Friday 26 April 2013

Recipe: Rich & Indulgent Ratatouille with Bulgar and Red Quinoa.

rich and indulgent ratatouille with bulgar & quinoa
As you can probably guess from my red hair (not) I have half Mediterranean heritage. Perhaps this accounts for my passion for good food? It might also account for the fact I love those med-style veggies and pretty much all of the things they can be used to create.

This is my take on a classic - which is often served as a side dish. But for me it shouldn't be on the side, it should be the star of the show. Simply roasting the ingredients gives a surprising depth of flavour that makes it rich and moreish, satisfying & comforting. Enjoy!

Chantal xx

[serves 4 as a main dish]

Gather:

1 aubergine - cut into bitesize chunks
2 courgettes cut into bitesize chunks
2 peppers - 1 red 1 orange, deseeded and cut into chunks
12 shallots - peeled and halved (leaving a little root intact so they don't fall apart)

4 cloves garlic - peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
1 tsp fresh chopped marjoram or oregano
salt to taste - about 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper - lots!

1 tin chopped plum tomatoes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato puree
4 tbsp pine nuts - lightly toasted in a dry frying pan

60g bulgar / quinoa mix per person +400ml veg stock per 60g (or be guided by packet instructions)


Create:

1.  Heat your oven: 200C  /  fan 180C  /  gas 6  /  Aga 'hot' and prep all of your veg / herbs.

2.  Place the veg in a large baking tray / casserole dish and add the oil, garlic, herbs and seasoning - mix well to coat.
ratatouille veg oil and herbs

3.  Roast in the oven for 30 mins and whilst this is going on open some red wine (!) and toast your pine nuts (take care to only use a gentle heat and watch closely as they can burn in an instant).

4.  After the 30 mins add the tomatoes, balsamic, puree and pinenuts to the veg and mix well to combine, then return to the oven for a further 15 mins.
veg half way through roasting - mix well

5.  Meanwhile bring your veg stock to a boil, add the bulgar / quinoa and simmer - usually takes approx 10-12 mins to cook.


Enjoy!

Strain your quinoa, pile up the ratatouille and serve topped with vegan 'parmesan' or nutritional yeast flakes.

rich and indulgent ratatouille with bulgar quinoa mix

This ratatouille would also be great with mashed potato, butter bean mash or rice and any leftovers are fab on a jacket spud or in a wrap / baguette.





Cooks tip: when buying an aubergine make sure it's firm, glossy and that the skin 'squeaks' when you rub it.

Good to know: quinoa is an ancient grain (technically a seed) that is a powerhouse of nutrition and particularly rich in protein! So no need for carnivores to worry about this dish lacking in it :)






Thursday 25 April 2013

Recipe: Roast rhubarb with vanilla.

When I think of rhubarb my mind automatically goes to crumble. Mountains of sharp 'n' sweet rhubarb, thick sweet oaty crumble and lashings of custard (soya of course!)
Almost a deal clincher for us buying the secret cottage were the crowns and crowns of hidden rhubarb I spotted in the somewhat neglected veg patch. This was our first 2013 harvest a few days ago (and I hadn't done a thing to it since last year!)

and then the sun came out and whoosh! This got pulled today ...



But rhubarb's not just for crumbling - oh no, and as this quick simple recipe will prove - it's something to be enjoyed all on its very ownsome. The result is pink syrupy deliciousness that is still a little sharp, but not face crunchingly so, unmistakably rhubarb, but with a hint of sweet vanilla and the lemon (somehow) removes the sometimes 'drying' mouthfeel that you can get with rhubarb. [my nan's tip]


[serves 2]

Hunt & Gather:

500g fresh rhubarb - washed & cut into 2-3cm chunks
1-2 tbsp agave syrup
grated zest of half a lemon
2 tsp vanilla bean paste


Kill & Create:

  1. Wash and chop the rhubarb stalks; place in an ovenproof dish.
  2. Add all of the other ingredients and mix to combine / coat well.
  3. Cover the dish with foil and bake in a moderate oven (170C fan) for about 25-30 minutes or until tender. (Stir half way through - but very gently, so as not to break the chunks up too much.)


Feel sad or Enjoy!:

Great as a compote to go with porridge, (soya)cream, (soya)custard, (soya)yoghurt etc, or my personal new favourite - as a late night indulgence with vegan icecream. 
Shhhhh, don't tell the crumble...

the finished rhubarb with some custard!



Green fingers tip: Rhubarb is ready when a stalk comes away from the crown easily when gently pulled near the base. If it resists then you should too for a couple of days!





Wednesday 24 April 2013

'Armchair activism' - just 5 minutes to change the world...

Never has there been a time where people power could achieve so much, so quickly. 
As a new feature on my blog this is now a second page of links to crucial petitions to help humans, animals and our planet. 
Please please please take a little time to read, sign and pass on to other people.
Together we really can change the world for the better.

Thank you.

