Gaia's Feasts - A Review, a Recipe and a Special Offer

As I'm sure you know, I love cookbooks, so I jumped at the chance to review a copy of Gaia's Feasts, by Julia Ponsonby. This book is quite different to most cookbooks, as each recipe is formatted to make either a family meal or a feast for up to 50!

"Filled with delicious recipes and mouth-watering pictures, this book is a must-have for anyone who loves exciting, tasty and original vegetarian food. Alongside the quantities needed for cooking for a group of 4-6 family members or friends, Gaia’s Feasts offers the unique option of scaling up the recipes in order to cook for groups as big as 50, making it ideal for large family gatherings or community events."

The recipes featured in Gaia's Feasts also follow several key themes, including:

• Food and the environment
• Slow Food and Local Food movement
• A celebration of food

There is a good balance of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free recipes (plus handy tips and variations), mainly based around cheap and easy-to-find, wholesome ingredients. I have tried out a couple of recipes from the book and both turned out looking pretty much like the illustrations in the book, which is a good sign that quantities and cooking times are reliable. 

SPECIAL OFFER: 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.

My family all enjoyed the following Walnut and Fig Loaf (although I swapped the figs for cranberries as suggested as an option in the recipe). This slightly sweet and nutty loaf would be great with cold Christmas left overs such as nut loaf, salad and cheeses...

Walnut & fig (or cranberry or apricot) bread

Ruth Rae’s light brown, fruit-and-nut dappled bread is delicious with cheese and can also be served at teatime with jam and honey. It also provides the opportunity to experiment with a little decorative knife work – which is something Ruth is well practised at! Simply cut through the floured surface of the rising bread using a sharp knife (which could be serrated or just very sharp – some people use a scalpel). You’ll also need swift, confident strokes – and a clear, simple concept.

For 1 loaf                                                                                       For 6 round loaves
300g (10oz / 2 cups) strong white flour                                        1.8kg (4lb)
150g (6oz / 1¼ cups) wholewheat flour                                        900g (2lb)
55g (2oz / ½ cup) golden walnuts                                                 350g (12oz / 3 cups)
85g (3oz / ½ cup) dried figs (or dried cranberries or apricots) 500g (1lb / 3 cups)
1 tsp dried yeast or 10g (1/3-½oz / 2 tsp) fresh yeast                2 tbsp dried or 75g (2½oz) fresh
300ml (10fl oz / 1 cup + 2 tsp) warm water                                 1.5l (2¾ pints / 3½ US pints)
1-2 tbsp olive or sunflower oil                                                       100ml (3-4fl oz / ½ cup)
1 tsp molasses                                                                               2 tbsp
1 tsp salt                                                                                          2 tbsp

1. Preparing the fruit and nuts: Just cover the dried fruit with hot water and soak for 30 minutes (figs or apricots) or 10 minutes (cranberries). Meanwhile, chop the walnuts roughly with a knife – each walnut half will go into about 4-6 pieces. After soaking, drain the softened fruit, reserving the water to go into the dough. Chop the figs or apricots) into small chunky pieces (about 1cm / ½" wide). Remove the woody stalk part of the figs if it’s tough.
2. Measure 250ml (9fl oz / 1 cup) of warm water into a jug and stir in the molasses and the dried or crumbled fresh yeast. If using dried yeast, leave to froth up; with the fresh yeast, simply stir until dissolved. Easy-bake or fast-acting yeast can go in with the flour or with the water.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt, and chopped fruit and nuts.
4. Stir in the yeasty water, the rest of the warm water and the oil. Mix until you have a soft dough and all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Knead gently on a floured surface or in the bowl for a few minutes until fairly smooth, then return to the bowl to rise. Using a (dedicated) plant mister, spray the top with water to prevent it drying out, or cover the bowl loosely with a lid or tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm place for an hour.
5. When the dough has doubled in size, tip it on to a lightly floured surface and ‘knock back’. Knead lightly and then divide into 6 if you are making the large quantity, then knead each ball again. Shape into rounds or ovals. Keep the joints at the bottom and make sure the top skin has not been over-stretched: if there is any sign of surface splitting, loosen it with a little gentle rocking, or let it rest and then knead again in a few minutes, being careful not to shape it too tightly.
6. Place the round cushions of dough on a baking tray, either floured or lined with baking parchment. If you’re making more than one loaf, they should be placed about the width of your hand apart, to allow for spreading as they rise. Spray (or paint) with water and dredge with flour for a dusty finish. Use a sharp knife to cut a few criss-crossed lines at 2-3cm (1") intervals and about 2-3mm (1/8") deep – these will open up as the bread rises, creating an attractive textural contrast. Ruth also likes to cut a simple leaf-vein or ‘winter tree’ design into her loaves – a real classic for artisan bakers. Leave the bread to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.
7. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F / Gas Mark 4), 10 minutes before the bread is ready to go in.
8. When ready to go in the oven, the bread will have doubled in size. If you press it with a finger, the dough will be slow to spring back. Any sign of dimpling on the surface means it has over-risen, so rush it into the oven. It is better to put it in the oven when still – just – on the rise, so that its last burst of rising is stimulated by the heat of the oven. Bake mid-oven for about 45 minutes. Test by turning over and knocking: the loaf should sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe used with kind permission from Gaia's Feasts, by Julia Ponsonby, published by Green Books. 

