Here's a stew for you!

Recipe of the week...
... Cauldron vegan Italian sausage stew

Ingredients: 300g Cauldron vegan sausages, a splash of cooking oil, 300g baby potatoes, 1 red onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian herbs, 200g tinned cherry tomatoes, 100g ready roasted red peppers, 100g black olives, and a handful of fresh basil leaves

Serves: 2 bowlfuls for tea, and then a packed lunch for tomorrow

Time Taken: Half an hour

Hi readers,

How are you all this week? Are you doing good?

As I write, it’s a Monday midday in sunny Sheffield. I’m tucked up indoors, enjoying the view of lovely blue skies outside, but not actually venturing out there because it’s FREEEZING. That’s right – we’re currently all set to receive the ‘Beast from the East’ (Siberian winds heading our way) with daytime temperatures in the UK expected to fall as low as -15°C if you count in wind chill.

@punkodelish

Pretty cold then. Just a bit nippy out. But, thankfully, I don’t have to go out at all if I don’t want to… as I have the day off work! That’s right, readers, I’m using my annual leave from work this year to treat myself to a string of needless, randomly occurring long weekends.

This is the first of many to come throughout 2018, and I’m so far liking this plan! A three-day weekend feels ROOMY. Like, if you stay in bed for an entire day you still have loads of weekend left over to enjoy. Or, if you have tons of chores to do, you could do those and STILL have a regular length weekend left over.

Like, it’s still the weekend for me right now and yet the beginning of my weekend feels distant. It doesn’t feel like I’ve hurtled from start to finish, with a taste of wine and some bright lights along the way. It feels like I have a considerable amount of time to enjoy taking a proper break from work.

@kateigray

I thoroughly recommend, readers. If you haven’t formed much of a plan for how to use up your annual leave this year… why not space it out? Use it here, there and everywhere! Become a pro at weekending.

Already this weekend, I’ve been out for drinks with the girls. And been out for drinks with OTHER girls. I’ve made it to the pool for a swim, watched a film, played a board game. Played some card games. Bumped into at least 101 dalmations walking round Rother Valley for the national Dally Rally day. 

@patchthedalmation_

I also made it to Barnsley, readers, for a meet up with my friend Suzeroo. We lunched and did some bargain shopping about town (I got some cool wool for £1.50 and a glittery top for 65p!), and we also made it to an exhibition at the Barnsley Civic about the history of hairdressing, called Beehives, Bobs & Bow-dries. If you live in Yorkshire and you’re looking for something free to do to pass your time on a weekend – I recommend!

Though entirely random, and not covering a top I’d exactly say I’m interested in, it’s a GOOD exhibition. There’s loads to see and read and look at wile you’re there, and I came away having learned things! About dreadlocks and black hair, and perming and the evolution of the salon. 

@katiepiper_

Why is it that women pay more in a salon than men do at the barbers, even if men have long hair??? But, yes, if you’re looking to strengthen your pub quiz knowledge on the topic of hairdressing, readers, and scoop up some bargains from the shops while you’re at it… then I recommend Barnsley for an eccentric day out.

And, as well as recommendations, I have a recipe for you, too! This week’s recipe of the week comes to you from the Sainsbury’s website (find the original here). It’s a recipe for a Cauldron vegan Italian sausage stew which I came across while looking for something simple to cook for a vegan date of mine this week. Here’s how you stew in just eight simple steps…

  

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Recipe of the week: Cauldron vegan Italian sausage stew

Ingredients: 300g Cauldron vegan sausages, a splash of cooking oil, 300g baby potatoes, 1 red onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian herbs, 200g tinned cherry tomatoes, 100g ready roasted red peppers, 100g black olives, and a handful of fresh basil leaves

1. Get your chef head on! I’d pour a red wine, set some Simply Red playing, lay the table with cutlery and candles…

ChefBeHere Top Tip: If you’re feeling especially peckish, perhaps put some crusty bread out? To dunk in your stew!

2. Heat the oven to 200°C, set the kettle boiling, tip your sausages out onto a baking tray and roll in a little vegetable oil until well coated. Then cook on the middle oven shelf for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, halve your baby potatoes and fill a saucepan with boiling water. Cook the potatoes for 12-14 minutes or until soft.

