Found some of the Cauldron Lincs, looking forward to trying them out, the cooked breakfast a few pages back got me in the mood. See also chilli, that just looks brilliant!
I agree Cauldron Lincs are v good. Kind of a faggot/haggis sort of taste. A good posh choice. Sometimes get them as a treat for a full fryup. Along with some king oyster mushroom rashers or This Isn’t Bacon rashers.
Found a video
thanks, i think ill have bash at that, just not sure about how much to dilute the ingredients by. it says it feeds 16, but theres just 2 of us and i dont really want to be using quarter of a can for this, quarter of a can for that. also not got some of the ingredients, but i reckon i can make a good fist of it.
thanks
Hmm. Agree, who cooks with 1/4 tins?
It does fill a big saucepan. There’s only two of us so I cook it up and freeze portions. 16 portions though? More like 8-10 depending if call 1 x ladle a ‘portion’ or whether you’re more the 2-3 ladles.
I like less rice/corn chips and more chilli.
Here’s the recipe/method on a page:
https://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/soups/best-damn-vegan-chili-ever
The ingredients I use:
1 large Onion (diced)
1 large Red Bell Pepper (diced)
1 large Green Bell Pepper (diced)
3-4 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 splash Vegetable Broth (for sautéing)
3/4 cup Buckwheat grits (uncooked)
400g passata
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
2 cups veg broth or stock (low sodium) I use 1 and a half Kallo cubes
400g can of Refried Beans (or I use half a pack or more of Gran Luchito (Smokey Chipotle in the orange pouch)
tablespoon of Chili Powder
2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tsp Oregano
2 cans Kidney Beans (I drain them. Keep some back in case chili is too thick then add as required at the end)
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
3 tsp 100% cocoa powder
(Optional) 2 Tbs Pickled Jalapeños (with juice) (again, adds a little heat so adjust accordingly)
Salt to taste
Vegetarian pesto can contain cheese, just not the cheese made with animal parts.
I still think that a failure to label something as vegan or vegetarian when it is so, is a form of discrimination against certain religions.
Certain religions forbid the consumption of meat (Buddhist, Jain), and some permit the consumption of certain meats (Hindu, Judaism, Muslim).
Vegan or vegetarian food labelling is the common denominator for all these religions.
Without the correct labelling of the food, the members of these religions can either eat the food (and thus compromise their beliefs), or go without.
Bit unfair?
And oxtail soup.
Tastes fantastic.
Is there any reason to keep using animal parts?
There wasn’t much actual meat in it anyway.
I'm not a good cook by any means, but pretty much anything can be made delicious with a load of shallots.
What maniac puts grits in chilli?
Actually, what maniac puts grits in anything? Revolting items.
not sure about how much to dilute the ingredients by. it says it feeds 16, but theres just 2 of us
I reckon there's probably four good meals there, it's not a million miles from my own recipe (I'll repost if anyone wants it?) and I've tweaked that so that a full pack of Quorn mince is about right. If you're cooking for two and are unfamiliar with the concept of freezers I'd halve it, tops, and for the faff I probably wouldn't bother. I'd rather make too much food than not enough, there's always tomorrow's lunch.
Dial back on the chilli powder
The trick here is to use more mild chilli rather than less hot. If you don't like too much heat then why are you making chilli you loon you still want it to taste like chilli rather than tomato and 'meat' soup.
Cougar you’re (partially) right thanks. Totally wrong abou the ‘tomato soup’ though.
I just checked the recipe and they recommend ‘McCormicks’ chilli powder which I read is a blend of spices, herbs and ‘medium hot’ chilli powder.
What I use and call ‘chilli powder’ is the raw hot red chilli powder as per the big cheap bags of that you get in Asian supermarkets. I like my food stupid hot, but Mrs P not so much. I add my own herbs (which are, incidentally, the same as the ones in Mc Cormicks powder, but I prefer to source quality smoked paprika and grind my own cumin etc) and seasoning so I don’t tend to seek out ‘chilli powder’ blends like those etc. It gets confusing.
So (per the recipe) a 1/4 cup of Mc Cormicks chilli powder (or similar).
If I had it my way I’d be soaking anchos and serranos to blend with the red hot chilli powder. Soaked chilli stock included. But then it gets expensive and no-one here but me eats it (somewhere north of Vindaloo and South of Phaal, in a town called El Diablo 🤣)
I get around that by having a chilli flake grinder and adding to my own bowl.
The buckwheat. It cooks in perfectly and adds thickness and nutrition and a little texture. If it makes you squeamish just grind it first. It’ll cook in much the same, but you’ll feel better about it 😉
Best Damn Confusing Vegan Chilli
Without the correct labelling of the food, the members of these religions can either eat the food (and thus compromise their beliefs), or go without.
Or apply a little intelligence / common sense of their own to read the ingredients and confirm if it fits with their belief system?
Quite. Having a little (V) on the package is handy but not essential as I can read and there's only so much space on the label.
Religious beliefs are different though. If something contains say chicken, you can't tell whether it's Halal chicken or not unless the label explicitly states so.
So (per the recipe) a 1/4 cup of Mc Cormicks chilli powder (or similar).
see, the 'US cups' measure confuses me. ive tried googling the equivalent grams measure but get different results every time. so it looks like its a 'volume' measure rather than a 'weight' measure would that be right? so its different for every ingredient? so is it easier just to buy a 'cup' for the US recipes?
What maniac puts grits in chilli?
never heard of them so had to google it and still not much more the wiser. ive looked on my 'go to' wholefoods supplier site and see a choice of 'organic buckwheat raw' (are these the grits), flakes, flour, or puffed buckwheat. whats a boy to do? ignore the buckwheat or do i need it for taste or texture?
organic buckwheat raw’ (are these the grits)
Most likely
Buckwheat grits/groats are
are the buckwheat kernels which have been hulled and crushed. Buckwheat groats are typically cooked like one would cook rice. Buckwheat is actually a herb and the edible portion is the triangular shaped seeds. The seeds are also ground into buckwheat flour which is used to make pancakes and the famous Russian blini.
https://www.gourmetsleuth.com/ingredients/detail/buckwheat-groats
I often use them in this recipe (and other recipes calling for ‘mince’, including patties) for the texture/sauce-consistency and nutrition/health benefits. They cook somewhat like rice but soon ‘disappear’ in the sauce. I once used pearl barley by mistake. Big mistake, it takes two or three times longer to cook. Now that wasn’t pleasant 😎
https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/blog/health-benefits-of-buckwheat/
As for cups, I just go somewhere between 200/250 mls. Or about 16 tablespoons. I’d think. That can be a lot of chilli powder if you buy a hot one! I never buy ‘blends’ such as Mc Cormack (never seen it In the UK tbh) so instead use however much heat I want (via red chilli powder and/or fresh/dried hot chili varities) combined with the seasoning/herbs/spices elements of the dish which come from a good smoked paprika, dried or fresh oregano, ground cumin seeds, salt, black-pepper, garlic, bell pepper etc. As listed.
Sorry it got confusing. It’s often the problem trying to recreate US recipes with UK ingredients.
Cougar you’re (partially) right thanks. Totally wrong abou the ‘tomato soup’ though.
Hadn't even crossed my mind that "chilli powder" might be anything other than, well, chilli powder.
I love many things about America but by christ their recipes irritate the shite out of me. Over-reliance on brand names, measuring dry weights by volume, no concept that anyone outside of the US might want to try to follow then. 'The one in the orange packet,' really?! Get in the goddamn sea.
