Mixed Mezes… #Vegan and Free From

Mixed Mezes… Vegan and Free From

Another very busy week with lots going on before half term starts (hooray 🙂 a week without early mornings!) 🙂 Something a little different today because people are getting ready for Halloween parties! Whilst not your traditional meringue ghosts and ghouls, witches fingers and pumpkin biscuits, these mezes are sure to go down a treat! 😛

Last weekend we made a three course meal and these mezes along with some fresh breads and a couple of extra vegetarian (cheese) dishes disappeared very quickly! 🙂 The meat eaters didn’t even notice there was no meat! 😀

So what do we have?

We have chickpea bites, herbed olives, baked butter beans, red pepper houmous, chunky guacamole and vegetable spring rolls (see photo at bottom). A delicious selection of nibbles or starters suitable for dairy free, egg free, gluten free and vegan diets! 😀 Something for everyone! Plenty to share at Deborah’s plant based potluck #67 and at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #91… yumyumyum!

These beans have been made a few times in our house this week!

Chickpea bites made in a chocolate mould!

Okay, so what recipe will I share today? TWO! Yes! TWO! The chunky guacamole is so very easy and the spring rolls… have you ever used spring roll wrappers!? Be warned! They’re a bit scary if you’re shallow frying (Life Diet Health generally bakes but shallow fries if necessary)! as they blow up into giant bubbles and cause the rolls to ‘roll’ around quite dramatically! By saying giant bubbles I mean about three times the size of the roll itself! So take care with the hot oil when making these!

Chunky guacamole:

Avocado, tomato, cucumber, red onion, salt, pepper, paprika/chilli, lemon/lime juice.

– Use the quantities as you see fit with the avocado being the star! Use less onion if they’re potent, paprika if you prefer it mild, more tomato if you added too much chilli by accident, 😛 more cucumber to make it more child friendly etc.

• Chop everything into bite size chinks, add the seasonings, liberally squeeze with fresh juice. Mix. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Stand to let the flavours develop.
• Scoop, spoon, eat! Enjoy! 🙂
  

  Chunky guacamole ready for scooping onto tortilla chips 🙂

Spring rolls:

Celery, carrot, onion, coconut oil, sweetcorn, tamari soya sauce, sesame seeds, spring roll wrappers (mine were 100% rice), boiling water.

– Use quantities as you see fit! Use equal quantities of vegetables.

• Peel, wash and string the vegetables as appropriate, then chop into equal sized matchsticks.
• Melt the oil and add the chopped vegetables all at once, cook until the onion is just starting to turn translucent, stir through the sweetcorn, then add a teaspoon of tamari and cook for 30 seconds, taste test. Add more tamari until you have the perfect taste (I used 2 teaspoons to 1 medium carrot).
• Sprinkle over sesame seeds (I used 1 teaspoon), stir through then turn off the heat.
  

  Almost ready for wrapping… let it cool down a bit first!
• Wrapping! Follow the instructions on the spring roll wrappers – usually soak in hot water to soften but check just in case!
• Make one roll at a time by putting a tablespoonful of vegetables on one end of the prepared wrapper. Fold the end over to cover, then wrap the two sides over to make an envelope. Ensure the filling is tight, then carefully roll it up and press the ends to seal. Make the rest of the spring rolls.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

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• Shallow fry to colour on all sides (mind the bubbles) then bake in the oven on Gas 3 (325f / 160c) for ten minutes.
• Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Serve & Store

• All of the mezes can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
• Please note the onion in the guacamole will become overpowering the longer it is left and the colour of the guacamole may change.
• The spring rolls are tricky to reheat and are best eaten cold (they’re still yummy).
• The olives are best stored in their oil / dressing.
• Cover the houmous to prevent it drying out.
• Chickpea bites and baked butter beans can easily be reheated or eaten cold.
• Serve as a grand starter or a luscious lunch with breads, crackers or salads.
  

  What a tasty looking plate of food!

  

  Delicious looking spring roll.

  

  A lot of yummy food for a lot of yummy people!