A July Change Catchup with Vegetarian Haggis Money Bags

I have not written about the monthly resolutions that I replaced New Year Resolutions with since June. It isn't like I haven't thought about making the small monthly changes for the better or indeed making and enjoying the changes - it is simply that I have thus far failed to commit them to words. In respect of my June resolution which was to Just Get on and Do It, I shall begin to remedy that now.

Back at the beginning of the summer holidays (how far away that seems now, three days into the new term), we were visited by a friend my husband and I both knew at University. This friend has a very special place in my husband's life and we were honoured when he played the role of best man at our wedding. I always enjoy seeing him because his dry sense of humour never fails to make me laugh. I enjoy seeing him even more now since he met and fell in love with an amazing lady that, although I have only spent a small amount of time with, I adore.

They have three children between them and some interesting parenting ideas including 'technology free days' and 'try new food days'. My little ones are just as happy running round the garden inventing games as they are playing on the computer so technology bans would serve little purpose in our family. Trying new food, however, is something we could definitely benefit from. As much as I enjoy cooking (and eating) it is easy to fall into something of a rut. Churning out old favourites that I know everyone will be happy with week after week is OK I suppose, but not adventurous or exciting.

The seeds for my July resolution were sown.

At least once a week, I intend to try a new recipe or adapt an old one to (hopefully) extend the repertoire of family favourites.

I have found inspiration in the BBC's fantastically entertaining Great British Bake Off - who could not love the drama of the melted ice cream saga and the untimely departure of the Bearded Bake God Iain of the bin escapade infamy (binfamy?). I have reorganised my larder and sorted my cookbooks so I know what I have and where to find it (cupboards and drawers on the to do list). When I dine out, I do so now with a slightly analytical attitude as I ponder how to recreate anything especially good in my own kitchen.

Whilst in Edinburgh recently, I enjoyed two meals featuring the iconic Scottish savoury pudding - haggis. As a (mostly) non meat eater, I am talking about Vegetarian Haggis. Whether vegetarian haggis would have inspired the poet John Burns to pen the famous "Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face" Address is debatable, but  I LOVE it.

I have cooked Vegetarian Haggis for the family on Burns Night before but have never thought to use it in any way other than with the traditional 'neeps and tatties'. Inspired by my Scotland experience, this all changed.

First, I made Haggis Nachos. This was easy. I used Morrisons Value Tortilla Chips and put a generous layer in the bottom of individual oven proof serving dishes. On top,  I dolloped some home made salsa sauce  (fry chopped onion, green, pepper and chile pepper, add tin of chopped tomato and splash of hot chile sauce, heat to reduce). The next layer is the haggis (recipe for vegetarian haggis) and finally, top it with goats cheese. Pop it in the oven for a few minutes then garnish with soured cream and jalapenos. One of my dinner guests on this occasion did not like goats cheese so he had grated cheddar. We were all a bit jealous because it looked delicious. I wish I'd remembered to take a photo but I think I was deliberately putting photography to the back of my mind after the distress of losing all of the pictures I had taken in Edinburgh.

The second Haggis dish I attempted was more ambitious - Haggis Money Bags

I adapted my haggis recipe to make it more like the one I had sampled in Edinburgh. I used red onion (about double the quantity) and caramelised it before adding the other veg. Instead of chopped nuts I used a mixture of peanuts, cashew nuts and hazelnuts (again slightly more than the original version of the recipe) and chopped them roughly so they would add more texture. I swapped the red lentils for green ones (which, be warned, take much longer to soften). I also used less oatmeal to make a slightly sloppier consistency. Instead of cooking this in a loaf tin, I wrapped single portion servings topped with goats cheese in sheets of filo pastry. My filo pastry had been in the freezer since Xmas (I had the best of intentions to make a stunning chestnut stuffed filo wreath centrepiece but it never happened!). It had dried out quite badly and was really hard to manage. It felt less like cooking, more like doing a delicate skin graft. My 'money bags' were actually more reminiscent of mutated artichokes but as long as they held together during cooking (which they did) I wasn't too bothered.

I had intended to make a rich red wine sauce to serve with the Money Bags but life sort of got in the way and Bisto instant gravy had to suffice. No complaints. They were delicious.

