Tag: dairy-free

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Pumpkin Pie

Minimal Photocentric Productivity Blog Banner

If, like us, you are dealing with lots of pumpkin scrapings at the moment, this pumpkin pie recipe is a great way to get through a good chunk of them.

Ingredients

Pastry

  • 150g plain flour
  • 75g vegan block – available in our freezer in store (or butter)
  • 50g icing sugar
  • 1 egg yolk – organic eggs available in store

Filling

  • 750g pumpkin (cut into smallish chunks)
  • 140g caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 eggs – organic eggs available in store
  • 25g vegan block – available in our freezer in store (or butter)
  • 175ml oat milk (or dairy milk)
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar

Method

First make the pastry for the pumpkin pie. Tip the flour into a bowl and add the vegan block in small chunks. Rub this together with your fingers until it is well combined and there are no large chunks left. Add the icing sugar and egg yolk and bring the dough together with your hands. You might need to add a couple of tablespoons of water if it’s too dry. Roll out until it fits inside your tart tin (around 22cm). Line the tart tin and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

For the pumpkin pie filling, first place the pumpkin in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes until soft. Drain and allow to cool.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Puree the cooked pumpkin (it really pays to get this as smooth as possible so a hand blender or nutribullet do the best job). In a seperate bowl, combine the sugar, nutmeg and half the cinnamon. Mix in the eggs, melted vegan block and oat milk and beat thoroughly to combine. Add to the pumpkin puree and stir to combine.

Remove the pastry from the oven and turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake for a further 35 minutes.

Leave to cool. Mix the icing sugar and the remaining cinnamon and dust over the top. Enjoy!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Pumpkin koftas with smoky tomato sauce

koftes scaled

This is a seasonal win for me and went down a treat at home. Pre-warning, it is a bit of a faff, so perhaps not your usual run of the mill weeknight meal, but it is a great one for guests or a weekend when you have a little more time. This meal really needs ALL the components though. The koftas are nothing without the tomato sauce, and the sauce is bland on it’s own. Served with delicious focaccia and this will be a winner with everyone. Continue reading Pumpkin koftas with smoky tomato sauce

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Winter Vegetable Pasta Bake

pasta bake

The weather is all a bit cold and grey at the moment and this pasta bake is something we ALL need in our lives right now.  Comforting, filling and using lots of seasonal British goodies it is a winning meal for all the family.  And, for those taking part in Veganuary, it is vegan too :). Continue reading Winter Vegetable Pasta Bake

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Candied Peel

Candied peel scaled

I’ve made candied orange peel a few years running and, while they do take a bit of time, they are very low cost and make some beautiful gifts.  Using up the orange peel this way is also incredibly satisfying and people are always so grateful for a gift that has been homemade.  My main problem, is keeping them away from Rob long enough to give them away!  I haven’t included quantities because it is really up to you how much you make 🙂

Ingredients:

Orange peel

Granulated sugar

Method

Cut your orange into quarters and remove (and eat) the flesh.  Cut as much of the pith away as you can without damaging the skin.  You’re aiming for about 5mm of orange skin when you’re done.  Cut each quarter into 3 (giving you 12 strips of peel from one orange)

Put the peel in a saucepan with cold water and bring to the boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes then drain and replace the water.  Only use enough water to cover the peel.  Boil again then simmer for 30 minutes.

Drain the peel but this time keep the cooking liquid. Add 100g of sugar to each 100ml of cooking liquid you have.  Heat in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved then add the peel and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Leave to cool then remove the peel and place on a wire rack.

Put the peel in the oven on its lowest setting and leave to dry out.  This can take quite a long time.  I tend to leave the peel in the top oven for a good few hours while I’m using the main oven.

Sprinkle a reusable baking sheet with sugar and toss your peel in it to coat them.  They still need to dry so spread them out and leave out  for another few hours.

Once your candied peel has dried out, store in an airtight container.

These taste delicious dipped in chocolate!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The BEST Tomato Soup

Tomato soup scaled

You might think the best way to have juicy, sweet cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden is in a salad, or just as a delicious healthy snack, or even roasted.  But I’m telling you now that making them into this tomato soup is most definitely the best choice you will make.  It is pretty extravangant to soup cherry tomatoes so I can only justify doing it when we have LOADS in the garden.  I never regret it though.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂

Ingredients (serves 4)

1kg cherry tomatoes (I know, it is a lot!)

Pinch of chilli flakes

4 cloves of garlic

Olive oil (refill in store)

2 red onions

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar (refill in store)

Fresh basil to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the cherry tomatoes and crushed garlic cloves on a baking tray.  Season with salt and pepper then drizzle over plenty of olive oil. Leave to roast for 15 minutes or until just starting to char.

Slice the red onions and place in a large saucepan with some more oil.  Fry lightly until softened then add the balsamic vinegar and cook until caramelised.

Once the tomatoes are done, remove from the oven and add to the caramelised onions.  Blitz your tomato soup to the consistency you like (I prefer it a bit chunky but Rob likes a silky smooth soup.  Serve with fresh basil and sour dough