New Vegetarian Finds - Higgidy, Amy's Kitchen and Boursin

Today, I am showcasing some great new Vegetarian finds which I was made aware of recently. I love finding out about new Vegetarian products and companies I have not been aware of before, and recently I was invited to sample some vegetarian and vegan foods from the following companies. Do take a look at these vegetarian-friendly companies who are fast becoming household names:

Higgidy

Higgidy are a great choice for Vegetarians, as more than half of their pies and quiches are meat-free. To give a real homemade feel, Higgidy freshly bake their pies and quiches by hand each day, using delicious fresh ingredients.

This year, there is a new addition to this summer's range - a limited edition Balsamic Onion and Mature Cheddar Quiche - perfect for enjoying at picnics throughout the summer. This quiche combines the traditional flavours of a ploughmans lunch - mature cheese, balsamic onion chutney and a crispy cheddar and onion crumb. We loved this quiche - the balsamic onion chutney is divine, and you can really taste the freshness of the ingredients. It is also light enough to enjoy on a picnic, whilst offering maximum flavour and taste.

To help celebrate summer, Higgidy have also created some fantastic summer picnic recipes on the Higgidy website, created by Higgidy founder Camilla. Also, if you visit the website by the 15th August, you have the chance to win some lovely picnic bags.

As well as the quiche, we sampled some other pies in the Higgidy range - Spinach, Feta and Roasted Pine Nut Pie, Sweet Potato and Feta Pie with Pumpkin Seeds, and Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Pie. I have to say, they all tasted so amazing. We were impressed with the freshness of the ingredients used, the depth of the pies and how robust they were, and also the finish on the pies to - hand decorated to perfection. Our personal favourite was the Spinach, Feta and roasted Pine Nut Pie, with the Sweet Potato and Feta Pie with Pumpkin Seeds a close second. Both pies were so creamy, packed full of flavour and so filling. We will definitely be buying Higgidy products again.

Higgidy products are available from Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Booths and Ocado. 

Amy's Kitchen Products

Amy’s Kitchen is a family run vegetarian convenience meal brand. I saw them displaying at the V Delicious show, and sampled some of their foods and was impressed with what I tasted. Marketed as a healthy convenience brand for health conscious people, Amy's Kitchen use simple, wholesome ingredients to create dishes by hand which contain a home-cooked flavour. There is a wide range of home cooked dishes to suit every taste and diet. Amy’s Kitchen has always been passionate making foods for those with special dietary needs, and increasingly, many are gluten free, vegan, dairy free, cholesterol free, and light in sodium. Some are corn and soy free.

We sampled two soups - Spanish Rice and Red Bean Soup, and Rustic Italian Vegetable Soup. Both my girls can be a little funny about eating vegetable pieces in soup, but they both declared that their soup was "yummy" and we thought the same - each soup had a distinctive flavour and tasted just like I had made it myself at home. We also tried the Rice Mac and Cheese - a great fuss-free dish for the kid's tea - my kids were asking for more. Hubby and I sampled the Vegetable Lasagne. We both really enjoyed it. Stuffed full of layers of vegetables, it had some great flavours, rather than tasting bland like other brands can sometimes do.

I will be looking further into Amy's Kitchen Products as I think it is important to take notice of what you are putting into your kids, and Amy's Kitchen products contain all-natural ingredients, which will ensure that there is lots of good stuff going into them.

Amy's Kitchen products are available from a variety of stores - there is a store locator on the Amy's Kitchen website

Boursin Individual Portions

Have you found the new Boursin individual portions in the supermarket yet? Alongside the traditional garlic and herb portions, Boursin have now introduced a new Black Pepper flavour version, available in a packet containing six individual portions. Combining irresistible rich and creamy cheese with lightly cracked black peppercorns, this delicious flavour offers an alternative to the garlic and herb. The individual portion ensure built-in portion control and locked in freshness; an ideal choice for those who want to eat a small amount at a time. 

I tried Boursin with Black Pepper on a french baguette - which was just out of this world. I also used it on some tortilla's and mini blini's to create some fantastic hor d'oeuvres.

You can purchase Boursin’s new black pepper portions and garlic & herb portions from large Waitrose stores and Tesco’s nationwide at an RRP of £1.69 for a pack of six.

Disclosure: Products offered in consideration for review

Fun with Summer Berries - Inspired by Tesco

Summer is fast becoming one of my favourite food seasons due to the variety of fresh berries which can be found during the summer months. After having to make do with alternative versions from Spain, Chile, and elsewhere during the winter months, there there is nothing quite so satisfying as biting into a delicious sweet British strawberry once they are ready for picking. 

