to remove excess water/whey and then adding flavourings. I didn't bother to strain my yogurt, as I used thick Greek yogurt.

• 7.5cm/3" chunk of cucumber, de-seeded, diced and blotted dry on kitchen towel
• 250ml/1 cup Greek yoghurt, or vegan plain yogurt - strained, if you have time
• 1 tbsp fresh, chopped mint or 1 tsp dried mint
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed

Mix all of the ingredients together. Chill until needed.

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Chestnut and Vegetable Lattice Bakes

This is my latest Christmas Dinner recipe, for those who want something a little different from a nut roast but don't want to resort to meat substitutes. I made two different versions of these individual lattice bakes; one to my taste and one for the rest of the family. I love the combination of sweet vegetables and fruits together, so mine contained mushrooms, sweet potato and cranberries. The others hate that sort of combo, so I cooked theirs with mushrooms, white potato, celery and no cranberries!

If you don't want to make these lattices which have quite a chunky filling, you can blend the mixture to fill sausage rolls or to make a nut roast.
If you haven't cooked with chestnuts before, it's worth trying them out. On their own they have quite a strange, slightly sweet taste, but they add a great depth of flavour and texture to vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Makes 4 individual bakes or around 20 small sausage rolls.

• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 100g/4oz cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped. I used Merchant Gourmet vacuum packed chestnuts.
• 100g/4oz mushrooms, chopped
• 50g/2oz walnuts, roughly chopped
• 50g/2oz macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato (swap for 2 medium parsnips, 1 large, white baking potato or a mixture of chopped root vegetables), peeled and diced into 1cm chunks- approx 200g/8oz peeled weight
• 25-50g dried cranberries, optional (for the more savoury version, use 2 sticks of chopped celery, or just omit the cranberries)
• 1-2 tsp dried sage or 2-4 tsp chopped fresh sage, to taste
• nutmeg and black pepper to season
• 1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry

Heat the oven to 190C/180C Fan/Gas 5/375F.
Drizzle your chosen root vegetable/s in olive oil and roast for around 30 minutes until golden brown and soft, turning once or twice.
Meanwhile, heat a drop of olive oil in a large pan and soften the onions. Add the mushrooms and celery (if using). Cook down to evaporate most of the moisture.
Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients (except the pastry!).
Season and add sage to taste.
Remove the root vegetable/s from the oven and crush/mash lightly, so that you still have recognisable lumps of vegetable. Turn the oven up to 210C/200C Fan/Gas 6/400F
Mix all ingredients together.

*At this point you can decide whether to blend the ingredients, to make a nut roast or sausage roll mixture.

If making the lattices, cut the pastry into 4 equal pieces.
Cut 8 lines into the outer thirds of the pastry (see photo).
Spoon a good 2-3 tbsp of mixture along the middle of each piece of pastry, and press down to form an oval mound.
Dampen the edges of the pastry and cross over the first 4 strips from each side alternately. Repeat from the other end of the lattice, so that you end up crossing the last strips over in the centre.
Brush with oil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

*Alternative cooking instructions: If making sausage rolls, reduce the cooking time to 20-25 mins.
If making a nut roast, blend the mixture, tip into a greased and lined loaf tin and press down.

Cover tin with foil (uncover for the last 10 minutes).

Bake for 40-50 mins at 180C/170C Fan/350F/Gas 4.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before turning out and slicing. 

Freezing: If you want to make any of these in advance and freeze them. Slightly under cook and allow to cool. Wrap in foil and freeze. Defrost completely before re-heating. 

For more Christmas recipes, including exclusive step-by-step videos from Alex Mackay, and details of the full product range visit merchant-gourmet.com

Integrity Statement

I received some complimentary Merchant Gourmet products for recipe development. All views expressed are genuine. 

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The Great Veggie Christmas Gift Guide & Give Away

I'm sure Yule love my seasonal gift guide! I've included several products which I have reviewed over the year, plus some of my other favourite goodies. Of course it wouldn't be fair for me to tempt you with all these lovely things, without offering something in return, so I have a massive give-away for one lucky reader....read on to find out what you could win!

