VEGAN CHOCOLATE AVOCADO PUDDING

So, 2014 here we are. Here we are and my first recipe of this delightful new year is a pudding. That's not right, is it, puddings in January?!
Well, yes actually because if there ever was a pudding that was super good for you, then this one would be it. I'm not talking about fruit salads here, or melon boats harking back to the '80's (now there's an idea), no,  I'm talking about a pudding pudding. Rich, chocolaty and so good you'll find yourself eating it at 9am on a Sunday morning whilst writing a blog post, when your husband is sweating it out on the badminton court (ahem).

Ladies and Gents, I present to you this vegan chocolate avocado pudding. It's easy peasy to make, tastes fantastic and is jam packed full of goodness in the form of avocados, walnuts, coconut oil and cocoa. All perfect for easing any New Years diet guilt (life's too short!) and if you want to / need to, you can make it 100% raw by dehydrating overnight or freezing the base instead of slightly baking it, and by being a little strict about a couple of the ingredients. It's good stuff, I promise and even though some of the ingredients may make you raise an eyebrow, go with it because it's worth it.

27.05.13 | HOMEMADE TOMATO KETCHUP

A little while ago I was reading Bleubird and saw that she'd made some ketchup. In her post she was talking about the perfect burger which got me thinking about how much I miss a good old fashioned BURGER. 

Is it weird that I miss burgers but I don't miss fillet steak? Probably. 

So anyway, i set about finding a good turkey burger recipe that would satisfy my craving and whilst I was at it I had a go at making my own ketchup too which turned out to be really easy and so worth doing because the taste is miles away from shop bought stuff. 

I've made it three times so far, adapting & tweaking about six different recipe versions but this one is the one that I'm sticking with. It's a keeper and (boring reference about the British weather coming up) if we ever get the chance to BBQ again this year, then you will not go wrong if you serve this alongside those burnt bangers. 

C'mon! Lets make this thing! What do you mean it's 8am on Bank Holiday Morning and you're not in the mood for making condiments...

21.05.13 | ORZO SALAD WITH FETA & ROASTED PEPPERS

Hey! I made you a salad! Not only that but I made you a salad that will a) fill you up b) stop you reaching for the chocolate come 8pm and c) will sit happily in your fridge as leftovers for a couple of days (perfect for late night spoon snacking)!!

It's fresh and zingy and everyone in this little home loved it. The faff part for me was roasting the peppers (lazy me) so the next time I made it, i turned to my trusty old jarred roasted peppers. Don't feel bad if you're tempted to do the same because well, life is short and anyway i saw Sir Jamie of Oliver use them on the TV once and if that isn't a green light to cheat then i don't know what is!

I serve this with grilled meat and a glass of super cold pinot grigio for the ultimate in BBQ chic.

Err, did i really just say that? Oh dear.

C'mon, lets go!

13.05.13 | SPICY SWEET POTATO WEDGES

We eat loads & loads of everything sweet potatoes in this house which is (a lot) good but also a little bad/boring/samey.

It's obviously good because they are amazingly good for you aren't they, these giant golden nuggets? But what is bad/boring/samey is that I always get stuck in a foodie rut with them.
You see, if something works for me in the kitchen and I know how to do it so well that I could make it blind folded, then the temptation is there to keep on churning it out the same old way. That means that whenever we eat sweet pots it's either baked with lots of different toppings (my fave is soured cream & rose harissa!) or we have them this way.

Then a couple of months back i saw this recipe on my favourite fail-safe / go - to food blog Shutterbean and I started making them Tracy's way instead. They are pretty damn good and because they aren't quite as spicy as my other ones, the kids aren't scared to dive on in.

So here you go, here's how to make them (doh!) Well, it would be rude not to share...

23.03.13 | BAKED BUTTER BEANS W/ PARSLEY & DILL

Do you remember that advert for horlicks or lemsip or something like that? You know the one right,  with the massive armchair that gives you a hug as you drink the horlicks/lempsip/gin?
Yes? No? Don't care?!
Well anyway, this is what this dish makes you feel like - like it's giving you a big fat hug which lets face it, with the weather still awful it's just what you need, a big old baked beany hug. Yep.

You can serve this two ways, either similar to this or by serving alongside some grilled chicken as a side dish. I did it the first way and served it with a hefty baguette & some feta.

Simple. Innit.

Go on - hug it out!

FOOD: PURPLE SKINNY SLAW

It happened. I found myself in a food rut. 

Yup, I'm in a big fat food rut & i hate it.

I just don't know what to make at the moment and all I seem to hear myself saying is "who fancies tacos tonight?!"

I blame the weather or the Winter more specifically. There is no love lost between me and this season and I get so tired of its cold and selfish demands for gravy based stodge. I don't want a plate of mash. I don't want a stew and I really don't want a roast dinner...

