tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2 2008-07-01T20:06:08Z Movable Type 3.34 tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.69 2008-07-01T20:00:56Z 2008-07-01T20:06:08Z

A few weeks ago we had a request for a booking here at The Barn from a Belgian couple who wanted to stay in a vegan guest house. No problem….we had vacancies. Then they asked if we could do raw...

Richard http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/richard.html The Barn from a Belgian couple who wanted to stay in a vegan guest house. No problem….we had vacancies. Then they asked if we could do raw food for them as they were just starting to convert to an uncooked diet. “Well”, I said, “I suppose we can do the odd salad”. But what that started was the beginning of a really fascinating adventure for both Sandra and me. I began to explore some of the sites devoted to raw food and quickly discovered what a huge and interesting aspect of eating this is. There was, coincidentally, an article in the Vegetarian about the Raw Food School and in it there was mention of things like raw spaghetti! So I investigated further and found this amazing little kitchen tool called a Spiral Slicer that can ‘spaghettify’ almost and raw vegetable. You won’t believe the taste until you’ve tried it. A little later I was sent a review of SAF – a new, very chic restaurant in Shoreditch (London) that describes itself as providing ‘Fine Botanical Dining’. And most of what is served is raw. Well I just had to go! And I wasn’t disappointed. I had probably the tastiest (and healthiest) restaurant meal I’ve ever eaten…. Boursin ‘cheese’ followed by raw lasagne (yes I know what you’re thinking but forget it – just try it) and finished off with an apple cheesecake. Wanting to know more I booked myself on a Raw Food for Beginners course run by the wonderful Jenny Bourne. Imagine a whole day watching new creations appear before your eyes then gorging yourself on the results – heaven! You just must taste the Chocolate Pudding made with raw chocolate powder and avocados….. I’m too much of a caffeine, bread and alcohol fiend to go the whole way and eat 100% raw but I can honestly say that after a day of eating Jenny’s food I felt energised and inspired. So I’ll definitely be adding more raw food into my diet and into the menus at The Barn from now on. I thoroughly recommend it. ]]> tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.68 2008-06-17T20:25:00Z 2008-06-17T20:29:26Z

One of my favourite seasoning tools are scented oils. They are easy to prepare and keep for a while, so that they are always on hand when I need to give a dish the final touch. Here are two of...

Gabi http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/gabi.html MAGNOLIA’s Black Olives Oil and Passion Fruit Oil Ingredients:- (10 portions each) Black Olives Oil 25 gr black olives (deseeded) 1 garlic clove, peeled 1 chili, deseeded Seasalt, pepper 250 ml olive oil Passion Fruit Oil 50 ml passion fruit mark 50 ml acacia honey 150 ml olive oil Methods:- 1. Blend all ingredients for the olive finely and keep chilled and dark. 2. Cook passion fruit and honey for 15 minutes, chill and mix with the oil. Keep chilled Chef’s tip Black Olive Oil is wonderful to garnish a Summer Vegetable Salad or Grilled Summer Vegetables. Passion Fruit Oil I use to give my Radish Carpaccio with Wasabi Avocado Mayonnaise a sweet counterpart. (See next blog recipe) ]]> tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.67 2008-06-17T20:21:50Z 2008-06-17T20:23:36Z

Every now and then something comes along that blows me away with its inventiveness, passion and purpose. Guerrilla Gardening is one of those things. I first came across it a few weeks ago when I was reviewing a copy of...

Richard http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/richard.html www.guerrillagardening.org you’ll see some wonderful examples of what the undercover trowel wielders have been up to in London. You’ll also see an amazing account of the response by ‘the authorities’ to some action that most people would describe as ‘positive and helpful’ but that the Police deemed to be ‘criminal damage’. I love what the GGs are up to and I’m sure you will too. Let’s swell their ranks and show that, as one GG said ‘resistance is fertile!’ ]]> tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.66 2008-06-04T19:26:14Z 2008-06-04T19:27:13Z

I feel sorry for our Prime Minister. No really! He’s the unlucky guy who has taken over running the country just at the time when the proverbial is hitting the fan. What has been predicted for many years is seemingly...