Gloucester Old Spot Piglets.. and sausages

Some time ago, shortly after moving out of the family home and into a flat of her own, my daughter Ivy invited myself and my husband out for a meal with her and her boyfriend. Tension between Ivy and the rest of the family had been running high in the months leading up to her making the decision to move out. I hated feeling so at odds with my daughter and so powerless to do anything about it. The meal invitation was an ideal opportunity to rebuild relationships and move towards a more harmonious future.

She took us to a very nice country pub with a reputation for good food. She had dined there before with her boyfriend's family and sung high praise for the shallot and goats cheese tartlet - a shining light in an otherwise limited vegetarian menu. On her previous visit, she had been given a mystery sealed envelope containing a voucher for up to 100% off the bill, which she intended to use for our night out.

The pub was lovely. We were seated near to a log fire which was very cosy and shelves of old books added to the charm. I was hungry and ready for my tartlet.

I scanned the menu.

No tartlet.

Ivy's expression was one of confusion. They had changed the menu.

I didn't have my reading glasses but I was sure I could find an appetising alternative. With a combination of holding the menu at arm's length to accommodate my focus, trying different angles to get the best light for reading and asking my fellow diners "what does that say?" it became clear that there was actually NOTHING vegetarian that didn't involve pasta (boring), risotto (stodgy and bland) or beetroot (plain gross). I was struggling. I did not want to spoil Ivy's treat for us by suggesting we try a different restaurant (she did have her mystery voucher for this one).

My husband is easy. He eats a mostly vegetarian diet but will happily eat (and enjoy) meat occasionally. It is his firm opinion that this is the healthiest approach to nutrition. He chose traditional pub grub - fish and chips.

Ivy's boyfriend chose lamb and Ivy picked one of the vegetarian dishes. I was starting to feel a bit panicky that I still hadn't a clue what to choose. There was a quiche which I was leaning towards. It contained bacon but it wasn't like eating a rump steak. I convinced myself it was vegetarian with a hint of meat. The pint of ale I was drinking on an empty stomach helped with my delusion.

I announced (with justification) that this was what I wanted but almost as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I had doubts. If I was going to eat meat anyway, why make my selection based on the dish that seemed 'least meaty'. Why not go for it and chose something unashamedly meaty - something that for all my years as a vegetarian I have harboured cravings for - something that kept jumping out of the menu to tease me. I blurted - NO! I've changed my mind!!

With a deep breath for courage, I ordered the Gloucester Old Spot sausages with creamy mash, seasonal vegetables and onion gravy.

As soon as the words were out of my mouth (again)... I felt guilty.

Despite further fortification with my ale, I was plagued with indecision. It was probably getting pretty boring for the rest of the party by now, so a coin was tossed.

The head of our royal majesty declared that tonight, I would be dining on .... Gloucester Old Spot Sausages. Without the feeling of guilt to dry my saliva, I felt mouthwateringly excited.

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal (which was a far cry from our usual Quorn sausages) and Ivy's mystery voucher entitled her to a 50% reduction in the bill (happy Ivy!)

Last week, during a trip to our local organic farm, I had the pleasure of seeing some beautiful little piglets. Gloucester Old Spot piglets. My thoughts turned to my sausage dinner. I actually felt totally OK about it.

 

Although these piglets were bred for meat, to satisfy a human demand for pork, it did not feel wrong. The organic free range farming methods ensured that the animals had a good life with no more cruelty than one would expect from the simple fact that there are other animals higher up the food chain.

My daughter Liberty's boyfriend is a committed meat eater. I am proud that he choses to pay a little extra for his meat to buy it from the farm. When he purchased a couple of packets of Gloucester Old Spot sausages, I felt no compunction about cooking them in my kitchen and partaking of a plump banger (or two).

It is not something I will make a regular habit of but it certainly bestowed an air of occasion to our family meal. Perhaps my husband is right. A mostly vegetarian diet with the odd meaty indulgence is the way to go.

Burns Night - In Sickness and in Health

My husband had a sick day from work yesterday. Lovely as it was to have him home, I am not good with sick husbands.

When I am feeling unwell, my husband is wonderful - attentive, sympathetic and loving. When he is the one shivering and feverish, I avoid him as much as possible, roll my eyes and tut when he asks for medicine and tell him to man up. In my defence, I do apologise for my behaviour and try to explain that I am simply not good with sick husbands.

He did ask me if I knew why it was that my normally generous nature deserts me in the face of ill health. I think it possibly stems from a time in my childhood when my mother was very sick.

