My kitchen disaster

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It's strange how you become attached to inanimate objects isn't it? Take my favourite Kitchen Devils knife for example...it could slice, it could chop and it could cut. Now, you may think that most sharp knives can do all three things, (surely that's what knives are designed to do?) but no! I have a selection of about ten different sharp knives...some big, some small and some medium-sized. They are all useful for different jobs, but only my favourite Kitchen Devils knife could do everything.

That was until the day I dropped my beloved knife down the back of the cooker! I'm not quite sure how it happened, but within a blink of the eye it was gone...lost forever! Unfortunately the cooker was pretty much wedged in-between my kitchen units and I couldn't manage to shift it to recover my knife.

I looked for and bought a replacement, but the latest model wasn't quite the same and seemed to slice at an angle.

Well, they say bad luck comes in threes. First my knife disappeared into the back-of-the-oven-abyss. Next my faithful food processor died, and finally my cooker gave up the ghost. The thermostat blew for the third time, and the cooker repair man advised me that it would be safer to get a new cooker than keep replacing the thermostat.

I chose my new cooker and got it delivered a couple of days later. As the cooker delivery man pulled out the old cooker and disconnected it, I noticed the glint of my knife winking at me from the kitchen floor, as if to say "Here I am, please rescue me!"

So there we are. I've been reunited with my knife, I've bought a new cooker and the world is good again...except I still haven't found a replacement food processor. 

This is my entry for the Morphy Richards/Foodies 100 Innovator competition.  Pin It

Vegetarian camping food for kids

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I've been asked a few times for food specifically suitable for kids' camping trips. While I'm a big believer in feeding my children the same as we eat, I realise there is a time and place for giving the kids what they will eat...especially when time, money and tired, hungry children are involved. 

The following meal ideas rely quite heavily on convenience foods, but they are still pretty healthy and filling. A good pinch of mixed herbs, some mild chilli powder, curry powder and/or some garlic paste could be added to most of these dishes to make them more tasty. These recipes might also go down well with students and festival-goers as they are cheap and quick and easy to prepare.

• Hot dog stew: Heat sliced or mini vegetarian hot dogs in a pan, along with a tin of baked beans, a drained tin of ready-cooked small potatoes and drained tin of sweet corn. 
• Veggie sausages, hot dogs or burgers in buns: Cook on the barbecue and serve with ketchup, salad, vegetable sticks, or corn on the cob.
• Pasta in sauce/pesto: Cook some fresh pasta, until al dente. Drain, and add in a tub of your preferred ready-made sauce or vegetarian pesto. Heat through until piping hot. 
• Quick and easy mild chilli with tortilla chips: Mix a tin of beans in mild chilli sauce with a tin of ratatouille. Heat until the vegetables have softened. Serve with a sprinkling of grated cheese and tortilla chips to scoop.
• Soup and bread: Heat a carton/tin of ready-made soup and serve with some fresh, crusty bread.
• Omelette or frittatta: Heat a drop of oil in a frying pan and some chopped veggie sausage or veggie bacon (and some finely chopped vegetables such as bell peppers, mushrooms etc. if your kids like these). When cooked, add 1-2 beaten eggs (per child) and cook until set. Serve with baked beans and crusty bread.
• Vegetarian corned-beef hash: Boil some peeled, diced potato and sweet potato in a pan (you could add other root vegetables too). Drain. Heat a drop of oil in a pan and fry some finely diced onion and some chopped up veggie burgers (the brown, meaty-looking ones) until cooked. Add the cooked potatoes and heat through.
• Veggie kebabs: Cut veggie sausages or burgers into chunks. Thread onto skewers alternated with chunks of whatever veg your children like (bell peppers, courgette, mushrooms etc.) Brush with oil and barbecue. Serve in pitta breads or wraps.
• Dips and dippers: Buy a selection of ready made dips and pitta bread, naan bread or bread sticks (or a combination of breads). Cut (or buy prepared) carrot, cucumber and bell pepper crudités. 
• Sweetcorn fritters: Make up a pancake/batter mix a little thicker than for pancakes. Add a drained tin of sweetcorn and mix into the batter. Fry in batches.