4. Then prep your veg! Begin by draining and finely slicing your black olives and red peppers (both from jars). Then peel and finely slice a red onion, and peel and finely chop a clove of garlic.

5. Heat a splash of cooking oil in a frying pan or wok, and cook the onion for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for another minute or so.

6. Next, add the olives and peppers to the pan along with 200g tinned cherry tomatoes, and simmer gently for 5 more minutes.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: About now, I’d pop some bowls in the microwave or the oven to warm for a few minutes. Because you’re worth it.

7. Then, once cooked, drain the potatoes and safely remove your sausages from the oven. Switch the oven off. Add your sausages and potatoes to the main pan.

8. Simmer gently for a few minutes and season to taste. Then serve up! Scattering with torn basil leaves.

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What do you reckon, readers? Would you give this recipe a try? Would you be open-minded to dining vegan if your food looked and sounded this tasty??

I recommend the recipe! Straightforward ingredients, easy-to-follow steps, and only half an hour required to prepare. Plus, it’s so seasonal right now! This is a warming, wintry tea to be enjoyed with a glass of red on a cold night. Lots of great flavours and healthy ingredients, and really filling too with your potatoes and sausages providing some good stodge.

You never know until you try – please send me your feedback, readers. If you give this recipe a go I want to know how you got on in the kitchen and whether or not your vegan stew hit the spot! Please share your thoughts and let me know any ideas you have for recipe improvements or variations.

Take care everyone and wrap up warm, please!

Stew safely,

Hayley

@alicehartcooks

Some thoughts, some noodles

Recipe of the week...
... Silky cashew nut noodles

Ingredients: 80g chestnut mushrooms, 10g coriander, 1 red onion, 1 garlic clove, a large glug of soy sauce, 2 wholewheat noodle nests, 60g cashew nuts, 1 courgette, 1 carrot, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes, vegetable oil, olive oil, salt and pepper

Serves: 2 proper platefuls… and a packed lunch for someone to take to work!

Time taken: 45 mins max

Hi readers,

How are you all today? You doing good?

As I write, it’s a Tuesday evening in February. The sun’s been out for most of the day, and I’ve had a good one at work – I got to do some writing today! I survived a laptop drop this morning (as did my laptop) and the resulting soup explosion, too. Although it looks as though I’ll be finding dried soup on the contents of my workbag for quite a while…

But things are good with me. How are things with you lately, readers? How’s Feb shaping up for you?

In truth, things are very good with me right now. In the spirit of writing what you feel… things are sparkly and exciting, readers. Yes – I’m mooning over a boy. It’s been a long time! But here I am, starry eyed. I like a boy and a boy might like me.

Here’s some food for thought, readers. Is happiness your friend?

I’ve been considering this a lot the last few days. Because – and bear with me here – I’m wonderfully happy at the moment! Don’t hate me. It feels like I’ve been given a special jewel, readers, and it’s so hard not to wave this gem around and shout about it from the roof tops and mould myself around the jewel, ready to treasure it forever…

BUT. It’s also like I’ve been given a special jewel that I know will likely be taken away again one day. And I can see friends of mine who’ve just had jewels taken away from them, and they’re really down about that. So, it’s scary to hold it. And scary to feel so up up up… when experience tells me that, one day, I’ll be back down again. As happiness is fleeting.

I know that my friends – however up or down they may be – will always will be there for me and will likely far outlast the happiness. And that it’s terrifically unfair for me to have been given a jewel now when friends have had theirs taken away. And that I should defo keep my jewel on the down low, so it doesn’t hurt any of my friends’ feelings.

BUT. Even if happiness isn’t here to stay. Even if it might be snatched away or could fade at any moment – leaving me empty handed and hunched over, and embarrassed for having worn my jewel on my sleeve for anyone to see – is that any reason to turn away from it? Is there anything I can do, right now, other than feel sparkly and excited, and scared shitless at the same time?

