Suggestions for recipe's without animal fat please.

[Irene]

My DH has been advised to try to avoid food containing animal fats. Also advised, was more use of beans and pulses etc.

I have not used soya or other alternatives before, so I would be grateful for any menu suggestions with which I can develop the required new format.

Recently I tried to make a bolognaise sauce with a dried version of soya, but I was not very impressed with the result. It seems to me that different techniques are needed.

All contributions will gratefully received.

[AlanHo]

Is lean meat and fish OK - or we talking about being a total vegetarian ?

[andsome]

Sesame Seed and Brazil Nut Roast.

170 grm Brazil nuts

55 grm Sesame seeds

85 grm Wholemeal bread crumbs

30 grm coarse rolled oats

2 rounded teaspoons dried herbs

2 Large tomatoes, skinned

1 Rounded teaspoon Marmite

¼ pint vegetable stock, hot

2 Desert spoons Olive oil

1 Large onion

30 grm Wholemeal flour

I large egg.

I usually add one or two cloves of chopped garlic. This depends on your tastes.

METHOD

1/ Coarsely chop Brazil nuts, ( a food processor is handy for this). Put these into a bowl with the Sesame seeds, breadcrumbs, oats and herbs. Add the tomatoes after chopping them up.

2/ Add the egg and mix everything up.

3/ Dissolve the marmite in the hot stock and set aside.

4/ Chop the onion and fry gently in the oil, until soft but not brown. Sir in the flour and then slowly stir in the hot stock, and simmer gently while stirring until it thickens.

5/ Add this to the bowl and mix well.

6/ Grease a 2 lb loaf tin and add mix. Bake at 190 degrees Celsius for about 35 to 40 minutes. When cooked carefully extract the cooked mixture from the tin,( it will almost certainly break up a little), onto a baking tray, brush with oil and bake for a further 5 or 6 minutes to slightly crisp up the outside. This is absolutely delicious, especially if served with the rich brown sauce below.

Rich Brown Sauce

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 table spoons wholemeal flour

1 ½ desert spoons Soya flour

¾ pint vegetable stock

1 rounded teaspoon Marmite

METHOD

1/ Warm oil in a saucepan then sir in the flours, mixing well.

2/ add the hot veg stock and Marmite whilst stirring.

3/ Bring to the boil stirring continuously and simmer for a few minutes.

The resultant sauce is inclined to look similar to the contents of a baby’s nappy, so I would suggest that you sir in a little gravy browning.

[AlanHo]

The resultant sauce is inclined to look similar to the contents of a baby’s nappy, so I would suggest that you sir in a little gravy browning.

YUK - Then what does it resemble....?

[andsome]

The resultant sauce is inclined to look similar to the contents of a baby’s nappy, so I would suggest that you sir in a little gravy browning.

YUK - Then what does it resemble....?

Rich brown sauce. :D

[Sir T Fireball]

Cheese salad?

[andsome]

Black-eyed Beans with Mushrooms.

225 Grm Dried Black eye beans washed and drained

1.25 litres water

225 gram fresh Mushrooms

6 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 Teaspoon whole cumin seeds

A one-inch stick of cinnamon

150 grms approx chopped onions

4 cloves garlic finely chopped

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or parsley

400 grm peeled and chopped tomatoes

2 Teaspoons ground coriander seeds

1 Teaspoon Ground cumin seeds

½ Teaspoon Ground turmeric

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt to taste, probably about 1 to 2 teaspoons

Ground black pepper to taste.

Method

Rapidly boil the beans in the water for a couple of minutes, then turn off the heat and leave covered for an hour or so.

Meantime cut the mushrooms into thin slices.

Heat the oil and sizzle the whole cumin seeds and cinnamon stick for a few seconds only, then add the onion and garlic and fry until the onions just barely start to brown. Add the mushrooms and fry until they soften. Add the tomatoes, ground coriander, ground turmeric and cayenne. Stir well and cook for a minute, then turn off heat.

Bring the beans back to the boil, cover and simmer for about thirty minutes, or until tender. To this add the mushroom mixture, salt and pepper and coriander. Cook uncovered on low heat for a further thirty minutes. Remove cinnamon stick before serving.

[Irene]

Is lean meat and fish OK - or we talking about being a total vegetarian ?

Fish definitely ok.

Not totally vegetarian, just to try to eat less food containing animal fats, and not too much dairy food.

Sounds like dry bread and water to me!

[Irene]

Black-eyed Beans with Mushrooms.

This sounds delicious, andsome.

Thank you very much.

Keep them coming. :D

[andsome]

Black-eyed Beans with Mushrooms.

