Going Vegan at Chico's

I don't know about you, but where I live vegan eats are hard to find! Unless you live in a large town or city your choices are extremely limited where to go out to eat. I'm lucky to have a pizza express in my town which is my normal go to place but we have no Wagamamas or Yo! Sushi here. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about a little Mexican restaurant in the next town that had its own vegan menu!

Chico's is a small restaurant in Stone, which is decorated fabulously giving you a Mexican vibe while you are dining. The staff are extremely attentive without going over the top and the manager, Jimmy has everything running like clockwork. The bar was well stocked in fact I doubt there was a drink which they hadn't got!

After being shown to our table, I was handed their vegan menu and the dishes were explained to us. We asked Jimmy why they had decided to create a vegan menu. He explained that the team included two vegans and a coeliac and whenever the team wanted to go out together on their night off or hold team building days it was almost impossible to find anywhere that would cater for them all. So after a few miserable attempts to find somewhere to go they decided to stay in the restaurant and the chef created food to suit everyone. The chef isn't vegan himself but the kitchen used to have a vegan sous chef who has since left. Between them they started experimenting with ingredients and created a vegan menu and a gluten free menu. Any time the team wanted a night out the team stayed in the restaurant, where they knew their dietary needs could be catered for. The menus then grew from there. Jimmy explained that there was no cross contamination of food in the kitchen, and they used a separate fryer for anything vegan. This alleviated my fears as I often wonder what happens when you order fried foods like chips, which is why I never do.

I was in heaven my own vegan menu to choose from and that included all three courses - yes there was a dessert menu which was vegan too! I'd deliberately not eaten much throughout the day as I wanted to try all three courses. 

There were 7 choices on the vegan starter menu, some of these included fake meats, which I am not a massive fan of but there were other choices. You could choose from; Tacquitos, Nachos (with 5 different topping choices plus jalapeno's sour cream, cheese, guacamole and salsa), Quesadilla, Taco Shell, Potato skins (with two topping choices), Mexican Flatbread or Empanadas. My sister and I decided on a bowl of Tacos and a Mexican Flatbread to share.

We seriously couldn't believe the size of the starters, we knew we were going to have to pace ourselves! The Tacos were to die for, extremely tasty toppings, we just couldn't wait to dive in. The chef makes his own vegan sour cream from tofu and the guacamole was so creamy everything was delicious. The Mexican flatbread was huge, all flatbreads are baked fresh to order and ours used a homemade dairy free roasted garlic, cilantro and aubergine butter, cheese, herbs and red pepper flakes. We struggled to eat everything and reluctantly left some of the flatbread as we didn't want to fill ourselves up, we'd got a long way to go yet. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our bellies!

For the main course I had a selection of 14 choices, including all your usual suspects; fajitas, enchiladas, burritos and chili. I decided on the cajun vegetables fajitas, I mean how could you not after all your in a Mexican restaurant! Plus I wanted to see how they compared to my own fajita recipes. I was not disappointed! 

The chef makes his own top secret fajita spice mix which was not too spicy but extremely flavoursome. The amount of vegetables that arrived on the smoking hot skillet was awesome. The mix included onions, red onions, yellow peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, aubergines, courgette and sweetcorn, topped with a lemon wedge. The fajitas came with 5 flour tortillas, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and grated cheese. I'd also ordered a side of refried beans as I am a sucker for these! 

I'm not ashamed to say I was defeated! I simply couldn't eat all the food that came out! But it wasn't a problem, my leftover Cajun vegetables and refried beans were packaged up separately in take out containers for me to bring home. And I enjoyed them the next day!

Neither of us had any room for desserts, which was a shame as once again there were 6 vegan options including fruit Enchiladas or Burritos, Churros or ice cream. We did wait for a while in case our bellies allowed for another course but it was no use, we were stuffed. On my next visit I will try a smaller starter or have the nachos for my main course, but with plenty of other options I can see myself going time and time again.

