Layered vegetable ramekin.

A new recipe came to me as the sunlight hit the curtains I decided that i needed to use the ramekin dishes! I chopped aubergine into circles, mushroom, courgette and potato layered them and filled the ramekin with vecon (A kind of stock) but you could use whatever you like, cover it in foil and bake in the oven for around 30 mins. I let it cool (but you dont have to) layered on a piece of bread which i had cut into a heart shape using a cookie cutter and put on vegan cheese and a slice of tomato. Cooked it at 200 for around 20 mins. Hey presto done and it is so tasty. You can always make these a day in advance of a dinner party and reheat them on the day (the bread will absorb the stock so i think its best to put it on before cooking). Hope you enjoy, its mighty tasty!

Its curry night x

I decided to make a lovely lentil curry today and had little time, the slowcooker is an easy option when time is limited. I decided to add a few green lentils to the red to make a different flavour and add to the texture. I added 2 small red onions chopped, tin of tomatoes, 1 cup of green lentils, 3 cups of red lentils, 3 tbsp balti curry paste, 4 small carrots chopped, 1 tin of chickpeas, 10 small garlic cloves (about four or five large ones) chopped or crushed as prefered and 3/4 pint of water. Throw it all in and switch the slow cooker onto low and leave on for around 6 hours. Curry so easy and so delicious x

vegan cooking books on the cheap

I received a copy of Leah Lenenmans 'vegan cooking for everyone' for 99pence only, what a wonderful and joyful find. Ebay is great for finding great vegan bargains for little money, it all helps in these times of frugal living. I think everyone to some degree has to be frugal to survive the economy, I am sharing a couple of recipes to help everyone in the frugal lifestyle for which we are forced into...hee hee x

Vegan Scottish Steamed pudding ( like haggis ) 1 cup of medium oatmeal 1/2 cp soya flour 1 cup wholewhaet breadcrumbs 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs 1 small onion 1/3 cup hard vegetable fat or shredded veg suet water as reqired sea salt as required freshly ground black pepper 1. Combine the oatmeal, soy flour, breadcrumbs, baking powder and herbs in a large bowl. 2. Chop the onion finely and add it to the bowl. 3. Mix in the fat ( grated block vegetable fat) or vegetable suet. Add enough liquid to make a thick pouring consistency and turn the mixture ot into an oiled pudding basin. Steam for 2 hours or microwave for 12 mins, covered with wax paper. Leave for 2 mins or more before turning out. Can be served with potatoes, parsnips and vegetables with some lovely onion gravy x

Cashew stuffed eggplant ( aubergine ). 2 large or 4 small eggplants 1 pound/455g onions 12/3 cup/225g cashews 2 tsp yeast extract 1. Cut the tops off the eggplant and simmer them in boiling water for 30 mins. Set them aside to drain and cool. 2. Chop the onions finely and cook them in enough water to cover, along with the yeast extract, until tender. Drain the excess liquid. 3. Grind the cashews and mix them with the cooked onions. 4. Slice the eggplants in half, scoop out the flesh from the centers, finely chop and add to the onion-cashew mixture. 5. Pile the mixture into the eggplant halves and bake at 200c/400f/gas mark 6 for about 20 mins. I would personally put some grated vegan cheese on top with a dash of vegan worcester sauce. Hope you have a try at these recipes as i am def going to try cooking these two. I will post the success or failure of these. Enjoy!