For my part, I rely mostly on jars of herbs and spices for flavouring. I'd love to go to the 'next level' in cooking, crushing fresh whole spices and using a special house blend of dried chillies and the like, but I'm just not there yet. On "Cougar's Pasta Sauce Scale of Cooking Sophistication" which ranges from "jar of Lidl's own-brand version of Dolmio" to "home-grown organic tomatoes picked off the vine two minutes ago" I'm somewhere around the passata and tinned tomatoes level. And honestly, I'll take that for the time being, it's not all that long ago that on the aforementioned scale I was at "Heinz Spaghetti Hoops."
I'm self-taught and I mostly get by but my main failing is that I'm a very slow chef, "ready in five minutes" packet Pasta 'n' Sauce takes me 20. Adding more complexity is just going to take me even longer and it's a whole raft of new things to learn. Plus I'm space limited, I already have an entire cupboard dedicated to herbs, spices and sauces, though that at least is going to change soon.
see, the ‘US cups’ measure confuses me. ive tried googling the equivalent grams measure but get different results every time. so it looks like its a ‘volume’ measure rather than a ‘weight’ measure would that be right? so its different for every ingredient? so is it easier just to buy a ‘cup’ for the US recipes?
A cup is 240ml and yes, it's a volume measurement. So obviously makes total sense for things like flour which changes density if it's compacted or sifted.
I bought a set of measuring cups for exactly this reason, and even then it's still a $%^&ed-up measurement because most cups available in the UK are 'metric cups' at 250ml rather than the US 240. I eventually found some US-accurate ones on Amazon but it wasn't easy.
My theory is that "cups" were originally supposed to be a relative measure and the actual size of it didn't matter. Like, if you're making batter then you need one cup each of eggs, flour and milk and it's doesn't matter if your 'cup' is 200ml or 2000ml. But then the wheels come off as soon as you involve not-cups, a tablespoon of salt might be fine for the latter there, the former not so much.
The one in the orange packet,’ really?! Get in the goddamn sea.
Well that was me to be fair. Not America. Couldn’t remember at first that it was ‘smoked chipotle flavour one’ I bought so I just wrote as I remembered/mnemonically. I’m a bit spectral that way. As for prepacked? I agree it’s better to cook fresh. I could of course have bought some chipotle chillies from online/local deli if available, then soaked some dried pinto beans overnight, cooked them, mashed them, seasoned etc. Good idea if preparing bulk. I could freeze the mash.
It never pays to assume others don’t wish to source/prepare from scratch. I’m not a fan of plastic packaging either so that is a good kick up the arse. I’ll buy either Old El Paso tins and season, or make scratch in future.
I should maybe contribute here less often and when I’ve got more time because I rush things and have to go back and re-edit a ton of times only to get it wrong again as the edit window closes! Apologies all. (crawls back to the ocean, covered in groats) 🌊
@sadexpunk - use your judgment, it’ll be good! I’ll go away and work at a ‘UK-friendly’ bestest everest gosh crikey vegan chilli to beat this one. And with easy to understand measures and ingredients!
Cougar:
The trick here is to use more mild chilli rather than less hot. If you don’t like too much heat then why are you making chilli you loon you still want it to taste like chilli rather than tomato and ‘meat’ soup.
vs
Cougar:
Hadn’t even crossed my mind that “chilli powder” might be anything other than, well, chilli powder.
No wonder you thought it must taste like ‘tomato soup’ if your chief flavour/seasoning is raw chilli powder!
12 tablespoons of raw (hot) chilli powder is hot by most standards. Not so flavourful IME? Not sure why I’d add more ‘mild’ chili powder with less heat, rather than just add less hot chili powder?
What am I missing?
@sadexpunk – use your judgment, it’ll be good!
A cup is 240ml and yes, it’s a volume measurement.
well if every cup is 240ml, i guess i could use a measuring jug to 'fill up to the line'? not as accurate as scales but if youre saying 'a cup is 240ml' i can work with that.
is that the same for liquids too? so, different weights for water vs custard say, but still 240ml?
I should maybe contribute here less often and when I’ve got more time because I rush things and have to go back and re-edit a ton of times only to get it wrong again as the edit window closes! Apologies all. (crawls back to the ocean, covered in groats) 🌊
Please don't. Your contributions are great and if you screw something up and the window closes then report your own post and we can change it for you.
What am I missing?
Eh, different chillies are different? I have two Tesco chilli powder jars here, mild and hot. The hot is 83% chilli, the mild 81%. I doubt that the difference between the two is a 2% change in chilli content.
My point was that "chilli" is a flavour in and of itself and separate from heat. Rather than "use less (fewer) chilli peppers" in a dish that's too hot, I was suggesting using gentler chillies instead.
well if every cup is 240ml, i guess i could use a measuring jug to ‘fill up to the line’? not as accurate as scales but if youre saying ‘a cup is 240ml’ i can work with that.
is that the same for liquids too? so, different weights for water vs custard say, but still 240ml?
Exactly that, yes.
My point was that “chilli” is a flavour in and of itself and separate from heat
Only if you seek out particular varieties of dried or fresh chilies and prepare specifically. ie not the stuff in your Tesco jar which is added just for heat.
It is confusing. Especially in the UK. Chilli powder? Chile powder? Chili powder?
Your Tesco brand ‘chilli powder’ in those little 50g jars is a ready-mixed chile con carne/tex-mex spice/herb/seasoning blend ie approx 80 % (med or hot) heat (from cayenne and/or red chilli/capsaicin extract) and approx 20 percent chilli con carne/tex mex herbs and seasoning (oregano, ground cumin, salt, garlic powder etc)
This is a comparitively expensive and sub-par (if convenient) way to flavour a chili con carne/non-carne as you’re paying not for some nice distinctive (fruity/smokey etc) chili peppers flavours as you might imagine, you’re instead paying for a basic red (almost tasteless) chilli/cauenne powder/extract that is mixed with the above herbs and spices (themselves non too fresh either)
So the heat in your Tesco ‘chilli powder’ (basically a tex mend blend for chilli con carne) comes from cayenne and/or capsaicin extract and/or dried red chilli powder.
You’d have to seek out the more expensive varietals of chile powder (ie ancho, chipotle, serrano etc) to get the smoky, fruity notes.
You’d still need to add all the other herbs and spices to make a tex mex.
This is why I make my own tex mex blend. Using good quality smoked and/or unsmoked paprika (dried pimento chilli peppers, aromatic tasting) along with the heat (basic red chilli powder, ie packet of Rajah hot chilli powder - 200g for roughly the same price as your 50g jars of blended spice)
Then add cumin (use a pestle and mortar on the seeds), oregano fresh or dried, salt, garlic/garlic powder etc. Works out a whole lot cheaper and much, much tastier than the little 50g jars of readymix tex mex (sold as ‘chilli powder’
*There’s some written about the differences here:
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/chili-powder-vs-chile-powder
Have a good Mexican cook book and if you want to get the flavour of actual chili peppers you need buy specific chilli varieties noted for their flavours, dry toast them, soak in water/extract flavour etc etc. Then use the whole shebang in the sauce. It’s still usually subtle so you’ll still be adding herbs and spices, garlic etc to your recipe
But if you just cook some ‘chilli powder’ (not a tex mex blend) into some tomatoes onions and beans, then you’d just have a hot tomato, bean and onion soup.
In short - the ‘flavour’ in your Tesco blend is, I’m almost certain, from the 20% herbs and spices, and not from the chili powder/heat.
Deffo recommend buying a tin or four of (say) El Avion brand paprika (smoked hot, smoked sweet, etc) it will delight your taste buds (use sparingly) and add some real depth of flavour to chili dishes.