Find more camp-site meal ideas on my vegetarian and vegan camping recipes post.

If you have any other suggestions to add to the list, please add them in a comment below.

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Family-friendly festival guide

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The festival season is fast approaching, so I thought I'd put together a guide to surviving (and enjoying) family-friendly festivals with kids.

Mr O and I have been going to music festivals since we were 18 (and that's a long time ago!). Once Miss Ony came along, we decided that festival camping with a baby was a step too far, but we still went for a day at the V festival when she was about 6 months old - we even got featured in the local paper, as she was one of the youngest festival goers there. We had a bit of a break from 'proper' festivals for a few years after we had Miss Kahonie, as the thought of taking a baby and a toddler to a festival (and all the stuff they needed) seemed just a bit too much effort.

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Once Miss Kahonie was toilet trained and dry at night, we started festival-ing again.The girls love going to festivals now and delight in assembling their festival outfits and accessories before we go each year. One of their favourite festival activities is crazy dancing, which believe me, raises a smile from even the most hardened festival goers!

We always choose family-friendly festivals, generally within a couple of hours' drive. I do a bit of research beforehand to make sure that they have decent toilet facilities, showers and kids' activities. If you can, try and arrive reasonably early to get a decent pitch in the family-camping area (if there is one). We've found to our cost that trudging around a festival site with a tent and two kids, is no fun when you can't find a space to pitch.

My top tips are: 
Take a bucket and some loo rolls for night time situations! You can empty the bucket down the loo (or down the chemical disposal point if there is one, in the morning). A bucket with a lid such as a nappy bucket is best! 
If you take a light fleece blanket for each child, you can roll them up and take them out in the evenings to wrap the kids up in if they are tired (and use as an extra layer over their sleeping bags at night). A waterproof picnic mat is also useful as a make-shift bed for your little ones to lay or sleep on if they're tired in the evening...it's amazing how they can sleep through the music, noise and flashing lights! 

You might want to invest in a pair of ear protectors for young or noise-sensitive children (including those on the autistic spectrum). I can recommend Peltor Kids Ear Defenders which come in a very funky bright pink and lime green. I bought a pair of them for Miss Kahonie when she was little, as she was sensitive to loud noises. She used to get loads of compliments when she wore them (which she couldn't hear of course!). 

Essential equipment

• A tent - make sure you're able to put it up before you go!
• A fold up trolley/wheelbarrow etc to transport stuff and/or some big IKEA type bags 
• Air beds/sleeping mats/campbeds - with battery powered pump if needed
• Sleeping bags
• Fleece blankets
• Pillows (we always take one proper pillow each, as inflatable pillows just aren't the same!)
• Waterproof picnic mats and/or fold up chairs
• A battery powered light and a torch, plus extra batteries
• Basic first aid kit with kids' paracetamol, plasters, anti-septic wipes, bite-cream etc.
• A pack of baby wipes (always useful no matter how old your kids are).
• Toiletries - small bottles/tubes of shampoo, anti-bacterial handwash, washing up liquid, tooth paste, tooth brushes, sun cream etc.
• Light-weight towels
• Toilet bucket and toilet rolls
• Washing up sponge scourer/cloth
• A few pegs, to peg out damp towels on the guy ropes
• Fully-charged mobile phones

Clothes

• Good warm PJs and a vest/thermals each
• Clothes which can be layered up, as even on hot, sunny days, it can get really cold at night.
• Warm fleece jacket or hoodie each
• Wellies/walking boots, plus some light shoes (pumps, sandals or trainers)
• Waterproof jacket each
• Festival wear (optional!) - colourful clothes, fluorescent leg warmers, socks, tutus, laces and, of course, a festival hat.
• Dressing up clothes for the whole family -  check if there's a dressing up theme for one of the days.

