Stretching the blog’s rules again, I’m recording this brilliant recipe because it’s hard to believe it is completely vegan. It comes from Meera Sodha’s column in the Guardian’s Saturday food supplement Feast, and I’ve made it three times this year – every time to astonished acclaim from family, friends and colleagues. It has enough appleContinue reading “Vegan apple pudding cake”
Category Archives: Vegan
Grilled pepper salad
This is very much a family invention and therefore open to as much variation as you like. It’s a colourful accompaniment to a summer barbecue and can be made well in advance. Just save the addition of the basil until just before serving. Red and yellow peppers are easier to peel than green ones (whichContinue reading “Grilled pepper salad”
Scrambled harissa tofu
Even when we’re not conducting a flirtation with veganism, I like to wheel this out for a weekend brunch. A delicious alternative to eggs, it might be considered a ‘Gen Z rántotta’, because it recalls the paprika-spiced scrambled egg-and-onion dish Babú would cook on those rare occasions when family supper was left up to him.Continue reading “Scrambled harissa tofu”
Piperade
Variations upon a stew of onions, peppers and tomatoes are found across a range of cuisines. The name we use for our version, Piperade, is of Basque origin, although in a departure from the traditional template I would usually choose red and yellow peppers over green. In Italy, the dish is called Peperonata, while inContinue reading “Piperade”
Courgettes, courgettes
Courgettes (or zucchini) are wonderfully versatile vegetables. Cheap and quick to prepare, they can be served as a side dish or beefed up to make a main meal in themselves, and they go well with an array of herbs and spices from all sorts of cuisines. The recipes and pictures below are a mere selection,Continue reading “Courgettes, courgettes”
Coconut dal with lime kale
Last year, a pressing sense of responsibility towards the planet prompted us to sign up for Veganuary. We soldiered on through gamely, experimenting with all sorts of alternative foods, but were not prepared to commit to long-term veganism: the end of our month-long meat and dairy drought was marked by a slap-up full English breakfastContinue reading “Coconut dal with lime kale”
Chickpea & tomato soup
Here is another recipe originally from Sophie Grigson’s Food for Friends (see Aubergine Parmigiana). I’ve had to play around with it from the start because the officially published version has no tomatoes in it (in spite of the title) and, in any case, it lends itself to multiple variations. All sorts of tinned pulses willContinue reading “Chickpea & tomato soup”
Christmas sauces
Here are foolproof instructions for two accompaniments to roast turkey: cranberry sauce and bread sauce. Both can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a couple of days. The cranberry sauce will in fact keep for much longer if kept in a sterilised jar. Cranberry sauce Serves 6 Ingredients Juice of 1Continue reading “Christmas sauces”
Mulled wine
An essential lubricant at this time of year, mulled wine always fills the house with evocative smells. After literally years of experimenting with different versions, I’ve concluded that Jamie Oliver’s recipe is the best. Follow this and you can dispense with those ghastly sachets of spice mix or – even worse – the pre-mixed bottlesContinue reading “Mulled wine”
Sweet & Sour Okra
Here is another one from Madhur Jaffrey, doyenne of Indian cookery . Okra (also called bhindi or ladies’ fingers) is in plentiful, cheap supply in local greengrocers during the summer months and this is a wonderful way to cook it. In colour and texture it complements Lake Palace Aubergines very well. Serve with raitha andContinue reading “Sweet & Sour Okra”
Years of Practice 