Portabello Mushroom Burgers and Delicious Apricot MisoSlaw

While walking around Waitrose I came across a packet of portabello mushrooms that were on reduced price. I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to try my first portabello mushroom burger! I had read many vegan and vegetarian recipes that had used these mushroom caps in a replace for a burger, and I must admit, even with all there enthusiasm and insistence it really made a great burger, I had some serious doubts. I just couldn't get my head around how springy, spongy mushrooms were supposed to mimic the tender, succulent and hearty taste of a beef burger!

Curiosity took me over and I had to see what they were like, I looked around for how people marinated them and came up with my own recipe (which I adapted mainly from this one: http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/home/2013/9/9/mushroom-burgers-with-asian-slaw.html). And guess what! They tasted soooooo good!!!! I am not going to lie and say that they tasted and had the texture of real burgers, but nonetheless they were just as good in a different way - I wouldn't say that they are a beef substitute in the way that they taste like beef, but these mushroom burgers aren't trying to pretend to be anything! They just taste really good in their own right. 

To go with the burger, I steam - fried some white onion, grilled some cherry tomatoes and served with a MisoSlaw (like coleslaw but vegan/ Asian style!), all on top of a corn tortilla.

Ingredients 

For the Burger (serves 2) 

• 2 Portabello Mushroom caps 
• Drizzle of each: olive oil and sesame oil 
• 1 1/2 tbs of tamari 
• 1 1/2 tbs of balsamic vinegar 
• 1 tsp of red wine vinegar 
• sprinkling of dried oregano 
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp of xylitol/ sugar/ honey (any sweetener of your choice) 

For the Apricot MisoSlaw 

• 2 carrots 
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/4 white cabbage 
• 1 sweet pepper 
• 1 tbs of tamari
• 1/2 tsp of brown rice vinegar 
• 1/2 tsp of rice mirin 
• 1 1/2 tbs of sweet white miso paste 
• 1 1/2 tbs of apricot jam (I use sugar free St Dalfour) 
• 1 tbs of boiling hot water 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Optional Condiments 

• 1/2 a thinly sliced white onion 
• 5 cherry tomatoes (halved) 
• Vegan cheese
• 2 burger buns/ corn tortillas etc. 

Method 

1. Wash and de-stem the portabello mushrooms. With a fork, prick holes in the top of the mushroom cap (the smooth side). 
2. Mix all other burger ingredients together in a shallow bowl big enough to fit both mushroom caps into. Brush or smear the marinade all over the mushroom cap and then allow to sit in the marinade, stem side up, for around 20 -30 mins. 
3. Meanwhile, julienne all the vegetables in the MisoSlaw recipe. In a cup mix together all the sauces and pour over the vegetables. Mix thoroughly together in a big salad bowl and set aside. Preheat the grill to 180 degrees C. 
4.  Steam fry the white onions (meaning put a splash of water in the bottom of the pan and allow the onions to fry in it for around 4 mins on each side). You can use oil and fry them if you want too. 
5. Seal the mushroom caps on each side in a very hot frying pan over a medium heat. I don't use any oil in this process because there is oil in the marinade. You should fry them for around 30 seconds on each side. 
6. Place under the grill, with the cherry tomatoes, for 5 mins on each side. Take out the cherry tomatoes after around 2-3 mins. 
7. Stack the burger high with the condiments and serve on warmed burger buns or corn tortillas! 

Up-cycled Plastic Bag Wallet

Another idea for how to up-cycle your plastic bags! I have become quite obsessed with trying to find ways to make by plastic bags into little items, haha! 

For this wallet I used 2 H&M bags and 3 different Paperchase bags. 

To make the wallet I made the plastic fabric (fused together plastic bags) - use this link to show you how fuse the fabric: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNziDXtm1SA.
To make a wallet that is similar to this (although I changed the design on the inside quite a lot) then watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYnJrzQoAA4.

My First Delicious taste of Cashew Based Raw Ice Cream!!!