Festival catering

Most festivals cater well for vegetarian and vegan guests. Festival food is generally very tasty, but it does tend to be pretty expensive, so you might want to think about taking some of your own food, especially if your kids eat non-stop. Chill or freeze all perishable items and pack into the coolbox just before you leave. My vegetarian and vegan camping food and kids' camping food pages will give you an idea of simple meal ideas...

Equipment

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• Coolbox (no ice packs- freeze any milk/juice cartons/water bottles you're taking and use them as ice packs). 
• A refillable water bottle each
• Camping stove plus gas canisters
• Camping kettle and small frying pan/saucepan
• Spatula or spoon
• Small fold up camping table.
• Paper or plastic plates and cups 
• Plastic cutlery

Food and drink

• Small cartons of juice
• Portable but filling snacks - biscuits, crackers, cereal bars, dried fruit etc.
• Breakfast foods - bread, cereal, eggs, veggie bacon/sausages, pain au chocolat etc.
• Tinned foods such as soup, baked beans and spaghetti with ring-pull lids.
• Packet foods such as dried veggie burger/sausage mix, rice, noodles etc.
• Small bottle of vegetable oil.
• Alcoholic drinks in plastic bottles or cans (optional!) - most festivals don't allow glass bottles onto their sites.
• Basic ingredients for simple meals: camping recipes.

Fun extras

• Glo-sticks (pound shop)
• Light-up balls/toys (pound shop again)
• Temporary tattoos
• Spray in hair-colour
• Drawing/colouring books and pens/pencils/crayons
• Top trumps cards
• Walkie talkies
• Solar fairy lights and a flag to decorate your tent!

If you have any further festival tips or recommendations, please add them in a comment below. Try sites such as Festival Kidz, eFestivals and Virtual Festivals to find festival dates and information.

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Veggie Mince Shami Kebabs

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My mum used to make shami keema kebabs (in fact she may still make them, but she obviously doesn't make them when we are visiting!). I thought I'd have a go at making a vegetarian version using veggie mince and breadcrumbs to replace the meat, and I was pleased with the result. 

Serves 4-6

• 200g/8oz vegetarian mince (I used Quorn) - defrosted if frozen
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (about 100g/4oz)
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 large onion finely chopped or grated
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped/1 tsp chilli paste, optional
• 3 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds

Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan.
Fry the spices with the onion and garlic on a low heat for a few minutes, until the onion is soft.
Remove from the heat.
Put all of the ingredients into the food processor and blend until combined.

Chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
Form into 8-12 small sausage or burger shapes, pressing the mixture together with your hands.
Shallow fry in a drop of oil until golden brown, or brush with oil and grill or bbq.

Serve with spicy pilau rice, or in bread rolls, chapattis or wraps...they taste great with a good dollup of tomato ketchup!

Alternatives: Add 1-2 tbsp of your favourite curry paste instead of the spices/chilli if preferred.
For a Middle-Eastern version (Kabab Koobideh), swap the spices for some finely chopped parsley, ½ tsp cinnamon and ½tsp sumac. Rolls the mixture out into thinner, longer sausage shapes and cook as above.

I haven't tried making a vegan version yet, but you would need to swap the egg for something that would help bind the mixture together (maybe arrowroot?). If you find one that works, please let me know!

Not suitable for freezing. Pin It

Eric Lanlard's Peanut Butter Blondies

The new series of Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard started on 5th March at 12:05pm on Channel 4 and will be on every week day for 4 weeks. If you haven't seen the programme before, Eric bakes sweet treats ranging from simple, but delicious home baking recipes to his beautifully crafted signature desserts. 

Each episode will also feature three members of the public who will come to his cookery school and take part in a bake off. Various bloggers have also been invited to take up the challenge to bake one of Eric's culinary creations in their own home and enter into a virtual bake off. 

I chose to bake Peanut Butter Blondies as we all love brownies, but had never tried blondies before. 10 year old Miss Kahonie helped me bake and decorate them, and I think she did a pretty good job; She also did a good job of licking the bowls clean! 
The recipe was spot on (including the cooking time), and I'm very happy with the resulting blondies, which are suitably peanut-buttery, moist and chewy - what's left of them anyway!

