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Hannah

About Hannah

https://www.runningbean.co.uk

Posts by Hannah Davy:

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Big Batch Chilli Non Carne

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Big Batch Chilli Non Carne

Spicy vegetarian chilli.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 10 Portions
Calories 387 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large pan
  • 1 Food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1.2 kg Mushrooms
  • 3 Large brown onions Finely chopped
  • 3 Tsp Grated garlic
  • 3 Celery sticks Finely chopped
  • 6 Bell peppers Any colour
  • 800 Grams Chopped Tomatoes
  • 1.2 Kg Black beans in water Drained
  • 1.2 Kg Red Kidney beans in water Drained
  • 100 Grams Dark chocolate Broken Into small pieces
  • 750 Ml Red wine
  • 3 Tbsp Tomato puree
  • 2 Tbsp Chipotle paste
  • 6 Tsp Soy sauce
  • 3 Tsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Chilli flakes
  • 1.5 Tsp Dried oregano
  • 1.5 Tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1.5 Tsp Salt
  • 3 Tsp Chilli powder
  • 3 Tsp Smoked paprika
  • 3 Tsp Cumin
  • 10 Dried Carolina reapers Cut into small pieces and reconstituted with 50ml boiling water – Please only include these chillis if you like VERY spicy food!!!!

Instructions
 

  • Add oil to a large pan and fry onions and celery until softened.
  • Meanwhile, using a food processor, pulse mushrooms until they resemble mince (1). Add mushroom mince to the onions and celery, fry until mushrooms release their moisture.
  • Add garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add spices and cook for a further 1 minute.
  • Add tomato purée and chipotle paste and stir.
  • Add wine and simmer until reduced.
  • Add kidney beans, black beans and chopped tomatoes.
  • Add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, dark chocolate and give mixture a good stir.
  • Add Carolina reapers (only if you are using them and have a high tolerance for spice!!!)
  • Bring to the boil and then set to a low simmer for 2 hours
  • Serve with whatever you fancy! (2)

Notes

  1. If you don’t own a food processor you could use a sharp knife to finely chop your mushrooms. 
  2. I like to serve mine topped with grated cheese, a portion of rice, tortilla chips and a dollop of soured cream. This helps with the spice! 
Keyword Chilli, Mushrooms, Spicy
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Turing 10k in Milton Keynes

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My first official timed 10k! I did one 10k event a few years ago, I wasn’t much of a runner then and I walked some of it. It was more of a fun run and there was no chip timing. This time, no walking! The Milton Keynes marathon weekend is a brilliant set of events and superbly organised.

This was me having just collected and attached my race number. I told myself that I was just going to take it easy and not aim for a quick time haha! Needless to say that mantra went out of the window and my competitive spirit kicked in shortly after crossing the start line.

If you’re like me, you just think of MK as the shopping centre, a bit of an ugly concrete city. It is a city now isn’t it?? However, there is actually a lot of greenery and pretty parts to Milton Keynes! We started in Campbell Park. I was worried as this was next to a pretty big hill and I thought this was a hint of what’s to come.

It’s a great course, all on concrete paths or pavements. There is a time limit as there are road closures that need to reopen. We passed by Willen lake twice and went through a cute village, Milton Keynes village I think? People had even come out of their houses to cheer us on! At the 8 or 9k mark though there was an unexpected hill and at the same time my laces came undone, so I was pretty pleased when saw that my time was under 1 hour!

I had just stepped over the finish line and this text came through! It was nice to hear through my headphones that I had done it in 55m30s! Properly chuffed with this time and then it was time for a large glass of wine in the pub with my husband.

I celebrated again when we got home with a nice gin and tonic. Check out the brilliant medal too! I would 100% do this event again 10/10.

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Pretty Milton ParkRun

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It’s been a few years since I last went to Milton Country Park Parkrun. As with all Cambridge Parkruns I usually do them on the way home from night shifts as they are local to where I work. Otherwise I tend to stick to in and around Bedfordshire, where I live.

