Vegan Spanish Omelette

I found the recipe for this on Chef Chloe’s Blog and just had to try it out. There are loads more delicious looking recipes so take a look.

Of course I couldn’t help playing with it a bit, and slightly changed the recipe to suit me.

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It was wonderful. I’ve missed omelette so much…

Ingredients

  • 1 potato, thinly sliced
  • 7 ounces soft tofu
  • 2 tbsp vegan margarine
  • 3 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp swiss vegetable bullion
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1 tbsp nut milk
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 courgette, shredded
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 4 button mushrooms halved
  • Fresh chives, for garnish

1. Simmer the potato slices until they slide off of a fork stabbed into them.

2. Blend tofu, marge, cornflour, baking powder, salt, pepper, turmeric and mustard.

3. In a large frying pan fry the onions until brown, add the courgette, potatoes and mushrooms.

4. After a few minutes add the tofu mixture, mix to coat the vegetables evenly then smooth it out evenly.

5. Fry on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes until firm. Add the tomatoes on top.

6. Pre-heat the grill place the pan under until the top is golden brown.

7. sprinkle with chives and serve.

Simple Fruit Salad

Fruit salad for breakfast means its summer, whether the sky outside agrees with you or not. In this rain I definitely need a reminder that it’s summer.

AgfaPhotoWhat’s in it?

1/2 kiwi

1/2 an apple

1/2 banana

dried apple

dried cranberries

dried raisins

mixed nuts- hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts.

Breakfasts always a good time to use up some of my treats from Graze, which is where the delicious selection of nuts and dried fruit came from. =)

15-115

Order yours with this code (27WZJCC) and get your first box free! =)

Hay on Wye Festival of Literature

I love Hay Festival, volunteering to steward or attending you’re certain to find a mix of mind expanding talks on everything from arts, literature, religion and philosophy, comedy, politics, education, the environment, food, the list goes on…

Hay_Festival_flowe_1866114a*Image from The Telegraph

The festival goes on between the 23rd may – 2nd june, and there are plenty of events, expensive, cheap and free.

There is also an excellent fringe festival filled with books, food and clothes stalls, music and entertainment.

I thought I’d tell you about the food, plants, nature, environment and health events.

John Whaite, Tom & Henry Herbert

BAKE ON

Event 23 • Friday 24 May 2013, 7pm • Venue: Digital Stage

The 2012 Great British Bake Off champion is joined by The Fabulous Baker Brothers to celebrate the national obsession, and to design a 26th birthday cake for the festival. Chaired by Sarah Crompton.

Price: £7.00

Giles Coren talks to Paul Blezard

HOW TO EAT OUT: LESSONS FROM A LIFE LIVED MOSTLY IN RESTAURANTS

Event 112 • Sunday 26 May 2013, 7pm • Venue: Barclays Pavilion

Bad waiters, bum tables, little rip-offs, big cons, old fish, cheap meat, yesterday’s soup and tomorrow’s gastroenteritis… The splenetic humorist tells us how to avoid the lot, and even come out of it with free champagne and a dish named after you by way of apology.

Price: £7.00

Lucy Boyd talks to Monty Don

THE ROSE GRAY TABLETALK; KITCHEN MEMORIES

Event 147 • Monday 27 May 2013, 1pm • Venue: Google’s Big Tent

This year’s foodie conversation given in the name of the River Café founder features her daughter, the chef and head gardener at the Michelin-starred Petersham Nurseries Café. Her cooking and gardening experience has guided Lucy throughout her 8-year partnership with award-winning chef Skye Gyngell and nurtured a fascination for Italian vegetables and salads, herbs and edible flowers.

Price: £6.00

Rowan Williams, Neil MacGregor and friends

THE MICHAEL RAMSEY PRIZE LUNCH

Event 194 • Tuesday 28 May 2013, 1pm • Venue: Richard Booth’s Cookshop

Please join us for a simple and delicious, locally-sourced light lunch and the presentation of the 2013 Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing, hosted by the former Archbishop of Canterbury and the Director of the British Museum.

See also events 186 and 196.

Includes two courses and a glass of wine.

