Rice with chick peas and tomatoes

We had this for lunch yesterday and JP loved it!  So here it is!  It is so easy to make, especially if you se canned chick peas.  I have so much corriander in the garden and this is a great way to use it up.

Cooked short grain brown rice
1 can of chick peas (if using dried, soak 350g over night and cook as usual)
2 large onions-finely chopped
6 tbsp olive oil4 cloves garlic, crushed
450 gr fresh tomatoes, skinned and sliced
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp lemon juice

Fry the onion in the olive oil in a large sauce pan, until soft-about 10 mins.  Add the garlic, chick peas and tomatoes and cook for a further few mins until they are nice and hot.  Use a fork and lightly mash the chick peas, then stir in the coked rice, coriander and lemon juice,  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Lentil Pie

This is an old school favourite of mine from Rose Elliot's "Bean Book" -she describes it as an 'economical wartime dish'!!!
Anyway I love it!

175 g split red lentils
1 large onion-diced
350 g mashed potatoes (mine are made with original, organic soya milk)
1 tbsp chopped parsley, or fresh corriander
1 tablespoon tomato chutney-or I use a chili jam
sea salt
black pepper

Wash the lentils, put them with the chopped onion into a sauce pan with enough wayer to cover, and cook gently until the lentils are soft 20-30 mins.  Drain and mash them lightly with a fork.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (mark 6).  Beat the mashed potatoes into the cooked lentils, together with the fresh herbs, chutney, salt and pepper to taste.
Put the mixture into a shallow baking dish and smooth the top over with a fork.  Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until crisp and browned. 

As promised- Delicious Vegan Chocolate Cake!!

My friend from school, Alix, sent this to me to try and I thought I would share it with you all! 

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Although it is apparently an American classic, I only stumbled upon Wacky Cake when I was trying to find something to bake for my sister. She had recently been diagnosed with vicious allergies to Soy and Eggs, and the years of searing joint pain that she had suffered was attributable to these nefarious ingredients. So, I was on the hunt for delicious soy-free, vegan recipes for my dear sister, who is a fan of all things chocolate. Clearly this is buried deep within our Faulhaberian DNA; not only do I routinely find guilty little wrappers strewn on my nightstand, but my nephew (My sister’s baby) arrived at my house last time with chocolate smeared all over his face after he had noozled a KitKat bar until he fell asleep.

The Wacky Cake is certainly wacky, especially to those who have done a lot of baking. The procedure is decidedly odd, but trust me, it’s the right way. I’d never blaspheme chocolate!

Wacky Cake

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour (for Gluten free use all purpose gluten free flour)
3 Tbsp. Cocoa
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 C. Brown Sugar (you can also use white sugar. I sometimes use homemade Vanilla Sugar- just stick a Vanilla
bean in the Sugar jar and be patient.)
1 tsp. Salt
5 Tbsp. Canola/Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp. White Vinegar (I use Apple Cider as well, it’s lovely)
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 C. Cold Water

Set oven to 350(F)

-In a very large bowl, combine the dry: Flour, Cocoa, Baking Soda, Sugar & Salt

- With your finger, make three deep holes in the dry mixture.
-In one hole, pour your Oil
-In the next, your Vinegar
-In the last, Vanilla

-Pour Water over all three! WEEEE! Wacky!

-Mix well.

-Using a 9” x 9” brownie pan, bake your Wacky Cake for 30 minutes.

-When done, let cool on racks.

-This cake is best the next day, after cooling and refrigerating. Wrap tightly to avoid fridge funk (and I’m not talking Bootsy Collins….)

Delicious as a breakfast cake with Mimosas for a decadent brunch!
(Perfect for newlyweds J)

Enjoy!!

Tisanes-herb teas!

One thing most of my friends remember about me from university Is the vast quantity of peppermint tea that I consumed.  Now I have an incredible herb garden here I can make fresh mint tea-I love it.

For peppermint, use five leaves for one mug, leave to steep in boiling water before you pour.  Spearmint is one up from peppermint, a bit stronger and still yummy. Both are excellent for digestion and colds.

 Sage tea is all right - famously good for night sweats and apparently invaluable during menopause-not that I would know first hand!  I enjoy the robust delicious taste of rosemary. Pick a 2in sprig for one mug and leave it to stew for the usual five minutes. This is the one to get you going when you're feeling grotty and lethargic, a useful hangover cure and an invigorating stimulant for anyone who gets SAD.  

We have just had so much rosemary growing we have chopped down my forest and placed it all over the veranda in terracotta pots to try and control it!  James is always trying to get me to reduce my herb garden-not going to happen, but I did give in to the rosemary battle. 

Fennel-seed tea is another one for cold days - pour a teaspoon of seeds into your mug or pot and after 10 minutes strain them off like tea leaves. Fennel has a fresh aniseedy taste and diuretic properties that make it popular with dieters. It is also much more effective than parsley for freshening the breath.  We save all our fennel seeds from the garden to ensure they are organic.