Saturday 27 December 2008

Vegetarian Christmas Nut Roast

Here's the Christmas Nut Roast I posted the recipe for on December 14. Mum made it as always and it was fab.

Fed six of us - five of them were meat-eaters and were completely happy not having turkey on Christmas Day.

Mum just popped slices of mushroom on the top for decoration.

We had carrots, roast potatoes and red cabbage with it. Everything was lovely.


Here are a few more recipes for nut roasts that I've found. Not tried them but they look nice.

Vegetarian Nut Roast

Australian Nut Roast

Basic Vegan Nut Roast

Cashew Nut Roast

Let me know if they're any good x

Tuesday 23 December 2008

Best UK vegetarian restaurant award from Vegetarian Society

The UK vegetarian restaurant award was announced as the Dandelion and Burdock in Sowerby Bridge.

The full article can be read here and their website can be visited here (but it's rubbish).

It was nominated by society members, shortlisted then visited by a secret diner, who gave it almost full marks in every catergory.

Can't wait to visit.

Monday 22 December 2008

Being a vegetarian can prevent heart disease and cancer?

Just found this article called Three Health Advantages Of A Vegetarian Diet. It's really interesting.

The blogger splits it into three sections: heart health, skin health and increased natural consumption of antioxidants.

I think what some people don't understand is: being a vegetarian is more than just not eating meat.

I recently tried to lose weight by doing a low carb diet - it was so hard to do as a vegetarian.

I had to be so organised. It also made me realise that as a veggie, it's so easy to pig out on carbs - pizza, pasta, bread etc...

I thought of myself as a healthy vegetarian but I didn't eat enough protein.

Give the article a read - it recommends more nuts, soy milk and seed oils among other things.

Sunday 21 December 2008

Vegetarian goat's cheese, tomato and rosemary sables recipe ideal for Christmas parties

If you're looking for something veggie to wet people's appetite at Christmas parties this year, give this recipe a go.

Me and my friend, Kate, made them for a party last night and they were fab. So cute and tasty.

I'm a rubbish cook so if i managed it, anyone can. They were quite easy to make but looked really fancy.

Kate found the recipe on the Channel4 website. It is:


Makes 15

Ingredients
100g flour
1 tbsp each of rosemary and flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
75g butter
1 egg yolk
25g Parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt and pepper
8 x cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp Maldon salt
1 tbsp thyme
150g goat's cheese
50g walnuts, toasted and ground

1. For the sable: Blend the flour and herbs together to incorporate the colour. Add the softened butter, Parmesan and egg yolk to bring the mixture together. Allow to rest and then roll into tubes. Allow to reset for a further 30 minutes then slice into 3 to 4mm round slices and rest again for 20-30 minutes.

2. Bake in the oven at 160ºC for about 20 minutes and allow to cool.

3. Peel the goat's cheese removing all the rind and blend to a smooth paste. Roll into tubes slightly smaller than the sables and allow to set. Roll in the toasted walnuts and slice into 1.5cm rounds.

4. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves and dust with Maldon salt and thyme. Leave in a barely warm oven to dry slowly. Minimum 3 hours.

5. Stack the sables, cheese and tomatoes in that order and serve.

TIP: To roll the cheese into tubes place the mixture into piping bags, pipe into long thick rolls onto cling film, then shape by rolling the cling film tightly and twisting the ends (the mixture needs to be the same diameter as the sables), then allow to set.

Tuesday 16 December 2008

Singer Katy Perry wants to be a vegetarian



Singer Katy Perry has apparently wanted to join the ranks of Shania Twain and Pink by becoming a vegetarian.

According to website ecorazzi.com she said: "I want to try to be a vegetarian because I know it would be more of a healthier option for me.

"But I love chicken. I think I am just gonna try and be a healthier person and ya know think about my family more."

While I'm posting - check out this article on The Hindu, which discusses animal activist group People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

It says they wrote a letter to the chief of Citigroup calling for a vegetarian menu in its executive dining room.

Interesting but I doubt it'll happen.

Quorn is better for you than chicken?


Hello. Hope everyone's having a good day. Just sat down at my desk with a lovely lemon tea.
Haven't got long because I've got tons of work to do but I just saw this really interesting article by Jane Clarke on yesterday's Mail Online.
She recommends meat-eaters to swap to Quorn because the rich mycoprotein in it is wonderful for reducing cholesterol levels.
She also says studies show mycoprotein is more likely to fill you up than something like chicken.

Monday 15 December 2008

Sir Paul McCartney asks the Dalai Lama to turn vegetarian

Online Sindh Newspaper, SindhToday.net, reported:

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney tried to turn the Dalai Lama vegetarian, insisting the famed Buddhist was ‘wrong’ to eat meat.

McCartney wrote to the Tibetan spiritual leader to point out that meat-eaters contribute to the suffering of animals, contradicting the latter’s statement that Buddhists ‘believe in not causing suffering to any sentient beings’.

Contactmusic.com reports McCartney said: "I found out that he was not a vegetarian, so I wrote to him saying ‘Forgive me for pointing this out, but if you eat animals then there is some suffering somewhere along the line’.

"He replied saying that his doctors had told him he needed it, so I wrote back saying they were wrong."

How to lose weight - become a vegetarian?

Here's a story from the Erie Times about a woman, Bonnie Little, who lost 80 pounds by giving up meat:

Ten months later, Little's cholesterol and blood pressure are normal -- without the help of medication -- and she has lost about 80 pounds. How did she do it?

