Important to Show How People Live As Well As Die

Jeremy Bowen of the BBC illustrates in his tweets what food is being  traded just around the corner from conflict.  Olives being harvested by Palestinians, sweet dough balls being sold on the streets of Syria. He is showing how people survive during times of war and conflict. Check out Jeremy Bowen (@BowenBBC): https://twitter.com/BowenBBC?s=09

Vegan Phở

Phở.... you know that Vietnamese noodle dish that keeps cropping up on the best cookery programmes.... Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations... Luke Nguyen's Vietnam... Usually made from chicken or beef bones to make a stunning rich meaty broth, topped with fresh coriander, chilli and lime and served with flat rice noodles. Being vegan I had to find a meat free recipe. My vegan phở was inspired by the excellent recipe from thekitchn.com.... with some of the techniques from Luke Nguyen's television programme.

Luke Nguyen preparing Pho with a street vendor

Vegan Phở (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

Serves 2

Broth
1 large onion, peeled and halved
2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and halved lengthwise
3-inch cinnamon stick, preferably Vietnamese cassia-cinnamon
1 star anise
2 cloves (I tend to leave these out as it is just too pungent with)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4 cups unsalted vegetable stock
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped. I use this wonderful variety called purple haze that turn the broth a wonderful deep purple colour.

3/4 mushrooms halfed

Noodles
1/2 lb/227g dried flat rice noodles 

Toppings (optional)
Protein such as fried or baked tofu, bean curd skin

Mushrooms

Vegetables such as bok choy, napa cabbage, or broccoli

Garnishes
1/2 onion, very thinly sliced
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 chile pepper (Thai bird, serrano, or jalapeño), sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Large handful of herbs: cilantro, Thai basil

For the broth
1. Char onion and ginger over an open flame.... I use a gas stove so this is an easy but time consuming process. I char the cinnamon and star anise as well but you can just dry roast the spices in a pan along with the cloves and coriander seeds over a medium heat.

2. In a large saucepan add the onion, ginger, and spices.  Add the vegetable stock, soy sauce, mushrooms and carrots.

3. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the broth and keep hot.

For the noodles

1. While the broth is simmering, place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand for 20-30 minutes or until tender but still chewy. Then drain. (If soaking does not soften the noodles enough, blanch them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds.)

For the toppings (optional)
1. I usually prepare tofu to go with my pho.  I cut into cubes and dust with a mixture of polenta and freshly ground black pepper.  Then I fry the tofu cubes and set aside on some kitchen paper when golden.

2. I might lightly steam some broccoli... sometimes I use kale.

To serve

1. Divide the noodles between two bowls ladle about 2 cups of broth into each bowl.  Now I tend to add the tofu and vegetables at this point and then add the garnish there and then.... some beansprouts, thinly sliced chilli, coriander and some lime ready to squeeze over the broth.   Alternatively just lay out the toppings and garnish for the diner to pick and choose and add to their broth.

Terre à Terre

I like to eat out.... in becoming a vegan this year it has cut down the number of dining experiences.... not many vegan fine dining restaurants around.  So I just had take up the opportunity of some fine dining when I visited Brighton by going to Terre à Terre. If you ever visit try this restaurant out... even if you are a carnivore - you will be surprised. Terre à Terre is actually a vegetarian restaurant but they are very vegan friendly.  So good to have more than one vegan dish on the menu! The wine list is made up of vegetarian and some vegan wines which makes a change from other restaurants.  I didn't need to resort to drinking cider....

The menu was pleasantly eclectic .... stretching around the world for it's influences.  Just up my street for the type of cuisine I am looking for. Starters took in Greek and Columbian, a nod to Yemen and Japan for the main course and a glorious modern on desserts.  My only quibble being the slightly annoying cliched descriptions of dishes.

My starter of arepas chilli candy was a delightful taster but they were not arepas.... or at least the arepas I have had and made in the past.  The description of 'deep fried sweetcorn cakes rolled in chermoula seasoned spice dust served with chilli chelly jelly (???), avocado coriander chilli garlic hash, zesty oregano and lime mojo and candied chilli crackle' was more explanatory of the final dish.

My main course of aubergine baked with sake and tahini was less successful.  The aubergine was a little bland but the vegetable salad dressed in a beautiful sesame and ginger sauce more than made up for the aubergine.

Now to the star dish... the dessert.  A moist orange polenta cake with the most unusual fennel and lemon sorbet.  Candied fennel with a apricot gel, and a beautiful pinenut polenta biscuit all finished off with crunchy fennel seeds. Devine!

Why become a vegan?

This year (2014) has seen a great change in my cooking.... last year I was a vegetarian who occasionally ate fish. I ate far too much cheese and was addicted to butter.  This year I decided that I needed a drastic change to my diet; something that would re-invigorate my love of cooking and appreciate some much maligned ingredients.  Starting from New Years Day I became a vegan - you probably noticed all my posts about vegan things so it is nothing new.

I think I had better explain myself..... well people do keep on asking me. 'Why become a vegan?' .  My answers are many and varied.  I seem to have a new answer every single time.  Now, this is not due to indecisiveness or waywardness. It just is complicated. Like a super complex knot of knitting that you have to unpick.