Chantal xx



Stop animal research at Imperial College London.
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/rt-hon-theresa-may-mp-secretary-of-state-home-office-stop-animal-research-at-imperial-college-london

Protect endangered rhinos from poachers.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/769/532/929/

Call for an end to live animal exports.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/841/664/709/

Stop abuse against brick donkeys in Nepal.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/299/081/245/stop-abuse-against-brick-donkeys-in-nepal/?cid=fb_na 

Tanzania - stop dynamiting dolphins and using them as shark bait.
 http://www.thepetitionsite.com/m/701/204/671/tanzania-stop-dynamiting-dolphins-and-using-them-as-shark-bait/

Stop tiger farming in China.
https://www.change.org/petitions/stop-tiger-farming-in-china?utm_campaign=twitter_link_action_box&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition 

Appleby Horse Fair - Ban Britains festival of animal abuse.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/appleby-horse-fairban-britains-festival-of-animal-abuse/

Stop the poisoning of stray dogs.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/134/736/621/stop-the-poisoning-of-stray-dogs/

Graze.com stop selling meat in your boxes!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/123/810/360/stop-selling-meat-in-your-boxes-grazecom/

Oppose plans for breeding beagles for vivisection in the UK.
http://www.activism.com/en_GB/petition/oppose-plans-for-breeding-beagles-for-vivisection-in-uk/36475#.UXbDMPTZNIg.twitter

UK Parliament: Outlaw animal crush videos by enacting legistlation with severe penalties.
http://www.change.org/petitions/u-k-parliament-outlaw-animal-crush-video-by-enacting-legislation-with-severe-penalties?utm_campaign=action_box&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition















Friday 12 April 2013

'Armchair activism' - in just 5 minutes YOU can make a difference...

Never has there been a time where people power could do so much so quickly. 
As a new feature on my blog I shall feature links to crucial petitions to help humans, animals and our planet. 
Please please please take a little time to read, sign and pass on to other people.
Together we really can change the world for the better.

Thank you.

Chantal xx


Stop the badger cull.

MUJI Japan - stop selling shark fin soup.

Help stop the barbaric torture of harvesting bear bile.

Burlington Coat Factory - go fur-free to help animals.

End violence against women worldwide.

Remove the legal requirement to test pharmaceutical drugs on animals.

Stop the Canadian seal slaughter.

Stop mutilating (pinioning) birds in zoos.

Stop sea turtle farming.

Stop US corporate giant Monsanta patenting fruit and veg!








Thursday 11 April 2013

Evolution... what's MY vegan story?

Evolution.

For some people – switching to a veggie or vegan diet / lifestyle is something that they achieve pretty much overnight.  And if you are an ‘all or nothing’ character this may well be the best way for you.
For me, however, (a person who likes to learn things for themselves and consider all the evidence), it was a little different. When I look back now I see a gradual awakening that saw me progressing through a 5 year evolution from meatie to veggie to vegan - where I am now.

SO how did it all start? Well, I’ve always been a keen cook and taken an interest in what’s in my food, But my evolution started when I met my husband and I needed to cook more healthily in order to help him manage his type 2 diabetes.

I read labels incessantly and learned very quickly that most types of manufactured / processed foods were laden with a whole host of alien ingredients that we simply didn’t want to consume. So I began cooking even more meals from scratch using simple fresh ingredients. At the same time I became increasingly aware of the widespread use of drugs and pesticides in food manufacture and decided to eat (as far as I could) only organically produced foods (meat, fish and vegetables).

To this end we even moved out of our beloved city centre apartment so that I could have a garden and start growing our own vegetables – which I did with an unexpected passion – up to 120 varieties of vegetables, salads, herbs and fruits each year! Anyone who has grown their own produce will know that it really does taste difference and picking something and eating it 5 minutes later simply can’t be beaten! 

We also decided to keep some chickens and came across the BHWT from whom we rescued 4 ex-battery hens. We loved (and still love) looking after them and enabling them to have a chance at a happier life. It was at this time that we decided to join in with the Meat Free Monday ethos and although not always on a Monday, we did, for 1 and sometimes 2 or 3 days a week, refrain from eating meat and fish. We loved it.

But when my best friend of 33 years was diagnosed with and succumbed to an aggressive cancer – all our lives changed even more. We both frantically researched, looking for answers as to why this had happened and how she could be helped through a change in diet. In my ensuing grief and anger I became even more driven to uncover the truth about our food production. I also resumed my MSc in Health Science. Sally had read the ‘China Study’ and had given up beef and dairy and this became a starting point for me delving deeper into the nature of meat production. 

It was whilst looking into meat production methods and understanding more about where animals (such as our ex-bat chickens) had come from and what they go through, that the issue of animal welfare started to become a key issue for me. The more research I did, the more video footage of horrific farm abuses I saw and the more time I spent with my own intelligent animals, I just knew that Ino longer wanted to eat meat or fish. I could no longer contribute to an industry that was based on pain, suffering, exploitation and ultimately killing.

