Wednesday 18 June 2014

                       Veggischmooze Raw Recipes


 Alphonso Mango Raw Walnut and Date Tart

This incredibly moorish tart combines the fragrant lusciousness of the seasonal EU- threatened Alphonso mango with a gloriously moist gluten free raw pastry that takes seconds to make but tastes like heaven. Make the most of them while you can still get them.
This quantity makes a small tart enough for two – three 
 Line an 18cm fluted tin with clear wrap  
2 Alphonso Mangos peeled and sliced – available in Indian shops
100g walnut halves
135g stoned dates
35g shredded coconut, save a little for the base to help to remove the ‘pastry shell’
Grated zest of an orange  
1 cardamom pod ground and added to the pastry mix (optional)

Peel and slice the mangos. Weigh and combine all the remaining ingredients in the processor and wiz until a lovely paste is obtained. Line a small fluted tin with clear wrap. Sprinkle with the extra coconut Remove the pastry dough and press the mixture into the tin pushing well up the sides. Freeze for approximately ½ hour. Peel away the clear wrap and set the shell on a decorative plate. Arrange the mango slices around the tart shell. Serve and enjoy
Variations
Substitute 2 blood oranges for the mangos and sprinkle the fruits with cinnamon and icing sugar for a wonderful Moroccan take on a lovely dessert.          



  Sarah’s Banana, Raspberry and Coconut Easy Ice-cream


Sarah says, ‘This is the easiest ice-cream ever made. I invented it one afternoon with my daughters, when a load of spotty bananas glared at me from the fruit bowl. It’s so delicious and super-healthy.      

2 ripe bananas
300g raspberries fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons coconut milk or cream

Cut bananas in slices and freeze along with the raspberries. When frozen place all the ingredients in a bowl and blitz.
Serve immediately.


 Raw Herby Carrot Pate


This delicious bowl of raw ingredients tastes amazing and contains a wealth of healthy ingredients. Try it for a simple quick lunch along with crackers and salad or as an unusual starter at a dinner party. Taste the luscious goodness and enjoy. xxx

300g fresh organic carrots peeled and cut into chunks
3 teaspoons tahini
2 tablespoons ground almonds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
10g fresh mint sprigs
15g fresh parsley sprigs
15g fresh coriander sprigs  
Zest of 1 lemon plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
Freshly milled salt and pepper

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and wiz until smooth. Season well with freshly milled salt and pepper. Chill for ½ hour for flavours to develop.
Serve with crunchy salad leaves such as radicchio and romaine lettuce. 
  

 Coconut and Sesame Raw Fruit Bars


Yay these gorgeous bars made it into The Guardian.
 http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/may/10/raw-food-recipe-swap-felicity-cloake
These super healthy little diamond bars taste better than the energy bars that are sold in the shops. Choc full of healthy ingredients they taste wonderful and were demolished by all the family. Enjoy xxxx
Makes approximately 20
Line an 18cm square tin with parchment paper or a proprietary liner
 
150g dried peaches or apricots
150g sultanas
150g stoned dates
Grated zest and juice of ½ orange
Grated zest and juice of lemon
200 ground almonds
50g sesame seeds
50 desiccated coconut

Place all the ingredients in a processor and blitz until and smooth. Line a square tin with paper and sprinkle with half the seeds and coconut. With wet hands spread the ‘dough’ onto the tin reaching the edges. Sprinkle with the remaining seed/coconut mixture and chill for 30 minutes. Cut into triangles or diamonds and serve as a delicious petit four or a healthy after school snack. 




























Friday 13 June 2014

Veggischmooze and the Skewer

The veggie option at a barbecue doesn't need to be boring. Try our tasty recipes that will keep everybody happy. 