Richard http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/richard.html I feel sorry for our Prime Minister. No really! He’s the unlucky guy who has taken over running the country just at the time when the proverbial is hitting the fan. What has been predicted for many years is seemingly happening. Climate change is literally all around us and the doomsters who have been muttering about peak oil are now quite rightly saying ‘I told you so’. We have a coming together of economic, environmental and humanitarian catastrophes across the globe. Millions of poor people are starving due to the high price of food staples and oil is rocketing in price creating a wave of price increases in almost all areas of life. And in the US where the ‘strongest economy in the world’ is seemingly collapsing, I understand the authorities in several areas have set up ‘hostels’ in car parks where people dispossessed from their homes on account of the sub-prime debacle are allowed to live on their cars with police protection to stop them being attacked. Now in some ways Gordon Brown should be feeling like he’s achieving something. His government have consistently said they want to lower CO2 emissions, get people driving and flying less. And the global economy has come to his aid. There are now reports that people are cutting back on travel and using less fuel. But what he has to contend with is a massive outcry from motorists and freight drivers who want things to go back to how they were. The pressure to do another u-turn on the car tax policy must be enormous. However, we can’t ignore what is around the corner. Oil industry analysts, including the Chief Executive of Shell are quite clear that the world has begun to run out of easy to get at petroleum. It will never be cheap again. And sometime over the course of the next 50-60 years we are going to have to move to an economy that is based on another energy source. Since there has been no technological miracle as yet it makes sense to gear ourselves up for a transition that’s as smooth as possible. And that means not going back on what has been put in place so far. We are going to have to stop driving and flying everywhere without a second thought. We are going to have to stop demanding so much meat and move to a more vegetarian, or even better, vegan diet. We are going to have to make things last and stop buying the latest gadgets from China just because they have a new feature that the old model didn’t have etc etc etc So as to the title of this blog, as I say, I feel sorry for Gordon (Brown), but I would implore him to stick to his principles (Red), stick to his stated aims (Green) and not cave in to unreasonable demands (Yellow). We’ve just got to accept the changes that are on the way and use the opportunity to make positive improvements to our lives. The Transition Network has a vision that makes this possible. Let’s all get on board! tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.65 2008-03-30T16:47:59Z 2008-03-30T16:53:44Z

Chlorophyll is a natural ingredient found in plants, which encourages the cells in the human body to absorb more Carbon Dioxide. Cucumbers are a fine example of a food that is rich in chlorophyll, as well as distilled water, and...

Gabi http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/gabi.html Shavings of young Cucumbers with Coriander, Mint and Oat flakes ‘Muesli’ Ingredients: (serves 10) 1 red chilli, finely cut 1 walnut-sized piece of fresh ginger, diced finely 8 young cucumbers with the skin, thinly sliced lengthwise ½ bunch of mint leaves ½ bunch of green coriander leaves 50ml olive oil 20ml lime juice 100g oat flakes 20g roasted pine kernels 80ml lemon juice Sea salt and pepper Method: Gently mix gently the chilli, ginger, cucumbers, mint, coriander, olive oil, lemon juice and some salt together and arrange them like a carpaccio. For the ‘muesli’, mix the oat flakes, pine kernels, lemon juice, salt and pepper and use as a garnish for the cucumber salad. ]]> tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.64 2008-03-26T13:43:30Z 2008-03-26T13:46:50Z

I got my first organic vegetable box around 13 years ago. It wasn’t a box; it was a yellow carrier bag, and it cost £5 each week. You just got what they gave you and had to pick it up...

Liz http://www.vegetarian.co.uk Thai hot and sour salad with crispy tofu You can put lots of combinations of veg in it but it MUST include the swede. I usually use carrot, peppers, swede and spring onions. I like the Taifun Japanese tofu for this dish. Chickpea noodle soup I always include the greens – cabbage, spinach or kale. I can’t find celery seeds anywhere so I use fennel seeds instead. About the only soup my husband will eat as a main meal! Ginger sesame noodles with broccoli Great just as it is! ]]> tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.63 2008-03-25T09:53:34Z 2008-03-25T09:55:46Z

Ok, great, you're vegetarian. Sounds simple, right? But being vegetarian can mean a lot of different things. One of the personal challenges of being vegetarian is figuring out exactly what it means for you. At a minimum, being vegetarian means...

