Posts tagged wegan wednesdays
Wegan Wednesdays
It's OK to be vegan just one day a week.
Last Wednesday, I made a Moroccan chickpea and squash stew. I’d had this recipe earmarked in Hugh F-W’s River Cottage Veg Everyday cookbook for a few months already, and as spring is finally arriving, I thought it was time to leap into action before the stewy days were over.
So, here we go, with a few personal adjustments (for 4 people):
- Fry a chopped onion in sunflower oil until soft, then add a clove of garlic and a stick of celery (both chopped), half a tea spoon of ground pepper, half a tea spoon of tumeric, a quarter tea spoon of cinammon and another a small thumb of ginger, chopped (the recipe calls for ground ginger powder but I’m not a fan)
- After a few minutes add 50g red lentils, a tin of chickpeas (drained), 6 saffron strands, 250 ml of passata, a bunch of chopped parsley and chopped coriander (save some fresh coriander for the end!)
- After 15 minutes, add in the squash cut into big cubes, cover with vegetable stock and cook for 40 minutes. I added some fresh peas too, just 5 minutes before the end.
Hugh suggests adding orzo 10 minutes before the end, but I went more Moroccan and instead served the stew with couscous and harissa. Top with lots of fresh coriander.
That’ll be one to dig out next autumn!
In Mexico City for the week and I’m loving the warmth, and fresh fruit and vegetable. I’ve been having Gazpacho every day - but it’s not very photogenic, so here’s an Ensalada Todo Verde (Completely Green Salad) instead, from La Buena Tierra in Condesa.
South Indian takeaway last night, from Rasa N16 (probably my favourite place in the world): vendakka masala (okra), palak dahl (spinach and lentils) and mixed vegetable curry, served with couscous (not from Rasa!). Delicious.
Spending a few days in St Petersburg for work… It’s not very vegan-friendly but I found this delicious Uzbek Red bean stew from Caucasian restaurant Baklazhan, in the centre of town. If anyone knows how it’s made, I’m interested!
I’m working from home today which means I’m still working late but at least had the opportunity to make myself something nice rather than greasy Soho take-away! Here’s a vegan Potato and Pea curry (Aloo Matar) with ginger spinach on the side and pitta bread.
I found the recipe online from Monsoon Spice - I’d never before come across the idea of making a herb paste with lots of coriander + spices, garlic and onion. Makes the process a lot simpler and it’s very satisfying - a bit like making pesto!
Oh - and also - I found this new app (Piction) that allows you to put captions over pics. Expect more!
Coming back to London has been hard. Temperatures are below zero, and meals are often taken at my desk and/or in the dark. But that’s no excuse for neglecting the blog, and so I’m back with a snapshot of my lunch from Comptoir Libanais today.
I love food places decorated with, well, food. The walls of Le Comptoir are lined with jars of pickled lemon, harissa and couscous, as well as artisanal Lebanese market baskets. I couldn’t sit in today but enjoyed the décor before heading back to the office to enjoy my Fattoush and Falafel salad with tahini dressing. To be honest at £7.45 it’s not exactly good value, but the falafels are delicious… crunchy on the outside and doughy on the inside…
For mains we shared a spicy sour soup and pumpkin purée wrapped in Amok curry parcels. Absolutely delicious. Probably our best meal in Cambodia!
Dinner from vegetarian restaurant Samkar in Siem Reap last night. First we sampled the traditional Khmer wedding day trip of wild mushroom and coconut cream. I have the recipe at home, so will need to try it!
Vegan roadside snack in Cambodia (Kratie region): Krolan is sticky rice with beans and coconut, packed and roasted inside a bamboo tube. Delicious!
Sample of BBH Wegan Wednesday-ers’ lunches today. We have three winners: Hummus Bros, Tibits and Mrs Marengo’s. All eaten separately and in front of emails but… Better than no lunch!