Integrity Statement

I received a complimentary copy of Gaia's Feasts to review. All views expressed are my own and those of my family.

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The Optimum 9400 Froothie maker - a review

I was delighted to be asked to become a Brand Ambassador for Froothie, who sell the award-winning Optimum range of professional and domestic juicers and blenders.

One reason that I jumped at the chance to try out the Optimum 9400 blender, is that my daughters both love smoothies. My existing blender can only make 'lumpies' so I generally spend around £5 per week on ready-made cartons of fruit smoothies. I'd love them to drink more smoothies, as I think it's a great way to get 1 or 2 extra portions of fruit (or veg!) into their diets. The great thing about home made smoothies, is that you can use seasonal ingredients to keep costs down and you can omit any ingredients you don't like.

Whilst certainly not cheap at a RRP of £329, the Optimum 9400 is an excellent piece of kit for health-conscious vegetarians, vegans and raw food enthusiasts. In a domestic kitchen, it can be used to make smoothies, hot and cold soups, slushies, sorbets, dairy-free nut and seed milks/butters plus much more.  In fact it has around 15 functions - do check it out on this YouTube clip to see it in action!

On first inspection, the blender looks and feels like a proper, heavy-duty, professional product - which of course it is - as the Optimum range of blenders and juicers are used in many cafes and juice bars. I found the blender really easy to use and importantly, easy to clean too. There are no detachable parts to screw or lock together and the flexible lid just pops on and off. The tamper allows you to stir and scrape the contents of the blender whilst the motor is on; no need to stop, and scrape the contents back down. Once you've made a smoothie, you just fill the jug with hot water and a drop of washing up liquid and blend for a couple of seconds. Tip out the contents, rinse and you're done!

Both of my teenage daughters have tried out the machine already and have been really impressed with the smoothness of their smoothies and the speed of blending. 
Over the next few months, we will be testing out the Optimum 9400 Froothie maker and blogging our recipe ideas.

Meanwhile, if you'd like to test out the machine with a 30 day money-back guarantee, pop on over to the Froothie website.

Integrity Statement

I received an Optimum 9400 blender to review and to act as a brand ambassador in future posts.

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Win tickets to London VegfestUK '14

This year's London VegfestUK will be taking place in the Olympia West Halls on the weekend of Sept 27th and 28th 2014.

Vegfest hosts an amazing range of vegetarian/vegan food and drink stalls, kids' activities, talks, cookery demos and workshops, plus meet-and-greet sessions and book signings.

Special guests this year include presenters Amanda Hamilton and Sarah-Jane Honeywell, athletes Brendan Brazier, Patrik Baboumian, Fiona Oakes and Neil Robinson, plus Ms Cupcake founder Melissa Morgan, comedian Andrew O'Neill and Carl Donnelly.

Advance tickets are £10 in advance, currently available on a BUY ONE GET ONE FREE offer (which runs till Aug 23rd) at london.vegfest.co.uk/ticket-info. Children under 16 are admitted free.

I have 2 Sunday tickets to the show to giveaway (these will also admit a family of 4, with 2 children under 16).