I was nervous about telling my husband Dave – but I shouldn’t have been. He had listened to me recounting info and stories about food production and animals every day and was totally unsurprised by my decision and wanted to become vegetarian with me. So at the end of 2011 we made the switch.
I knew instantly that we’d done the right thing. I worried that the transition might be tough – what about foods like bacon? All meaties love bacon right?!... So we tried the plethora of meat substitutes that are on the market and this did ease the transition to the stage where I used them for convenience occasionally, but not through necessity.  Instead I found that my recipe repertoire expanded so quickly that I didn’t need to use faux meats.

But looking back on 2012, something was still niggling me. I loved being vegetarian – I didn’t find it difficult at all. I didn’t miss meat one bit because I had so many new foods to try it was absolutely liberating! Still in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to do more.

By this stage I had changed all of our household products and personal toiletries from not only organic but to eco friendly, containing no animal-derived ingredients and never tested on animals. I vowed never to buy any leather products, feather filled products, wool, silk or fur ever again.
Still there was something niggling. 

I was continuing to do research into animal welfare issues whilst ‘armchair’ campaigning. I re-homed 2 dogs who became our absolute best friends and I sought out work in an animal sanctuary / rescue environment (I’m now a QVT at the Donkey Sanctuary).
Then 2 things happened. I saw a video called a ‘calf and a half’ about milk production at one of Cadbury’s dairy farms and I watched a lecture by Gary Yourofsky. After that every time I poured milk into my coffee I felt guilty. Every time I ate cheese – it no longer seemed to taste as good – and this was weird because David and I had been those very people you hear say ‘oooh I can be vegetarian but I couldn’t give up cheese!!’ and every time I saw an egg, Gary’s words ‘hen period’ (you need to watch the video) rang in my ears.

That was it. 
For these, and for so many other reasons, I knew that I needed to follow a vegan diet AND a vegan lifestyle. So this year (2013) that’s what we did. And as the headlines about horsemeat and health risks of eating dairy etc etc kept pouring in – we felt that we’d made the best decision – possibly of our lives.

Hand on heart , I felt an actual sense of relief the day I became vegan.

Some of that relief I believe, comes from an innate ‘knowing’ (that I’m sure all humans have deep down), that using and eating other species, is, quite simply, morally wrong.
It is wrong because it isn’t necessary for our survival (in most ways it’s detrimental to our survival) and it inflicts unimaginable suffering and pain on our fellow species - who can think, feel and hurt, just as we do. ALL species have the absolute right to live a peaceful existence on this planet.

Becoming vegan made me feel like saying a million clich̩s Рthe penny had dropped, the cloud had lifted etc etc. and this is something that you hear repeatedly when others share their story of how they too became vegan.

I do wish I had done it years ago and I also wish I had done it more quickly. But, I also know that, for me, this gradual evolution has taken me to a point where, no matter what, I will categorically never revert. 

But like I said at the beginning of this piece, if you have a mind to, then going from meatie to vegan overnight CAN be done. Just jump right in and ask the questions later – you won’t be disappointed, because I can assure you that the positive physical and emotional impact will be immediate. 
It will be the best, and most important life change you ever make.

Chantal xx

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Amazing animals - 'are humans as intelligent as dolphins?'

News item extract:

 


I've included this article because I find it interesting that scientists, and indeed most people, love to study animals such as dolphins and their level of intelligence.
To me, intelligence is a perceived idea that humans are extremely arogant about.
We consider ourselves to be the most intelligent species on the planet - but surely intelligence is a relative quality?
Different animal species don't need to split the atom, understand quantum physics, make computers or do brain surgery. So I would ask this... does it make them less intelligent and therefore worthy of less respect and care in our world?

Other animal species, through instinct, evolution and thousands of years experience (passed on generation to generation, just as with humans) have learned what they need to know in order to survive. Observation shows us that they have developed complex communities, civilisations even (look at ants and bees for example), and ways of communicating.

They are as intelligent as they need to be.

I'd argue that they are also ALL self aware. An animal with a central nervous system and with a brain will think and be able to feel, and whilst they may not understand the concept of seeing their reflection in a human designed item called a 'mirror' - this doesn't mean they are not self aware. It simply means that they are different to humans.

In fact, when you think about it - other animal species (with a few exceptions, such as killer whales and magpies, to name but two, - who toy with other animals lives for 'fun') only use other species for food through necessity.
Whereas we humans don't need to eat animals in order to survive. In fact eating them is causing the opposite - it's killing the human race slowly with disease and environmental devastation.

We are not acting with the intelligence that we proclaim to have.
We are not acting with the compassion that we claim intelligent beings have and ...
we sure as hell aren't at the top of the evolutionary scale in my eyes.


So it's time we studied ourselves, not dolphins. Humans need to become equal to them. ALL animals have much to teach us. ALL humans have much to learn and I'm looking forward to that day when we finally do.


Chantal xx


http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/dolphins-are-people-say-scientists-28716960.html