How to make a One Pot Kale and Vegetable Broth (Vegan friendly)

 Broths - really great in Winter, warming comfort food. This one is made with Kale. Kale boasts three times as much Vitamin C than Spinach. It is also chock full of anti-oxidants. That teamed with the fresh thyme which is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and antiseptic should keep the winter colds away. Also containing celery, carrot, leek, swede and Oxo vegetable stock, this is a one pot powerhouse of nutrients. Serve it in a dish, serve it with mash, or fry up a portion with some mash and a little squirt of brown sauce - or ketchup depending on which you like best, for a day after meal. You can if you want, stick in some veg suet dumplings, the recipe for which is on the Vegetable Broth recipe further on this channel! 

Here is the Recipe

How to make Spicy Lentil Broth (Vegan friendly)

 I got this idea from a recipe in a book and just changed some of the quantities of the ingredients for a better taste. Although there looks to be a lot in this there isn't really and it will last for a few meals. You don't need to serve it with rice, you can do it in a side dish with a salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and red onion, a little grated fresh ginger and pitted olives. This way it tastes delicious too. It also smells amazing as it cooks. Lentils are low in calories and high in fibre for digestion. They are high in protein and a good source of iron too. Iron helps with tiredness by improving the oxygen in the blood. So if you are planning on running any marathons in the near future this is for you!

Here is the Recipe 

 

How to make Butter bean, fennel, courgette, leek and carrot Vegetarian/Vegan Casserole

 This particular dish started out as a basic recipe from a book. It had far too much courgette in it and other vegetables when I tried it out. But it had potential, and after altering the veg quantities and the spices it came out like this. It is like a Winter warming broth and the cinnamon stick cooked with it makes it taste amazing. It also contains a fennel bulb, and fennel not only improves brain function but seems to warm you up right down to your toes as well. Try it and see! It also contains ginger and that is another warming spice, and cinnamon which is antibacterial, and carrot - vitamin A so good for your eyes too. So a good health tonic all round. I just serve it in a dish with a simple side salad.

Here is the Recipe

 

How to make a Red Pepper and Mushroom Sausage Casserole (Vegan friendly)

Who doesn't like a sausage casserole, especially when the nights draw in and you know that winter is now approaching. This is a one pot dish so just throw everything in and simply cook in the oven. I got the idea from a ladies magazine whilst in the hairdressers. I simply changed the sausages, made use of an onion gravy, altered the mushroom and red pepper quantities and ended up with this! The Bisto onion gravy in the glass jar works well with this but I suppose you could try the red onion gravy in a jar that is less expensive too, as I have also tried this gravy before on things and it is very flavoursome as well. Just check that it has quite a good thickness before you put it in. Otherwise add a little more powder. We like this with a good helping of mashed potatoes to soak up all the juices. I found the Linda McCartney sausages worked the very best in here, but I have made it with the other brands too. You can also serve it with new potatoes if you like....

Here is the recipe

How to make an easy Chinese Soup (Vegan friendly)

When i tried this Chinese soup, for the first couple of mouthfuls i wasn't sure, a few more and i was hooked! It's an acquired taste if you haven't had much experience of Chinese food. I always do this in a big pan and use all the red pepper etc so that there is no waste. Always shake up your Soy sauce before you use it as it settles. Always again use the freshest beansprouts spring onion etc as possible as this soup can last a few days. We have used it from the fridge up to four days. Always cool down your soup and then get it in the fridge before 90 minutes have passed for good hygiene rules, and store it in good quality sealable containers. My daughter loves to drink the juice last, and everyone that has tried it loves it by the end of the bowl. Though it could be because of the salt content in the Soy sauce. (joking). It's lazy cooking as well because it lasts a few days, and it was even good on day four! Don't leave it longer than that though....The Chinese leaf is usually obtained from Morrisons, I can never find it in the other supermarkets  Oh well, crusty roll time again.

Here is the recipe

How to make Vegetarian Quorn Spaghetti Bolognese.

A friend suggested this recipe to me, and I tried it. Then I changed the mushrooms, removed the salt, topped up the garlic, and Voila! It was the first time that I had made Spaghetti Bolognese at home. It's tasty and you can feed a crowd with it. A one pot meal. Sometimes I grate a little vegetarian hard cheese, (parmesan style) over it, if I make it for guests, and this has been a staple in our house for years. This Spaghetti Bolognese works well with the Quorn because it has a mince style texture. For those who don't want egg - as Quorn contains egg white, both Asda and Sainsbury's plant based mince works well too but always remember to fry it for 5 mins first before you add it to the pan, like with the Quorn. Don't worry to if you haven't got any garlic powder in, just use two good sized garlic cloves instead of one - just as good!  The image picture featured doesn't do this meal justice, as it really does taste delicious. Further on in the blog you will see how you can use this Bolognese sauce in other meals too, but for now

Here is the recipe

Vegetable Broth and then Hash

With this recipe my father used to make Broth a lot and this is his own recipe. He also made dumplings - so I adapted them with vegetable suet and this is the result. It's a simple dish with celery, leek, carrots, swede, savoy cabbage, fresh and dried thyme, vegetable stock cubes, a dessert spoon of cornflour and some ground black pepper. This is a great and warming one pot Winter dish both vegan and vegetarian. For an even better taste add 18-20g of the fresh thyme to this recipe along with the dried.
On day two he would make up some mashed potatoes with a little milk, butter and black pepper, and then fry up some mash with a couple of ladles of broth mix, on a low to medium heat until the liquid reduced. Then serve it as it was with either a squirt of brown sauce in it or a squirt of tomato ketchup! I am in the brown sauce camp myself as was my father but it's entirely up to you.....

Here is the recipe