I think that, perhaps, happiness isn’t my friend in the long run. Although, some friendships last the length of a job or a summer or a lottery win – and they’re spectacular! You wouldn’t trade your true friends for them, but you wouldn’t want to be without them either.

So, I think that happiness is a fickle friend. But if you know that, readers. If you keep your real friends in your heart, and make room for your jewel without poking your friends in the process, then hopefully you’ll never be down down down. Because your friends are there for you.

What do you think?

Along with that food for thought… I have a recipe for real food for you, readers! Yay! This recipe is VEGAN, as the boy I’m mooning over is vegan, and I cooked us this meal for dinner recently in a Date Night bid to impress. The recipe is a Gousto one, for silky cashew nut noodles, and you can throw these noodle together in just ten simple steps…

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Recipe: Silky cashew nut noodles

Ingredients: 80g chestnut mushrooms, 10g coriander, 1 red onion, 1 garlic clove, a large glug of soy sauce, 2 wholewheat noodle nests, 60g cashew nuts, 1 courgette, 1 carrot, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes, vegetable oil, olive oil, salt and pepper

1.     Do what you need to do to enjoy your time in the kitchen – pour a drink, open a window, wipe the surfaces, set some music playing in the background…

2.     Heat a large, dry, frying pan or wok over a low heat. Add your cashew nuts and cook for a few minutes until they begin to colour. Then set aside to cool – keep your pan ready for later.

3.     Fill a kettle and set it boiling. While the kettle boils you can begin with veg prep. Top, tail and finely dice the carrot and courgette, then slice your chestnut mushrooms. Peel and finely slice the red onion, and peel and finely chop the clove of garlic.

4.     Once the kettle’s boiled, add the wholewheat noodles to a saucepan along with a pinch of salt, and fill with water. Leave to boil for ten minutes until tender.

5.     While your noodles cook, return the wok to a medium heat with a splash of vegetable oil. Once hot, add the carrot, courgette, onion and mushroom to the pan, along with half of the chopped garlic and half a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: Not a fan of food that has you fanning your mouth?? Ease off the chili flakes, compadre!

6.     Season the contents of your wok with a pinch of salt and pepper, and keep stirring your veg about the pan every now and then. Cook for 10-15 mins, or until the veg start to caramelise.

7.     While your veg and noodles are cooking, grind ¾ of your cooled cashew nuts using a pestle and mortar. Add your remaining chopped garlic, a tablespoon of honey, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and a large pinch of salt. Then add 3 tablespoons water from your noodle pan and grind this all up into a creamy nut butter.

8.     Once cooked, drain the noodles and rinse briefly under a cold tap. Finely chop a handful of coriander and coarsely chop the remaining cashew nuts.

9.     Once the vegetables seem caramelised (use your best judgement here), then tip the cooked noodles into the wok, along with the cashew nut butter. Add your chopped coriander and a rather large glug of soy sauce, then season generously with salt and pepper. Give everything a good mix together to combine.

10.  Plate up your noodles and garnish with the remaining cashew nuts – then tuck in! Any leftover noodles you can Tupperware for lunch tomorrow.

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What do you think, readers?? Would you give this noodle recipe a try? Does it look like your kind of food? Would you have guessed – looking at the pic – that this meal was a vegan one? Or does it just look like a tasty plateful of food??

In the words of Gousto…

“This is a dairy-free, wholesome vegetable noodle dish where you create your own very ‘on trend’ cashew nut butter. Brimming with vegetables – it feels comforting yet sinless!”

… and I highly recommend! These noodles went well in the kitchen, readers, I had no trouble with the recipe and I’d say they turned out well, tasting great. I wasn’t left craving fish or dairy, I was full, and I enjoyed the food. My date was complimentary of the cooking (I think sincerely!) and he cleared his plate.

So – a success in the kitchen! If you’re looking for a healthy, great tasting tea to try, and if you’re open minded to trying vegan food, and if you’re a fan of a noodle dish – then I recommend. Please let me know, readers, if you give this recipe a go how you get along in the kitchen. And do you like the noodles?? Feedback, please!

And have a fabulous rest of your week everyone. Take care, feel sparkly, embrace happiness…

Grind safely,

Hayley