Delicious Gourmet Vegan Meal at Lucky Leek in Berlin

My daughter treated me to a wonderful 3 course dinner at "Lucky Leek" in Berlin for my birthday. We opted to have the optional "wine flight" with it, so a glass of wine chosen to accompany each course was served to us. This is the menu:

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First to arrive was a slate plate with tiny Amuse Gueules, a morsel each of two savouries. A tiny loaf had been baked, sliced thinly and topped with a cheesy mix and home made chorizo, the second mouthful was, we were informed, like a mini quiche - I can't remember what a quiche tastes like, but this was light and delicious.

The soup was a beautiful golden orange colour, and suspended over it was the apple on a skewer. The sweetness of the sweet potato was highlighted by a slight kick of chilli, and a swirl of coconut foam. The apple chunk was coated in nuts, and complemented the soup beautifully.

 The wine chosen to accompany the soup was a rose, which I enjoyed, it had a slight sweetness, but I can't remember the name of it, I'm afraid!

The main course was pasta bon bons, like ravioli filled with a pea puree. The filling was quite substantial and a lovely green. The vegan feta roll was tasty and went well. There were two colours of pepper sauce in the bowl, which were very smooth and light in texture. Some lightly cooked pak choi accompanied the pasta. Laid over the top were ribbons of raw purple carrot. There was a chunk of raw peach, with some berries on one side, but neither of us could really see the benefit of them, they didn't enhance the flavour of the main ingredients, and we thought they were a step too far.

The white wine served with the main course was quite dry, and Rachel enjoyed this more than the rose, whereas I preferred the rose!

The Piece de Resistance was the dessert, which was to swoon over - just feast your eyes on this!

On the left was a square of chocolate layer cake - so light and fluffy, nobody eating it would guess it was vegan. A peach sorbet and peach ragout were next on the plate, then an elderflower ice cream, so creamy. A really splendid ending to a wonderful birthday meal. And the port served with it was rich and warming, and we both enjoyed it very much.

The evening was so mild that we sat outside to enjoy our repast. If I return to Berlin, I will certainly eat there again:)

Delicious Christmas Vegan gluten-free meal at The New Continental in Preston

It's that time of year again when diaries fill up with Christmas outings of one kind or another - and my heart sinks every time a meal is booked, because I dread being served slices of melon, followed by something cardboardy or a large plate of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber, culminating with a fruit salad whilst around me everyone else is tucking into something special, and festive.  I pay the same as everyone else, but seldom do I feel I'm getting value for money.

However, I'm pleased to tell you that the Preston Community Choir Christmas meal at The New Continental in Preston was a delightful surprise:)

My starter was a variation on the vegetarian starter, which was a local blue cheese salad.  For my plate the same base of tangy watercress and rocket leaves were wrapped around some sun blush tomatoes, then topped with sliced olives and chopped walnuts.  I wasn't sure what the scattering of small things on the plate was until I put on my spectacles (it's so sad when you need to put glasses on to be able to see your food properly, isn't it? glasses should be full of wine!), but once on my nose, I could see that there was an artful scatter of small brown lentils - an unusual garnish that really worked well with the walnuts.

My main course was a delicious risotto, with an assortment of griddled vegetables.  A very colourful and tasty assemblage of ingredients, don't you agree?  I was really quite heartened by the meal so far - how often to you get to say that in a busy local pub?

For dessert the wonderful chef had created a vegan pannacotta, accompanied by festive berries - it tasted as good as it looked, I promise, and I savoured every mouthful.

Thank you to the chef(s) for producing such a lovely eating experience at a busy time of year - it was much appreciated.

Chocolate Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

I've just posted a recipe for chocolate vegan, gluten free muffins on my other blog at http://christineeatsglutenfreevegan.blogspot.com/ , so if you fancy a little indugence, then why not pop over and have a look?

They're moist and have a lovely soft texture - not a cardboard like feature in site - trust me:)

Prashad - a Michelin starred Indian vegetarian cafe in Bradford

I went for a visit with my parents recently, which was lovely - it had been ages since I saw them what with one thing and another.

A friend had told me shortly before I went that a vegetarian Indian cafe, Prashad, in Bradford had been named in the Michelin guide.  Naturally, I wanted to eat there!  http://www.prashad.co.uk/

I asked my brother if he knew of it, but as he's a carnivore par excellence, he wasn't really interested, but he did say he'd come with us if my parents wanted to go.  They did, and he managed to book a table for my final evening.  It was six o'clock or nothing, so we ate early.

The premises has two entries, and, of course, we went in one side, only to be told that our table was in the other side, so we had to go back out into the street and walk along to the next door - it wasn't possible to walk through between the eating areas, which was a little strange.

The tables were black plastic, with no cloths.  The napkins were paper.  But they were clean and neatly set.  There was very little space between them, a cosy tete-a-tete wouldn't be possible!

The menu is basically Gujerati or Punjabi, and potatoes feature largely on the menu.  However, as vegetarians and vegans, it's lovely to be spoiled for choice.  Many of the items are vegan, and these, along with wheat free foods, are indicated, which is a great help to me, especially, and my mother. 