Kate http://www.vegetarian.co.uk Ok, great, you're vegetarian. Sounds simple, right? But being vegetarian can mean a lot of different things. One of the personal challenges of being vegetarian is figuring out exactly what it means for you. At a minimum, being vegetarian means you don't eat meat. But it could also mean you forego seafood, dairy, eggs and honey. And what about all those products like soup, tarts, alcohol, cheese, and lollies that sometimes contain animal products such as stock, rennet and gelatine? Then there are decisions about where to draw your broader ethical line.Is it hypocritical to wear leather but forego steaks? If you only eat vegetarian cheese must you alert your host every time you go to a dinner party? Should you avoid getting a cat or dog because they will kill insects and reptiles? Should you impose your dietary choices on your children? In my experience, it's hard to draw a permanent line in the sand. Each year you'll be confronted by new questions or challenges. Learning more about your nutritional needs, environmental and animal rights issues is good way to make better choices. But being pefect can be hard, unrelenting and thankless work, and being consistent can sometimes seem impossible (as many a carnivore will gloatingly point out). Often, the best moral compass is the reason you became vegetarian in the first place. If your prime concern is the environmental impact of meat production, you may wish to give up meat and dairy but continue to eat sustainably harvested seafood. If your reasons have a religious underpinning, then your faith will provide guidance on which foods are acceptable. If becoming vegetarian is a health choice, your dietary constraints and doctor's advice are likely to determine the strictness of your habits rather than any ethical concerns. If you feel strongly about being responsible for the taking of the life of another creature, then chances are you will want to check the label on ingredients to make sure that animal products are not being used, consider the circumstances in which food was produced, and reconsider whether you are comfortable wearing cosmetics or leather goods that come from animal. I've been vegetarian for ten years and every year I've had to make decisions about my personal line in the sand. My decisions are generally a mixture of conscience and pragmatism. I find it easiest to be strict about the things which I have direct control over- i.e. the food I cook at home and the clothing I wear - and flexible when I'm in a situation with little control - i.e. the type of cheese used at a dinner party by a new friend. I'm also conscious that a one-off choice can sometimes achieve more than trying to change an ongoing habit - i.e. if you only need to purchase a durable cruelty free item once, but stopping yourself from drinking beer or wine week in and week out may be difficult to keep up. And it's amazing the difference some research can make, for example, to find brands or products which meet your ethical standards, or to research food dishes in foreign countries before you visit them. Ultimately, I've had to face up to the fact that I'm an imperfect vegetarian. I don't always grill restaurants on the full list of ingredients that they use in each dish, I eat some dairy and egg products, own leather shoes, and my love for my cat is undiminished by his penchant for killing flies. But I've reconciled myself to imperfection by making sure I've thought through my choices, and reminding myself that all changes to diet and lifestyle, no matter how small, can still make a difference. And for the moment that's good enough for me. tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.62 2008-03-23T11:06:14Z 2008-03-23T11:09:06Z

My last two posts have focused on some major issues namely declining oil production, rising energy prices and the soaring cost of food staples like wheat and soya. All pretty heavy stuff but, it has to be said, they are...

Richard http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/richard.html My last two posts have focused on some major issues namely declining oil production, rising energy prices and the soaring cost of food staples like wheat and soya. All pretty heavy stuff but, it has to be said, they are things that have been predicted for a long time. Generally speaking, very little has been done in response to these predictions and the really big question is what are we going to do about it all now that there is a reality to the warnings of troubled times ahead? An article I received a couple of days ago covered the interesting topic of how people react to threats and perceived risks. The key, it seems, is that we need to feel we have some sense of control over the perceived threat. Without being given this we exhibit symptoms of what psychologists call ‘learned helplessness’ - convincing ourselves that we have no control over a situation even when we do. An interesting learned helplessness experiment is this one: People were asked to perform a task in the presence of a loud radio. For some, the radio included a volume knob, while for others no volume knob was available. Researchers discovered that the group that could control the volume performed the task measurably better, even if they didn’t turn the volume down. That is, just the idea that they controlled the volume made them less distracted, less helpless and, in turn, more productive. I was musing on all this when I read a piece in today’s Guardian (22 March 2008) about the big rise in vegetable growing in the UK and it really made me feel good. Apparently seed suppliers have seen a big shift in the ratio of sales of seeds for flowers as opposed to vegetables. Five years ago the split was 60:40 in favour of flowers but this year it’s likely to be 70:30 in favour of veggies. And the key reasons are concerns about food miles, rising costs and people wanting to take control back over what they eat. This is great news. All over the country UK gardeners are reacting to big environmental issues. We are now growing as much veg at home as we did during the second world war and the National Lottery has been overwhelmed by applications for grants to develop local food groups wanting to grow their own produce (the Lottery has now earmarked £50m over the next five years to promote gardening in communities and schools). It would appear we are overcoming our feeling of learned helplessness and beginning to assert some control here. When I heard Rob Hopkins talking a week or so back about the ideas behind Transition Towns he encouraged the development of the ‘food inch’ concept. Locally grown fruit and vegetables transported only a short distance from the back garden or allotment and eaten in season. Sounds to me like this may be the start of a really positive gentle revolution. So when the Easter snow has melted why not dust off your spade and start digging! tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.61 2008-03-04T19:51:45Z 2008-03-04T19:52:38Z

I don’t know how many readers heard Professor Tim Laing on the Today programme this morning. He was talking about the growing world food crisis and it made sobering listening. The item followed on from a piece about the protests...