Price: £28.00

Mark Price talks to Kamal Ahmed

SUPER MARKETS

Event 242 • Wednesday 29 May 2013, 4pm • Venue: Starlight Stage

Come and quiz the Waitrose MD on food and farming, ethical and essential consumption, competition, partnership and price. Chaired by the business editor of The Telegraph.

Price: £7.00

Mark Hix talks to Dylan Jones

ON BAKING

Event 383 • Saturday 1 June 2013, 4pm • Venue: Digital Stage

The chef patron of Hix Oyster and Chop House and Hix Oyster and Fish House in Dorset, conjures anything that can be cooked in the dry heat of an oven, from a honey-baked ham to a sophisticated saffron custard tart.

Price: £6.00

Jay Rayner

A GREEDY MAN IN A HUNGRY WORLD

Event 393 • Saturday 1 June 2013, 7pm • Venue: Sky Arts Studio

The doctrine of local food is dead. Farmers’ markets are merely a lifestyle choice for the affluent middle classes. And ‘organic’ has become little more than a marketing label that is way past its sell-by date. The celebrated food writer ‘brings it on’.

Price: £6.00

Molly Scott Cato and Polly Higgins

CREATING A RESILIENT WORLD

Event 2 • Thursday 23 May 2013, 11.30am • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

Is it possible to manage resources fairly and equitably? A strong local economy is important to sustainability, but how large is a local economy and how self-reliant can it be? What part does the law play in ensuring a resilient environment for all and preventing exploitation by the few? The Telegraph’s Geoffrey Lean chairs.

Price: £5.00

Rob Yorke, Simon Fairlie, Milly Wastie and Conor Colgan

FARMS FIT FOR THE FUTURE

Event 3 • Thursday 23 May 2013, 1pm • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

Horsemeat, Schmallenberg disease, fuel costs, drought, floods… From preventing food riots to maintaining the environment, how does our primary industry square up to the challenges ahead? Rural commentator Rob Yorke discusses with Editor of The Land Simon Fairlie, Young Farmers Chair Milly Wastie and the NFU’s Conor Colgan.

Price: £5.00

Sandy Black

THE SUSTAINABLE FASHION HANDBOOK

Event 5 • Thursday 23 May 2013, 2.30pm • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

Can the fashion industry ever be truly sustainable? With a wasteful, fast-moving fashion cycle and the social impact on the 40 million people employed worldwide in manufacturing and agriculture, it’s going to be an interesting journey. One of the world’s pioneering authorities in this field in conversation with Hay-on-Earth Director Andy Fryers.

Price: £5.00

John Browne

SEVEN ELEMENTS

Event 64 • Saturday 25 May 2013, 7pm • Venue: Digital Stage

The former BP chief examines the current and future use of the Earth’s natural resources in his fascinating survey,Seven Elements That Have Changed The World: Iron, Carbon, Gold, Silver, Uranium, Titanium, Silicon. Chaired by The Telegraph’s business editor Kamal Ahmed.

Price: £7.00

Roger Thurow

FEEDING THE WORLD

Event 93 • Sunday 26 May 2013, 1pm • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

How will we feed a growing global population in the face of a wide range of adverse factors, including climate change? What contributions can the social and natural sciences make in finding solutions, and what is the role for governments and the private sector? What does it all mean for the individual farmer? The author The Hunger Season discusses withThe Telegraph’s Environment Editor, Geoffrey Lean.

Sold Out

Satish Kumar, Roger Thurow, Elisha London and Sally Copley

CAN WE REALLY BE THE GENERATION TO END WORLD HUNGER?

Event 123 • Sunday 26 May 2013, 8.30pm • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

One in eight people in the world still go to bed hungry despite our planet providing enough food for everyone. With the UK hosting the G8 Summit in June, what will they deliver to tackle this scandal? Resurgence & Ecologist editor, Satish Kumar; author and journalist Roger Thurow; the Global Poverty Project Director Elisha London; and Oxfam’s Head of UK Campaigns (and chair of IF’s Organising Committee) Sally Copley suggest ways forward.

Price: £5.00

Mark Lynas, Philip Ball and guests

SACRED COWS MAKE THE BEST BEEFBURGERS

Event 160 • Monday 27 May 2013, 4pm • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

Challenging firmly-held beliefs is not to be undertaken lightly. However, it is crucial in all walks of life if societies are to develop and be capable of meeting new challenges. Author and campaigner Mark Lynas and renowned science writer Philip Ball discuss. Chaired by Andy Fryers.

