English veggie breakfast

I haven't made a proper fry up at home for a while and I thought that it would a nice thing to have on a Sunday morning when there's a bit more time to make and eat a bigger breakfast. After a little bit of effort, the huge breakfast was ready and it was so filling again. It really keeps you going for quite a while.

This time I made a slightly different version, still containing beans, fried tomato and mushroom, but I also added fried halloumi instead of veggie sausages. Halloumi makes a very good addition to the English breakfast, as it's so nice fried and it's an extra protein there and a filling agent.

The bread was spelt sourdough bread and I made the hash browns myself. I tried a new recipe with them that doesn't contain eggs, just potato, onion, seasoning and butter. I had a bit of a mishap with them, as they quite fell apart and became deconstructed hash browns. I think that was due to the too large potato pieces and perhaps I didn't let the butter and potatoes cool enough so that they would've stuck better together. However, they tasted wonderful with the breakfast, so I didn't care too much.

Are you a fan of a veggie fry up? What are your favourite components of the English breakfast?

Have a relaxing Sunday!

Your VegHog

Spelt and cheese scones

I think now I have finally become English! On a couple of days I have been baking scones and then having them with TEA! However I still kept some individuality by making savoury scones instead of sweet ones, which might not please the English so much.

I really like baking savoury rolls and things, and at the moment I have loads of spelt flower in my cupboard. I made a panic buy when I heard people talking about a threatening spelt shortage! I'm not sure if it actually has come to pass, but at least I have my flour and pearls now.

These scones couldn't be much easier to make, there's no kneading involved, and my recipe makes about 10 scones Ø 6cm.

Ingredients

225 g spelt flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

A pinch of cayenne pepper

55 g butter

50 g mature Cheddar cheese

150 ml milk + a little for brushing

Method

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper, and rub in the butter. Add the cheese and milk and mix only lightly into an even dough.

Spread the dough about 2 cm thick and cut scones of it with a round cookie cutter.

Brush the tops with little milk and sprinkle some additional cheese on them.

Place the scones on baking paper and bake them at 220C for about 15 minutes until they have risen slightly and have nice golden brown tops.

I must say they were really good with tea, so maybe give it a go! They are best consumed on the same day, but are still okay on the next as well.

Your VegHog

Vegetarian English onion soup

It has been little chilly lately even in England, so soups are in style again. I'm sure the summer season for light and fresh salads will arrive soonish, but now I feel more like making soups, broths and stews.

Onion soup is an especially wonderful and hearty winter dish, a very filling soup and easy to make. I have made an English style vegetarian onion soup instead of the typical French one. I used dry English cider and smoked cheddar, which make it rather English style. Give it a go, I'm sure you'll love it!

Ingredients for the soup:

4 large onions

25 g butter

1 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp flour

1dl dry English cider (for example Wyld Wood organic cider)

500 ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp black pepper

For the top:

Applewood smoked Cheddar

Rye bread slices (1 per a soup bowl)

Method

Peel the onions and chop them into crescent shapes. Heat the butter in a large pan. Caramelise the onions in the butter under lid at low heat until they are soft and browned. Season them with salt once little liquid has appeared. This stage takes anything from around 40 minutes to a couple of hours, so be patient and keep occasionally stirring.

Once the onions are turning brownish, mix the flour into the onions and then pour in the cider. Let it simmer for a few minutes and then also add the vegetable stock and the bay leaves. Continue simmering for around 30 minutes. Season the soup with soya sauce, black pepper and thyme and remove the bay leaves before serving.

In my mind rye bread with cheese is the best topping for this soup. Bake the rye bread slices with the cheese on the top in the oven and place the slices on the soup just before serving. Decorate with thyme leaves.

Enjoy the soup and feel the warmth!

Your VegHog

Full English vegetarian breakfast

The full English breakfast is a much criticised dish abroad but much loved by the English. It might seem a bit odd to people who are used to a continental breakfast or similar, but I can assure you that it has its good sides. It is definitely very filling and actually can be made in a healthier way as well.

Obviously I'm making a vegetarian version of the English breakfast but I'll try to honour some of the traditions. Normally an English breakfast is fairly meat invested business but it can easily be made as a vegetarian version and most pubs and cafes nowadays serve a vegetarian option.

Ingredients

Closed cup mushrooms

A tin of baked beans

Eggs

Vegetarian sausages

Tomatoes

White bread

Garlic

Olive oil

Chives

Pepper

Salt

Get many pans ready as you need to fry everything. They don't call it the fry-up for nothing, you know!

Start by preparing the veg: Cut the tomatoes in half and depending on the size of your mushrooms, you can cut them in half or quarter or even leave as whole. Chop a clove of garlic into small pieces.

Put the baked beans into a saucepan and heat at a low temperature.

Fry the mushrooms, tomatoes and vegetarian sausages in olive oil. Spice the mushrooms and the tomatoes with chives, salt and pepper. I'm sure that olive oil isn't traditionally used but it makes the whole dish feel healthier. Sausages can alternatively be grilled in the oven for a less greasy outcome.

Make scrambled eggs and the fried bread in separate pans. Fry the bread in olive oil adding the garlic later on so it doesn't burn. Please note that the bread will absorb a fair amount of oil.

Place everything on a plate and the result is surprisingly colourful.

Have good breakfast moments!

Your VegHog