I don't think that it should be incumbent upon the purchaser to analyse the ingredients.
How would anyone know if the 'emulsifiers' are of a vegetarian origin?
While I was in hospital with my broken leg, I asked for a 'vegetarian' cheese and onion sandwich.
Fair enough, but the label said 'may contain crustaceans' !!!
A cheese and onion sandwich, FFS.
And then there was a huge list of ingredients, including a bunch of E numbers.
It was a lot of ingredients for something with such a short shelf life.
I ate it regardless, but it left me thinking about the quandary id have been left in, had I been a Buddhist or Jain.
What this topic did make me think about is this:
Are there any vegan or vegetarian dishes that have become part of the vernacular, in the way that 'toad-in-the-hole' or 'roast beef and Yorkshire puddings', have?
And 'beans in toast' doesn't count😊
While I was in hospital with my broken leg, I asked for a ‘vegetarian’ cheese and onion sandwich.
Fair enough, but the label said ‘may contain crustaceans’ !!!A cheese and onion sandwich, FFS.
That usually just means it's been made in the factory space as some crab sandwiches or whatever, and they can't guarantee 100% there won't have been cross-contamination. Unless you're allergic to seafood it's not an issue, and you can eat it with a clear conscience.
Unless you're in Spain of course, where the vending machine in the bank I work in would happily sell you a "sandwich vegetal" with ham in it... they're slowly getting the idea here, but it's taking time 🙂
Naked Glory Vegan Sausage Experiment No. 1.
‘English Breakfast Sausage‘
Had a bash at seasoning a Naked Glory sausage, seeing as had a sage bush nearby.
Tried a pinch each of:
Chopped sage
Black pepper
Salt*
Garlic powder
Nutmeg*
* Actually was more like half a pinch of salt and nutmeg.
When the sausages had nearly finished frying I sliced each lengthways in the pan, opened flat and rubbed seasoning into both halves of each.
Then closed them back up and let finish cooking for a 3-4 minutes longer
Plopped them on plate with some egg and chips and tucked in.
Taste? A quite startling difference. They already have great texture (as do the Linda Mac 1/4lbs burgers) but ... again, why aren’t they using traditional seasonings???
If there were fats and juices running out of this I’d be very hard pressed to tell the difference between this vs a pork breakfast sausage. Some meat sausages have a mild ammonia taste to them, but I don’t miss that so much so will just focus on the flavours that I did like.
I think all that this hack needs now is juicy fat, and a little more of both umami and sweet. Maybe refined coconut oil, mushroom powder and a touch of something swee? Will attempt to add those next time.
Just a fun experiment. I wouldn’t recommend sausages of any type as a staple diet 😉
Yet if you’re a veggie/vegan missing a cheap and dirty sausage fryup, here you go! Would be easy to instead use dried thyme and make up a little shaker.
I’ll stick with fresh. Blimmin lovely.
Would anyone recommend a decent (even affordable) mushroom powder? Porcini or shiitake? Wouldn’t know where to begin...
Please don’t. Your contributions are great and if you screw something up and the window closes then report your own post and we can change it for you.
Sorry just noticed this comment, Cougar. Thanks for that, and big up you mods. Will remember this if I really mess something up! I need discipline to learn to construct (especially recipes) comments in Notes first. No volunteer needs or deserves to be tidying up my attention-deficient mess, but the option is appreciated! 😬
@p7eaven Food for thought, as it were, thank you.
I'd disagree that chilli powder doesn't have a flavour other then 'heat' (chilli flavoured crisps exist) but you might be right, I hadn't realised that there were other things in the jar till I went and looked. Nonetheless, I've been meaning to switch to the bulk stuff like you linked to for a while. I live in East Lancashire so there's no shortage of authentic options, I could literally throw a brick out of my back yard and hit an Asian mini-mart that sells spices at two quid a kilo.
I don’t think that it should be incumbent upon the purchaser to analyse the ingredients.
I think that the buyer should be made aware of what they're buying and then they can make an informed choice. If we had a logo to cover every potential -ism out there there'd be no space for the name of the product.
How would anyone know if the ’emulsifiers’ are of a vegetarian origin?
I would expect an individual to know how to interpret a label according to their particular requirements better than a lay person. For instance, I wouldn't expect your average meat-eater to be able to answer your question - why would they know or even care? - but as a vegetarian of 40 years I know that 'emulsifiers' in food are generally either dairy-based (milk or egg protein) or soy. I can't think offhand of any that wouldn't be vegetarian (cue half the forum immediately googling to prove me wrong), though the dairy ones will be problematic for most vegans. If I were vegan then I'd do more research into what was and wasn't 'safe', there's probably a website somewhere with huge lists, but I'm not so I don't know.
I need discipline to learn to construct (especially recipes) comments in Notes first.
Honestly, I've been using Notepad for anything longer than a couple of lines for years, long before I ever used this forum even. Far too often I've typed war and peace just for the browser to crash or something. It's less of a common occurrence these days, and if the forum borks then Chrome's 'back' button almost always recovers it, but still. Composing in-browser I usually hit ctrl-A, ctrl-C before hitting Send.
No volunteer needs or deserves to be tidying up my attention-deficient mess
Eh, it is what it is. I'll generally tidy up URLs that have a paragraph of useless metadata in them, or mop up when the swear filter doesn't. Folks' posts get edited a lot more than you might realise.
I’d disagree that chilli powder doesn’t have a flavour other then ‘heat’ (chilli flavoured crisps exist)
Again, confusingly you’d be right. And wrong. ‘Chilli flavoured‘ crisps have (variously) oregano, garlic, cumin, lemongrass, etc etc.
Again, they say ‘chilli flavoured crisps’ (not ‘chile-flavoured’) but ‘chilli-flavoured’ usually means a whole lot of things to tempt you to buy exotic-sounding tasty crisps, corn chips etc. All (variously) flavoured with herbs, spices, MSG, salt, smoke, and a touch of that generic, red, virtually tasteless ‘chilli powder’ (or extract) for the heat. Buy a pack of that powder! Did I say? 😉
99.99% of the time ‘chilli-flavoured is North American/Western short-hand for ‘some blend of herbs, garlic and spices with a degree of heat from chilli peppers’
They may as well say ‘foreign flavoured’. Sometimes they’ll specify that it’s Thai Sweet Chilli (lemongrass, garlic, coconut, heat) or ‘Tex-Mex chilli (cumin, oregano, garlic, smoke, heat)
It’d be really easy to test out what I’m saying. Buy a bag of Rajah, Natco etc 100% ‘chilli powder’ (again, confusingly, but check it does at least have just 100% chilli peppers in it, and no other herbs and seasonings), dip a finger, flavour your next soup with it. Whatevs 😉
Compare it to your Tesco ‘chilli powder‘ (80%).
I suspect you’ll either double down, else realise that for ages (buying flavoured crisps and jars of spice blends labelled ‘chilli’) you may have long-believed that (sic) ‘chillis’ are fruits which taste variously of garlic powder, salt, cumin, oregano, lemongrass, smoked paprika...etc!
Again, ‘chile’ vs ‘chilli’ in the US. In the UK? They hardly ever use ‘chile’ but use ‘chilli’ to mean anything at all to do with heat from peppers/capsaicin and/or as some vague term for spicy foreigny food.
Have a read?:
I suspect you’ll either double down, else realise that for ages (buying flavoured crisps and jars of spice blends labelled ‘chilli’) you may have long-believed that (sic) ‘chillis’ are fruits which taste variously of garlic powder, salt, cumin, oregano, lemongrass, smoked paprika…etc!
