Butternut and Rocket Salad.

I made this yesterday for lunch for the simple reason that I had butternut and rocket in my fridge. I will definitely be making it again. Next time I want to add beet to the butternut for roasting.

Butternut and Rocket Salad

1/2 a butternut peeled, deseeded and shaved with a cheese slicer or potato peeler
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp dried sage
1/4 cup almond slices
1 packet lettuce and rocket mix

Coat the butternt in the olive oil and sage. Sprinkle almonds over. Roast at 250 C for thirty minutes until caramelised and serve on a bed of rocket and lettuce.

If my posts are odd looking I have been reduced to posting from my phone because we have just moved house and have no internet as of yet.

Good bye Vegan MoFo from South Africa.

So it is really over. I did not get through everything I wanted to but I certainly enjoyed trying. Thank you to the people all over the world who shared my journey. Although I won't be posting everyday pop back now and again.

POTATOES!

Almost christmas time and of course what would christmas be without potatoes. So i have already given you my potato salad recipe but here are some more yummy ways to eat the good tuber.

Roast Potatoes

8 large potatoes peeled and boiled for about 8min
1/2 tsp garlic flakes
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
16 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to season
1/2C olive oil
100g margarine

Cut four slits into each potato with out cutting all the way through. Insert two bay leaves into each. sprinkle with garlic and rosemary. Drizzle olive oil and slice margarine over the potatoes. Roast at 180 C for 45 min basting occasionally.

Spiced Potato wedges

4 large potatoes washed and sliced into wedges
2 sweet potatoes washed and sliced into wedges
1/4C olive oil
3 T garam masala
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 T dried chili
3 cloves of garlic crushed

With the exception of the potatoes mix all the ingredients. Coat the potatoes with the mixture and roast at 180 C for 60 min.

Spiced Butternut and Sweet Potato

1 butternut peeled and sliced thinly lengthwise
4 sweet potatoes washed and sliced thinly lengthwise
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T cumin seeds
1 T corriander seeds
2 T brown sugar
3 T balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to season

Toss the vegetables through the other ingredients. Roast 180 C for 30min.

Potatoes are loaded with fiber, magnesium potasium, phospherus and vitamin C. Sweet potatoes also have vitamin A

Champagne and nectarine jellies

Champagne and Nectarine Jellies

1 1/2C Nectarine cut into small cubes
2C Sparkling Rose
1/4C Castor sugar
3tsp Agar agar powder

Distribute the nectarine between four champagne flutes. In a pot mix 1C of the sparkling wine with the sugar and agar. heat slowly until disolved then increase the heat until nearly boiling. Slowly add the rest of the sparkling wine, mix and pour into the glasses. Put into the fridge for 3 hours until set and serve immediately.

Marinated aubergine linguine

I made this the other day. The recipe is from Vegan SA.

Aubergine Linguine

400g dried linguine
450g peeled and thinly sliced aubergines
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
150ml vegetable stock
150ml white wine vinegar
1 Sprig fresh oregano
3 Tbsp olive oil

Marinade:
2 Tbsp diced red pepper
2 Tbsp finely chopped roasted almonds
2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
Grated rind and juice from 1 orange
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 Tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Put the vegetable stock, white wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar into a saucepan and bring to the boil over a low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the sprig of oregano, and simmer gently for 1 minute.
• Add the aubergine slices, remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the marinade: combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Carefully remove the aubergine from the saucepan with a draining spoon, and drain well. Add the aubergine slices to the marinade, mixing well to coat. Cover with clingfilm and set aside in the fridge for about 12 hours.
• Cook the pasta. Drain thoroughly and toss with the remaining oil while still warm. Arrange the pasta on a serving plate with the aubergine slices and marinade, and serve immediately.

Chocolate brownies

These are VERY rich and probably not that healthy but my goodness they are yum!

Chocolate Brownies

2 1/5 cups flour
2 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbs good quality instant coffee disolved in 1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
200g dark chocolate roughly chopped (look out for butterfat and milk solids in the ingredients)

Mix the dry ingredients except the chocolate in a bowl and then add the liquid ingeredients and mix thoroughly. Add the chocolate. Pour batter into a very well greased and floured pyrex dish and bake at 180 degrees celsius for 30 min. Leave to cool completely before cutting. If you want you can pour a small amount of liqueur over the brownies while they are still hot to add your favourite flavour. I love the almond flavour of Ameretto.

Glug Glug Wine (the easiest Gluwhein)

In keeping with the weather I am desperate to get home aand make this.

Glug Glug Wine (Gluwhein)

1l Mixed berry juice
1l Red wine
1 Cinamon stick
3 or 4 whole cloves

Soak the cinamon and cloves in about a cup of boiling water for fifteen minutes. Put the juice and wine in a pot, strain the water from the spices into the pot. Heat slowly until at the desired drinking temp (do not bring to a boil, the alcohol will evaporate). I put left overs in bottles and reheat in the microwave. I also drink this cold as a sangria in summer.