Indeed, it seems that strawberries, so synonymous with summer, and summer events are in plentiful supply at the moment. However, I never knew that strawberries could vary so significantly from one another. I was invited along to Tesco, to sample some different kinds of strawberries. There are many different varieties such as Amesti, Ava Rosa, Driscoll's Jubilee, and Sweet Eve, hailing from all over the UK. We tried the finest, regular, and economy ranges which include some of the varieties mentioned. Each Strawberry is scrutinised and sorted by appearance, size and shape into the various ranges, to provide a fantastic choice for the consumer. This means that the same grower could be producing strawberries for the Finest, Every Day, and Smart Price ranges. 

My favourite strawberries hailed from Scotland. I was surprised how different all of the strawberries tasted. British strawberries are at their best from June to September. They are in store within 48-72 hours of being picked, so that they remain fresh for use. Did you know that strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges? Ten strawberries provide the recommended daily amount - so they are a great source of vitamins for all the family.

Tesco are also introducing some fantastic new berry ranges including Aronia Berries - similar to cranberries, Kiwi Berries - essentially Kiwi like grapes, and Mac Black raspberries - bigger and sweeter than red raspberries, so there is even more choice of fantastic berries for us to choose from. Go and take a look in the supermarket and see what you can find!

There are lots of fantastic things that you can do with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries - and lots of them are so easy, that even a complete novice could make them look like a culinary dream.

Tesco have some fantastic recipes for you to try.

You could also stick to some simple ideas

• Sprinkle berries with sugar, or smother in cream or yoghurt
• Dip in chocolate, vanilla sauce, custard, or even balsamic vinegar!
• Make a smoothie - simply add water, juice, or milk with fruit to blend
• Mix with chopped mint and sugar
• Serve strawberries, blueberries and raspberries on their own in a bowl

Berries are delicious with meringue nests filled with cream - we let the kids loose, and here's what they came up with:

You could also use them to top a sweet pie or flan for a more grown-up dessert. You can buy a pre-made pie or flan base, fill with a vanilla topping and away you go. I made a topping by mixing lemon curd, vanilla pods and cream and whisking together.

What do you like to do with summer berries? I would love to hear!

Disclosure: Event and Ingredients provided by Tesco 

Products I found at the V Delicious Show

Last month, I attended the V Delicious Show in London, which ran alongside the Allergy Show at Olympia. There were lots of great vegetarian stalls there, and also some cooking demonstrations. Whilst I was not particularly over-impressed with the actual show - largely due to it being tagged on to the end of the Allergy Show - meaning that it was sometimes unclear which stalls were vegetarian and which weren't, I did discover some really fantastic new Vegetarian food brands which I am going to share with you today,

Goody Good Stuff Sweets

Goody Good Stuff sweets are an alternative to gelatine based sweets. - which I 'm sure is music to the ears of all Vegetarian parents, and kids who find it hard to understand why they can't eat jelly based sweets. Made from real fruit juice and vegetable extracts, the sweets are suitable for both Vegetarians and Vegans. They are also meat-free, soy free, dairy free, nut free and fat free.  

Goody Good Stuff are offering one of the most extensive ranges of vegetarian sweets on the market. There are currently eight different flavours in the range; Strawberry Cream, Tropical Fruit, Sour Fruit Salad, Koala Gummy Bears, Summer Peaches, Cola Breeze, Cheery Cherries and Sour Mix and Match. 

We tried the Tropical Fruit and the Sour Fruit Salad, My kids really loved them both and were soon asking for more. I was happy that I had found an alternative to traditional gelatine-based sweets. The kids would never know the difference, and these tasted much nice.

Priced at around £1.59 per pack, Goody Good Stuff Sweets are available from Waitrose, Asda, and other health retailers, or online via the website. 

Follow @goodygoodstuff on Twitter.

Clives Pies

Clives Pies which are "handmade with love", are made by a small Vegetarian Organic Bakery in South Devon, committed to producing organic free-from foods. 

Made using Fresh veg, these Pies are marketed as a healthy alternative to their meatier counterparts. Pie Flavours include Creamy Mushroom, Rosemary & Potato, Hungarian Goulash, Arabian Chickpea, Mexican Chilli, Aloo Matar Curry, Chestnut Cassoulet, Greek Lentil & Olive, , Cheese & Potato, Vegetable Chilli, Minty Chickpea, Lentil & Olive, Aloo Gobi, and French Cassoulet

We tried the Greek Lentil and Olive, and the French Cassoulet varieties. We really enjoyed both of them. They were absolutely delicious and tasted so wholesome and full of goodness. We particularly thought that the Lentil and Olive Pie was fantastic. 

