02/03/2009

Happy March!

It seems that Spring is a million years away here on the Costa Blanca and the glorious day we had a while back was nothing but a big tease. I so can not wait for it to warm up a bit. I know lots of you are still having severe weather, like wingraclaire for instance, so I feel a bit of a fraud for saying what I'm about to say BUT this winter has just dragged on and on for me. I'm not a sufferer of SAD by any means but my body so needs to come out of hibernation mode and get some serious amounts of Vitamin D into it. Lots of exciting things to report anyway - we put a deposit down on our house last week so if everything goes according to plan then we should be moving in by the end of March! Mr treehugger keeps telling me not to get too excited as nothing is guaranteed as yet but I can't help myself, I've mentally decorated the rooms and dug the vegetable patch already! I have also started clearing out a lot of junk too. Isn't it amazing the things we accumulate over the years. When we first came to Spain we had a tiny little Bedford van full of our belongings - and here we are seven years later with a three bedroomed house full of stuff. So I feel like I'm in limbo at the moment - but in a good way. Neither here nor there - which is what some people would say to describe me anyway! LOL! February the 28th saw my first Veganversary! A whole year! I have learned a heck of a lot in this first year and 99.9% of it has been from you awesome bloggers! I guess I can't call myself a noob anymore and I only hope I can help the next noob who comes along as much as you guys have helped me. BIG VIRTUAL HUGS TO ALL YOU AWESOME BLOGGERS! Food wise we are still eating lots of Soups and Stews and stick to the ribs food to help insulate us but I do have an awesome recipe to share with you. Since my Follywood Biryani escapade I have been wanting to make Biryani again, never one to shy in the face of disaster that's me! I'd had my eye on Vegan Dad's Recipe but I didn't have all the ingredients and couldn't be bothered to go to the supermarket, so I did a bit of critical googling to come up with this little corker - it really is YUM! Vegetable Biryani serves 6 Ingredients 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 large Potato, peeled and cubed 2 Large carrots, peeled and diced handful of Mushrooms, cut into quarters 1 large Onion, sliced 1 litre hot Vegetable Stock 3 tbsp hot Curry Paste (or your regular one that you always use - we use a HOT one) Pinch of dried Chili Flakes Large pinch of Saffron 2 tsp Mustard Seeds 500g Basmati Rice 1 head of Brocolli, broken into small florets Cup of frozen Peas Salted roasted Cashew Nuts Method Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C. Pour the oil into a large roasting tin or ovenproof dish and put in the oven for a couple of minutes to heat through. Add all the vegetables to the tin, except the Peas and Broccoli, stirring to coat them in the hot oil. Season with Salt and Pepper and return to the oven for 30 minutes until beginning to brown, you may want to give them a swirl round halfway through. While the Vegetables are roasting, stir together the Stock, Curry Paste, Chili, Saffron and Mustard Seeds. Mix the Rice, Broccoli and Peas with the Vegetables in the tin, stir them round well to coat them in the Olive Oil then pour over the Stock mixture. Lower the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 190C. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake. Now, in my cruddy oven this took 50 mins to cook but I suggest you check after half an hour anyway and give everything a good stir. When it is ready, stir in the Cashew Nuts, check the seasoning and serve. You'll be glad you made so much because this is even better the next day for leftovers! (I'm so glad for Firefox because I can never remember how to spell Broccoli!) One final word goes to Chocolate Covered Katie and her awesome Chocolate Give-away! Head on over there to be in with a chance a of winning this amazing chocolaty prize, you have until the 19th March to enter and the competition is open to anyone anywhere in the world! GO! GO! GO! Thanks to Carla for giving me the heads up about this.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to hear the final, happy, home-buying news! Thanks for the yum-o recipe!! :-)

jessy said...

whta happyfaced news on the house, Jeni! i will keep my fingers crossed for you guys & send happy thoughts your way, too! how exciting! :)

dan & i have never made vegetable biryani - i think it's about darn time we did! it sounds so yummy! i just love all those spices! mmmmm!

happy veganversary to you, Jeni! congrats, congrats! and here's to many more, too!

i am also ready for some warmer weather! it snowed like crazy here in virginia last night (5+ inches in some areas)! these southerners are so unprepared - there's barely anyone here at work today! ahahahaahaa!

stay warm!

half pint pixie said...

Hah ha, I thought I was the only one who relys on spell checkers to fix my "brocolli" spellings!

Happy veganiversary, and happy March and happy house deposit!

Tami said...

Happy Veganniversary! Happy hopeful news on the house! :)

Spring has to be around the corner...hang in there.

STEPHANIE said...

Congrats on the veganversary!
Good luck on the house too!

