Spinach and Feta Croquettes With Pasta

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Here's my slightly delayed post for National Vegetarian Week!

This recipe was inspired and adapted from one of Anthony Carluccio's, but I've altered it slightly to suit the ingredients I had to hand. I think the spinach croquettes would look a little more attractive if they were deep fried, but I shallow fried them and they still tasted good, and not too spinach-y.

Serves 4

For the croquettes:

• 300g/12oz fresh spinach, washed
• 1 medium egg
• 2 slices of bread made into breadcrumbs
• 100g/4oz feta cheese
• 1 large clove of garlic
• nutmeg and black pepper to taste
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

For the pasta and dressing:

• 250g/10oz dried pasta
• 50g/2oz sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 50g/2oz roasted peppers (from a jar), chopped
• 2 tsp fresh chopped sage, or 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 50g/2oz feta cheese, cubed

Wash the spinach and microwave in a covered bowl (no added water) for about 3-4 minutes on high.

Allow to cool and then squeeze out as much water as possible with you hands.

Add all of the croquette ingredients to the food processor and blend until you have a thick, soft dough-like consistency  If needed, add some more bread crumbs.

Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan and drop heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture into the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side and then drain on kitchen paper. 
Keep warm in the oven.

Meanwhile, make the pasta dressing by heating 2 tbsp of the reserved oil from either the sun-dried tomatoes or the peppers. Add the garlic and sage and fry gently for 2 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients, except the feta.

Cook the pasta until al-dente, drain and stir into the dressing.

Serve the pasta topped with the spinach croquettes and the cubed feta.

Alternative: You could blend the dressing ingredients to make a smooth pesto-style sauce if preferred.

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Paneer Tikka

These simple paneer tikka kebabs taste delicious cooked on the barbecue.

• 200g/8oz paneer, cubed
• 2 bell peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters 

For the marinade:

• 2 tsp tandoori/tikka spice mix or paste
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 heaped tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Zest and juice of 1 large lemon

For the mint sauce:

• 1 cup of plain yogurt/dairy-free yogurt
• 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp garden mint sauce concentrate (the type you add your own sugar and vinegar to)
• A few dashes of chilli sauce

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
Add all of the kebab ingredients and coat well in the marinade.
Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for an hour.
Soak wooden kebab skewers in water for a few minutes (to help prevent them from burning), and thread alternate chunks of paneer, onion and pepper onto the skewers.
Grill or bbq for around 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Serve in a warm pitta or naan bread with salad and mint sauce. 

To make the mint sauce, simply mix all of the ingredients together, adding chilli sauce to taste.

Alternative: Use diced meat-free 'chicken-style' fillets instead of paneer if preferred.
Vegan version: Use whole button mushrooms or firm, pressed tofu instead of the paneer.

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Vegetarian and vegan camping dessert recipes

Unfortunately, as the weather was so terrible last summer, our usual camping trips were curtailed, so let's hope we have better weather this year! We don't always have a dessert when camping, but if we do, I tend to prepare something simple, sweet and tasty using seasonal fruits and convenience products. 

Hot

• Camp fire dampers - make up a sweet scone packet mix, reserving a small amount of the dry mix, for rolling. Add just enough water/milk to make a slightly sticky dough. Divide into golf ball sized pieces and roll each ball out into a long thin sausage using your hands and a little of the dry mix. Cover the end of some sticks in foil. Coil the scone mix around the foil covered stick, over-lapping the dough slightly so there are no gaps. Bake over the camp fire or bbq embers for around 10 minutes, turning regularly, until golden brown. Remove from the stick and fill with jam, cream, lemon curd, chocolate spread etc. (see photo). 
  n.b. The thicker the stick, the more filling you'll be able to add - They need to be around 50cm+ long, so that you don't cook your hands! 
• Cookie or brownie pancakes - make up a cookie or brownie packet mix. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into a greased frying pan. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, flip and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve warm.
• Barbecued bananas - cut a slit lengthwise down each fruit (while the skin is still on). Insert chocolate buttons/dairy-free chocolate along the slit. Wrap in foil and barbecue for around 10 minutes.
• Fruit crumble - add some chopped cooking apples (and sugar to taste) into a pan with a drop of water. Simmer until the fruit is soft. Top with one packet of crumble mix. Cover pan and simmer on a low heat, until heated through.
• Sweet wraps - Warm a tortilla wrap in a frying pan. Put a spoonful or two of jam, peanut butter or chocolate spread in the centre. Top with sliced banana or strawberries. Fold the wrap like a burrito and flip over to warm through.
• Pancakes - re-heat ready-made pancakes in a frying pan, top with jam, chocolate spread, toffee sauce or lemon juice & sugar etc.
• Fruit skewers with a chocolate dipping sauce - Melt some chocolate/dairy-free chocolate in a pan and stir in some cream, evaporated milk or vegan cream to make chocolate sauce. Make some fresh fruit skewers (which you can cook on the bbq if you like) and dip these into the sauce.  
• Mini doughnuts with a chocolate dipping sauce - prepare the sauce as above.
• Shop-bought cake and ready-made custard 
• Barbecued fresh pineapple slices - cook on the bbq.