I know that this might not be amazing to most of you - but to a still baby vegan, trying this raw cashew ice cream for the first time was SERIOUSLY exciting! While in Camden I suggest you visit the Insprial Lounge Cafe on Camden High street. It has got an amazing selection of raw desserts, ice creams, smoothies, raw sandwiches, vegan burgers, hot stews and pies and MUCH MUCH more! AND THIS is where my vegan assuring, mouthwateringly delicious first taste of raw ice cream takes place. If you are baby vegan like me and ice cream is just still too much of a sirens call for you, then I implore you to give this a try. I REALLY LIKED IT (if you can't already tell!) The texture is thick and creamy and absolutely the texture of ice cream, with only a hint of the cashew taste coming through - it would be like tasting real cashew flavoured ice cream.

I have tried other vegan ice creams, like So Delicious, and its good - but I KNOW that it is vegan ice cream. However with the cashew one, it is the exact texture and creamy flavour of real ice cream!

I had the Dandelion coffee and Amaretto flavour, which was really good - but they had a wide range of other flavours and when I am up there again I think I will give the Maple Pecan one a try!

How to make AMAZING up-cycled card holders!

Can you find a better way of using all those plastic bags than these card holders???? They are so fun to make and soooo easy, and you can experiment with so many different colours and patterns!

This idea came about yesterday, when me and my Mum decided to take a wander through the Renegade craft fair up in London. From wall to wall the place was laden with designers, artists, jewellers and knitters - it was craft heaven! I was so inspired by all the unusual designs and fun items that I rushed home to give all that I had absorbed a try. This idea was first on my agenda, after seeing beautiful card holders and wallets made out of mere plastic shopping bags!

SO VIBRANT!

 Things you will need: 

• Around 4 - 5 plastic shopping bags (any kind will do - I used 2 Sainsburys shopping bags, 1 House of Fraser one and then decorated it with a plain blue off licence bag.) 
• Sewing machine (Optional - you can always try by hand but I think it would be quite difficult) 
• An iron 
• Lots of sheets of paper / grease-proof paper (recommended, as it is easier to peel off the plastic)  
• A average sized card (like a credit card, oyster card etc.) 
• Thread for the sewing machine 
• Scissors 

Method: 

1. Set Iron to a MEDIUM heat - on the DRY setting (you don't want any steam) 
2. Prepare all the bags: Trim off the handles and cut a strip of the bottom of the bag. 
3. Lay out the plastic bags in the layers that you want them to be in when you fuse them together - this will make the base layer of your plastic fabric (you want at least 2 - 3 bags layered on top of each other for this base layer so that it is sturdy). So in my example (pictured above) I used the two Sainsburys bags as my base layer. I flattened them out, layered them on top of each other and fused them together (next step). 
4. On the ironing board lay down lots of sheets of greaseproof paper / plain paper so that no plastic is touching the ironing board. Then repeat this so that the paper covers all the plastic - you don't want your iron to get ruined! 
5. Iron over the paper for several minutes or until you have a flat sheet of plastic fabric sandwiched between the paper. Peel off the paper. 
6. So here you have your first plastic fabric sheet! 
7. If you want the framed effect (see in the picture how the sainsburys bags frame the house of fraser one) then repeat steps 2-4 with the other bag (in my case the house of fraser bag)
8. Lay a credit card on the sheet of plastic and draw around it - leaving a 1cm seam allowance. Repeat this and cut out the two rectangles from the fabric. 
9. If going for the framed effect cut out two slightly smaller rectangles from the other bag. Lay them over the first cut rectangles, sandwich between paper and fuse together. 
10. Embellish my cutting out shapes from other plastic bags and laying them on top of the pieces for the card holder. Sandwich between paper and iron over it until it has fused. 
11. Take the two pieces, place them together and run a running stitch along the two sides and bottom. 
12. AMAZING!! You now have your very own up-cycled plastic bag card holder!!!!! 

If you find it hard to follow these instructions (don't worry I learn from visually seeing how it is done - so I understand!) then this video is really helpful to show you how to fuse the bags together! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNziDXtm1SA - However I didn't fold the bags (to make it 8-ply) I just layered bags on top of each other and that worked really well. :)

Have fun with this - you don't have to copy my design (you can if you want!) but take the most amazing plastic bags (I don't know about you - but in my household we are unable to throw away really pretty plastic shopping bags, but never know what to do with them!) and turn them into useful card holders, wallets, make up bags, pencil cases - anything you want!