Peanut Butter Blondies

Makes 12

• 100g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the tray
• 150g crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 75g white chocolate, plus extra to decorate
• 75g walnut halves, chopped plus extra to decorate
• 125g plain flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• Dark chocolate melted, to decorate.
• White chocolate chips, to decorate

Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20cm/ 8-inch square tin with butter and line the base with baking paper.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter together until creamy, using an electric hand whisk at medium speed. Add the vanilla, sugar and the egg, and beat again until light and fluffy.

Chop up the white chocolate and stir into the mixture along with the chopped walnuts.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and fold in, using a large metal spoon.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake the mixture in the middle of the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until it has a nice golden crust but is still fudgy in the middle.

Leave to cool in the tin. Decorate with white chocolate chunks and walnut pieces and drizzle over some melted dark chocolate. Cut into squares and serve.  

"Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard is a beautifully produced series that balances inspiration with information, engaging the viewer to try new things to add to their baking repertoire. Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard is sponsored by Bakingmad.com, an inspirational online community of over 100,000 members sharing a wealth of information, recipes, hints, tips and advice."

Integrity Statement
This is a sponsored post, for which I have received free cooking ingredients and 2 free cook books. The views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family.
Recipe reproduced by kind permission of Baking Mad.

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Butternut Squash Cake

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I received 2 butternut squashes instead of one (by mistake) in my online shopping delivery this week, so instead of boring the family with squash-filled savoury dishes every day, I thought I'd try baking with squash, in a carrot-cake type recipe. Miss Kahonie wasn't too keen on the idea though. 
"Vegetables should not be in cakes" she protested.
"But squash is a fruit not a vegetable, so you'll love this" I sneakily replied "...and it'll count towards your 5-a-days!".

• 200g/8oz peeled and grated butternut squash
• 100g/4oz butter/marg
• 100g/4oz soft brown sugar
• 150g/6oz SR flour
• 2 medium eggs, beaten
• 100g/4oz mixed dried fruit (I used chopped glacé cherries, raisins and sultanas)
• 1 heaped tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 170C/160C Fan/Gas 3
Cream the butter and sugar.
Add all of the remaining ingredients except the dried fruits and mix well.
Fold in the dried fruits.
Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined baking tin (approx 18-20cm/7-8" sqaure).
Bake for 30-40 mins until firm to the touch.

Allow to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, before turning out and cutting into squares.
Serve warm (with custard or ice cream) or cold.

Suitable for freezing.

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Kweggs

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Not a recipe, more of a serving suggestion, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce....the kwegg!

Miss K: Can I have a kwegg mum? 

Me: Erm, yes, what's a kwegg?

Miss K: A kiwi egg...a kiwi in an egg cup!

So there's now another new word in our household: Is it a kiwi fruit or is it an egg; No, it's a kwegg!

There you have it...a new noun, soon to be found in the Oxford English Dictionary - Kwegg:  A kiwi fruit with the top sliced off, served in an egg cup and eaten with a teaspoon.

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Polpette Vegetariane (Vegetarian Meatballs)

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I ate vegetarian polpettes (meatballs) for the first time a couple of weeks ago, when we had a family meal out at a local Mediterranean restaurant. I'm not sure what vegetables were used, but I think courgettes and carrots were included. These polpettes were also stuffed with mozzarella, which I didn't bother to do, as I thought it would take a bit too long to make.

You can make different flavoured polpettes by varing the vegetables and herbs used. Just squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the cooked vegetables and adjust the amount of breadcrumbs used to get a firm, but still moist mixture, before cooking.