Price: £5.00

Russ Malkin, Ed Gillespie and Kate Rawles

LOW IMPACT TRAVEL

Event 172 • Monday 27 May 2013, 7pm • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

What does it mean for the future of travel if exploring our ‘Lonely Planet’ risks destroying our ‘Only Planet’? Malkin produced and directed three motorcycle adventure TV documentaries, Gillespie travelled around the world without flying, and Rawles (The Carbon Cycle) cycled from Texas to Alaska. Chaired by Steve Colling.

Price: £5.00

Alannah Weston, Steve Trent and Lily Cole

SHARKS AND BEAUTY

Event 290 • Thursday 30 May 2013, 4pm • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

There is a largely unknown and unseen use of sharks in the beauty trade. Addressing this issue is vital to stopping the rapid decline in shark populations and also why this is crucial in a broader context for the health of our oceans. Weston, Creative Director of Selfridges, the Environmental Justice Foundation’s Trent and model and campaigner Cole discuss.

Price: £6.00

John Sulston

THE ROYAL SOCIETY LECTURE; THE PEOPLE AND THE PLANET

Event 292 • Thursday 30 May 2013, 5.30pm • Venue: Barclays Pavilion

The Nobel Laureate discusses the links between global population, consumption and the environment, and the implications for sustainable development. How can we all live and flourish on a finite Earth?

Price: £7.00

Tony Juniper and Jim Robbins

DOES MONEY REALLY GROW ON TREES?

Event 366 • Saturday 1 June 2013, 11.30am • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

Nature’s uses and abuses, physical, social and psychological, and one man’s quest to help save the world’s oldest and greatest tree specimens. One of Britiain’s best-known environmental campaigners joins New York Times journalist and author Jim Robbins.

Price: £6.00

Julia Hailes, Ben Law, Janet Cotterell

GREENING BUILDINGS

Event 372 • Saturday 1 June 2013, 1pm • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

Grand Designs icon Ben Law discusses a more sustainable approach to buildings with Passivhaus expert Janet Cotterell and Green Consumer guru, Julia Hailes. Chaired by Hay-on-Earth Director Andy Fryers.

Price: £5.00

George Monbiot

FERAL: REWILDING THE LAND, THE SEA AND HUMAN LIFE

Event 382 • Saturday 1 June 2013, 4pm • Venue: Sky Arts Studio

The campaigning journalist argues for the mass restoration of damaged ecosystems, the reintroduction of wolves, lynx, beavers, moose and boar to Britain, and a life richer in adventure and surprise. Chaired by Horatio Clare.

Price: £7.00

Dianne Edwards talks to Francine Stock

FROM ANCIENT HAY TO GARDENS TODAY

Event 241 • Wednesday 29 May 2013, 4pm • Venue: Sky Arts Studio

Plants changed the face of the planet – and fossils from Hay and around the world have revealed how this happened. Edwards tells the story of these ancient plants, which led to the gardens, forests and landscapes we know today.

Price: £5.00

Kate Humble talks to Carolyn Hitt

HUMBLE BY NATURE

Event 247 • Wednesday 29 May 2013, 5.30pm • Venue: Barclays Pavilion

The broadcaster and farmer tells the story of her relocation to a Welsh farm, chasing the good life dream and her struggle to establish a sustainable business and a school for rural skills and animal husbandry.

Price: £8.00

Andrew Balmford

NATURE’S GLASS: HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL?

Event 270 • Thursday 30 May 2013, 11.30am • Venue: Google’s Big Tent

Wild populations, their habitats, and the benefits they provide for people, are in decline. But is the situation hopeless? The Professor of Conservation Science tells stories of success from around the world to argue the case of optimism.

Price: £5.00

Sadaf Farooqi

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY SERIES 5; WHAT MAKES US FAT?

Event 117 • Sunday 26 May 2013, 7pm • Venue: Starlight Stage

In an age of obesity where sugary, fatty food is available 24/7, will it ever be possible to control our appetites? The Professor of Metabolism and Medicine describes how the brain and not the stomach controls what and how much we eat; and how scientists are working to conquer the many triggers for overeating. Chaired by Rosie Boycott.

