National Vegetarian Week Round-Up

As we come to the end of National Vegetarian Week, I am looking back and reflecting on all of the fabulous recipes I have cooked over the last week to celebrate a whole week which celebrates delicious vegetarian food. Today is Meat-Free Monday, and so here is a round-up of the recipes I have featured on my blog over the last week. I hope you find a dish or two that you can perhaps cook and enjoy, and I hope that for the non-vegetarian amongst you, this week my recipes have proved that vegetarian food doesn't have to be boring.

Monday: Chicken & Tomato Hotpot



Tuesday: Spinach, Chickpea & Red Pepper Soup



Wednesday: Mexican Egg Rancheros



Thursday: Tabouleh Salad



Friday: White Chocolate & Pineapple Mousse



Saturday: Goats Cheese & Beetroot Tart and Goats Cheese & Fig Tart





Sunday: Goats Cheese Pizza

Goats Cheese Pizza: Cooking with Kids for the Capricorn Goats Cheese Challenge

     

Today is the last day of National Vegetarian Week, and to celebrate our family spent the day in the garden enjoying the beautiful weather and also getting creative with food. I love taking the kids outside to eat or prepare food as much as possible when the weather is good as I find it tends to create great conversations about food and nature. As those friendly goats at Capricorn Goats Cheese sent me a hamper this week, the kids wanted to create some delicious Goats Cheese Pizza's today using the ingredients we were sent.

I won't bore you with the method for how to make pizza, as it is super easy, but I have included a list of the ingredients we used and some photos below to give you a helping hand. The girls had a great time making their pizzas, and we had some fab discussion about how goats cheese is made so they learned something at the same time. We also used the Capricorn Goats Cheese website to find out more about the goats who made their cheese. 

Eldest loved Ethel because she loves pink, as does Ethel it seems! Youngest loved Beryl as it seems they share many of the same traits - youngest hates being fenced in too! 

Ingredients

Two Pizza Bases
Tub or Tin of Tomato Puree

Bowlful of Each:
Capricorn Somerset Goats Cheese
Red Pepper
Cheddar Cheese
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Red Onion
Spring Onion
Pear
Walnuts 

Watch the Pro's

The Creations

The Results

I am entering the kid's pizzas into the Capricorn Challenge on Twitter. Follow the #CapricornChallenge hashtag to see other bloggers fab creations.

Disclosure: I was sent a hamper full of ingredients to cook with and review by Capricorn Goats Cheese. All opinions are my own.

Goats Cheese & Beetroot Tart and Goats Cheese & Fig Tart

It's day six of National Vegetarian Week today, and I hope that you have been enjoying the beautiful weather.

Goats Cheese & Fig Tart

Earlier in the week I was sent a wonderful Hamper from those friendly goats at Capricorn Goats Cheese. Capricorn Goats Cheese is low in cholesterol and rich in calcium. It is also Veg Society Approved, making Capricorn Goats Cheese the perfect ingredient to use during National Vegetarian Week. I absolutely love goats cheese, and Capricorn Goats Cheese is so rich and has a very creamy defined taste, owing to the goats grazing on the rich pastures of Somerset.

I have been cooking with Goats Cheese today and so I am featuring two different quick and easy Puff Pastry Tarts for Day 6 of veggie week - Goats Cheese and Beetroot Tart and Goats Cheese and Fig Tart. These Tarts are more of an assembly job then physically cooking - great for nights when you need dinner on the table asap.

Goats cheese & Beetroot Tart

We really enjoyed making and eating the Goats Cheese Tarts. The creamy sweetness of the Capricorn Goats Cheese blended really well with the red onion marmalade, the beetroot and the figs. We slightly preferred the Goats Cheese and Beetroot Tart with the added flavour of the spring onions to the Fig Tart - although both were delicious.

Here are the recipes below - I hope you enjoy them!!

