Vegan Chilli Con Carne

Vegan Chilli Con Carne

A colourful veg packed chilli con carne. Cheap, easy and delicious

Prep time – 20 minutes

Cook Time – 25 minutes

Total Time – 45 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

• ½ white onion (finely diced)
• 2 x pasata 
• 100g red split lentils
• 3 medium sized carrots (grated)
• 4-5 medium sized mushrooms (roughly cubed)
•  80g spinach 
• 1 tin red kidney beans
• 1 tin chickpeas
• 1 tin black beans
• 1tbsp chilli powder
• 1tbsp paprika
• 1tsp garlic powder

Method

1. To start, prepare all of the vegetables and set aside. Add the onion and a splash of oil into a large saucepan and heat on a medium heat until browned.
2. Add in the pasata and lentil and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add in the mushrooms, carrots and spinach and stir well until all combined and leave to cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add in the black beans, chickpeas and kidney beans followed by the chilli powder, garlic powder and paprika and stir together before leaving to simmer for a further 5 minutes.
5. I served this alongside wholegrain rice but it also goes well with wedges, nachos or on a jacket potato.  

Summer Evenings | Souvlaki

Finally, it's that time of year again. Longer days, lighter evenings and sunny weather. the time I long for all year round especially in those cold and bitter winter months and while British summer is notorious for having more rainy days than sunny ones - the sunny ones are the days we remember the most. 

I absolutely love summer, being able to sit outside with friends and a drink having a good laugh... there really isn't anything better. Good people, good music and good food. 

This evening we decided to cook one of my favourite summer dishes... Souvlaki. A Greek dish that consists of a chicken kebab marinated in delicious herbs in a pitta bread alongside a lovely Greek salad. This dish really is the perfect meal for these summer evenings and it's made even better when you cook it outside. 

We first discovered this dish after my sister came home from a holiday in Kefalonia and as a holiday present she bought back a souvlaki herb mix, which consisted of oregano, paprika, rosemary, black pepper, salt and many other delicious herbs. The only issue was that we loved it so much that we got through the kit pretty quickly. However, you don't need one of these kits to make it yourself, all you need is a selection of herbs, the juice and zest of a lemon and lime, some oil and some garlic. The great thing about the marinating part is that you can use whatever you want or as much or as little of each ingredient that you want.. just have fun! 

Then let it marinate for a few hours before sticking it on the BBQ. Sometimes when we have made these we have made our own pitta bread but of course you can buy pre made pitta bread or even serve in flatbread - which is what we used this time - it's really up to you. 

Serve with humous or tzatziki and a Greek salad filled with cucumber, lettuce, red onion, olives and tomatoes and most importantly ENJOY!

Recipe | Heart Shaped Cupcakes

With Valentine's right around the corner, it's time to start thinking about what to get your partner for the big day. Maybe a nice meal out? Maybe a nice box of chocolates? Maybe a bunch of flowers? Or maybe something personal? Something made by you especially for your partner. Something you can enjoy yourself. Something quick, simple, and cheap... Why not try making them yourself?

Nutrition (Per Cupcake):

Calories:206kcal

Carbohydrates: 23 grams

Protein:2 grams

Fats:12 grams

Sugar:18 grams

Equipment:

-      Heart-shaped cupcake cases (you can find these on Amazon/eBay and any other cookware shop)

-      Electric whisk

-      Piping bag (I use disposable)

-      Piping nozzle of your choice

Ingredients

For Cake:

-      100 grams unsalted butter

-      100 grams caster sugar

-      2 medium free-range eggs

-      75 grams self-raising flour

-      25 grams cocoa powder (I used Cadbury Fair Trade Bourneville Cocoa)

For Buttercream:

-      100 grams icing sugar

-      50 grams unsalted butter

-      1 tbsp. Nutella

Methods: 

1.    Firstly, gather and weigh out the ingredients and pre-heat the oven to 180C Fan/Gas Mark 4/350F.

2.    Then cream together the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until pale in colour and all is well combined.

3.    Crack the eggs into a mug and gradually add into the mixture—if the mixture curdles then add a tbsp. of the flour and mix until the curdles disappear.

4.    Sift in the cocoa powder and flour and mix together until all is well combined.

5.    Fill the cases up 2/3 and place on a flat baking sheet and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes.

6.    While the cupcakes bake, you can start making the buttercream. Start by whisking the butter until lighter and pale in colour

7.    Gradually add the sifted icing sugar a tbsp. at a time until all is well combined, and the mixture is light and fluffy.

8.    Add the Nutella and whisk together until combined—you can add more if this if you'd like.

9.    Once the cakes have been removed from the oven and have cooled down, remove from there silicon cases and pipe on the buttercream. I added sprinkles to mine however you can leave them plain or add any decoration of your choice. 

Special diet? No problem!

Vegan? Try an oil-based butter, a vegan Nutella, or even an egg replacer such as chickpea water or unsweetened applesauce.

Gluten-free? Try a gluten free flour such as rice flour and add in baking powder so the cupcakes rise.

Lactose intolerant? Try using an oil-based butter as well as a dairy free Nutella alternative. 

Tips:

-      Why not save that aching arm by using an electric whisk or stand mixer?

-      I tend to use room temperature butter to make it easier to cream together the butter and sugar.

-      I also leave my eggs out a little before baking to bring them up to room temperature as this tends to prevent the batter from curdling.

-      For the buttercream, make sure the butter is cold—if the cupcakes are still baking then place the buttercream in the fridge.

