Vegan Scottish Recipes

Why should we all love Scotland? Well, apart from the obvious kilt-based reasons, here is my favourite. Scotland is the only country in the world which doesn't have a Coca-Cola owned beverage as the top selling beverage in the country. Yep - every other country in the world has a beverage owned by the Coca-Cola as the top selling beverage.

This month has been all about Scotland. I have to admit, it has been a challenge. You might have noticed that there have been fewer recipes than usual for a featured country - but this is not for want of trying! I actually cooked 4 other dishes which I didn't end up blogging because they just didn't quite work out, which is unusual. But here is what I did end up with:

~Savoury~

Swede and Parsnip Mini Cottage Pies with Mushy Peas

These little mini pies were amazing and very easy to make. They were perfect accompanied by mushy peas - I cannot believe that I had never made mushy peas before this, they were so easy and delicious! Check out the recipe here.

Lemon & Orange Vegetables

Sometimes you just need a quick and easy way to whip up some special side vegies - well, here it is. These carrots and broccoli are made special with a dressing of lemon and orange juice. They were lovely in their simplicity - although I have to admit I was a bit cheeky and added an incredibly un-Scottish ingredient to it! It was worth it - Check out the recipe here.

Roasted Love Apple and Red Wine Soup

Don't worry - a Love Apple isn't some sort of obscure fruit which you'll never find anywhere unless you happen to have a tree in your backyard. Actually Love Apple is a traditional name for a tomato, and this is a beautiful rich roasted tomato soup. With May being the last month of Autumn before Winter kicks in, it was perfect timing for this soup. A perfect hearty and warming soup perfect with some crusty bread. I highly recommend trying this one out! Check out the recipe here.

~Sweet~

Cranachan (Whiskey Cream with Oats and Raspberries)

I'm not sure you could really go wrong with this dessert. It's whiskey cream with raspberries and toasted oats sprinkled with slivered almonds - but my vegan version of course! It's delicious and if you leave the nuts off then it's good for almost every allergy there is - it's egg free, dairy free, wheat free, soy free, tree nut free, peanut free and sesame free. But it certainly isn't taste free or decadence free! Check out the recipe here.

Vegan Oat and Currant Scones

Scotland gave me a great opportunity to explore scones. I actually made three types of scones but I only ended up posting these ones, the others just didn't turn out quite right. I think I will have to fiddle with the recipes and maybe post them later. These ones were really delicious though! You could make them in a more traditional scone shape, but I like the rustic loaf style wedges of these scones. Check out the recipe here.

So - What's next?

I'm so incredibly excited to announce that in June I will be featuring recipes inspired by Cambodia! I'm really glad that somebody has requested the first Asian country I've featured (much as I love European foods, it's nice to get off the continent). 

I didn't know this until I started researching, by apparently Cambodian cuisine is very old and is famed for amazing combinations of fresh ingredients and unique flavours. It really sounds like my cup of tea, I love fresh zingy foods laced with chilli, lime and fresh herbs. Want a sneak peak? Here it is:

Swede and Parsnip Mini Cottage Pies

This month I'm featuring recipes inspired by Scottish food, quite a challenge for a vegan - but one that I'm very much enjoying! Pies are a bit part of Scottish cuisine. Scotch pies, shepherds pies and cottage pies. All very meaty of course. So, this is my version of a vegan cottage pie. It has big chunks of swede and parsnip (though you could use carrots and turnips as well) mixed into a rich onion and pepper gravy topped with classic mashed potato and baked until crispy on top. It's perfect served with mushy peas. I made mine in mini pies but, of course, you could put it all in a dish and make one big pie as well.

Ingredients
4 parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 swedes (or turnips), peeled and chopped
1 kg floury potatoes (such as sebago), peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp Nuttelex (or other non dairy butter or margarine)
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 heaped tbsp flour
2 tsp powdered 'beef' stock (I use Massel, because it has no animal content)
2 cups boiling hot water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cracked black pepper

To Make
1. Simmer the swedes for about 35-40 minutes, or until just tender. During the last 15 minutes add in the parsnips, they should cook in much less time.
2. Preheat your grill to 160 degrees.
3. Boil the potatoes until very tender (at least 30 minutes, more is fine). Drain and mash well with salt and nuttelex.
4. Now get all the rest of the ingredients ready and close to hand to make your gravy. In a small saucepan heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until soft and translucent. Add the flour and stir constantly for a minute or two. Add the stock powder and soy sauce to the boiling water and add about 1-2 tbsp to the flour and onions in the pan. Stir well to make a very thick flour and onion paste.
5. Add the rest of the hot stock in small amounts and stir vigorously as you do so to make sure there are no lumps (this isn't as hard as people think, just don't add too much water at once and make sure the water is still hot).
6. Once you have added all the stock add the black pepper. You should now have a fairly thick but pourable gravy. If it is still too thick to pour then you can add a bit more hot water to thin it out.
7. Drain your swede and parsnip and stir into the gravy. Stir well to coat all the chunks in gravy.
8. Take 8 medium sized ramekins (or alternately just use a square baking dish) and distribute the vegies and gravy evenly amongst them.
9. Top each ramekin with mashed potato and use a fork to score/rough up the surface (this creates more surface area to go crunchy in the oven).
10. Place in the oven/grill for about 15 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned.

