Lemon and artichoke spaghetti with spinach

Having my parents visit inspired me to make some different meals to those in our usual rotation. This spaghetti dish was adapted from the recipe for lemon, artichoke and baby spinach spaghetti in Adele McConnell's The Vegan Cookbook. I won this book back in 2014 and posted at the time that I wanted to make almost all of the recipes it contains. Four years on and I haven't made even half the recipes, but those I have made have been great.

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Herby lemon and pea fritters

At the risk of tooting my own horn, I am rather proud of these fritters. I made them on a whim, without a recipe, and surprised myself with how well they turned out. They taste of spring: fresh, lemon-y, light yet satisfying, and a little bit fluffy.

These take some of my staple ingredients (like besan flour and chia seeds) and give them a new twist, thanks to the lemon and fresh basil and parsley. The fritters come together quickly and make an easy meal if paired with salad. 

I used mashed sweet potato in these, but in future I would probably use regular potato. You can't really detect the sweet potato flavour and potato seems a better match for the other ingredients. However, either would work and you could even try mashed squash or celeriac.

I think these are best warm from the pan, but they will also keep for a few days in the refrigerator and are enjoyable cold or reheated.

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Lemon raisin drop scones with caramelised apple pieces

To my amazement, I think it has been 18 months since my last drop scone or pikelet recipe. Given I have 10 prior recipes of that type on Bite-Sized Thoughts, that is a long time to go without a new one (although I did post a pancake recipe in January). Clearly I need to make up for lost time!

After 18 months, some of you may not be familiar with what drop scones or pikelets actually are. I use the terms fairly interchangeably now, although there are probably some technical differences if you study food history closely. Basically, pikelets are an Australian term for small fluffy pancakes and drop scones are the British equivalent. Both may also be called Scotch pancakes.

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Carrot and apple cake with a lemon drizzle icing

I am rather in love with this cake. Apple pieces are showcased to perfection against a backdrop of carrot cake, and the zestiness of the lemon drizzle allows a sweet but fresh finish. As you would expect with carrot and apple in the mix, the cake is moist (but not too moist) and it is sturdy enough to be sliced and taken on a walk (I know this because I did so).

I adapted this from a supermarket (Tesco) recipe and my changes included dropping the eggs (I didn't substitute anything else in, figuring the grated carrot would be sufficient, which it was), halving the butter / non-dairy spread component, and reducing the sugar by 25%. You won't miss what I took out because the carrot and apple give moisture and sweetness themselves.

 

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Lemon and paprika lentil salad

My parents are visiting from Australia at the moment, having flown into London on Wednesday evening. My Mum was in England not long after we moved (last August/September) but it's the first time I've seen my Dad in a year. It was lovely spending yesterday with them.

Given our one-bed flat situation, their two nights in London were based in a hotel in Greenwich, not too far from where we live. I took yesterday and today off work (joy!) and had a great time playing tourist in Greenwich yesterday. We went to the National Maritime Museum, Queen's House, and painted hall and chapel in the Old Royal Naval College site. We also walked through the Greenwich foot tunnel to look back at Greenwich from the north bank of the Thames.

Greenwich from across the Thames

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Vegan lemon meringue pie

I think I may have reached the pinnacle of my baking adventures. Right now, I can't think of anything more magical than this lemon meringue pie. It has the requisite crisp base, zesty set centre, and fluffy - so fluffy! - meringue topping. And it is vegan. I wasn't confident going in, but can now say that meringue without eggs really is possible!

I knew I wanted to make a lemon meringue pie for Vegan MoFo, but this wasn't one of the dishes I prepared ahead of time. In fact, I only made it this week. I was worried it wouldn't work, or that I'd be up all night repeating my efforts if the first pie failed.

In the end, it was oddly easy. I made the meringue topping with egg replacer - a hefty 1/3 cup of it - which was whipped for 5 minutes with water while gradually adding sugar. In other words, it was just like making regular meringue. The same was true for the rest of the pie. There is a lot of sugar and the recipe is a little bit time consuming, but the end result is very much worth it. 

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Fig and lemon drop scones

I promise I won't make a habit of twice monthly drop scone recipes. However, I enjoyed this fig and lemon batch so much that I couldn't keep the post back for long. I also managed slightly neater scones this time around, giving support to the strategy of dropping batter into the pan off the end of your spoon.

