Organic food stores expand rapidly

Organic food and Health stores are undergoing a hefty expansion in Germany, with the Vitalia chain taking over several locations from the bankrupt Schlecker drugstore chain in Munich alone.The businesses are profiting from a continued and expanded interest in natural cosmetics as well as greater demand for natural and organic foods .People with food allergies, those who cannot tolerate gluten, and vegetarians and vegans are helping to boost the expansion.

Let us hope that the UK follows this mood and does not go backward bearing in mind some of the negative comments relating to the benefits of organics that has been promulgated by some organisations in recent past.

Vegetarian Restaurant in Twickenham

I have just come across a reference to this restaurant in Twickenham and it sounded so good
that I thought it would be good to share the information.

The restaurant is Blah Blah Blah Gourmet vegetarian restaurant

http://www.blahvegetarian.co.uk 

I have not visited it myself as yet so if anyone has please post a reply to this blog

Vegetarian Restaurants that are not just Indian are rare enough so if you know of any others that you would like to recommend post a reply

So did you really want Horse and Pig ??

I have just been listening to a debate regarding the recent revelations ofprobity of the meat industry and the concerns of cross contamination of the meat supply.

It seems that more notice is now being given to contamination of beef with Pig than the addition of a little equine essence. The consequential impact on various religious groups being seen as an important issue.
I have a solution to this, Go Vegetarian , No more concerns re Halal or kosher meat, no more worries about the impact on spiritual purity, no more worries about hidden antibiotics & other medication in the food supply, Oh and less livestock means less methane gas which so we are informed adds more to global warming than industry.

Just think of the reduced food bill in our prisons alone & no more special catering required to the various religious factions.

Meat can be nice (I enjoy the occasional steak etc..) but it is not essential to a healthy varied diet. Meat is most often the single most costly component on our dinner plate, so in these days of austerity going even partly meat free can be a great money saver.

So forget burger gate & Go Vegetarian

Cheap Cheese ??

We all like a good buy and the rise of lower cost food suppliers is making an impact on our choice of food options. But nothing is perfect in this world.
Currently we have the issue of is it beef or maybe horse or pig or a little bit of
all of them in low cost burgers.

Well were you aware of the following ( I should mention that the actual issue arose in 2009 but the fine applied this month)

Lidl pays € 1.5m for deadly cheese delay


Discount supermarket chain Lidl has been fined €1.5 million for leaving dangerous, Listeria-contaminated cheese on sale for too long. One person died after eating the cheese and three more became ill.
Listeria is a bacterium - usually eliminated in the pasteurization process - which causes serious infections in humans and can be life-threatening for people suffering from other illnesses, pregnant mothers or new born children.

We may be  aware of age and condition of Meat and Fish regarding safety but this could be a warning over cheese kept beyond it's use by date especially soft cheeses.

Vegi Options

Why oh Why do restaurants offer vegetarian Options.
It is so typical that menus list their various available dishes and then ,
Please ask for vegetarian Options!

Why is it so difficult to name and list the vegetarian dishes along with all other dishes.
It could be they might suggest that they sell less vegetarian dishes and so do not have a regular offering as it is not profitable.
Hey here is a thought , make the vegetarian dishes openly available and maybe more people would choose them. Not just because they are vegetarian but because they are an inviting and tasty dish.
I make a choice based on what attracts me, it might be meat, fish  or vegetarian, I like them all.
Just because I like steak it does not mean I never eat anything else.

I get really fed up with restaurants that treat Vegetarian food as a second rate option.
A restaurant near to me has a menu with the usual limited Vegi burger or some form of vegi tart etc..on their main menu, yet if you ask, they have a secret vegetarian menu with maybe 3 or 4 additional choices. Why are these not on the main menu ????
Oh and to finish my rant, why so much cheese? it is quite simple to make delicious dishes without either meat , fish or cheese.
Come on you restaurants have some imagination please.

To add that extra dimension to your menu why not try these slightly different ingredients.


Fortyfold

Not just a spud

Fortyfold is the oldest culinary British variety of potato still available.It dates from around 1800 and was described as an "old type" in Victorian literature. It is thought to have come from the north west of England and had some publicity as being the original potato used in Lancashire hotpot and Lobscouse, the Liverpool equivalent. 
They have a high protein valuer with an interesting nutty flavour unlike most modern varieties.
Good for Roasting / baking



Carotino

Healthier Cooking Oil with red palm fruit

Rich in natural antioxidant alpha and beta carotene's, essential for maintaining good health and a strong immune system.
Also contains vitamin E and omega 3 & 6.

And NO Cholesterol

Is said to be a healthier cooking oil than even olive oil.

Good for frying,roasting,baking,sauces & salad dressings.

I have found this oil to be a delight to use and has a great taste and thanks to the red palm gives an interesting red tinge to anything cooked in it. Great when making a vegetable chilli or just to make your dish a little more colourful.

for more information take a look at www.carotino.co.uk

Vegetable hot pot

This tasty economical dish takes very little effort to prepare, even in large quantities. It makes a filling and nutritious meal, ideal for a large hungry family or when you have a lot of guests. 
Hotpot lends itself particularly well to slow cooking. If you can spare the time, you can improve it by turning down the oven and cooking for longer than the one hour suggested here. It won't overcook or dry out, provided you keep the pot covered.
The qua

ntities given here will make a main course dish for four. But please don't follow the recipe too slavishly. In particular, feel free to vary the vegetables according to what you have available and what's in season , root vegetables always form a great base which you can add to.

Ingredients

• 5 large potatoes
• 1kg of your choice of mixed vegetables, such as carrots, celery, leeks, mushrooms, parsnips, swede, turnips, onions or anything else you like, in any combination
• One 400 g can of beans (cannellini, haricot or butter beans)
• 2 tsp. yeast extract (Marmite, Vegemite, or similar) 
• 1 tsp. mixed dried herbs
• 8 fl oz, 240 ml  hot Vegetable stock ( water + vegetable stock cube or similar)
• Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 320F (160C)

Peel or clean the vegetables as appropriate, cut them into 2 cm chunks,  drain and rinse the beans, and mix with the vegetables being sure the beans and vegetables are well mixed and place them in a large oven dish.

Fully dissolve the yeast extract in the vegetable stock, add the dried herbs & Pour the mixture over the vegetables.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 cm slices.

Arrange the potato slices over the top of the vegetables so that they cover the entire surface. 

Sprinkle a little salt and ground black pepper over the potatoes.

Cover the pot. Cook it in the oven for an hour, or until the potatoes are completely soft. Optionally remove the cover for the last ten minutes so that the potatoes are browned.

If you like a little extra heat in your food try adding a little paprika, chilli or even curry powder but not so much as to spoil the sweetness of the vegetables.

For more texture 2 or 3 table spoons of red lentils can make a nice addition.

If you have the time gently sauteing the vegetables in extra virgin olive oil for a few mins before adding the beans can also add extra flavour and the oil is a nice addition to the dish as a whole.

If you choose to try out this dish why not post a comment ?