Cold

• Fresh fruit
• Strawberries and cream/vegan cream.
• Eton mess - simply mix cream (use canned squirty cream, mascarpone or crème fraiche) with crushed shop-bought meringues and fresh strawberries or raspberries.
• Deconstructed strawberry shortcake - make as above but using crushed shortbread biscuits (for a vegan version use dairy-free shortbread and vegan squirty cream).

Do let me know your favourite camping puddings and I'll add them to the list!

Find more camping recipes here.

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Veggie news and a special offer

I thought I'd post a couple of things which may interest you, if you live in the UK...

National Vegetarian Week runs from the 20th-26th May '13. This year, the theme is Going Veggie – it’s not rocket science, it’s surprisingly simple! so there are lots of  tasty recipes, tips, ideas and events for existing, novice and wanna-be vegetarians. It's also worth taking a look at the but what do veggies eat? gallery with hundreds of everyday food photos, all created by ordinary vegetarians (including me!).

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The V Delicious Veggie Good Food Show  is taking place at London’s Olympia, 7th-9th June '13 . The organisers have kindly offered  free printable tickets to all We Don't Eat Anything With A Face readers, saving you between £7.50 and £10 per person; not bad eh?

V Delicious will be a fantastic event, filled with vegetarian, vegan, ethical living and free-from stalls, product samples, cooking demonstrations, seminars, yoga and much more. The show opening times are as follows: Fri 7 Jun (10am-5pm), Sat 8 Jun (10am-5pm) and Sun 9 Jun (10am-4pm).

Integrity Statement
I did not receive any payment or incentives to promote these events.

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Paneer Makhani

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This is my version of paneer makhani (butter paneer masala) which is one of my favourite Indian restaurant dishes. The recipe is adapted from this one on Archana's Kitchen blog, but I changed the amounts of spices used and altered the ingredients slightly. I'm sure this doesn't give quite the same flavour, but the resulting gravy tasted pretty good to me (and the rest of the family). I made this recipe using my own home-made paneer cheese.

Serves 4

• 1 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
• 1 onion, grated
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 2 heaped tsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) or 1 tsp ground fenugreek
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 whole green cardamom pods
• 1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (add more or less to taste)
• 500 ml/1 pt passata
• 2 tsp sugar (add more or less to taste)
• 3 tbsp double cream or 25g/1oz grated creamed coconut, optional
• 200g/8oz paneer, cubed and fried in 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Heat the butter/oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic and ginger.
Fry on a gentle heat until the onion just starts to colour.
Add the remaining spices and cook for a further minute.
Add the passata and sweeten to taste.
Simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, fry the paneer cubes until golden brown, remove and blot on kitchen towel.
Add the paneer (or vegan alternative) to the sauce and simmer for a further 10 minutes before removing from the heat and stirring in the cream/creamed coconut, if using. 
Serve with rice, naan or chapatti.
Remember to remind everyone about the cardamom pods!

Alternatives: Use meat-free/Quorn 'chicken' pieces instead of paneer if preferred. Add to the sauce as above and simmer for 15 minutes.
For a mild, child-friendly curry, omit the chilli, remove the children's portions, checking for cardomon pods, and then add a little hot chilli sauce to the remaining adults' portions. 
For a vegan or lower-fat option, swap the paneer for pressed, firm tofu (fry as for paneer), or tinned chickpeas and sliced mushrooms (lightly cook the mushrooms and drain the juices before adding to the sauce).

