Featured Post: Cheddar & Leek Crumble with Barbers 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddar

Ask any vegetarian and they will typically tell you that one of the things they find hardest as a vegetarian is not actually avoiding meat and fish. It is knowing which products are vegetarian, and which are not. It can be a tricky minefield to navigate as there are all sorts of products which you might think would be vegetarian, but are surprisingly not. Cheese is a typical example of such a product as some cheese is vegetarian but not all cheese is. Some vegetarians can easily get a little stuck in a rut as they may stick with a cheddar which they know is vegetarian, even if it does not have the most delicious flavour, rather than going through the hassle of trying other brands. 

Enter Barbers Vintage Reserve Cheddar - a completely vegetarian and extremely tasty and delicious Vintage Cheddar Cheese! Based in Dicheat Somerset since 1833, the sixth generation of the Barber family are now creating cheese which Vegetarians can feel completely guilt-free and comfortable about enjoying. Barbers Vintage Reserve Cheddar doesn’t contain any animal rennet or animal products and so it is completely 100% vegetarian! Using traditional “cheddaring” techniques, it takes up to two years to create this fantastic West Country 24 month matured Farmhouse Cheddar, and the proof of the quality of the cheddar is definitely in the tasting, as this cheese is full of flavour, taste and depth. I regularly buy Barbers Cheddar as I trust the brand to be vegetarian, and I also love the taste of the product. The cheddar has a distinct mature flavour, which is also very smooth and mellow at the same time and is well suited to use in a grilled cheese sandwich, alongside a nice glass of wine, or in a more creative dish!

Barbers asked me to create a recipe using their vintage reserve cheddar which would demonstrate the versatility of the product, and not compromise on taste. I decided to create a Cheddar and Leek Crumble as the simple ingredients do not mask the flavour of the cheese, and so the rich taste of the cheddar really comes through. The recipe is really easy to make and could even be made and left to cook in the slow cooker! 

I think that Cheddar and Leek Crumble is a great dish to serve all year around. This dish would make a great main course in the Spring and Summer, and would also be a great side dish to a slightly more hearty meal in the Autumn and Winter.

Barbers Vintage Reserve Cheddar is available to buy online, from the deli counters in good farm shops, and Sainsbury's, Waitrose & Morrison's stores.

I would recommend getting yourself some Barbers Cheddar and trying out this recipe as you will not be disappointed! I would love to hear what you think of this dish, so feel free to leave me a comment below with a review when you have made it!

Barbers Reserve Cheddar and Leek Crumble

Ingredients

30g butter

4 large leeks , cut into slices of around 2cm

1 onion, sliced into small pieces

400ml single cream

400ml vegetable stock

500g Barbers Vintage Reserve Cheddar Cheese, grated

1tbsp wholegrain mustard

200g breadcrumbs

50g hazelnuts, shelled, 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Melt the butter over a low heat and swish around the pan to distribute evenly. Add the onion and leeks and cook for around 5 minutes until the onion is transparent.
2. Add the cream, vegetable stock and mustard, and cook for around 15 minutes, or until the leeks start to soften. 
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 250g of the Barbers cheddar cheese, allowing it to melt into the mixture. 
4. Transfer the leeks and pan juices into a ceramic oven-proof dish. The pan juices should be just covering the leeks, but not saturating them, so you may need to remove some of the pan juice from the dish. 
5. In a blender, whizz the nuts and breadcrumbs together until finely chopped. Take 125g of the Barbers Cheddar and stir through the mixture. 
6. Sprinkle the other 125g of the cheddar over the top of the leek and pan juices.
7. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the leeks and cheese. Spread evenly to cover.
8. Bake for around 25 minutes in the oven, or until the crumble topping turns golden
9. Serve immediately. 

Disclosure: Products and payment offered in consideration for review and recipe development

May Finds - a NVW Special: Amy's Kitchen, Fragata Olives and Mildreds Cookbook

So, how are you enjoying National Vegetarian Week so far? Well, today I am featuring some more fantastic vegetarian brands whose products are perfect to sample during National Vegetarian Week. 