It is absolutely fantastic that a small restaurant in a small town caters so well for those who choose a vegan lifestyle and it was music to my ears as throughout our stay I heard cries of "can I have the vegan menu please?". A massive congratulations to Chicos and I look forward to my next visit, which will be soon!

Chico's don't have an up to date website but please visit their facebook page which has photos of their menus. Go book yourself a table and enjoy a night out with delicious vegan food.

Jasmine x

Suma Bloggers Network - Adzuki & Beluga Chili

I hope you celebrated New Years Eve in style and thanked 2015 for everything that it gave you or celebrated all that it threw at you which made you stronger? I trust 2016 is already being kind to you, have you made plans how you are going to follow your passions?

I've been busy with my aromatherapy assignments about the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems and the associated pathologies. I must admit I am finding being a student rather demanding but it has been a few years since I was last at University! It is proving very interesting learning about all the horrible pathologies that are out there. Reading about these just strengthens my views about healthy living, in mind, body and spirit.

I have yet another chilli recipe for you today, using the ingredients from Suma. 

I have lots of chilli recipes on this blog and have realised that it is one of my all time favourite dishes. All recipes are a little different and this one is too.

Click on the links below for all the different chilli recipes here:

• Adzuki and Sweetcorn Chilli
• Black Bean and Spinach Chilli
• Chilli Non-Carne
• Hodmedod Bean Chilli
• Winter Wellness Chilli

Adzuki Bean and Beluga Lentil Chilli - 4 Servings

Ingredients
1 Dessert spoon coconut oil 
1 Onion, finely diced
1 Orange/Red pepper, finely diced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tin Suma organic chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp Tomato puree
1 Tsp Vegetable bouillon powder
150ml Water
1 Tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 Tin Suma organic beluga lentils
1 Tin Suma organic adzuki beans
4 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
Spice Blend
2 Tsp Ground cumin
1 Tsp Smoked garlic
1 Tsp Smoked paprika
1 Tsp Chilli powder
1 Tsp Coriander
1 Tsp Cocoa powder
1 Tsp Dried parsley
1 Tsp Crushed chilli flakes
1 Tsp Onion granules
½ Tsp Turmeric
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Black pepper

Method

1) Prepare your spice blend, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

2) Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over a low heat.

3) Sauté the onion until translucent, about 10 minutes, then add the diced pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.

4) Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute stirring all the time so the garlic doesn't catch.

5) Add the spice blend and keep stirring and cook for 30 seconds.

6)  Mix the vegetable bouillon powder with the water to make your stock.

7) Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and stir to combine. Add the vegetable stock and cook until bubbling. Turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

8) Add the tomato purée and balsamic vinegar and give everything a good stir.

9) Drain and wash the beluga lentils and adzuki beans and add to the chilli sauce and  stir to combine. Cook for another 10 minutes until the beans and lentils have warmed through and taken on the flavours of the chilli sauce.

10) Add the nutritional yeast and stir to dissolve into the sauce.

11) Serve in bowls topped with guacamole or on top of cooked quinoa or a mixture of wholegrain rice and wild rice.

Remember to follow your passions and live the life you've always dreamed of!

Jasmine x

Specials Board: Aubergine & Cauliflower Burritos

Do you remember that cooking programme "Ready Steady Cook"? Where a member of the audience used to bring a carrier bag of food and the chef had 30 minutes (I think) to make something from the ingredients. Well, that's what it's like in my kitchen most nights! I open up the fridge and see what 'needs' to be used first. I really should start to plan my meals again, but I like challenging myself to see what I come up with. The majority of times I have managed to create something tasty, thank goodness, but believe me there has been the odd time when my composter has been fed instead!

