Vegan Toad in the Hole

I've wanted to make vegan toad in the hole for ages, but I only really make toad in the hole if Mr Hef is coming round for tea. He's on holiday this week, so I thought why not, I'll cook a gigantic meal all for myself. I've made vegan yorkshires before using this recipe (I used this one because I'm afraid of egg replacers and other such things), so I just adapted it to what I had in my house and added veggie sausages. It couldn't be simpler and it actually came out better than some of the disastrous non-vegan ones I've made (I once made one which was just like a giant cake with sausages inside). Served with creamy mash and peas, this is the best vegan comfort meal I have ever discovered!

Serves 4

8 vegan sausages (I used these ones, just prepare according to the instructions)
A large glug of olive oil
225g plain flour
2 tsp gram flour
1 pint of almond milk
A large pinch of salt

1. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees, prepare your baking pan (large enough to fit 8 sausages in!) by pouring enough olive oil to cover the bottom in, then pop it in to the oven for 10 minutes. 
2. After 10 minutes, place your sausages in the pan and cook them in the oil for 10 minutes. 
3. Make the batter by sifting together the salt, plain flour and gram flour, then slowly whisk the almond milk in until you have a nice runny mixture with loads of bubbles (I like to use and electric whisk).
4. Remove your pan from the oven, and pour half of your mixture in to the pan, pop back in to the oven for 10 minutes, then pour the other half over the top. Pop back in to the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until it's looking brown and crispy. 
5. Serve up with some yummy mash and veg and enjoy! 

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Hummus, Avocado, Grilled Tomatoes and Pesto on Toast

I love breakfast, especially on days like today where my main concerns are what I'm going to eat and how long I can stay in bed watching TV before I start to feel guilty. Well I decided I wanted avocados on toast and that I could fit in a whole season of The Undateables before it was time to get out of bed and join society. I decided to add hummus, grilled tomatoes and pesto to my toast because I've had something similar in a restaurant before and it was quite simply amazing. I made my own pesto for this because the only one I can find that is vegetarian is super expensive and I'd rather have it without cheese, but store brought would also be yummy.

Serves one: (Mr Hef is on holiday, I'm eating all aloooone)

For the pesto:

3 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
3 handfuls of basil
Lots of olive oil
Salt and Pepper

For the toast:

2 slices of your favourite bread (I chose some kind of spelt, rye hybrid, the fancy name attracted me)
A handful of cherry tomatoes
Some more olive oil
Salt and pepper
half a tub of hummus
1 avocado, peeled and sliced

1. Start by making the pesto, if you have a mini chopper/food processor then chuck it all in there and whizz away, adding olive oil little by little until it has a nice runny consistency. If you broke yours like me or don't have one, crush the nuts in a pestle and mortar, then chop the basil finely and bash it all together with the pestle. Slowly add the olive oil until it has a nice runny consistency then top off with a bit of salt and pepper and pop it to one side. 
2. Slice your tomatoes in half, then place them sliced side up on a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil, then cover them with a little salt and pepper. 
3. Place your slices of bread on the same tray, then pop it under the grill on a low heat until the bread is toasted. 
4. Flip the bread over and toast until brown, then transfer it to a plate. Pop the tomatoes back under the grill and whack it up to full heat to give them a good old sizzle while you construct the toast. 
5. Spread as much hummus as you like over the top of your toast, then top with the sliced avocado. 
6. Remove the tomatoes from the grill and place them on top of the avocado. 
7. Dollop some of your pesto on, get back in to bed, put the telly on and enjoy!

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Chocolate and Marshmallow Whoopie Pies

I've been with Mr Hef for nearly 7 years now, which means we've had quite a few Valentines days together. I'm pretty sure he's had something homemade every year, because lets face it, buying Valentines gifts is hard. Last year it was brownies, the year before I made him a 3 course meal, the year before that I think I made him a really terrible handmade card. He's not here this year, so I'm pretty much off scott free, but I decided to do some pre Valentines baking, just 'cause. If you're looking for something that is simple to make, looks cute and doesn't cost a lot of money, these are perfect! I always think homemade gifts make the best gifts. I used a stencil and a piping bag to make the heart shapes, you can download the stencil I used here and place it under baking paper to pipe over. 

Makes around 12:

90g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
150g plain white flour
25g cocoa powder
A large pinch of baking powder
A large pinch of baking soda
A pinch of salt
1 small egg
100 ml buttermilk

Marshmallow butter cream:

75g softened butter
150g icing sugar
Half a tub of marshmallow fluff
A few drops of Milk to loosen

1. Start by heating up the oven to 180 degrees and prepare your baking trays by either printing lots of stencils and placing them under baking paper on a baking tray. Or trace the hearts on to the paper with a pencil, flip it over and place on a baking tray.
2. Pop the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat it together with an electric mixture until its nice and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg until it's nice and smooth, then add the buttermilk and keep mixing. 
4. Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt gradually and mix well until it's all combined. 
5. Spoon the mixture in to a piping bag, then pipe heart shapes, using your stencil on to the baking paper (you need 24 hearts all together)
6. Pop them in to the oven for 8-9 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack while you make the marshmallow frosting. 
7. To make the frosting, cream the butter and icing sugar together until thick and creamy, add a little milk if you think it needs loosening, then add the Marshmallow fluff and mix up well. 
8. Once the cookies are cool pipe the marshmallow mixture on to one side then squish another cookie on top. 
9. Whoopie pie done! Enjoy or put in to a fancy box and present to your lover. 

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