Easy Peasy Guacamole

Last summer I never got round to posting my recipe for easy peasy guacamole. It only takes five minutes to make, and I for one, can't get enough of the stuff.


Its great on its own, on top of a chilli, on toast or with tortilla chips or if like me following a more healthier diet carrot sticks! 


It is very easily transported but needs to be eaten fairly quickly, otherwise the avocado starts to brown even if using lemon juice. I never have any leftovers, its always eaten on the same day and even in the same sitting!


Ingredients
1 Avocado
¼ Onion, finely diced
3 Cherry tomatoes, finely diced
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
Salt & Black pepper

Method
Mash the avocado flesh with a fork, then stir in the other ingredients. Simple!

Enjoy!

Broad Bean Guacamole

I've been able to pick my first harvest of my broad beans, and it was such a fantastic feeling. All my hard work has finally paid off! I only have 12 plants which are grown in a 60cm x 60cm patch in one of my raised beds. Not a massive amount of room but looking at the bean plants (once I'd harvested this batch) I think I'll manage to get another two harvests at least with the amount of baby beans and flowers on there. Yummy!

For my first harvest though, as the broad beans are so young and fresh I fancied something light and summary so I opted for a broad bean guacamole. Although it was a close call with my broad bean pate.

Ingredients - Serves 1

85g Broad beans, shelled
2 Cloves of garlic
1 Tsp Lemon juice 
1 Slice green chilli
Himalayan Pink salt 
Black pepper
1 Small tomato (optional), diced

Method 

First boil the broad beans and garlic in water for 4-5 minutes or until you can pierce a knife into the bean easily.

Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.

Remove the outer skin from the broad bean, I always do this no matter how small the bean as I find it bitter in taste.

Put the broad beans and garlic into a food processor with the lemon juice and chilli and puree to a smooth paste.

Add the Himalayan pink salt and black pepper and pulse to combine the flavours.

Transfer to a dish and serve.

If you're using the tomato add to the broad bean puree and carefully mix in, so as not to break up the tomato pieces.

The broad bean guacamole goes really well with my chick pea & green lentil tacos

Edit post: Since posting this recipe, Shaheen of the fantastic Allotment 2 Kitchen blog has let me know about two challenges she is currently holding on her blog, one of which is called Eat Your Greens.

The idea behind this challenge is really simple, to make something with a green vegetable each month. Once you've posted a recipe you email Shaheen and a round up of all the entries will be posted on her blog before the end of the month.

Lunches to take to Work

Well, like many of you I'm back at work tomorrow after 2 weeks off, which has been lovely. It's meant that I have been able to enjoy time with family and friends and take Marco on longer walks than normal, bliss!

Getting something to eat for lunch in the small town where I live is rather difficult so you need to be organised and take a packed lunch to work with you.

Whilst putting together a menu plan for next week I thought it might be a good idea to share my top ten ideas for a vegan packed lunch.

1) Bean & Noodle Salad

I made this during Vegan Mofo on a Work with it Wednesday theme. I never used to like peanut butter, I'm still not a massive fan but I have come a long way. I used to retch after tasting just a little dollop, I'm sure this stems from a very early memory. At my friends 6th or 7th birthday, we were all blindfolded and given something to eat and we had to guess what food it was. I was sick after tasting peanut butter for the first time! However, I am pleased to inform that it's a work in progress and I am using it more and more.

2) Houmous
Houmous is so versatile and so easy to make yourself in no time at all. You can eat it with vegetable sticks, such as carrots, celery, red pepper or cucumber. Or eat it with crackers, I like it with the No-No Guacamole crackers, but any vegan crackers are good. My all time favourite though is in a sandwich or granary baguette with lettuce, tomato, spring onion, beetroot, pickled gherkin, olives and vegan mayonnaise. Absolutely delicious. If you fancy making your own houmous try this recipe.

3) Refried Beans
Like houmous, refried beans can be used as a dip with vegetable sticks or crackers. I also use it when making fajitas, chillis or even a spicy cheese sauce! For lunch though when you need a go to lunch that is quick, you cant beat a wrap with refried beans, salad leaves, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce. This is easy so easy to put together using store cupboard and fridge staples.

4) Falafals
These can easily be sourced in most supermarkets but be careful some brands aren't vegan. They can easily be made at home too although I've never posted the recipe that I always use. [Note to self must photograph and post recipe]. Again these can be enjoyed with salad or in a wrap with rocket, homemade tomato salsa, sweet chilli sauce and vegan mayonnaise. They always feature as part of a picnic too! Whether it is a simple lunch for Mum or a vegan girls lunch!

5) Bean Sushi
Now you don't have to use beans in your sushi, but once again I put this together during Vegan Mofo and the beans worked really well. Try it and see what you think. In this version I used green beans, avocado and grated carrot but there are plenty of other ideas out there. I've also used shredded lettuce mixed with a little vegan mayonnaise instead of the beans which works well too. Other combinations include cucumber, carrot and smoked tofu strips or basil tofu strips, red pepper and marinated aubergine. Just try a combination of three ingredients and serve with a little wasabi or pickled ginger and you have a very tasty lunch. Your work colleagues will be envious.

6) Mushroom Tart
Puff pastry is a handy thing to have in you fridge or freezer, especially the ready rolled version. It can be used to whip up a tasty tart in just a few minutes. Be careful which puff pastry you buy though as not all are vegan, I use the 'jus roll' puff pastry which is vegan as long as you don't buy the "all butter" variety! The mushroom tart can be enjoyed hot or cold and I've used leftovers as a packed lunch many a time. This recipe uses just three ingredients to whip up a tasty topping and is seasoned with salt & pepper. There are plenty of other tasty combinations you can use to top puff pastry, why not try Mediterranean vegetable medley, red onion caramalised tart, or puff pastry pizza. 