Toasted Halloumi, Baby Potatoes and Roasted Red Onion on Rosemary Skewers

This year, our rosemary that began as a tiny cutting off a vast Italian mountain bush has exceeded all expectations and flowered in abundance, feeding a cloud of bees and butterflies. This recipe celebrates its perfect affinity with a toasting cheese, potatoes, and roasted red onions – a classic love affair. The ideal light lunch with chunks of bread or a simple prepare-ahead starter.
Serves 4
Prepare one small roasting pan
Preheat an oven, 180 C gas mark 4
8 rosemary skewers
100g haloumi cheese or other toasting cheese that holds its shape on cooking 
200g baby new, well-scrubbed potatoes
2 large red onions peeled
Freshly milled salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium pan, boil the potatoes for approximately 15 minutes or until tender and the blade of a knife slips in easily. Leave to one side. Cut the haloumi cheese into 2-3 cm cubes and cut the onion diagonally so that you obtain crescents of onion. Drizzle the one teaspoon of oil onto the onions and season well with salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 40 minutes on or until the onions are toasted and tender. Chop up the cheese. Pull off rosemary needles to hold food leaving a bunch of leaves at the end for decoration. Make holes in the food with a metal skewer and then thread through the rosemary skewers – by making the holes first it makes the threading process easier. Thread the potatoes, cheese and onions onto the rosemary skewers. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover the rosemary end with foil then place under a hot grill and toast for approximately 10 -15 minutes, turning once, until the vegetables and cheese are tipped with golden brown edges and deliciously melting. Serve with iced drinks and a good laugh.




 Minted Watermelon and Feta Skewers with Black Pepper, Agave Syrup, Olive Oil and Lemon         
The perfect antidote to a cloudy day. We invented this lovely combo reminiscent of hot Mediterranean holidays and discovered it’s not even necessary to make a marinade. Just chop and sprinkle the mint, zest and squeeze the lemon half over the prepared fruit and cheese. Finally drizzle the syrup and oil and add a few generous screws of black pepper to brighten and intensify the flavour.
As these gorgeous skewered tasties remain raw, they would be ideal to prepare in advance for hungry visitors.

100g feta cheese
¼ fresh watermelon
15g fresh mint finely chopped
1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
Freshly milled black pepper
Barbecue wooden or bamboo skewers

Cut the feta and watermelon into decorative shapes carefully removing all the seeds from the watermelon. Arrange alternatively on skewers. Chop the mint and sprinkle over the top followed by a zesting of ½ lemon plus the juice drizzled over. Follow this by carefully pouring the oil over the skewers and finishing with a few screws of black pepper.  Chill until needed.  Place the skewered cheese/ fruit on decorative plates. Soo refreshing.   


And why not bring back the seventies favourite?
          Cheese and Pineapple on Sticks on a Grapefruit ‘Hedgehog’ 
This Retro recipe rocks with a seventies vibe when no self respecting party giver would miss offering these goodies. But we have pumped up the volume on the flavour by using a sweet fresh pineapple and a piece of good cheddar. Try this favourite with a Beatles or Frankie Vaughan record and a glass of Matteus Rosé Wine and taste the beat.
For 4 people
1 grapefruit for display or a small marrow
200g cheddar cheese
200g fresh pineapple
25g bunch seedless red or black grapes
 25g bunch seedless green grapes

Place the grapefruit on a decorative plate preferably seventies style. Cut the cheese in 2cm cubes. Peel the pineapple and remove the core. Cut into roughly 2 cm cubes. Remove the grapes from the stalks. Now assemble alternative colours and place a grape on the top. Place the skewered fruit and cheese onto the ‘Hedgehog’ and taste the beat.    
     

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Three delicious egg recipes by Veggischmooze

We adore our eggs as long as they are truly free range and organic which is so much kinder to the chickens. In fact at one time we had 150 chickens and one cockerel in our garden. So eggs? bring it on.
Our first offering is the cheapest best comfort meal in the world – Eggy Nests   
Freshly made mashed potato is set in an oven proof dish and ‘nests’ hollowed out. A lovely fresh egg is dropped into the ‘nest’ and then the whole topped with cheese and baked in the oven. The skins are baked separately with a smear of oil and a generous dusting of paprika. I invented this recipe for my children and it still rocks as a family favourite.
Then who doesn’t adore a Custard Tart ?We made these glorious vanilla scented babies today and ohh they are the perfect celebration of eggs – please try them.  We prefer a hint of mixed spice to top but whichever topping – they are soo scrumptious.
            After that we thought we’d love to offer you two traditional Passover recipes. The first Egg and Onion served so often at Jewish functions as a lovely vegetarian starter. And well so delicious. Make it the day before and perfect on crackers, matzos or thick bread – soo yummy.
And then, ahh! We’ll cook Coconut Pyramids – a luscious little cookie in the shape of a pyramid that goes back in Jewish traditional history and uses a whole egg plus coconut and sugar and is a dream to make.

