Meat Free Monday:Sushi

After a long weekend partying at Download Festival we were in need of something light and healthy for this Meat Free Monday, so we had Sushi Night...

Meat Free Monday:Any day of the week!

This week I spent Meat Free Monday at the OHs parents for a BBQ and I forgot to take any photos, I made some gorgeous marinated and skewered tofu and vegetable kebabs!

So instead of my usual Meat Free Monday post I thought I would show you what other meat free meals I've eaten this week...

Vegan Enchiladas!

Vegetable and Cheezly Macaroni 

Pesto Risotto with Roasted Zucchini from Post Punk Kitchen

and yes, I did make my own pesto

More vegan enchiladas from Amy's Kitchen read my product review here

Meat Free Monday:Beetroot Quarter Pounders and Garlic Curry Fries

This week's Meat Free Monday recipe is one I have been meaning to make for weeks.
The recipe comes from The Post Punk Kitchen website.

Such a fantastic colour!

See the recipe here!

The Garlic Curry Fries are to die for :)

Meat Free Monday:Moroccan Puy Lentil Salad

This week's Meat Free Monday dish, is one from "Something for the Weekend"

Some really interesting flavours in this but due to it being cold OH and I both agreed it would be better as a lunch dish as apposed to dinner.  We are big on our main meal of the day being in the evening!

Meat Free Monday:Chickpea and Lentil Taco Salad

This week's Meat Free Monday dish was inspired by VegHotPot's recipe "Chickpea, Lentil and Feta Taco Salad"

I omitted the feta cheese to make them vegan!

This recipe was fantastic, unlike anything I had made before.  It required no cooking (apart from the lentils, but that can always be done ahead or bough pre-cooked in tins) so was really quick (great for a Monday night when I've been at work).

The flavours were so fresh, no feeling bloated afterwards.  Great for summer, big thumbs up :)

Meat Free Monday - Dairy Free Fennel and Broad Bean Tart

For this week's Meat Free Monday post, I'm going to use a recipe I cooked the other night!

I had been looking at this recipe and wanted to turn it dairy free.

I started by subbing the creme fraiche for plain soy yogurt (I normally use Provamel or Alpro) and then I used Cheezly for the Parmesan, you could use which ever your favourite dairy free cheese is.

Instead of pre-made shortcrust pastry I made mine but which ever you prefer is fine!

I first rolled out the pastry into a circular dish and blind baked for about 10 minutes in a pre heated oven at 180-200 degrees C.

Whilst the pastry was baking I then sliced the fennel bulb and fried until soft with some salt, pepper and thyme. I also cooked the broad beans (about 100g) in a pan of boiling water.

Next in a jug I mixed the soy yogurt ( 200ml) and 2 eggs and the Cheezly (50g) and seasoned.

I then scattered the fennel over the bottom of the pastry case and the broad beans on top, then poured the yogurt, egg and Cheezly mix over the top.

Finally I baked in the oven for 20-25 minutes and golden brown.

I served mine with sweet potato chips, sweetcorn and salad vegetables.

I would love to hear what you would serve yours with?

Meat free Monday - Vegan Cannelloni

This week's Meat Free Monday recipe is another vegan one.

I had some cannelloni tubes to use up and took some inspiration from this recipe but adapted it to make it vegan.

Instead of ricotta I used Tofutti Cream Cheese and Cheezly instead of pecorino cheese.

I wondered if the cannelloni tubes were going to have an unpleasant taste due to not being baked in a sauce but they were lovely and having the delicious roasted tomatoes instead of a sauce meant we could pick up the cannelloni and bite straight into it :)

Meat Free Monday - Tempeh

This week I tried something new for Meat Free Monday...

Tempeh

"Tempeh is a soy product traditionally from Indonesia .

It is made by incubating cooked soya beans wit the Rhizopu Oligosporus culture. This grows through the beans binding them into a solid block.

Organic tempeh contains all the amino acids essential for good health. It is rich in protein, a valuable source of B vitamins, calcium and iron, and yet dairy, salt and gluten free!"

