Happy autumn guys. Hope the sunshine is shining for you today as brightly as it is for us. We didn’t get to enjoy much sunshine this summer unfortunately but maybe at least the autumn skies will remain nice and bright for a while. On Monday, we returned from our weekend away in the Lake District and I am still needing a little return to reality, my calves are still aching after some brutal climbing we did on Saturday.
Our journey up there was a bit of a nightmare as there were so many roadworks on the motorway that our four and a half our trip turned into a seven hour one. We have honestly started to think ‘what have we done?’, but the two days that followed – the company, the views and even the weather, which was very merciful to us this time – made up for it and we had a great time. We requested to go off the beaten track as much as possible, so on Saturday, my friend took us on a hike round the Haweswater Reservoir. It sounded flat and easy but it was anything but. Let’s just say that I am glad I did not quite understand how challenging the terrain was going to be as I think I would have doubted my ability to make it. The views were stunning, lots of curious sheep, not many people about and we even got some sunshine towards the end. On Sunday, we headed for Derwentwater to do some kayaking. Duncan is a seasoned kayaker as is my friend and her partner so I was a bit nervous that I might hold them all back but my worries were completely unfounded. It wasn’t that difficult at all and I really enjoyed it. The lake was quiet and it was a great way to get around. Once again, the weather was slightly better than the forecast too. We ended the weekend with some pizza and drinks and headed home on Monday morning half expecting the journey to be a nightmare again, but we got lucky and got home in four and a half hours so it was all good. In terms of cooking, I’ve had a few days break so I have some new ideas to try but first up is a simple autumn dish of vegan gozleme filled with cheesy and garlicky mushrooms as I am huge mushroom fan (as you know probably by now…if you are too there are lots of mushroom recipes on here already, like this one, that one or that one) and mushrooms are such an autumn staple although I hardly need an excuse. This simple dish is easy and quick to make, especially if you use a shop-bought vegan cheese instead of making your own cheese sauce. If you don’t have any on hand or would rather just use wholefoods, there is an alternative cheese sauce recipe below, which I personally prefer. Enjoy.
30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil 4 garlic cloves, sliced 500 g / 10½ oz chestnut mushrooms, cleaned salt and pepper, to taste 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves approx. ¾ cup shredded melty vegan cheese (or see below)
CHEESE SAUCE (OPTIONAL)
65 g / ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 2 tsp tapioca starch 15 ml / 1 tbsp lemon juice salt
ASSEMBLY