We soo hope this is our week – we have really tried to tempt you.


   Eggy Nests with Crispy Skins on the Side

This comforting recipe was invented to feed hungry children coming out of school- just pop it in the oven before you leave. It’s also perfect for a cosy lazy supper and always works.
Grease a 2 pint oven to table dish or 4 individual dishes.
Preheat the oven 180C, gas mark 4   
For 4 people
1 medium potato per person  
4-8 free range organic eggs
100g grated low- fat cheese such as mozzarella or cheddar  
25g butter or margarine 
Splash of milk 15g approx to add
freshly milled salt and pepper
 Scrub and smear the potatoes with a little oil. Sprinkle with salt prick all over and bake for approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the potato. When the potato is cooked carefully cut in half – gloves are good. Remove the fluffy part with a spoon, add a generous knob of butter or margarine a little milk a little freshly milled pepper and maybe a fraction more salt and beat the potatoes until rich and creamy. Spoon the mixture into a greased oven-to-table dish or individual dishes. Make a well in the centre to represent a nest. Now drop in the eggs and cover with the grated cheese of your choice. Place in the oven for approximately 20-30 minutes or the egg is set and the cheese bubbling and golden. While the nests are cooking brush the inside of the skins with a little oil and sprinkle with paprika. Bake on a baking sheet alongside the nests.    Serve with green beans, peas or a lovely salad and enjoy.



         Eggstrordinary Custard Tarts


                                   Yay these little beauties were selected for The Guardian readers recipe swap.
 http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/19/eggs-recipe-swap-felicity-cloake  

These custard tarts are tender sweet vanilla scented individual tarts with the lightest of pastry crumb enhanced with ground almonds, vanilla and lemon zest.  We are so thrilled with the results. Please try them.
Makes 14 or in our case 12 plus a little baked custard made in a bain marie and a delicious lump of dough to nibble.
Preheat an oven on 180C, gas mark 4 and grease and flour 1 dozen individual cake tins extremely well.
Pastry
125g butter
30g fair-trade soft brown sugar
5 g vanilla sugar
1 medium free range organic egg yolk
Grated zest of ½ lemon   
190g plain flour
40g ground almonds   
Filling
10floz full fat fresh milk
40g castor sugar
2 free range eggs plus 1 extra yolk, save the whites for meringues
1 vanilla bean scraped
Pinch nutmeg traditional or mixed spice   
Make the pastry first by combining the sugars and butter in a processor, if possible, then add the egg yolk and lemon zest. Finally quickly add the flour and pulse or mix quickly until the mixture just comes together. Tip this mixture onto some clear wrap and push together with a minimum of pressure – just so it comes together and chill well for at least 30 minutes until firm. Roll out thinly between two sheets of baking parchment and cut out using 7cm cutter. Place them carefully in the tins. Bake blind by lining the individual pastry tins with crumpled up baking parchment and fill with baking beads rice etc. Bake for 15 minutes. Whisk sugar with eggs. Warm milk until just hot but not burning and add the vanilla seeds scraped from the bean. Pour into egg/sugar mixture and whisk well. Place tins half in the oven, pour in the custard mixture. Top with nutmeg or mixed spice. Slide in. Bake for an extra 20-25 minutes or until just cooked and there is the slightest wobble on the custard.

      Egg and Onion

This traditionally Jewish appetiser is frequently served as an alternative to the famous chopped liver and is equally delicious. Its savoury flavour created by combining raw and cooked onions is delicious with toast, bread or crackers for a light meal with good conversation and plenty of fun.
Serves 4-6
1 onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 large free range organic eggs
2 spring onions pale green and white parts only save the dark parts for soup
3 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
Freshly milled salt and pepper
fresh watercress to garnish

Gently fry the onions in a small pan until soft and just turning golden. Boil the eggs for ten minutes. Remove from heat and pour over iced water to prevent green edges. Finley chop the spring onions, place in a mixing bowl with the cooked onions and the mayonnaise. Peel and grate the eggs on the coarse side of a grater. Season well with salt and pepper and serve in individual glass dishes. Enjoy.