Fair enough. Let me try and rephrase what I meant.
I’d disagree that chilli powder doesn’t have a flavour other then ‘heat’
I’d disagree that the chilli powder I and likely most other people have in the cupboard doesn’t have a flavour other then ‘heat’ (-:
I'll do as you say though. I'm running low and was planning on doing exactly that anyway so it's a timely suggestion. I'll read the articles after I've eaten.
Just had some Fry's veggie hot dogs from Tesco. Better than real hot dogs!
I’d disagree that the chilli powder I and likely most other people* have in the cupboard doesn’t have a flavour other then ‘heat’ (-:
Maybe. Depends on background/culture. I’m white Brit and like yourself thought ‘chilli powder‘ meant tex mex chii seasoning/blend. Until I became addicted to spicey foods, esp cooking/replicating Indian, Mexican, Southern US dishes. Someone bought me both a Mexican and and an Indian cook book in the 90s and I still use them. I lived in the USA/Florida for a short while and found they like their Gumbos, Chilis, and other spicy foods. Conch fritters....(drool)
Don’t know if this would help but I found that a good basic ‘toolkit‘ for chili/tex mex dishes breaks down to five essentials:
Heat, smoke, herb, spice, garlic.
(And a pestle and mortar!)
1. Heat
from either/or
A: Cheap neutral heat
(Powdered hot peppers)
ie 100% chilli/cayenne/kashmiri powder (or dried whole, or flakes) easily sourced from Asian supermarkets or online. Largely flavourless/neutral. Commonly used in every spice blend requiring heat.
Or
B: Expensive fruity heat
(varietal chile powders, chili sauces, etc)
ie a bottle of strong chilli sauce with high scoville rating. Something neutral is more versatile. I was given a bottle of ‘Blair’s Sudden Death‘ which lasted me many years. A couple of drops is enough to heat a bowl of chili. It was made from habaneros and cayenne pepper extract IIRC. Slight fruity heat from the habaneros. Mad hot. Can cause reflux if sensitive.
And/or
C: Fresh whole/sliced hot chillies or hot pickled chillies.
I’ll buy these if see on offer or have grown some, and will either make into a sauce or add directly to the dish and cook in. They can be unpredictable on heat scale, but they do impart a delicious fresh fruity ‘green’ flavour (as well as heat) in a way that most chilli powder cannot.
2. Smoke
I prefer/can afford to buy a quality dried smoked paprika (pimentos)
It should be a really deep vivid red, ‘clumpy‘, and smell earthy, smoky, aromatic, sweet, pungent. El Avion brand is good, you can buy hot smoked or sweet smoked. Good local whole food shops may sell quality smoked paprika in cellophane bags.
If it's light-coloured, overly dry etc...then walk away. Similarly, supermarket stuff in jars is generally old overpriced rubbish.
Liquid smoke is an option (hickory, mesquite etc) but this is a blunt tool IME. Also expensive and it lacks the peppery aromatics of smoked pimento/paprika or chipotles etc.
Smoked paprika will provide a similar earthy smoke as chipotle powder. Both are made from smoked chilies. Ancho chili powder is made with poblano peppers and has a lot in common with chipotle powder.
https://rawspicebar.com/blogs/spices-101/best-chipotle-powder-substitute
3. Herb
Oregano
Fresh home grown or dried in jars. It’s all good* I like the small purpley-green-leaved stuff fresh from herb garden best.
*Dried oregano is more pungent/coarse-flavoured so use less by comparison.
4. Spice
Cumin
Grind them seeds up in pestle and mortar. As needed.
5. Garlic
Garlic powder
Cheap and useful. Adds a full-flavour and ‘salty’ taste without the sodium. I use in recipes alongside fresh crushed garlic. Also handy on it’s own added in sauces and seasonings
With these five basics for starters you’ll never be stuck for a killer chilli!
Aghy. Cougar, I just tested your ‘report/fix’ 😳.
Just had some Fry’s veggie hot dogs from Tesco. Better than real hot dogs!
But the mechanically-separated turkey testicles are the best bits!
Will remember to give the Fry’s a go cheers.
Taifan Tofu Weiners (Whole-food shops, Waitrose etc) are really good but flipping expensive. They are massive to be fair.
Fixed.
IMHO Fry's are good, Tivall is better.
think im becoming a bit of a 'one-trick pony', altho what im making is good and i enjoy it.
this whole new veggie thing is opening up so many ingredients id never normally use that im overloading with ingredients a bit rather than cooking owt simple.
f'rinstance, so far ive made some chorizo seitan 'logs'. so theyre going in. need to see what cauliflower tastes like in a curry. in it goes. squash. yep, dice it, chuck it in. along with the usual onions, mushrooms, peppers and the obligatory 2 tins of chopped tomoatoes. fry them all in a bit of oil first and then into the tommies.....
now then lentils, hmmmm a choice between the red, yellow, black, organic, oh just stick some red uns in.
just making another curry this morning, and i cant think of how to change it (too late now, its simmering).
what results is a lovely curry, but i havent got a clue really what the different elements are bringing to the party. i think i forgot to put the ground coriander in this one, but will i notice? will i 'eck!
id like to actually know what the difference is between all those different lentils and which to use. when i make a chilli id like to know what the difference is between the beans.
i spose the only way to do that would be not to cover it all in a curry sauce, but then i wouldnt have a curry 😀
its good to be cooking some different food tho, wifes not really so keen on it, so im just ending up freezing extra portions. this then has the knock on effect of needing to use those instead of experimenting further when im impatient to dial in some recipes.
s'all good tho, im now encouraged to eat more veggie meals as ive enjoyed what ive cooked so far.
what results is a lovely curry, but i havent got a clue really what the different elements are bringing to the party. i think i forgot to put the ground coriander in this one, but will i notice? will i ‘eck!
^ Beyond help 🤣
Just go online and follow recipes? Then tweak.
when i make a chilli id like to know what the difference is between the beans.
(Canned/dried) beans are really more for nutrition and texture than distinctive flavours* . It doesn’t make any/much difference to the flavour *except for the red kidney. Since making veggie chillis I’ve divided beans into two categories
1. ‘soft beans’ pinto*, haricot, black beans etc (*ie the refried beans in the chilli recipe on this thread) for thickening and bulk. You can use butter beans, too, in fact there’s probably more I’m no bean expert. I actually dislike those ‘bean chillies‘ where it’s all a mountain of whole mixed beans in a sauce and little else. I like it more like the one in the recipe so am stuck with that forever now! Just like my mum’s beef stew, or Mrs P’s black bean stew, or my mate’s red dragon pie, or Amy’s Kitchen lentil soup. Or Jill Patel’s veggie samosas.
Why reinvent a perfect thing? Just tweak.
2. ‘Red kidney beans’ for that slightly chewy, irony ‘tang’ that finishes of a chilli con carne. If using cans they only need go in in the last 10 mins of cooking. You want a nice bite to the kidney beans to offset the sauce
If you make a mixed bean salad you’ll just taste ‘beans’. The flavour of the salad is more about the other components. ie the garlic, the onions, the dressing herbs, and fresh veg. The ‘aromatics’
Here’s a bean guide:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/10/beans-legumes-pulses-varieties-recipes-cooking-tips.html
And
https://www.allrecipes.com/article/types-of-beans/
One bean-y tale of exception:
A few weeks ago someone gave us some fresh broad beans. So rather than let them dry up or go off we took them out of the pods and cooked them up in a little water and salt. Forgot that they were on the stove tbh and the water nearly boiled away. I saved it and let them cool a little. The water had gone really dark like a stock (aquafaba?) and the beans were a little wrinkly now.
