Pizza Muffins or...Puffins (plus an update)

© Pizza Muffins (Puffins) 

It's been a while, I know. So I feel I owe any regular readers (if there are any left) an explanation.  If the truth be told, I've fallen out of love with blogging for a few reasons:

• Competitiveness - I used to read a lot of other blogs and felt my posts and images needed to look as good. That takes time. A lot of time. 
• Inspiration -  lack of!
• Kids growing up - one is at uni and the other is at college and will go to uni next year. That means that we have fewer family meals together.
• Work - working full time leaves less time for blogging. When I started blogging, I was working part-time.
• Health - I've not been too well lately. No sympathy needed, but again, this has reduced the time and energy I've had available.

Anyway, let's get on with the recipe....no fancy photos. Sorry (not sorry!)

This is a bit of a rehash of an old recipe of mine, but I really enjoyed coming up with a new idea, and the family enjoyed eating the results. Basically, they're mini pizzas cooked in a muffin pan. 

• 1 quantity bread dough
• tomato puree or tapenade
• chunks of firm cheese (feta, Cheddar, Manchego etc.)
• topping: olives, pepper chopped into chunks, thin slices of mushroom, vegetarian pepperoni etc.
• dried oregano/mixed herbs or fresh, chopped basil

Make up the bread dough and leave to prove.

Pre-heat oven to 200 C fan/220 C/Gas 7/425 F

Cut the dough into 24 small pieces and roll into rough ball shapes using your hands.

Pop each dough ball into a section of a well oiled muffin tin.

Leave to prove in a warm place for a further 10-15 minutes.

Oil the end of a small rolling pin or similar blunt implement! You could also use a knuckle.

Poke a dent/well into each dough ball but be careful not to go through the bottom of the dough.

Fill with around  ½ tsp of tomato puree or tapenade and your other toppings. 

Sprinkle with dried or fresh herbs.

© Garlic Bread Muffins

Bake in a hot oven for 8-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Suitable for freezing.

Variation: Garlic dough ball puffins - fill the well of each dough ball with ½ tsp garlic butter and a sprinkle of grated mozzarella. Bake as above.

Vegan option: Fill as above and use vegan cheese or omit the cheese. Drizzle pizzas with a little olive oil.

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Freekeh Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing - Suma Blogger's Network

This is my first attempt at a superfood salad, and I'm pretty pleased at how well it turned out... It's packed full of protein, fibre and vitamins, but still tastes great!

Thanks to the Suma Blogger's Network, I get to try out lots of weird and wonderful, new vegetarian products. This time, freekeh and pomegranate molasses were amongst my picks. For those of you who don't know, freekeh, pronounced free-ka (young, green wheat which is cracked and roasted), is considered both an ancient grain and a super-grain. It has a high fibre and protein content and is very versatile as it can be served hot or cold in place of other grains such as rice or quinoa.
Pomegranate molasses was a revelation to me, as it was far more tangy and flavoursome than I anticipated (I thought it would be sweet!), and gives a great sweet and sour flavour to a dressing.

Serves 4 as a lunch or side salad; 2 as a main meal

For the salad

• 1 cup freekeh from Suma
• 2 cups veg stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ½ teaspoon lightly toasted cumin seeds, ground, more to taste
• 2 bell peppers,deseeded and cut into chunks
• 2 cups of butternut squash or sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup of button mushrooms, halved
• 4 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• a small bunch of chopped, fresh mint
• ½ cup crumbled feta (optional)

For the dressing

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses from Suma
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6/400F

Put the peppers and squash into a roasting pan and drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil.
Roast for 20-30 minutes until softened and starting to brown.
Add the mushrooms, chickpeas, pine nuts, cumin seeds and crushed garlic and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for around 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the freekeh and stock into a large pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Simmer, with the lid on, for 20-25 minutes, or until the grain is soft and just starting to break up.
Drain well and allow to cool for around 15 minutes.

Mix the dressing ingredients together and stir into the warm freekeh.

When the freekeh and vegetables are still just warm (but not hot!), mix together to combine.
Add the mint and feta, if using.

Serve warm or cold.

Keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge; not suitable for freezing.

Vegan option: Omit the feta or swap for vegan feta or halved olives.

Integrity Statement
As a member of the Suma Blogger's Network, I will receive a selection of complimentary products from Suma every two months, to use in recipe development, and will blog an original recipe for the Network. 