Richard http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/richard.html I don’t know how many readers heard Professor Tim Laing on the Today programme this morning. He was talking about the growing world food crisis and it made sobering listening. The item followed on from a piece about the protests by Pig Farmers about the rise in feed costs and the drop in the price they could get for pork. There’s a perfect storm brewing. With worries about oil running out coupled with concerns about carbon emissions there is a rush to produce large quantities of bio-fuel. Such is the scale of this that over 30% of the US corn crop is now grown just for ethanol (bio-fuel). This is replicated in many other countries and, as a result, staples such as wheat and soya have massively increased in price. So the age of cheap food is coming to an end and it is the poorest who will be hit hardest – as ever! Meanwhile the developed world is getting richer per capita is demanding more and more meat and dairy products to eat because they can afford it and large quantities of meat and dairy consumption continues to be a symbol of wealth. Meat and dairy, as we now know, is a very bad thing for the planet. Globally its production creates more emissions than transport. It’s also very inefficient in terms of land use requiring huge acreage and massive amounts of water in comparison to growing arable crops. Tim Laing was quite candid in saying that we all need to eat less meat and dairy products – preferably none at all. And the UK needs to use its agricultural land more effectively. We only produce 60% of the food we consume at the moment. If now is not a good time to persuade people to go veggie and preferably vegan I don’t know when would be! tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.60 2008-03-03T15:18:48Z 2008-03-03T15:19:45Z

This piece for my blog is a shameless book plug. But it’s not mine and I’m not on commission! I just want to bring it to the attention of as many people as I can…. The newly published ‘Transition Handbook’...

Richard http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/richard.html You must read this book!’ To Order your copy of ‘The Transition Handbook' ring 0845 4589910. All major credit cards accepted. ]]> tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.59 2008-02-29T10:47:18Z 2008-02-29T10:47:49Z

Vegetables are available in every colour, with each colour representing specific contents; a yellow colour represents a source of beta-carotene for example. To ensure that the body is getting all the nutrients required, it is recommended that people should eat...

Gabi http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/gabi.html Ingredients: (serves 10) 1 red chilli 1 walnut-size piece of fresh ginger 5 red capsicums 2 sticks of fresh lemon grass 5 strips of saffron 2L vegetable stock 250ml cream, whipped Sea salt Methods: Cook all of the ingredients except the cream and salt and let simmer covered for 20 minutes. Remove the chilli, blend all the remaining contents and strain finely. Season with salt and cream. ]]> tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.58 2008-02-04T09:55:26Z 2008-02-04T10:31:05Z

A few years ago Sandra, my partner, and I stayed at a great vegan guest house near Limerick in Eire. It was there that I was introduced to the gentle art of making soya milk. At the time, and in...

Richard http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/richard.html Ethical Juicers site for products and info. If you want to go for the traditional method I’ve included details below. But back to the Okara. As I say it is rich in protein and such a waste if it is just put into the bin. Composting it is better but using it in a variety of dishes is best. The problem with Okara is that it is completely tasteless – rather like Tofu. So you need to flavour it to make the most of it. Now that I run The Barn Vegetarian Guest House I’ve been experimenting with ways to use the Okara to good effect for our guests. Added to many recipes it can lighten the texture (soups, gratins etc). And it can be preserved by keeping it in the fridge in an airtight container (up to a week) or freezing (three months or so). I’ve included three recipes below but there’s a big range of options so after you have tried these let me know what you come up with….. Oh – and if you just want to use Okara you can buy it from Oriental grocery stores in dried form. You have to reconstitute it by simmering in water. Soya Milk 200g soya beans – fresh as possible, preferably organic and gm free Method: Soak the beans overnight in a bowl of water. Drain and rinse then liquidize to a creamy consistency (1 cup beans to 1 cup water). Bring 6 cups water to the boil in a large saucepan and then add the liquidized beans. Bring to the boil 3 times. Line a colander with muslin, place over a clean bowl and strain mixture through it. Okara Croquettes Ingredients: 60g Okara (left over from making one batch of soya milk above) 60g self raising flour Half a small red onion peeled and finely chopped 1tsp vegan bouillon powder 1tsp mustard powder 1tbsp tamari sauce Wholemeal breadcrumbs Method: Mix all ingredients except the breadcrumbs together then divide into walnut sized portions. Coat in breadcrumbs and fry gently in groundnut oil until golden brown. Serve with sprouted seeds and a sweet relish. Okara Patties (Gluten Free) Ingredients: 60g Okara (as above) 60g gram flour 3 spring onions peeled and chopped 1 chilli pepper deseeded and chopped 1tsp vegan bouillon powder Method: Mix all ingredients together Divide into walnut sized pieces and fry gently in groundnut oil until golden yellow. Serve with sweet chilli dipping sauce Okara Crackers Ingredients: 180g Okara 140g wholemeal flour 70g wheat germ 1tsp salt 8tbsp vegetable oil 3tbsp mashed tofu Method: Mix and knead all ingredients for 5 minutes Roll out between two sheets of wax paper until 3mm thick Place on a baking sheet and cook at 160deg C for 10 mins Serve in place of any savoury crackers ]]> tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.57 2008-02-02T09:02:58Z 2008-02-02T09:04:39Z

