What's in my lunchbox? Miso, muffins and oranges

I had a Japanese cookery lesson with Kamikaze Kitchen a few weeks ago and it's given me an urge to get back in the kitchen. The class was amazing with tips on miso, sushi and gyoza dumplings.

Now I now more about how to make miso I've become really enthusiastic and have been trying different combinations of ingredients. This included garlic, ginger, kombu, kelp powder, kijiki, carrots, potatoes, tofu, edamame and miso. It turned out rich and thick and flavourful.

I followed up with an orange and a couple of home made muffins. Much like the soup the muffins were full of different ingredients. They included Apple purée, oats, brown sugar, and grated carrot.

While I ate I read The Princess Bride. I've started watching Game of Thrones and its reminded me how much I enjoy fantasy and adventures tales. I can't believe The Princess Bride had slipped through my hands before but as with so many things better late than never.

 

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What's in my lunch box? Just add veg

 

Saturday was the monthly gathering of Chelmsford Veg Up, a vegan meet up group. I made cashew cheese to share as part of our pot luch arrangement, and was pleased to bring some home. Teamed up with a little veg, some bread and a little dessert it made an easy and tasty lunch.

Clockwise, from top right:

• Cucumber and wonderfully sweet cherry tomatoes
• Greengage and piece of Sue's flapjack, packed with fruit and seeds
• Lightly toasted sour dough with cashew cheese
• Radishes

To read: The Yard by Alex Grecian

The review that prompted me to track this title down pointed out this the author was American, and had never visited the parts of London he describes, but added that this was hard to believe. I agree. Grecian conveys the atmosphere of London in the 1890s with no effort. You are simply sucked in wanting to now what happens next. What happens next is you devour as many pages as you can before having to go and do something else.

 

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What's in my lunchbox? Rice, not potatoes

 

Usually at this time of the year I’m all about potatoes. But I had a big bag of rice in the cupboard that seemed to be heading to be way out of date. So I cooked the whole lot and froze it. This was a brilliant move as it allows me to make dishes like this spicy rice. Perfect for using up the odds and ends in the fridge. Also perfect for when you find you have no soy sauce left.

Use plenty of oil and fry an onion and some garlic. Dump in the cooked rice. Then add whatever you have to hand. In this case the last of a pan of marinated tofu ( a soy sauce free marinade), my faithful chilli flakes, and my new favourite seasoning turmeric. Then take this from plan old fried rice to amazing fried rice by turning off the heat and stirring in a few handfuls of greens.

It reheated really well in a microwave. Clearly it’s one of those dishes that benefits from reheating. I served with tomatoes and cucumbers. They complement the flavours and the heat nicely.

To read: The long earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

This is so easy to read, but at the same time fills your head with thoughts about how you would cope with the situation, and what the right thing to do would be. It’s the literary equivalent of enjoying a really well prepared and presented meal that leaves you feeling full but not stuffed.

I like the way that individuals are presented as being different, and that they are not always thrilled by this prospect. I'm intrigued by the different ways they deal with not fitting in. By contrast other characters think that they’re thinking outside the box, but they’re not. It’s a great demonstration that when mankind is presented with something really exciting their first thought is money, and their first action seems to be destruction.

This reads like a perfect blend of Stephen King, David Brin, and Philip Pullman. I'm delighted that it's the first in a series.

The concept of the long earth itself is massively exciting. To be able to be elsewhere in an instant. To be able to escape from the madding crowd. To be alone. I was almost tempted to put my potato crop to use and build a stepper.

 

 

 

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What's in my lunch box? A tale of two pancakes

I’ve had a real craving for some kind of vegan cream tea. A scone with strawberries and vegan cream of some kind. Then a non-vegan chum told me they were planning Eton mess but had forgotten to buy meringues so they used pancakes. And so was born my lunch of stuffed pancakes.

From top right:

• Cucumber
• Vegan pancake filled with macadamia crème and strawberry compote
• Vegan pancake filled with cashew cheese and raw spinach
• Cherry tomatoes

To read: She-wolves by Helen Castor

I love to read about history, and Elizabeth I has always been one of my heroines. That said I have a slightly less rosy view of her than I did as three year old. Anyway I was intrigued by the thought of reading about other strong charismatic queens and I haven’t been disappointed. Family trees for the various noble families are always complicated and confusing so looking at three families in detail has been brilliant for filling in the gaps in my knowledge. I now understand why the loss of the White Ship was so significant. I’m finding this hard to put down which has got to be a good sign of readability.