7) Broad Bean Pate
This is one of my more popular recipes and I'm not surprised because it is delicious even if I say so myself. I have been know to eat it before it even makes the plate! Serve with crusty bread, salad or as one of a number of dips. 

The plus side is that I have found broad beans are one of the most easiest vegetables to grow. You can't get fresher than picking your own and within 5 minutes cooking them and making a delicious pate. 

If you haven't tried this then it's a must, go buy some broad bean seeds and sow to your hearts content.


8) Olive Tapenade
Yet another vegan pate come spread depending on how smooth you like it. You can buy this ready made and even vegan varieties, but in my experience it tastes so much better when you make it yourself. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy your lunch in a sunny place, it will transport you back to Greece in an instance, well it did me! Of course when you make it yourself no fish are harmed, the majority of Greek tapenade contains anchovies, so I'm told. 

9) Guacamole
Yet another dip, I feel there is a pattern emerging here! Dips are so easy to transport, and all you need is a vehicle to scoop them up with! When that dip is guacamole there is no other vehicle than a tortilla chip in my eyes. Now, that doesn't mean you have to go out and buy a bag of chips full of nasty MSG, you can make your own using pitta bread or flour tortillas. Cut them up to the desired size and bake in a low oven until crisp, simples. If you want to jazz them up a little spritz with a little olive oil spray and sprinkle with paprika, chilli, garlic or mixed herbs.

10) Lettuce wraps
I suppose you can stuff anything into a lettuce leaf, but I rather like them stuffed with a Thai coleslaw. It is crunchy, light and refreshing with a hint of spiciness. Of course you don't have to use it as a stuffing it's very nice on its own with salad and grilled tofu. 

If you don't fancy the Asian variety coleslaw you could always make the traditional variety but make it more colourful by using red cabbage instead of the traditional white cabbage. 

Use different vegetable combinations and make your own, influenced by flavours from a different country. Why not try Chinese Five Spice with water chestnuts, babycorn, spring onion and beansprouts.[Note to self, must try this combination!]

I hope this has given you some great healthy lunch ideas, of course if you have access to a kitchen and a microwave to heat food up the world is your unharmed oyster! 

Black Bean Burgers

After reviewing the vegan vegetable burgers, on offer in the local supermarkets, I decided that although some were tasty and quick you still can't beat homemade. I had some success with my beetroot, chickpea and tofu burger, so I decided to try another. However, my creative juices weren't flowing tonight so I decide to fall back on a tried and tested recipe. I chose Black Bean Burgers from the vegan cook book, "the best veggie burgers on the planet". I'm ashamed to admit this, but this is the only recipe I've ever made from this cook book even though I've read it from cover to cover. I'm not the best person in the world for following a recipe or even writing one as I cook from the heart and add ingredients that feel right without measuring. Whenever I have followed a recipe I have always been a little disappointed with the result. Perhaps I don't follow them to the letter. This began from the start with this recipe as I halved it, I wouldn't be able to eat 8 burgers all to myself! So I made 4. I did adapt the recipe slightly (see what I mean) as I fancied a little heat in my burgers. My attempt didn't look as good at the picture in the book, but they were tasty. I served it with homemade guacamole, sugar snap peas and new potatoes

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Fajitas

My vegetable supplies were getting low after the shopping I did almost a week ago. But I reckon they will last at least another 4 days with store cupboard ingredients. I still hadn't used the butternut squash, so I peeled, deseeded and cut it up and popped it in the oven to roast, which intensifies its sweet flavour. All I had to do was decide on what I was going to do with it once it had roasted. I'd tried Angela's roasted butternut squash and black bean burritos before, which were tasty so I thought I'd try the same combination in a fajita and it worked.

I served the fajita with Mexican rice and homemade guacamole. I was stuffed!

Mexican Lasagne

There's a theme emerging from this blog and its of the Mexican variety! So far I've posted the following Mexican recipes; Fajitas, Tacos, Mexican Stuffed Mushrooms, Guacamole, Salsa and a Refried Bean Wrap!

I'm now going to add to that list and share with you my version of a Mexican Lasagne. This uses flour tortillas instead of lasagne pasta sheets. 

Ingredients
1 Aubergine, diced
1 Courgette, diced
1 Onion, diced
1 Red pepper, diced
1 Packet fajita seasoning mix
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic granules
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 Carton tomato passata
3 flour tortillas
1 tbs plain flour
1 tbsp vitalite
400 ml soy milk

Method
Fry the diced onion in a little rapeseed oil until translucent. Add the diced aubergine and courgettes and stir to combine. Continue to fry the vegetables for around 5 minutes, if they start to stick add a little water. Add the red pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the fajita seasoning mix, paprika, chilli flakes and garlic granules and mix thoroughly. Add the tomato passata and stir through. Cook over a medium heat for another 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile make your 'cheese' sauce. Add to a saucepan, the soy milk, vitalite and flour and cook over a low heat whisking all the time until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the mustard and nutritional yeast flakes and whisk to combine. Taste and add more mustard or nutritional yeast flakes to your liking.

Spread a third of the vegetable mixture in an oven proof dish and top with a flour tortilla, its best to half the tortilla and put the straight edge of the cut tortilla to the edge of the oven proof dish. Spread another third of the vegetable mixture over the tortilla and continue to layer until you finish up with the third flour tortilla.

Pour over the 'cheese' sauce and bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. Serve with mexican rice and guacamole.