Tomato bean salad

Part of the reason I write down these recipes is just for myself - I invent something random that's so nice I want to make it again! This is a simple bean salad I made to use up some leftover pasta sauce and some cooked beans. Yum.

I served it with a simple carrot and ginger salad that's very nice though hardly worth writing a separate recipe for! (Grated carrot, grated ginger, splash of rice wine vinegar, simple.)

• 1 quantity tomato pasta sauce
• 1 can borlotti beans (or cooked equivalent)
• 2 juicy tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
• Half tsp smoked paprika
• Glug of red wine vinegar
• A few sundried tomatoes, chopped
• Slosh of oil from the sundried tomato jar
• Lots of salt & pepper
• Inch of my seitan chorizo, in chunks

It's really as simple as stirring it all together! The oil and vinegar are the dressing so add as much as you like. Taste it and season generously, then leave for at least an hour in the fridge. Taste it again for seasoning before serving.

Variations

Really any haricot-type beans will do. Red peppers make a nice addition. Fresh herbs parsley or basil would go great in this, I didn't have any to hand.

My vegan seitan gives extra flavour and texture but isn't necessary. Give it a go though!

Seitan's Sausage: Vegan Chorizo

I've been experimenting with making seitan and thought I'd try something based on this recipe - a vegetarian chorizo equivalent packed with flavourings. Seitan really sucks up flavours so the more you can put in at the start, the better!

This "chorizo" recipe can take as much chilli as you dare. It's great with lentils, with eggs, in tomato sauce, with pasta; just about anything you'd otherwise use chorizo with. It's cute to bend this sausage in half and attach string at the end, just like real chorizo!

Perhaps it's my gluten but I always seem to need less liquid than recipes require, so I recommend adding about two-thirds of the liquid and see how you get on.

• 1¾ cups wheat gluten
• ¼ cup gram/chickpea flour
• 1½ vegetable stock
• 3 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
• 2 tsp whole peppercorns, crushed
• 5 dried chillis (to taste), chopped
• 4 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped rather than minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp olive/sundried tomato oil
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp smoky barbecue sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 6 sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 5 tbsp toasted ground rice powder & 2 tsp chilli powder (optional, for outer coating)

1. First combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, the gluten, gram flour, cumin, pepper, chilli, paprika.
2. Combine the remaining wet ingredients in a jug and stir into the flour, bringing together into a dough.
3. Knead for about five minutes so the dough gets soft and elastic.
4. Rest (both yourself and the dough!) for ten minutes while preheating the oven to 170C.
5. Divide the dough into four equal balls, then roll each into a chorizo-like long sausage shape.
6. If using, dust the outside with the rice powder mixture.
7. Roll each sausage in foil, twisting the ends to seal. Bake at 170C for an hour.
8. Leave to cool in their foil and store in the fridge (or freezer) until ready to use.

Variations

Seriously add as much flavouring as you like like, smoked peppers are great. Chorizo is meant to be strong tasting so more chillis, more garlic, however much you can stand!

Beetroot juice or powder adds a deeper red colouring, as does adding tomato puree (I've run out).

Heil Seitan!

I've recently discovered how easy it is to make seitan, the deliciously chewy and protein-packed wheat-meat made from gluten. There's a lot of unfounded hysteria about gluten, but seitan is healthy, low fat, 80% protein, and making it yourself allows you to flavour it however you like and have the reassurance it has no nasty additives.

My first encounter with seitan was at a local Chinese restaurant when I was still living with my parents. I ordered "gluten crispy duck" out of curiosity, and was amazed to be presented with a dish of alarmingly meaty texture, with a stippled duck-like skin, that the waiter pulled apart just like real crispy duck! The chewy texture was delicious. I was always afraid it was terribly complicated to make.

These days it's simple courtesy of vital wheat gluten powder, which you can buy online from healthfood suppliers.

Use seitan like meat in any kind of recipes - stir fries, stews, curries, casseroles, pies, sandwiches. Just make sure you add plenty of flavour!

This is the basic recipe, halve or double the quantities for larger or smaller amounts:

• 2 cups vital wheat gluten
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 tsp garlic or onion powder
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Flavourings (see below)

1. Add flavouring ingredients to the water, then stir into the gluten flour.
2. Bring together to a dough, and knead like bread for 3-5 minutes until the gluten shows proteinous strands. The longer you knead, the chewier the end product.
3. Form into whatever shapes you like, either long "sticks" for skewers, cut into chunks or fillets, or roll up into a single "roast" shape.
4. To cook, either
1. Boil: make a lightly flavoured stock in saucepan, deep enough to cover your dough. Bring to a boil then to a simmer. Add your seitan and cook gently for 30 minutes. Make sure it doesn't rise above a gentle simmer.
2. Bake: roll into a "roast" shape and wrap tightly in foil. Bake at 170C for 90 minutes.

Variations

Flavouring is the key to good seitan, it's essentially tasteless by itself so good flavours are essential. If you're boiling it, make sure the broth is flavoursome.

For "bacon" flavour: 2 tbsp barbecue sauce, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup & 2 tsp smoked paprika

For a "beef" flavour: 2 tsp Marmite

For a "chicken" flavour: 2 tsp vegetable (or vegan chicken) stock powder

Also consider: Sesame oil for a nuttier flavour, soy sauce, chilli, herbs, cumin.

To lighten the texture, knead for less time, while for a beefier texture, knead for 4 minutes, leave to rest for 10, then knead again. Baking creates a more chewy texture, boiling more moist and lighter.

Adding chickpea flour also lightens the dough, use 1¾ gluten with ¼ cup of flour.

Carrot & Watercress Soup

You really can put anything in a soup, as this recipe goes to show.  I had a bag of carrots and some rapidly wilting peppery watercress to use up quick, and soup is always the best way to use up leftover ingredients, so here it is!

Mixing orange and green isn't the best colour combination, but this soup is easy to dress up with splashes of oil, croutons and sprigs of watercress. And, it's really good.

It's a variation of my roast carrot and cumin soup which I think is better, but this soup is far quicker.

• 6 large carrots
• 1 large onion
• 2 celery sticks
• Bunch or small bag of watercress (save a little for garnish)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• Half cup of milk

1. Chop the carrots, onion and celery and gently fry for about 10 mins.
2. Turn up the heat and add the cumin and garlic. Stir through for a minute then add the stock.
3. Cook the vegetables for 20 minutes or so until soft.
4. Add the watercress, take off the heat and blitz with a hand mixer, adding milk to loosen the soup to your desired consistency.
5. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and some whole watercress leaves.

Variations

I had some leftover paneer which I just added in chunks to this soup, lovely.

Frozen peas also works as an alternative to watercress.

Oranges in Spiced Orange Syrup

I wanted a simple dessert to follow a curry and have a load of oranges in my fridge, so I rustled up this! It's just sliced oranges in a lightly spiced syrup with a few nuts and berries, but looks rather pretty. This seems a very summery recipe, though actually it's peak orange season in the UK right now!

Save the spiced orange syrup, it's great on pancakes, ice cream or any number of other desserts.

• 1-2 oranges per person (depending on size)
• 1 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 5 cardamom pods
• 2 star anise
• A few black peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Handful of frozen red berries
• Handful of pumpkin seeds or pistachio nuts, toasted and chopped

1. With a potato peeler, remove the zest from 2 oranges and reserve. Remove the rest of the peel with a sharp knife, and cut the fruit into slices.
2. Add the water to a small pan, bring to the boil and add the sugar, stirring until it dissolves.
3. Add the zest and spices and simmer for 15 or so minutes, it should be a rich and glossy consistency but still runny.
4. Place the sliced oranges in a bowl, pour over the hot syrup including the zest and spices. Cover and leave the oranges to steep for an hour or so, or overnight in the fridge.
5. For decoration, fish out a few longish pieces of peel and shred into thin strips. Toss in caster sugar and dry in the oven for about 30 minutes on a low setting, until crisp.
6. To serve, place 5-6 slices on plate with scoop of ice cream and a scattering of nuts and berries, and spoon over some of the syrup. Top with the candied peel.