Tasted one and it was honestly delicious. Just a bean, water and salt.
Don’t think I’ve ever cooked a fresh bean before. True story! 🤣
I discovered that pouring curry sauces on to plain veg (or boiling veg in sauce) to make a ‘curry’ is always going to taste like sauce poured on plain veg. Same thing if you pour curry sauce on a boiled chicken breast rather than preparing the meat with spices, specifically for a curry.
If I make aloo gobi/cauli and potato curry I’ll always roast the veg first to get most flavour and ‘bite’. To prepare the veg before roasting it’ll at minimum get tossed in oil, crushed garlic, caraway seeds, paprika (plain or smoked) and lemon juice.
Sometimes I’ll make a paste or marinade and marinade them overnight in a bag in the fridge)
Can’t remember the last time I made one or which recipe I used. Have been lazy cook of late. I do know that I liked to add coconut cream. But I always season/spice/marinade and roast the veg before adding to the sauce. It makes a really satisfying meal.
Here’s a random roasted aloo gobi
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/roasted-aloo-gobi
Hope that whole splurge above helps. When I find my aloo gobi recipe I’ll post it up. But again, indian cooking us a delight but like everything there are rules To get the best. Just imagining my dad’s face if I’d cooked him a Cornish pastie without the key ingredients
No onions?
What? Onions? Ah yeah I just used garlic instead, and bunged some coriander in because we didn’t have black pepper.
Argh!
Nah, it’s delicious. You can’t tell.
What about the swede?
Oh yeah, I had to use sweet potato.
And the beef?
Oh yeah. It’s Quorn mince
*dull thud*
Dad? Was it because it was boiled not baked?
⬆⬆ Quornish Pastie.
Beyond help 🤣
pretty much 😀
just dont have those sensitive taste buds. same with beer. my mates picking out burnt toffee, caramel etc and im just er.....it tastes like beer 😀
Just go online and follow recipes? Then tweak.
pretty much what im doing, mainly to make sure i get the right spices in. but, much the same as me forgetting the coriander, i dont know what each one brings so i wouldnt know what it was missing. yep the recipes are calling for cumin, garam masala, turmeric, fenugreek but i dont know what each one tastes of, i just follow the recipe, and i end up with something that i can say yep thats tasty. but i dont know why its tasty, wish i was better at that sort of thing.
I discovered that pouring curry sauces on to plain veg (or boiling veg in sauce) to make a ‘curry’ is always going to taste like sauce poured on plain veg. Same thing if you pour curry sauce on a boiled chicken breast rather than preparing the meat with spices, specifically for a curry.
what, even if its dry-fried for 10 mins in the spices, simmered for an hour, then left to soak for an afternoon, then heated up again before eating?
If I make aloo gobi/cauli and potato curry I’ll always roast the veg first to get most flavour and ‘bite’. To prepare the veg before roasting it’ll at minimum get tossed in oil, crushed garlic, caraway seeds, paprika (plain or smoked) and lemon juice.
Sometimes I’ll make a paste or marinade and marinade them overnight in a bag in the fridge)
interesting. i do actually fry them for 10 mins or so first in a bit of oil and all the spices, hoping that they actually do take the flavours in. hadnt thought about roasting them first, or marinading, that seems a good idea.
so youre chopping all the veg, then rolling in oil to make them sticky, then rolling them in all of the mixed spices, then roasting in a tray with a bit more oil?
then into the chopped tomatoes and simmer for half hour or so, that right?
thanks for that.
This is rapidly turning into one of my favourite threads.
id like to actually know what the difference is between all those different lentils
Loads of recipes out there for dahl/daal/dal etc. I follow the indian or ****stani recipes on youtube because they’re usually captioned.
I sometimes add lentils to soup or make them the basis of soup. As I said excellent and versatile staple is the Amy’s Kitchen (copycat) Lentil Soup recipe. You can use any lentils but red work best in that.
Sometimes I process lentils into burger patties with buckwheat, egg, soices, garlic, etc
The red ones are the most protein packed. They cook down quickly into soft things so perfect in daals and soups etc for nutrition and thickness
Dark green speckled/Puy lentils are good for Mediterranean type herbs, recipes. They can stand alone as a cooked item in a ‘portion’ like would a pile of peas.
Merchant Gourmet sell a ready-cooked pack of puy lentils with ingredients listed (think it’s bay, garlic etc) on the pack. It’s a great thing to grab on the hoof if there’s nothing else to go with your lunch salad.
Try a pack and then next time make your own recipe using dried ones from scratch. Dark green/Puy lentils take longer to cook until ‘al-dente’ than do other lentils. I always cook them in stock first before using.
They have a stronger, less buttery and more peppery taste than brown, red and light green plain lentils. Which is nice on their own terms but can be overpowering in a recipe if it needs something less ‘singular’ and more unified.
Anyway here’s a masoor (red split lentils) tadka dal. Never tried this exact one but it looks good. Make some rice, salad and roti on the side ommmm nooooom
Mrs P sed:
‘Here you go’
Staple No 1: Lentils, rice, mushroom (fortified with B12 and nutritional yeast)
Ingredients:
Lentils:
200ml of dark green speckled lentil/puy lentils
400 ml of water with 1 x veggie stock cube in it
1 x Small pinch of salt to taste if desired (if low sodium stock cube is used) OR add salt after cooking.
1 x pinch of smoked paprika (Again, conservative amount)
1. Add all the above to saucepan. Put lid on it. Bring to boil, stir, then turn to low heat.
2. Once water is absorbed into the lentils then take of heat and leave to sit with lid on for 5 mins without stirring. Check by tasting to see if al-dente (ie have some ‘bite’ in the centre, on the outside.
3. Remove lid, stir gently to release steam and then put aside.
Mushrooms
5 x Large chestnut mushrooms (sliced thickly or to preference)
1 x Tblspn of olive oil
3/4 level teaspoon of ground black pepper
Pinch of garlic powder
1. Fry the mushrooms in the oil on a low heat until cooked through, yet firm.
2. Take off heat. Add pepper and garlic seasoning. Stir. Put aside
Rice
1 x cup Basmati rice
2mx cups cold water
3 x tablspoons of Engevita B12 Nutritional Yeast Flakes
1. Wash the rice with cold water.
2. Add the water to a sauceoan
3. Add the rice
4. Bring to the boil then turn low until water is absorbed (without stirring)
5. Taste-test rice to be sure it’s not overcooking.
6. Pour the cooked rice, the lentils, the mushrooms, the yeast flakes all into a large bowl and mix together with a fork.
Use anywhere anyway, hot or cold. Meaty, umami, tasty. Very very tasty, and a ‘complete protein’ meal either on it’s own, or as a side-dish
Serving Suggestion: (what we had tonight!)
- Portion of the Rice, Lentils & Mushroom
- 2 x baked baby beetroots in balsamic vinegar dressing (Balsamic Vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper)
- Steamed sprouted cauliflower
- Steamed tender broccoli stems
I have a veggie question
Yonks ago camping with an ex army mate(him,not me) who had with him some delicious 'quorn' chicken bits, and I have to admit they were bloody tasty, especially when its -10c
Question is - Are any of these quorn type things easy to store, if you are off camping, or must they be refrigerated ?. I was thinking that maybe a pack would last over 3 days before use. Mainly as a standby.
Question is – Are any of these quorn type things easy to store, if you are off camping,
Quorn is it’s own ‘thing’!
Regular version of Quorn (ie most Quorn/Quorn products) has egg in it. So I guess treat as such?