You get a lot of different reactions when people find out you're vegetarian, but one of the most common is "so what do you eat?" The tone is never unfriendly, but usually a blend of curiosity and bewilderment at the...

Kate http://www.vegetarian.co.uk eat?" The tone is never unfriendly, but usually a blend of curiosity and bewilderment at the idea of such high martyrdom. It's as though people genuinely struggle to imagine a meal without meat. This reaction has always puzzled me. My eating habits are hardly a mystery. I eat vegetables, grains, legumes, rice, fruit, eggs, cereals, pasta, milk and cheese. The only things I don't eat are meat and seafood, which in the greater scheme of things don't account for most types of food available. Try a thought experiment where you imagine a meal with only meat or seafood - now that would be tough. Being a vegetarian is not grounds for sainthood. With countless varieties of vegetables and herbs available, I've never felt that giving up meat involved deprivation. Quite the opposite, becoming vegetarian opened my eyes to the amazing diversity of vegetables and legumes, encouraged me to experiment with unfamiliar ingredients like quinoa and tempeh, and led me to discover non-Western European styles of cooking that are far less meat dependent. Given the abundance of vegetarian ingredients, I find it hard to understand how anyone could be at a loss to imagine what vegetarians eat. But therein lies the nub of the "what do you eat?" attitude. Many people underestimate, or aren't aware of, the huge variety of vegetarian foods and tasty ways of preparing them. It's not logical given non-meat ingredients form the basis of a healthy diet and these ingredients far outnumber their meat and seafood counterparts - but perhaps this attitude is a by-product of affluent, time-poor Western societies where people are in the habit of basing meals around meat and relying on familiar "convenience" options for meals. Or perhaps it's a symptom of "meat and three veg" syndrome, where people struggle to see vegetables as anything other than an over-boiled, under-dressed accompaniment to steak. Whatever the reason, and however well-intentioned, it's wrong to assume that vegetarians are the poor cousins of carnivores. On the contrary, the real tragedy is the poverty of imagination that prevents people from imagining what a healthy, delicious vegetarian meal looks like. ]]> tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.56 2008-01-29T13:58:24Z 2008-01-29T15:02:51Z

There’s a lot of debate about “fake” meat. Some people can’t understand why vegetarians want to eat something that imitates meat and some vegetarians eat them an awful lot. I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t rely on them, or...

