A2K & Why you will want to visit it.

A2K = Allotment to Kitchen. Shaheen (or Mangocheeks as she previously was known as) is one of my favourite bloggers. All the way over in Scotland (but soon to be relocating to Wales), she produces fresh produce from her garden and fresh culinary ideas. Whats more - its all vegetarian.

I so want to sample everything she makes because it looks looks so good and she has such a good idea of healthy and yummy food.

She is brilliant. You will be inspired. You will wish that you could grow your own food. You will wish that you could make so many good meals. You will want to try some of her recipes.

Her blog is well written and has lovely photos. She has so many new ideas.

Her site is so concise and easy to follow. She has conversion charts, a search index for recipes. And there is a side column to tell you what she is growing in her allotment.

I dont understand why she dosent have a book deal yet? SOMEONE give this woman a book deal!

My Welsh Dragon Soup (Leek, Potoato & chilli minus the chilli cause I don't think the kids or breastfed bub would appreciate that), with Welsh Dragon Chilli Shortbread (minus the chilli once again and the Dragon - so I picked a random 'interesting' shape from my cookie cutter collection. I think it is suppose to be Santa's Sack. I told the kids it was a rabbit, because thats sounds similar to Rarebit and... well I suppose you can see my attempt at clever word play even if the kids had no idea).
Heres the link to the original A2K one;)

Vegan Sausie Rolls

The first time I made sausage rolls and I made meat free ones! Yea for vegetarian sausage rolls!!

I enjoy good food but I'm not the type to want to spend ages or work on my technical skills in the kitchen, so I try out or create recipes that are simple in ingrediants and preperation.
I looked in my cupboard and made these "sausage" rolls for lunch with a vegan friend during the week. Quick, easy and yum. If you don't eat meat (or even if you do) I think you should give these a try and let me know if you did!

Here is my recipe for Nutolene Vegan Sausage Rolls.

2 sheets of flakey pastry (check its made with vegetable fat and not butter).

1 can of Nutolene
1 grated carrot
1-2 Tablespoon finely diced red capsicum
Half small onion finely diced
1-2 teaspoon chopped parsley and basil (I keep the freeze dry in a jar stuff in the cupboard so 'fresh' herbs are always on hand).
Salt and cracked black pepper.

Set aside pastry sheets.
Mush all the ingrediants together well.
Divide mixture in half and place one half onto a sheet of pastry. Spread onto the pastry sheet so that its about 1-2 inches from the edge, but the length is taken all the way to the ends - think sushi and how its rolled. And then roll it up and cut to sizes you like.

Do this again with the 2nd sheet and the 2nd half of the mixture.

Place on a baking tray a sheet of non stick paper/baking paper and lay out the rolls.
Bake in oven. My expensive but crap gas oven is quite unreliable with temperatures, but I'd say a moderate temp of around 160 −180 should be about right and bake for around 30 −50 mins depending on big you cut the rolls and how finely you diced the onion! (which is the only part that needs to really cook properly other than the pastry).

I made these the day before and reheated half of them and then put out warmed up ones and room temp ones. The verdict was that they taste good cold or hot. We dipped in tomato sauce but I think a homemade relish would be really nice!

Curry Rice Loaf

I found a recipe for Curry Rice Loaf a few days ago and as I love brown rice and know how much better it is for you than white, I gave it a try.

It took a wee while to make (because brown rice takes twice the time to cook as white) but its has a nice nutty flavour. It is an easy recipe but not quick. So, I'd say give yourself up to 2 hours from when you put the rice on the stove top to when it is ready to serve.

I substituted the sesame oil for a few spoons of Tahini since we are out of oil, and you can very easily make this dish vegan by using soya or rice milk. Next time I make it I might try using a can of Nutolene insted of the peanut butter and mixed nuts, just to see what it comes out like.

I'd be interested if anyone has any variations on this - comment below or email me if you do.

We had it served with Satay sauce and salad as suggested by Lou of blog Seaside Siblings. The recipe is here.

Quick Mix Veggie Burgers Recipe

(food has been attacked already but I remembered to get a photo this time before they were all gone)

This is a quick and easy pattie mix that I came up with that holds together well when shaping and cooking and eating! It takes only up to 10 mins to prep the mix or less if you already have some left over cooked pumpkin from a roast etc. And it has no egg so its suitable for vegans or those with egg allergies.
It should be fried long enough for the onion to cook through, so make sure the onion is diced up finely.

Ingredients
1 Tin brown lentils
1 Tin Chick peas
2 cups cooked pumpkin (preferably tasty and less watery variety like Kent), (we cut into chunks and zap in microwave for 5 mins then drain water and cut skin off).
1 Small onion finely diced (we generally cook with red onions because they are sweeter).
3 - 6 cloves crushed/finely diced garlic
1/2 cup of brown rice flour.
1/4 cup whole meal flour (for coating).


Olive oil for frying.

Add the following seasonings to your own tastes. 
We like to use about 1 tablespoon of each herb and 2 tablespoons of pine nuts for this quantity of mix.
Basil
Parsley
Paprika
Salt and Pepper 


May also add chilli or curry spices and pine nuts 

Drain liquid from pumpkin (if any from cooking) and rinse and drain liquid from tinned chickpeas and lentils (or cooked if you've cooked your own!). Mash all ingredients together (except flour) , then add in flour and continue mashing until thoroughly mixed and no major lumps.
If adding pinenuts, add them at end so they stay whole and give them a quick stir in.

Sprinkle wholemeal flour onto clean plate, chopping board or bench. Use one heaped soup spoon scoop of mix per fritter. Place onto floured area and use another spoon to remove mix from soup spoon. Flatten down mix a little with back of spoon or hand and then sprinkle more flour on top of fritter to coat. Gently pick up fritter and turn around in flour so sides are coated. Place into preheated pan with enough olive oil to  coat pan well. Make and add other fritters to all cook together.  Fry on mid heat then turn when golden  and crispy on outside (5 -10 mins depending on heat setting and pan type and size). May need some more oil added to pan when turning fritters over. Sprinkle some rock salt over top towards end of cooking.

Eat with salad and sour cream or other sauce, or use in a burger bun with whatever you like in your burger.

I usually make the mix up with no salt and pepper or chill spice and use half of mix to make up kids fritters, they like to eat it with cucumber, tomatoes and Rice Paper Roll dipping sauce. Then I add in the chili spice to the left over mix and prepare the rest for us grown ups to eat.

I'll add some photos next time we make these.