I am not sure why dried figs were bought early in my kitchen stocking efforts. I rarely bought them in Australia and I didn't have any clear plans for their use. Given I also bought the fig balsamic featured in my last post, I must have had some latent fig cravings that needed sating! Fortunately, the dried figs proved a perfect match for the lemon in this recipe. The sweet fig pieces turned gooey when cooked, providing little bursts of caramel-like flavour throughout each scone (or pikelet as part of me still calls them).

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Lemon buckwheat pudding

My food processor is being shipped with our other belongings (mostly book and kitchen items, plus clothes that didn't come in our cases), so I won't be processing buckwheat or anything else for the next few months. Luckily there is plenty of UK food to keep me entertained without a food processor, and I'm looking forward to sharing some of that soon. For now, this is a dish I made before we left Australia. 

This is obviously similar to the buckwheat porridge recipes I shared recently. However, I think this one deserves the title of "pudding" instead of "porridge".Whilst not very different to my previous buckwheat versions, the addition of yacon syrup added sweetness and, when paired with lemon, made this as much a dessert as a breakfast. 

Creamy lemon deliciousness

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Lemon and blueberry oat parfait

I don't have many breakfast recipes on Bite-Sized Thoughts. In fact, I'm not sure where I'm going to file this after hitting post! There is a reason for this: during the week, I eat breakfast at work 4 days out of 5. Weekday mornings are decidedly simple affairs. Even on weekends, my breakfast routines are low-key, revolving around smoothies, cereal, and oats.

This particular breakfast is oat-based, but it is slightly different from my usual concoctions. The idea of lemon oats came to me towards the end of my morning run, and it stuck. (I think I may have lemon on my mind after seeing two vegan lemon meringue pies featured on Facebook this week!) Blueberries seemed like a logical finishing touch.

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Lemon-agave tofu shish kebabs (for another birthday!)

You know how sometimes you plan a dish in advance, research a recipe, take time to prepare it, and then it isn't really that great? It might be okay (or it might not...), but overall, it just isn't worth the time you put in?

The flip side of those experiences are the times when the opposite happens. You throw something together with minimal planning or thought, with intuition and convenience guiding what ingredients are used, and with a hefty dose of hope when predicting how things will turn out...and then things turns out brilliantly.

That, dear readers, was my experience with these kebabs.

I think we have established that my approach to cooking tends to be more of the 'adapt' / 'make it up' variety than the 'strictly follow a recipe' variety. With these kebabs, though, I had intended to plan them. I was making them to take to my Dad's birthday celebrations last night, to accompany a variety of other kebabs being made by my sister and her boyfriend (seafood, chicken, and red meat). I'd had plenty of time to figure out what my kebabs would involve.

When I got home from work yesterday, about an hour before we needed to leave again, I had absolutely no idea what would be going into these. I knew I had a block of tofu, I knew we had vegetables, and that was it.

It turns out that keeping things simple is a more reliable method than you might think. With three ingredients in the marinade, and seven ingredients overall, these provide a ratio of effort to output that is really quite remarkable.

In all, I strongly recommend this recipe if you find yourself needing to prepare a dish at short notice with no advance planning!

Lemon-agave tofu shish kebabs

An easy dish perfect for barbecues

You can adapt the vegetables to those you have on hand

Makes 8 to 10 kebabs

Vegan and low fat

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Ingredients

1 block (~350g) firm tofu, sliced and pressed and then cut into squares

1 red capsicum (bell pepper), cut into strips or squares

1 small zucchini (courgette), cut into slices

1 brown onion, cut into quarters and then small slices

2 tbsp agave nectar (honey or maple syrup would work too, but the flavour would be different)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp soy sauce

8 - 10 wooden kebab sticks

Method

Thread a piece of tofu onto a kebab stick, followed by pieces of capsicum, onion and zucchini. Repeat three times to create a full kebab. Repeat for the other kebab sticks. Set kebabs into a shallow dish.

Combine the agave, lemon juice and soy sauce in a small bowl or jug. Whisk to combine. Pour over the kebabs and then use a marinade brush to ensure all kebabs are coated. 

Allow to marinade for at least 20 minutes before cooking on a barbecue, grill or hot plate for 3-5 minutes on each side, until browned.

Clockwise from bottom left: meat kebabs, seafood kebabs, chicken kebabs, and these tofu kebabs.

Happy birthday to my Dad, too, whose celebrations provided the opportunity for these!

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Friday #33.