Serves 8, serve with mushy peas and a sprinkle of salt on top!

I'm featuring lots of recipes from the United Kingdom,

Check out my other recipe posts here:

Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

Summer Pudding

Mushroom & Guinness Pie

Treacle Tart

Vegan Bakewell Tart

Roasted Love Apple and Wine Soup

Cranachan (Whiskey Cream with Raspberries and Oats)

Orange and Lemon Vegetables

Scottish Vegan Oat Scones

Scottish Vegan Oat Scones

Oats and scones are both very quintessentially Scottish - so oat scones are about as Scottish as they come. These delicious oaty and currenty scones turned out delicious, however, I almost didn't post them because the photos didn't turn out that well. But in the end Scottish food is about delicious homely cooking so taste won out. 

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups plain wholemeal flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup dried currants

1/3 cup soy milk

1/3 cup oat milk

1 tbsp tapioca starch or arrowroot powder

125g Nuttelex (or other non dairy margarine), melted.

To Make

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

2. Combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, tapioca starch, currants, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3. Make a well in the middle and add the melted Nuttelex and milks. Mix to create a soft dough.

4. Turn out onto a floured benchtop and knead briefly until the dough is a smooth ball. Flatten slightly into a thick disk about 8-10 inches diameter. Score the top into eight wedges.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Cut into wedges and serve warm spread with Nuttelex (and a cup of tea preferably).

I'm featuring lots of recipes from the United Kingdom,

Check out my other recipe posts here:

Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

Summer Pudding

Mushroom & Guinness Pie

Treacle Tart

Vegan Bakewell Tart

Roasted Love Apple and Wine Soup

Cranachan (Whiskey Cream with Raspberries and Oats)

Orange and Lemon Vegetables

Swede & Parsnip Mini Cottage Pies

Lemon and Orange Vegetables

You'd probably be surprised to hear that this recipe is part of my Scottish recipes for May! It might not surprise you, however, to hear that it is quite difficult to find vegan savoury recipes from Scotland! So when I found citrus vegetables it was a relief to find a delicious and simple vegetable recipe from Scotland!

It looks so simple, but actually it's a very lovely way to present and eat vegetables. Tying the carrots up in little bundles with chives is a great touch, but is fiddly so if you're just cooking for yourself then you may want to skip it. However, it is a cute way to present and portion vegies if you're feeding a family or a group of guests. The inspiration for this comes from "Rainbows and Wellies" The Taigh Na Mara Cookbook, which is full of traditional and modern Scottish recipes. I've modified it and added a very un-Scottish touch to it (I couldn't help myself!).

Ingredients
4 carrots
1 orange
Chives
2 bunches broccoli
1 lemon
2 tsp sesame oil
Cracked pepper
Salt to taste

To Make
1. Slice the carrots into equal lengths (and do your best to make them all the same width). Place in a saucepan and zest a bit of the orange zest into the pan as well (about 1/2 tsp).
2. Juice the orange and add to the pan as well with enough water to just cover the carrots. Simmer, covered, until the carrots are just tender.
3. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the carrots and leave the orange juice in the pan. Grab about 5-6 pieces of carrot and tie it into a little bundle (you'll break a few chives doing this but practice makes perfect and you'll develop a good technique).
4. Cut the broccoli into florets and steam until just tender.
5. Bring the orange juice back to a simmer and add the juice of the lemon and the sesame oil.
6. Mix the broccoli and carrot bunches together in a bowl (or serve separately on a plate if you like). Pour the hot orange and lemon juice over the top and mix through. Add cracked pepper and salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 as a side.

I'm featuring lots of recipes from the United Kingdom,

Check out my other recipe posts here:

Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

Summer Pudding

Mushroom & Guinness Pie

Treacle Tart

Vegan Bakewell Tart

Roasted Love Apple and Wine Soup

Cranachan (Whiskey Cream with Raspberries and Oats)

Scottish Vegan Oat Scones

Swede & Parsnip Mini Cottage Pies

Vegan Cranachan (Scottish Whiskey Cream with Raspberries and Oats)

You can't really go wrong with raspberries and whipped cream, right? But I'll tell you what you can do - make it even better! What could be a better addition than whiskey, toasted oats and almonds? Oh, and some more whiskey on top :) This is a vegan version of a Scottish dessert called Cranachan, with some personal touches.

