Silent Sunday 28th April

Featured Post: Kitchen Wishlist

If I ever won the lottery, the chances are that rather than spending it on a new car or holiday to the seychelles, I would probably be more tempted to use the money to create my ultimate kitchen, with all mod cons, perfect for cooking lots of delicious vegetarian food in. Obviously, I would also need a vast selection of cookware, kitchenware and accessories to furnish my kitchen with!

Recently, I was invited to put together a wish list of my ultimate kitchen must haves, and I jumped at the chance - well who could resist creating their ultimate kitchen purchasing guide??


First on the list would have to be a Kitchen Aid - I have been lusting after one of these for a while. I think that a kitchen aid would transform my cooking. I am rubbish at making cakes, but hopefully with the help of a kitchen aid, I could be pulling out all of the stops for the PTA cake sale!



Another must have would have to be a new food processor. A good food processor is essential in the kitchen if you love to cook, as it is essential for helping to prepare meals, cutting, chopping, mixing and liquidising. As I like to cook often from scratch, I frequently use my food processor, I don't know what I would do without it! You can view the full range of  John Lewis Food Processors here.

Some other items on my wishlist would be:

A Butcher's Trolley: - quite ironic, seeing as I'm vegetarian, but this trolley would be great for moving around the kitchen and creating a bit of extra space. It would also make a great serving trolley for storage and entertaining!

La Creuset Jug: I love La Creuset, and am slowly trying to build up my collection, so this jug would be a fantastic addition and hopefully one day, I may be able to display it all in my ultimate kitchen!

Griddle Pan: I'm not sure why I don't have one of these yet, but I don't.... and I want one!

Cath Kidston Rolling Pan: The ultimate in kitsch, I love this ceramic rolling pin, and it would come in handy  for rolling all of the pastry I make.

So those are a few items on my kitchen wishlist - What are your ultimate kitchen purchases?

Disclosure: I received payment for writing this post. All opinions are my own. 

Avocado, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Today I am featuring an Avocado, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad, perfect to enjoy during the warmer weather which is apparently about to come our way here in the UK. A friend bought this to our university tutorial this week, and we all absolutely loved it. I have to say, although I have often made an Italian style salad with just the tomatoes and mozzarella, for some reason, I had never previously considered adding Avocado to the dish, but now I am converted!

Avocado is definitely the vegetarian's best friend as it contains monounsaturated fats, -  typically found in meats, fish, and dairy products, so it is a great food replacement for Vegetarians and Vegans.

This recipe isn't so much of a recipe, but more of a meal idea. None the less, this dish would make a terrific lunchtime salad. It also looks great on the table as part of a larger buffet meal. You could jazz it up with perhaps a few black olives added too, and a nice glass of wine to accompany it as you eat alfresco!

I hope you enjoy making (and eating) it!

Avocado, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad Print This Recipe Serves Two (as a Main) Ingredients 2 Avocados sliced 2 Tomatoes, sliced 150g Mozzarella, sliced 10-12 Basil Leaves Olive Oil for drizzling Salt & Pepper Directions Layer the slices of Mozzarella, Avocado and Tomato alternately across the bowl, to create a tricolor effect. Drizzle Olive Oil over the contents of the dish, and season well with salt and pepper. If desired, lay Basil leaves over the top of the avocado, tomato and mozzarella. Serve.

Sweet Potato, Spinach and Onion Pies

A freshly made meat-free monday idea today. As spring descends (hopefully) on us, today I am featuring a delicious pie, which contains all kinds of hidden good things inside. Recently, the kids have become slightly obsessed with Popeye, which is kind of a good thing, because of his vegetarian diet, and the fact that he eats Spinach! 

Popeye is said to have saved the spinach industry in the 1930's, and is the only cartoon character to have been immortalised in statue in Crystal City, Texas, thanks to his services to Spinach and encouraging kids to eat it and increase their vitamin A consumption.

My kids like the idea of eating spinach, but perhaps not the reality of it. They wanted me to cook them something with spinach in, so I created these sweet potato, spinach and onion pies. The beauty of them is that the spinach is hidden within the pie, ensuring that the kids will eat them as they have spinach in, without picking through and identifying the strands of green.

We all loved these pies, especially with the added vegetarian hard cheese. They make a great meat-free monday snack or light meal. You could make them in individual portions, as I have, or you could make a portion in a larger form.

See below for the printable recipe. Enjoy, and happy eating!

Sweet Potato, Spinach and Onion Pies Print this Recipe Makes Six Ingredients 320g Puff Pastry Sheet 1kg Sweet Potatoes 1 Onion – White, chopped 1 Onion – Red, chopped 100g Baby Spinach  100g Vegetarian Hard Cheese 100g Sweet Chilli Sauce Mustard Seeds – for sprinkling Directions Prick the sweet potatoes, and cook in the microwave for around ten minutes, or until the potatoes start to soften.  Allow to cool a little, cut the potatoes in half, and scoop out the cooked sweet potato.  Place the sweet potato in a bowl, and add the red and white onion. Mix in the sweet chilli sauce.  Place the spinach in a pan, with 1tbsp water, cover, and cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilts.  Drain the spinach, and chop. Add to the sweet potato, along with the vegetarian hard cheese. Mix to combine. Layout the puff pastry sheet on an oil-brushed baking tin, and cut into six pieces. Spoon a good sized amount of the sweet potato mixture into the middle of the pastry piece. Fold the four corners of the pastry into the middle and join up, so that there are no gaps.  Repeat with all of the pastry pieces.  Brush the pastry with milk or egg, and sprinkle mustard seeds over the top of the pastry. Bake at 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is cooked. Allow to cool a little before serving.

