One pot to rule them all

 We recently returned from adventures in Arran and the Lake District and brought with us some recipes from our travels. One of the great things about travel is visiting various restaurants and hotels to see how they approach their cooking. That way you can incorporate these skills into your own cooking. It's a little like what Mark Knopfler said about stealing a few guitar licks from other artists he worked with so that he could incorporate these new licks into the music he made with his own bands.

For our stay in the Lake District we stopped at a place marketed as a Vegan Retreat where no non-vegan food, bar that for our Dogg, could be brought onto the premises. We had a lovely stay there and the Dogg loved to run around the expansive back garden. The owners seemed pleasant. However on examination of  surprising public comments made after our departure; they came across, much like characters in a Bond film, as not all that they first appeared.

Although their plush luxury coupled with subtle and not so subtle attempts to convert us to be vegan failed, they certainly gave us some food for thought to try a variety of new vegan recipes. Those of you who have followed this blog for a time will know that I write about, and cook, a lot of vegetarian, fish, meat and vegan recipes. My outlook on life is that a balanced diet is the most important thing and not all vegan recipes I have seen give enough protein to be standalone meals. They are better as side dishes.

When we arrived at the Vegan Retreat, we took the opportunity to eat out at places that had ostensibly Vegan dishes on the menu so as to immerse ourselves fully in the experience we had signed up for on the two days at the end of the holiday. On the first night of our stay we went down town with the Dogg; she conquered her nerves to allow us to relax at a restaurant called the Round. Together with its sister restaurant Fellpack, of which more later, it offers quality dining alternatives to meat dishes. In this case we had a burger made entirely of Beetroot while I relaxed my nerves and kept in holiday mode by consuming a large can of Hawkshead Pale Ale. 

The next night we were outside at the Fellpack itself as the clouds battled and bled lukewarm rain onto us occasionally. Having quickly polished off a bottle of Keswick Gold, these days I will only drink the finest craft beer, cask ale, real Whisky, Gin and good wine the world has to offer, it was time for our main meal. 

The Fellpack specialises in Fellpots and these are essentially a local take on Onepot recipes. This and more from the menu can be glimpsed at: Fellpack - Fellpack 

I quickly consumed their Lentil Mixed Bean chilli that also contained Quinoa and enough protein to create a full main meal. The sour cream and chive mixture was livened by strong Jalapeno Chillies which were extinguished by another stein of golden bitter. This filling recipe inspired me on my return home to make a meal inspired by this dish. 

On the player was some newly discovered mellow trip hop in the shape of Morcheeba's excellent "Who can you Trust?" from 1996, which alternatively floats, bites, stings and impresses with its range of sounds that make it a lost classic. 

The ingredients for the recipe were as follows:

One White Onion, peeled, topped, tailed and then diced. 

One Spring Onion, this one was homegrown, tailed and cut into thin pieces. The leaves should be used as well. 

One Green Sweet Pepper, this one was homegrown too, topped, de-seeded and sliced thinly.

Two Hundred and Twenty Five Grams of Quinoa.

A tablespoon of Cajun Seasoning. 

One Hundred Grams of Quorn Mince. 

A tin of Red Kidney Beans in Chilli Sauce. 

The method goes like this:

1. Simmer the Quinoa in a saucepan of boiling water for around twenty-five minutes then drain and leave to one side.

2. In a Le Cresceut with some vegetable oil gently fry the Onions, Pepper, Cajun Seasoning and Quorn Mince. Do this for around twenty five minutes.

3. Add the Red Kidney Beans in Chilli Sauce and the Quinoa to the Le Cresceut and warm through before serving. 

The key to a good Vegan Dish is Protein and more Protein coupled with Spice and extra Spice. That way the dish is lifted above being a simple side dish. In this recipe the Quinoa and Red Kidney Beans give the requisite protein, although I would substitute Quorn Mince for Pui Lentils next time to give more genuine protein. The Chilli Sauce, Cajun Seasoning and homegrown produce meanwhile make the flavour rise above the ordinary.