Amy's Kitchen 
Amy's Kitchen, the leading natural frozen food brand in the USA have been in the UK since 2010 and have been leading the way in changing the perception of frozen food. The Berliner family named the range after their daughter Amy, and have ensured that their range retains that "made with love" homemade taste. Amy’s Kitchen is a great alternative to cooking from scratch and still having a wholesome meal. The products are made from all natural ingredients and are all Vegetarian and Gluten Free guaranteeing that you won't find any hidden nasties or surprises in the food.

To celebrate National Vegetarian Week, we were sent a selection of Amy's Kitchen products to try. Having sampled the range before, I know that they are well known for their delicious food and so we were excited to try some different products.

For breakfast this week I sampled the Breakfast Sandwich made with meat-free sausage and scrambled tofu - much healthier than a fast food version and twice as delicious too! I also loved the Mexican Bean and Cheese Burrito which I ate alongside the kids. They had the rice mac and cheese, and the vegetable lasagne and both agreed that their dinner was "scrumptious".

We love Amy's Kitchen products. They are convenient, easy to serve and the quality is second to none. I would definitely recommend trying them - whether you are vegetarian or not!

Amy's Kitchen products are available from most major supermarkets.




Fragata Olives
It's always exciting to receive antipasti through the post, especially as we have held a few social gatherings recently and needed some essential nibbles to keep everyone well nourished until the main meal was ready. We were sent a range of antipasti from Fragata Olives who produce and distribute olives from family owned olives groves in Seville, Spain. Fragata allow you to savour the taste of Spain whilst enjoying the great British weather! They also feature Olives and other Mediterranean specialities such as Capers, Pimiento Piquillo Peppers and Guindillas (hot yellow peppers) in their range. Alongside their own olives, which are available stuffed and pitted with lots of varieties, they also have a range of Greek olives and antipasti.

Olives and antipasti are a great source of essential vitamins and ‘good fats'. They are also versatile and can be added to lots of different dishes. I mainly tend to eat them as they are, or use them in a salad or a bowl of pasta, but apparently, you can even make them into olive ice cream.

I enjoyed sampling the Fragata range of antipasti, The olives were delicious, and the sweet red peppers were out of this world. You can use them however you like. Whether you include them in a salad, mix into a main meal, whip them up in to a pasta or even make some olive ice cream! Fragata products are available from most major supermarkets.

Mildred's Cookbook

This month a new cook book is released from Mildreds - one of the longest-standing and most popular vegetarian restaurants in London. For over twenty five years Mildreds has been at the heart of vegetarian cafe culture, serving up budget friendly dishes to veggies and non veggies alike.

Now they have decided to immortalise some of those famous dishes in Mildreds The Vegetarian Cookbook, a new and exciting cookbook with delicious recipes to suit every budget and cooking skill. This book makes it really easy for people to embrace a no-meat diet, as there are over one hundred mouth-watering recipes to choose from.

What I love about this book is that the dishes come from such a wide a varied variety of countries and cultures. This is good food at it's best, made with delicious, fresh ingredients, which are easy to source and easy to cook with. I have been drooling over the pictures of the food, and I also love the pictures of love the pictures of the restaurant interspersed throughout the book.

I'm looking forward to trying the Sun-blushed tomato and Mozzarella Arancini with warm grilled aubergine and courgette salad, as Arancini is one of my absolute favourite dishes. I also like the look of the Mango Fool and the Maple Pecan Pie!

I would encourage you to purchase Mildreds: The Cookbook and give the recipes a go, because whether you are a vegetarian or not, I guarantee you will be inspired to enjoy some delicious, exciting vegetarian dishes in the comfort of your own home!

Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook by Mildreds, Photography by Jonathan Gregson, Published by Mitchell Beazley, £25, www.octopusbooks.co.uk

Disclosure: Products offered in consideration for review

Review: Ocado #Vegchallenge for National Vegetarian Week

Continuing our National Vegetarian Week theme, today I am featuring some fantastic Vegetarian brands which can be found at Ocado. 