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Fattoush Salad

I've been cooking a lot of Greek and Middle-Eastern food lately, and after a delicious meal out at a Lebanese restaurant, I thought make a maza (a selection dishes to share). This was one of the dishes I prepared, which makes a nice change to a traditional salad.

Serves 4

• 1 cos or 2 little gem lettuce, shredded
• a good handful of rocket
• ½ cucumber, de-seeded and sliced
• 2-3 ripe tomatoes de-seeded and diced
• a handful of radishes, thinly sliced
• 3-4 spring onions (or ½ red onion), sliced
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• a small bunch each of fresh parsley and mint, roughly chopped
• 1 large or 2 small pittas
• sumac

dressing

• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp sumac
• 1 small clove of garlic, crushed

Brush the pittas with olive oil; and sprinkle with sumac.
Grill or bake until crispy and golden, then set aside to cool. Break into pieces when cold.

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Add in the prepared tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, spring onions and herbs. Stir well to coat. These ingredients can be set aside and chilled until needed.

Before serving, mix in the salad leaves and the roughly crushed, toasted pittas.

Top tip: To make this into a delicious, healthy lunch, simply mix in a tin of drained chickpeas and serve with pitta and your favourite dip.

I'm entering this recipe to this month's No Croutons Required Challenge, co-hosted by Jacqui at Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa at Lisa's Kitchen. 


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Hummus - Middle-Eastern Chickpea Dip

I am a little ashamed to admit that I've never made traditional hummus, using dried chickpeas before. Having made this version for my blog, I've been converted! It really does taste better (and is far cheaper) than making it with tinned pulses. Yes, it takes longer to make,but you can make a large batch and freeze in small portions to make it even more economical.

Serves 8 as a starter or meze dish

• 1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), soaked over night with a good pinch of bicarbonate of soda
• a large pinch of salt
• juice of 1 lemon (plus the zest for a more lemony flavour)
• 4 tbsp tahini
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6-8 tbsp cooking liquid, or more if needed
• paprika and a glug of extra virgin olive oil to garnish

Drain the soaked chickpeas and put in large pan. Cover with boiled water and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda and bring to a simmer. Simmer, in a covered pan, for 1 hour on a low heat.
When tender, drain the pulses, reserving the cooking liquid.

Whilst still warm, place the chickpeas in a blender with all of the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Add enough of the reserved cooking liquid to make a smooth, spreadable paste. 
Taste and add more seasoning and/or garlic, if needed.
Spoon into a bowl and chill until needed.
Before serving, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.

Serve with fresh bread, olives and salad.

Suitable for freezing; keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Top tips: Double this recipe to make enough to batch freeze. 
If you don't have the time to make hummus using dried pulses, try my quick and easy recipe instead. You might also like my mixed bean and basil hummus.

Flavour options: Omit the cumin and add some extra ingredients into the blender, along with the chickpeas to make these different variations...

• Red pepper and sweet chilli: Add ½ cup of chopped, roasted red peppers (from a jar) and 1-2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce.
• Piri piri: Add 1-2 tbsp of your favourite piri piri sauce. 
• Caramelised onion: Add 2 tbsp of caramelised onion chutney.

I'm entering this recipe to this month's No Croutons Required Challenge, co-hosted by Jacqui at Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa at Lisa's Kitchen. 

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Packed Lunch Pizzas

So, it's back to school tomorrow, and as Miss K isn't too fond of sandwiches any more, I've made a batch of mini pizzas for her packed lunches.

I've recently been converted to baking with fresh yeast as it makes a softer bread, which stays fresh for longer; I buy my fresh yeast, from Ocado and then freeze it (you might be able to buy it from your local bakery or supermarket), but you can easily substitute it for dried.

Makes 8 small pizzas (each pizza serves two young children or one teen/adult)

• 1 cup cold water
• 2 cups strong white bread flour
• 1 cup strong wholemeal bread flour
• 12.5g fresh yeast or ½ sachet dried yeast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar

Toppings

• tomato puree
• dried herbs/oregano
• grated mozzarella
• olives
• finely chopped/sliced vegetables

Put all of the dry ingredients in a bowl (or bread maker) add the wet ingredients

Mix well until you have a smooth dough (on dough setting in bread maker).

Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Cover the bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes (or allow dough cycle to run).