Vegan Quorn doesn’t have egg in it, so should maybe store longer? No idea tbh
I had a microwaved/reheated Quorn Vegan Pasty today for lunch. Tasted ok but reminded me of cat food. Maybe better cold or oven heated? Tasted like a steak bake. I’d much, much prefer packing a few decent veggie samosas and an apple in my napsak.
Had a curry tonight using Naked Glory Vegan Chicken-Style Roast Tenderstrips. Those and a load of button mushrooms, spinach and cauliflower cooked up using a jar of Lidl Jalfrezi sauce . After a couple of Tiger Beers , you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. It’s the closest I’ve had texture wise to real chicken.
Mrs P sed:
‘Here you go’
thanks for that, looks good. i assume i can freeze portions too? (as i seem to be going solo with this in my house 🙂 )
^
Not liking simple rice and lentils takes some dedication 😉
Haven’t frozen any yet as it doesn’t hang around for longer than a few days. We store in tubs in the fridge for up to 7 days (white rice and lentils approx same, not: brown rice would be shorter you’d have to check) but you can always halve the ingredients or try freezing:
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/how_to_freeze_and_reheat_rice/
Forgot to say there’s about six portions in the recipe as given 👍🏼
Simple lentil and vegetable soup
As a former meat-lover this is a staple comfort food. It’s a nutritious meal on it’s own, and a ‘complete protein’ meal if served with rice or bread. The soup has a subtle yet tasty meaty/umami flavour.
The key to success I’ve found is using freshly-picked bay leaf if you have it (dried will also work) and most of all - fresh, good quality vegetables. I suppose the veg element is a combination of mirepoix and sofrito (?) either diced of shredded will work. Just make sure they’re finely prepped/diced small.
For this particular recipe I used 50% green lentils and 50% puy/green speckled lentils for their nutty/peppery taste and the firm texture. Any dried lentils can be used, just bear in mind that red lentils go mushy and will produce a more thickened dahl-like soup if that is what you desire.
Ingredients:
250ml diced carrots (approx 2 x medium carrots)
250ml diced potato (approx 2 x medium potatoes)
250ml diced celery (approx 3 x sticks celery)
250ml diced brown onion (approx 2 x medium onions)
500ml dried green and/or brown lentils
2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 x vegetable stock cube (or 1 litre of veg stock)
1 x bay leaf (fresh is best)
1 tablespoon (or three caps) of balsamic vinegar
Optional:
1/2 teaspoon of sausage seasoning (sage, nutmeg, garlic powder, black pepper)*
Tablespoon of Engevita Savoury Nutritional Yeast Flakes with B12
Method:
1. Slice and dice all veg into small cubes (see pic for celery example)
2. Heat oil and bay leaf in largest pan and then add veg. Sauté vegetables by stirring occasionally on low heat until just turning golden brown (not mushy)
3. In small pan put dried lentils into 1l of water and add stock cube. Transfer the bay leaf from the veg into the lentils.
Bring to a boil and then simmer until the lentils are softened yet still firm to the bite (approx 25 mins).
4. Remove lentils and stock from heat. Remove the bay leaf and add to the vegetables <—- important - do not blend the bay leaf with the lentils otherwise it will wreck the soup. Trust me 😎, you’ll never want to be straining/picking blended bay leaf out of it.
Using a slotted spoon remove approx a third of the cooked lentils and set aside in a container. Leave the remaining lentils and the stock in the pan, then blend until smooth. Return the set aside lentils to the pan and out aside.
5. Cover the vegetables with 1 litre of fresh water, and (optional) sausage seasoning, bring to boil and cook on medium/low heat for about 25 mins and then add the lentils and stir well.
6. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook on low heat for a further 15 mins or until the veg are soft and the balsamic vinegar is cooked off
7. Add (optional) B12 flakes and stir well
8. Allow to cool a little, serve and enjoy with a warm buttered roll or thick slice of bread. Vegan butter recipe
Freezes and reheats well, so portion some off into the freezer and/or keep fresh up to four days in fridge.
______________________________________________
*Sausage seasoning
2 Teaspoons salt
1 Teaspoon white pepper
1 Teaspoon black pepper
½ Teaspoon ground mace
½ Teaspoon nutmeg
1 Teaspoon dried sage
1 Teaspoon onion powder (or garlic powder)
1 Teaspoon dried thyme
1 Teaspoon ginger powder
^ This seasoning is based on a traditional English Breakfast sausage seasoning recipe. Combine ingredients in a glass jar, seal and shake well until mixed uniformly. Use as and when required. About a teaspoon of this works well in a soup or stew recipe. Best used in combination with low-sodium stock, or else leave out the salt when making up the seasoning. Also works very well to give a sausage kick to any lacklustre vegan sossies. eg I cook Heck Meat Free Magic sausages as they are excellent texture, but when nearly cooked I split them open in pan with knife, spread the cut sausage with small pinch of seasoning and some refined coconut oil or vegan butter, then close sausage back together and cook for a little longer. Ridiculously tasty and totally hits all of the sausage sarnie cravings for me. I may even slice them into the above soup, to make a sausage and lentil stew? Hmm...
Finally got to try some Beyond Sausages the other night. Was a pack on the shelf half price so I grabbed it. It’s normally expensive (£4 for 2 brats)
They are massive to be fair. So I followed the frying instructions
Firstly, a lot of oil came out of them as they heated through (refined coconut) and a slight scent of clove (not my favourite spice) so I wasn’t too hopeful. Reading the packet they are about half the sat fat of pork sausages so not worried about the oil anymore, and I rolled them about until the skins began going crispy in places. About 8 mins in the pan and they seemed done. (My hobs are rubbish and Beyond recommend about 6 mins)
Decided to put them on some Make No Bones Vegan Brioche buns as they already go so well with the burgers. Also fried up some onions and mushrooms. English mustard (had run out of Dijon) and ketchup finished the job:
Result? Surprisingly sausagey/meaty in texture. Lots of fatty porky feel about it. Quite a shock really. Mrs P couldn’t finish hers because it was ‘too much like meat’. She never liked meat sausages even before going vegan, but likes The Heck meat magic ones which is weird. Bit these were a step too far for her!
There was a slight clove-y taste which I could have done without but I polished them off. Very satisfying. As I’d ended with with double rations I tried giving P-dog a bit of mine. He wolfed it. He’s fussy so that’s an endorsement. Mine is even better. Beyond ‘Brat’ sausage is a go-er. Would prefer one of these than 4 x Richmond meat free, because 1. Richmond meat-free IMO smell like old greasy spoon cafes and are tiny, with not enough fat. Also Beyond are a meat-free company afaik, unlike either Richmond or Heck. So I’ll eat less vegan sausages now (by weight and frequency) but will be at least eating tasty vegan sausages from a meat-free company. Win-win.
In the US they sell the spicy italian version of the beyond meat sausages which are amazing. The burgers are better though if you ask me.
^ will try the burgers next 👍🏼 Linda Macs are tough act to beat tho...
Mrs P couldn’t finish hers because it was ‘too much like meat’
This is kind of where I am too.
Though I've never had a pork sausage outside of hotdogs so I'm probably even weirder.
Beyond Burger jobbed.
Tried it tonight (still on offer) and first time cook decided to go au naturel (cooked in pan, without seasoning and minus my regular smokey umami baste)
Served in bun with dijon mustard, tom ketchup and salad.
Note - the Beyond burger looks small in my pic but the bun was too big. They are quite thick patties tho.