Sold Out

Deborah Christie talks to Rosie Boycott

DIABETES: CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Event 128 • Monday 27 May 2013, 9am • Venue: Digital Stage

The Consultant Clinical Psychologist addresses the issues arising from the fact that children and young people are increasingly among those being diagnosed with diabetes but only 1 in 6 of them succeed in controlling it, despite support from parents and professionals.

Price: £5.00

Alun Withey

MEDICINE IN MEDIEVAL WALES

Event 307 • Friday 31 May 2013, 9am • Venue: Landmarc 100 Stage

What was it like to be ill in medieval Wales? What remedies did people use and to whom did they turn for treatment? Chaired by Jasper Rees.
Jasper Rees is author of Bred Of Heaven.

Price: £5.00

John Bird in conversation with Marcel Berlins

THE NECESSITY OF POVERTY

Event 411 • Sunday 2 June 2013, 10am • Venue: Llwyfan Cymru – Wales Stage

The founder of The Big Issue mounts a blistering attack on orthodox thinking around the gap between rich and poor, sparing neither himself nor others in identifying what needs to be done to end poverty.

Price: £6.00
It’s a long post without many pictures, sorry, but I hope it’s caught your interest and I’ll see you there!
Lots of talks which you can link to a love of food, concern for the environment, health and our world.
No specifically vegetarian or vegan ones though, so hopefully I ‘ll find some people to have a picnic with and start our own mini-event in the week.

Need a Snack? – Fruit and Nut Mix

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A great snack while your watching a film, to take out and about or feeling peckish at work. This is much healthier than chocolates or crisps and really tasty so give it a try.

To be economic I mix cheap raisins from the baking section of shops with more expensive dried fruits like cranberries, apricots, dates, prunes in one jar and mix up different types of nuts in another.

A handful of each makes a lovely munch.

Why is it good?

raisins; lots of b vitamins, high energy, fibre, calcium, oleanolic acid for a healthy mouth, potassium and magnesium to reduce acidity and toxins.

cranberries; high in vitamin c, antioxidants, fight bacterial infections, strengthen immune system.

apricots; loads of beta-carotene, fibre, vitamin a, vitamin c, antioxidants, potassium.

dates; a rich source of protein,amino acids and fibre for digestion, B vitamins, vitamin a, vitamin c, natural sugars for energy, iron.

cashews; source of monounsaturated fats, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus.

hazelnuts; unsaturated fats such as oleic acid, magnesium, manganese, b vitamins, vitamin e – great for your skin.

walnuts; phenolic acids, omega 3 fats, manganese, copper, tannins, flavonoids, vitamin e,

To be wary of;

Dried fruits that contain loads of sugar, they don’t need it, it’s not good!

Fruits dried using sulphites, 1 in 100 people are sensitive to it. – organic products do not contain them.

Salt in nuts, again they are delicious and creamy without it. Try looking in the baking section or whole food shops for unsalted nuts.

 

 

Pink Smoothie, Green Smoothie

They’ve been taking the health and vegetarian blogging world by storm so I thought it’s about time I tried it out.

The GREEN smoothie…

Usually I stick as many pink and red fruits into my smoothies as possible. They tend to contain high quantities of berries alongside the staples of apple, banana or pear with milk or juice.

Here’s my favourite fruit smoothie;

strawberries

blueberries

raspberries

apple

banana

kiwi

almond milk

agave syrup – optional

Blended

AgfaPhotoBut this is not GREEN.

First I hunted for reasons why I should go with this green thing anyway, I LIKE my pink smoothies…

So most of the highest in the list of reasons seems to be;

  • Weight loss (note to self having your smoothie as well as breakfast rather than instead of won’t help!)
  • It’s an easy way to eat lots of fruit and vegetables.
  • Blending improves digestion, as the cells of plants are broken down.
  • High in anti-oxidants and phytonutrients – for detoxing
  • Vitamin and mineral boost – from all the fruit and veg you’ve squashed in.
  • Rich in Chlorophyll for the immune system.
  • Balances your body with alkaline.

The most succinct and simple place to find these is incrediblesmoothies.com

But along with this comes a fierce argument that green smoothies are bad. After researching I decided that they are FINE but not if you obsess and drink loads, cut down on your normal fruit or veg intake because of it, or eat nothing else all day. Basically being sensible seems the way to go.