Preheat oven to 220C/200C/Gas 7/425F

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Flatten into 7" circles, spaced well apart on greased baking sheets. Spread with tomato puree and sprinkle with dried herbs. Add cheese and toppings and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Place onto a wire rack to cool.

When cool, pack into a freezer bag and freeze until needed.

Simply remove one or more pizzas as required, defrost for 15 minutes at room temperature, slice and pack in your lunchbox.

Vegan option: Swap the mozzarella for your preferred dairy-free, melting cheese.

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Winter Slaw Salad with Apple, Celery & Cucumber

As, I joined in with Veganuary the past couple of years, but then reverted back to being vegetarian pretty soon afterwards, I thought I'd try something a little different this year. Instead of cutting out eggs and dairy, I thought I'd try reducing them instead (alongside meat substitutes), whilst trying to eat more raw/whole foods, fresh fruit & vegetables and pulses...

This seasonal salad is a great way to get an extra one or two portions of fruit and veg in, if served alongside a carb-based main meal.

• 1 firm eating apple, cored and sliced
• ½ cucumber, de-seeded and sliced
• 2 sticks of celery or ½ bulb fennel sliced
• 25g/1oz chopped walnuts
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise or vegan mayo (or vinaigrette made with 1 dsp olive oil mixed with 1 dsp white wine vinegar)
• A little fresh, chopped dill or parsley

Prepare the apple and place in acidified water (a bowl of water with 1 tsp lemon juice), whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

Drain the apple and blot dry with kitchen town.

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and stir in the mayo or dressing.

Refrigerate until needed

.I'm entering this recipe to this month's No Croutons Required Challenge, co-hosted by Jacqui at Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa at Lisa's Kitchen. 

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Halloumi & Mint Bread Whirls

The recipe for these tasty halloumi bread rolls was inspired by one I tried in a Greek restaurant in Sydney, Australia. I don't know the actual recipe used, so I adapted my standard bread recipe and tried out a few variations.

When making a large loaf with raw halloumi, I ended up with a 'soggy bottom'! I found that I needed to cook the cheese first, to remove the excess moisture, and then had to cool it before adding to the dough.
So, I tried adapting my pizza whirl recipe instead, and it worked a treat using raw halloumi, as the moisture could evaporate.

For the bread base

• 1 cup cold water
• 3 cups strong white bread flour 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sachet fast-action dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt

For the filling

• 200g halloumi, finely diced
• ½ cup chopped fresh mint, or around 2-3 tsp dried mint
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Put all of the dry bread ingredients in a bowl (or bread maker) add the wet ingredients.

Mix well until you have a smooth dough (on dough setting in bread maker).

Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Cover the bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes.

Dust a large board or clean table with a little flour.
Roll the dough into a rectangle, approx 25cm x 40cm. 

Sprinkle the halloumi and mint over, leaving a border at the front and sides.

Roll the dough lengthwise, as tightly as you can (like a Swiss roll).

Making sure the dough roll is seam-side down on the board, cut slices approximately 1.5cm thick.
Place on a greased baking sheet, with a little room to expand.
Drizzle with the olive oil.

Cover loosely with cling-film or a clean tea towel and allow to rise for a further 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6 .

Bake for around 10-15 minutes, or until well-risen and golden.

Place onto a wire rack to cool.
Serve warm, with dips, as part of a meze, or instead of a sandwich in a packed lunch.

I'm linking this post to November's Cooking With Herbs challenge

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Puff Pastry Empanadas with Black Beans

These quick and easy veggie empanadas make an idea starter or tapas dish. They would also work well in kids' lunch-boxes, as an alternative to sandwiches.
Obviously you can make your own pastry if you have time, or use shortcrust pasty if you prefer.

Makes 18-20 small empanadas

• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1 large, or 2 small bell peppers, diced 
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 fresh chilli, de-seeded and finely diced, optional
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked or plain paprika
• 1 tin black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp chopped, fresh coriander
• 100g/4oz Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, diced
• 500g/1lb pack of ready made puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten

Gently fry the onion, garlic and bell pepper in a little oil, until soft. Add the herbs and spices, and cook for a further minute. Set to one side to cool.
When cool, stir in the chunks of cheese.

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas Mark 7/425°F

Roll out the pastry as thinly as possible, on a lightly floured board.
Using a large cutter (10-12.5cm/4-5") or small plate/bowl and a sharp knife, cut as many circles from the pastry as you can. Re-roll any scraps of pastry and repeat.