Me: Am impressed to be honest. Very much like a ‘clean’ tasting (not gamey) juicy meat burger. No overpowering/distracting flavour but definitely ‘meaty’, especially in texture and caramelisation. I can’t see many people not liking these unless they don’t like meat burgers. For me it will only improve with a bit of smoke and seasoning as I like mine flame-grilled.
Mrs P: ‘Ok but I prefer Linda Mac’s 1/4lb texture and flavour, and they don’t taste so much like a ‘beef-burger beef-burger’, while these do’
Get some paneer in, very adaptable and scrummy.
Last night’s foray on the selloff shelf turned up a packet of ‘Squeaky Bean Crispy Duck Style Pieces with hoisin sauce and pancakes.
I just have nothing bad to say. Totally hit the spot. Absolutely delicious.
Out of the pack into the pan along with a drizzle of olive oil:
Pieces are big and small, plenty of variety
Fried until they were just going crispy, smaller bits crisped up bigger bits remained chewy and meaty.
Drizzled the hoisin sauce, then wrapped in warm pancake roll along with chopped spring onions and crispy lettuce. Served with sriracha sauce to dip. Top snack/starter.
FLIPPING ACE. Will do again.
Honestly, with sufficient spring onions and sriracha I'd probably eat warm gravel.
^ I know what you mean and sort of agree, but the veggie meat was really nice on it’s own too so I’d be happy to use it in other chinese-style recipes (it has a subtle Chinese 5 spice seasoning). Texture is incredibly good. It’s a seitan/pea protein thing. Will make a nice occasional change from the usual mushrooms, cashews or tofu.
Recently though if ever have a takeout I’ve been tucking in to special stir fried veg with cashews nuts. Water, chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mangetout, whole cashews, spring onion, baby corn, pak choi, all together in a bowl with a schezuan sauce/gravy.
It’s quite a lot nicer than the Chinese chicken curries I used to always order. I like the curry sauce though so now order that on the side with mushrooms and beansprouts.
I do miss sweet and sour chicken so may try those duck pieces in batter with a sweet and sour sauce.
Recently discovered is super-easy to make, ie tom ketchup*, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, pineapple piece optional.
*Or red food colouring.
Pics are fine, just absolutely huge so take an eon to load. You might want to resize them before uploading.
👍🏼 Thnks for the tip ^
Vivera Shawarma kebab plant meat is epic btw. £2 from asda it’s a bargain but is absolutely delicious. Waitrose want £3 for same of course. Still cheaper than a doner. You’ll get two what I’d call ‘normal’ portions out of a pack if serving with salad.
Cooking:
After a few samples I preferred more garlic (am garlic mad, so you may not) so shook a good lot of garlic powder over it, fried in a little light oil until starting to brown/firm up, whack in a pitta with chopped onion, salad/shredded white cabbage, mint sauce, yogurt, hot sauce etc - or have with salad and chip shop chips like what my fat belly did:
Eagle eyes will note that I mixed some Quorn Turkish Kebab in with the Shawarma.
Wanted to compare them directly. So:
Quorn Turkish Kebab - like old thick sweaty rubber. Made me feel a bit weird. 2/10 for effort. How they hell they got it that chewy I’ll probably never know. It tasted and felt somewhat like end of night chunky too-thick doner-meat offcuts that had been drying out in a hot cabinet. For making a brave effort - 3/10
Vivera Shawarma - full marks. Nicely/roundly-spiced and seasoned. Juicy and not too chewy. Best plant based Shawarma alternative. Better than cheap doner to be honest, it’s more like the 100% quality. - 10/10
My co-diner said: ‘Quorn kebab had a slight aftertaste, I liked it but preferred the Vivera a lot more’
‘Squeaky Bean Crispy Duck Style Pieces with hoisin sauce and pancakes.
I just have nothing bad to say. Totally hit the spot. Absolutely delicious.
It certainly does. Looks far more textured than most of the other substitutes.
At work they are doing some Earth Day thing and asked for meat free recipe submissions.
I sent the Ottolenghi black pepper tofu one.
Reply; “It’s really odd, every submission so far has been an Ottolenghi dish. I’ve been a veggie for years and have never heard of these Ottolenghi people”
I tried a couple of those Beyond burgers and what the hell do they put in them. My kitchen reeks and I have got the windows wide open trying to get rid of the smell of the cooked burgers.
^ Probably the pea protein and coconut oil? Reading around it seems that a few people are sensitive to the scent, while most don’t mind. Have only cooked them once, and we didn’t notice anything off-putting or overpowering. Did you cook it on a high heat maybe? I know burning coconut oil doesn’t smell great.
Still prefer Lind Macs tho.
Latest trial (this week) were the (Aldi) Plant Menu No Beef Burgers.
I’m a fairly sturdy eater. Very unfussy if needs be. But these beat me.
The patties looked the business out of the oven, almost too thick and meaty if that’s possible. Yet found that the taste and texture combined is something that repels me.
Most odd. I rarely if ever throw any food away but didn’t finish this. Fortunately it’s refocused my home-cooking efforts. A year or so ago I tried inventing nut, buckwheat and lentil burgers and although they had to be frozen (as the first batch was too soft to hold shape) I vowed to nail it properly. The time is now 👍🏼
burger king have reintroduced their no meat whopper. but this time it has vegan mayo, so is vegan from the outset.
The vegan royale was released too.
tried them both. the royal was very chickeny. really nice too.
The Whopper has changed. it was the beyond meat burger, but that, I thought was always a bit soft feeling, akin to a tinned burger from the crap fairgrounds of my youth. Now they're using the vegan kitchen burgers and chicken patties. it's really very good. doesn't give you that constantly repeating taste however, so if you want an authentic BK experience, then go for meat. for taste, go for the vegan stuff.
Oh, the halloumi king is not that nice. far too much halloumi for one person. and the bean burgers are quite 'traditional' fart pouches.
Vivera Shawarma kebab plant meat
we have this quite regularly. order chips and 2 'salad kebabs' (basically salad, flatbread and that spicy sauce you cant seem to get anywhere) from the local chippy and stuff them with the kebab stuff. it's awesome.
The Whopper has changed. it was the beyond meat burger
Dammit, I thought it was the Impossible Burger and was really looking forward to trying one https://impossiblefoods.com/burgerking
always a bit soft feeling, akin to a tinned burger from the crap fairgrounds of my youth.
Talking of which we had a fried Co-Op ‘Gro Steak’ last night that I’d defrosted. It tasted/had texture like one of those things. As if you were eating reformed, cooling animal fat and offal! Too realistic. The only nice thing was my tasty baste on the top, which somehow the pattie had rejected so the inside tasted of bland fatty nothing.
Meat-loving veggies such as me may have a large choice of meatalikes but IME learning to cook plant-based complete protein meals (from fresh ingredients) is by *far* the best way forward. The occasional Beyond sausage or Lind Macs burger will do for when I can’t be arsed to cook/haven’t ingredients. I shall still buy the Vivera Shawarma for pitta/kebabs though. By far the best instant meaty meal option I’ve yet found, with Beyond Brat and Linda Macs close behind.
After trying the excellent King’s Black Bean veggie (actually vegan) jerky I’m convinced that a decent pepperoni slice can’t be far away.
Dammit, I thought it was the Impossible Burger and was really looking forward to trying one https://impossiblefoods.com/burgerking
/blockquote>ah, maybe that's just in the US? The Vegetarian Butcher supplied uk burger king (not vegan kitchen, got that wrong)
I recently made a Roast Tomato & Aubergine Curry and a Dahl - both recipes from the owner of a vegan curry house called Spice Box (and were featured in the Sunday Times mag a couple of weeks ago). They were absolutely gorgeous.