Did you know that Ocado now has an Ocado Vegetarian shop? I am a regular Ocado customer and I have to admit that even I didn't know that Ocado has a Vegetarian Shop. However, now that I have found it, I am super excited that I did as my online shop has now got even easier because pretty much every Vegetarian product I might want to buy is now all in one place!

The new Ocado Vegetarian shop combines a mixture of eating and drinking occasions with specific essentials all in one shop, making it extremely convenient for vegetarians to find exactly what they need in as little time as possible  and who has time to spend ages shopping online? Definitely not me!

Ocado now had one of the best veggie-friendly ranges available on the market. Whether you follow a completely vegetarian diet, or you are one of the one million people who likes to observe ‘Meat Free Monday’, Ocado has lot of great products to support your dietary choices.

At Ocado, I tend to opt for firm favourites such as Quorn, Cauldron and Higgidy. However, there are also some new exciting vegetarian food brands on the market including new-comers La Tua Pasta, Smoke and Pickle and Raw Health.

Ocado sent me some products to review including Higgidy Feta and Red Pepper Veggie Rolls, Spinach and Pine nut Bites from Great Food and Goodlife Nut burgers. Alongside these, included some chicken pieces from the veg deli, Soupologie soup and marinated tofu. We eat a variety of "convenience" veggie foods *such as quorn cocktail sausages) and meals which I cook from scratch, so it's always good to have a few go to brands for each.

Often as vegetarians, the range of foods available can be quite boring and bland, but these interesting and exciting brands just go to prove that being vegetarian is not about eating food which tastes like cardboard as it may have been twenty years ago! These Feta and Red Pepper veggie rolls were a clear hit with my girls. They actually requested them rather than their usual sausage rolls and wolfed them down. I tried them too and I have to say that they are probably one of the most interesting and delicious veggie products I have ever tasted.

Tonight I am aiming to make a chicken stew with the Veg Deli chicken pieces. it is a really versatile product, which you could have on salads, in stir fries, in a pie, or it also has many other uses. However, tonight I am going to make a stew with the Veg Deli Chicken Pieces using my slow cooker. Here is the recipe: 

One-pot Veggie Chicken Stew: Quick and Easy Version

Ingredients
2 x Homepride White Wine Sauce
2 Carrots - sliced into small pieces
2 Onions, chopped into small pieces
500g Mushrooms - chopped into small pieces
Box Veg Deli Chicken Pieces
Olive Oil

Method

1. Add the white wine sauce and carrots to a slow cooker pot. 
2. Fry the onions and mushrooms for around five minutes. 
3. Add the Veg Deli Chicken and continue to cook for a further two to three minutes.
4. Drain the oil and transfer the chicken and vegetables to the slow cooker.
5. Stir to combine. 
6. Cook for around four hours on high, or eight hours on low. 
7. Serve with rice, or allow to cool cover in pastry and make into a chicken and vegetable pie! 

So that is my idea of what to do with one of the ingredients from the Ocado Vegetarian range - what;s yours? Any ideas for the sauerkraut? 

Disclosure: Products offered in consideration for review

Featured Post and Review: Glorious SkinnyLicious Vegetarian Soups

Today I am showcasing the perfect product to kick off National Vegetarian Week 2015, especially if you are a carnivore joining us vegetarians for the week and missing your meat already!

Glorious Foods, the makers of sauces, dips and soups recently released their range of SkinnyLicious vegetarian soups by GLORIOUS!  - a soup range full of exciting and adventurous vegetarian flavours,

All of the SkinnyLicious soups are less that 2% fat and under 150 calories per portion. That's great for those who are on a diet, or maybe just wanting to watch their calorie intake. However, one thing that Glorious has not compromised on is the taste. With delicious flavours such as "New England in Autumn", "Singapore Fling" and "Goa Express", the soup range contains interesting flavour combinations from around the world. 

