SAF Restaurant

On Saturday the American Vegetarian & I made reservations at SAF restaurant. A vegan raw food restaurant in the buzzing and eclectic area of Shoreditch. SAF stands for 'Simple Authentic Food', and it delivers by its name and so much more.

The menu at SAF is a mix of both raw food and cooked food (food which has been cooked over 48 degrees Celsius). The starters that we had were all raw and the flavours, textures, colour and taste that emanated from each plate was astounding. I wish I could cook (or not cook!) food like this. It is so inspirational to see vegan food that is this good. I guarantee that even the hardest of carnivore's would walk away satisfied after eating at SAF.

So on to the food. For starters we first had the Cucumber Consomme. We were presented with a jug of cucumber broth and a bowl of what can only be described as a crushed cucumber sorbet which was surrounded by herbs, and pink peppercorns. You pour the broth over the cucumber sorbet and watch it all dismantle until you have this extremely refreshing and cold cucumber 'soup'. It was amazing. I loved the theatre of the dish as well. Watching the dish change before you once you add the broth was exciting and ingenious. We also had the Blue Hemp Cheese, which is 'cultured pumpkin and hemp cheese'. This dish was also amazing. The presentation, flavour and texture of this dish is something that I can safely say I have not tasted before. The sweetness of the apricot chutney balanced well with the creaminess of the cultured hemp 'cheese'. It came with a slice of dehydrated tomato too and this thin little slice had so much flavour to it, more than any hydrated tomato I've had.

After our starters we were graciously given a complimentary starter from the chef. They have a new summer menu and said they just wanted our feedback. This was a first and a very welcome first. Either the chef really did want our feedback or because we were seated opposite the open kitchen he could easily see that once the food came, the talk went down to a minimum between us and all he saw was us swapping plates every so often. The complimentary third starter were Caviar Blinis. The 'cavier' was made from hemp and beetroot. Little balls of gorgeousness atop sourcream and a sweet potato base. Again, it was presented beautifully, and the different textures and flavours this dish possessed was just divine. All three starters were so good that I truly cannot pick a favourite.

For mains I ordered the Black Tofu and the American Vegetarian had the Seitan Kebabs. Both these dishes were not raw. I've only had seitan in New York where it is readily available in vegetarian places and also non veg places as a veggie option. Its the protein portion of wheat and its not so popular in the UK, and I'm not sure why. When the seitan kebabs arrived, there were two skewers, which looked like a lot and I felt the dish could have done with just the one skewer. The Black Tofu came with two pieces of tofu and I felt it could have done with a third piece. The tofu was marinated superbly in a miso dressing, and came served with rice, kimchee and bak choi. Both dishes tasted amazing, but if I could have swapped a kebab for another piece of tofu I would have.

After all this food, we were actually too full for dessert. Which was ok, as it gave us a reason to go back and try the desserts only!

The decor, service and atmosphere is great at SAF, and the menu is so inviting that you wonder why there are not more people enjoying raw food. They also boast a fantastic botanical cocktail menu and cucumber flavoured tap water on tap. I love SAF and urge anyone, vegetarian or not, to go and have a SAF experience. You'll walk away amazed at the variety of vegetarian food, and come back for more.

SAF Restaurant
152-154 Curtain Road
London, EC2A 3AT
020 7613 0007
www.safrestaurant.co.uk

Simple store cupboard curry's

Sometimes when I come home and I don't want to spend an hour in the kitchen making dinner, I look in my store cupboard and see what I can curry up!

There is always a can of red kidney beans floating around as well as chick peas and black beans being essentials in our home.

Red kidney bean and sweetcorn curry is one of mine (and the American Vegetarian's) favourite store cupboard curry. The pair go together so well and we love how comforting it feels too. Now as this is is a dinner where I don't want to spend most of the evening cooking, we serve it with whole ice burg lettuce leaves and yoghurt and have a kind of lettuce wrap curry.

So this is my 'done in 30 minutes' dinner. Not quite to Jamies' standard but good enough for me.

Ingredients

1 400g can of Red Kidney beans; drained & rinsed under water

1 200g can of sweetcorn; drained & rinsed under water

1 tblsp of oil (Olive, vegetable or sunflower)

1/2 tsp of mustard seeds

3/4 tsp of cumin seeds

pinch of asafoetida (optional)

1/4 tsp of turmeric

1/2 tsp of chilli powder

2 tsp of ground coriander

3/4 tsp of salt

3/4 tsp of sugar

1 fresh tomato; chopped

some water

handful of fresh coriander

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and once hot add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, add the asafoetida (if using) then add the red kidney beans and sweetcorn. Add all the spices and the tomato, and stir well. Add enough water so it covers the kidney beans and sweetcorn then cover with a lid half on and cook on a medium heat for 20-25 mins. Half way through the cooking time you can give it a stir and taste it to see if you need to adjust the seasoning. Add water if you want the dish to be more saucy. Once done garnish with the fresh coriander.