 

 

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What's in my lunch box? Party bag

I went to a baby shower yesterday which turned out to be rather good. It was delightful to catch up with various friends, see what gifts the mother-to-be had received (everyone bought a copy of a favourite childhood book), and I particularly enjoyed partaking of the buffet.

The lovely organisers had gone to the trouble of including vegan food, and labelling it as such. They also gave me several bags of leftovers to bring home so my plans for making lunch box dahl flew out the window. I devoted the time to reading the latest Joe Hill book instead (definitely not suitable for small children).

From top right:

• Rhubarb crumble – to be served with a spoonful of vegan vanilla yoghurt (more leftovers)
  
• Cherry tomatoes
  
• Radishes
• Tofu sausage chunks
  
• Raw carrots, pepper, and baby corn – to eat with hummus

To read:

Gentlemen prefer blondes by Anita Loos

This is an absolutely charming read. I'm liking the way Lorelei and Dorothy don't seem to let anything stand in their way. They have no self doubt, and seem like little rays of sunshine. When something blocks them they just take a break and appear elsewhere.

 

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What's in my lunch box? The duller stuff

 

There has to be balance in everything. And it would seem that if I am eating new and exciting dishes at evenings and weekends (curried butternut squash and lentil soup, and sesame, sweet potato, and Kale), then lunchtimes are a little duller. Hence once again brown rice and cabbage are making an appearance in my lunchbox. Not that I’m complaining they taste great.

Clockwise from top right

• Savoy cabbage
• Hummus topped with roasted chickpeas
• Brown basamati rice
• Gingerbread apple pie

To read: Little Star by John Ajvide Lindqvist

This was a book that I really couldn’t guess the how it would turn out. Despite opening with the end, there were a number of totally unexpected events, characters and plot twists to get there. The writer has a brilliant way of making a situation feel tense, then just as you’re anticipating what will happen he introduces a new element, forcing you to question your original thinking.

 

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What's in my lunch box? Visitors = variety

It’s not that I’m a lazy cook when I’m just cooking for me. However it would be fair to say that I tend to make a dish and stretch it over several meals. Hence weekend guests encourage more variety. This weekend I made creamy cauliflower soup, grilled ‘cheese’ and ‘pepperoni’ sandwiches, tofu and kale delight, and a sort of Chinese inspired cabbage served with spring rolls. Most of these left no remains. The ones that did are finding their way into my lunch box this week.

In the mix:

• Cabbage, shredded and fried in sesame oil with leeks, garlic, peanut butter, and soy sauce.
• Brown basimati rice
• Hoisin 'duck' rolls – picked this V-bites item up in my local health food shop
• Spring rolls from the Coop – a cut price bargain I couldn't resist
• Samosas from Iceland – still using up excess Christmas provisions.

To read

I’m still working my way through A Greedy Man in a Hungry world by Jay Rayner. Happily a bus malfunction( the wing mirror fell off!) allowed me the time to actually finish this. It’s a book where every page gives you something else to think about. I liked that he was Clare Rayner’s son and seemed to have inherited her common sense. I enjoyed the anecdotes about his childhood, and recognition of when he was basing an opinion on something other than facts.

I did indeed find that he made me think differently about things like farmers’ markets. I can see that the situation with food supply is a tricky one, and that there is no easy answer. One cannot simply say supermarkets are evil and be done with it. Indeed Rayner points out that supermarkets are both evil and not evil at all. I think this book was saying that there is a need to embrace both the big and the small, accept that there is no one solution for anything, and really focus on sustainability. This need to embrace multiple viewpoints is what makes the content of this book so difficult to take.

Oh, and I should add that I thought his comment that vegans had difficulty getting enough protein a tad on the ill-informed side. A pity when research had clearly been carried out in a thoughtful manner in other areas. He might have been better off simply saying theat veganism wasn’t for him. Which in the context of the book surely Rayner would have agreed would be perfectly fine.

 

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Eleventh day, twelfth night

The days following Christmas are great for meals made up entirely of leftovers. As the days past and the choicest items are gone meals either get duller or more inventive. The first week in January is the one where you try to make sense out of what is left.

