New dessert menu

After much though, careful planning and experimenting in the kitchen we have come up with some amazing new desserts for our pudding menu.  Our classic apple crumble is staying on but we have changed the selection to include a bigger range of vegan puddings, without compromising on taste, and have come up with some real treats.

We have a coconut black rice pudding with fresh mango compote and toasted coconut flakes and a chocolate and peanut butter brownie with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream, both desserts are wheat free, gluten free, and vegan and both taste absolutely amazing 

Our chocolate and salted caramel cheesecake with hazelnut stays on, an old favourite Sticky toffee pudding is back on the menu,  and we have the new addition of an Italian classic tira misu, made with plenty of tia maria and strong coffee, one of my favorites.

Warming up for Winter

With winter creeping in, its almost that time of year for some well needed menu changes hear at Mildreds.  We will be looking at changing a few of our classic dishes that have been on the menu for some time but also bringing back some of our well loved dishes that have not made an appearance for a while. 

Our ever popular sri-lankan cashew nut and sweet potato curry will be back on the menu for the winter, we will be changing our meze selection to include some hot meze dishes with spinach and feta spanakopita and felafels. 


Our risotto and ravioli dishes will change with the seasons and be accompanied with creamier sauces along with some exciting new changes to our pudding menu including a great vegan banoffie pie.  


With Christmas also around the corner will also be posting some info closer to the date about our xmas menu.

Tofu and banana cheesecake

Thought i would share this recipe as it has been on our menu for many years, this particular recipe has now retired from the menu but is well worthy of a blog post.  Enjoy...

Photo: Steven Lawson

Biscuit Base:

300g Digestive Biscuit

75gr Vegan Margarine

50gr  brown Sugar

Filling:

5 Bananas 

500g firm Tofu

1pkt Creamed coconut block (warmed in microwave)

200ml Maple Syrup

125g brown Sugar

200ml Apple Juice

7gr Agar Agar

Blend the biscuits with the brown sugar, then add the melted vegan margarine and combine well.   Fill the bottom of a 10” lined cake tin with this mix, packing it in with the back of your hand.

For the filling heat in a pan all the ingredients except the tofu, bananas and coconut cream. Bring to boil and simmer for at least 10mins constantly stirring.

Thoroughly blend this mix together in a food processor with the tofu and creamed coconut.

Slice the bananas and place over the biscuit bases then pour over the tofu puree.   Allow to set overnight, garnish with freshly toasted coconut shavings.

Curried filo parcels

Photo: Steven Lawson

Curried chickpea & butternut squash filo parcels

400g cooked chickpeas

500g butternut squash (sweet potato and pumpkin are also good)

50g spinach roughly chopped

1 small onion, diced

2clove garlic, crushed

1cm ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbs sultanas

1 tbsp curry powder

(see separate recipe, alternatively you can use a per mix of mild curry powder)

2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted

2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

1 packet filo pastry

4 tbs melted butter (or soy cream if vegan)

Salt & pepper to taste

Dice butternut squash into approx 2cm cubes, lightly oil and roast at 180c for approx 25min or until cooked through.

Sauté the diced onion in a splash of vegetable oil over a medium heat for 5min minutes, add ginger, crushed garlic, curry powder and cook for a further 5 minutes

Add, sultanas, cooked chickpeas, spinach and butternut squash salt and pepper and, cook for a further 10 minutes

Remove from heat and add the flaked almonds and chopped coriander, taste and adjust season if necessary

Unroll filo pastry and divide in half lengthwise, cover with a damp tea towel

using a pasty brush, brush a piece of filo with butter or soy cream, put another piece of pastry over the first one, brush again, put a heaped tablespoon of filling at one end of pastry and fold over forming either a triangle or a rectangle, fold over until pastry forms a parcel

Brush top with butter or soy cream and sprinkle with raw flaked almonds

repeat until you have used up all filling and pastry

bake at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes until golden, serve with yoghurt or chutney

Tomato & cardamom soup

Some new recipes to share with you all, as featured in last months issue of emel magazine with thanks to  Steven Lawson for his lovely photography work for this article

Tomato & cardamom soup

1 onion halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp turmeric
1tsp cayenne pepper
20 fresh curry leafs
25-30 cardamom pods smashed open, seeds removed and ground or 1tbsp pre-ground cardamom
1 tbsp demerera/brown sugar
1200g chopped tomatoes (3 tins)
150g yellow split peas washed & drained
1200 ml water

Sauté the onions over a medium heat with a splash of vegetable oil until they turn golden brown in colour, add garlic, curry leafs and spices and cook for a further 5 min

Add the sugar, tomatoes, split peas and water, stirring occasionally let the soup come to a gentle simmer.  Turning the heat down slightly but still allowing to simmer, cook for 30-45 min until the split peas have  softened, adding additional water if the soup starts to become too thick.

