Dinners – Page 6 – Bit of the Good Stuff

Roasted Summer Vegetable Pasta Dish with Mojo Sauce

Published on March 10, 2018 by Sharon9 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing a recipe for a pasta dish that features colourful roasted veggies and chunks of sausage, coated in a delicious red pepper sauce. It’s easy to prepare and makes a great weeknight meal.

The mojo sauce really is the star of this dish, and takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness. I first discovered this sauce in a supermarket in La Palma, and it was just perfect for brightening up our simple home-cooked veggie meals. Back home, I’d been dreaming about this sauce and finally, nearly a year later, I set to re-creating it. Continue reading “Roasted Summer Vegetable Pasta Dish with Mojo Sauce” →

Jacket Sweet Potato with Dhal and Pomegranate

Published on March 1, 2018 by Sharon5 Comments

Hi everyone! I hope you’re managing to stay warm! Here in Bath, it’s snowing pretty heavily, which is a rare occurrence round these parts. The last big snowfall was in 2013, which I recorded here on the blog, along with a recipe that’s just perfect for this kind of weather… Sweet Chestnut Casserole with Herby Dumplings. I can’t believe that was five years ago already!

Well today, I have another comfort food recipe for you… Jacket Sweet Potato with Dhal and Pomegranate. It’s such a beautiful dish, packed full of flavours and colours, as well as lots of immune-boosting nutrients.

Continue reading “Jacket Sweet Potato with Dhal and Pomegranate” →

Mexican Black Bean Rice with Spicy Sausage. Vegan. Gluten-Free.

Published on December 15, 2017 by Sharon15 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing a recipe for a savoury rice dish that’s simple to prepare, budget-friendly and ready in just 35 minutes. It’s been a big hit with my family and I hope you enjoy it too!

The inspiration for this dish was a picture that caught my eye in last month’s Vegan Life magazine for Arroz Con No-Pollo (a veganized version of the traditional chicken rice dish). Continue reading “Mexican Black Bean Rice with Spicy Sausage. Vegan. Gluten-Free.” →

Quinoa Winter Bowl with Roasted Vegetables, Cranberries and Balsamic Glaze

Published on November 20, 2017 by Sharon5 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious quinoa bowl that’s just perfect for serving this time of year. It features roasted veggies, dried cranberries and crunchy pumpkin seeds, topped with a sweet balsamic glaze. We’ve been enjoying it as a light evening meal, with leftovers served for lunches later in the week. It can even be served cold, and Lucien’s been taking it to school in his lunchbox.

I must admit that I never used to be a fan of quinoa. I found the texture and flavour of plain quinoa quite strange and not particularly appealing. However, I discovered a couple of key steps that make it much more palatable…

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Family-Friendly Vegan Ranchero

Published on October 17, 2017 by Sharon11 Comments

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for a family-friendly vegan version of the Mexican classic ‘Huevos Rancheros’. The eggs have been replaced with golden cubes of pan-fried tofu which sit on a bed of rich, flavourful tomato sauce. I’ve toned down the chilli to make the dish kid-friendly (and ‘Sharon-friendly’ as I’m a complete heat wimp) but of course, feel free to crank up the chilli heat as high as you wish.

The inspiration for this recipe was the cover photo on the September issue of Vegan Life magazine. At first glance, Lucien and I were instantly attracted to this dish but, when we read that the recipe contained half a cup of green chillies plus three tablespoons of chilli powder, we knew it was going to be way too spicy for us. It didn’t deter me from giving it a try though, and I simply omitted the chillies to make it less spicy. Since the tomatoes, onions and garlic are roasted, they make the sauce rich and flavourful, so we really didn’t miss the chilli.

I first experimented with this recipe a few weeks ago and it was an instant hit with the family. We rarely eat the same meal twice in the same month, but we’ve made this one three times already! It’s quickly become a family favourite.

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Wagamama-Inspired Yasai Cha Han Donburi (Brown Rice Bowl with Stir-Fried Veggies and Tofu)

Published on August 14, 2017 by Sharon4 Comments

In early Summer, my family were eagerly anticipating a trip to Wagamamas. On the way there, we psyched each other up, talking about how much we were looking forward to tucking into our favourite Wagamama dish – the Yasai Cha Han Donburi. Upon arrival, the waiter showed us to our seats and handed us the menu. Our eyes immediately moved to the spot where the dish is usually listed, but it wasn’t there. We scanned both sides of the menu but it was nowhere to be seen. We called over the waiter and he explained that they had a new summer menu. Sadly, the Yasai Cha Han Donburi hadn’t made the cut.

Has that ever happened to you? Where you’re looking forward to tucking into your favourite dish at a restaurant, or you specifically go to that restaurant because you’re craving a dish… only to find that it’s been taken off the menu. It’s happened to my family a few times and it’s always such a bummer.

Well this time, I decided to look on the bright side. I’d been meaning to try my hand at making the Yasai Cha Han Donburi at home for a while, and now was the perfect opportunity. I could still remember what the bowl tasted like and its main components, so I set to work re-creating it.

One of my favourite parts of the bowl is the flavouring added to the rice, so I really wanted to nail this part. I chose to use two of my favourite pantry staples as the basis of the dressing – Clearspring Organic Tamari Sauce and Meridian Organic Toasted Sesame Oil. The tamari provides the ‘umami’ flavour, while the toasted sesame oil add a touch of smokiness. I then added a tablespoon each of maple syrup and rice vinegar for some ‘sweet ’n’ sour’ flavour, and finished it off with a sprinkling of garlic granules. I was extremely happy with the way the dressing turned out. For me, it’s the perfect compliment to a Japanese-inspired rice bowl.

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