The main warnings were;

  • oxalic acid, which is a toxin and can in high quantities cause issues.
  • low fibre because of the juicing/ blending.
  • surge of glucose because of the juicing/ blending.

That seems to be it. mainly stemming from this article.  For a more balanced argument look here.

Here is my green smoothie;

1/2 cucumber

2 handfuls spinach

2 asparagus

1 kiwi

1 apple

handful green grapes

handful mint

1 tbsp ground linseed

little bit of almond milk

Blended.

AgfaPhotoAnd do you know what, IT WAS DELICIOUS! Thick, sharp from the kiwi, minty, fresh from the cucumber, fruity from the apple. YUM.

Tasty Treats, Cinnamon Swirls and Danish Pastries

These marvellous treats were cooked up by my mum on a whim. Wonder Woman!

What you need;

ready-made puff pastry (check it’s vegan)

ready-made marzipan (check again)

agave syrup

chopped nuts

raspberry jam (optional)

brown sugar

raisins

cinnamon

icing sugar

lemon

Here’s her recipe;

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I just made a square of ready-made puff pastry put a thin square of ready-made marzipan in the middle and pulled the corners in, then I put a teaspoon of agave syrup and some chopped nuts on top. I wanted to put raspberry jam on the top but didn’t have any and the magic is done  easy-peasy.

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The other ones I just added some brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins into an oblong of pastry, rolled it up into a swiss roll shape and cut it up into circles….. Oh and i made some icing with icing sugar and lemon juice and dribbled it over. I should have waited for the pastry to cool first though as it just disappeared but did leave a slight lemon taste, would have been nicer if you could see it too.

Tomatoes

Now I always knew I liked Tomatoes, from http://notensions.blogspot.in;

The Secret To Staying Slim

The secret to staying slim could be as simple as slipping some tomatoes into your sandwich.It is thought the fruit is rich in compounds that alter levels of appetite hormones and leave us feeling satisfied.

Snacking between meals is a common pitfall of dieters, and the humble tomato could provide them with a cheap and easy way to keep hunger at bay.

Reading University researchers investigated the benefits of enriching white bread with fruit and vegetables. A small group of women of normal weight, aged between 18 and 35, were offered cream cheese sandwiches made with white bread or bread enriched with carrots and tomatoes.

The researchers expected the extra fibre to make the carrot-bread lunches the most filling. Instead, the tomato bread was the most satisfying, a nutritional conference in France heard.

Researcher Dr Julie Lovegrove said: “They were given the sandwiches in a random order and we recorded how full they said they were. It was a small study, and we can’t yet say what the crucial tomato ingredient is, but the results were statistically significant.”

The appetite-suppressing ingredient could be lycopene, which gives tomatoes their red colour and has already been credited with warding off cancer and boosting fertility. Studies also show that tomatoes can help heart health.

Regular servings of tomato sauce and juice lower cholesterol levels in a matter of weeks. If that wasn’t enough, tomato based dishes may protect against sunburn and keep skin looking healthy into old age.

Tomatoes are also rich in vitamin C, which helps the body heal wounds and absorb iron.

Pizza!

I’ve been making lovely Pizza’s again. Between my first pizza and tart blogs and now I’ve even taken a few ‘italian tarts’ and ‘caramelised onion and squash tarts‘ to a wedding buffet, they went down a treat. =)

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A few posh tips because that’s what mood I’m in at the moment.

  • Instead of slicing the courgette I used a potato peeler and peeled lengthways to make long curls.
  • Don’t put too much on the base, it’s not strong enough to take the weight and will get difficult to eat.
  • Add a small blob of hummus to the corners of the pizza slices before cooking instead of vegan cheese, it tastes and looks better.
  • Make your tomato paste spicy by adding a little mashed chilli to the paste before spreading.
  • Or sprinkle some fresh herbs over it such as coriander, origano, thyme, parsley, etc.
  • Try making small individual pizzas instead of slicing a big one, just cut the pastry.
  • Serve with a little sweet balsamic vinegar drizzled over.
  • Eat outside in the sun!

 
AgfaPhotoFor a full recipe see my original puff pastry pizza post.