I need some sun.

I need some Spring! 

I need some inspiration.

I need to once again go crazy eating fresh, zingy salads or hot & spicy grilled foods. I want to stand around in other peoples gardens with a Corona in my hand and a big plate full of veggie burgers, salads and a good old slaw...

So, I went searching and I found me a brand spanking new slaw. Hurrah! It's similar to the one Sir J of O makes to go with his Happy Cow burgers, but I fancied a little green in mine so I added some coriander and a little seasoning into the mix. 

I really love this slaw as it's simple stuff, it's healthy and it was a big hit with the kiddos during half term. That's a lot of boxes it managed to tick and as an added bonus, it makes you feel like Spring is just around the corner and that is exactly how I want to be feeling right now...

Go on, get a spring in your step!

FOOD: TURKEY BOLOGNESE

When I stopped eating red meat back in 2011 I knew that as a mum of three, i was going to need some sort of spag bol substitute at some stage. I gave soya mince (in a few different recipes) a whirl but if i'm brutally honest it was never that great. I needed, or rather my kiddos demanded, a spaghetti bolognese that tasted like spaghetti bolognese (tsk, the cheek of it) and thankfully the one I found in my trusty bashed up old copy of Leon Book Two did just that! Boom!
This spag bol is perfect, it's much MUCH lower in fat than the traditional beef version, it's super rich and there are never any leftovers when I serve it up. It also freezes well, and it's a recipe every meat eating mama needs. I promise you that you that if you love spag bol, you will love this. It's simple, honest family grub at its best...

FOOD: BLACK BEAN TOSTADAS W/ PINK PICKLED ONIONS

When I was deep in thought about whether to jump into Veganism or not, one of the questions that kept cropping up was "but what about Mexican food, will there be enough choice for a vegan?" As you know, I'm a Mexican food nut and I am a total chilli addict, so the thought of Taco night being no more (or being replaced with some squash & rice combination) really made me think twice. I needed to find a good veggie / vegan recipe that I could turn to in those moments when my taste buds are literally crawling out of my mouth and buying a one way ticket to Cozumel.

So, i searched. And i searched & came up with very little that took my interest. Then on the hop, i randomly picked up a copy of BBC Vegetarian magazine (never bought before) & well, to say I got LUCKY when I found the recipe i'm about to share with you is an huge understatement! Once I'd tweaked it a little and added some of these pink pickled onions, it was like i'd never even had any Mexican food before. Well, nothing that tasted like this anyway. The flavours were out of this world, and the texture of the tosadadas - a dream! It was my actually first time making tostadas too and buy their own admission these are whoppers in size, but once i got used to the breaking up & scooping & scoffing, i was in food heaven. Again. And I feel blessed that this is still happening, as I was a little scared it wouldn't be if i'm honest. If you wanted to make this less faffy, then you could opt out of the pickled onion stage, but if you have time i'd really recommend you didn't as it's a huge part of the flavour experience here...

So, go on! Schedule this meal to happen this week because it's about to blow your mind!

FOOD: CLASSIC PASTA PUTTANESCA

This has to be (possibly) my favourite pasta dish that I make regularly at home. Having two girls who go mad for the likes of olives & capers, it's a no brainer for me to whip up a pasta puttanesca when I want them to have something healthy and filling. From about 30 minutes from start to finish (with at least 10 minutes down time in the middle) it's a handy week night meal for when you have spellings, reading books, and toddler tantrums coming out of your ears. Well, not literally coming out of your ears, that would be weird.

It wasn't until about a year ago that I made it at home after I had it at our local italian one lunchtime because up until then i was a little bit scared of anchovies - well  I still am a bit, but like most food fears I get over it when it tastes this good.

Pasta puttanesca is really great for crappy rainy days like today and because it's perfect for a cosy grown up supper, it's totally ideal to pour yourself a nice glass of red, stoke the fire and chow this down like there's no tomorrow. Hell, you could even go retro & serve it with a baguette - just like the good old days ;) 

FOOD: CARNIVAL SLAW

Here's a question: am i about to treat you to a 'new-to-me' recipe for a good old slaw? Oh yoooou betcha!

If you don't love marinated cabbage dressed up with flavours that will make your taste buds sing, then it may be your cue to leave (but do stay anyway because you're nice and I like you).

Now, where do i start with this one? Yes it is another slaw recipe in the middle of Autumn, but stay with me on this one because this slaw is very different to this one and this one.
Carnival Slaw is the perfect combination of sweet/sour/crunchy and because it is not at all spicy i think it's pretty much perfect with any dish that feels the need for a good old helping of slaw.

It is perfect as a side to grilled meats, it's perfect for veggie burgers, it's perfect for your kiddos and it is perfectly perfect for standing alone in the kitchen, in the dark, with the fridge door open scoffing crazy amounts straight out of the bowl. Ahem, moving on....