This soup is great served with some warm nann bread

National Vegetarian Week 2012

Blog post by Monica Shaw

Monday 21st May 2012 marks the start of National Vegetarian Week, the UK’s annual awareness-raising campaign promoting inspirational vegetarian food and the benefits of a meat-free lifestyle. To give us some inspiration for the week,  Monica Shaw, guest blogger at Great British Chefs, talked to two of the UK's leading vegetarian chefs to get their ideas for incorporating more vegetables into our lives.

We know most of you are committed omnivores, but we also know that even meat eaters are clamouring, not just for more veg, but for more veg that actually tastes good (the popularity of Yotam Ottolenghi's The New Vegetarian column in the Guardian and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Veg is testament to that).

To give us some inspiration for National Vegetarian Week, I talked to two of the UK's leading vegetarian chefs to get their ideas for incorporating more vegetables into our lives.

Rachel Demuth, owner of Demuths Vegetarian Restaurant and The Vegetarian Cookery School in Bath, knows that one of the biggest factors in cooking with more vegetables is time, and it's no surprise that her "Fast & Delicious" course is one of her best-selling cookery classes. She explains that one of the keys is keeping a well-stocked cupboard of basic ingredients from which to build a meal:

"The basics should enable you to rustle up a risotto, tasty snack, or warming stew without having to go shopping for special items. For starters: olive oil, canned tomatoes, canned beans, quinoa, couscous, lentils, and a good spice rack. For a quick solo supper, I love couscous with stir-fried seasonal veggies, topped with halloumi or marinated tofu and a sprinkling of seeds."

Rachel suggests that a good place to start is with a simple vegetable frittata, which can be made with any variety seasonal vegetables - wild garlic, French beans, asparagus, courgettes, carrots, broad beans - whatever you happen to have. 

photograph by Monica Shaw

Daniel Acevedo, head chef at Mildred's vegetarian restaurant in London, suggests signing on to an organic box scheme: "I get my organic fruit and veg delivered by Riverford, which takes the guess work out of having to go to the supermarket and think about my food menu for the week.  I find if I always have a fridge full of fresh fruit and veg, throwing something together after a long day at work isn't a hassle."

But what to throw together? Here, Daniel's a big fan of soups and salads: "an easy way for even the biggest of meat eaters to get more veg into their diets is to start with more soups and salads, both quick and easy to make and don't require a lot of bother." 

For some inspiration, check out Daniel's vegan recipes for Borlotti Bean Soup with Pico de Gallo or Chunky Puy Lentil Dahl.

There are loads of events going on all over the UK to celebrate National Vegetarian Week, from special cookery classes to veggie menus at restaurants all over the country. Or if you're like me, take this opportunity to try a few new vegetarian recipes at home (I for one have plans for Wild Garlic Pesto and Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos).

For more vegetarian recipe ideas, visit Great British Chefs' Vegetarian Recipe Collection.

Look out for a competition to win a copy of  Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Veg Every Day! and Veg Patch River Cottage Handbook coming to Great British Chefs site soon. If you're not a vegetarian, how often do you eat vegetarian meals? For the vegetarians amongst us which dishes are favourites for your non veggie friends?  Let us know over on Great British Chefs Facebook Page.

Celebrating National Vegetarian Week 2012 - Great British Chefs

Londons Top Veggie Restaurants

Am proud to announce that Mildreds restaurant has been nominated for The Jellied Eel magazine and the Ethical Eats network competition to find the best vegetarian restaurant in London. 

To tie in with National Vegetarian Week (21 – 27 May), Jellied Eel magazine are asking Londoners to tell them which is the best exclusively vegetarian eatery in the Greater London area.  

Judging the eatery primarily by its food, but naturally expect you to take into account the service, venue, atmosphere and ethics of the place.

Not only will the winning entry get the credit they deserve, but if your choice is voted top, you have a chance of winning a meal for two at the winning restaurant. 

The competition is open until 27 May.  A short-list of those with the most public votes will be put to an expert panel, with the winning restaurant being announced in early July. 

Check out the link to vote and give us your support