Jenn said...

Happy veganversary!

I hear ya on the weather. It's snowing in New York City.

miss v said...

happy anniversary! i just had my one-year too... sometime in feb, but i didn't remember the date! good luck on the house!

Jenni (aka Vegyogini) said...

Happy veganniversary and congratulations on your soon-to-be new house!

Lily Girl said...

That is so exciting about the house! YAY! I hope to have similar news soon...

That Biryani sounds delicious, I love me some Indian food!

aTxVegn said...

I made biryani too this weekend but yours looks way better! Actually there's not many versions I don't like....

Happy happy veganversary!!!!!

kelly g. said...

Yay! Happy Veganversary (and many moooooore!)

Sal - AlienOnToast said...

That's exciting news about the house, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and your veggie patch! :)

Happy veganniversary to you as well!

I had a veggie biryani last night at our local indian restaurant and was wondering what a home made one would be like, thanks for posting your recipe - i'm definitely gonna give it a go!!

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Thanks, I added your name to the drawing... and what a terrific blog! Instant google reader :o)

Felicity said...

happy veganversary! Good luck on the house... sounds very exciting. Biryani...mmmm.

Anonymous said...

Happy Veganaversary. And congrats on the house. Yippee!

For the Love of Guava said...

Hey Lady!! That's so exciting!! Congratulations on both your house and your veganversary!! You definitely helped usher me in! I can't wait to hear about all the home renovations!

And everytime you post an Indian recipe I kick myself for being stingy in the spice aisle... must go on a spice shopping trip soon to make that biryani! MMMMM...

For the Love of Guava said...

oh yes... **Guava Hugs** to keep you warm :)

wingraclaire said...

Happy Anniversary, and best wishes for the house deal to go through with no kinks!

Thanks for that awesome recipe. Today I took my students to an Indian restaurant (we are studying India). It was one of those buffets where you eat "all you want" and then they roll you out with a wheelbarrow. Unfortunately for me, almost all the "vegetarian" dishes had milk or cream, even the naan bread! So I came home full (of rice, cabbage and potatoes) but wanting to make some good Indian food SOON.... and so I shall!

So what IS the climate there in Spain? I must have stereotyped your locale as sun-drenched and, um, warm?

xo

DJ said...

Mmmm... love a bit of vegetable biryani! We had lovely spring weather for the last couple of weeks here in Bathgate... and then we woke up to snow this morning!

A.M. said...

Happy vegananniversay, and hope you get the house!

Anonymous said...

How exciting about the house!!!!! What a dream come true!
Also, congrats on a great anniversary! It's amazing now when I look back, how much such a simple sounding decision changes everything in such amazingly positive ways!

eesh said...

So many things to comment on, first I didn't know you lived in Spain. Lucky you! And so nice that you'll be getting your own house. I so wish I had a down payment for one of those right now. I've been mentally digging vegetable patches for a year now. Sigh!

That vegetable biryani looks amazing. I'll have to make some really soon. I love Indian food!

And that picture of the dog on your sidebar almost made me cry. So cruel!

Anonymous said...

Happy Veganniversary! I am crossing my fingers for you and the house, too!
Vegetable Biryani is one of my favourite Indian standbys...your version sounds fantastic.

River (Wing-It Vegan) said...

The goat adoring cult keeps getting bigger and bigger! :)

Thank you for your sweet birthday wishes and sorry it has taken me for-freaking-ever to reply. How cool, your veganversary and my birthday are on the same day!

I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for you, Jeni!! Though it does sound like the house is practically yours! Mentally decorate away!

Your Vegetable Biryani sounds super yummy - I'm a big fan of all things mushroom! So we have February 28th in common AND we both can't remember how to spell broccoli! Really, I had to google it! :)

disabled account said...

mmmm......curry! i love veggie biryani and this looks tasty jeni!

congratulations on the move and the new veggie patch!...i look forward to pictures and good stories of your lovely new stove.
xoxo

disabled account said...

oh! happy one year anniversary too! can't believe i almost forgot! sooooorrrrryyyyy.....it's an accomplishment to be proud of, for sure!

Anonymous said...

Good luck and hope neither you or the house blow away!

It's scary out there....

wingraclaire said...

Thanks so much for taking the time to tell me about your climate. I will definitely not whine about the cold as I sit here in my drafty, yet heated, home :) Hope you are having good luck with the house purchase!!!

sp said...

Happy Veganversary! Congrats on the house. I can't wait until we have our very own garden as well.

Bethany said...

happy veganiversary! kudos to you!

I've got my fingers crossed for you.

I agree, I'm sick of winter! it better not snow in April this year like it did last year. boo hiss!