I grew up in a small house that felt even smaller than it was because it was crammed full with large furniture. I was probably about 9 years old when my mother fell ill. I distinctly remember being in the overcrowded living room trying to watch television with my mother in a very sorry state, struggling for breath and saying that it felt as though she was being stabbed in her back, and my father telling her curtly that there was nothing wrong with her. This was not neglect or cruelty - simply denial. He could not bear the idea that his beloved wife was anything other than her healthy, vibrant self. My uncle called round, took one look at his sister and demanded that my father call the doctor. It turned out that she was suffering from Lobar Pneumonia.

My mother was ill for a long time and spent a lot of that time in her bed. In a fevered state she experienced a glimpse of the afterlife. Unfortunately for her, her hallucination was not a 'beautiful light at the end of a tunnel' sort of experience - she was visited by a horned Beelzebub complete with flaming inferno.

The one thing that haunts me most about those grim days was not the coughing up of blood streaked sputum, or the the disruption to our daily routines and my dad's lumpy porridge - it was the smell of illness. It is well recognised that smells have a remarkable power to evoke memories. The smell of illness embodies the fear and the uncertainty a young girl felt when she saw a mother frail and weakened and a father no longer able to hide behind denial, having to face the hard reality.

My mother recovered. The permanent damage to one lung did not seem to bother her. The ordeal strengthened my parents' relationship with each other but to the detriment of their relationship with me. I always felt in the way.

Darkened room, fevered body shivering beneath clammy duvet, barely audible plea for medicine or a glass of water, subtle but unmistakeable smell of illness - I'm rolling my eyes, tutting and avoiding. My poor husband deserves so much better!

Thankfully, he had perked up enough by the late afternoon to peel a load of potatoes for the 'tatties' part of our Burns Night traditional Vegetarian Haggis, Neeps and Tatties.

We had an almost perfect evening. A roaring fire was a good antedote to the snow battering at the window. The Proclaimers provided the soundrack to our Scottish feast and Lidl's provided the themed Burns Ale to accompany it.

Bad recitals of Burns' poetry and the retelling of my favourite Scottish Folk tale, The Milk White Doo filled the interlude before bringing out the very unScottish homemade Lemon Bakewell Tart dessert (I didn't have the ingredients for shortbread!).

The only thing that prevented this being a perfect evening was the fact that my little Addy's temperature started to soar.

When my children are the source of the smell of illness, it doesn't have the same effect on me at all. No eye rolling, no tutting - just cuddles, kisses and Calpol!

Hipp Organic Mini Pots

Hipp Organic played a significant role in the weaning of my two little ones.

Both children continue to be great eaters and enjoy a range of different foods which is particulalry important to me bringing them up on a vegetarian diet. They do, however, both have a fondness for the sweets, crisps and biscuits that I do my best to limit but are so handy when a hungry toddler needs a snack or treat.

I was sent some of Hipp Organics new mini pots to try.

The mini pots come in packs of six 50g pots - ideal for a snack. Made of 100% fruit puree blended with a little bit of yoghurt , they are healthy, nutritious and contribute to the government guideline '5-a-day'. There is no need to refrigerate which makes them ideal for when you are out and about. They are available in two varieties: banana & peach and apple & pear.

I did wonder if my children, having become familiar with high sugar/ fat/ salt snacks, would consider something this wholesome and pure as a treat. It has certainly been a problem previously.

I needn't have worried. They both loved their mini pots. Addy loved the fruity smell as much as the taste which did lead to several incidents of puree on her nose! The video shows both children enjoying their little treat which evidently is also perfect to take to the moon!

Hipp Organic Baby Food - Review

At 10 months old, my little boy is a fantastic eater. He pretty much has whatever the family are having and is always willing to try new tastes and textures. I still breastfeed him to supplement his nutrition and love to see him learning about food.

It is always useful to have some proprietary Baby Food on standby for those moments when it simply isn't convenient to have him share the family meal or we need to feed him in a hurry. We have been enjoying trying out the relaunched Hipp Organic range.

The new design packaging for 2011 is certainly very appealing with lovely photographs of the fresh, organic ingredients used to make the products.

We are raising our son on a vegetarian diet to fit in with the rest of the family. It can be a struggle sometimes to find enough variety when meat is off the menu. The Hipp Organic range includes several vegetarian options.