This sounds delicious, andsome.

Thank you very much.

Keep them coming. :D

The sesame seed and Brazil nut toast is even nicer. The only problem is that it is crumbly. Crumbly but very tasty. We are not vegetarians, but I make this regularly. :D

[Irene]

The sesame seed and Brazil nut toast is even nicer. The only problem is that it is crumbly. Crumbly but very tasty. We are not vegetarians, but I make this regularly. :D

It certainly does sound good. I'm sure my DH would think so....

I don't like most nuts though.

[AlanHo]

I don't like most nuts though.

Who are you getting at............... :lol:

[Irene]

I don't like most nuts though.

Who are you getting at............... :lol:

Don't you start now! :lol:

[Gandalph]

Fish 'n' Chips! :lol:

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

2 Desert spoons Olive oil

Make sure you filter our any remaining sand :D

1 ½ desert spoons Soya flour

This may be a bit more difficult! :lol:

[AlanHo]

A Rivercottage.net recipe cut and pasted from their web site.

We tried this last week and enjoyed it.

Here’s a recipe that demonstrates the simplicity and effectiveness of a technique we’ve dubbed ‘steam-braising’, of which we are extremely fond. The fish sits in just a little bit of simmering, aromatic liquid in a covered pan and is half-poached, half-steamed, while being infused with lovely flavours. It’ll be perfectly cooked in less than 10 minutes and will have created its own delicious little sauce. This particular recipe includes quite a few aromatic flavourings, but it also works with just a bay leaf and a scrap of garlic. The technique also works with brill and most other white fish, as well as grey mullet cutlets and small whole flatfish.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

A knob of unsalted butter

1 tablespoon white wine

A squeeze of lemon juice

2 strips of finely pared lemon zest

A couple of sprigs of thyme

2–3 bay leaves

½ teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)

1 small garlic clove, finely sliced (optional)

750g–1kg thick ling, pollack or whiting fillet, cut into 2–3cm thick medallions

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the olive oil, butter and white wine in a large, wide saucepan or a deep frying pan along with a tablespoon of water, the lemon juice, zest, thyme and bay – and the fennel seeds and garlic, if you’re using them. Bring to a simmer. Season the fish medallions lightly with salt and pepper, then arrange them in the pan in a single layer. Cover and cook for 4–6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, turning them once, very carefully, so they don’t break up. That’s it!

All you need do now is transfer the fish to warmed plates and spoon over the juices. Boiled spuds or mash and something fresh and green – broccoli, perhaps, or spring greens – are the only accompaniments you need.

[andsome]

A Rivercottage.net recipe cut and pasted from their web site.

We tried this last week and enjoyed it.

Here’s a recipe that demonstrates the simplicity and effectiveness of a technique we’ve dubbed ‘steam-braising’, of which we are extremely fond. The fish sits in just a little bit of simmering, aromatic liquid in a covered pan and is half-poached, half-steamed, while being infused with lovely flavours. It’ll be perfectly cooked in less than 10 minutes and will have created its own delicious little sauce. This particular recipe includes quite a few aromatic flavourings, but it also works with just a bay leaf and a scrap of garlic. The technique also works with brill and most other white fish, as well as grey mullet cutlets and small whole flatfish.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

A knob of unsalted butter

1 tablespoon white wine

A squeeze of lemon juice

2 strips of finely pared lemon zest

A couple of sprigs of thyme

2–3 bay leaves

½ teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)

1 small garlic clove, finely sliced (optional)

750g–1kg thick ling, pollack or whiting fillet, cut into 2–3cm thick medallions

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the olive oil, butter and white wine in a large, wide saucepan or a deep frying pan along with a tablespoon of water, the lemon juice, zest, thyme and bay – and the fennel seeds and garlic, if you’re using them. Bring to a simmer. Season the fish medallions lightly with salt and pepper, then arrange them in the pan in a single layer. Cover and cook for 4–6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, turning them once, very carefully, so they don’t break up. That’s it!

All you need do now is transfer the fish to warmed plates and spoon over the juices. Boiled spuds or mash and something fresh and green – broccoli, perhaps, or spring greens – are the only accompaniments you need.

We eat a lot of fish, and this recipe sounds good. I have saved it to print up, THANKS. :D

[Irene]

Here’s a recipe that demonstrates the simplicity and effectiveness of a technique we’ve dubbed ‘steam-braising’, of which we are extremely fond. The fish sits in just a little bit of simmering, aromatic liquid in a covered pan and is half-poached, half-steamed, while being infused with lovely flavours. It’ll be perfectly cooked in less than 10 minutes and will have created its own delicious little sauce. This particular recipe includes quite a few aromatic flavourings, but it also works with just a bay leaf and a scrap of garlic. The technique also works with brill and most other white fish, as well as grey mullet cutlets and small whole flatfish.