Brush the perimeter of each circle with beaten egg.
Spoon 2 tsp of the filling into the middle of each piece.
Fold the pastry carefully over the filling, to make a semi-circle.
Press firmly to seal, then crimp with a fork, or by folding the edge over in the traditional way (YouTube tutorial here!).
Brush each mini-pasty with beaten egg to glaze.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the pastry has puffed up and turned golden brown.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire tray.
Eat warm or cold with your favourite dips.

Suitable for freezing. Defrost before re-heating.

Vegan version
Most brands of puff pastry are vegan, so this recipe is easy to veganise. Swap the dairy cheese for your preferred alternative, or omit and add some extra beans or vegetables. Seal the empanadas with a little water and brush lightly with olive oil to glaze.

Top tip: If you don't have time to make empanadas, use the same filling for quesadillas - just pop 2-3 tbsp of the beany mixture onto a tortilla, fold in half and pop in a sandwich press or hot pan for a few minutes to warm through and melt the cheese.

Although I haven't attempted to make my own puff pastry, I'm linking this post to Lisa and Jen's Pastry Challenge, hosted this month at United Cakedom.

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Herby Salad with Chickpeas and Olives

This simple salad is basically a variation on tabbouleh without the bulgar wheat! It works well as a side dish to accompany a carb-heavy main course, such as pizza or pasta, or as a lunch-box salad served with pitta bread.

• 2 little gem or 1 cos/romaine lettuce, leaves separated 
• 2-3 ripe tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
• 8cm/3" chunk of cucumber, de-seeded and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
• 50g/2oz pitted olives, sliced
• ½ can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp each of fresh chopped mint and parsley 

Dressing

• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small clove of garlic, crushed (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Put all of the salad ingredients, apart from the lettuce, into a bowl.

Mix the dressing ingredients together, drizzle over the salad and mix gently.

Allow the flavours to marinate for around half an hour before serving on a bed of lettuce leaves.

I'm adding this recipe to this month's No Crouton's Required Challenge, created and co-hosted by Lisa's Kitchen and Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes.

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Vegan Pizza Whirls

During Veganuary, I've been experimenting with various vegan alternatives in my cooking. This pizza whirl/pinwheel recipe is one I've adapted from a favourite family recipe, which is great for kids' lunchboxes and parties. I usually use Mozzarella in them, so decided to test out and review a dairy-free Mozzarella-style cheese. There isn't a lot of choice in my local area, when it comes to buying vegan cheeses, so I bought Cheezly - Mozzarella style from my local Holland & Barrett store.  

I was surprised that on opening the packet, it actually smelled quite cheesy (kind of like cheese-flavoured crisps)! It had a slightly grey appearance and was quite soft, but it grated well. I wasn't too keen on the taste/texture of it raw, but once cooked, it gave the pizza whirls a mild, cheesy flavour and was a good alternative to dairy cheese. 

Makes around 16

For the pizza base

• 1 cup water
• 3 cups strong white bread flour 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt

For the filling

• 1 bell pepper diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 50g/2oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or use 1 tbsp fresh basil)
• 4 tbsp tomato puree
• 100g/4oz vegan mozzarella-style cheese, grated
• 2-3 tbsp of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes/olive oil
• black pepper to taste

Put all the dry bread ingredients in a bowl (or bread maker) add the wet ingredients.

Mix well until you have a smooth dough (on dough setting in bread maker).

Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Cover the bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion, pepper and garlic gently for a few minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and black pepper. Allow to cool.

Roll the dough into a large rectangle.
Spread with the tomato puree and top with the vegetable mixture. 
Sprinkle the grated 'cheese' over.

Roll the dough lengthwise, as tightly as you can (like a Swiss roll).
Making sure the dough roll is seam-side down on the board, cut into 1"/2.5cm slices using a sharp knife.
Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet, spaced about 1"/2.5cm apart.

Cover loosely with cling-film and allow to rise for a further 30-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6 .

Bake for around 10-15 minutes, or until well-risen and golden.

Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Use any of your favourite pizza toppings (try sweetcorn, olives, roasted vegatables, vegan pepperoni etc.) but do include the oil, as the vegan cheese dries out as it cooks, unlike dairy-cheese.

Integrity Statement
I bought the Cheezly myself and was not asked to review it. I did not receive payment, and the views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family.