To enter, just leave a comment telling me your favourite cook/chef, using the Rafflecopter widget below. Competition closes midnight Sunday 20th July. UK only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Pin It

Easy Halloumi Cheese Pie

I've made this recipe before, but last time I made it, I altered it quite a bit and made pastry-less mini-pies! This time, I've more or less stuck to the original recipe...

Eftychia of 'Dream of Cakes' lives in Cyprus and mainly blogs dessert and cake recipes, however she also posts many other delicious Greek recipes, one of them being this amazing halloumi pie. I adapted it slightly this time (using filo rather than puff pastry and swapping the polenta for cornflour), but other than that I followed the recipe.

As you can see, it looks quite impressive when baked, but is really easy to make. It can be served hot, warm or cold and makes a great addition to a meze or a picnic. It also looks good enough to serve for a dinner party or special occasion, slices well and can even be (slightly under) baked in advance and re-heated if needed.

I'm entering this recipe to July's Bookmarked Recipes Challenge over at Tinned Tomatoes.

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World Cup Vegetarian Meal Plan!

OK, this is a bit of a cash in on the World Cup, as I'm really not a football fan, but as Mr O has suggested that I cook different family meals for the different matches this week, I thought I may as well blog my meal plan!

• Monday: Portugal - piri piri mushroom & halloumi burgers with sweet potato wedges
• Tuesday: Mexico - vegetable and bean enchiladas with salad
• Wednesday: Spain pisto manchego with sauteed potatoes
• Thursday: Greece Quorn souvlaki with rice
• Friday: Italy pasta with anti-pasti pesto sauce
• Saturday: Iran kabab koobideh with rice (I'll admit, I cheated on this one and just added an Iranian version to my existing shami kebab recipe!)
• Sunday: USA sloppy Joes

I'm adding this meal plan to Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday linky.

Here are a few of my previous vegetarian/vegan meal plans:

3 week summer meal plan

3 meals a day meal plan

Family budget meal planning tips

Lower fat meal plan

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Vegetarian Chilli in Tortilla Bowls

Vegetarian chilli is a popular meal in my household, but it gets a bit boring after a while. After spotting various meat-based taco salad and Tex-Mex tortilla bowl recipes on Pinterest, I thought I've have a go at making a veggie version...

Serves 4

For the chilli, rice and bowls

• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 cup vegetarian/vegan mince
• 2 tsp mild chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp finely chopped red chilli
• A good pinch of cinnamon
• ½ can red kidney beans or other beans, drained
• 1 small can sweetcorn, drained
• 250ml passata

• 1 packet of microwave Mexican rice or ½ portion Mexican rice
• 4 large tortillas

Salad

• ½ lettuce, finely shredded
• 1 green bell pepper, halved and finely sliced
• 1 chunk of cucumber, halved, de-seeded and sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated

Salad dressing

• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp, chopped pickled jalapenos

Toppings

• ½ cup salsa
• ½ cup guacamole
• ½ cup mature cheddar cheese, grated (or vegan alternative), and/or soured cream
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

First make your tortilla bowls. I used this tutorial from The Yummy Life, but found they needed a little practice to get the timings right and that I needed to microwave them first for around 15 seconds, to soften them, before baking. If I was going to make these regularly, I'd invest in a set of Tortilla/Taco Salad Pans.

Fry the onion in a little olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minutes or two.
Stir in all  the spices and the oregano, then add the veggie mince.
Pour in the passata, beans and sweetcorn, and simmer for around 15 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the salad ingredients, mix the dressing together and set to one side.

To serve, heat the rice and divide between the tortilla bowls.
Spoon the veggie chilli over the rice.
Top with your choice of salsa, guacamole, grated cheese/vegan cheese and soured cream.
Sprinkle with the chopped coriander and serve with a side salad. 

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Could you 'Live Below the Line'?

It's a shocking statistic that one in eight people (that's around 1.2 billion men, women and children) live below the poverty line, going hungry every day and living on less than £1 per day.

Concern Worldwide, a charity that works with the world’s poorest people to transform their lives, is joining the Live Below the Line campaign which starts next week. They hope to see people sign-up to live off £1 a day for up to 5 days & raise funds to tackle extreme poverty. Live Below the Line cannot and does not aim to recreate what it’s like to live in extreme poverty, however participants can gain an understanding of the kinds of tough decisions many people face globally, every day. The campaign presents a chance to bring food poverty and hunger, back onto the news and political agenda. 

