No, the title doesn't mean I've been drunk and now sobered up!
With all the fresh vegetables I bought on Wednesday I was excited about cooking tonight's tea. I randomly chose some vegetables from the fridge and decided to challenge myself to make something yummy. I was really pleased with the results.
The vegetables I chose were, mushrooms, carrot, onion, celery, red pepper, green pepper, baby corn and courgette.
After looking at the vegetables for what seemed ages, I decided I was going to make a vegan version of spaghetti bolognaise, no fake meats allowed. To do this I needed to add some standard store cupboard ingredients, which were, Vegetable bouillon powder, chopped tomato, paprika, oregano, herbamore salt, pepper, tomato puree and garlic.
I finely diced the onion, garlic and most of the peppers and then through all the other vegetables into my trust food processor to chop up.
I processed and pulsed until all the veg looked like this
I fried the onions in a little olive for about 5 minutes before adding the garlic and cooked for another two minutes before adding the chopped peppers and cooking for another 5 minutes. Then I added the processed vegetables to the pan and let them cook for another 5 minutes.
Next I added the chopped tomatoes and a little tomato passata and stirred to combine. Next came the tomato puree, herbs and spices (including a pinch of chilli pepper), salt and pepper. I also added a little sugar, parsley and about a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. I let this mixture simmer slowly whilst I boiled the soba noodles.
After boiling the soba noodles for about 6 minutes drain and rinse with cold water, this will stop the cooking process. Pour into a dish and top with the veganiase sauce.
Eat it up! Even though I say so myself this dish was amazing and one that I will make time and time again, it truly was delicious. It turned out far better than I'd hoped.
My slow cooker had been on all week making dinners for hubby, he's been treated to all corners of the earth with his food! I wanted something with a bit of spice but not too much heat, some crunch and something different to what I had been eating. I was tired from a long day at work and I really needed something quick and easy. I looked through my store cupboard and fridge for inspiration. Lurking at the back of my cupboard was a chowmein stirfry sauce by Blue Dragon. The best before date had not been reached but it wasn't far off! I can't remember when I bought the sauce. There is a common theme running here, I always seem to buy food and then forget about it. The previous weekly menu planning only lasted two weeks, as I like to get creative in the kitchen as a stress reliever when I get in from work!
Anyway, back to tonights tea, after spotting the chowmein sauce, I got a sudden urge to rustle up a vegetable chowmein. Let's face it, the ones you cook at home always taste better than a take away and I can't be 100% sure if the takeaway we use is 100% vegan not that I imagine they use dairy or eggs! Since turning vegan I haven't ordered a Chinese takeaway, in fact no takeaway has passed my lips, which can't be a bad thing can it?
This was easy to rustle up as I also had some Cauldron Organic Marinated Tofu Pieces in the fridge. An essential standby to have for nights like this. After a quick check on-line that both the sauce and tofu were vegan I set to preparing tea. The vegetables I used were: spring onions, green beans, baby corn, broccoli and sweetcorn, which I just threw in the wok with some groundnut oil, over a high heat stirring all the time. I added a little soy sauce when the veg started sticking to the wok, I don't think I use enough oil but then again I don't want to either. I stir fried for about 5 minutes, then added the marinated tofu and chowmein sauce. I'd also had a pan of boiling water ready for the rice noodles which only need 4 minutes cooking before you add them to your wok. Stir fry the vegetables, sauce and noodles for another couple of minutes to ensure everything is coated with the sauce and serve. Dinner is served in 15 minutes or less!