I am surprised it has taken me this long to try it.

I cooked it up in a broccoli and red pepper stir fry with sweet potato and buck wheat noodles.

I have to admit tempeh was not at all how I expected, to start with I didn't think I was going to like it but it grew on me. I thought it would have a similar texture to Tofu and a slightly "meaty" taste but it had a much softer texture than tofu and what I can only describe as a nutty flavour. In hindsight I may not put it in this dish again (or cook it differently if I do) but I definitely would like to cook tempeh again, maybe trying baking it. So anyone with some great recipes I'd love to hear them!

Meat Free Monday Round Up

It's been a while since I've done a Meat Free Monday post so I thought I would do a round up of the last few week's dishes and include some recipes...

Artichoke and Red Onion Paella

I used this recipe but made a few adjustments.

I used sun dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes and I didn't bother to pre-griddle the artichokes I used marinated ones and added them straight into the paella.

Vegan Gumbo

I have posted this recipe before... here it is!

Vegeree :)

This recipe was inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Vegeree recipe in River Cottage Veg Everyday.

I made my own blend of spices to create a homemade curry powder, chopped up some courgettes and chinese eggplants and coated them in the curry powder before roasting.

Then I cooked some brown rice in stock, spices and turmeric and added 2 hard boiled eggs and the roasted veg once the stock has been absorbed by the rice.

Veggie Carbonara (with spinach and sun dried tomatoes)

Ingredients

For the sauce

· 200ml soya cream

· 1 garlic clove, crushed

· 150g cheddar cheese, grated

· 2 tbsp crème fraiche

· salt and freshly ground black pepper

· 2 free range egg yolks

To serve

· 450g penne (or which ever pasta you like)

· 12 sun-blushed tomatoes

· 4 handfuls baby spinach

· parmesan, or similar vegetarian grating cheese

Preparation method

For the sauce, heat the soya cream in a small pan over a medium heat until reduced by a third. Stir in the cheese until melted, then add the creme fraiche and season with salt and black pepper. Then separate your eggs and store the yolks into the sauce.

Divide the spinach and sun dried tomatoes between two serving bowls.

Cook the pasta in boiling water, then add to the serving bowls.

Add the pasta evenly between each bowl and mix well.

Grate over some parmesan and crack some black pepper on top.

Meat Free Monday

All of your 5-a-Day vegetable curry!

Meat Free Monday

This week's Meat Free Monday dinner was inspired by Miss Sophie Dahl and her new TV Series.

I decided to try her Lentil Cottage Pie and even Mikey (massive meat eater and massive lentil hater) really liked it.

Doesn't look too appetising but it gives that lovely cosy feeling Cottage Pie should!

Meat Free Monday (Finally on a Monday)

Today Meat Free Monday was all about this...

Egg Mayonnaise Sandwiches, Quorn Enchiladas, Cheese and Onion Quiche (which was shop bought and horrible) and Green and Black's (which was far from horrible)

Meat Free Monday but on Tuesday

I treated myself to a Marks and Spencer's Saag Aloo and Onion Bhajees for lunch...

...it was sooooooo good!

For dinner we just had a Mediterranean Finger Food Feast...

...and that was really good too!

Meat Free Monday

This week's Meat Free Monday consisted of...

Breakfast

Natural Yogurt with Mixed Dried Fruit

Lunch

Tomato, Garlic Herb and Cream Cheese Vegetable Brown Rice Risotto

Dinner
Vegetable Pie

Meat Free Monday Just Not on Monday

Seen as I seem to eat Meat-Free Meals a lot but almost always not on the right day (Monday) I decided to do a brief post showing some of the Vegetarian meals I have has this week:

Vegetable Tikka Masala

Vegetable and Cheesy Potatoe Pie

Vegetable Stir Fry in Sweet Soy and Roasted Red Chilli Sauce

Meat Free Monday: Tofu Stir Fry

Yay Meat Free Monday was a success this week.

I made Tofu Stir Fry :D



That's all tonight I'm afraid as I'm off out to celebrate my birthday (which is tomorrow)