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Vegetarian 'Hawaiian' Quesadillas

©

When I was growing up, fresh pineapple was considered positively exotic! We might have had tinned pineapple in fruit salads, or maybe on a Hawaiian pizza, but that was about it. Apparently pineapple on pizza isn't exactly traditional in Hawaii though, so apologies to any Hawaiian readers and especially to Little Ferraro Kitchen. 

Although I now love fresh pineapple, I hadn't thought of putting it in a sandwich; I came up with this simple veggie/vegan wrap combo after being inspired by a similar meat-based dish on Closet Cooking. I wasn't sure if the flavours would work with a meat substitute, but they really do. Coincidentally, Ephee has recently blogged an alternative vegan version over on her amazing blog: L'éphémère quotidienneté des repas et autres trucs de magie.

These quesadillas are really quick and easy to make, so are great for lunches and camping trips. 

Makes 4

• 4 slices of vegetarian/vegan bacon/ham, cooked if preferred and chopped
• 2-4 thin slices of pineapple (fresh is best, but tinned will do), chopped
• 2 tbsp pickled jalapenos, chopped (optional)
• 200g/8oz mozzarella/cheddar/vegan melting cheese
• 4 tbsp tomato puree/tomato salsa/bbq sauce
• 4 tortilla wraps

Fry or grill the veggie bacon/ham until lightly browned (this is optional, but I prefer it crispy!).
Spread half of each tortilla with a spoonful of tomato puree or your preferred alternative.
Divide the remaining ingredients between each wrap.
Fold the wraps in half and heat through until the cheese has melted, either in a hot pan or in a panini press/grill.
Slice into wedges and serve with salad.

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Grasmere Gingerbread

Many years ago, I visited Grasmere on a school trip, and remember spending some of my pocket money on Grasmere gingerbread. We were all given a recipe when we were back at school and made some in Home Economics. If you've never tasted Grasmere gingerbread before, it's like an oaty, ginger shortbread and is easily vegan-ised!

I've lost my original recipe, so I tweaked one from Jane Grigson's English Food. 

• 6oz/150g SR flour
• 4oz/100g fine oatmeal (or porridge oats)
• 6oz/150g soft brown sugar
• 6oz/150g butter/dairy-free spread
• 1-2 tsp ground ginger

Pre-heat oven to 180C/170C Fan/Gas 4/350F.
If using porridge oats, whiz in the food processor for a few seconds to make them finer.
Mix all of the dried ingredients together.
Rub in the butter/spread or mix in the food processor - the resulting mixture should be fairly dry and will look something like the Sahara desert - don't worry, it will stick together as it cooks!
Tip the mixture into a well greased baking tray (25x30cm) and press down firmly with the back of a spoon.

Bake for approx. 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and mark into pieces with a sharp knife. 
Allow to cool fully in the tray before removing and breaking up.

Suitable for freezing.
.

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Mini Fruit Cakes

If you've got some dried fruit left over from Christmas why not whip up a batch of these mini fruit cakes? They're really quick and easy to make and are the ideal size for a lunchbox treat or after-school snack.

• 100g/4oz butter, softened
• 100g/4oz soft brown sugar
• 125g/5oz SR flour
• 2 medium eggs
• 200g/8oz mixed dried fruit
• 50g/2oz flaked almonds or chopped glace cherries
• ½ tsp each of cinnamon and mixed spice
• 2 tbsp milk

Pre-heat the oven to 160 C/150 C Fan/325 F/Gas 3.
Put all of the ingredients into a bowl or food processor and mix well.
Spoon into a well greased muffin tin and flatten the mixture slightly with the back of a spoon.
Bake for around 20-25 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Suitable for freezing.

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Savoury Cheese Muffins

©

These savoury muffins take just minutes to make, and taste delicious served warm with home made soup. They are also a great addition to packed lunches and picnics.

• 2 cups hard, tasty cheese (e.g. extra mature cheddar, hard goat's cheese), grated 
• 2 cups self raising flour
• 1 level tsp paprika
• 1 level tsp English mustard powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ level tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ cup chopped vegetable anti-pasti (e.g. olives, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers)

Mix the eggs and milk together.

Put all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the egg and milk mixture. Stir gently to combine. 

Spoon mixture into a well greased muffin tin. 

Bake at 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6/400F for 12-15 mins, or until firm and golden brown. 

Leave to cool for a few minutes and then loosen around each muffin with a knife before turning out and cooling on a wire rack.