What was the last thing you made at short notice that turned out well?

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Lemon quinoa and lemon tofu

Remember when I made those lemon-cashew-sesame truffle balls?

Also known as recipe one of three lemon recipes?

Today, we have recipes two and three.

I hope your taste buds are lemon ready.

Recipe two, lemon quinoa, isn't really a recipe at all. In fact, this is one of those dishes that would be perfect for a dinner party (presuming your guests like quinoa). The ratio between effort and output is very favourable indeed, and you end up with a dish that looks and tastes delightful with hardly any preparation required.

Simply cook 2/3 cup quinoa in 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 cup water. Add 1 small zucchini, roughly chopped, about 5 minutes before the quinoa is ready. Easy.

Recipe three, lemon tofu, requires a little more effort but is still quite easy to throw together.

As a disclaimer of sorts, this dish didn't fully match  my expectations. My expectations were crispy tofu pieces with a strong lemon flavour, similar to the lemon chicken one might get in a Chinese restaurant. I never liked lemon chicken much, but a tofu version was calling to me.

As it turns out, the tofu here wasn't particularly crispy and the lemon flavours were subtle rather than strong. I also realised after starting that my fresh ginger was, well, no longer fresh. This meant that I used dried ginger, which is not the same thing at all. 

Despite all of that, I still enjoyed the tofu. Frying it would rectify the crispy issue, if desired, and the flavour could be intensified by marinating the tofu for longer before cooking. Checking your ginger supplies before starting would be a sensible thing too.

I sweetened this with palm sugar, which I bought a month or so back but am still experimenting with. Palm sugar comes from the sap of palm trees, and is thus different to coconut sugar, which comes from the sap of flowers from coconut palms. The two sugars are quite similar in appearance, though, and can be used in similar ways. Palm sugar generally comes in solid lumps that require grating or chopping before use, and is similar-ish to brown sugar in taste.

I think this would go well with Asian greens, such as bok choi or gai lan. However, in my disorganised state, we didn't have any of those. I used carrots and water chestnuts instead, which worked well, but if I make this again I will use bok choi as well as fresh ginger.

Lemon tofu

Inspired by lemon chicken with a nod to this recipe and this recipe

Vegan

Serves 3

I made this without ginger and with carrot instead of bok choi, but I am listing what I would do in future

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Ingredients

1 packet (350g) firm tofu, drained, sliced and pressed

1/2 cup lemon juice (the juice of 1 medium lemon)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

2 tbsp cornflour

2 tsp palm sugar, roughly chopped

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 small onion or 2 shallots, diced

1/2 cup water chestnuts (or vegetables of choice)

2 bok choi, chopped (or vegetables of choice)

Oil, to taste

Rice, to serve

Method

While your tofu is pressing, combine the lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger, cornflour, palm sugar and vegetable stock in a small saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until approaching boiling point. When nearly boiling, reduce the heat and continue stirring for another 2 - 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Set the sauce aside and allow to cool until just warm.

Marinate the tofu in the lemon sauce for at least 30 minutes (preferably for longer).

When the tofu is nearly ready, heat oil in a non-stick pan and saute the onion until just soft. Add the tofu and cook until golden, turning occasionally. The crispiness will depend on how much oil you use.

Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside while you cook the vegetables. The tofu will crisp up on standing. When the vegetables are cooked, return the tofu to the pan and heat through for 5 - 10 minutes.

Do you enjoy lemon chicken / lemon tofu dishes? Prior to this, it had been years since I ate a lemon-focused main dish, but I am now keen to try this again with the ginger and bok choi additions.

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Lemon-cashew-sesame truffle balls

I have a bit of a thing for lemons at the moment.

This has nothing to do with our own lemon tree, which is still too young to be producing fruit (or at least that's the story I'm sticking to, given that we don't have any fruit). Others' lemon trees, however, seem to be producing enough fruit to share. There have been lemons at work, at my parent's house, and at my other work. As a result, ultimately there have been lemons at my house.

A fortnight ago I took three lemons home. I spent a week looking at them. They sat in the fruit bowl and looked back. Eventually I stopped asking them what they wanted to be (they weren't very communicative) and decided their fate for them. One lemon went to truffle balls, one lemon went to a dinner dish, and one lemon went to a side dish.

For today, we have the truffle balls. You may be able to deduce that more lemon recipes will be coming soon.