In my case two pots of hummus (that the label claims should be off by isn't), not as crisp as they could be vegetables, and some of the nut mountain.

Clockwise from top right:

• Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, dark chocolate – should have added some dates
• Hummus with a blob of fig chutney
• Cracker selection
• Raw cabbage and carrots

To read – A greedy man in a hungry world by Jay Rayner. This promises to challenge my assumptions about food. I'm interested to see how this will compare to Not on the label. So far I'm willing to concede that supermarkets did open our eyes to a broad range of ingredients, and reduced the time it takes to shop. However it doesn't make the terms they offer suppliers any better. Let's see how things develop in the next few chapters.

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What's in my lunch box? Frozen inspiration

Once again I am rummaging in the freezer. Mainly for inspiration but also because I need to clear some space for Christmas food. Admittedly a small pot of coconut milk isn't going to clear that much space, but as that well known supermarket chain puts it – Every little helps.

Clockwise from bottom left

• Asian marinated tofu – Marinade 'inspired' (as they say on film credits) by the recipe in Vwav.
• Satsumas – I couldn't resist these – a little piece of Spanish sunshine
• Brown basmati rice
• Thai curry – onion, cabbage, spinach, mushroom, and carrots cooked with thai curry paste, coconut milk, and soy sauce. It tastes creamier than it looks.

To read – Now you see me by S.J. Bolton

This was packed with false trails, dead ends, and unexpected revelations. I kept thinking that I had ti all worked out and then something would happen that would throw my theory. Everyone was a suspect so the only way to solve the mystery is too keep reading.

 

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What's in my lunch box? Double chestnut

 

Looking at the photo of my lunch I'm impressed with how autumnal it seems. I'm slightly disappointed in myself at including two types of chestnut dish but I'm sure I can live with it.

Clockwise from bottom right:

• Roast chestnuts - so easy to do. Fun to shell. And surpringly filling.
• A delicious ripe conference pear
• Pasties filled with chestnut purée. I made Chestnut soup last week and has some left over so it seemed the idea filling for these cute mini pasties.
• Roasted garlic Brussel sprouts from VWAV. I still prefer them steamed but as the oven on...also enabled to breathe anti vampire fumes!
• To read - The first book of Calamity Leek by Paula Lichtarowicz. This reminded me of Room crossed with Lace crossed with The Amtrak Wars. The use of language is inventive and has a quirky charm. I enjoyed the cultural references, and the different ways things could be interpreted depending on context. The reader is torn between which characters to root for - knowing full well that they can't all get what they want.

Wishing you green ink and good food,

Annastasia

 

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What's in my lunch box? Peas and the past

Ever keen to expand my knowledge of pulses, I decided to give marrow fat peas a go. I vaguely recalled reading somewhere that they were grown and produced in the UK (although I haven't investigated this any further. I'd also read somewhere about the benefits of eating seaweed, something I do enjoy. So I purchased a nice packet of Hijiki harvested in Japan to keep my carbon footprint skyhigh!

Putting these together I planned to make something fish and chips inspired. Theoretically the marrow fat peas should have been made into mushy peas for dipping polenta fries into. Old habits die hard though and I ended up making something more akin to refried beans. Guess my love affair with chilli isn't anywhere near cooling off.

Clockwise from bottom left:

• Refried marrow fat peas - soaked, boiled and fried up with oil, onion, lemon juice, salt and chilli.
• Polenta fries - from The Vegan lunchbox cook book
• Roasted Brussel sprouts with toasted garlic from Vegan with a vengance. These are favourite vegetable and I love them so much that I hate the thought of interfering with the flavour. However the oven was on so I gave them a go. Tasty and they keep better than steamed sprouts.
• Hijiki seaweed - bought dried and soaked in hot water

To read: The boy who loved books by John Sutherland. I don't know where I picked this up but I put off reading it for ages.the appeal had been the thought of someone else who's childhood was definded by what they were reading but I thought it might get heavy or overtly sentimental. I was also worried he's waffle on about books that passed me by as a child (Roald Dahl for example). Instead it turned out to be a smashing read for the most part. Sutherland shares his largely neglected childhood in war time time Colchester. It was wonderful to get a glimpse of how the town used to be. He'd read different things to me but it didn't matter. He's fabulous at summing up a book, and offering what he thought then, and what he thinks as an adult. The last few chapters where he talked about his time at university and his alcohol problems were less engaging but that hardly surprising. He clearly found them gloomy too.

