I wanted to find out where this old carousel had travelled from or been bought from - it was over 100 years old. Cute horses always make me think of my pal Ingrid. This horse seemed to carry a face of glee as it travelled round. I love how brightly lit and jolly carousels are, they always make me extremely happy! Shiny, shiny, shiny! Climbing elf. Glittery cake extravaganza. This digitally animated theatrical face projected from a TV screen was unnerving. With a greatly slowed down, deep voice and the strangest accent, like a character from the Labyrinth, he told weird jokes and laughed far too hard all to himself. Sinister! The ceiling was busy with lights, and made everything seem like such a magical world. Milton Keynes always has the best Christmas scene each year, and it's always free.
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2013 was my 3rd vegetarian Christmas, I'm content to say. I hadn't made anything from scratch in previous years but this year I decided to make my first nut roast as I had a craving for it. I've loved nut roast as a meat eater, and can't work out why it is ridiculed by some, as it is so tasty and can be made in loads of different ways depending on your mood.
I did have an amazing second-hand vegetarian recipe book from the 80s that contained recipes from vegetarian restaurants from the time, and had earmarked the page all year, but it then went missing in December. So a brief search on the internet yielded this recipe. I've added more detail here for my use for next year, but this recipe takes hardly any effort or time, as you can see. - Fry one can of drained lentils gently till cooked. Then place pan to one side - In separate pan, fry chopped red onion, and finely chopped garlic, then add the lentils. - Add 1 tbsp. of flour (can use rice flour for wheat free version) - Add as much tomato pureé as you fancy, and mix well - Add 1 tbsp. of Worcester sauce (I favour the vegan version) - Take off hob, and mix all of this together well, adding a bunch of bread crumbs or just break up bits of bread into the mix as you go (can be vegan bread - Sainsbury's is good for this) - Add 3/4 cup of cashew nuts (plus/or other nuts of your liking) - Mix really well - Any herbs or other flavours can be added too - I added a pinch of dried nutmeg - Pour into a casserole dish/deep baking dish - Cook in oven for 35 minutes at high setting So it can be vegetarian or vegan, however you prefer. The best about this nut roast for me, is no need for any egg or cheese - too many recipes contained this when I searched! The leftovers are great cold. This recipe makes enough for three or four people, easily, but you can use less lentils and nuts if just for one. My Christmas lunch consisted of the above, warm, served with roasted potatoes (roasted in olive oil - and I now swear by the National Trust organic potatoes, that taste so incredible, and are so soft and nice when roasted), plus I had: creamed leak and cream shallots, roasted in honey parsnips, Brussells sprouts, plus chestnut, apple and cranberry vegetarian stuffing and vegetarian gravy, mint sauce and cranberry sauce (with port!) on side optional. Success! And more proof for me that a vegetarian diet is so adventurous and about exploring and discovery. |
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