Concern Worldwide hope that as many people as possible will challenge themselves to live on a £1 a day and pledge a donation or sponsorship, to help give people more than a lifeline - to give them a future and a means to provide for their families in the long term.

 

To raise awareness of the campaign, I've pledged to feed my family of 4 for £4 for one day...to include breakfast, lunch and dinner (see my meal plan below) and will be tweeting my #fridgie photo with the estimated value of the products in my fridge ( I must say I was shocked at how much my fridge contents were worth). .

From training community health volunteers to spot the first signs of malnutrition to challenging governments on the policies that keep whole communities hungry, we’re tackling hunger on every level. Concern support people to develop their own local and lasting solutions to hunger, through developing their knowledge, skills and incomes. We combine expert specialism with respect for local know-how to ensure that families can feed their children, not just today, but every day. 

You can find out more about this campaign and support Concern's work here. 

Feed a family of 4 for £4 (3 meals a day)

• Breakfast: home made bread 40p for 750g strong bread flour + 11p for a sachet of yeast, 1 litre carton of value orange juice 65p = £1.16
• Lunch: 2 tins of budget baked beans 2 x 24p, served on toast (left over bread from breakfast), 4 apples x 20p = £1.28
• Dinner: channa masala curry and rice - 250g budget long grain rice 10p,  budget tinned tomatoes 31p, 1 onion 8p, 1 clove of garlic 4p, ginger 10p, various spices (already in store cupboard) approx 20p, 1 tin of chickpeas 37p = £1.20
• Total cost: £3.64; the extra 36p went towards spreads for our bread at breakfast and drinks throughout the day.

I must say it was quite a challenge to feed the family a balanced and filling diet for just one day, let alone for ever. I managed to do this sticking to vegan meals with lots of carbs and pulses. This has certainly made me more aware of the worry and stress that many mums must feel in the developing world every day, in the struggle to feed their children.

28 April-2 May 2014 (campaign runs until 30th June). 
Take the challenge: £5 for 5 days for all your food & drink to end extreme poverty. Challenge yourself. Raise money. Join the movement. Sign up today. 

Integrity Statement
I am supporting this campaign and have not receive payment or incentives for this promotion.

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Piri-Piri Mushroom & Halloumi 'Burger'

This super-easy meal was inspired by a well-known chicken burger chain. I ate there once. I enjoyed the 'burger' but didn't know how they could possibly charge £6 (that's without any side orders) for something so cheap and simple to prepare. I knew I could make a similar meal far cheaper with better ingredients, so I did...

Assuming you have most of the piri-piri/peri-peri sauce ingredients already, this costs around £1.50 per portion for the 'burger'. For 4 servings, I used: Sainsbury's Halloumi £2.25, large, flat mushrooms £1.40, burger buns 70p, lemon 35p, lettuce 60p.

Serves 4

For the burgers:

• 1 (250g/10oz) pack of halloumi cheese cut into 8 slices
• 4 large flat/Portabello mushrooms, wiped and de-stalked
• 4 burger buns (or make your own)
• Finely sliced lettuce

For the piri-piri sauce:

• 1-2 red chillis - finely chopped (or use 2 tsp frozen chopped chilli, or hot chilli sauce)
• 1 lemon, juiced (add zest for more citrus flavour)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• A pinch of salt (vegan version only)

Make up the piri-piri sauce, by mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl, or whizzing up in a mini food-processor.

Brush the mushrooms with the sauce and either fry, grill or barbecue them until soft and golden brown. Keep warm in the oven.

Repeat with the halloumi cheese slices.

Put a little shredded lettuce on the bottom half of a bread roll.

Layer up with the mushroom and 2 slices of cheese, a little more piri-piri sauce and topping with the other half of the bun.

Serve with grilled corn-on-the-cob and/or home-made seasoned sweet potato wedges.

Mushroom alternative: For fungi-phobes like Miss K, use grilled bell pepper instead.
Vegan alternative: Omit the halloumi and top the mushroom with a good dollop of vegan coleslaw.

Camping alternative: Use ready made piri-piri sauce.