Best eaten warm on the day you've made them.

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Bake mini, bite-size muffins for parties. Reduce the cooking time to 8-10 minutes. 

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Herby Glamorgan Sausages

This recipe came about as we fancied a cooked veggie breakfast last weekend and didn't have any vegetarian sausages in the freezer. I had a couple of bits of cheese that needed using up, so made up some Glamorgan sausages, using the left over cheeses instead of Caerphilly.

If you have a food processor, you can make these in just a few minutes.

Makes 8 mini or 4 large sausages (or about 8-12 'meatball' sized balls).

• 100g/4oz grated hard cheese (you should traditionally use Caerphilly, but I used feta and cheddar)
• 2-3 slices of stale bread made into breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion, diced finely or grated
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped herbs (I used parsley, sage and rosemary)
• black pepper
• ½ tsp English mustard powder or paprika

Cook the onion in a drop of oil or a knob of butter, until soft (I microwaved it in a covered bowl).
Mix the cheese, breadcrumbs, herbs and seasoning together.
Add the onion and stir in the egg to bind the mixture and make a firm dough.
Add more breadcrumbs if the dough is too sticky to handle.
Divide the mixture into the required number of pieces and roll into sausage shapes (or meat balls).
Heat a drop of vegetable oil in a frying pan.
Cook the sausages for about 5-8 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden brown.

Serve as part of a 'traditional' vegetarian British breakfast; Instead of meatballs with a spicy tomato sauce and pasta, or eat cold for lunch with a salad.


Alternatives: Add extra flavourings such as chopped sun-dried tomatoes, olives etc.
To barbecue, brush with oil first.

Suitable for freezing.

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Easy (Bread Machine) Mini Chocolate Brioches

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My daughters love chocolate chip brioches at the moment, but as these are quite expensive to buy, I thought I'd have a go at making them myself. I found various traditional brioche recipes, but they looked a bit of a faff, as you're supposed to fold in extra butter after proving the dough (like you do when making croissants or flaky pastry). I decided to have a go at bunging everything in the bread machine to see what would happen...

I was quite pleased with the results as I managed to produce lovely fluffy brioches with less fat and sugar than found in most traditional recipes.

• 8oz/200g strong plain bread flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• milk
• 2 oz/50g butter, cut into small pieces
• 2-4oz/50-100g chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 sachet fast action dried yeast
• ½ tsp salt

Crack the eggs into a measuring jug/cup. Top up to the 5fl oz/150ml mark with milk.
Add all of the ingredients, except the chocolate chips to the bread maker pan.
Set on the dough setting and leave to run.
When it has finished proving, knock the dough back by briefly starting the dough setting again. Add the chocolate chips.
Stop the bread machine once the chocolate chips have been mixed in.
Cut the dough into 10-12 small pieces (it will be sticky, but don't add any extra flour.)
Roll into balls and pop each ball into a section of a well greased muffin tin.
Cover loosely with clingfilm and allow to rise for a further 60 minutes.
Brush with milk.
Bake at 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6 for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes, before loosening with a knife and turning out onto a wire rack to cool fully. 

Suitable for freezing.

Alternative: Add raisins or other dried fruit instead of the chocolate chips, for a slightly healthier version.

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Easy Falafel

I've made several versions of falafel in the past, but they've always been apt to fall apart on cooking. Not a major problem, but I've found that adding an egg and some fresh breadcrumbs to the mixture makes a more structurally sound falafel, which will even stand up to barbecuing.

Makes 8-10 falafel.

• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin 
• a little black pepper or chilli powder
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 tbsp tahini paste 
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 egg 

Blend the chickpeas, garlic, herbs and spices with the tahini and egg.
Mix in enough fresh breadcrumbs to make a dough-like mixture - add more if needed.
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
Form into 8-10 small balls and flatten slightly.
Brush with vegetable oil on both sides and fry, oven bake or barbecue.

Serve with salad and hummus or tzatziki.

Makes 4 large 'veggie burger' patties instead of falafel.

Suitable for freezing.

Vegan alternative: Omit the egg and replace with and extra 1 tbsp tahini paste for a vegan option. Use around ½ cup of fresh (vegan) breadcrumbs,as the mixture will be slightly drier. Pin It

Flapjacks with Dried Fruits, Nuts and Seeds (Vegan)

This is a fruity adaptation of my vegan chocolate flapjack recipe. It came into being after finding a packet of almost out-of-date dried dates at the back of my cupboard!

