ROAST SQUASH & COURGETTE RISOTTO

Vegan squash & courgette risotto

Only make risotto if you have time - it's a dish that needs to be minded as it cooks. We are having a lazy Sunday so this was the perfect dish for today. I adapted the recipe from one by Catherine Fulvio from her lovely book Catherine's Italian Kitchen. Mr Vegan pitched in and we enjoyed making this together; it turned out delicious, so we enjoyed eating it together even more. I even have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. Yum!

INGREDIENTS

1 medium butternut squash
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 sml courgette, thinly sliced
handful of basil leaves
250g arborio rice
600mls veggie stock

METHOD

·         Preheat the oven to 200C

·         Cut the squash into large chunks (no need to peel), remove the seeds and place in a roasting tray.

·         Add a good glug of olive oil, the garlic and half the basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

·         Roast for 30 mins (or so) until golden and soft.

·         Allow the cooked squash to cool slightly then scrape the flesh from the rind and mash it with a fork.

·         While the squash is roasting, heat olive oil and fry off the onion and courgette until soft.

·         Add the rice and stir it through until the rice is coated with oil.

·         Add 100mls of stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer, while stirring constantly.

·         Reduce the heat and add stock one ladle at a time, always stirring.

·         Let the rice absorb the liquid then add more, always stirring.

·         After about 20 mins the rice should have softened and be creamy but still have some bite.

·         Add the mashed squash and stir through and serve.

·         OPTIONAL: You can grate some Parmesan over the top for non-vegans.

Vegan Coconut & Almond Bars

I love coconut. I made a coconut cake recently that I will share anon but first these coconut and almond bars - they are lovely and sweet and chewy and full of good things. I overbaked mine so they turned out a little too golden-brown, so I have reduced the cooking time here. They were still delicious though!

INGREDIENTS:

75g ground almonds

75g porridge oats

50g muesli

150g dessicated coconut

75g brown sugar

half teaspoon salt

185ml soya milk

1 teaspoon almond essence

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180C
• Grease a baking tray
• Combine the almonds, oats, coconut, muesli, salt and sugar in a large bowl
• Combine the soya milk and almond essence and add to the dry ingredients
• Mix thoroughly, and firmly press (with your hands) onto a greased baking tray
• Cook at 180C for 25 mins, then raise temp to 230C for another 5 mins, or until golden-brown
• Mark into 20 squares while still warm (I used a fish-slice)
• Cool and eat!

Mam's Jam

My two sons made this blackberry jam for me for my birthday with their Dad. Very sweet.

I have a Summer Fruits Jam recipe here if you feel the need to make jam - frozen fruit is fine for jam making. Half the fun is picking the jars and making the labels, I find.