A Few New Things I've tried

I thought I'd just put up a few pictures of things I've tried recently.  These 'Provamel' Soya Nuggets were quite nice, not too expensive either, and good to have as a snack with a dip. I don't think I'll be getting them again anytime soon though, but I'd recommend them to someone who loves their quick and easy finger food.

The 'Wheaty' Seitan Steak I bought last week was AMAZING and very filling and meaty in this little bun with BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, homemade refried Mexican beans and rocket. Even though the seitan was super tasty (somewhat akin to a frankfurter/smoky hotdog), I don't think I'll be buying it again because it was so expensive at €3.50 for the burger-sized portion. I've seen a much bigger block of it somewhere in town (if only I could remember where! Maybe Down to Earth on George's Street?) for around €7.50, which is much better value as there's about 3 times as much in that packet and it could be sliced thinly too for luncheon meat. The burger-sized slice was a little too thick for my liking as it was a struggle to finish when combined with the bread roll and all the other ingredients, but I assume someone with a normal-sized appetite would probably think it was just about right (I have a little tummy!). I definitely want to buy some again soon though, if I can find it somewhere cheaper, as it was the nicest burger-in-a-bun I've had for a long time.

A product which I've used a lot recently, that I get from the Hopsack in Rathmines, is Xylitol. It's an all natural low-calorie and kind-to-your-teeth alternative to sugar. It pretty much tastes exactly like sugar too, the only downfall is that it's quite expensive at €3.75 for a small bag. I only ever use it in cooking or in porridge though so it lasts me a good while. I love the Hopsack so much, it's a really tiny shop but is packed with so many cool products. They have a fridge full of dairy and meat substitutes and ice creams, sprouted beans from The Happy Pear in Greystones, raw chocolates from Natasha's Living Food, loads of seeds, nuts, dried fruit, cereal bars - anything you could ever want! The staff are so friendly and helpful too.

The Tofu Pizza slice, Carrot & Arame Strudel, and Yellow Split Pea & Celeriac Soup from Blazing Salads pictured below were a bit of a mixed bunch. I thought I'd never fail to be impressed with their food, but I was wrong. The pizza slice was very greasy and the basil pesto was overpowering. The tofu topping was also quite bland (which could have been the reason for laying the pesto on so thick) but towards the end of the experience actually started to taste quite cheesy. I think I probably just wasn't used to something so strange on a pizza. I really do prefer the refried beans they use in Hell. It was also VERY oily and wasn't wrapped up properly so the oil got all over the place! I don't think I'll be getting it again, although if you like that kind of thing was it good value for €2.95 and quite filling. I ate it cold, so maybe it would have been better warm.
























The Strudel is another savoury of theirs that I won't be getting again. Totally not worth the €3.05 I paid for it. I'd only recommend it if you like seaweed, because this literally was just a load of arame and a bit of carrot wrapped in some filo pastry with some sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Even for someone like me who loves sea vegetables, it was quite strong and salty. However I did really like the flaky pastry, and I guess as seaweed is so good for you nutritionally it was a healthy option.

Their soup was, again, another hit. The yellow split peas tasted similar to lentils and it was thick and flavoursome. I'd definitely buy it again.


















I wasn't expecting much of the M&S Vegetable & Bean Chilli Soup, but I was surprised because it was actually really nice! It did just taste like a watered down version of my own Mixed Bean Chilli though, so I don't think I'd buy it again as I could just make it myself.

Snack-Attack!

One of my favourite snacks has to be toasted corn. It's so crispy, crunchy and addictive - way better than popcorn! I nipped into the Asian Market on Drury Street the other day to pick up a packet. They only cost €1.10 for quite a large bag, and the kernels are huge compared to any toasted corn pieces I've seen in health food shops! I scanned the shelves quickly and also saw some other flavours (such as chicken and curry) in a different section.  There were these cute little strawberries there too for a euro and I couldn't resist picking one up. It folds out into a handy orange little bag with "Asia Market" written on the front :)

Another snack I tried recently was the rice ball from Blazing Salads. It's like a big onigiri with mashed beans and vegetables inside, which has then been lightly fried on the outside. At €2.90 I was expecting something a little more exciting, but whereas the texture of the outer part of the rice was lovely, the centre was quite bland and disappointing. It came with a ginger shoyu dip and without it would definitely have been quite tasteless. I only just noticed that day that Blazing Salads have loyalty cards. You can get one for savories and another for the salad bar. I only have the savory card at the moment but plan to get my mitts on one for the salad bar next time I buy one. I'm not sure what the deal is with the salad card, but with the savory loyalty you get every 11th savory free. I would like to go back soon because I have my eye set on the arame & carrot strudel!

Souper Saturday!

This weekend, I've decided to try out some different kinds of soups. This Butternut Squash Soup with Indian Spices from Blazing Salads was so tasty I was rather disappointed when the carton was empty. It reminded me of a thicker and sweeter kind of carrot and coriander soup. I didn't really notice the spices, although there are cumin, tumeric, mustard seeds, curry powder and garlic listed as ingredients on the side of the tub. All the ingredients complimented each other nicely and were not at all overpowering. I imagine it would be an ideal soup for a cold Winter's day, as it was so comforting and filling.

However, my favourite was this Ukrainian Borche, which is also from Blazing Salads. I found the colour a little offputting, as the onions and parsnips mixed with the beetroot made it look like a bowl of rhubarb... and I hate rhubarb with a passion! I managed to look beyond this though and I was so glad that I did: the Borche is one of the nicest, heartiest soups I've ever tasted. It is very similar to a standard vegetable and bean broth, but the celeriac, bay leaves and marjoram give it an interesting kick.

