Red kidney bean spread

With more than a few similarities to chilli sin carne, this makes a substantial lunch with crackers, rolls or bread. It can also be used to fill a pasty.

Serves 2 for lunch 

 

1/2 cup red kidney beans, soaked and cooked OR 400 g (14 oz) can

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 tsp cumin

2 tbsp tomato purée

salt and pepper

Method:

• Drain the beans into a bowl, reserving the liquid, and mash them.
• Dice the onion and garlic and cook in the oil until softened.
• Mix into the beans and add the oregano, chilli, cumin, tomato purée, salt and pepper, stirring until a thick paste is produced. Add some of the liquid if the paste is too stiff.
• Taste and add more sesoning if required.  Eat once it has cooled down.  

 Variation:

• This can also be made with black beans.
  

 

Vegan garlic and herb soft "cheese"

While this tastes nothing at all like cheese, it is a very pleasant spread, with a similar consistency to soft cheese.  The lemon juice gives a hint of sourness, which might possibly remind the more  imaginative of goats' cheese.  If you can make it well in advance, so much the better: it will let the flavours combine all the more.  As you are unlikely to have fresh herbs, don't be mean with the flavourings .

Makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 cup sunflower seeds or blanched peanuts

1 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic peeled and crushed

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Annie's Mixed Herbs

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp chives or other fresh herbs, finely chopped

1/2 tbsp reserved soaking water

Method:

• Soak sunflower seeds/peanuts in water overnight or simmer them for 10 minutes. Then drain and reserve the water. 
• Put about half the chives aside, and then put the seeds, yeast, lemon juice, garlic, garlic powder, Annie's Mixed Herbs and salt in a blender. Blend until the cheese comes together, achieving uniform consistency. 
• If all the ingredients get stuck to the side of the blender, which they probably will, scrape down the sides as often as necessary, adding a little more water, if required.
  
• Taste critically and adjust the seasoning. You may want to add more garlic, herbs or lemon juice. 
• Shape the cheese on a plate by hand, or simply serve in a bowl or on a plate, topped with the extra fresh chives.

The flavours of this vegan cheese develop and combine together, so it’s worth not eating it all up at once! It seems to keep quite well for several days, loosely covered.

 

Variations:

• Substitute, or add onion powder for the garlic powder.
• Use different nuts or seeds.
• Add smoked paprika. 
• Add chilli flakes
• Add some chopped peppadew peppers after blending.
  
• Add chopped capers after blending.
  
• Mix in some pesto once the mixture is blended.
• Form the cheese into a log and roll in either Annie's Mixed Herbs or cracked black pepper.

 

 

Yoghurt and herb dip

Serves 4

 

1/2 cup Greek-style yoghurt

1 tsp Annie's Mixed Herbs

salt and pepper

Method:

• Simply combine the yoghurt, herbs, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Let them stand for at least a quarter of an hour for the flavours to combine. Check the seasoning and serve with crudités.

Variations:

• Use fresh herbs if any are available.
• Use half-and-half or all mayonnaise, especially if it’s home-made.
• Use 1 tbsp Dijon mustard instead of the herbs.
• Leave out the herbs and combine with finely grated cheese.
• Try all of the above ideas together!
• Leave out Annie’s Mixed Herbs, and add 1 tsp sun-dried tomato purée and 1/2 tsp basil.
•  Substitute mint for Annie's Mixed Herbs and chop in a small cucumber.
• If you have any on board, dice a few pepperdews and mix those in.  Leave out or reduce the amount of herbs. 

Egg mayonnaise

This always-popular starter is simplicity itself. For a special occasion, use home-made mayonnaise. (See Recipe)

Serves 2

 

2 eggs

4 tbsp mayonnaise

paprika or cracked black pepper

Method:

• Prick the wide end of each egg with the tine of a fork. Put them into a pan of cold water and bring to the boil.
• Turn down the heat and boil gently for 6 minutes.
• Drop the eggs in a basin of cold (sea)water to cool them and stop them cooking further. This also reduces the chance of the whites going grey.
• When they’re cool enough to handle, peel the eggs and cut them in half, lengthways.
• Arrange each egg, cut side down on a plate. Spoon mayonnaise over. Sprinkle with a little paprika or cracked black pepper, if you like, to garnish.

If you have any lettuce, or spinach, the eggs look attractive arranged on some roughly-shredded leaves.

Stuffed eggs

These make a delicious lunch, with some bread and a salad.  However, when arranged attractively on a plate, they also make an excellent snack with drinks, or a starter.

Serves 2

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 tsp curry paste

1 tsp mayonnaise

Method:

• When the eggs are cold, peel them and slice them in half, lengthwise.
• Using a teaspoon, carefully remove the yolk and put it into a bowl.
• Add the curry paste and mayonnaise to the yolks and combine them to make the stuffing.
• Pile the stuffing back into the egg whites.

Variations:

• Use yoghurt instead of mayonnaise.
• Leave out the curry paste and use tomato purée instead. Season with salt and pepper.
• Leave out the curry paste and chop fresh herbs and mix these in with the mayonnaise, egg yolks and salt and pepper.
• Instead of curry paste, use hot sauce and a little extra mayonnaise or yoghurt.

Tortilla (Spanish Omelette)

In Spain, they sell slices of tortilla to take away and eat as a snack or for a quick lunch. It also makes a lovely and unusual starter, especially before a lighter main course. I should like to offer a vegan version of this, but so far am still struggling to find a decent recipe, and I don't want to use a processed product such as "Just Eggs", even assuming I could find it.  I am very unconvinced that a gram flour 'white sauce' is a substitute for beaten eggs.

Serves 4 as a starter, 2 for a light lunch

 

2 potatoes

2 onions

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

4 eggs

Method:

• Slice the potatoes and onions and chop the garlic.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the vegetables. Cover and cook over a medium heat for about ten minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure that everything gets cooked. When the potatoes are completely cooked, arrange all the vegetables in an even layer in the pan.
• Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them gently – just enough to amalgamate the yolks and the whites. Then pour the eggs over the potatoes and onions and tilt the pan to ensure that they’re evenly distributed.
• Cover, lower the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Tortilla is generally eaten lukewarm, but is delicious hot, for lunch.