 

Wishing you all things green,

Annastasia

 

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Whats in lunch box? Led by the veg

After feasting on this at lunchtime I think I can conclude that vegetables really my ideal lunch. This selection filled me up. Plus I was free of afternoon cravings for snacks. Not great when you have a 30 minute round trip from your desk to have any hope of fulfilling them.

Clockwise from top right:

Corn on the cob - soaked in water for 10 minutes and then baked. Highly portable and highly tasty.

Mixed vegetable Wat - from The Vegan Lunchbox. I'd expected this to be different. Richer? Creamier? More like a roux? However after my initial misgivings this did indeed prove to be a. Rey tasty way to consume vegetables. I'd definitely make again although I'd up the spice next time.

Bob the Book by David Pratt - I haven't been reading this short, sweet story about relationships between books for over a week. Well, I have but I got side tracked by The Watchers by Stephen Alford. It's about intelligence gathering and spies during the Elizabethan era. It shows a very dark side to a time that it usually looked at as bring golden and enlightened. Bit of a contrast to Bob.

Plums - served chilled, a wonderful combination of sweet, sour, and juicy.

Bread - I had a crack at my favourite bread recipe from long ago. It's just my style. You bung some yeast in hot water, leave it for a bit and then add flour until you have a dough of the right consistency. Then knead, prove and bake. Very pleased with the rather filling results.

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What's in my lunchbox? Chew well

This was a fabulous lunch. A great mix of flavours and texture. I should warn anyone thinking of cooking along similar lines that it's advisable to chew the polenta fries well before swallowing. Failure to to do could put you in the same situation that I found myself in on Friday lunchtime. I'd decided, as part of my learning new things, to start attending the Friday lunchtime concerts at the Cathedral. I'm not into religion but appreciate the community aspect.

I was surprised by the large audience, but found a seat and began tucking into my lunch as I listened. Alas as I closed my eyes and tipped my head back in appreciation of the piano I began to choke. I tried to suppress it which seemed to make the jalapeños in the polenta burn more fiercely.

So either chew well or don't consume with live music.

Clockwise from bottom left:

• Plum cake - rather a lot of plums in this one resulting in a very soft texture
• Polenta fries - the recipe from The Vegan Lunchbox with added jalapeños.
• Bob the book by David Pratt
• Home made guacamole
• A fresh fig cut into quarters
• Shredded sweetheart cabbage

What's in my lunch box this week? Inspired by the season

This was one of those lunches I aspire to where I see what is in season, and then cook accordingly.
Clockwise from bottom right:

• Plums - as they are because you can't have plum cake every week.
• Pan bread - made with gram flour and somewhere between a bread and a pancake.
• Dal - made with a super easy recipe from Rose Eliot's Vegan Feasts. I added spinach and rocket. The former worked better than the latter.
• Death of a Pirate: British Radio and the making of the Information Age by Adrian Jones. After an exciting start this is proving to be a more academic work than I anticipated. However I'm learning all kinds of things about the set up of the BBC, and the goings on at rival broadcasters.
• Roasted romanesco cauliflower - I'd forgotten how good this was roasted. It's a wonder it survived to go in my lunch box.

What's in my lunch box? Autumn abundance

I had so many lovely things to go in my lunch box this week I had to really stuff them in. The market and my allotment have been an abundance of seasonal produce.
Clockwise from bottom right:

• Potatoes fried up with onions, roast peppers, and smoked tofu
• Peach/nectarine - I'm sure the label at the market said peach but they seem more like nectarines. Anyway they're ripe, juicy and delicious. The small red tub contains salt, pepper and chilli flakes
• An advocado (for mashing and adding contents of red tub) and various leaves (rossof lettuce, rocket, and spinach) from the allotment
• Julie and Julia by Julie Powell I loved the passion for cooking in this. Not so much the meaty bits.
• Cherry tomatoes
• Mini pittas - torn up to fit in the box

What’s in my lunch box? Embrace autumn soup

Who would have guessed that pea pods had so much fibre in them? So much as it turns out that even the mighty Vitamix was able cope. So instead I strained my pea pod and roast pepper soup. I've never strained soup before. It feels like I'm throwing away goodness. This, however, was extremely hairy goodness. On tasting, it seemed a little lacking so I threw in cooked new potatoes, oven cooked sweetcorn, allotment peas form the freezer, and some dried chili. The result is like a rather chunky hot and sour soup. I'm calling it embrace autumn soup. It seems more optimistic than end of summer soup.