Goats Cheese & Beetroot Tart Ingredients 250g Puff Pastry Block - ready to roll 130g Capricorn Somerset Goats Cheese 165ml Red Onion Marmalade 150g Beetroot, sliced Handful of Fresh Thyme 4 Spring Onions, chopped Method Turn the puff pastry block out onto a floured surface and roll until you have the desired size and shape for your tart. Place the pastry onto a greased baking tray. Spread the red onion marmalade liberally over the pastry. Layer the sliced beetroot on top of the marmalade.  Break or slice the goats cheese into small pieces and place it on top of the beetroot. Sprinkle a handful of thyme over the top of the cheese. Cook the tart at 200 degrees for 10 minutes. Add the spring onions 10 minutes after cooking, and then cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the tart is cooked and the pastry is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Goats Cheese & Fig Tart Ingredients 250g Puff Pastry Block - ready to roll 130g Capricorn Somerset Goats Cheese 165ml Red Onion Marmalade 3 or 4 Figs, quartered Handful of Fresh Thyme Method Turn the puff pastry block out onto a floured surface and roll until you have the desired size and shape for your tart. Place the pastry onto a greased baking tray. Spread the red onion marmalade liberally over the pastry. Slice the goats cheese and place it on top of the marmalade. Spread the quartered figs over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle a handful of thyme over the goats cheese and figs. Cook the tart at 200 degrees for  around 20 minutes until the tart is cooked and the pastry is golden brown. Serve immediately.

I am entering both of these recipes into the Capricorn Goats Cheese Capricorn Challenge. You can see other recipes entered by following the #CapricornChallenge hashtag on Twitter.

                    

Disclaimer: I was sent a hamper by Capricorn Goats Cheese in consideration of review. All views are my own.

White Chocolate & Pineapple Mousse

It's day 5 of National Vegetarian Week and today I am featuring White Chocolate Mousse with Creme Fraiche & Pineapple as my dish of the day. Today's helping is something for those with a very sweet tooth as it is really rich, creamy and delicious. Often I have to double check desserts for gelatine and hidden ingredients which are not vegetarian. That's why I like to make my own desserts rather than buy shop bought ones - so I know what is in them. This recipe is adapted from the Lorraine Pascale recipe featured in Home Cooking Made Easy. You could try making it with pineapple, toffee, ginger, strawberry or anything you like!

White Chocolate Mousse with Creme Fraiche Ingredients 150g Creme Fraiche 300ml Double Cream 400g White Chocolate (melted) 400g Pineapple - tinned or fresh, drained and cut in small pieces. Method Place the creme fraiche in one bowl and the cream in another. Mix the creme fraiche until it looks a bit looser and thinner. Whip the double cream until the consistency resembles the consistency of the creme fraiche (this will help the mixture avoid being lumpy).. Tip the creme fraiche into the cream and stir together to combine. Place a spoonful of the creme fraiche and cream mixture into the melted chocolate and mix together. Add a further spoonful of the mixture to the chocolate and stir. Repeat, until all of the creme fraiche and cream mixture, and chocolate has been combined, and the mixture is smooth and silky. Gradually fold the pineapple into the mixture. Pour the mixture into glasses or bowls and place in the fridge to set for the minimum of one hour.

How to make Tabouleh

So here we are on Day 4 of National Vegetarian Week and I hope you are enjoying the week by indulging in all things veggie.

Today I am featuring Tabouleh, a traditional Levantine Arab Salad often eaten as part of a mezze. Tabouleh derives from the arabic word 'tabil' which means 'seasoning'. In the middle ages, edible herbs formed and essential part of the Arab diet, and they still feature predominantly in middle eastern cuisine today. Parsley, which features heavily in Tabouleh has so many health benefits as does Mint. Herbs are so important for good health. People relied on herbs for thousands of years to self medicate before the introduction of chemical drugs. Many people still use herbs to improve their health today, especially in countries where medical care is expensive to access.

Foods like Tabouleh which contain lots of herbs, vegetables and not much fat or salt are so good for you, and ingredients like bulgur wheat help to bulk out salads and help us to feel full.

The combination of the mint and lemon juice provide a zingy, zesty taste which is so refreshing on a hot day like today. I used Bulgur wheat for my tabouleh, but my good friend Alice also makes it with Quinoa and she says it works really well.



This is a fantastic salad and we all loved it. I think the kids wuld have preferred it without the dressing, and chopping the herbs very finely will help to disguise them for kids who don't like eating 'leaves'. This is currently top of my list for a refreshing meal on a hot day!