Here is an overview of the different vegetarian flavours: 

San Antonio: Meat-free chilli soup, made with four bean mix and basmati rice

Goa Express: Tomato, lentils, low fat yogurt and Goan spice

New England in Autumn: Butternut squash with a hint of cumin

Persian Hug: Roast tomato soup with eastern spice, saffron and mint

Singapore fling: Crushed tomato and coconut soup with basmati rice, lemongrass (Waitrose exclusive)

Thai tuk tuk: Carrot soup infused with coconut, lime leaves and lemongrass

More Bangalore: Daal, lentil and chickpea soup with garam masala, curry leaves and mago chutney  (Tesco exclusive)

Sun kissed Sicily: Tomato and balsamic soup with roast garlic, fennel

I actually purchased some of these soups previously to being offered them for review as they looked so appetising when I saw them in the supermarket. We were sent the full range of vegetarian soups to sample. Particular SkinnyLicious favourites of ours included the San Antonio meat-free chilli soup, which definitely rivalled a delicious bowl of chilli. and the Singapore fling with it's creamy coconut flavour. Each one definitely felt like a taste of the exotic, and was different to anything I had smapled before.

The SkinnyLicious soup range makes a refreshing change to the drab, boring plain flavours of soup one is typically subjected to as a vegetarian. I absolutely loved the bold interesting flavours and was excited to sample each one. These soups are extremely filling, and absolutely delicious. You really feel like you have had a meal, and aren’t craving anything else afterward, like you might typically do with a bowl of soup. 

Glorious SkimyLicious Soups are available in all major supermarkets, and I would definitely recommend giving them a try as they are a fantastic range!

Disclosure: This is a featured post which I received payment for and products were offered in consideration for review

National Vegetarian Week - Monday 18th - Sunday 24th May

National Vegetarian Week 2015 starts this coming Monday and so I just wanted to say "Happy Veggie Week!" to all of my readers. Thanks to those of you who follow my blog and recipes and leave comments.

Whether you are already vegetarian, or just thinking about it for this week, then you can find some fantastic recipes in the recipe section of my blog.

This week I will be featuring some delicious recipes and products to celebrate National Vegetarian Week, so watch out for furher updates during the week!

Jewelled Persian Rice from Amira

Today I am featuring a delicious Vegetarian recipe fit for a Princess, which is rather apt given the birth of the newest member of the royal family! 

Amira is a new speciality rice brand, sold in over forty countries worldwide which provides quality, delicious aromatic rice to bring that gourmet touch to every meal. Founded one hundred years ago by the Chanana family, Amira produces delicious, high quality premium specialty rice. Their expertise and commitment to the rice ageing process ensures a flavoursome and aromatic quality to their basmati. Amira’s flagship products are matured for a minimum of twelve months, giving them a distinctive and delicious flavour. Deriving its name from the Sanskrit word for “fragrant one”, basmati is known for its distinctive, sweet aroma.



Amira has several key attributes that make it a high quality grain worth cooking with:

• ​​Delicious flavour
• Longer grains 
• Up to 1.5 times longer than traditional basmati rice
• Aged to perfection. Amira’s rice is aged for 12-18 months to improve the taste

Indeed, Amira is one of the highest quality rice variants available in the UK and their Superior Aromatic grain is the rice of choice in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants Trishna and Gymkhana.

With such high endorsements, I was excited to try Amira's superior aromatic rice. Amira sent me the ingredients to sample their Jewelled Persian Rice with Pomegranates, Walnuts & Parsley

The recipe took a little while to prepare, but you can't rush perfection! I would recommend cooking this dish for friends and family during a relaxed meal perhaps alongside a glass of wine, where you can chat during the cooking.

I really noticed the difference using Amira rice vs. using other rice. The grains of rice were much longer, and the texture was much more silky smooth. I loved the Jewelled Persian Rice recipe - the pomegranates and the walnuts mixed together so well with the rice and I thought that the sticky rice I scraped from the bottom of the pan (tahdig) was especially delicious.

Amira can be found on the shelves of Waitrose, Morrison's, Tesco and Asda. The next time you are considering buying rice, I would recommend giving this brand a try. I'd love to hear what you think!

Disclosure: Ingredients offered in consideration for review