She switched to a mostly vegetarian diet, trading her chicken wings and pizza for kale and parsnips. "I have always liked vegetables, and I learned that I could eat almost as much as I wanted," Little said. Keep reading here.

Sunday 14 December 2008

What to cook a vegetarian at Christmas - Cashew Nut Roast with Mushroom and Sherry sauce

I promised to post the recipe for the Cashew Nut Roast with Mushroom and Sherry sauce.

Every year when mum (below) makes it, we look at it and think - this isn't going to fill us.

Me (right) and my sister Lorna


However, every year - it does. It's really filling so you'll only need a few veggies to go round it.

We put the roast in the middle of the plate and surround it with colourful veg.

Pop a sprig of holly on top and voila - vegetarian Christmas.

The cook - mum (Barbara Kelly)

You've got to make the mushroom sauce to go with it though - it really goes well together.

Even meat eaters (who often don't think vegetarian food is substantial enough) enjoy this roast.


I recomment colourful veg but not parsnips as they're already in the nut roast.

Maybe carrots, sprouts and celeriac.




The recipe is:

Serves 6-8

1 tbl spoon of oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
8oz (225g) cashew nuts
4 oz (110g) fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg
3 medium parsnips, cooked and mashed with a little butter
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or 0.5 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 0.5 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon yeast extract
0.25 pint (150ml) hot water or stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
1oz (25g) butter
8oz (225g) mushrooms, chopped
butter for greasing tin


Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350F (180C).Heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft. Grind the cashew nuts in a nut mill, blender or mincer, then mix with the breadcrumbs. Beat the egg and add it to the dry ingredients, then mix in the mashed parsnips and herbs. Add the fried onion, being sure to scrape the pan so that all the juices go in as nut roasts can sometimes be a little dry.

Dissolve the yeast extract in hot water or stock and add to the other ingredients. Season well.Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the chopped mushrooms until soft. Grease a 2lb(900g) loaf tin with butter, then press in half the nut mixture. Add the sautéed chopped mushrooms and then the remainder of the nut mixture.Cover with foil and bake for one hour. When cooked, remove the loaf from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before turning it out. Serve hot or cold.

Mushroom and sherry sauce (makes 1.25 pints/550ml sauce)
1 oz (25g) butter
8 oz (225g) mushrooms, wiped and quartered
1 tablespoon sherry
4 teaspoons flour
1 pint (570ml) strong vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Saturday 13 December 2008

Interesting blog post about Lecithin and vegetarians



I found this really interesting blog about Lecithin and there a post about being a vegetarian - well worth a read:

"The thing with vegetarians is they do not get to consume those nutrients that are normally found only in animal products.

"Since they do not eat meat, vegetarians often restrict their diet to foods like: macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, cheese pizza, eggplant parmesan,...and other non-meat products.

"One such nutrient that vegetarians hold a danger of inadequate intake is lecithin."

Read the rest of the post here.

Friday 12 December 2008

Sexiest Vegetarian Marine in the US Marine Corps.

Article from thecalifornian.com:

"Proving that you can serve your country without serving meat, Monterey-based Lt. Col. Bob Lucius has been chosen by PETA as the sexiest vegetarian in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Read the rest here.

A Vegetarian Christmas

MY FAMILY are wonderful - they always have a vegetarian Christmas for me. They're big meat and fish eaters but rather than leaving me with a plate of veg, mum creates a Cashew Nut Roast with Mushroom Sherry sauce and everyone tucks in.

I'm at my desk in work at the moment so I can't post the recipe but I will when I get home.

Apparently, according to this week's article on Medical News Today, a vegetarian Christmas can be the healthier option.

The article said: "With Christmas just around the corner and preparations in full swing, you might be starting to think of meal planning for the big day.

"It can often be challenging for vegetarians and those catering for them to get a meat-free Christmas dinner just right....read the rest of the article here."

Anyway - better get back to work but I'll try to pop that recipe on over the weekend.

x

Thursday 11 December 2008

Vegetarian sausages from award-winning organic website

I haven't got time to tell you my tales of Florida today but I just wanted to let you know of a particularly tasty discovery.

Dragonfly soysages. You get four in a pack for £1.95 and I'd really recommend them.

They're more substantial than Quorn or Tofu sausages I've had - more of a nutty flavour.

I ordered them from organic site Abel and Cole, who have their very own vegetarian and vegan section and they deliver to the house.

You can order the soysages here. Let me know what you think. I really appreciate feedback.

Wednesday 10 December 2008

Vegetarian nightmares at Disney World and Denny's

I've been a vegetarian for more than 20 years and in that time I've taken the bad eating out experiences with the good but a recent fortnight's holiday in Florida took the biscuit (not made with lard, obviously).

I won't rant about every bad experience I had in that two weeks in one go but I wanted to explain what finally led me to start this blog.

I wanted to encourage a community where people can share their experiences (good and bad) of living without meat or fish. I wanted to create a forum where people can come for advice and support because it can be hard.

I wanted to make a space where people can enjoy, even relish, being a vegetarian because sometimes it feels as if it's treated as a flippin' disability.

Anyway - that's a quick introduction. In my next post I'll share some of the awful service I had to endure in America last month from endless Chicken Salads (hold the chicken) to ham in my "Veggie Omlette".

Bet you've all been there.

Jo x