Spicy Potato and Pea Samosa Recipe

These little morsels are great for picnics (now that we have wonderful weather!) parties and for a lunch on the run! Okay, so I am cheating here and telling you to buy ready made filo pastry (shock horror) but I don't have the time and I'm sure you probably don't either (and there is a knack to making it which will take a few attempts and I am not here to put you off cooking but to encourage!) so use a good quality ready made filo pastry and I promise you won't go to cooking hell!

Ingredients:
1 pack of vegan filo pastry
4 tbsp of olive oil mixed with 2 tbsp of water to make a wash for the pastry
1/2 an onion sliced into small cubes
1 large potato cut into small 1cm cubes (don't use a ruler, they just need to be small enough to cook all the way through, so make em small!)
1/2 Cup of Peas (frozen is fine)
1/2 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes
1 tbsp of Mustard seeds
1 tsp of Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of Smoked paprika
1/2 tsp of Turmeric
1/4 tsp of Cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
Glug of olive oil
A Pastry Brush

In a pan, heat the glug of olive oil, add the onion, mustard seeds, cumin, paprika, turmeric and cayenne and gently fry. You don't want to have the pan boiling hot as this will burn the spices rather than heat them to allow the flavours to infuse with the oil. Then add the potatoes and gently fry for 10mins, stirring every few minutes so they don't stick to the pan. Turn the pan heat down, add the peas and tomatoes and gently fry for another 5-10 mins until the cherry tomatoes have popped and let out their juices to make a little sauce. With a knife, slice into one of the cubes of potatoes. They will still be firm but will not resist the knife. When they reach this stage, we are ready to do the pastry and make our samosas!

On a clean and dry counter unwrap the filo pastry and gently peel one sheet away from the rest. Take extra care doing this, as it is a very delicate pastry and breaks and tears very easily! With the rest of the pastry that we aren't yet using, roll it back up and place under a damp clean tea towel so it doesn't dry out and crack.

With your first sheet of pastry, gently give it a 'wash' of the oil and water mix using a pastry brush. This will help the layers stick together and stop the pastry drying out. Then slice it length ways into two long strips with a knife, being careful not to drag and rip the pastry.
Then place a tablespoon of your mixture into the bottom left hand corner.

Then take the top left hand corner and gently fold it over to the mixture to create a triangle shape.

Place a hand gently under the triangle and fold it over so that you are back at the beginning of the folding pattern again. Then take the bottom left hand corner and fold it upwards towards the top right hand corner. Keep folding in the triangle shape until you come to the end of the pastry strip and gently fold in any edges that are sticking out. Place on a baking tray which is non stick or has some baking parchment on it. I made around 10 samosas but keep making until you run out of mixture or pastry!

Bake in an oven at 190c for 20-30mins until they are crunchy and golden. Serve with rice, salad and mango relish or once cool, pop in a tub for lunch the next day!

Upcoming events!

Deerly Beloved Bakery will be having stalls or catering the following events over the next few months! So pop the dates in your diary and join our facebook page for updates!

• April Friday 27th and Saturday the 28th 9-5pm We will be having a stall at the Forum as part of the Mind, body and Spirit Festival which this year has a emphasis on green businesses. We will be there both days selling our vegan and gluten free cakes, savouries and chocolates! Join our facebook events page here!
• May Saturday the 19th Deerly Beloved Bakery will be in Manchester catering the Victoria Baths Fanzine Convention for the second year running! We will also be celebrating our official 1st birthday as a bakery! So come along and enjoy our vegan cakes, bakes and savouries in this creative setting and meet some inspiring artists too! Read more about this fantastic day here!  And join our Facebook events page here!
• July The amazing Norwich Veggie Fair will be returning on the 21st after the success of last years event. I have only just confirmed I will be attending this event and planning is still going on, so keep your eye's peeled for updates! But if it is anything like last years it will be showcasing the best of vegan and veggie goodness! 

Would you like Deerly Beloved Bakery to have a stall at your event? Would you like us to cater your event or party? Please get in touch with us at  deerlybelovedbakeryvegan@gmail.com  or phone us on 07768762998!

In other news I have received my first photo from someone who has made one of my recipes! My friend Lee Youngs who went vegan 3 months ago made my Calzone recipe! I have had emails from people saying they have tried my recipes and that they have come out great but I have never had a photo before! It is a bit of a strange feeling but in a great way! Thanks so much Lee! Have a go at making it yourself!

Don't forget there is still time to order your Easter chocolates! I have a few more available so be quick as once I am fully booked I may not be able to get them to you in time! Find out more about our Easter range here Ordering can't be easier! Just email me your order and you can either send a cheque or I will send you a Paypal invoice to your email address. 

Marinated mushrooms and avocado mayonnaise

These two incredibly simple recipes are lunch time staples in the Deerly Beloved house. Whether the mushrooms are sliced and used in a sandwich for an earthy deep flavour to rival all processed fake sandwich slices, mixed whole into a salad or (when using large Portobello mushrooms) to pop between two burger buns to make an incredible burger these raw marinaded mushrooms are quick and super healthy! The avocado mayo is again a quick companion and can be used in sandwiches, salads, burgers, on potatoes, just about anthing you can think of! And again it just so happens to be raw and full of amazing avocado fats that are brilliant for your body!