Makes 12-16 bars/squares.

• 150g/6oz dairy-free spread
• 150g/5oz soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 150g/6oz mixed chopped dried fruit, nuts and/or seeds 
• 225g/9oz porridge oats  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat the oven to 160C/150C Fan Oven/325F/Gas 3.

Melt the spread with the sugar and syrup (in a pan or in the microwave).
Stir in the dried fruit/nuts/seeds and the vanilla extract.
Mix in the oats until coated in the syrup.
Pour into a greased baking tin (15cm x 20cm approx) and flatten with a fork or spoon.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before marking into squares/bars with a knife.
Turn out when cool - not before, or they'll fall apart!

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Top with melted dairy-free chocolate when cool, for a more indulgent flapjack!

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Vegetarian sandwiches and packed lunch ideas

I take a packed lunch to work most days and my kids take a packed lunch to school. Quite frankly, we're all getting a bit bored with our sandwich fillings!

Of course if you're veggie, you'd better like cheese, as the most common sandwich option in your average cafe or pub will be a Cheddar cheese sandwich with tomato, onion, pickle or coleslaw. If they use a good tasty or mature cheese you might be onto a winner, but a sandwich made with sliced white bread and mild Cheddar cheese is about as boring and bland as you can get.

I think you need to use a good bread to make a great sandwich, so either make your own, buy a good rustic loaf or even opt for a decent wholemeal sliced loaf (I like Hovis wholemeal granary). If you're a fan of 'real' bread, you might be interested in joining the Real Bread Campaign.

I've compiled the following ideas for vegetarian and vegan sandwiches, paninis and wraps, in the hope that this inspires me to make some of them for myself and my girls.

Cold Sandwiches
Here are some filling ideas for the humble cold sandwich...use thicker, rustic breads for the wetter fillings, especially if they will be sitting around for a while before lunchtime:

• Ploughman's - mature Cheddar, salad and Branston-type pickle.
• Wensleydale/Brie/Goat's cheese and cranberry sauce.
• Cheese and colesalw
• Quorn/meat-free slices, sliced pickles and salad.
• Cold, sliced veggie sausage with tomato chutney.
• Cold veggie BLT.
• Hummus and cucumber.
• Cold nut roast or veggie pate.
• Cold roasted vegetables with olive paste.
• Marmite with or without cheese. 
• Egg mayo/egg salad.
• Peanut butter - plain or with sliced banana/chocolate hazelnut spread/jam
• Thick cut heirloom tomatoes topped with mango-pomegranate guacamole, roasted garlic aioli, radish sprouts and thinly sliced dill pickle.
• Greek salad - cream some feta cheese with a drop of plain/Greek yogurt, sprinkle with oregano. Spread onto bread. Top with a salad made from diced tomato, cucumber and olives and pepper.
• Vegetarian coronation 'chicken'
• Sweet options - jam, chocolate hazelnut spread, marmalade.

Hot Sandwiches
Here are some ideas for the slightly more sophisticated toasted sandwich, panini, pitta or wrap...

• Goats cheese, rocket and onion chutney or cranberry sauce.
• Mozzarella, veggie pesto and rocket/sliced tomato.
• Cheese/vegan cheese, tomato, onion and basil.
• Roasted vegetables (home made or use anti-pasti) with sliced olives and a balsamic dressing.
• Sun-dried tomato paste and feta cheese.
• Falafel and salad drizzled with tzatziki.
• Hot veggie BLT.
• Veggie bacon, mushroom and cheese/vegan cheese.
• Veggie sausage/burger, salad/fried onions/sliced mushrooms and ketchup.
• Grilled flat mushroom with peri peri marinade and a slice of halloumi cheese (a la Nando's).
• Garlic mushrooms.
• Veggie pizza filling - tomato purée/sun dried tomato paste mixed with diced and roasted onion, pepper, sweetcorn, mushroom, courgette/zucchini (grated cheese - optional) .
• Cheese/vegan cheese and baked beans
• Refried beans, salsa and grated cheddar. 
• Hawaiian - veggie bacon, pineapple and cheese/vegan cheese.
• Chocolate hazelnut spread and sliced banana/strawberries

Any more ideas? Comment below with your favourite veggie/vegan sandwich filling and I'll add them to my list.

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