-      Make sure the oven has pre-heated properly before placing the cupcakes in the oven

-      Make sure you place the cupcakes in the oven as soon as the batter is divided into the cupcake cases as this ensures no air is lost from the batter as well as an even bake. 

Useful Links

-      Vegan and Dairy Free Nutella 

-      Silicon Heart Shaped Cupcake Cases

-      Cadbury Bourneville Cocoa Powder

-      Alternative Egg Replacers 

Sorrento | What to do, what to eat and everything in between

Our family holiday this year landed us in the beautiful country of Italy, after many years of wanting to visit we finally booked our holiday to the destination of our dreams. After a short flight of 2 and a half hours and an hour transfer we finally arrived in the beautiful of Sorrento. Stunning would be an understatement and we were all eager to explore and soak up the sun. 

Location

The transfer from Naples International Airport to our hotel - Art Hotel Gran Paradiso - while being a little lengthy wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. This area of the Amalfi Coast were created by eruptions from volcano’s and hence the roads were built into the sides of hills and tunnels had been created to shorten the journey. While the roads were a little windy the views were incredible.

Our hotel was a little out of the center of the town and hence in the hills a little. However this was not a problem as there was a mini bus owned by the hotel that took guests to and from the hotel to Sorrento train station. The hotel was perfect for us, with a calming atmosphere and secluded vibe it was the perfect destination to relax and soak up the sun.

Food

The hotel we stayed in provided a half board meal plan and therefore breakfast and dinner was included and we had to either pay for lunch in the hotel or get it out and about. The hotel was small and hence the buffet breakfast was small but still had a generous selection.

Arancini Starter at the Hotel

Swordfish Main Course at the Hotel 

We ate lunch in the hotel mostly but on the days when we were exploring and being tourists we found ourselves eating out. This was a great way to experience real Italian food and it did not disappoint. The lunchtime menu in the hotel was also great however was a little pricey and we found that eating in Sorrento was better value for money and also where we really experience real Italian food.

One of the best meals we had was at a restaurant called Ristorante Pizzeria Da Gigino situated in the town of Italy. Here I had the the seafood linguine which was absolutely delicious and I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of seafood and of course pasta!

Seafood Lingiune at Ristorante Pizzeria Da Gigino

Excursions

Sorrento is an excellent location if you want to explore. Being an hour away from Naples and next to the beach and Amalfi coastline there really isn’t a shortage of things to do. We were spoilt for choice with what to do and with only one week we wanted to make the most of our time.

Something I’ve always wanted to do was visit the Ruins of Pompeii, so this was one of the first excursions we went on. if you’ve never been it is definitely one to put on the bucket list. It was an amazing experience and while moving and upsetting – it was definitely worth the visit.

Being a lover of the sea it was also a given that we went on an Amalfi Coast tour. Usually these tours take you to Positano and on to Amalfi. Unfortunately, in July it was very hot and hence they had a lot of fires around the coast line resulting in us only being able to travel to Positano. Positano was beautiful and I would definitely recommend the visit – the views were amazing and the tow was small and beautiful. Built into the sides of the cliffs it certainly was a stunning and picturesque sight.

Mount Vesuvius is also situated in Naples, unfortunately the heat prevented us from going to the top of Mount Vesuvius but I would definitely recommend visiting if you’re in the area.

Keeping Costs Low

It’s no lie that eating out and touring can add up in cost over time but its important not to spend too much but still have a great time. Here are some tips I learnt while away in Sorrento:

1. While eating in the main square is nice and you get a lovely view. You may find that prices increase and quality decreases. After realising this early on we soon found that the better value and classic Italian food was found down the side streets and away from the center – it was also a lot more peaceful here.
2. Don’t book excursions with big company’s – we flew with Thomas Cook and therefore the rep was there every day to take guests o excursions but we found these trips were very expensive and it was a lot cheaper to do it by yourself.

A Day In London | Part 2

After spending the morning stuffing our faces with all sorts of delicious foods, we decided to venture on to somewhere else. We decided to go to Camden as I had never been there before and wanted to see what the market was like there.

By the time we got there it was time for lunch and while we had eaten A LOT of food at Borough Market we had worked up an appetite after seeing all of the food stalls in Camden.

Camden is known for its amazing street food. From Mexican to Thai and Churros to Doughnuts. This was a foodies dream! Trying to pick what to have was the hardest decision as everything looked amazing and the smell was enough to make our mouths salivate and tummy’s rumble.

After walking around for a good half an hour checking all of the stools out my mum decided on mac ‘n’ cheese while my dad, sister and I decided to try out a Korean Burrito stand that had caught our eye while looking around. It was by far the best burrito I have ever had, with the creamiest guacamole and the most tender pulled beef ever. Highly recommend if you ever get the opportunity to try it!

Annie xx

A Day In London | Part 1

After finishing my A-Levels and completing all of my exams, my family and I decided that we would go to London for the day to celebrate.

My mum and I are big foodies and are always interested in new foods and finding new places to eat. We had also always said we’d like to go Borough Market so this was the first place we decided to go. Unfortunately it meant an early start so off we went on the train headed to London.

Amazing would be an understatement. This place was incredible and if you’re a foodie like me or are just looking for something to do in London then I highly recommend making a visit to Borough Market. 

Sweet Treats

These Doughnuts look Delicious

Fresh Produce

Part 2 coming soon :) 

Annie xx