Handscooped into each Pie, Clive's Pie fillings are interesting, unique, and most importantly for a Pie, they are filled throughout the pie right to the top to ensuring that you don't get that disappointing pie-half-full feeling. As well as Pies, Clives Pies also sell Dips, Pots, Cakes and Flapjacks, 

Clives Pies can be found in health food shops and organic retailers across the UK and they are also available online. 

Follow @ClivesPies on Twitter

Delamere Dairy

Delamere Dairy produce a wide range of goats products including goats milk, cheese, yoghurt and butter. An alternative to cows milk, goats milk is said to ward against headaches, aid digestion, and even help prevent the common cold. Goats milk is also high in calcium. Additionally it also makes great by-products such as cheese and yoghurt!

We bought the Goats Cheese log with Honey and log with Herb to trys. Sliced into six easily servable pieces, they are a great versatile product and can be served cold, or used in cooking, I really loved the Goats Cheese with Honey. It is so creamy and sweet. I served it on top of a puff pastry sheet to make a delicious Goats Cheese Tart. I will be buying more as it was delicious!

Delamere Dairy products are available from Asda, Booths, Budgens, Ocado and other health food retailers. 

Follow @Delameredairy on Twitter

Smooze Fruit Ices

Smooze Fruit Ices are a unique tropical refreshing fruit ice which hail from Sumatra, Indonesia, where they are packed within hours of the coconut harvest to ensure a fresh flavour. Available in four flavours Mango & coconut, Pink Guava & coconut, Pineapple & coconut, Simply Coconut, they are packed full of goodness and contain only natural juices. 

We tried the Pink Guava and Coconut flavour which was just divine. My kids went absolutely mad for these - they are so refreshing in the particularly hot weather. 

Smooze are available online and retail at around £3.99 for 10 

Secret Sausages

Secret Sausages are Sausages with a difference - in that they are stuffed full of delicious vegetables rather than full of pork or beef. Available in a variety of flavours, they are a fantastic alternative for vegetarians, vegans and those who follow a free-from diet. We tried the Honey-Bee flavour and we found them to be really yummy. They cooked really well, they didn't break up, 

For more info, you can follow @Vegindisguise on Twitter. 

I would thoroughly recommend trying all of these fantastic Vegetarian products as they all get a huge thumbs up from me!

Featured Post: Quorn Chicken Cottage Pie

After a hectic few weeks, I have finally found some time to get back in the kitchen and start cooking again.

As a vegetarian cooking for a family of carnivores, meat substitutes can be my saving grace. I tend to use mainly substitutes from the Quorn range in my cooking. The range of meat-free substitutes has greatly improved since I was young, and now it is virtually impossible to tell the difference between the meat and Quorn versions of foods. There are some great meat-free alternatives in the Quorn range. Whilst Quorn Chicken-style pieces, and Quorn Mince seem to be the most popular, and most versatile for cooking from scratch, there are also lots of other great products which are great for those eating a meat-free diet.

However, sometimes, meals using Quorn can become a little predictable - bangers and mash, spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and the like. These are all great meals, but every once in a while it is good to try and be a bit more adventurous with Quorn, and so this week, I came up with an interesting recipe which I haven't made before.

After looking in the cupboard, I decided to go for this Quorn Chicken, Cottage style pie. I wanted to go for something non-tomato based, and also something a little more grown-up and adventurous. I decided to try a white wine and cream sauce base, and added Quorn pieces and vegetables. I then added a mashed potato topping to the base.

This is a great pie which could be made and eaten straight away, or frozen for consumption later. Why not give this dish a try and let me know what you think.

If you haven't tried the Quorn range yet, then do take a look at the options they offer in the chilled section and Freezer aisle at the supermarket.

Quorn Chicken Cottage Pie Print this Recipe Serves Four Ingredients Olive Oil 300g Quorn Chicken 1 can White Wine Sauce 2 Carrots, chopped 2 Courgettes, chopped 2 Onions,chopped  700g Potatoes 25g Butter 25-50ml Milk 100g Grated Cheese Directions Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based pan, and add the Quorn pieces to the pan. Cook for around 5 minutes stirring regularly. Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan, and continue to cook for an extra 5-10 minutes until the onions turn slightly golden.  Add the white wine sauce to the pan and stir well, combining all of the ingredients together. Cook with the lid on over a medium heat for around 20 minutes, stirring regularly.  Allow to cool a little before transferring to an oven-proof dish.  Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for around 20 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat, drain and place in a large bowl. Mash well, adding butter and milk and mixing to your desired consistency.  Spread the mashed potato of the top of the mixture in the oven-proof dish, ensuring that the mixture is completely covered. Sprinkle Cheese over the top of the potato. Cook in the oven at 200 degrees/gas mark 6 for around 25 minutes until the pie is cooked. Allow to cool a little and serve immediately.