Serve with whole lettuce leaves, yoghurt and poppadoms, for an Indian lettuce wrap dinner.

(The picture above is not the dinner we had, but an idea of what it looked like!)

Feta & Tomato Rotli

This is what I've just had for lunch. It was so tasty I thought I'd blog about it. Very tasty way to eat leftover rotli (Indian bread) and the odd bits of food that just hang around the fridge waiting to be eaten.

Ingredients

Two rotli (OK If you haven't got these handy, then any 'wrap' type of bread will do)
1 tomato; chopped
Some feta cheese
Handful of fresh coriander; chopped
Some fresh red chilli; chopped
Salt & pepper to season

Method

Place the tomato in the rotli and then crumble the feta on top. Add the coriander and chilli and season to taste. Roll carefully, and eat shamelessly!

Chilli Paneer

Oh I love a bit of chilli paneer. There are loads of recipes for chilli paneer, and my cousin does a fab chilli paneer, but this is one I made on Friday night.

What I liked about this recipe is dry frying and then grinding the whole spices. The taste and smell they gave off was delish.

Ingredients:

1 packet of paneer; (which turned out to be 227grams), cut into cubes

1/2 tbsp of whole coriander seeds

1/2 tsp (or a pinch ) of fenugreek seeds

1 dry red chilli

1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

A few black peppercorns
1 small onion; sliced
1 garlic clove; chopped until paste like
1 or 1/2  green chilli; chopped (see how you go!)
1 green pepper; cut into cubes
2 fresh tomatoes; chopped up
salt to season

Method

Take all the whole spices (coriander, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilli, cumin seeds, and black peppercorn) and dry roast them in a frying pan on a medium heat. Keep shaking the pan around every so often and then once they start giving off a nice aroma, you'll know they are done. Transfer to a pestle and mortar, and let them cool down for a minute or two, before you grind them down so they become a powder. Set aside.

Heat some oil in a pan and add the onion, and cook until translucent, then add the garlic, green chilli, pepper, tomatoes, the grounded whole spices and some salt. Cook for about 5 minutes uncovered then add the paneer. Mix well and cook for a further 8-10 minutes until the paneer has soaked up the moisture. Once done garnish with fresh coriander and serve with roti, salad or just some natural yoghurt.

Spinacio's,

Easter weekend the American Vegetarian and I drove down to St Ives in Cornwall, and had ourselves an amazing time. Cornwall is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful parts of the UK. Not only is the scenery amazing, the food is too. From Cornish cheese yarg (cheese wrapped in stinging nettles) baguettes from the Cornish deli, to cream tea at Madelines' to a full on veggie feast at Spinacio's. The food was tasty and the options for vegetarians was varied, which always makes a lovely change.

One restaurant we went to twice was Spinacio's. A vegetarian restaurant on St Ives harbour. The restaurant is on the first floor of the Old Custom House, so if you're lucky enough to get a window seat, you can eat your meal overlooking the glorious views of St Ives harbour. Even if you're not sitting by the window, you will not be disappointed. The menu is well thought out, and offers a great variety that stays away from the usual cheese/mushroom affair. 

On our first night, for starters we had a beetroot and walnut pate served with home made cheese straws. This dish was just sublime. The cheese straws just crumbled away beautifully and the pate was very tasty. I've never eaten something like this and thought the pate was an original way to serve beetroot. I loved this dish. The second night we were there we opted for the sautéed asparagus served with bread. The asparagus was tender, delicious and I could have eaten it all night.

For mains on our first night we had bubble & squeak croquettes served with cauliflower and carrot and the American Vegetarian opted for toasted almond tomato and spinach curry with rice, puri and raita. Both dishes were great and very filling. The second night we both opted for Cannelloni Bean and mint patties served with carrot and lime purée, green veg and salad. Every dish we had tasted great. We treated ourselves to dessert on our last night and had old fashioned cheesecake with brambly apple compote. OMG! Seriously good cheesecake

The dishes were original and the options were very good. Their portions too are nice and generous, and on both occasions we left feeling extremely satisfied. We didn't come here twice because it was a vegetarian restaurant, but because the food was amazing, the service of the staff impeccable and friendly and the views of St Ives harbour priceless. I felt this restaurant was more about good food, then being vegetarian. The fact that it is vegetarian shows that there are many adventurous possibilities when it comes to vegetarian dining.  Non vegetarians would also feel very satisfied here as well. 

Every where we ate in St Ives, it seemed the food was locally sourced. This made a huge difference to the taste and quality of the food we experienced. St Ives is a magical place, and the food does it justice. As for Spinacio's well it is one of the best vegetarian restaurants I've been to..ever.