My brother and I shared a mixed starter for about £8, which had 8 or 9 items, some duplicated, as you'd expect with a sharing platter.  Delicious.  My parents opted for stuffed mushrooms - since there were some on our platter, I know they were good:)

We each chose a different main course, Dad had a burger, with chips.  I had aubergine and pea curry, my brother the chickpea curry, and Mum chose Idli with sambar and yogurt sauce.  We also had a portion of their massala chips to share, just a touch spicy, and good and chunky.  Dad was persuaded into a garlic naan by my brother, who opted for a plain naan.  I chose the kichdi rice with lentils to accompany my curry.

Mum is unable to eat hot ie chilli heat, food due to a medical condition, and I asked the waiter to request that the sambar to accompany her Idli was mild.  He said that couldn't be done, which seemed a little strange to me in a such an establishment.  He then said he'd ask them to make it milder when he saw Mum's disappointment.

Sadly, when it arrived, the sambar was too hot, although she enjoyed the light, airy Idli.  Another waiter, seeing that her sambar was untouched, offered to fetch something else from the menu for her.  He suggested that the paneer massala was the mildest choice, and this arrived, complete with chappatis, in good time.  Sadly, even this was too hot, but she was able to pick out the paneer.

The chef/owner, Kaushy, came round the tables, and when she heard of Mum's problem, she assured us that she could have made the sambar without any chilli, and would the next time we ate there.

This begs the question why did the waiter fail to pass on the request for a mild dish to the kitchen?  In an eatery featured in the Michelin guide, I would expect that the waiting staff need to be as well informed as the cooks in the kitchen about possibilities.

So, we spent an enjoyable hour or so, I appreciated my food, and tasted my brother's, too, and he mine.  The rice was dry and made a pleasant change from plain basmati rice.  Prices were reasonable and portion sizes fine.

Was it the best Indian food I've ever eaten?  No, sadly not.  Would I go again?  Yes, because it was enjoyable, if not the best.  We discovered that they also do a take-away service, with free delivery within a 3 mile radius - so perhaps another time we'll try that - with a meal deal of around a tenner a head, it's a good option.

Where do you go for your favourite Indian meal?

This morning's smoothie was somewhat more exotic, as the local market had strawberries on very special offer!!!

I've used half a dozen large strawberries, an apple, a kiwi fruit, an orange, a couple of Brazil nuts and some Oatily milk substitute.  Can't you just feel the goodness?

As always, just blitz it all together, admire the colour and enjoy the fruity deliciousness.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet....

I'm sure that Shakespeare was correct when he wrote this remark.  After all, a child who doesn't know the name of plants will stand still in a garden to sniff them appreciatively, won't they?

But, as a vegan, when it comes to naming colours, I sometimes want to rebel.

Take the orangey-pink colour, for instance.  I was brought up, in a meat eating family, to know it as salmon pink.  But look at photos of a salmon on the internett  ... is it pink?  No, of course it's not.

It only becomes that pinky-orange colour once it's been killed and cooked.  So, I have a problem with using the term "salmon pink", because it's defined by the cooking of a dead creature.

The same goes for "lobster pink" - before it's boiled, the lobster is a grey blue colour.  Just like prawns and crayfish, and scampi.

And howabout reds?  How do you name "ox blood", pretty disgusting, or carmine?  I just don't want to call a colour by the name of a dyestuff made from crushed insects.

Flesh is another colour I have trouble with.  If I move on from the connotations of flesh reminding me of meat, whose flesh are we describing?  Mine, as the person who's speaking?  In which case pretty pinkish.  Or my friend from China, whose skin tone is lightly tanned.  Or another friend from India, whose skintone is decidedly brown.  Or a girl I went to school with?  Her mother was from the Caribbean, and her skin was a burnished black.

You see the problem, I'm sure.

So ... how do you describe colours, or doesn't it worry you?

Spaghetti with green beans, pepper and ginko beans

Need something quick and tasty for supper?  Hoe does pasta with green beans, pepper and nutty ginko beans, tossed with toasted sesame oil and soy sauce sound?  I've posted the recipe on my foodie blog, if you care to take a look:)

Avocado and chickpea pate

I fancied something tasty for lunch.  Nothing too fussy, just a simple pate to accompany a salad.

I considered hummous, but that didn't quite hit the spot.  Nor did guacamole.  But how about a combination of the two?  Well, why not?  So here's what I came up with!

I took a can of chick peas and drained them, reserving about a tablespoon of the liquor.  Two avocados, a few cloves of garlic and the zest and juice of an organic, unwaxed lemon.

The chick peas and  liquor and crushed garlic cloves are whizzed in a storage container.

I then added the zest and juice of the lemon and whizzed again.

Then I added the avocado chunks to the container

and blitzed it again.  Isn't it a lovely pale green?

I served it with assorted salad leaves and halved cherry tomatoes, with a few chives to top it off.  Delicious, quick and easy :)

As a bonus, it was also delicious later atop a jacket potato, popped under the grill.  I'm very pleased with it, and will make it again.