Variations

Use any combination of spices you like - cloves, ginger and added lemon peel also work. Sliced ruby grapefruit would also work as a substitute for the oranges, if you're feeling daring.

A glug of dark rum or Campari add nice boozy notes to this dessert - add a splash to the syrup at the end when it's still hot, before pouring over the fruit.

Smoky Bean Soup

The winter's biting at this time of year, and there's nothing better to keep warm than a hearty, colourful soup. Having half a pot of cold Lapsang souchong left over in my teapot I experimented with using it in this recipe, and I was pleasantly surprised at how it adds a lovely smokiness and depth of flavour!

Use any kind of common beans - haricot, pinto or kidney beans - either in a can or soaked and boiled until they're just slightly soft. I buy a big bag of dried pinto beans from a local shop, they're cheap and look pretty with their mottled red and white skins. Chop the vegetables roughly for a chunky soup, or smaller for a finer soup. Adjust your cooking time for the size of vegetables.

• 450g can of beans
• 2 red peppers, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 1 leek, sliced
• 3 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 500 ml strongly brewed Lapsang souchong tea
• 2 tsp good vegetable stock powder
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder or flakes
• 1 tsp thyme
• A handful of sweetcorn

1. Splash some oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions for a few minutes before adding the other vegetables, apart from the sweetcorn. Fry on a gentle heat for about ten minutes, stirring.
2. Add the tomatoes, tea, chilli, thyme and sweetcorn. Stir and simmer for about twenty minutes. If the vegetables aren't quite covered add some water.
3. Taste for seasoning and to check the vegetables are soft and fully cooked through.
4. I like a nice thick soup but add water if you want a thinner consistency.
5. Serve with a scattering of parsley and a bit of grated cheese. Guaranteed to keep out the cold!

Variations

Rather than brewing the tea, grind two teaspoons of loose leaf Lapsang souchong to a fine powder using a grinder, or pestle and mortar. Add this directly to the soup, with the equivalent amount of water.

Festive Quorn Wellington

I remember someone once saying to me "oh Christmas must be so boring for you as you're vegetarian", as if turkey is the only exciting thing about the festive season! 

I love dreaming up a tasty and attractive centrepiece for the Christmas dinner table, and something wrapped up in pastry always impresses. I'm happy with a nut roast or something similar for Christmas, but this Quorn roast smothered in apricot and mushroom paté and wrapped in pastry will wow any meat-eating relatives! It's also good cold.

I should dedicate an entry to mushroom patés as I make lots of versions, and they're particularly good for parties. You can either buy mushroom paté (it tends to be higher in fat than mushrooms) or use this BBC recipe, and add chopped dried apricots for festive colour and sweetness. Use shop-bought puff pastry, or make it yourself if you're not busy enough already this Christmas!

• 500 g Mushroom paté
• 1 Quorn family roast (defrosted and removed from wrapping)
• 1 sheet pre-rolled puff pastry

1. Roll out the pastry and cut into a big circle with a diameter about 1.5 times the length of the Quorn roast.
2. Spoon some paté in a line along the centre of the pastry, then place the Quorn on top. Spoon more pate over the top of the Quorn, smoothing down the sides until it's snugly encased in a paté layer about 1 cm thick.
3. Take the two flaps of pastry lying against the long side of the Quorn, and bring them together over the top of the Quorn, making the shape of a giant Cornish pasty.
4. Press the pastry so together so it's tightly wrapped around the Quorn, crimping the join with thumb and forefinger all the way across the top.
5. Trim any excess pastry. With the leftover pastry scraps, cut various shapes like holly leaves, stars, trees - go crazy, be creative!
6. Beat an egg, stick the pastry decorations on with the egg wash, then glaze the whole thing. Cut a few holes in the top of the pastry to let steam escape.
7. Bake in the oven at 200C for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the Quorn heated through. Leave for a few minutes to rest, take to the table, slice, and wow your guests!

Variations

Shortcrust pastry will also work here, previously I've made a walnut shortcrust pastry for Christmas, which tastes delicious and smells heavenly in the oven. Puréed chestnuts are also good as a paté alternative, buy canned or pouch chestnuts but make sure they're not too wet.