There are two options on how to finish it off, you can use the whiskey syrup (below), or if you are a real hardcore whiskey fan you can just drizzle a teaspoon of straight whiskey over the top (although, this gives it rather a kick!). I tried both and I did prefer to use the whiskey syrup.

It's also wheat free, dairy free, egg free, peanut free, tree nut free (if you omit the almonds), sesame free and soy free. So bring on the dessert, allergy sufferers!

Ingredients

2 tins coconut cream, chilled in the fridge for at least 24 hours (the longer the better)

2 tbsp soft icing mixture

3/4 cup rolled oats

2 cups fresh raspberries (or frozen is fine)

2 tbsp scotch whiskey

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings:

Slivered almonds, as many as you like! (optional, leave off to make nut free)

1/4 cup scotch whiskey

2 tbsp raw sugar

To Make

1.  Refrigerate the 2 tins of coconut cream over night (minimum- I prefer to leave for 2-3 days).

2. When you open the tin you will notice that the top is a very solid thick cream. Scoop out all of the solid thick cream on top (you can reserve the rest of it to use in another meal – like a curry).

3. Put the thick cream into a bowl and mix well using a hand held electric mixer. Move the beaters up and down to try and get as much air into the cream as possible. Add the sugar and beat until it pretty much resembles thick cream.
4. Whip in the whiskey and vanilla.
5. Heat a non-stick pan and add the dry rolled oats. Toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring them frequently to prevent burning. Generally keep your eye on them as they burn quickly. Allow to cool.

6. To make the whiskey syrup, place the whiskey and sugar in a small saucepan and heat gently. Bring to a low simmer and simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

7. Fold the cooled toasted oats and raspberries into the whipped cream. Distribute amongst 8 bowls. Top with slivered almonds and 2 tsp cooled whiskey syrup.

Makes 8 servings.

I'm featuring lots of recipes from the United Kingdom,

Check out my other recipe posts here:

Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

Summer Pudding

Mushroom & Guinness Pie

Treacle Tart

Vegan Bakewell Tart

Roasted Love Apple and Wine Soup

Orange and Lemon Vegetables

Scottish Vegan Oat Scones

Swede & Parsnip Mini Cottage Pies

Scottish Roasted Love Apple and Wine Soup

Now before you dismiss this as being some obscure ingredient which you'll never be find - don't worry! Love apple is a traditional name for tomato, although nobody seems sure why. There are a lot of theories on the internet but none of them have any credible source so I assume they're just people writing stuff. This gorgeous and rich love apple soup is roasted for extra rich heartiness, perfect with crusty bread for a warming Autumn meal.

May on Gormandize with A-dizzle and K-bobo is all about Scottish Food. I'm featuring the cuisine of a different country (in a vegan form!) every month. So far we've done Croatia, Chad, Bosnia and Iran. All were delicious and you should check out all the recipes in the archive. This month a reader has suggested that we do Scotland - which was posed as quite a challenge since Scottish cuisine is famed for its meatiness! I was pleasantly surprised to discover several non meat dishes (not a lot, but some!) and lots of delicious desserts! So it may be more a month of sweets than savouries this time!

This soup also rather neatly ties into the next Holiday Recipe Club. The theme ingredients for the Cince de Mayo hop (something which I know very little about) are dulce de leche, chorizos and tomato. That obviously doesn't leave me much choice- so tomatoes it is!

Ingredients

2 kg tomatoes

Olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stick, diced

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 litre vegetable stock (or use a vegetable based beef stock for a richer flavour)

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup red wine

To Make

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. Cut the tomatoes in half and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes.

3. Put the vegetable stock, onion, garlic, carrot, celery and tomato paste in a soup pot. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

4. Add the roasted tomatoes and any juices left on the tray.

5. Blend the soup until very smooth and press through a strainer. Use a spoon to press all the liquid out of it and you should only be left with 1-2 tablespoons of thick paste at the end (mostly tomato skin and seeds), you can discard this.

6. Return to the pot and reheat gently. Serve with liberal cracked pepper and some crusty bread.

I'm featuring lots of recipes from the United Kingdom,

Check out my other recipe posts here:

Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

Summer Pudding

Mushroom & Guinness Pie

Treacle Tart

Vegan Bakewell Tart

Cranachan (Whiskey Cream with Raspberries and Oats)

Orange and Lemon Vegetables

Scottish Vegan Oat Scones

Swede & Parsnip Mini Cottage Pies