We tried three different varieties from the traditional jars of baby food: Sweet Parsnip & Potato Puree, Mixed Vegetable Medley and Tasty Vegetable Risotto. These are all suitable from 4+ months. Each of the  purees was a distinct colour which made them feel as though there really was a difference between them rather than being slightly tweaked bland mush with imaginative names. I was impressed with how pleasant they smelled and my boy demolished the whole jar without pausing for breathe!

We also tried the Creamed Root Vegetable with Apple variety from the Wholesome Pots range. I really liked the resealable, reusable pots that they come in and found them brilliant for when we were out and about. I am not keen on carrying the glass pots around in my handbag and I did have a rather unfortunate incident when trying to feed an excited little boy in the front seat of my car recently trying to balance him, a jar and a spoon. It was messy. The plastic pots are very much more like a little bowl with the benefit, therefore, of greater stability and a bigger area to aim at with your spoon!

I was pleased to see that the Hipp Organic range contains non-animal sourced Omega 3, which we are told is important for development and health.

I have long been a fan of the the Hipp Organic Fruit Pots. They have no added sugar and taste like  fruit you could have pureed yourself. My son has loved all the fruit we have given him (including some lemon that his big sister gave him to see him pull a face at the bitterness!) and he loved the Fruit Pots. My three year old daughter, on the other hand, does not like the texture of fruit apart from kiwi and banana but she does love the Fruit Pots. It is a great way to get her to enjoy the flavours of fruit and hopefully work towards her being more adventurous when it comes to getting her Five-a-Day.

We were given the Fruit Pots with Yoghurt to try in Apple & Pear and Banana & Peach varieties. I was interested to see what she made of these. The video speaks for itself.

   

Find Hipp Organic at http://www.hipp.co.uk/, on Facebook and Twitter for information, competitions and chat.

The products featured in this review were supplied by Hipp Organic.

My first, my latest and my favourite

This post, written for We Don't Eat Anything with a Face's bloghop, probably says rather too much about what I like to cook and what I like to eat.

My first cookery book was Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course.

Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course

You will see by the lack of a cover and the general state of it that it has been well used over the years. It is one of the few cookery books that I have kept which isn't vegetarian. It falls open at the page for Fruit Crumble and the food stains on that particular page hold the history of many a delicious, warming pudding.

Fruit Crumble

My latest cookery book is the deliciously illustrated Muffins Galore by Catherine Atkinson.

I have yet to cook anything from the pages of this gorgeous book but I have leafed through it quite extensively, with much salivation. Just looking is a Calorie free indulgence.

My favourite cookbook, and probably the reason why I have yet to try anything from my latest acquisition, is Muffin Magic by Susannah Blake.

For me, this book demystified the art of muffin making and as you can probably see by the pink post-it strips marking the pages, is responsible for several new family favourites. I love that  the book supports the Battery Hen Welfare Trust. Having kept chickens for a while, I really appreciate what lovely creatures they are and I find it heartbreaking the way they are treated for the benefit of the human demand for cheap eggs and meat.

The espresso muffin recipe is a firm favourite with my caffeine addicted student daughter. She is coming home for a visit soon so there will definitely be a batch of these in the oven to mark the occasion.

So that's it - my first, my latest and my favourite cookery books. I leave you with a picture of the results of a mammoth baking session that qualifies why Muffin Magic earns the accolade of 'favourite' amongst a shelf bowing under the weight of contenders.

Vegetarian Haggis - Recipe

This is the Burns Night essential in our vegetarian household.  I will list the quantities I used first time I made this but I never weigh anything anymore, just chuck in what looks roughly right! It is easy to make, nutritious and apart from the whole sheep's stomach thing, has a fairly authentic haggis feel to it. Why wait for another Burns Night?


Ingredients
4 oz onion
2oz carrot
2oz mushroom
2oz red lentils
1pt stock
1oz red kidney beans
2oz chopped nuts
2tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp lemon juice
1tsp thyme
1tsp rosemary
1tsp mixed spice
8oz fine oatmeal

black pepper

Method

1. Finely chop the veg (I use my food processor) and saute in a pan for a few minutes
2. Add lentils and stock
3. Mash the kidney beans and add to pan with nuts, soy sauce, lemon juice and seasonings.
4. Cook for 15 mins
5. Add oatmeal and cook for a further 15 mins, adding more liquid if necessary.
6. Turn into loaf tin and bake for 30 mins at 190ºC

Serve with neeps and tatties!