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Pisto Manchego

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Pisto Manchego is basically a Spanish version of ratatouille, which is generally served topped with an egg. It's one of the few traditionally Spanish vegetarian dishes, although if you eat this in Spain, do check that it doesn't include any ham, before you order!

Serves 4

• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 medium courgette
• 1 Spanish onion
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp paprika
• Black pepper to taste
• A pinch of sugar
• 1 egg per person or fresh mozzarella/melting vegan cheese

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan.
Throw in all of the vegetables and garlic, and gently cook for around 5 minutes until softened.
Add the chopped tomatoes and seasonings, plus a pinch of sugar.
Allow to simmer with the lid on, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve con huevos - topped with a fried egg, or with a less traditional slice of mozzarella or vegan cheese and some sauteed new potatoes.

This also makes a good pasta sauce or bruschetta topping.

I've entered this post on the #eggmainsinminutes linky on BritMums.

Find more egg recipes here: Egg mains in minutes.

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Holland & Barrett Veg.Out Products - a review

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Holland & Barrett have recently launched a whole range of ready-to-eat vegetarian snack foods. Most of these use meat substitutes and closely resemble their animal-based counterparts! This might be disconcerting for some veggies, but I think they would particularly appeal to new vegetarians and people who want to reduce their meat consumption. 

The O family tried out the Veg.Out meat-free Italiano, Cornish-style and Jerky Jamaican lattices (pasties), plus a porkless pie, Scotch egg and jumbo sausage roll.

Our least favourite product was the porkless pie, which had way too much pastry and not enough filling. We had mixed views on the lattices; Mr O preferred the Cornish-style, I preferred the Jerky and the children preferred the Italiano. All of the pasties tasted distinctly different from each other, but again these were a little on the slim side and would have benefited from a bit more filling and a little less pastry. Our favourites were the veggie Scotch egg and jumbo sausage roll. The girls had never eaten vegetarian Scotch egg before, so they enjoyed the novelty factor as well as the taste!

Although we were divided in opinion about some of the products, we all agreed that they would make a good sandwich alternative if you wanted something quick to grab and go, or as a vegetarian/vegan addition to a picnic. All of the products, except for the Scotch egg, are suitable for vegans and are available from Holland & Barrett stores nationwide. RRP from £1.15-£1.55 per product.

Integrity Statement
I received some free samples from Holland & Barrett to review. I did not receive payment, and was not required to write a positive review in return. The views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family. 

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Fuengirola on a budget - a review

Over the Easter holidays, we went to Fuengirola on the Cost Del Sol in Spain, for a budget week away. Fuengirola was far more 'Spanish' and cosmopolitan than I expected. It's a working town and port rather than just a tourist resort, so was quite busy even in low season. Although there were plenty of British bars, they were quite low key and scattered between other bars, restaurants and shops.

The resort had a long sandy beach, which sloped gently into the sea, so it would be ideal for families with children of all ages.  

Budget
My top tips for booking a cheap holiday are to book flights directly with a budget airline, watching out for extra costs such as luggage charges. Then look for the best deal for your accommodation.This may be booking directly with the owner, or booking through a low-cost travel broker. I always look at Trip Advisor for reviews and then pick accommodation with the highest star rating for the lowest cost! By booking separately rather than booking a package, we saved several hundred pounds. However, it's worth remembering that you get more financial protection if you book a package holiday through an ABTA/ATOL registered travel agent.

We stayed in the cheap and cheerful Ronda 4 Apartments, which were right by the beach in the quiet area of Los Boliches. We were really please with the location and the quality of the accommodation and would be happy to stay there again.

Food
Before going, I did a bit of research on vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the area. It's worth knowing that vegetarianism is still viewed as a strange concept to many Spanish people and that ham, meat-stock, fish and lard are sometimes included in dishes which may appear vegetarian on the menu. For example, when we were last in Spain I ordered a green salad along with a pizza. The salad came topped with tuna!

I found a couple of useful guides before I went: one from Span Expat and one from Piccavey.
I also discovered that there are several exclusively vegetarian restaurants in the area. We visited two of them: El Vegetariano in Malaga (in a side street just behind the castle) and Restaurante Vegetalia on Calle Santa Isobel in Fuengirola.