Serves 4-6

• 1 large/2 medium aubergine/eggplant 
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 small egg, beaten
• About 4 slices of bread, made into breadcrumbs (approx 2 cups)
• 2 tbsp fresh, chopped herbs or 2-3 tsp dried herbs
• Seasoning to taste

Prick the aubergine all over, and cook under a hot grill (broiler) for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

Cook until the skin is black and the flesh feel soft.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cut open the aubergine, pull off the charred skin and drain off any juices in a colander.
Pat dry with kitchen roll.

Meanwhile gently fry the onion and garlic in a drop of olive oil, until soft.

Put the aubergine flesh, cooked onion and garlic in a food processor and blend for a couple of seconds (or chop with a knife) - you want the flesh chopped, but not puréed.

Add the egg, herbs, seasoning and half of the breadcrumbs and mix to combine.

Add enough extra breadcrumbs to make a mixture which holds its shape. 

Divide mixture into about 12 pieces and roll each into a small ball, using your hands and a little flour. 

Put onto a floured plate and chill until needed.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. 
Fry the polpettes for about 10 minutes until browned.

Serve over pasta, with plenty of  freshly made tomato sauce.

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Use any combination of lightly cooked vegetables instead of aubergine; Try spinach and potato, squash and carrot, courgette and sweet potato, mixed roasted vegetables etc.
Use approx. 300-400g/12-16oz raw, unpeeled weight of vegetables.
Make the polpettes twice the size and form into burgers instead of 'meatballs'.
You could use raw, grated vegetables and deep fry the polpettes if preferred.

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Don't tell my children what to eat!

It's been a while, but it's time once again for me to have a little rant, so please excuse me!

13 Year old Miss Ony, has been on a healthy eating regime since the start of the year. At first, I was OK with her taking control of her own food intake and reducing the amount of fat and sugar she ate (although being veggie, I'm sure her intake was far lower than the average child anyway) but she started getting more strict and cut out snacks, sweets and chocolate altogether.

She also started exercising more than usual, looking at the calorie contents of the foods she was eating and being very self critical of the way she looked. All quite normal things for a teenage girl to do, maybe? But it was making her unhappy and snappy.

Anyway, everything came to a head and we had a heart to heart chat about what was going on...it turns out that one of her teachers had been spouting on about how bad it was to eat chocolate and fatty foods, and how everyone should exercise more. As a teacher of teenage children, I think she should have known better and realised how influential her pep talks about healthy eating could be, especially to sensitive and intelligent young women like Miss Ony. 

Yes, most of us parents want our children to eat healthily and know about the nutritional value of different foods. There is obviously a time and place for schools to teach children about such things during the appropriate lessons; But please don't tell my children that any food is bad. Salad may be healthy, but we can't live on salad alone - we need a combination of carbohydrate, protein, fats, sugars and God forbid, even some salt!

The lovely Gok Wan's new TV series Gok's Teens: The Naked Truth addresses some of the issues that Miss Ony is going though at the moment, so we'll be watching the programmes with interest and discussing the subjects raised. We're all big Gok fans, so it was really good timing to see the first programme this week. 

Miss Ony is now allowing herself to eat a little bit of chocolate when she fancies it, which is making us all a little happier! Oh and by the way, if you're reading this Miss Ony, you are beautiful just the way you are! Pin It

Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake

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This was a bit of an experiment for me, as I've tried a few vegan sponge cake recipes in the past, and they've all sunk horribly in the middle after cooling; Despite tasting good, they didn't look great.
I wanted to make a sponge that didn't use egg-replacer, or other fancy ingredients, but still looked and tasted like real sponge cake!  As you can see it turned out pretty well, although the texture was more chewy than a regular sponge cake.

• 100g/4oz dairy free spread
• 150g/6oz caster sugar
• 200g/8oz SR flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200ml/8 floz Provamel sweetened almond milk or equivalent 

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Preheat oven to 180C/170C Fan/Gas 4
Grease and line two 7"/20cm sandwich tins.
Cream the spread and sugar until soft and then beat in 3 tbsp of the milk.
Add the remaining milk, flour, vanilla and baking powder and beat until smooth.
Divide mixture between the two tins.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Cool in the tin for 2-3 minutes before turning out and removing the greaseproof paper.
Sandwich together with vegan butter icing and jam (jelly) when cool, and sprinkle the top with caster sugar.

