Vegan Recipe of the Week - Roasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto

This week it is Halloween and you may be carving a pumpkin or two in your house. If so, keep all of those seeds you scoop out of the middle and make this gorgeous Roasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto. Above I have tossed it through some spaghetti with vegan chorizo and Vegusto cheese, served with fresh basil and a side salad.

Here's what you will need (serves 4):

70g pumpkin seeds - shelled

2 Tbsp of grated vegan parmesan

2 tsp olive oil for roasting

2 cloves of garlic

20g basil leaves

30g parsley leaves

2 Tbsp lemon juice

80g olive oil for the pesto

salt to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 140C/Gas mark 1. Line a baking tray with tin foil.

Place the pumpkin seeds in a bowl, stir in the olive oil and salt to coat and spread out on the baking tray. Bake for around 15 minutes until they begin to pop. Remove from oven and leave to cool on the baking tray.

Combine the cooled pumpkin seeds, parmesan and garlic in a food processor for around 20 second until ground. Add the basil leaves, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil and pulse for another 30-40 seconds and combine to a coarse paste. 

Transfer to a bowl, taste and season with salt as required. Serve over hot pasta and grate fresh vegan cheese over the top.

Eat and Enjoy!

This keeps in the fridge for 48 hours.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Henderson's Relish

This week on TOV I am talking sauce! My favourite cooking sauce that is!

Henderson's Relish is a spicy sauce made in Sheffield and is similar in taste to Worcestershire Sauce but without the anchovies. It has been made in Sheffield for over 100 years and is Vegetarian Society Approved and listed in the Animal Free Shopper Guide produced by The Vegan Society. I use this sauce in most of my savoury dishes - soups, Shepherd's Pie, chillis, lasagne filling, vegan cheese on toast etc. It is a versatile sauce and can be used for flavouring many recipes. It is also gluten-free.

As far as I know it is mainly sold in Yorkshire, The Peak District and the surrounding areas in food shops, farm shops, supermarkets, markets and even gift shops. However, it doesn't seem to be widely available outside of that area. They do offer online ordering on their website and some other online retailers also deliver across the UK. There is a list of stockists here. It retails for around £1.85 a bottle and has a shelf life of around three years - but I promise you it won't stay around that long in your cupboard once you try it!

Let me know if you have tried Henderson's Relish, what dishes are your favourites to add it to? Leave a comment below. If you love cooking new vegan dishes, come back tomorrow for the Vegan Recipe of the Week.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Vox Reviews...October's UK Vegan Food Swap

This month is my third month taking part in the UK Vegan Food Swap. As usual the lovely ladies at tohappyvegans.com paired us up with our partners. This month I sent my parcel to Ben and he said that he loved to cook, so I sent him the ingredients and a recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto - the recipe will be available on my blog next week if you fancy trying it out for yourself.

As well as the ingredients for the pesto, I sent Ben some Frank Bars, Liquorice, Vegusto Cheese and Cofresh Lentil Chips.

My sending partner this month was a lovely lady called Jade. Jade sent me some fab goodies, some which I love and some which I have never tried before, which is exciting. We have also decided to remain pen pals which is great - vegan food and vegan friends - my two favourite things! :-)

Here's what I received in my package from Jade:

First I got a lovely card with a detailed letter introducing Jade and the choices that she sent me. It was very thoughtful and kind.

Next I got some sachets of miso soup - perfect for a quick lunch on the run.

The next item was a lovely choc orange bar from Morrisons, this tasted just like Terry's Chocolate Oranges from my non vegan days - lovely!

The next items I opened were some snack bars and hummus chips - great snacks for nights in by the fire or to keep in my bag when out and about.

My next treats were fruit based - healthy and tasty. Orange flavour raisins and some Bukhara raisins. Yum!

I had a selection of fruit and herbal teas:

Next I had some chocolate treats - handmade vegan chocolates and some chocolate strands for baking and on vegan ice cream.

I got some satay cooking mix which I can't wait to try with some tofu and rice.

And my final treats were these animal biscuits and wasabi chips:

I haven't tried all of my treats yet but the ones I have tried were lovely - so another successful swap this month, I'm already looking forward to the next one. Thanks to Ben and Jade and to tohappyvegans for organising it.

If you haven't signed up to the swap yet and would like to do so, please click here to sign up.

I hope to see some of you at the West Midlands Vegan Festival this weekend in Wolverhampton and it's not too late to email me for the meet up. If you fancy joining us for a drink please email veganvoxblog@gmail.com. I will be sending out details of the meet up tomorrow by email.

Have a great weekend.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Slow Cooker Sausage & Bean Casserole

This week's recipe is another slow cooker recipe, great for these colder evenings and so simple to make. 

(serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

4 vegan sausages - I used Vegetarians Choice

1 onion

1 carrot

1 potato

4 mushrooms

1 pepper (or small cup of frozen peas)

200ml vegan stock

1 400g tin baked beans

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tbsp mixed herbs

Salt 

Pepper

1 tbsp oil

Method:

Peel and chop all of the vegetables into small slices/cubes. 

Pour the oil into a large frying pan and heat, once hot add the onions and sausages and fry for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Break the sausages into quarters in the pan and add the rest of the vegetables. 

                                  

Fry for a further 5 minutes and then add the stock, beans and herbs/seasoning.

                                 

                                                   

Bring the mixture to the boil and then pour into your slow cooker.

                                            

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring halfway through cooking time if possible.

                                       

Serve with fresh homemade crusty bread rolls.

                                    

                                    

                                   

Eat and Enjoy!

      

      

       

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Hip Dippers

                                          

This week on TOV I am featuring Hip Dippers. This is a range of savoury snacks, baked breadsticks and salsas sold in Home Bargains. All of the products I have found for sale in my local branch are vegan (except for the sour cream dip), but only labelled as vegetarian. However, I have checked for dairy, honey or additives and have found no animal products on the ingredients lists.

First up are these Sundried Tomato and Black Olive mini breadsticks, they have a lovely flavour and are very crunchy, so hold dips well.

Next up is this Super Cool Salsa. They also do a Hot Salsa if you prefer some spice. This is a chunky and refreshing salsa with lots of flavour, lovely with the breadsticks or spread on crackers, nachos or in quesadillas.

The final product I tried was the Chilli and Garlic baked breadsticks, these were spicy and tangy and were lovely with the super cool salsa.

                                   

These chips and dips retail for around 89p for the breadsticks and 69p for the salsas so they are really good value and great to take to a party or just munch on whilst watching a DVD in front of the fire.

If homemade food is more your style, come back tomorrow for another fab Vegan Recipe of the Week.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx