Roasted vegetables with satay sauce

I've not made satay sauce this way before, but it is delicious.  It's somewhat on the salty side, so when you are dipping your vegetables in, just dip a toe in!  It's so tasty a little goes a really long way.

A good 'detox'  dinner!

Roasted Vegetables...

My favourites with this are red onion, butternut squash and mushrooms.  I also do a couple of potatoes. Aubergines, carrots, parsnips, tomatoes... anything in season works well!  So they aren't swimming in oil, cut them into finger-sized chunks, brush them with a pastry brush dipped in oil and put them on a baking tray covered in greaseproof paper, then into a hot oven.

...and satay sauce

In a pan, mix together 3 generous tbsps smooth peanut butter, 3 tbsps teriyaki sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 5-6 tbsps water, heating gently.  Keep stirring with a metal spoon so it blends.

For maximum eating pleasure, eat with your hands, dipping each bit of veg in the sauce as you go.

Yum.

Felafel

After my first post I was asked to put up some more recipes using pulses. Here's a great one - home made felafel. I made this for a large group of people, fried them up before they came then kept them warm in the oven. They went down a treat, despite being really odd shapes because I'm a rubbish fryer.

Actually it's because I have a phobia of deep-fat frying (yes, I shallow fry my felafel). I've honestly never done it in my life. It's directly related to learning how to put a chip pan fire out in Guides. I had nightmares for ages and to this day have to actively not think about it.

Right, if you don't have similar ailment, here's a brilliant video showing you how to fry neat little balls.

However I was appauled to see her using packet mixture! Appauled and surprised, because I think her little videos are really good.

So here's a recipe for making your own mixture. I love this kind of cooking. It smells wonderful as it all combine and mushes together. My mouth is watering...

Felafel

1 tin chick peas*, rinsed qnd drained
6 spring onions
1 egg
grated zest and juice of half a lemon
1 clove of garlic
a handful of fresh coriander (about 2 tbsp if it were chopped)
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch cayenne pepper (or chilli I guess for a bit of kick)
salt and pepper
oil for frying
enough flour/alternative to make it the right consistency (my recipe says '30g fresh white bread' but the first time I made this it had to be gluten free so I improvised)

fresh coriander to garnish

For the sauce

4 tbsp plain yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp tahini**

Whiz it all up in a blender, leave to sit in the fridge for half an hour and then fry. Serve in pitta bread with sauce. I've given you quantities for the sauce, but it isn't an exact science and you might want to leave out the yogurt to make it vegan (funny people, those...).


(My silly sausage sister said I should put up a picture of a fire in a chip pan. What a truly horrid idea. Any readers that are interested can google chip pan fires for themselves.)

* apparantly they're called garbanzo beans in the states
** sesame seed paste

Chick Pea Casserole

Chick Pea Casserole - the ultimate in very cheap, very healthy food. Oh and it's vegan.

This recipe comes (I think with permission from) the ever great Gillian Cromar. Must check I've got her name spelled right.

1 onion (2 if it's small)

crushed garlic

a little oil for frying

grated ginger (or 1 tsp powdered)

3 or 4 carrots, chopped (more if they are small)

1 tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tin tomatoes

1 stock cube

3 tbsp worcestershire sauce

4 tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 bay leaves

hot pepper sauce (how much? It depends how hot it is silly!)

Fry up your onion and garlic, add your carrots and chickpeas and continue frying. Stir in your ginger and put in an ovenproof dish. Put all the other ingregients in the same pan, warm through and pour into the ovenproof dish. Cover and cook at 180 degrees for an hour or so. Serve with rice or something even cheaper if you are feeling poor.

It goes without saying that this is one that goes in my slow cooker. The first person I met makes this with a couple of rashers of grilled bacon (put it in with your onion at the beginning) instead of stock for flavour: both are lovely. Oh and other thing is, for goodness sake don't forget to reduce your sugar if you are using balsamic vinegar with it being so sweet.