Curry:
http://www.mibusinessmag.com/2020/02/10/roasted-aubergine-tomato-curry/
Dahl:
https://www.keith-allen.co.uk/food/d/dollys_dhal.html
And I recently discovered banana blossom - used it to make what was supposedly a vegan fish pie. It tasted nothing like a fish pie but was bloody lovely. Used cashew cream to give it a nice creamy texture. Have order a some more banana blossom to experiment with.
This thread makes me hungry.
I was in the mood for a creamy rich veg & lentil soup last night, and so used up what we had in. It turned out! Bowl-licking goodness.
Satisfying Soup
Red lentils two handfuls
Buckwheat grits handful
Leeks about two large chopped
Medium red onion chopped
One medium potato diced
Carrots x 2 chopped
Celery x 2 sticks chopped
Olive oil
Bay leaf
Nutmeg pinch
Thyme 1/3 teaspoon
Cumin 1/3 teaspoon
Smoked paprika 1/3 teaspoon
Balsamic vinegar, sploosh of (1 tablespoon)
Cherry toms x 5 (or 1 large tomato chopped)
1.5 veg stock cubes
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Sauteé onions, celery, leeks etc in the oil then add rest of veg.
Cover with water, crumble the stock cubes in. Bring to boil.
Cook about 30 mins until soft.
Remove bay leaf then blend smooth. Taste, add a little more water and blend again if required. Taste. I sweetened the cooked soup with a spoon of stevia granules, but you can use any other sweet thing or nothing depending on personal taste.
A swirl of Oatly Creamy Oat to serve.
Test running these lentil/oat burgers tonight. Fancied something more wholesome 😎
And I recently discovered banana blossom – used it to make what was supposedly a vegan fish pie. It tasted nothing like a fish pie but was bloody lovely.
I’ve seen (variously) mentioned that caper/caper-juice, seaweed/kelp flakes, nutritional yeast and lemon will give fishy flavours.
Would like to have a bash at a banana blossom no-fish pie tho, that’s a great idea. I like a creamy smoked-haddocky fish pie so would probably use Oatly Creamy for the cream (cheaper than cashews?*) and some good smoked paprika to impart that smokey flavour.
*Anyone know if it’s OK to blend cashews in a regular jug-blender if they are pre-soaked?
Is there a knack or trick to cooking lentils? I always seemed to go crunchy... crunchy... crunchy... crunchy... slurry. I gave up in the end, I've not used lentils in years now.
I had the same relationship with rice for ages, I revisited it a while ago and I think I've finally sussed it but it took me about two years.
I’ve seen (variously) mentioned that caper/caper-juice, seaweed/kelp flakes, nutritional yeast and lemon will give fishy flavours.
Yeah, my recipe had yeast and a small amount of seaweed in - but even so, it was very un-fish like. I like the idea of giving it a smokey flavour though... maybe some liquid smoke.
I'm gonna try fish tacos next.
Is there a knack or trick to cooking lentils? I always seemed to go crunchy… crunchy… crunchy… crunchy… slurry. I gave up in the end, I’ve not used lentils in years now.
Different strokes for different lentils. The red split ones are good for dal and easily go mushy when cooked as they have no skin. You can also speed cooking up by pre-soaking in water for half an hour. They are also the third-highest plant protein source iirc
This dal fry recipe (below) is an easy win and v tasty. I cooked and ate one tonight.
Over-did the chilli tho. Still a result. Mrs P doesn’t like (low) madras heat or higher and I’ve seen her refuse curries on account of even moderate heat. Tonight’s erroneous/unholy/hot interpretation of the dal, I’d rate as a ‘high vindaloo’ (a level I favour) at which she’d normally run a mile, yet she polished this dal off nonetheless exclaiming
‘This is absolutely ****ing delicious but why did you make it so ****ing hot???’
Result 👹
https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/dal-fry-recipe/
Brown/green lentils have skins but will cook down in stock etc in about 40 mins iirc. Imuse them in chillis and soups. Blended or mashed.
The small speckled ones/puy lentils OTOH are more sort of dense and ‘al-dente’ when cooked. So if you don’t like the texture of those it may not be because you cooked them wrongly, but that’s how they are. ie a little grainy when soft. These are good lightly seasoned (bay, onion powder, black pepper, little stock) and served with salad and rice or potatoes
Couple of notable successes this week
Lentil Cottage Pie
Kallo umami cube
Onion powder 1/2 tsp
Garlic powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin 1/2 tsp
Oregano 1/4tsp
Thyme1/4 tsp
Bay leaf
Smoked paprika 1 x teaspoon
Balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Diced onion
2 diced carrots
3 celery sticks with leaves
Dried Red split lentils
Dried Speckled green lentils
Half a large bell pepper diced
200ml passata
Cook green lentils first ie:
Cover with water, sprinkle in stock cube and balsamic vinegar. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until al dente. Then add the red lentils and more water to cover. Continue cooking until softening
Meanwhile in another pan - Saute onions, bay leaf and veg in a little olive oil until soft
Add the cooked lentils
Add the passata
Add all spices and herbs
Simmer on low heat for about 30 mins, adding water if necessary so there is just a little liquid showing.
Mash and season boiled spuds
Put the pie filling in ovenproof dish or tin, and fork the mash over the top.
Cook in oven until mashed potato peaks are crisping and the filling is bubbling
Remove, let cool.
Serve with greens and a little mint sauce.
I also made some mint and mustard gravy* to go over the greens.
*Bisto best onion gravy made thick, add a few teaspoons of both mint sauce and English mustard. A splash of Oatly milk to temper acidity.
Beyond Chilli
Wild card one off as managed to bag some Beyond Burgers at knockdown price. Wouldn’t ever spend that much on mince at full price. Hopefully these foods will become more inexpensive.
Anyway:
Mashed (with fork) and chopped the burgers up into bits. Added:
Balsamic vinegar
Cumin powder
Oregano (dried)
Salt and pepper
Hot chili powder
Smashed garlic x 3 cloves
Method:
Chop an onion.
In non stick pan cook onion in oil until soft
Add the Beyond Meat and spices until browned and firming up. Keep chopping it with spatula as it cooks if clumping.
Add a chopped bell pepper. Add tin of toms and Tblspn of tom puree.
Stir and cook on low for 20 mins.
Add some cocoa powder (teaspoon or 2).
Add tin of drained red kidney beans. Cook gently for further 10 mins adding water to achieve desired sauciness. Adjust seasoning as required.
Serve with tortilla chips and beer.
I’m a big meat or veg chilli fan. This really hits the spot for a full fat Friday result! Mrs P likes the taste but can’t stand the mince ‘meat’ (‘too realistic’) . Ok so I’ll have to eat it all. 😋
^forgot to say, that’s 3x Beyond Burgers worth
For those that like the Richmond meat free sausages, they are releasing bacon rashers soon... If they're as good as the sausages , they should be good (thanks whoever suggested them)
I've heard of some vegetarians that eat fish. I'll be a vegetarian who eats chicken.
I’ve heard of some vegetarians that eat fish.
No you haven't. You've heard of pescatarians.
Nice try, back under your bridge now. (-:
I also made some mint and mustard gravy* to go over the greens.
*Bisto best onion gravy made thick, add a few teaspoons of both mint sauce and English mustard. A splash of Oatly milk to temper acidity.
That sounds interesting, not a combination that would ever have occurred to me.
I've been on a mission to create a gravy that hasn't seen a granule. I think I've nailed it, I'll type it up later (it's hand-written and I'm on holiday).