Books for foodies

I've been lucky enough to review some fabulous new books this year. One of my favourites being Fragrant Heart by Miranda Emmerson, which is a memoir and travelogue of Miranda's time spent travelling through S.E Asia. Although this is not a cook book, each chapter ends with one or two recipes from the region, with both a meat-based and a vegetarian version of each recipe. 

I also really enjoyed reading The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C Morais which tells the life story of Hassan, a budding young Indian chef whose career takes off in a very different direction to the one his family have planned for him, after they move first to England and then to France.This book has since been dramatised into a film starring Helen Mirren.

Gaia's Feasts by Julia Ponsonby (and friends at Schumacher College) is one of the latest cook books which I've reviewed. It features a collection of simple-to-follow, healthy vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free recipes. This is an ideal book for those catering for large numbers of friends and family over the festive period, as each recipe is adapted to serve either a family of 4-6 people or up to 50 people! If you cook for a community group or run your own catering business, this would be the ideal book for you. I have a copy of this great book to give away. 
In case you don't win, I also have a SPECIAL OFFER for you: You can get your hands on your own copy of Gaia's Feasts for just £13.99 (30% off the RRP) and free delivery in the UK using this exclusive voucher code: WDEAWAF14 at Green Books. Offer valid 2nd December to 17th December 2014.

Stocking fillers and other gifts

I love these political slogan tea towels from The Radical Tea Towel Company. I have one with a fabulous vegetarian quote from Einstein on it and have an identical one to give away. The tea towels are great quality and are sure to raise a smile with the lucky recipient. They also do aprons, bags, Christmas cards and other political gifts, so if you know a radical feminist, staunch environmentalist or even a verdant vegetarian, do take a look at their quirky and original range of products!

As a Suma blogger, I've had the chance to test out lots of delicious Suma products, but didn't realise until recently, that they also do a lovely range of toiletries. I had the chance to try out 2 of

their natural handmade, vegan soap bars, which both smelt and looked amazing as they are packed full of botanical ingredients. Even better than that I have the whole range of 12 fragrant soaps to give away. If you aren't lucky enough to win them, they retail at a very reasonable RRP of under £2 per brand are totally palm free and BUAV approved. Available from many high street health food stores.

You may remember my review for Crystal Spring deodorants earlier in the year? Well, the company who have been trading for over 20 years, also stock a fabulous range of skin care and home fragrance products, starting just £3.50 for the travel sized toiletries. I particularly like the look of their natural candles and bath milk, both of which are on offer at the moment, with 50% off.  All of their natural beauty products are clearly labelled and beautifully packaged. Available from Crystal Sping and health food stores. I have one sweet orange candle to give away.

The Ethicoco Vegan Organic Chocolate Company is a recent discovery of mine. Ethicoco make four varieties of bean-to-bar vegan chocolate, all of which are soy free, dairy free and and nut free.These include: Ecuadorian with Oat Milk, Ecuadorian with Oat Milk and Raisins, Peruvian Dark Chocolate and Peruvian Dark Chocolate with Cranberries, The bars cost between £2.99 and £3.99 each. I have 4 bars (one of each variety) to give away.

Luxury Gifts

I must say that I've been really impressed with my Optimum 9400 professional blender. It really has put my old blender to shame! Although it certainly is a luxury product and not within everyone's budget, I would say it's worth the investment if you make your own nut milks & butters, soups and smoothies on a regular basis. I have been amazed at the way it blitzes whole nuts in seconds and turns a selection of slightly-past-it fruits into a delicious (smooth!) smoothie.

So just to surmise, one lucky, random person will win all of the following prizes:

• 1 copy of Gaia's Feasts
• 1 Radical Tea Towel  Company vegetarian tea towel 
• 12 handmade Suma soaps
• 1 Crystal Spring candle
• 4 bars of Ethicoco vegan chocolate
• ...and a partridge in a pear tree (or maybe not!) 

Just enter with the Rafflecopter widget below and leave me a comment to tell me what you hope Father Christmas will be bringing you this year! UK ONLY, competition ends midnight Friday 12th December. The more entries you make, the greater chance you have of winning! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Integrity Statement

This is an advertorial feature, featuring some products which I have reviewed over the year, plus some which I have been offered to give away in return for a mention in my gift guide. However, all views expressed are genuine.

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