Meatless Monday: Jess Watkins - Girl Meets Underworld

On Mondays I will be featuring fellow vegetarian and vegan book people. Today on the blog, I have a vegetarian author who is sharing her story and book with us! I hope you learn something and enjoy her favorite Christmas recipe!!

Jess Watkins - Girl Meets Underworld

Why I Am A Vegetarian

My parents are vegetarian so I was brought up as one. They did say that I could eat meat if I wanted to but it doesn't appeal to me and I disagree with eating animals so I've never eaten meat and never plan to.

My Favorite Vegetarian Recipe

Chestnut and Red Wine Pate en Craîte

My mum makes this every Christmas.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 oz butter or margarine (or vegan alternative)
• 2 medium chopped onions
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 2 oz sliced button mushrooms
• 3 fl oz red wine
• 12 oz can unsweetened chestnut purée or mashed fresh or canned chestnuts
• 3 oz soft fresh white or brown breadcrumbs
• 1 lb quick flaky pastry
• A little beaten egg to glaze (or vegan alternative)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a medium-large saucepan, add the onions and fry for about 10 mins until tender but not browned.
2. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 2-3 mins.
3. Pour in the wine and let it bubble away for a minute or two until most of the liquid has gone. Then remove from the heat and stir in the chestnut purée, breadcrumbs and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Set oven to 230 degrees C.
5. On a lightly floured board roll out the pastry into 2 strips, one measuring about 6 x 12 and the other 9 x 12.
6. Put the smaller strip onto a baking sheet brushed with cold water.
7. Spoon the chestnut mixture onto the pastry, keeping 1/2 inch clear all around the edges and piling it up well into a nice loaf-like shape in the middle.
8. Brush the edges of the pastry with cold water then ease the second piece of pastry on top. Press down lightly and trim edges. Cut the trimmings into holly leaves.
9. Make a few small steam holes then brush with beaten egg.
10. Put into oven and bake for 7-8 mins then reduce temperature to 200 degrees C and bake for a further 20-25 mins.

• Pub Date: February 1, 2013
• Publisher: Opis Publishing
• Format: Paperback, 224 pages
• Age Range: Young Adult

Having lost her mother and brother, Stella stands on the roof of her building, about to jump. She is stopped by a handsome young man, who jumps first. Somehow, he survives and Stella soon discovers that Conner holds a dark secret and more than a passing connection to her own unhappiness.

But Conner isn’t the only man to take an interest in Stella. Will is dangerous. He has mood swings, a crazy older brother and the ability to heal abnormally quickly. Stella knows what Conner is, but what exactly is Will – and why does he appear to know more about Conner than she does?

Born in Lincoln but raised in Shropshire, Jess Watkins has a MSci in Chemistry with Study Abroad. She has lived in three different countries and owns an unreasonable number of t-shirts. A Whovian, Browncoat and Sherlockian, Jess loves fantasy and sci-fi as well as animals, reading and skiing, and of course writing.

Find Jess:

blog | facebook | goodreads | twitter


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