Easy Vegetarian Onion Gravy

I've always been disappointed by vegetarian gravy. The instant stuff is just full of chemicals and tastes like it; other recipes I've tried are either tasteless or taste of Marmite, which I don't really like. So a while ago I thought I'd set myself the task of making nice gravy, combining a few ideas I found on the internet. This is my easy vegetarian onion gravy recipe; I hope you like onions!

Brexit - Labour's fault?

Apparently, there's a journalistic convention that, if the headline ends with a question mark, the answer to the question is "no". So no, the labour party aren't responsible for brexit, and the full-sized cock-up which it has become. Not directly anyway. But their contribution deserves closer scrutiny.

Vegetarian Sausages

I've never been a fan of meat substitutes; not when I was a full-time vegetarian and not now. I know there are lots of people who eat them, some because they are vegan or vegetarian for ethical reasons, some who just like them. But I prefer to eat food which tastes of the things it is made from, and not food which is factory processed to taste like something else. Having said that though, sometimes I just fancy sausages, mash, peas and gravy.

The Migrant Crisis - Echoes of prohibition?

Apparently the UK is in the grip of a "migrant crisis". Although, with apologies for linking to Sky News, 230 people attempting to cross the channel during December can hardly be considered significant in a country of around 66,000,000 people. Neither can it really be considered significant when compared with the 130,000 children in the UK who were forced to spend Christmas with no permanent home.

Minestrone Soup

It's cold outside, the trains are too expensive to go anywhere and anyway Christmas has worn us all out. What you need is a nice warming soup full of vegetables. This is the way I make minestrone soup; it's vegetarian, possibly vegan and gluten-free (check the stock; use gluten-free pasta) and makes easily enough for four people, or you can freeze the leftovers. If you do, reheat it gently but make sure it's boiling before you serve it.

Rail Fare Increases - a disaster for the environment

The increase in UK rail fares is in the news today, including the astonishing claim by the transport secretary that the increase is due to the trade unions. How dare ordinary people working on the railways expect a reasonable pay increase? Nothing to do with the management of the railway or the government, and notwithstanding the fact that the fare increases are based on the rate of inflation, apparently this is all the fault of the ordinary worker.

Eating Less Meat - Why and How

For the sake of our health those of us in rich countries need to eat less meat.
For the sake of the climate those of us in rich countries need to eat less meat.

Raising animals for meat consumption is an inefficient process which causes significant harm through the emission of large amounts of greenhouse gasses, whilst at the same time reducing the amount of land available for other uses.