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Quorn and Mushrooms in a White Wine & Tarragon Sauce

Here's a 1980's retro recipe which I've adapted by using meat-free fillets to make a lower fat, vegetarian version (and a vegan option). If you don't eat meat substitutes, simply swap them for extra mushrooms.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 4 Quorn fillets/vegan chicken-style fillets 
• 200g button mushrooms, halved
• 150ml dry white wine 
• 300ml vegetable stock (made with a stock cube)
• 1 level tbsp plain flour
• 2 tsp tarragon leaves, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp double cream or dairy-free cream (optional)
• 500g new potatoes, boiled, drained (and sauteed in 1 tbsp olive oil - optional).

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
Add the mushrooms and cook for a further couple of minutes until they start to release their juices.
Remove from the heat and stir in the flour to coat the vegetables.

Slowly stir in the wine, 200ml of the stock and the tarragon, making sure there are no lumps of flour.
Return to the heat and gently bring to a simmer, stirring all the time, until the sauce has thickened.
Pop the Quorn fillets into the sauce and simmer with the lid on, for approximately 20 minutes.

Stir occasionally and turn the Quorn fillets over. Adding a little more of the remaining stock if needed, to make a pourable sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, if using.

Serve with sauteed or boiled new-potatoes and steamed asparagus or tender-stem broccoli.

Alternatives: This also makes a great pasta sauce without the Quorn. Cook as above using slightly less stock. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce, then stir in the cream if using.
Serve over cooked tagliatelle.

I’m adding this recipe to the Speedy Suppers linky, hosted by Sarah at Dinner With Crayons and Katie at Feeding Boys. Pin It

A cheap and lower-fat vegetarian/vegan meal plan for Veganuary

Happy New Year! I hope you've all had a good holiday and eaten plenty of great vegetarian/vegan food!

So, it's January again and after a couple of weeks of over-indulgence, I thought that rather than starting a diet-themed series of posts for the new year, I should just cut down on the cheese and dairy products in my recipes and embrace the essence of 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."

Whilst we won't go completely vegan for the month, as I know we won't all be able to stick to it (and as I have lots of non-vegan products to use up in my fridge and freezer), I will make a conscious effort to buy fewer products containing dairy and eggs and reduce the amounts I use in my cooking for the month, which I reckon will also make things cheaper. 

Although not all of the 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, swap for a vegan alternative.) For a 31 day vegan meal plan, take a look at the official Veganuary menu.

Week 1
Spiced carrot and parsnip soup (no cream) with home made bread
Pasta with spicy pepper, aubergine and tomato sauce
Enchiladas (no cheese or use vegan cheese) with salad

Vegetarian Jambalaya 
Lentil and pesto veggie burgers with home made potato wedges and baked beans (use vegan pesto)
Pasta with Greek tomato sauce
Chickpea curry with chapattis

Week 2
Spaghetti Bolognese
Vegetable curry with rice
Pisto manchego (no egg) with jacket potato and salad
Reggae Reggae chickpea wraps 
Quorn souvlaki with potatoes (use vegan meat-free pieces)
Vegetable biryrani with dal
Turkish vegetable stew with cous cous or quinoa 

...and some vegan cakes and desserts 
(ok these aren't low fat, but we all need a treat some times!)
Apple cake
Bread pudding
Chocolate microwave mug cake
Chocolate orange cupcakes
Chocolate tiffin
Fairy cakes/cupcakes
Fruity flapjacks

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Carrot, Parsnip and Nut Roast (Vegan)

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Here's this year's twist on my traditional Christmas nut roast recipe. As I've seen so many mentions of Delia's Parsnip Roulade this year, I added parsnip, sage and carrot to make a moist and tasty vegan loaf. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and is very economical - it cost me around £3 to make. 

Serve with all the traditional roast dinner trimmings plus a vegetarian gravy. 

n.b. I made this loaf yesterday and have frozen it uncooked to defrost and reheat for Christmas dinner (see picture). Once cooked it should be golden brown in colour. 

Serves 4

• 1 medium onion, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small parsnip, peeled, cored and grated
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 175g/7oz mixed nuts (I used a mixture of Brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts and hazelnuts - no peanuts), ground in a food processor
• 2 slices of wholemeal bread, made into breadcrumbs
• 150ml (approx) vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs (I used sage and parsley)

Gently fry the onion in 1 tbsp olive oil, until soft. Then add the carrot and parsnip. 

Cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat, until softened, stirring regularly.

Stir in the nuts and breadcrumbs and mix well.

Add the herbs and season to taste.

Add enough stock to make a firm but not dry mixture. Add more breadcrumbs or stock if needed.

Tip mixture into a greased and lined loaf tin and press down with the back of a spoon.

Cover tin with foil  and bake for 40 mins at 180C/170C Fan/350F/Gas 4.
Uncover for the last 10-15 minutes.

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

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Refrigerate any left overs and use cold in sandwiches or as a pate.

Suitable for freezing before or after cooking.

Alternative: To make the loaf go further, simply make up an 225g/8oz pack of your preferred vegetarian stuffing mix. Press half of the nut roast mixture into the loaf tin and then spread the stuffing mixture on top. Cover with the remaining nut roast and press down firmly with the back of a spoon. Bake as above, but for an extra 10 minutes.

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Roasted Vegetable and Feta Filo Spiral

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This tasty filo pie would be ideal for a vegetarian Christmas dinner, as it can be made in advance and reheated on the day and looks quite impressive. It's also tasty cold, if there are any leftovers.

I adapted the recipe from The Greek Vegetarian by Diane Kochilas. The original dish is called Striftopita and is made with pumpkin and seasoned with  mint. My version has a more British flavour as I've added mushrooms and sage, so that it will go with the accompaniments for a traditional roast dinner.

I recently made this dish for a dinner party. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo after I'd baked it the first time (I blame the wine!) so it looks rather anaemic in my photo below. As you can see from my second attempt, it looks much better once baked!

Serves 4-6

• ½ butternut squash, peeled and cubed (approx 450g/1lb in weight before peeling)
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed  (approx 450/1lb in weight before peeling)
• 100g/4oz chestnut mushrooms, diced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped
• 100g/4oz feta, crumbled
• 4 tbsp fine bulgur wheat
• black pepper to season
• 1 pack of filo pastry
• 5 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 190C/180C Fan/Gas 5/375F.

Drizzle the squash and sweet potato with 2 tbsp olive oil and roast for around 25-30 minutes, turning once or twice, until soft and lightly browned.
Meanwhile, sweat the chopped onion in a pan, with a drop of oil, until soft.

Add the sage and mushrooms to the onion pan and cook for a further 5 minutes. 

Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and mash the mixture lightly to break up the lumps slightly.

Crumble in the feta, add the bulgur wheat and onion/mushroom mixture and stir well to combine.

Season with black pepper. 

To construct the spiral (see photo, starting bottom left corner)

Lie one sheet of filo pastry horizontally on a large board. Brush with a little oil and fold in half lengthwise.

Spoon 3-4 tbsp of the vegetable mixture in a line along the centre of the pastry to form a rough sausage shape, leaving a 5cm/2" gap at each end.

Brush the 2 long edges of the filo with olive oil.

Fold in the two short edges.

Roll up from one long edge to the other (like a long, thin burrito!) to form a cylindrical roll.
Place the first cylinder around the edge of a greased baking dish. Repeat, placing each roll next to the previous one to form a spiral. Brush with olive oil.
The pie can be covered and refrigerated at the point and cooked the next day.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
Either serve one roll per person, or cut a wedge-shaped slice each.

Alternatives: Swap the feta for any other white, crumbly cheese such as Cheshire or Wensleydale, if preferred. Vary the vegetables used - for my second attempt, I used fried aubergine and roasted courgette and bell peppers.
You could also roll the stuffing mixture in puff pastry to make vegetarian sausage rolls or use to fill cannelloni.
For a vegan version, omit the feta cheese and replace with toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts.

Find an amazing range of fantastic veggie Christmas dishes at www.veggiechristmas.org .

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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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The Best New Vegetarian Cookbooks: Review & Gift Guide

As Christmas is just around the corner, I thought I'd post a round-up of some of my favourite new(ish) vegetarian cookbooks. I've included books which I think would make great presents for foodie friends or family. So, if you're stuck for gift ideas, take a look...