El Vegetariano served a full menu for lunch and dinner, with a range of tapas dishes as well as main meals, whereas Restaurate Vegetalia had an all-you-can-eat lunchtime buffet and an a la carte dinner menu. Both restaurants were surprisingly busy and had a good atmosphere. The food in both places was great and there were various vegan options.

We found plenty of other veggie-friendly places to eat in Fuengirola along the paseo (beach front). There were several Indian restaurants, all offering a selection of vegetable dishes plus a good choice of Italian restaurants serving a limited selection of vegetarian pizza and pasta dishes. There was a lot of competition, so the prices were really reasonable.

We self-catered for lunches and breakfasts. There were several large supermarkets (and loads of mini-markets) and we found that most food and drink was a little cheaper than in the UK. We also noticed a couple of health food shops: Bio Casa Health and Bio Natura. Although we didn't go into them, they may well stock vegan foods such as dairy-free milk if you need them.

Integrity Statement
This holiday was taken at my own expense. I did not receive payment or any incentives from any of the businesses/websites mentioned. 

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How to make paneer cheese

After reading Christine's post on making ricotta cheese (Thinly Spread), I thought I'd have a go at making my own paneer. A friend of mine told me that she always makes her own paneer and that it's really simple, so I bought myself some muslin cloths (from the baby section in ASDA) and got cheese-making. Although a little time consuming, it really is pretty straight forward and would be a great activity to do with the kids.

This recipe makes around 200g/8oz of cheese, but you could easily double the recipe and freeze any left over cheese. Making in bulk will also save you money.

• 1 litre/2 pt full-fat organic cow's milk (preferable un-homogenised)
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pour the milk into a large saucepan.

Bring to the boil (on a medium heat), stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat (reduce the heat to low) and stir in the lemon juice.

Return to the heat and stir gently until the curds to separate.

If this works, you will see the watery whey separate from the white solid curds (see top right hand photo). If they don't separate initially, add some more lemon juice.

Remove from the heat.

Line a colander with a muslin cloth.

Pour the curds and whey into the cloth and allow to drain for a few minutes.

Then tie the muslin so that it is hanging from the kitchen tap and allow to drain for an hour.

After an hour, twist the cloth gently and squeeze out a little more whey (see bottom right hand photo).

Open the cloth carefully. Without moving the curds, gently place them on a plate and cover with the muslin (so they are sandwiched between the cloth).
Top with another plate and weigh down with a pan full of water. Press for a further two hours, draining off the whey if necessary.
Remove the pan and plate and unwrap the cheese. Finally, cut into cubes.

Refrigerate and use within two days, or freeze until needed.

Recipe adapted from Anjum Anand's Indian Food Made Easy.

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Guacamole and Guacziki

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As a family, we've only recently discovered the delights of guacamole and until now have been buying the ready made tubs. Morrisons had packs of 4 avocados for £1 this week (that's the same price as 1 tub!), so Miss K and I thought we'd buy some and make our own.

Most authentic recipes seem to include chopped onion, but as neither of the girls like raw onion, we replaced it with garlic.

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 ripe tomato, deseeded and diced
• 1 small clove of garlic, crushed (or some finely chopped onion)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• A little chopped chilli, to taste
• A little chopped coriander, to taste 

Cut the avocado in half by scoring around lengthwise with a sharp knife.
Twist to separate the two halves.

Scoop the avocado flesh out into a bowl with a spoon, removing the stone as you do so.

Add the lime juice and mash roughly with a fork.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir in.

Cover and refrigerate until needed (for a couple of hours at the most, as it will discolor).

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I decided to experiment with one of the remaining avocados and came up with guacziki - a kind of vegan tzatziki!

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 chunk of cucumber, deseeded and diced
• 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• A dash of hot chilli sauce, to taste
• A little chopped dill, to taste 

Prepare the avocado as before.

Place in a food processor with the lemon juice, garlic, the scooped out cucumber seeds and seasonings.

Blend until smooth.

Finally, stir in the chopped cucumber.

Cover and refrigerate until needed. 

Top Tip: Pop the avocado stone back into the dip until you are ready to serve. I'm not sure if this really works, but it's supposed to help stop the dip discolouring!

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Goodlife Foods - a review

Goodlife Foods were one of the first vegetarian frozen food brands to be launched in the UK, way back in 1989, and they're still going strong. Unlike many new brands, their products are made from vegetables, grains, nuts and pulses rather than meat substitutes, which make them a good way to contribute to your 5-a-day intake.