Questions Every Vegetarian Is Tired Of Answering

I saw this on great video on Youtube this weekend, about questions that everyone asks you when you are Vegetarian, which us Vegetarians are completely tired of answering. I can totally relate, as I have probably been asked all of these questions and lots more!

Typical Questions and Answers:

Do I eat fish? No.

Do I appreciate others excitedly pointing out the vegetarian choices on the menu for me to choose, like a child.... No!

No I don't miss meat... or bacon....

No, my choice isn't political....

Yes I do know that is Paul McCartney is Vegetarian, and Anne Hathaway, Alicia Silverstone, Eliza Dushku, Chris Martin, plus many other famous celebs.

Yes, I am totally fine with other's eating meat around me as I respect everyone's right to choose (I am not that kind of vegetarian).

For the true vegetarians reading this - enjoy the video!

Vegetarian Proteins

As a vegetarian, people often ask me what I eat as protein instead of meat. There seems to be a trend of thought that protein only comes from meat and fish. Here are some great alternative proteins to meat which can be incorporated into a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti

Today is another Meat-free Monday, and so I am featuring a delicious meat-free dish - Vegetarian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti. This is a great dish for vegetarians, and also a great dish for those who would typically eat meat. It is also a delicious hearty, filling meal.

Although I know meat-substitutes are not always a desired food for all vegetarians, I like using them in my cooking, especially if we have my kid's friends round who typically expect a meat dish.

Vegetarian balls are a great alternative to the meat version. For ease, you could just add a jar of tomato based sauce, but I prefer to make my own, so I know what is going into it, and to try and get some veggies into my family at the same time.

You can vary the vegetables you use. This week, I didn't buy peppers at the supermarket, as I wasn't happy with their quality, but you could also use peppers in the dish, or some sweetcorn, or whatever you like!

The printable recipe is below.

Enjoy this delicious meat-free Monday dish!

Vegetarian  Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti Print This Recipe Serves Four  Ingredients 300g pack of Vegetarian Meatballs 2 Onions, chopped 1 Courgette, chopped 1 tsp Garlic (crushed or lazy) 500g Passata 1 tin of Tomatoes 1 tsp Mustard Seeds 1 tsp Oregano 400g Spaghetti Handful of Basil leaves. Olive Oil for cooking Cheddar Cheese for serving Directions Cook the meatballs in olive oil over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, until the meatballs begin to brown. Add the onion, courgette and garlic to the pan, and cook for a further five minutes.  Add the passata, tomatoes, oregano, and mustard seeds to the pan and cook for around ten minutes, stirring regularly. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in some hot water and a little olive oil for around fifteen minutes over a medium heat until al dente. Add a handful of basil leaves to the meatball pan, and cook for a further five to ten minutes. Once the spaghetti and sauce are cooked, drain the spaghetti, and serve with the sauce.  Sprinkle some cheddar cheese over the dish, and serve immediately.

Vegetarian Sausage Kebabs

Being at home with the kids during the Easter holidays has given them the chance to put their culinary skills to use again. I have mentioned before how much my kids love to cook, but what they also really love, is to see the process through right from the supermarket to the plate.

Inspired by watching "Katy I Can Cook", this week, the kids have embarked upon making their own Vegetarian Sausage Kebabs using rosemary stalks as sticks - an idea they got from I Can Cook, which I was very impressed with. Eldest found some woody rosemary stalks at the supermarket and grabbed them, eager to make the vegetarian sausage kebabs. I then put her in charge of choosing the ingredients she needed to buy. Her and youngest chose what other vegetables they wanted to include on their kebabs, and had great fun weighing the vegetables and seeing how much they cost. Eldest is into adding up at the moment, so it was also a chance to help her add the ingredients together and make sense of  how much they cost in pounds and pence.

Back home, the kids got busy breaking up the peppers and chopping the tomatoes with their kids knives. I cooked the sausages and chopped up the onions, and eldest started to prepare the rosemary stalks whilst youngest ate lots of peppers, but still had a thoroughly enjoyable time! Then both girls got busy threading their ingredients onto the rosemary stalks to make their kebabs, and brushing them with honey.

The girls had a lovely time making their vegetarian sausage kebabs, and it also encouraged them to eat something healthy to balance out all of the Easter chocolate they had consumed! I always find they will eat the things that they make themselves without question.

These Vegetarian Sausage Kebabs are a fab idea for kids to make as they can make them virtually themselves. You could also use vegetarian chicken pieces, or just use vegetables and substitute the honey with a vegan alternative to make them vegan.

Why not let your kids have a go at cooking something themselves over the Easter Holidays?

Let us know if you decide to make the Vegetarian Sausage Kebabs, the recipe can be printed out below.

Vegetarian Sausage Kebabs Print This Recipe Serves Four Children (Two Adults) Ingredients 4 Rosemary Stalks Half a red Onion,  Half a white Onion,  1 green Pepper pieces 1 red Pepper pieces 8 Cherry Tomatoes,  4 Vegetarian Sausages (use a brand which won't fall apart) 2 tbsp Honey Directions Cook/grill the vegetarian sausages and allow to cool a little, before cutting them into small pieces. Cut/break the red and green peppers into small pieces. Chop the red and white onion into chunks. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Trim the rosemary stalks to a point, and pull off all but the end leaves. Thread the onion chunks, pepper pieces, sausages pieces and halved tomatoes onto the stalks in any order to make a colourful kebab, placing the finished kebabs onto a baking tray. Place the honey into a cup or bowl, and using a pastry brush, brush the kebabs with the honey, covering evenly. Place the kebabs in a preheated oven at 200 degrees, gas mark 6 for 20 minutes. Once cooked, allow to cool, and serve immediately.