World Food Cafe: Quick and easy recipes from a vegetarian journey by Chris and Carolyn Caldicott 

This beautifully illustrated book tells a story of a journey through many different countries, bringing the best vegetarian recipes from each region together. Recipes include delicious breakfasts, soups and main courses, with the odd cocktail thrown in! Although the recipes mainly use easy-to-find ingredients, this book may be suited to slightly more adventurous cooks, as a wide range of herbs, spices and condiments are used, which would be expensive to buy if you didn't have any to start with.

"After twenty years of squeezing in trips abroad at the same time as running the World Food Café, Chris and Carolyn Caldicott decided to take a sabbatical so that they could go on longer journeys in search of new recipes. This book brings together the recipes they collected from home kitchens, street stalls, restaurants and roadside cafes, alongside atmospheric photographs and travellers’ tales."

I loved the recipes from the more exotic countries such as Cuba, Bhutan and Laos, as I had very little idea on the cuisines from these regions. This would make an ideal gift as the anecdotes about each country make it a great read and not just a recipe book.

DISCOUNT CODE: To order World Food Cafe: Quick and Easy: Recipes from a Vegetarian Journey pub by Frances Lincoln at the discounted price of £16.00 including p&p* (RRP: £20.00), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG43. *UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

The Adventurous Vegetarian: Around the World in 30 Meals by Jane Hughes

Coincidentally, I was sent a copy of this book to review soon after the previous book. Like the World Food Cafe, this book takes the reader on a culinary journey around the world and also includes a narrative about each country's traditional foods. The Adventurous Vegetarian differs by presenting the recipes from each region as a menu, so there is at least one starter, main course and dessert for each country.

It also includes a wide range of recipes which have been adapted from traditional meat-based recipes, such as a vegan recipe for Australian Lamingtons, a Vegetable Rendeng from Malaysia and a Vegetable Oil Down from Grenada. This book contains a large number of vegan recipes, so would be ideal for aspiring vegans, or for those who only eat egg/dairy products occasionally.

"Working with vegetarian groups and societies from around the globe in order to discover their most popular and delicious dishes, this beautifully illustrated book provides the reader not only with tried-and-tested, step-by-step instructions on how to cook up thirty complete meals from thirty different countries across the world but also with a brief history of vegetarianism in that country..."

DISCOUNT CODE: Save £10 off the RRP of The Adventurous Vegetarian by visiting http://shop.newint.org/uk/the-adventurous-vegetarian.html and entering the code VEGGIE at the checkout.

The Vegetarian Pantry: Fresh and modern meat-free recipes by Chloe Cocker and Jane Montgomery

I reviewed this book earlier in the year and have enjoyed cooking a variety of recipes from it. As I mentioned before, this book contains a lovely mix of Mediterranean and Asian inspired vegetarian recipes, which are fairly quick easy to prepare and would go down well with all the family. I particularly like the breakfast section, as not many vegetarian cookbooks seem to include breakfast recipes.

Veggiestan: A Vegetable Lover's Tour of the Middle East by Sally Butcher

I received this book last Christmas and have cooked many different recipes from it throughout the year, as I love Middle Eastern food. The book includes a wide range of breads, meze dishes and main courses, flavoured with fragrant herbs and spices. Each chapter starts with an introduction about the main ingredients, the history of the dishes included and an explanation of the cooking methods used, which is very useful for those who are not familiar with cooking Middle Eastern dishes.

The Great British Bake Off: Learn to Bake by Linda Collister

OK, this book is a bit of a wild card, as it's not specifically a vegetarian cookbook. However, as it mainly features cakes and bake recipes, it is, by it's nature, mainly vegetarian. I've added this book as Miss Kahonie was bought it for her 12th birthday this year, and has successfully baked several recipes unaided...my favourite being the most delicious chocolate brownies I have ever tasted!

While this is not a children's cookbook, its step-by-step recipes with cooking tips and clear illustrations are great for young, inexperienced or novice bakers, who will be able to produce some great results with little time and effort. Those recipes which do include meat (eg: toad in the hole) can be easily adapted for vegetarians, however due to the use of dairy products and/or eggs in most recipes, this isn't a book I would recommend to vegan bakers.

Integrity Statement
I received a copy of the first three books to review, the other two books were gifts which I was not asked to review. I did not receive payment, and the views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family.

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