I was very happy to try some of their products, mainly because I haven't bought them for quite a while, as my kids didn't like the visible and identifiable chunks of vegetables when they were younger!! Unfortunately the Glamorgan sausages didn't go down too well with them (too onion-y!) but Mr O and I really enjoyed them smothered in gravy with a roast dinner. I did find that they didn't keep their shape very well during cooking though, so they wouldn't really be suitable for barbecuing.

I must admit I was quite surprised by the girls' reaction to the spicy bean quarterpounders this time around...they loved them! We had them in burger buns with salad and a dollop of ketchup and they tasted great; nice and crispy on the outside, jam packed with a variety of tasty chunks of vegetable and beans inside and had a good spicy kick.

I'll certainly be buying the bean burgers again and I'm looking forward to trying some of Goodlife's other products, such as the hearty vegetable bakes and the spicy lentil and vegetable wedges. 
You can find Goodlife Foods on Facebook and Twitter.

Integrity Statement
I received some free samples from Goodlife Foods to review. I did not receive payment, and was not required to write a positive review in return. The views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family. 

Images © courtesy of Goodlife Foods.

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Tibits: At Home - a review and giveaway

Tibits, the Swiss-based vegetarian restaurant chain, have recently published their first English language cookbook: Tibits at Home: stylish vegetarian cuisine. The book includes recipes for a variety of dishes served at the restaurants, from seasonal soups, salads and sandwiches to delicious drinks and desserts, around 80% of which are vegan.

Although, I've never been to Tibits' London restaurant, I was keen to try out some of their recipes, so I made a couple of the antipasti dishes (mixed vegetable antipasto and aubergine antipasto) for a recent dinner party. They were simple to make using easy-to-find ingredients and most importantly, tasted delicious!

The recipes in the book are arranged by season, rather than type, which is unusual, but a good idea (although with the weather we've been having lately, it looks like I should be sticking to dishes from the winter section for a while!). I love the eclectic range of recipes which are clearly laid out, easy to follow and beautifully illustrated. It may seem strange to mention, but I really appreciate the addition of  the two attached ribbon bookmarks, as many of my cookbooks end up with scraps of paper in to mark the recipes which I want to try!

If you'd like to win a hardback copy of this fantastic book with a RRP of £25, just take a quick look at Tibits' spring menu, enter your details on the Rafflecopter widget (so that I have a record of your entry and contact details) AND leave me a comment below telling me which dish you like the sound of best. UK only. Competition closes 21.4.13 at 04:00

You can find Tibits on Facebook and Twitter.

Integrity Statement
I received a copy of Tibits: at Home to review and 1 to give away on my blog. I did not receive payment, and was not required to write a positive review in return. The views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family. Referral links included in post.

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Self catering abroad? Travel essentials

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I've got to admit that I'm a bit of an obsessive planner when it comes to holidays. I love holidays and want them to go well, so I do plenty of research beforehand (accommodation, beaches, public transport, local restaurants serving vegetarian options etc.), to make sure we chose the right resort and have a great time when we're there. We generally stay in self-catering, budget accommodation in Greece and to keep costs down once we're there, I pack various 'essential' items, which some family members seem to find a little over-the-top!

It's worth knowing that kitchens in Greek self-catering accommodation are often very small and basic (see photo). You will generally have a 2 ring electric hob, a fridge and a sink, plus one set of basic crockery and cutlery. Microwaves, toasters and even kettles can be scarce, so check reviews or contact the owner before travelling to make sure you have everything you need.

Foods to take :
These foods tend to be expensive in Greece as they are imported.

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• Breakfast cereals
• Teabags/coffee
• Marmite (squeezy in plastic jar)
• Peanut butter (in plastic jar)
• Packets of dried veggie burger/sausage mix (not available in Greece).
• Small sachets of herbs/spices

Kitchen equipment:

• Washing up liquid - decanted into a small bottle
• Tea towel
• Ice cube bags/tray
• Sponge scourer/dish cloth
• Corkscrew/bottle opener
• Small sharp kitchen knife in original packaging
• Small plastic sandwich bags to wrap sandwiches etc.
• Adaptor plugs

Equipment to take for picnics on the beach:

• Picnic mat/s with waterproof backing
• Small insulated cool bag (use small frozen water bottles as ice packs)
• Small beach parasol 

Depending on accommodation reviews, you might want to buy these in the UK and leave them in resort or pass them on to fellow holiday makers:

• Small 2 slice toaster
• Travel kettle/small kettle

Although we generally eat out most evenings, I prepare a basic breakfast and lunch each day, which really helps to keep down the cost.