Here are just some of the reasons I have given:

1. Eating too much cheese!
2. Dairy product not good for my respiratory health....  whenever I got a cold I just had to avoid dairy or I would feel even more blocked up. What would it be like with no dairy?
3. Adventure - I wanted to explore a whole new culinary experience.
4. Dairy product potentially giving higher risks to breast cancer (Japanese and Chinese diets showing significantly lower rates of breast cancer).
5. I had been flirting with veganism for some years and thought I had better just go for it.
6. Experimentation - I wanted to see if I could make this work in a relatively busy life.
7. Challenge.
8. Environmental - the increasing proof that a vegan diet was lighter on the planet.
9. I was going off fish through all the bad experiences I had with fish during 2013 and I really should not eat so much dairy.... now I am an all or nothing kind of gal so that meant no dairy!
10. Just all of these reasons mixed all together.

Well I am now the majority way through my experiment and it has been tough. You have to look at every label! I now know intimately the various methods of filtration for wine.... whether it be through fish finings, casein (milk product) or gelatin.  I know which bread is safe generally (pitta and ciabatta), which supermarkets are on your side (Marks and Spencer, Co-op) and which are tragically appalling.  I know the best vegan cheeses (Vegusto's no-moo piquant), and some great alternatives to eggs (flax seed is so good).  Cakes are tough for vegans but then I was never to fond of them anyway.  I have been addicted to kale and I have never had so much hummus in life than this year.  (If someone was to come up with a great alternative to hummus that could easily be made/bought by cafes I am sure it would be a money-spinner. I love hummus but every time you go out to a cafe?)
It has been a revelation!
Vegetables have taken on a new lustre.... Kale is the must go vegetable.  Just kale and garlic and I have a meal (well, almost).  Cauliflower has become invaluable; just roasted or left raw as 'rice'.  Carrots (in particular a variety called purple haze) have elevated my stock making. When you have to rely on the great vegetables you just look out for some different flavour.  This purple haze carrot has transformed my pho to this luscious purple broth..... ahhh! Spring onions griddled in a pan with the roots on are devine.
Shall I continue?  I will let you know 1st January 2015!

World Cup Special - Brazil

No Brazilian feast would be complete without the national dish of feijoada.... unfortunately that is a rather meat heavy mix with pork and beef and black beans, the key element being that hint of smoked meat as well.... so how to re-create that in the vegan dish?  Luckily we found a great recipe from www.veggiebelly.com which used smoked tofu as a fine replacement for the meat. 

Vegan Feijoada

Vegan Feijoada (serves two)

Pack of smoked tofu cut into cubes

1 small onion finely chopped

1 carrot finely chopped

1 red pepper finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika (to give that umpf of smokiness)

1 tsp of oregano (I used fresh from the garden)

1 tin of black beans

500ml of water

1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and stir fry the tofu cubes until it is brown and crispy then remove from the pan and set aside.

2. In the same pan heat some more olive oil and add the onion, carrot and pepper and saute for about 5-8 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and stir in for 30 seconds.  Then add the cumin, paprika and oregano and fry for about 20 seconds.

4. Add the black beans, the water and the salt and bring the stew to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Mash some of the black beans using a wooden spoon. The liquid should almost evaporate.. if you find the mixture is catching just add a little more water.

5. Add the tofu and heat through for about 5 minutes.

6. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with any of these: chopped tomatoes, red onion, parsley, coriander, orange zest. We just topped with coriander but served with this great salsa below.

Molho de limeo

Molho de Limeo

1 red onion finely chopped
1 large tomato skinned and deseeded finely chopped
2 limes juiced
1 garlic clove crushed
1 tbsp chopped coriander or flat leaved parsley
chilli sauce
seasoning

1. Combine all the ingredients and transfer to a serving dish ... that is it!

Vagem Com Minas e Castanha do Para - Green Beans with Mihas Cheese and Brazil Nuts (without the cheese)

Vagem Com Minas e Castanha do Para - Green Beans with Mihas Cheese and Brazil Nuts (without the cheese)

680 g green beans

seasoning

2 tbsp lime juice

1 garlic clove finely chopped

125 ml of extra virgin olive oil

70g of Minas or feta cheese crumbled (obviously I left this out in order to adhere to the vegan ethos)

30g red onion thinly sliced

40 g shelled brazil nuts.

1. Steam the green beans until tender... about 5 minutes. 

2. Immediately drain and transfer to a ice water bath for about 5 minutes to stop the cooking process.  This keeps the beans nice and green; which looks fantastic on the plate. 

3. Remove the beans from the cooling water and dry on some kitchen towels or tea towel.  Let it air dry for about 5 minutes and place in a serving bowl.

4. In a mixing bowl whisk the lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Slowly add the olive oil until it is well blended.

5. Pour the dressing over the beans then add the grated cheese if you are using, the onion and grate the Brazil nuts over the green beans.

6. Give it a taste and adjust he seasoning if you wish.

(Taken from Rio de Janeiro - The Cookbook - Leticia Moreinos Schwartz)

The final meal.... a fresh, zingy meal with a useful re-invention of Brazil's national dish. I will definitely be replicating this very soon!


Game: 2 Food: 4 (So disappointing to see Brazil go out like this.... we just had to take consolation in the cooking... ( and the music - well I had to reach for the Gilles Peterson compliation Back in Brazil from 2006).