Sounds great, Alan.

Thank you.

[-pops-]

A couple of points about the fish recipe:

I consider fennel to be a vital ingredient, not optional. It works so well with fish but, why not use thinly sliced Florence fennel (the bulb-like vegetable fennel) instead of seeds.

Also, I consider garlic essential but I do appreciate some people might not like it.

[catgate]

One of my favourite ways of doing good fish, of pretty nearly any kind (with the exception whole shark or giant squid) is to use the aluminium foil method.

Just put the fish, sprinkled with salt and possibly pepper, into an aluminium foil parcel, along with whatever flavouring you're favouring (we always have a Basil plant pot on the kitchen window sill and we often use the stalky bits of fennel bulbs) and shove it into a fairly hot pre heated oven for some minutes. Actual temp. and time obviously vary with size of fish.

Mackerel are absolutely wonderful done this way, as is every other fish we have tried. You get nothing but the fish and seasoning this way.

I did a paella last night using smoked haddock and jumbo prawns (ex supermarket fish counter...always inferior to the real fish from the man who comes from Hull every fortnight).

A large chopped onion and the last of the home grown red peppers fried in olive oil, in a large frying pan, followed, after the onions had became really soft and brown, with the appropriate rice (half a teacupful for the two of us). This was followed by the first of the boiling water and allowed to boil, topping up with boiling water as and when needed. As the rice was coming up to the point where it was almost cooked in went the haddock (cut into pieces) and the prawns, along with two or three chopped sun dried tomatoes, a couple of teaspoons of chicken stock powder and just a splash of sherry.. The trick is to get the liquid volume to be at a minimum just as the whole lot is ready to serve, without scorching the lot to death. That's why I have the boiling kettle handy. all the time.

[Irene]

Just got home from shopping...

Topping up with the various ingredients which have either run out or new additions.

I am doing the fish tonight (I already had a very large fillet of coley in the freezer, which I though should work ok).

-pops-, you are absolutely right about the fennel and garlic. We love them both. Although I did get some fennel seeds today.

catgate, your paella sounds stunning!

Clearly another one to try. :D

I think it's going to be the 'Black eyed beans and mushrooms' tomorrow. ;)

[Irene]

andsome, AlanHo, catgate....

This post is just to say thank you for your recipe suggestions.

We have tried all except the nut one.

AlanHo, the Steam Braised fish was superb. Very quick to prepare and cook. It tasted delicious.

andsome, the Black-eyed Beans & mushrooms was fantastic. It's the first recipe of that kind which I have done, but it certainly will not be the last.

catgate, we had your sumptuous Paella last night. Yum Yum.

I spent a small fortune last week stocking up the basics cupboard with the many various ingredients for a different style of diet. I even bought Saffron for the paella.

I just needed a few introductions to get me going. You did that for me.

Thanks.

By the way, Gandalph, we even strayed from the new resolution and had home made chips and oven cooked fish on Friday. :lol:

Rules are made to be broken. Aren't they? ;)

P.S. I'm still open to suggestions. :D

[AlanHo]

P.S. I'm still open to suggestions. :D

I fear you will live to regret that turn of phrase...............

[catgate]

I even bought Saffron for the paella.

It just shows where the wealth of the country lies.

Do you send donations?...anonymously of course.

[andsome]

andsome, AlanHo, catgate....

This post is just to say thank you for your recipe suggestions.

We have tried all except the nut one.

AlanHo, the Steam Braised fish was superb. Very quick to prepare and cook. It tasted delicious.

andsome, the Black-eyed Beans & mushrooms was fantastic. It's the first recipe of that kind which I have done, but it certainly will not be the last.

catgate, we had your sumptuous Paella last night. Yum Yum.

I spent a small fortune last week stocking up the basics cupboard with the many various ingredients for a different style of diet. I even bought Saffron for the paella.

I just needed a few introductions to get me going. You did that for me.

Thanks.

By the way, Gandalph, we even strayed from the new resolution and had home made chips and oven cooked fish on Friday. :lol:

Rules are made to be broken. Aren't they? ;)

P.S. I'm still open to suggestions. :D

I'm saying nowt. :D :D

P.S. I'm still open to suggestions. :D

I fear you will live to regret that turn of phrase...............

See above, I'm saying nowt. By the way is chicken acceptable. We are having Chicken Paprika today, cooked in the slow cooker. I put it on to cook at about 9.a.m., and am looking forward to eating it at about 5 p.m.