Spinacio's
Old Custom House, Wharf Road, St Ives, Info/booking: 01736 7988
info@spinacios.co.uk

Real Bread

Last week I came home and the American Vegetarian presented me with a warm slice of bread with some melted butter on top. I took a bite and was instantly transported to a place called bliss. It was pure heaven. She became inspired after watching an episode of The Great British Food Revival and Michel Roux Jr was banging on about how real bread is not only better for you but a much more delightful product to consume. The stuff that is in all supermarkets has so many more ingredients (processing aids, artificial additives, E numbers galore etc) and we (the great British public) are consuming this 'bread' rather then supporting our local artisan bakery or just making it at home. Real bread has only four main ingredients;

Flour, water, yeast and salt.

So feeling inspired myself on this Sunday morning I decided to make my own loaf of wholemeal bread. I used the recipe that is on the back of the Hovis Wholemeal Flour I bought to make the bread. I was surprised at how simple, quick and easy it actually is. Making the dough took me no more than 20 minutes and then whilst it was proving (resting) for 2 hours, I had some tea, chilled out and began writing this blog. Once proved it only takes 30 minutes in the oven before your home starts smelling like a bakery and you have some wonderful bread to devour.

There is something really special about eating warm bread that you have kneaded yourself. Especially with some butter on it. You can taste the love you put in it. I'm not being romantic but bread, as opposed to other home made dishes, just tastes so good. I suppose its because we are so used to what the supermarkets sell us that we've forgotten just how good real bread is .

As a society we've labeled bread 'brown' and 'white'. Brown bread being good for you and slightly more expensive and white bread being cheaper and not as healthy. But there is a lot of misguided information and selling that big brands and supermarkets do in order to make the public believe they are buying  brown bread when in actual fact they are still buying white bread. And this is one of my biggest bug bears!

White bread is any bread which is made using wheat flour, and brown bread is any bread made using whole meal or whole grain. Basically if you want brown bread, look at the ingredients at the back and if it doesn't say 'wholemeal or 'whole grain' then the loaf that you are buying is white. Even though it may look brown and has sunflower grains all over it, if it doesn't say wholemeal or whole grain, then it's not brown. White bread that looks white is white because of the bleach they add to it. This of course should always be given a wide berth.

But this post isn't about shop bought bread, this is about the wonderful home made bread I have just made, and implore you to do the same.

Ingredients:

500g of strong wholemeal flour
25g/1oz of butter
1 1/4 tsp of salt
1 1/2 tsp of bread yeast
350 ml (12 fluid oz) of warm water
2 tsp of agave nectar (The actual recipe calls for sugar, so you can use that, but also adding a sweetener is optional. It just adds to flavour and gives the bread a thicker crust)

Method

Mix together the flour, agave nectar (if using), and salt. Rub in the butter and then stir in the yeast. Stir in the water and mix into a soft dough by hand. Then knead the dough for about 10 minutes by hand. If using an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, then only knead for 5 minutes. Shape the dough, (after kneading I shaped the dough into two separate balls) then place in a greased loaf tin. (You can also use a baking tray). Cover with a clean damp tea towel (this stops the dough from drying out) and leave in a warm place for 2 hours.

Uncover and bake in a preheated oven at 230C (450 F/Gas mark 8) for 30 minutes. Once ready the bread should sound hollow when tapped underneath.

Serve with butter and love. Enjoy!

Click on The Real Bread Campaign for more information.

The American pancake V the English pancake

As its Pancake day I thought I'd write about pancakes. Now since the American Vegetarian entered my life, I have consumed more pancakes then I ever have done. Before, I only ever had pancakes maybe once every few years on pancake day and then again if I passed a creperie. But I never made them at home.

I was introduced to the American pancake when I spent time in the States. Small, fluffy things stacked on top of each other with fresh fruit and maple syrup. I remember going to Ihop and the choice you had was astonishing. You had the original buttermilk pancake, the 'Harverst Grain 'n' Nut pancake, Strawberry banana pancake, New York Cheesecake pancake(!!!), Cinnamon pancakes, Blueberry pancakes and Chocolate chip pancakes!!! (Wow I'm so hungry now, I actually want to buy a ticket to the US just to go to Ihop).

Now here in the UK and other European destinations, we favour the thinner style pancake, also known as crepes. They taste great with some lemon and sugar or even some Nutella. These pancakes remind me of walking around a market or festival where there would no doubt be a crepe stall and treating myself to a cheeky snack. I love the lightness of these crepes, and I love the combination of lemon and sugar. This combination for me only works on these types of pancakes. I never have lemon and sugar on American style pancakes. My topping of choice would undoubtedly be blueberries.

For me the American pancake wins hands down. I mean what other country has a franchise dedicated entirely to pancakes. I can't think of a chain here in the UK that is renowned for serving English pancakes. I know there is My Old Dutch, but they're dutch pancakes. Also the American pancakes are much more of a breakfast thing. I find the crepe more of a lunch or snack food.

I love the fluffiness of an American pancake, and I love putting different toppings on it like blueberries, strawberries, bananas and yoghurt, but what I love most is relaxing on a Saturday morning whilst the American Vegetarian makes me American style pancakes. Aaahhh bliss.