Laundry

• Travel wash
• Camping washing line and a few pegs

Basics to buy in resort:

• Fresh bread each day (enough for breakfast and lunch)
• Jam/marmalade
• Fruit juice
• Water
• Soft drinks, beer etc for an evening drink on the balcony!
• Fresh fruit/salad ingredients
• Small bottle of vegetable oil
• Eggs (omelettes, fried eggs etc)
• Cheese
• Butter
• Ice-creams - much cheaper at the supermarket, than from your hotel/apartment!

If you're travelling on a very strict budget and want to cater for all your own meals, try some of my camping recipes, for simple, budget-friendly meals which can be cooked on a 2 ring hob. 

Rachel has some more great family holiday tips and ideas over at Midlife Single Mum.

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Hot Cross Buns (Vegan)

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Inspired by Paul Hollywood's Bread programme, I thought it was about time I blogged another bread recipe.

I've seen a plethora of hot cross bun recipes lately, but very few vegan ones. Traditionally, these seasonal, Easter bread-buns are made with eggs, milk and butter, so I've substituted these ingredients for vegan alternatives. I think you'll agree that they look pretty much like the traditional variety (minus the crosses, of course!).

• 3 cups strong bread flour
• 1 cup sweetened almond milk, or similar
• 4 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp dairy-free spread
• 1 sachet fast action yeast
• 1 cup dried mixed fruit
• 1-2 tsp ground mixed spice 
• 1 tsp Orgran No Egg, optional
• ½ tsp salt

Add all of the ingredients, except the fruit, to the bread maker and set on the dough setting. 

After a few minutes, add the dried fruit and allow the bread maker to run the full dough cycle. (Alternatively, kneed ingredients together in a bowl, until you have a soft, but not, sticky dough.)

Turn the dough out onto a board, but don't add any extra flour.
Kneed the dough for a few minutes and then divide into 8 pieces and roll into balls.

Flatten slightly and place, well apart, on a greased baking sheet.

Allow to prove in a warm place for 45-60 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/425F/Gas 7. 

Mix an extra 2 tbsp of strong bread flour with 2 tbsp of cold water to form a paste. Pipe the paste onto the buns (in your preferred design), with a small, plain nozzle. 

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190C/180C Fan/375F/ Gas 5. Bake for a further 10 minutes, until brown. The cooked buns should sound hollow if you tap on the base.

Mix 2 tbsp of white sugar with 2 tbsp water. Heat in the microwave for 15-30 seconds on high, to form a syrup. Brush the syrup over the warm buns. 
Remove from the baking tray and cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm or toasted for an Easter breakfast. Cut in half and spread with dairy-free spread and/or jam before serving. 

Suitable for freezing.

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Antipasti Pesto

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Here's my entry for this month's Pasta Please challenge. Inspired by last month's entries (in particular this one from Jen at Little Birdie) and this month's theme, I thought I'd have a go at making my own pesto; no home made pasta just yet though!

• 2oz/50g chargrilled peppers in oil, drained and roughly chopped
• 2oz/50g sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp oil from the antipasti jar, or olive oil
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp Parmesan-style cheese, grated (omit or substitute for vegan version)
• A handful of fresh chopped basil
• 1 tsp chopped red chilli
• 500g dried pasta

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Put the chopped peppers, tomatoes and oil in a liquidiser/blender and whizz on a low speed. Stir and blend again. 

Add the pine nuts, cheese, garlic, chilli and basil and blend again until thick and fairly smooth.

Cook the pasta as directed and drain, leaving a little of the cooking water in the pan. Return the pasta to the pan and stir in the pesto to warm through. 

Serve topped with a little more grated cheese or a sprinkle of pine nuts.


This pesto would also work well spread on a pizza base or as a bruschetta topping.

I'm linking this post into the 3rd Pasta Please challenge hosted by Jen at Blue Kitchen Bakes and Jac at Tinned Tomatoes.

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