Creamy Potatoes and Mushrooms

I have no idea where this dish originated from, I have had it for ages, but think perhaps it was out of a magazine.   It is very versatile, you can add fried tofu or seitan to the dish in the final stage, which is what I did, or maybe your favourite kind of bean and is perfect with peas or spring greens.

4 medium potatoes chopped
1 large onion chopped
200 g mushrooms sliced
1 garlic clove crushed
80 g kale
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
200 ml dairy free cream (I used Oatly)
Salt and pepper

Serves 2

Put the potatoes into a roasting tin with 1 tbsp of oil, stir to coat the potatoes in oil and roast in the oven at 200° until golden brown.   In the meantime fry the onions and mushrooms for 10 mins in the remaining oil, add the garlic and continue to cook, until the mushrooms start to brown and the onion caramelises.

Add the Dijon mustard and kale, mix well, then add the cream and cook for 3-4 mins until the cream has heated through and formed a lovely creamy sauce.   Add the potatoes to the pan, stir well season with plenty of salt and pepper and serve.

London Carriageworks Hope Street Liverpool - 4th December 2015

London Carriageworks is part of Hope Street Hotel and I had some really positive contact with their Head Chef on Twitter, about catering for my vegan diet, who confirmed it would be no problem.

My husband and I arranged to meet friends in Liverpool, for a pre-Christmas meal, staying over at Hope Street Hotel and dining from the Christmas menu at London Carriageworks.   The menu was priced at £59.00 per person, so expectations were high, especially mine.

We had drinks in the bar and were shown to our table and offered the Merry Berry Bellinis which kicked off the menu, but as we still had the drinks we brought to the table, we left the Bellinis to end the meal.

There was a little confusion, as to whether the bread rolls were vegan, or whether I had gluten free needs rather than vegan, but this was quickly resolved, with some toasted bread and basil oil brought for me.

Starter was king oyster mushroom "scallops" served with textures of caramelised onion and black truffle.   I was starving so forgot to take a photo, but was most underwhelmed with this dish, as were two others in our party, who also chose it.

Mains was roasted cauliflower and hazelnut with freshly grated truffle, confit shallots, grilled pear and winter greens.   I thought my taste buds had gone on strike, the sauce underneath the cauliflower was tasteless, I could not fathom out what it was supposed to be.   The dish, in comparison to the cauliflower dish I had the previous night at Delifonseca, was a major disappointment, the best part being the sides of roast potatoes and vegetables.

Some redemption came in the form of dessert, three sorbets, raspberry, strawberry and orange with crushed pistachios, which were excellent.

Finally to my petit fours, whoever made these should be very proud of this creation, as you can see from the photo, beautifully presented and so delicious.   I could have eaten this dish as dessert, with some of the sorbets I was served.   Dessert and petit fours somewhat made up for the first two courses, but at £59.00 it was not value for money, especially when I paid as much as others, who had venison, pigeon and turkey.

To accompany our meal we chose two wines, a delicious Cotes de Provence Rose and a Tabali Chilean Syrah, both were vegan, which I had found after a little internet research, prior to our visit.

Service throughout was friendly and professional and when our plates were cleared I was asked about the main course, most of which I left, so I expressed my disappointment.   I would go so far as to say that I was surprised, that the dish made it out of the kitchen.   Chef caught me on the way out and I mentioned the cauliflower dish, for which he apologised, fair play to him as I really do like the guy, it was nice to meet him, as we had some really friendly chat on Twitter and I was so hoping to love it.   I appreciate there can be problems in the kitchen, but having a few months notice I expected so much more.   Would I go back, very sadly based on this experience, definitely not.

Leaf Bold Street Liverpool - 4th December 2015

Leaf on Bold Street is another Liverpool institution, apparent by how busy it was on a Friday lunchtime, it was packed.

As with many of the eateries in the city, the building must have been a warehouse in previous times and has a chilled bohemian atmosphere, with tables and communal tables, arranged over two floors, with many features of its old self left in place, which an interior designer would struggle to re-create.   It was so busy, I sat upstairs and perused the menu and read all about Leaf.

All vegan options are highlighted with VV, so it was easy to decide which dishes were vegan friendly, although a few more would be an improvement, but at least there are some clearly marked.

I chose a lemon and coriander houmous salad toasted sandwich, with a bowl of red pepper and tomato soup.

I really could not think of one negative, the sandwich was as it should be, packed with loads of filling, delicious and fresh and the soup was a cracker, really tasty.

I have heard that their vegan breakfast is superb, so when next back in Liverpool, it will involve another trip to Leaf.

Delifonseca Stanley Street Liverpool - 3rd December 2015

Delifonseca Stanley Street, is one of two restaurants, run by the same team, the other being at Dockside and the only reason we chose it, were the vegan options on the menu.  On the night we visited there was torrential rain, so a plus point was how near it was to the Premier Inn we were staying at.