Tabouleh Ingredients 120g Bulgur Wheat 600ml Hot Boiled Water 3 medium Tomatoes 1 Cucumber 4 Spring Onions, sliced 150g Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped A handful of fresh Mint, chopped 80ml Lemon Juice 1 1/2 tsps Sea Salt 75ml Olive Oil Method Bring the blugur wheat & water to the boil, and simmer for about twenty minutes, then drain, allow to cool and refrigerate until cold. OR place the bulgur wheat in a bowl, cover with the water and leave to soak for around 1 1/2 hours, then drain any excess water, spread on a muslin or paper towel, and allow to dry for 30 mins. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Chop into small sized chunks and place in a large bowl. Cut the tomato in half and scoop out the pulp & seeds. Cut the skins into small chunks and place in the bowl. Add the chopped parsley, mint, spring onions and bulgur to the bowl and mix well. Place the lemon juice and sea salt in a small bowl. Whisk together well until the sea salt has dissolved. Season with some black pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil to make a dressing and then pour the dressing over the salad. Toss the salad and dressing well together and then serve immediately. You could serve Tabouleh with some pitta bread, as part of a mezze or as a side salad or replacement for vegetables.

I am entering this dish into Simple and in Season created by Fabulicious Food and being hosted by The Botanical Baker

I am also entering it into "Britain's Got Salad" being hosted by Lisa over at Faceless Food

Mexican Egg Rancheros

Today is day three of National Vegetarian Week, and so I am featuring a vegetarian family-friendly breakfast or brunch in the form of Mexican Egg Rancheros. Rancheros in case you haven't guessed already is the Spanish word for ranch, but it is also said to mean "a group of people who eat together". 

Mexican Egg Rancheros is a fantastic sharing dish. I can just imagine people eating this dish together, often using tortillas or similar to scoop the mixture up. Fried Egg and tomatoes can seem like quite a strange combination but having tried and tested this dish, I am happy to tell you that the ingredients and flavours definitely work together. I love Mexican food, but this was something our family hadn't tried before. I am happy to report that it went down well and this is another dish we will now be making on a regular basis to share together.

Mexican Egg Rancheros Print This Recipe Ingredients Olive Oil 1 Onion, chopped 1 green Pepper, chopped 1 yellow Pepper, chopped 100g Mushrooms, chopped 1tsp Chilli Powder 1 400g Tinned Tomatoes 1/2 x 25g pack Fresh Parsley 4 free-range medium Eggs 75g Cheddar Cheese, grated 4 English Muffins Method Preheat the oven to 200 Degrees Celsius, gas mark 6 Using a large heavy-based saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and mushrooms to the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes.   Add the chilli and cook for a further minute. Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir to combine the ingredients. Cook for a couple of minutes before introducing the parsley to the pan and cook for around two minutes. Place the mixture in an oven-proof dish. Make 4 hollows and crack an egg into each hollow.  Sprinkle the dish with cheese. Bake for around 10-15 minutes until the eggs are cooked. Grill or toast the muffins around 5 minutes before serving Serve immediately.

Spinach, Chickpea and Red Pepper Soup

Today for the second day of National Vegetarian Week I am featuring a delicious Spinach, Chickpea and Red Pepper Soup. This soup is a great source of protein for vegetarians as it includes chickpeas. Spinach is also a great ingredient for vegetarians as it is rich in iron and calcium and contains anti-oxidants and lots of different vitamins. I really like chunky soups and so I loved eating this soup. My Spinach, Chickpea and Red Pepper Soup also looks really appetising thanks to all of the different colours in the bowl. The red pepper and the green spinach contrast very well and the chickpeas add a different colour and texture into the mix. This soup is really simple to make and can be made in less than thirty minutes and was a great hit with the family. I will definitely be making this soup on a regular basis.

If you decide to cook and sample this soup then do let me know what you thought!

Spinach, Chickpea and Red Pepper Soup   Ingredients Olive Oil 1 red Pepper, finely chopped 8 Spring Onions, finely chopped 1 clove of Garlic 1tsp Cumin Seeds 750ml Vegetable Stock 400g Tin of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained 2tsps Red Wine Vinegar 1-2 tsps Sugar 100g Baby Spinach Leaves Salt and Pepper Method Using a large heavy-based saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the spring onions to the pan, cover and cook them for two to three minutes. Next, add the pepper, garlic and cumin seeds and cook for about a minute. Add the stock and passata to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the ingredients for about ten minutes. After this, add the chickpeas, vinegar and sugar and simmer for a further five minutes. Stir in the baby spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until the spinach has just begun to wilt. Serve immediately.