Let's focus on one thing at a time though. After all, these lemon-cashew-sesame balls deserve full attention. They are delicate, truffle-like, and might make you shut your eyes as you eat them. (Or maybe that is just me.) They go well with tea, and could justifiably be eaten at just about any time of day.

I'm pretty taken with them.

As a bonus, they are vegan, low in sugar, almost raw, and have an ingredient list that packs a healthy punch.

Also, you can have fun licking the bowl.

Lemon-cashew-sesame truffle balls

Inspired by lemon

Makes about 20 balls

Vegan

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Ingredients

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup oats

2 tbsp lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon (~1 tsp grated lemon rind)

1 1/2 - 2 tbsp agave (I used 1 1/2 tbsp, which gave a just sweet result)

1 - 2 tbsp water (I used 2 tbsp)

Method

Place the cashews, sesame seeds and oats in a food processor and process until fine and starting to clump together.

Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and agave and process briefly to combine. Add the water gradually, whilst processing, until the mixture is smooth.

Roll into small balls and set in the fridge for a few hours. Store in the fridge (they taste 'duller' when frozen).

The flavours of these come through in stages. Lemon, first, delicate but definitely present. Then the sesame, combining with the lemon to allude just slightly to tahini. The cashew comes through last, lifting the flavours and bringing them together in a very pleasing way.

The result is slightly sweet. Very moreish. Soft yet chewy.

Highly recommended.

How is the lemon situation at your house?

Submitted to Rikki's Wellness Weekend.

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Vegan lemon slice for a modern afternoon tea

Have you been watching the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London? I hadn't thought much about them in the lead up to this week, but the news footage over the last few days has drawn me in. I found the progression of boats on the Thames particularly impressive, along with the general atmosphere of celebration in London and across the country. Even my grandparents, who aren't royalists by any stretch of the imagination, have decked out their house in East Sussex with flags and decorations. I guess 60 years doing one job is an impressive feat, royalty or not!

I suspect the Queen partakes in traditional afternoon teas, with scones and dainty sandwiches and perhaps some iced bun or small cakes. I had vaguely thought of making scones to honour her jubilee this week, mostly because I have been meaning to make them for some time and this seemed like as good an occasion as any. However, I am still obsessed with lemon, and after my recent bookclub lemon tart I have been thinking of ways to justify more lemon desserts.

I settled on this lemon slice. Slightly less decadent than tart, it is easy to justify as an afternoon tea snack. The lemon topping is the core component, with the flavours being strong and both sweet and tart. The base is more laid back, just barely sweet, and uses oats rather than standard flour. I found that the combination of the sweet topping and less sweet base worked well, and it helped to avoid the overpowering sweetness that I tend to associate with commercial lemon slices.

I'm not sure if it would be fit for a queen, but it is certainly proving to be fit for me.

Lemon slice

Adapted from the lemon almond torte in The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes

Vegan

Makes 1 loaf tin of slices - about 14 small pieces - with some lemon topping left over

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Ingredients

For the base

1 cup oats

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp non-dairy spread, margarine or butter, melted

Up to 1 tbsp water, as needed

For the lemon topping

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Juice and rind from 1 large lemon - about 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 tsp grated lemon rind

Method

For the base

Preheat the oven to 180'C.

In a food processor, process the oats until crumb-like in texture (see above picture). Combine with the sugar and melted butter and mix well to combine. Add some water if necessary to bring the mixture together.

Line a loaf tin (or small square tin) with baking paper and press the base mixture into the bottom. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden.

For the filling

While the base is baking, combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Whisk together and then bring to the boil whilst stirring constantly. Then lower heat and continue to stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.

When the mixture has thickened, mix in the lemon juice and zest and leave over low heat, stirring regularly, for a further 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should start to bubble in the centre.

Remove filling from heat and pour into a bowl. Leave to cool, stirring occasionally.

To make the slice

When the base and filling have cooled, pour most of the filling (about 3/4 of the mix) over the base, and then set in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours. Slice before serving.

The remaining mix can be frozen for later use (and is enjoyable from the freezer, as it doesn't set solid) or used as lemon spread for other products.

I made the lemon topping for this slice thicker than the filling of the recent lemon tart, as I was aware that the base wouldn't provide much of a crust to hold the topping in place. It seemed to work well, and I have found the slice to pair nicely with strawberries, plain yoghurt, or just a cup of tea.

What are you enjoying for afternoon tea at the moment?

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