Today, I'm pleased to say, things worked out well. After opening my fridge there were 3 things that needed using up, half a cauliflower, an aubergine and a packet of ready prepared butternut squash & sweet potato chunks that I had picked up in the mark down section at the local supermarket. Sometimes, when my fridge is bare and I fancy a challenge I go to the mark down section in the local supermarket and buy three items & along with store cupboard ingredients I challenge myself to come up with something tasty for dinner.

It would have been easy to make a curry with these ingredients but where is the challenge in that? So, I decided that the packet of ready prepared butternut squash & sweet potato chunks would be turned into a 'cheese' sauce similar to an earlier recipe I posted here. I would normally serve this with pasta, but the aubergine and cauliflower didn't appeal to me as a pasta dish. After looking through my store cupboard I noticed a packet of tortillas had gone past there "best before" date so that was it, they had to be used. Aubergine & Cauliflower Burritos were born.......

Ingredients 

350g sweet potato & butternut squash, cubed

1 Tbsp White miso

30g Nutritional yeast

200ml Almond milk, unsweetened

1 Tsp Marmite

1 Onion, finely diced

250g Mushrooms, chopped

1 Chilli, finely diced

1 Aubergine

240g Cauliflower

215g Spicy refried beans

1 Tsp Smoked paprika

1 Tsp garlic puree

2 Tsp Tomato puree

5 Tortilla's

Method

Boil the butternut squash and sweet potato until soft, drain and place into a blender. Process to a puree and then add the white miso, nutritional yeast, almond milk and marmite and process again to combine everything. You will have a thick 'cheese' sauce. Pour into a saucepan and put to one side.

Saute the onions in a little olive oil until translucent, then add the mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chilli and cook for another 2 minutes.

Meanwhile add the chopped aubergine to a food processor and pulse until the aubergine is very finely diced. Add to the onion and mushrooms and cook over a low heat for another 5 minutes.

Next place the cauliflower into the food processor and pulse until you have 'cauliflower rice' and add to the pan. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring regularly to stop the mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the refried beans and stir to combine everything evenly.

Add the smoked paprika, garlic and tomato purree and give everything one more stir.

Lay a tortilla onto a flat surface and spoon 2 tablespoons of the mixture down the middle, wrap and place in an oven proof dish. Repeat with the other 4 tortillas until all the mixture has been used.

Gently heat the 'cheese' sauce and pour over the rolled tortillas and bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes.

Serve with a few salad leaves and guacamole.

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.

Chill Bean Stuffed Mushrooms

Two days ago I blogged about the Mexican Bean Deli Filling that Caroline of Tea and Sympatico sent me which I used in the Mexican Bean Deli Wrap. I didn't use all of the jar so I needed to come up with another recipe idea that used the rest of the deli filling. 

I needed something quick, I was ravenous after a long day at work, so I stopped off on the way home and picked up a bag of frozen chips and paired this with stuffed mushrooms.

I put a dollop of the Mexican Bean Deli Filling in the centre of each mushroom and then topped it with a piece of roasted red pepper from a jar and chopped jalapenos from another jar. Finished with a sprinkling of vegan cheese and baked in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes.


Result a very tasty stuffed mushroom that was quick and easy to put together with store cupboard ingredients.

Mexican Chilli Bean Wrap

Last Month, my Vegan swap box contained a Mexican Chilli Bean Deli Filling, thanks to Caroline at Tea and Sympatico. It was used in two delicious meals. The first was a quick lunch for a work day, Mexican Chilli Bean Wraps.

Spread a flour tortilla with the Mexican Bean Deli Filling and add layers of salad about a third of the way down before rolling. I used similar ingredients to my Houmous Salad Sanga; baby leaf salad, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onion, beetroot, olives and gherkins. Then to finish it off squeeze just a little garlic mayonnaise over the top (vegan of course).


My favourite vegan mayonnaise is available from Sainsbury's and is called Tiger Tiger Garlic Mayonnaise. This lunch didn't last long, because I was hungry and it was so tasty. The Mexican Bean Deli Filling made a nice change to houmous too. But I do love houmous!