At €3.90 these are reasonably priced for fresh soups with all-natural ingredients. I'm definitely going to go back and try some more!

I've been busy in the kitchen this morning, making a polenta and vegetable "pie" for this evening, whilst trying to do a million and one other things at the same time... as I was putting the dinner plates away I accidentally knocked Mr. Saltz off the shelf. Here he is, looking quite stunned, while Mr. Peppie is in shock and seems rather distraught that his best friend (who he was quite attached to) is now defunct.

Burgers, Pasties & Some Culture!

Today I went to the Irish Museum of Modern Art to see two exhibitions of works by Spanish painter Ferran Garcia Sevilla, and Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa. Both were very interesting, especially Garaicoa's architecturally-inspired paper creations, so I'd recommend a trip to IMMA to see them if you're at a loose end around Dublin one weekend in the near future.

On the way back I decided to call into Blazing Salads to pick up some food to review for the blog. I was planning on buying some of their ready meals. I would not normally buy any sort of ready meal as I prefer to cook from scratch, so I know what has gone into my meal and know that it will be healthy... of course this would not be a problem with Blazing Salad's excellent standards of cuisine, but when I saw the price they charge for this privilege I decided I couldn't really afford to get a few meals when they were over €7.00 each! Instead I opted for the Sweet Potato Burger and the Butternut Squash Pastie. Neither were listed on the website as I thought they would be, so I do not have a list of the exact ingredients. At just over €2.00 each they were good value and filling. I preferred the pastie to the burger, as I found the burger to be a bit blander than I expected. However the butternut squash in the pastie made it sweet and juicy, and it was the perfect size. Pasties are normally quite greasy, but this little wholemeal-pastry-encased delight was nothing but healthy :)

I also picked up a couple of their frozen soups to review over the next couple of days. One is a Ukrainian broth with beetroot, beans and parsnips, whereas the other is an Indian spiced butternut squash soup. A large pot costs only €3.90, and you can get them already heated in store for lunch, along with a slice of their sourdough bread. All their soups are vegan and I had trouble choosing which ones to buy. I can't wait to try them as they look adventurous and intriguing!

Blazing Salads

Today I went for lunch at Blazing Salads, which is a little deli on Drury Street in Dublin 2, just down from the rear entrance to George's Street Arcade. Their salads are freshly prepared on the day and although filling a tub can be quite expensive, it is worth every cent. There are several salads available, all of which are vegan:

• Tabouli
• Fruity Red cabbage with orange & apple
• Carrot with toasted almond in a lemon olive oil dressing
• Noodles with spicy/balsamic shoyu dressing
• Dutch white cabbage salad with dulse seaweed
• Tossed mixed leaves, red onion shaved carrot with lemon & mustard
• Chickpeas with carrot, red onion in chilli/lemon dressing
• New potato with pinto bean, radicio in balsamic dressing  
• Energy boosting lentil & barley salad  
• Tomato, avocado, cucumber with fresh oregano, fresh mint & olive oil
• Hummus

Blazing Salads also have a refrigerated section for sandwiches and healthy homemade ready-meals, a deli counter full of samosas, burgers, cakes and biscuits, and always have a few soups on offer. Most of their produce is vegetarian although there are several vegan options and it's definitely worth a visit - I guarantee that everything is so nice you won't be able to choose what to get, so you'll just have to keep on visiting! ;)

Here's a picture of a lovely hot cocoa with soya milk that I had while I relaxed on the streets of Temple Bar, chilling and chatting with friends.

My Favourite Visitor

My father came over for a few days and we ate some lovely food - including gorgeous bhajis and curries from Monty's of Kathmandu, sandwiches and salads from Blazing Salads and a load of homecooked stuff.......... but did I take any photos? NO! I didn't! I am officially absolutely hopeless! I suppose it just demonstrates what an amazing time I was having with my father, I really don't get to see him as often as I'd like to. I'm very close to him, he's one of the greatest people on this planet! I am pleased to say that my omnivore father enjoyed all of my vegan cooking (including the chilli non carne and broccoli soup I have mentioned here before), and he even had tempeh and veggie skewers at our barbecue as well as a few vegan cereal bars, flapjacks, chocolates and raw seed & nut cakes throughout the duration of his stay. We also visited the new milkshake bar. I had a vegan soya ice cream shake with peanut butter and bourbon biscuits - it was lovely! A bit pricey at just under 5 euros though, so I think if I want one I'll be making them at home in future. I really wish they had more vegan choices on their menu, I might suggest a few things to them! My father had the Fererro Rocher shake, it's his favourite chocolate so he was quite happy about that... Here are some random photos from his visit :)

Marlay Park Farmers Market

Today the boy and I cycled out to Marlay Park, in Rathfarnham. It was a lovely sunny day for a picnic and a stroll in the woods. Every Saturday there is a Farmers Market here in the courtyard of the main house. While the boy had brought a sandwich and a fruit salad with him straight from work, I had a yummy lettuce and red cabbage salad, 4 falafels and salsa & hummus dips. There were also stalls selling organic fruit jams, bread, cakes, muffins, olives, condiments, fish, pizzas, sausages and pretzels - something for everyone. Blazing Salads have a stall here selling their delicious bread and vegan cookies.

Here's a little photo collage of our afternoon trip. Pictured are some of Blazing Salad's cookies, my Falafel Salad, the Organic Jam stall, and a cute shot of myself and the boy holding hands ;) Click on it to enlarge!