Chocolate and Beyond

Foraging recipe: Goosegrass & Pea Macaroni Salad

Spring is all around and so are the fruits of nature, you only have to know what you're looking for. And after going on a foraging walk a couple of weeks ago with a friend, I discovered a new, foragable food that is in abundance in the UK at this time of year - goosegrass. It's everywhere, including in big crops right on my doorstep where I walk the dogs. It's very distinctive, as it feels sticky, and it tastes great - a bit like spinach when cooked, with a slightly more bitter edge, like rocket (but not as strong).

So free food, grown in nature, that tastes good. How can you grumble? A true gift. Therefore I set about making my first recipe ever with goosegrass, and decided on this very budget-friendly Goosegrass & Pea Macaroni Salad, which is easy, tasty, and full of garlicky flavour. Something that you could quickly try yourself if you go out and harvest some of the goosegrass that you'll no doubt find all around you.

Recipes: Walnut Kohl-Slaw with Sweet & Tangy Dressing

Have you been wondering how to use up that kohlrabi that came in your organic veg box this week? If you're anything like me, the weird and wonderful fruits and veggies that come in boxes can be baffling to know what to do with. This vegan coleslaw recipe using kohlrabi instead of white cabbage is hopefully some inspiration for you, and a fresh and interesting take on traditional coleslaw.  It's quick and easy to make, and could even be a reason to go out and buy kohlrabi. You know, on purpose.

I first discovered kohlrabi when I had veg boxes delivered some time ago, and spent a wee while trying to work out what to do with it. I don't get veg boxes now but I have since come to really enjoy this less common vegetable, also known as 'German turnip', which is from the cabbage family. It's more akin to a milder tasting turnip however than cabbage, and it's frequently eaten raw.

Recipes: Delicious Low-Fat Vegan Mayonnaise

Oh my! I have been trying out various vegan mayo recipes for a while, and haven't yet been altogether satisfied. I have been using commercial vegan mayonnaises such as Granovita Mayola (which admittedly, is my favourite ready-made vegan mayo), but I'm very much all about making my food myself, wherever I can. And also, the fat content of most shop-bought mayonnaises (just like the standard egg mayos) can be rather on the high side.

So how pleased I am to have stumbled upon Susan Voisin's recipe, from her fabulous blog Fat Free Vegan Kitchen! This recipe is so yum and extremely versatile! My version here is a very slight variation on Susan's Tofu-Cashew Mayonnaise, and I do mean slight. My only addition is a small amount of black salt, which gives a little more egginess to the mayonnaise with its sulphuric smell and taste. And I used Dijon mustard too, as I like the flavour and smell.

Recipes: Caramelised Red Onion & Aubergine (Eggplant) Dip

This Caramelised Red Onion & Aubergine (Eggplant) Dip is a tasty and easy summer dip that has child appeal with the sweet flavour of red onion, and is fairly budget with the use of canned kidney beans to add thickness and texture. It's also gluten free. I came up with this recipe basically because I needed to use up an aubergine, and being a lazy cook at times, one of my favourite ways of cooking aubergine is to blast the whole thing in the microwave.

I don't use the microwave that often in my cooking, but preparing an aubergine like this - with the skin intact - is one of the simplest ways of using aubergine for recipes. It means the inside goes all soft and is very versatile for dips or sauces, but you also get to retain the skin, which doesn't char.

Recipes: French Green Olive Vegan Tapenade

In France, among the gastronomics, there is debate as to whether tapenade was traditionally always a vegetarian (though I say, vegan) delicacy, rather than the fishy version. And Monsieur Rémy Pierre, olive grower and tapenade-maker in Octon, in the Languedoc, insists that this is the case.

Of course, many people will know tapenade as having anchovies in it, but these little fishes escape their deaths in the tapenade promoted by Rémy Pierre, and the recipe given by little old moi in this post. I whizzed up this simple tapenade for a vegan potluck evening, and along with some organic breadsticks (made with olive oil, of course), it was a tasty dip and accompaniment to the rest of the meal.

Recipes: Spicy & Sweet Sesame-Fried Tofu & Baby Spinach Salad

Do not be fooled by the fact that this recipe is a 'salad' - it is utterly delicious! The combination of sweet grapes with spicy chilli and the sesame-fried tofu is a delight to the taste buds, and the dish is surprisingly satisfying, as well as a great light option in the lead up to Christmas.

This salad takes less than 10 minutes to knock up, and the dressing delivers a fabulous chilli kick with the tang of lime and the sweetness of maple syrup. Of course, it's up to you if you change ingredients but I would say ensure to include the grapes, or another fruit, as the fruity flavour with the fiery is part of what makes it wonderful to eat.

Recipes: Gingery Pineapple & Melon Quinoa Salad

 

If we had a summer in Britain, then this fruity, gingery and zesty quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") salad would be the taste of it. While we don't have that much sunshine here, let's make believe while eating this.

Packed with health and vitality, this Gingery Pineapple & Melon Quinoa Salad is extremely versatile. It makes a wonderful gluten-free addition to any buffet table, can be eaten as a filling main course (bearing in mind also that quinoa is a complete protein), and is a good side salad to be had at vegan barbecues.

If you don't know how to cook quinoa, it's pretty simple as it's just like cooking rice, really. You need to put in a double the quantity of water to quinoa, and cook for about 15 minutes (keeping an eye on it) until the water is absorbed and the germ separates from the seed.