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.

Winter warmers... in summer

Again it is freezing in johannesburg, an unpleasant reminder of how much the climate is changing. The way the summer in Johannesburg is supposed to work is that it is ludicrously hot during the day and at about four in the afternoon dark clouds gather and by six there are spectacular electrical storms. This summer we have been having rain all day for sometimes a whole week and it is cold miserable London style rain which we don't usually experience. Our rainy season is from August until March, this year it we had rain well into June (this cold rain) and this summer's rain only started late October. Anyway here are two recipes to keep you warm.

Judith's Lentil Curry

750g green/brown lentils

750ml coconut milk

100ml lime/lemon juice

1 tbsp lime rind, grated

4 big onions - cut into boats

6 red chillies - finely chopped

4 tbsp chopped garlic

3 x 2.5cm ginger - peeled and grated

15 cardamom pods - crushed

10 tsp cumin seeds

10 tsp fennel seeds

sunflower oil

10 tsp turmeric

3 tsp sea salt

8 tsp fenugreek powder

a little vegtable stock - about 100ml to 250ml

Cook the lentils until firm and set aside (ignore if using tins)

Slice the onion into boat shapes

Heat the pot (no oil) and add cardamom, cumin, fennel. dry roast for 2 - 3 minutes and remove from heat. Allow to cool and crush in the pestle and mortar.

Place oil into the pot - heat

Add the onions and fry until brown and dark on edges

Turn the heat down

Add the chilli (optional), garlic, ginger and lime zest and stir

Add the tumeric and fenugreek

Add the crushed dry roasted spices

Stir everything together and add in lentils

Add the cocunut milk and stock

Simmer for about 45 minutes until sauce thickens

I saw this Calorie Count article about the goodness of lentils

http://caloriecount.about.com/mighty-lentil-b470035?utm_source=fanpage&utm_medium=facebook&utm_term=blog_470035&utm_campaign=blog

Split Pea Soup

2 Large carrots sliced

1 Yellow onion chopped

Olive oil for frying

500g dried green split peas

500ml vegatable stock

Worcestershire sauce (look out for anchovies in some brands)

Soy sauce

Lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Fry the onion and carrots in the olive oil until soft, add the stock and peas, simmer for 1 hour, blend until smooth, add lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. I would add liquid smoke if it were available here...