There is a small, cool bar area downstairs, with old cinema seats to sit on, still with seat numbers in place, it had a really relaxed chilled atmosphere, with the restaurant on the second floor upstairs.   I must give top marks to the chap serving behind the bar (I really wish I had asked his name, so I could mention him).   When I asked about vegan options, he immediately came over with the menus and his Ipad with the specials, which were on the board upstairs and said any dishes that could be veganised, they would be happy to do so.

When we were ready to go upstairs, the chap rang the restaurant staff and the kitchen, to let them know I had a vegan dietary requirement, he made me feel that I would be well looked after, which I was.

I had olives to nibble on, you get good and bad olives and these were excellent.   On the specials board, the vegetarian option was griddled cauliflower "steak" with pine nuts, ricotta, cumin yoghurt and toasted sourdough.   I asked if it could be veganised suggesting houmous and aubergine pate instead of the dairy elements and with a side order of chips.   When it was served chef had decided to serve it with tahini sauce and he made the right decision, it was fantastic, I loved it, an absolutely spot on dish and not a crumb left on my plate.

Delifonseca has a great wine list, with many organic wines, which is unusual for a restaurant, so to accompany the meal, I chose a Gerard Bertrand organic Chardonnay, which was delicious and I love their ethos with their environmental credentials and low carbon footprint.

Service throughout from first stepping through the front door and the chap in the bar, to waitresses Jen and Carrie-Ann upstairs, was friendly and helpful, really could not fault it.   Will I return to Delifonseca, you bet I will.

The Egg Cafe 16-18 Newington Liverpool - 3rd December 2015

The Egg Cafe is an institution and was on my list to visit, as soon as I landed in Liverpool, so lunch it was.   You cannot miss the place, it stands out with its bright pink exterior and jazzy sandwich board outside.

The building looks like an old warehouse inside, with tables and communal benches, with a second floor, so plenty of seating.   Its a really chilled atmosphere and it was packed, most of the tables were occupied with queues at the counter, always a good sign.   You order at the counter and they give you an order number and then call out when your food is ready.

I ordered vegan leek and mushroom crumble, which came with either rice or mixed salads, so I opted for the salads.   I had to pick through the salads to remove some of the beans I cannot eat, which was my fault, as I forgot to mention my allergies when I ordered.   My husband ordered the chilli sin carne with rice and with two bottles of water the bill came to £15.00, a bargain.

The portions were a good size, you certainly do not go hungry and I really enjoyed the crumble, it was all very tasty, as was the chilli.   The Egg Cafe will be my breakfast place of choice, when I revisit Liverpool in January, as I have heard from Twitter friends, that they make a mean vegan breakfast.

Cheesie Tchaikovsky Castle Street Clitheroe - 2nd December 2015

This was my first visit to Cheesie Tchaikovsky and only because all the vegan options at Caffe Nero had already sold out, but that actually was an advantage, otherwise I would never have looked for somewhere else.

Cheesie's is off the main street in the town, down a little passageway leading to a car-park and is easily missed.   They have a cafe upstairs and a couple of tables downstairs, which is where I sat.   As the name suggests, they specialise in cheeses and other deli items, but owner Jan is very accommodating towards vegan dietary requirements and there are a few options that can veganised.

I chose the smashed avocado on toast with salad, sesame seeds and za'tar, which came with a small salad, spiralised courgettes and cherry tomatoes, which I had with a pot of green tea.

They do takeaway sandwiches, make their own bread, soups, pates and everything is made to order, so its nice and fresh.  I am really glad I visited and next time I visit Clitheroe, I will definitely return.

Bashall Barn Visitor Centre Bashall Town - 1st and 9th December 2015

Bashall Barn has grown and evolved over the years and appeals to all ages.   It has a restaurant, ice-cream parlour, coffee shop, farm shop and is also a successful wedding venue, so its multi functioning.

I visited with a friend for lunch and it was great not having to pre-order, as they have three vegan options on the menu.

It is a bright, light and airy restaurant with a wood burning stove on entering, plenty of comfy seating and well spaced tables and on a nice day, an outside deck with views over the beautiful Ribble Valley countryside.

I chose the chickpea burger, chips and tomato salsa, with salad to replace the onion rings, which was a good decision, as I do not think I would have managed to eat them.   It was a good sized portion, the burger was delicious with the salsa and the chips were fantastic.

Service from the young waitress and General Manager Henk who looked after us was spot on, friendly and professional and any requests dealt with quickly.

I revisited Bashall Barn on the 9th December with other friends, but this time chose the couscous stuffed mushrooms, with chips, salad and onion chutney.   I have to admit previous experience of this kind of mushroom dish, at other restaurants in the past, has not been the best, with the mushrooms so tightly packed with the filling, that it dries out in the oven and ends up with a crust on the top.    Bashall Barn's version was moist, packed with flavour with light and fluffy couscous, lovely chips and the onion chutney went really well.

Sadly I cannot try their other vegan dish, bean chilli as I am allergic to most beans, but I am quite happy to alternate between the two dishes I have already had on future visits, as they are both delicious.