A Smooth(ie) start to the day

I'm often asked what I eat for breakfast, and since it varies daily, it's difficult to be precise!  I thought I show you why.

Most mornings I make myself a fruit smoothie.  I vary the fruits according to what's in the fruit basket, and what takes my fancy each morning.  So there's no standard breakfast, really.

This morning, for example, I chose the following:

Mango, apples, satsumas, linseeds, brazil nuts and crystalised ginger.  I add soya milk or yogurt to make it as thick or thin as I want it to be, as well.

I take a pint glass and add the washed and/or peeled fruit in sizeable chunks.  I leave the nuts and crystalised ginger whole.

I then add some milk substitute and whizz with my Bamix.

The Bamix cuts through whole Brazil nuts and crystalised ginger without any problems, if you use a less powerful stick blender, you may need to chop them first.  Or use a food processor.  I'm lazy, and prefer to make my smoothie in the glass I'm going to eat it from to save washing up!!!

As you can see, it shrinks down somewhat after it's been blitzed, so if you were apalled at the thought of a pint glass, relax :)  Don't you just love those tiny flecks of colour from the apple skin, and the mango flesh and satsumas?

BTW some kind souls informed that I can't call my smoothies "fruit smoothies" because they don't contain banana.  Well, I'm allergic to bananas, so I don't eat them.  I believe that my concoctions are just as much a fruit smoothie as anyone else's - they're full of fruit, and whizzed until smooth.  Maybe I should call them smooth fruities, instead?  What do you think?

Vegan, wheat free tourist in Malta

Naturally, I requested that the hotel be notified of my vegan, wheat-free diet when I booked the holiday.  Of course, they assured me that it wouldn't be a problem.  I've heard it all before, and tend to assume the worst.

I always take a packet of pumpernickel bread with me, and some packets of miso soup so that I know I will be able to eat something whilst I sort out what's available.  This time we also took along some avocados and fruit from the kitchen, as we were going to be away for three weeks and it would have been a waste not to have taken it. 

On our first morning we ventured forth to investigate the local food shops.  We discovered many "supermarkets", many smaller than your local greengrocer probably is!  In some we were delighted to find beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables, in many more, we were disappointed by the sad, withered displays.

I was pleasantly surprised to see soya milk on the shelves of nearly all of the food shops.  Some brands I knew, others I didn't.  So, that was breakfast sorted out.

We discovered a large supermarket, called Scotts, nearby.

A sign proudly boasted that they stock Redwood meatfree products.  I was so surprised that I found myself taking photos of products on a supermarket shelf!!!  Not something I am normally likely to do!

Cheezly is one of the cheese substitutes that I actually buy here in the UK.  Not often, because it's full of fat, and doesn't really taste the same as cheese, now does it?  However, there are times when I really fancy a toasted cheese sandwich, with onion and olives and tomatoes.  When the craving strikes, I feed it!  I tell myself it's pretty much like a pizza.  Self delusion is a wonderful thing, at times :-)

Although I can't eat most of their products, due to the wheat content, it was still good to see that vegetarian and vegans are provided for in some shops.  And you can see that the prices aren't too bad, either.  Since we were booked in for half-board, I didn't need to buy anything.  I always look at what's available though, in case I plan to return on a self-catering basis.

Gluten-free bread wasn't quite as easy to find as the soya milk and other milk substitutes.  I was lucky, in that a reasonable sized supermarket nearby boasted a whole rack down one aisle full of gluten free products.  There were five different sliced loaves, plus several varieties of rolls and crackers.  The prices were higher than here, but you'd expect that, given that Malta is a small island and everything has to be freighted in.

So, it's possible to buy your essentials if you should travel to Malta or Gozo.  It's always good to know that you can buy basic provisions, isn't it?

Starbucks new, elegant coffee mugs

I was concerned to receive an e-mail recently which informed me that Starbucks, who have soya milk in their coffee bars to accommodate vegans, were literally binning all their old, earthenware mugs, to replace them with "bone china" mugs.

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't buy "bone china" products.  The name says it all, doesn't it?  Many years ago, a trip around a pottery factory, where trolleys of bones stood awaiting use in the manufacturing process, confirmed my fears.

So when I read about the "improvements" that Starbucks were planning, I wrote to them to ask them to reconsider.  Of course, I knew that my lone voice wouldn't carry any weight, but there are a lot of vegetarians and vegans out there, and who knew how many of them might also complain?

I received a reply from Starbucks informing me:  "Please be assured that we have checked with our supplier who has confirmed that our new mugs do not contain animal bone ash and that a synthetic material is used in its place."

It sort of begs the question how they can be described as "bone china" if they don't contain bone, doesn't it?  Do they retain the name "bone china" to keep the cachet of the lighter, "premium" product?  Even though it's inaccurate?  Is that legal?

Maybe honesty is the best policy.  After all, if a product purports to be made from something containing bones, vegans and vegetarian will shun it.  There's a whole new customer base out there for manufacturers who devise a new name for their lighter, stronger china which doesn't contain animal remains.