Vegan butter icing

• 2 tbsp dairy free spread
• 75g/3oz icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Soften the spread.
Mix in the vanilla.
Beat in the icing sugar gradually, adding a little boiled water if needed to make a soft, spreadable mixture.

Alternatives: If you have a nut allergy sufferer in the family, just swap the almond milk for a suitable nut-free alternative.
Swap the vanilla for lemon zest to make a lemon cake, 1 tsp coffee granules mixed with 2 tsp boiling water for a coffee cake, or swap 25g/1oz of the flour for unsweetened cocoa powder to make a chocolate cake.
Try this recipe if you have egg-replacer available.


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Mushrooms Stuffed with Leek and Cheese

These stuffed mushrooms can be eaten as a starter, lunch or main meal, depending on what you serve with them (and how many you eat!).

• 8 large flat mushrooms (Portabello type)
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 2 slices of bread, made into breadcrumbs
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp paprika
• 100g/4oz grated hard cheese (Cheddar, Emmental, Gruyere etc.)

Peel the outer skin from the mushrooms and remove the stalks.
Chop the stalks finely.
Gently fry the leeks and mushroom stalks in a little melted butter or olive oil, for about 5 minutes (or microwave on a medium setting in a covered bowl).
Add the garlic, paprika and herbs and cook for a further minute.
Stir in the cheese and breadcrumbs and stir well to combine all of the ingredients.
Meanwhile drizzle the mushrooms with a little olive oil and grill or cook in a hot oven (200C/190C Fan/Gas 6) for around 5-10 minutes, turning once.
Top each mushroom with a heaped tablespoon of mixture.
Press the stuffing down using your hands, so that it sticks to the mushrooms.
Return to the grill/oven for a further 5-10 minutes until golden brown.

Alternatives: This stuffing mixture can also be use to stuff courgettes, pointed sweet peppers etc. Adjust the cooking times to allow the vegetables to almost cook through before stuffing.
Vegan version: swap the dairy cheese for vegan cheese, or use 4 tbsp olive oil, to moisten the breadcrumb mixture. Pin It

Chewy Chocolate Chip & Walnut Cookies (Vegan)

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These chocolate chip cookies are made using an old family recipe which I've veganised by swapping the egg for a tablespoon of syrup. This affects the texture, but in a good way - as it changes them from firm and biscuity to soft and chewy! They're really quick and easy to make and taste pretty much like the ones you buy in the shops.

Makes 20

• 200g/8oz SR flour
• 150g/6oz soft brown sugar
• 125g/5oz dairy-free spread
• 50g/2oz dairy-free chocolate chips
• 50g/2oz chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 190C/180C Fan/Gas 5.

Rub the spread into the flour (or blend in the food processor).

Mix in the sugar, syrup and vanilla.

Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Divide the dough into about 20 pieces and roll into balls, using your hands.

Place well spaced apart (they will spread!) on greased baking trays, and flatten slightly.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden.

Cool for a few minutes on the tray so that they firm up a little and then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Swap the chocolate chips and walnuts for chopped dried fruit, glacé cherries, stem ginger etc.

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Two meals in one - Lentil & Vegetable Spaghetti Bolognese plus Vegetarian Chilli

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Whether you're on a diet or a budget, these two vegetarian meals are ideal. Make the spag bol on the first day and reheat the leftovers with the added extras the next day to make a tasty veggie chilli. 

As the vegetables are chopped or grated, you can hide them in the sauce too...great if you have fussy children!

Both meals are low fat and vegan, unless you add cheese to serve.

Each meal serves 2 adults and 2 children.