Clockwise from top left:

• Embrace autumn soup – just the thing for a grey and damp day
• The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin. Beautifully written, with quiet, yet engaging characters. Reading it is like taking deep calming breathes
• Plum clafoutis – I enjoyed last week's so much I had to make more

Wishing you all things green,

Annastasia

What's in my lunch box? Fish and chips

I was so, so organised this week. Knowing I had a busy weekend and wouldn't be home much I started my lunch preparation on Thursday. Then I had a big coking night on Friday. The result? A calm Monday with a nicely put together lunch.
Clockwise from bottom left:

• Polenta fries and tofu fish bites. Recipes from Vegan Lunch Box.
• Market bought radishes and home grown tomatoes
• Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris - things are getting really interesting...
• Market bought peas and allotment grown runner beans, gently boiled.
• Plum cake - my take on clafoutis. I made the basic cupcake mix from Vegan cupcakes take over the world, added lots of extra soy milk, the poured over halved plums and baked. Incredibly moist and delicious.

Wishing you all things green,
Annastasia

What's in my lunchbox? Prepared in advance

I had a marvellous Saturday. I spent the morning at my allotment mainly harvesting produce. Then I devoted the afternoon to cooking said produce plus the goodies I'd picked up at the market earlier in the week. I was tired by the end of the day but so happy.

Clockwise from top right

Caramel apple peanut bar – This is divine. The photo does not do it justice. It's from Veganomicon. And a tip for anyone else making this – follow the recipe. Do not decide that you will make some sugar syrup because you don't have any date syrup, or believe that a microwave works just as well as a pan over a low heat. It still tasted good but I want to experience the 'ribbons' of caramel the recipe refers to.

Mexican millet – another Veganomicon favourite. I successfully deviated from the recipe by chucking a load of sweetcorn in.

Tortilla – This is my take on a Spanish omelette with potatoes and onions. I replaced the eggs with a gram flour batter. I am currently experimenting with the various approaches (fried potatoes? Boiled potatoes? Thick batter? Thin batter? How much salt? Add nutrition yeast?) in search of the perfect combination.

Radishes, cucumber and rocket

Wishing you all things green,

Annastasia

What's in my lunch box this week? In a hurry

I had a rather extended weekend in Somerset clearing out sheds and cupboards. I arrived home on late on Sunday afternoon via a burlesque class with a carful of 'things'. As I unpacked I happily patted myself on the back for having thought in advance about dinner. I was delighted with my menu planning abilities as I scrubbed up some new potatoes, and popped some vegan sausages in the oven. My self satisfaction lasted right until the moment I cooked the peas. That's when the penny dropped and I realised that things were looking a little short in the Monday lunch department.

Clearly leftover sausage and mash (and let's be frank on this leftovers were unlikely – I was rather nibblesome) wasn't going to cut it. So I did a quick fridge and freezer raid. Rescued a rather shrivelled green pepper. Thanked the gods of kitchens that I had frozen some chickpeas and pitta breads. Uncovered a bag of allotment picked rocket. As the oven was already on lunch was created.

Clockwise from top left:

• Mix of dates, twiglets, dark chocolate and almonds
• Dead to the world - Charlaine Harris
• Pittas filled with rocket, roasted chickpeas, and roasted green pepper.

Moral of this story? Don't get smug. Always plan ahead.

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What's in my lunchbox? Simply idyllic

The word 'idyllic' springs to mind as regards this lunch. It was a pleasure for so many reasons.

From a food point of view:

It used lots of produce from my allotment, or lovely seasonal things from the market. It was easy to throw together as it used leftovers from the weekend. I got to try out some of the ideas in An everlasting meal simply by throwing a load of vegetables in the oven.

From the top down:

· Cherries, purchased from the market and gently cooked to make them extra yummy

· Popcorn, home popped and mixed with coconut oil, salt and nutritional yeast

· Salad with spinach, rocket, roasted chickpeas, peppers and onions, with a drizzle of oil and balsamic vinegar

From a location point of view:

I explored the other side of the river and found a new delightful location to eat in.

Wishing you green ink and good food,

Annastasia

 

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