The Vegetarian Society - topical recipes

Seasonal Recipe Features

Spring

Bad weather getting you down? There are still some celebrations to enjoy....

Mothers Day - treat her to:

DARKLY DIVINE VEGAN CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

Ingredients:

Cake
240g self raising flour
1½tsp bicarbonate of soda
35g cocoa
75g ground almonds
240g granulated sugar
150g hard 100% vegetable margarine
260ml soya milk
150ml natural soya yoghurt
1 – 2tsp vanilla extract
1 – 2drops almond extract (optional)

Filling
50g soya margarine
3tbs water
200g icing sugar
50g cocoa
1tsp vanilla extract

To decorate
Icing sugar
200g 70% cocoa plain chocolate, melted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190C / 375F / Gas mark 5. Grease and base line 2 x springform 20cm cake tins, or 2 x 20cm deep sandwich tins.

2. To make the cake: sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa together into a large bowl.

3. Mix the ground almonds and sugar with the flour and cocoa mixture until evenly blended.

4. Melt the margarine. Cool slightly. Put soya milk, soya yoghurt and melted margarine in a blender and blend until smooth and well combined.

5. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until incorporated, but do not beat.

6. Divide between the two tins, level the tops and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until firm to the touch. Do not worry if the top cracks – this is quite normal. Cool in the tins – overnight is fine.

7. To make the filling: melt the water and margarine together until the margarine is just melted. Do not let boil or get too hot. Let cool slightly.

8. Sift the icing sugar with the cocoa into a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract to the margarine and water then tip into the bowl with the icing sugar and cocoa. Mix well – the mixture will end up quite stiff. If it is runny, the margarine mixture was too hot – just leave it to cool down and set for a while.

9. Turn the cakes out of the tins. To make one large cake divide, and carefully spread the filling over the two halves and sandwich together.

10. Sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate with drizzles of melted chocolate.

Darkly Divine Chocolate Fudge Cake is taken from The Vegetarian Society’s vegetarian & vegan recipe collection ‘Eat Shoots & Leaves?”.

Spring-time Savoury Crumpet

Try this for tasty Easter snack....

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 1½ hours + cooling time

Ingredients
400g fresh red rhubarb, roughly chopped
2 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
5 tbs white sugar
350g approx fresh beetroot, (about 2 medium / large beetroot). Keep whole.
4 crumpets
200g vegetarian Somerset goat’s cheese (2 x 100g packs) each pack cut into 6 slices
35g butter for crumpets (or to taste)

To garnish
Mint leaves

Method
1. Put the rhubarb, ginger, sugar and garlic (if used) into a processor and process until the mixture is very finely chopped. Turn into a small saucepan and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour until thick, stirring now and again to stop burning on the bottom of the pan. Allow to cool.

2. Scrub the beetroots and cut the stalks down to 2.5cms above the bulb. Either: Boil in plenty of water until soft (about 40 - 50 minutes depending on size). Drain, cover, and leave to cool (about 1 – 2 hours) Or: wrap in foil and bake at 200C / 400F / Gas mark 6 for about 40-60 minutes until soft, depending on the size of the beetroot. Leave to cool then skin the beetroot and slice thinly.

3. Preheat oven to 200C / 400F / Gas mark 6. Toast the crumpets and lightly butter them. Place on a baking tray and divide the sliced beetroot and goat’s cheese between them. Place in the oven for about 5 – 7 minutes until warmed through. Garnish with a mint leaf and serve with the marmalade in small ramekins on the side.

This recipe is one of twelve mouth-watering, monthly recipes, included in Season to Taste a collection of recipes using seasonal and locally sourced produce and is available free of charge by calling 0161 925 2000.

More seasonal recipes:

These links will open in a new window so you can easily get back to this page

More for Mother's Day - 2nd March - recipes the kids can make for Mum

St Patrick's Day - 17th March

Easter - 21-24th March

British Sandwich Week - 11th-17th May

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