So to the raw marinated mushrooms!

This marinade is enough for 8-10 chestnut mushrooms which is enough for 2 to 4 people for sandwiches or salad. If marinading portobello mushrooms for burgers double the quantities!

3 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of Tamari (Tamari is naturally gluten free which is why I use it here, but you could use shoyu)
2 spring onions chopped finely
1 tbsp of nutritional yeast flakes
1 clove of garlic chopped fine
1/2 tsp of agave

Pop the mushrooms in a bowl of cool water and give them a quick wash to remove any dirt. I know everyone tells you never to wash a mushroom as they are like mini sponges, but because we are using them raw in this recipe I like to give them a wash to be safe. And it's not like we are leaving them to soak! We are just giving them a quick spin in cold water! Then snap the stems off the mushrooms and pop them and the mushroom caps into a shallow dish. (you can also slice them up at this stage to make Portobellos into a flavourful sandwich slice!) Sprinkle all your ingredients over the mushrooms and then you can leave them from half an hour, to over night in the fridge to really soak up some attitude! And then they are ready!

Avocado Mayonnaise

1 ripe avocado
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1/2 clove of garlic crushed
Pinch of salt to taste

In a pestle and mortar grind up the garlic with the salt, it will be come a fragrant paste. Then add the avocado and lemon juice and grind, slowly add the oil a bit at a time to make a gorgeous green emulsion. Give it a little taste and see if it needs any more lemon or salt. Serve immediately to avoid it turning a muddy green colour!

So there you go! Two really simple lunch time (or any time) recipes! Enjoy!

Olive, spinach, sundried tomato and chive salad that I think is wonderful with these two recipes! 

New this week!

New this week is the Deerly Beloved Bakery Lemon and Lavender sponge Cake! A Rich Lemon Sponge topped and sandwiched with buttercream flavoured with organic lavender flower buds! Available tomorrow at Biddy's Tea Room! 

As always the yummy Cinnamon Whirls will be available at The St Benedict's Food Store tomorrow too!

Remember Easter and mothers day is fast approaching! So make sure you order early for the Spring Chocolate box! And our beautiful chocolate spring lambs! Check out how to order here! http://www.deerlybelovedbakery.blogspot.com/p/deerly-beloved-bakery-chocolates.html

We can also do larger selections too! Just ask!

Also this week I made some artwork for my fiancé new music project. Anyone who know me and Kyle will also know that we have put on alternative music nights in Norwich for the last 2 years, and we actually met each other through our own music! Check out Kyle's new crazy ass Lo-Fi glitch hop at www.pickkles.bandcamp.com  

Enjoy the sunshine! X

Easter chocolates!

Easter Spring Lamb.
Easter wouldn't be Easter without a cute little spring lamb! This one is made from 72% solid, organic and fair trade chocolate. What a great Easter present for your beloved! £5 and can be delivered anywhere in the UK for £3.30 P+P  Secure your order now and they will be posted out on the 31st of March so that they reach you in time for the Easter holidays!

The Easter Spring Box.

The Easter spring box is naturally gluten free and of course vegan! It contains:
2 Blueberry and camomile truffles. Fresh home-made macerated blueberry sauce is mixed with organic camomile flowers to create this smooth truffle with organic and fair trade 72% chocolate.
2 Lemon and Pine Nut pralines. Fresh lemon juice and zest stirred into 72% chocolate with home-made chunky pine nut paste.
2 Pistachio Nut Caramels. Home-made thick caramel with chopped pistachios and a hint of sea salt encased in 72% organic and fair trade chocolate.
£7 for a box of 6. Can be posed anywhere in the UK for £3.30. Secure your order now and they will be posted out on the 31st of March so that they reach you in time for the Easter holidays!

The Deerly Beloved Bakery blog is a year old!

                 

That's right! The blog turns a year old this Thursday! And to celebrate I will be giving away a little spring lamb to one lucky reader! The lamb is made from 72% organic and fair trade chocolate. To win all you have to do is subscribe to the blog (scroll down and on the right hand side it says 'join this site' click on it to subscribe) and  leave your email address in the comments box under this blog post so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner! All new subscribers from today will be entered into the competition and then on Thursday 8th of March I will choose one lucky winner at random! This is only open to UK residents. Good luck and a huge thanks to all 9535 readers so far! You rock! And here's to another year of recipes, photos and veganess! X

This competition is now closed and the winner is Anne-Marie! Thanks to everyone who entered! X

Clutter City Spring Fair!

The Spring Clutter City was yesterday and it was amazing! It was a sell out and I am so sorry if your favourite cake had gone by the time you got to my stall! (damn you for being so popular green tea and pistachio whoopie pie!) But I will be back at the Forum for a 2 day event at the end of April (more to come on that!) Thanks to everyone who came and chatted to us and bought cakes! It's so nice to hear from vegans who love our cakes and chocolates and thank us for providing them with a stall that they 'can eat anything from'! And it's so nice to meet people who aren't vegan but love our cakes too because of our different flavour combinations and because 'you wouldn't know it didn't have dairy in it'! Thanks to you all XXX

Also my lovely friend Rosamunde had a wonderful stall selling handmade fabric and felt toys! Once she has a web page I will pop it on here!