What are we all having for dinner?

[Milims]

MMM it holds together really well. The oats make it quite sticky porridgy (IYKWIM!) without it being stodgy and the egg does the rest of the binding. As GOE says - it's even better cold!

[greenorelse]

It was delicious!

Yes, I thought it was the best recipe for nut roast I've had in a long time. Different and very tasty.

Does it hold together? Every time I have made a non meat loaf it is always very crumbly and pretty impossible to slice - tastes good but just easier to eat with a spoon than a knife and fork!:

You're obviously not slicing it thick enough....

[Berti]

tonight: chicken fillet (spiced by marinade) , potato puree, cooked carrots.
eating on a budget.......

[greenorelse]

Sorry to veer a little off topic but this is one for Green Aura.

Here's a chocolate cake recipe for your vegan daughter. It's one of the simplest recipes I've ever come across. It's awesome and claggy.

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

2 cups water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees/Gas 4
2. Thoroughly mix dry ingredients (sieve them first)
3. Mix wet ingredients in jug
4. Pour into dry ingredients and whisk
5. Pour the batter into a lined baking tin or a greased spring release tin
6. Bake for 1 to 1+1/4 hours

I used spelt flour in it, it was fine, you could use any you have handy I suppose. Also, I used cider vinegar...and everything bar the soda, salt and water was organically grown.

It's crumbly when warm but sliceable when cold...if you can wait that long.

[Millymollymandy]

Yes, I thought it was the best recipe for nut roast I've had in a long time. Different and very tasty.

Does it hold together? Every time I have made a non meat loaf it is always very crumbly and pretty impossible to slice - tastes good but just easier to eat with a spoon than a knife and fork!:

You're obviously not slicing it thick enough....

Oh believe me I do, we like doorsteps here.

Right off to copy your recipe (might not mention the porridge aspect to OH though as he might balk ). I actually like veggy loaf better than meat loaf and you can chuck so many different things in.

[Green Aura]

Thanks goe - it'll get added to our other recipes - we're about to open a vegan bakery/deli, so any and all ideas welcome!

We had a bit of a revelation last night. Some months back I found a recipe (US needless to say) using a bought cake mix and a can of coke. Well, for reasons unknown, I spotted a cake mix on our last shopping trip, remembered the recipe so bought a can of coke too. The ingredients were all fine, just flour, sugar and baking soda plus, the only thing we'd not heard of - glucono-delta-lactone (which is a rising agent made from natural sources according to wikipaedia ). I'd have preferred a Whole Earth cola but they didn't have it so we bought the other stuff.

Anyway we made it last night, it took exactly 2 minutes to mix, 5 minutes in the microwave and 15 minutes to cool enough to add a topping and bung in a bowl for pudding - it was delicious!

Not something I'd do regularly but from start to eating in less than half an hour, I think I'll definitely get another one in for those days when it's pudding or murder It's been a tough old weekend

And there was enough coke left for me to have a little whisky too - bonus.

[greenorelse]

Thanks goe - it'll get added to our other recipes - we're about to open a vegan bakery/deli, so any and all ideas welcome!

Wow: a vegan bakery/deli in the north of Scotland? Are you mad? Don't answer that, just do it! Hmmm...we were only saying recently how we wouldn't move from here but...it's tempting. I really do wish you the best of heartfelt luck.

Here's a small idea - get one of those things that carbonates water and use carbonated water for making your bread. Apparently it makes the bread lighter. A friend who makes bread for a living swears by it.

Still can't believe it...a vegan bakery/deli. Throw as many veganically-grown ingredients as you can find and you're on the way to being ultra-awesomely-ethical.

And there was enough coke left for me to have a little whisky too - bonus.

I see you like a snort.

[Green Aura]

I'm not vegan but my gal is. We've noticed on all our travels how difficult it is to feed a vegan - eating out usually results in chips and salad

When she moved up here last year she got a job at the local SYHA and said there were loads of veggies/vegans staying - resorting to Pot Noddles and bits from the Spar. She was looking for a business to start (no permanent jobs up here so you need to work for yourself) and she started selling some Fimo jewellery that she made. It was lovely but doesn't earn much.

So we decided to do this, went on a commercial baking course and are now just waiting to complete on a building in the Craft Village for her, complete with shop. (THat's why I can't afford to upgrade the polytunnel this year )

We won't market it as vegan - it will put too may people off. But I'm guessing no-one will notice. Hopefully they'll just buy all the yummy bread and cakes etc without spotting there's no dairy etc.

[zaxdog]

Tonight we are on smoked peppered mackerel with hard boiled eggs and salad!

[greenorelse]

We won't market it as vegan - it will put too may people off. But I'm guessing no-one will notice. Hopefully they'll just buy all the yummy bread and cakes etc without spotting there's no dairy etc.

There was an Italian-style restaurant near here for a few years that was vegetarian but didn't market itself as such. The food was to die for, everything made in-house and included a good number of local ingredients. I know of several people who raved about it who didn't realise it was veggie and others who did but took partners there without telling them it was veggie, again to rave reviews.

Sadly the owner got into financial trouble (fell foul of planning as well as expanded too quickly by the look of it) and went out of business.

Anyway, you shouldn't need to proclaim such things from the rooftops - if the food is good, they will come. Just don't bite off more than you can chew and keep us posted.

[becks77]

Going to try GOE's nut roast this weekend sounds delicious and not too tricky

[Milims]

Becks - it is yummy - and great cold too so save some for your packed lunch tomorrow!
Toight we are having home made pasta a home made pesto - I've not made either before, but I have a new toy to try!

[bonniethomas06]

Tonight we are having cheese and spinach (perpetual - hanging on in the garden despite the snow) omlette with homemade chips (from the Golden Wonder pots still hanging on in the garage) with salad (ok, that came from Riverford). May also make a nice dressing out of Balsamic Vinegar, honey and oil/garlic. Mmmmmm

BTW Milims, never made homemade pasta, but I did make lots of wild garlic pesto when the stuff was everywhere last early spring, with olive oil and some wallnuts all minced in my hand whizzer thingy. It was LUSH.

[greenorelse]

Toight we are having home made pasta a home made pesto - I've not made either before, but I have a new toy to try!

Let us know what you made and how you get on.

[zaxdog]

We are on venison casserole which has been bubbling away all day!