I first saw the recipe on Shutterbean ages & ages ago but me being me, i didn't bookmark it. So, when i came to look it up again i could not find it for love nor money. I simply could not remember the name of it, but what i could remember was that Tracy described it as 'the slaw all the parents went apeshit for' - so I googled 'Shutterbean Apeshit Slaw' - et viola I FOUND IT! Yay! I know I can't call this apeshit slaw forever, even though I really want to.....

You really should make it, because we all really did go apeshit for it...

ASTORIA SOUP

Who woke up this morning thinking "I know what I could do with - a big bowl of Egyptian soup". 

No? 

What, not one of you?! 

Ok, ok, me either, but a couple of weeks ago I was bored & found myself doing what I always do when I'm bored - I buried myself in my recipe books. 

It's obviously no secret that I love to spend time in my kitchen. It's how I chill out, it's what centres me & I consider it the ultimate form of therapy if it's been a bit of a shitty day (well, that & an insanely large glass of wine). 

For me, part of the fun of testing out new recipes is finding one with an ingredient I've never heard of. The challenge of finding that ingredient without having to order it online, is just something my 32yr old self likes to do. Sometimes it's a winner, other times it can be annoying, like when i finally find the magical ingredient & spend time making the recipe only for it to it tastes like crap. Thankfully though, this is not that time. 

The new fangled ingredient I'm talking about here is zahtar.

WTF is zahtar? 

Zahtar (sometimes spelt Zatar or Zaa'tar) is a spice mix made up of Sumac, dried thyme & sesame seeds & they use it a lot in middle eastern dishes. I first heard of it in Jamie's recipe for his Astoria soup which someone made him when he was eating his way through New York (i don't know why I talk about Sir Jamie of Oliver as if i know him either, ignore me).

The good thing about this recipe is that although it's nice to use zahtar & sumac, Jamie told me that we don't have to if we can't find it as the soup is just pretty damn good on it's own. He's right, but then he would be, he is JAMIE! 

And i know that soup in late summer is a bit weird but it just works, so relax.

Now tell me, what better reason do you have to wake up tomorrow morning thinking "I know what i could do with - a big bowl of Egyptian soup"...

SPICED SWEET POTATO FRIES

Fancy something that tastes sweet, spicy & is good for you?
Well, of course? Then these are for you!
Sweet Potatoes are not just good for you, they are SUPER good for you & have so many amazing properties. Their high levels of beta carotene are responsible for healthy skin, a healthy digestive system and strong lungs. They are also really high in Vitamin C (now is totally the season to be stocking right up on that fella) which is both an antioxidant and essential for a healthy immune system. I always make sure the kiddos have sweet pots a couple of times a week - especially Flo who suffers from mild asthma.
OK, OK, science lesson over!
The mister & I have pretty much ditched normal potatoes all together in favour of sweet pots and this recipe is one of my favourite ways to enjoy them.
Make them tomorrow & serve them with these veggie burgers and you'll go to bed happy :)
Or do what i'm going to do & make a huge batch of them next weekend & serve them with this ketchup.
Spiced sweet potato fries will not disappoint...

SPICY BIRD TACOS

A couple of weeks ago, i picked up this book which is full of recipes for authentic Mexican grub. The first thing i decided on cooking up was these Spicy Bird Taco's and oh my, they were so good! I adapted Thomasina's recipe slightly because i hadn't made my own chipotles en adobo and i happened to have a tin of these ready made ones in my cupboard which my sister-in-law sent over from the States. Luckily, i've seen this brand creeping in a few shops this side of the pond lately, which is good good news!

So, do you fancy something sweet, smokey and spicy? 

Yes?

Great - then these are for you!

We enjoyed ours with some home made pico de gallo and lashings of Cholula and the kiddos had the leftovers the following day in fajitas with some soured cream & grated cheese. Full smiles & full bellies all round. NOM.

BAKED BERRY RICE

A couple of days ago, Dexter came down stairs waving something he'd printed out from the internet: "Look Mum, I want to make this for our pudding" ...

Aww bless! He'd been looking through the Cbeebies website & found this recipe for baked blackcurrant rice. Yup - Dexy does have & always has had a major sweet tooth thing going on!

So, with a little recipe tweaking (we used Scottish blackberries instead of blackcurrants which we chopped up a bit, and we had to cook it for about 20 minutes longer than 'I can cook' Katy suggested) they made this for their pudding this evening.

Although we did all our working on the hob (why? I dunno) - you don't actually use the hob at all, so the kiddos pretty much took control until it came to popping it in & out of the oven. They loved the responsibilty of that almost almost as much as the pudding itself! I must admit too, that it was pretty damn gooooood!

Here's some pics (Flo was all "Mum - take photo's of EVERYTHING" ha!)