For the spaghetti bolognese

• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large bell peppers, diced
• 1 medium courgette/zucchini, diced or grated
• 1 carrot or ½ sweet potato, diced or grated
• 6-8 mushrooms, diced, sliced or grated
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• ½ cup dried red lentils
• 2 tbsp tomato puree or sundried tomato paste
• 500ml passata or 2x tins of chopped tomatoes 
• A glug of red wine (optional)
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp sugar
• black pepper, to taste
• dried spaghetti

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook for a few minutes on a low heat.

Add the rest of the vegetables, and garlic and stir well. Cook for a few more minutes until softened.

Add all of the remaining ingredients (except for the spaghetti!)

Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.

Turn the heat down and simmer, with the lid on the pan for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked (stir occasionally to stop the mixture burning at the bottom of the pan).

Meanwhile cook and drain the spaghetti.

Top the spaghetti with just over half of the mixture, and serve with a sprinkle of vegetarian/vegan Parmesan-style cheese (optional).

Alternatives: Use 2 cups of veggie mince if preferred instead of the lentils, or a combination of veggie mince and lentils.

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For the chilli

The next day, reheat the remaining mixture on a low heat, adding the following ingredients and a dash of water or stock if needed:

• 1 tin drained pulses (kidney beans, mixed beans, baked beans etc)
• 50g tinned or frozen sweetcorn
• 2 tsp mild chilli powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• a good pinch of cinnamon
• ½ chilli, chopped finely (optional)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• a little chopped fresh coriander (optional)

Serve with rice or wraps.

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Squash, Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad

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A friend passed this hearty salad recipe on to me, which she found on the American blog called Stacey Snacks. I've changed the recipe a bit, using a combination of squash and sweet potato and adding some fennel seeds.

Serves 4-8 as a side salad

• 300g/12oz butternut or other firm pumpkin/squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 300g/12oz sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 50g/2oz dried puy lentils
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp fresh, chopped parsley or mint
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp wine or cider vinegar
• 100g feta/soft goats cheese, crumbled (optional)
• Salad leaves to serve

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a non-stick baking dish, in a pre-heated oven (190C/180C Fan/Gas 5).

Add the squash and sweet potatoes and coat with the oil.

Bake for 20-30 minutes turning once or twice. 

Sprinkle with the spices and bake for a further 10 minutes until cooked and golden.

Meanwhile boil the lentils for about 20-25 minutes, then drain.

Allow the vegetables and lentils to cool for around 20 minutes.

Mix the remaining oil, vinegar and herbs in a bowl to make the dressing.

Add the lentils to the baking dish and pour the dressing over the warm vegetables.

Mix well to coat.

Serve warm or cold on a bed of salad leaves, topping with the cheese (optional) - leave out for a vegan dish.

Variations: Add a combination of other vegetables such as bell peppers, courgettes and sweetcorn.
Vegan option: Swap the feta for some toasted pine nuts.

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Low-Fat Flatbread Wraps

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I haven't quite got back round to meal planning just yet, so I had forgotten to buy any wraps to have with our veggie chilli for last night's dinner. Rather than pop out to the shops, I thought I'd have a go at making them myself, using the bread-maker. We all found we liked them better than shop bought wraps, plus they were cheaper too!
The dough won't rise much, as there's not very much yeast in the recipe, but this gives a nice soft texture to the wraps.

• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup white bread flour
• 2 cups wholemeal bread flour
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp fast action dried yeast

If you have a bread maker, put all the ingredients in the pan and set onto 'dough' setting.
Leave until cycle has finished if you have time, or around 30 minutes if you're in a rush!
If making by hand, put all the dry ingredients (plus the oil) in a bowl and slowly add in the water until you have a soft, but not sticky dough. Cover bowl and leave to rise to 30-60 minutes.
Cut into 8 equal pieces, and roll each into thin 15-20cm/6-8" circles (or squares as most of mine ended up!), on a well floured board.
Heat a non-stick pan on a medium-high heat.
Cook each flatbread for a minute or 2 on each side until lightly browned. 
Wrap in foil and keep warm in a low oven until they're all cooked.
Suitable for freezing.


Find lots more money-saving ideas over at The Diary of a Frugal Family. Pin It