Quorn Chicken & Tomato Hot Pot

For National Vegetarian Week which starts today, I am going to be featuring a week's worth of delicious vegetarian family friendly food.

To kick off today, I am featuring a vegetarian Quorn Chicken and Tomato Hotpot. This dish is really easy to prepare, and the ingredients can be pre-cooked, or slow cooked if you fancy and then the potatoes can be added later. 

My kids really loved this dish, plus it is a fab mix of all the food groups - protein, carbohydrates, veg and dairy (if you add the cheese). Eldest has been learning about food groups this week at school and so she enjoyed making sure I was adding the right combinations of each food group!

Today is Meat-Free Monday, so why not consider going meat-free for today and cooking up this delicious dish?

Quorn Chicken & Tomato Hot Pot   Ingredients 500g Quorn Chicken Pieces 1 red Pepper, chopped 1 yellow Pepper, chopped 1 Onion, chopped 2 cloves Garlic, crushed 1 x 400g tinned Tomatoes 1 x 500g packet Passata 2 tbsp Tomato Puree 1tsp Oregano 1tsp Italian Seasoning 700g Potatoes, sliced Salt and Pepper Grated Cheddar Cheese to decorate Method Heat the olive oil and gently fry the onion and garlic until the onions are transparent and have softened. Add the pepper and continue to fry for a couple of minutes.  Add the chicken pieces to the pan, with a little more olive oil and fry for five minutes. Drain the oil from the pan and add the tomatoes, passata and puree to the pan along with the oregano, italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine and cook for around 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Meanwhile, evenly slice the potatoes and set aside. Once the mixture has cooked, transfer to an oven-proof dish.  Layer the potatoes over the top of the dish and brush with olive oil. Cook for around 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are crunchy on the outside and soft inside.  If desired, sprinkle some grated cheddar cheese over the top after about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Plum Baby Finger Foods Review

Recently I was sent some products to review from the Plum Baby range. I bought Plum products for both of my girls when they were small, in fact I'm quite sure that Plum was brand new when eldest started weaning and it was so lovely to discover something a bit different on the shelves from the usual baby jars full of unappetising gunk. 

My girls are now well past the first foods stage which Plum seems to be most synonymous for, and I wasn't sure whether the girls were a bit old for the plum range, but as I am conscious about what they eat, and knowing that Plum foods contain naturally organic ingredients rather than added salt and sugar, I thought that it would be good for them to try some products full of goodness.

The products we were sent were Multigrain Crispy Rings, Spelt Munchy Fingers and Oaty Chomp Cereal Bars.

First we tried the Spelt and Apple, and Spelt and Raspberry Munchy Fingers. These are suitable from 7 months plus and are natural sweetened with Spelt Syrup. The flavours are really appealing, although the girls said that the biscuits didn't have much taste. However, I'm sure that this is due to their discerning little palettes which have been exposed to lots of flavours already, and so I think little ones would find them much more flavoursome than an older child. 

I also loved that the biscuit were wrapped individually in twos - great for freshness, and for taking out and about.  I much prefer to buy individually wrapped biscuits to a whole box as I always find myself having to throw half the box away. I thought that the packaging also looked really appealing to little ones and in fact youngest has commandeered the boxes for her toy supermarket!

Next we tried the Multigrain Crispy Rings. The girls had a choice of tomato and cheddar and they loved eating both of them. Plum Multigrain Crispy Rings are made with wholesome corn and rice. They also contain quinoa - a great grain for protein, especially if your kids are vegetarian. Additionally they contain Teff - which is rich in fibre, iron, protein and calcium, and they have no added salt. My kids have become hooked on salty crisps and so it was lovely that they found these so tasty - we will definitely be buying them instead of crisps for packed lunches as the kids couldn't tell the difference.

Finally we tried the Strawberry Cheesecake Oaty Chomps. Full of oats and quinoa and naturally sweetened with raisin and strawberry, these cereal bars contain no added salt and sugar. My kids really enjoyed these and again I would definitely buy them for them to eat in the future.

All of the products I have featured are Dairy Free and Suitable for Vegetarians

We enjoyed sampling the Plum Baby range. I would definitely recommend their finger foods as they are great for little ones just starting to wean, through to toddlers and under 5's whose parents want to give their children healthy snacks without fats and sugars.

 Disclaimer: Products offered in consideration of review.

