Vegan Storecupboard Challenge Winter 25 - Winter 26

LotsOfTea

DS has requested that I make some mince pie truffles again this year so I have searched out the recipe again and can confirm they are delicious and rich enough that you don't need more than one at a time. 

https://www.ocado.com/recipes/mince-pie-truffles/1goiko9KBlCAvsb6pbEsbp

leftatthetrafficlights

@LotsOfTea - thank you for the link! 😁 I'll show my dh and see if he fancies them, we're visiting family over the holidays so I might make some for them 😉 

The past week or so has been chaotic and my diet horrendous as a result (I've basically survived on white bread and scrambled tofu!! 😳) plus I've got no idea of what's happened with the grocery budget so I won't be listing any shopping in December as it wouldn't be a true reflection of purchases 🙄 

Anyway, I'm going to sort myself out today and get my head back in the game - it will be something very quick and simple for dinner tonight (I'm thinking either dark speckled lentils and grains or a chickpea and potato curry) as I have a lot of stuff to do in the house! 

I'll post piccies later 😁

leftatthetrafficlights

Didn't get round to eating last night! 🤦‍♀️

Tonight I had mixed grains (rye berries, barley groats, oat groats, short grain brown rice) with barberries, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds; butter beans; spaghetti squash; rocket; blueberries and black grapes. Blood orange balsamic on top - delicious! 😋😁 

Brie

leftatthetrafficlights said:

Didn't get round to eating last night! 🤦‍♀️

Tonight I had mixed grains (rye berries, barley groats, oat groats, short grain brown rice) with barberries, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds; butter beans; spaghetti squash; rocket; blueberries and black grapes. Blood orange balsamic on top - delicious! 😋😁 

do you mix your own balsamic or buy it in?  either way how and/or where?

leftatthetrafficlights

I buy it and make it @Brie!

To make it: crush flavouring of choice and add it to a bowl - pour over hot balsamic vinegar, stir and cover. After about a week, blitz it all along with a few dates in the blender then bring it to a boil in a pan, reduce the heat and simmer until it reduces. Once it's at the desired consistency, take it off the heat, allow to cool for a while then strain through muslin and into bottles/jars. You can keep in the fridge or in a cupboard- I don't know what type of shelf life it has as mine never last very long!! I do it with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries etc - I have balsamic vinegar pretty much every day on my salads so I like to have different flavours

There are lots of different ways to make it - you can pour hot balsamic over the leaves/fruit and leave to macerate for a few weeks; you can use sugar instead of dates; you can put all the ingredients into a pan without blending, bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 mins then strain ... whatever suits you really!!

My purchased balsamics are by Drury & Alldis - pricey but spectacular - worth every penny!! 😋 

Not sure about dinner tonight - it's a bit hit and miss at the moment so will post later if a decision is made! 😂

leftatthetrafficlights

Happy New Year!! 🎉 

I'm back home now after visiting family over the holidays so need to go shopping today - if I don't have an enormous salad soon I'll cry!! 😂

I've eaten a lot of UPF'S while I've been away (mainly to make it easy for our hosts as none of them are vegan) so I'm very much looking forward to having proper vegan food again 😁 

I'm thinking tonight's dinner will be butternut squash slices with grains and salad but that may change - I'll post a piccie once it's done 😉 

leftatthetrafficlights

Dinner eaten 😋 butternut squash slices with dark speckled lentils; beetroot and apple salad; rocket, blueberries, strawberries, black grapes and pomegranate salad with balsamic; mixed grains (rye berries, barley groats, oat groats and short grain brown rice) with coriander, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and barberries; avocado. Absolutely lush!! 😍

leftatthetrafficlights

I haven't done piccies for the last couple of days but I made a cabbage, potatoes, minced tofu and onion dish one night; dh made himself some 'sausage' and bean casserole for his lunches and we had some pittas yesterday with 'greek style kebab meat'. 

I took some of his leftover beans, the leftover squash, leftover cabbage, tofu and potato mix and added it all to a chopped onion cooked in rogan josh curry paste. I added some water and cooked it all for about 10 minutes then served it with pitta breads, mango chutney and a yoghurt and mint dressing. Very lovely curry! 😋 

I'm not sure what I'm making tonight 🤔 there are still some cooked mixed beans left so I may make a cabbage, beans and rice dish to use those up ...

I've also got mixed grains to use up so I'm going to do a bit of a pilaff type dish with that - I'll put some chickpeas in to soak tonight and I'll use up some dried apricots, dates and chopped nuts in it too - I will also serve with some broad beans as they always lift the colour and flavours of a meal 😋

I'll try to remember to do piccies! 🤦‍♀️😂

leftatthetrafficlights

Decided to do a pilaff tonight  - leftover mixed grains (that have sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and barberries mixed in); dried apricots; onions; raisins; fennel seeds; longpepper; mixed beans (cannellini, black eye peas, black beans) all cooked on the hob. Served it on a bed of rocket, pomegranate, strawberries, black grapes, blueberries, beetroot and apple and topped with black olives. Delicious! 😋 

leftatthetrafficlights

Dinner tonight is going to be green lentils with savoy cabbage, roasted carrots and black grapes in a maple balsamic dressing, broad beans, steamed beetroot and coriander buckwheat. Piccie to be added later 😁