Liz http://www.vegetarian.co.uk There’s a lot of debate about “fake” meat. Some people can’t understand why vegetarians want to eat something that imitates meat and some vegetarians eat them an awful lot. I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t rely on them, or use them often, but there are some products I do like. Some of my meat eating family do like some of the products but I’d never serve them to a meat eater otherwise. I’d much rather prove that vegan food doesn’t rely on these products and that you can make tasty meals without them. But on a hungover Saturday morning, I’m afraid a sausage butty hits the spot like no kind of healthy natural alternative ever could! Let me start though by clarifying an issue about “fake” meat. In my opinion, tofu, seitan and tempeh aren’t at all fake meats. They are natural products which have been used for years and years and are food products in their own right. I use them a lot – tofu more so since it’s easier to get. I can get tempeh in jars locally but seitan I can only get on a trip to Birmingham. I know you can make your own but I haven’t attempted it yet. “Fake” meats are the products that you can buy which imitate meaty products – sausages, burgers, bacon, mince etc. On our recent trip to America we were blown away by the quality of some of these products. Shops are full of them, there’s a huge range and they’re generally much better than the stuff we can get here. Still, things are improving here and if you look outside supermarkets there are quite a range of products. Some of them are better than others and everyone likes different things, but here’s a rundown of the ones I like: Taifun sausages. Taifun seem to be a German brand and they also produce excellent tofu. The sausages are the best all round sausages I’ve found. They’re only made with natural products yet they don’t have that bland taste which is associated with tofu at all. They are great fried for when the hangover really hits, but they are still nice and moist when grilled. They come plain or spicy – both great. Redwood sausages. Redwood are a great company. Everything they produce is vegan and they do a range of sandwich “meats”, sausages, roasts, fish products and even cheeses. (I’m sure I’ll return to vegan cheese another time). I’ve currently got some of the new chorizo chunks on order to try too. My faves are the merguez sausages – great in stews or casseroles. Realeat fishcakes. As I mentioned above, Redwood do a whole range of fishfingers, spreads etc, but I like these fishcakes best. They’re cheaper and more solid. My guilty secret is white bread, tomato sauce and a Realeat fishcake. Yum. Realeat also do sausages. They used to be my favourites before I discovered the Taifun ones but they’re very fatty. They work well as part of a breakfast but no use at all in a stew. Fry’s sausages are very nice but I find them very expensive and a close look at the ingredient list reveals them to be very high in salt. Another company I have been buying recently is Ambrosian. I get them in the freezer of my local health shop. I don’t use them at home but once cooked they keep really well in tin foil so they’re great if you’re travelling and don’t know where your next meal will come from. I’ve tried the cheesy bean pasties (miles nicer than they sound), and the sosage rolls. A word about Quorn! I was never all that fond of Quorn even as a vegetarian. (Quorn is not suitable for vegans as it contains egg white). I found the sausages incredibly dry and unappetising. Some products were better than others and I did sometimes use the chunks for curries etc. Really, I became lazy, because I make the same curries now but use tofu and vegetables and they’re much nicer. I’m shocked though, when I go into my local Sainsbury’s and see row after row of Quorn stuff, squeezing out all the smaller brands and even the own brand vegetarian products. Even sometimes now on pub menus Quorn is used instead of thinking of a proper vegetarian option (step forward, Wetherspoons!) I’d urge people to use their local health shops (if they have them), and write to their supermarkets and pubs asking for a wider range of companies to be represented. Please do let me know about your likes and dislikes in the “fake meat” world! And I promise that next time I’ll talk about real food! tag:www.vegetarian.co.uk,2008:/blogs//2.55 2008-01-25T13:17:43Z 2008-01-25T13:19:17Z

Warming and healthy, pumpkins are the traditional December and January food! Very healthy as well, they support your kidneys. They need a little bit of seasoning – they like it hot with chili, or as well they like it fruity...

Gabi http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/gabi.html Orange Braised Endives with Pumpkin Puree Ingredients: (10 portions) 1 red pumpkin (Hokkaido, not need to peel), cut into chunky pieces and steamed 40 gm butter 1 table spoon acacia honey 20 ml olive oil 20 ml orange juice A little bit orange rind Sea salt 5 endives cut into halves Methods: Blend the hot steamed pumpkin with butter, add a little bit of garlic and fresh ginger if you like, season with salt and keep warm. Braise the endives 3 minutes in olive oil, honey, orange juice and rind, season with salt and serve together. Pumpkin Pizza Bread Ingredients: (10 portions) 1/2 red pumpkin (Hokkaido, not need to peel), cut into chunky pieces and steamed 40 ml olive oil 2 onions - cut into dices 2 cloves of garlic - cut into dices 1 red chili, cut without the kernels 1/8 l dry white wine 50 gm parmesan, grated 1 bunch dill, cut Dough: 250 g whole spelt flour 10 gr fresh yeast 75 gm water 1 teaspoon honey ½ teaspoon sea salt 10 ml olive oil Methods: For the dough mix all ingredients together and let rest in room temperature for 20 minutes. Work once again through the dough and roll thinly to a 30x30 size. Cut into 8x8 pieces. In olive oil braise the chili, onions and garlic, mash the pumpkin and add to the onions. Add white wine, parmesan, salt and dill. Spread on the pizza breads and bake for 10 minutes on 200 degrees. Serve warm with a salad or steamed broccoli, as antipasti or simply with a glass of white wine! ]]>