Rogation Sunday - Blessing the Crops & Ethical Eating

Eldest goes to school in a rural community, about fifteen minutes away from where we live. It always amazes me that leaving the town and driving for just fifteen minutes can make you feel as though you really are in the middle of nowhere. You have to drive a good few miles for a pint of milk or loaf of bread - unless you make your own that is!

Last Sunday we attended a church service for Rogation Sunday at the church which eldest's school is attached to. Rogation Sunday falls on the fifth Sunday after Easter and is a time of asking God to bless the crops being sown in the fields, pray for a good amount of rain and sun, and ask God for a good harvest later in the year. In past centuries before maps existed, parishioners would also walk the boundaries of the parish to remind everyone where they lay, and prayers would be said or sung as the church processed along.

The importance of Rogation Sunday in small rural communities is as relevant now as it was in past times. A number of those living in the local parish make their living from the land. During the church service prayers were said for a good amount of rain and sun in the hope of a plentiful harvest in the Autumn. I had never really considered the essential role of religion in farming but of course it makes perfect sense that this would be the case as farmers are really caretakers of the land. They witness God's creation from the minute they wake up until they go to bed, and those who work the land see the fruits of their labour in a more tangible way that those who don't. They rely on good grace and favour to keep their livelihood healthy. 

One part of the prayers said during the rogation service really struck a chord with me.

"When we demand cheap food without thought of the well-being of the growers, the farm animals or the land itself, when we fail to consider those who produce our food in difficult conditions for meagre reward, when we forget to give thanks for good food and clean water... lord have mercy."

This really made me think... how many times do we give consideration to where our food is grown?  - I know I don't as often as I should. How many times do we choose the cheapest food in the supermarket? I sometimes do - often out of necessity rather than choice. How often to we buy food with no idea of it's origins? It's so easy to go and pick up our food from the supermarket and not consider how it got there. How often to we consciously buy fairtrade products over others? Again I will admit I don't as often as I should. 

It is said that those who are interested in food should be interested in farming. I do try and give consideration to where my food comes from, and I have been very diligent about trying to pass this onto my children. We have explored the origins of many different foods together and we regularly buy food from farm shops or local markets, or from the people who produced the food directly. 

During the service we sang the hymn "we plough the fields and scatter", only it had been changed to "we plough the fields with tractors". This new updated version really struck a chord with me. The last verse goes:

"Then why are people starving, when we have life so good

And some in crowded cities, search dustbins for their food

And even some go hungry, who farm in distant lands

Lord help us to more swiftly, share with open hands"

Definite food for thought don't you think? Why are people starving when we have life so good? - Ok maybe life isn't so good for many of us at the moment as it has been previously, but the majority of us still have food on our tables and clothes on our backs. Why do those in crowded cities search dustbins for their food? Surely in the present day westernised world people shouldn't be rifling through dustbins to be fed. I recently heard about a charity called foodcycle who are trying to reclaim surplus food from an estimated 400,000 tons of surplus food from the food retail industry to feed people in the local community who are homeless or do not have access to nutritious food. This is a charity I am hoping to find out more about and feature on my blog more in the near future. Why do those in distant lands go hungry, even when they farm the lands? Political corruption, corporate greed and personal greed has meant that starvation has never been eradicated throughout the world. Through agriculture and the increase in crops, it is said that there is currently enough food in the world to feed everyone, but it is the distribution of the food that is the issue worldwide as it is affected by the political, economical or environmental situation of the country. What can those in the western world do to help those who are not as fortunate as us have access to food?

I don't have the immediate answers to my questions, but taking time to think about them could mean that small individual changes have a big global impact. 

After the service finished, we took a lengthy walk around the parish and through the fields of crops. This was followed by a BBQ back at the church which eldest thoroughly enjoyed. Rogation Sunday really is a time for reminding us of where are food comes from, to give thanks for the fact that we have enough food, and also to remember those who rely on the land for their livelihood. For me, Rogation Sunday was a reminder of how close to home the food chain really starts. Recently we have all bemoaned the unprecedented amount of rain, after a time of none, yet for the farmers sowing their crops just a few miles away from my house, the rain has been essential, as is the hope of sun to help the crops to grow. Rogation Sunday was also a reminder about how important it is to intercede for well grown crops and a plentiful harvest for the farmers, and for the dinner tables of the country and beyond.