Milton Country park is so pretty and it makes a really interesting Parkrun. Don’t come here expecting a PB though, especially if you’re not used to trail runs like me! I am usually a strictly path runner only! Here there are tight twists and turns, plenty of puddles and tree roots to watch out for! It is certainly not boring and I would thoroughly recommend it.

The route has changed recently and starts off with a small lap of a section of the park, followed by 2 larger laps and then finishing with the small section again. There is plenty to look at to keep yourself distracted. It is completely flat, which for an anti hill girl this was a relief! I would rate this Parkrun 8/10, I love it but my joints prefer more flat paths. Considering how tricky it is, I still got a good time. A PB for this particular event YAY!

I was too tired for my usual post park run hot chocolate treat but there is a lovely cafe here if you need a pick me up after! I do love it here but it is a little out of my way and on the whole, I prefer it to be mainly flat paths if possible. For beauty and how interesting it is I give this one a solid 8.5/10.

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Vegetarian Meals Out in April – Toby Carvery and Carriages Afternoon Tea

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I’ve eaten out well this week! Starting with a lovely Toby Carvery with my family, followed by a gorgeous afternoon tea with my friend. I was pleasantly surprised with how both catered so well for vegetarians.

My Mum and Dad invited me to the Toby Carvery, and my Mum said “but what are you going to eat?” Toby Carvery is no longer strictly for the carnivorous type! There are a variety of plant based and fish alternatives to the usual meat offerings. There is also a salad option but who would go to the carvery and order a salad?

When you get seated at your table, you get the option of ordering from the menu or going straight up for the carvery. I ordered the melt in the middle roast, because who can resist a melty, cheesy option! My parents went straight up to the meat carving area whilst I waited for my dish to arrive. It came pretty quickly and then I was able to join the queue for the best bit in my opinion; all the veg, roasties and don’t forget the Yorkshire pudding!
I went for the classic paxo style stuffing, mash, roasties, cauliflower cheese, dauphinois style potato and butternut squash and green beans. Surprisingly, everything was cooked beautifully and I went back for seconds of the dauphinois and roasties! You cant see my melt in the middle roast in the picture but it really was lovely. I’d call it a vegetable bake that had a coating similar to stuffing with breadcrumbs and nuts perhaps. Then the star of the show was the Camembert centre! It didn’t scrimp on the Camembert either. The vegetarian options are included in the carvery price, which differs from midweek to Saturday and Sunday. Also, for those with a Blue light card – they offer 20% discount during the week.

I would give the melt in the middle roast an 8 out of 10 and the dinner as a whole an 8.5 out of 10. I love a roast and it’s nice to know that there are tasty veggie options. There is also the option of paying less and just getting yourself a plate of the vegetable and potato selection.

Afternoon tea at Carriages in Cambridgeshire was an absolute delight. Not only is it a lovely location and executed at such a high quality, the food was bloody gorgeous too. I recommend booking in advance as it is very popular and space is limited. They have 3 train carriages and we were in the Lancelot carriage. We were warned at our booking that this carriage was dining tables and chairs only, and not plush train seats. However, we were not disappointed! The decor is still so fancy and you feel transported back to vintage train travel.

Upon booking, I specified that I was vegetarian and my friend was not. We were presented with the prettiest array of petit-fours, 2 scones each and a variety of sandwiches. I’m not exaggerating when I say that everything was delicious! The petit-fours consisted of an extremely light and zingy slice of lemon cake, a lemon macaron, a very fresh raspberry tart and I am still unsure of what the lovely sweet cream filled puffs in the middle were.

There were the usual scones, a fruit and a plain one each. I’m not usually a fan of scones with raisins in but there weren’t too many raisins and the scones were super fresh and warm. No where near enough cream or jam came with the scones for 2 people, but they were happy to get us some more.

They kept the sandwiches nice and simple. I had 2 coronation chickpea sandwiches, I love chickpeas, so this was great. I also had a cheese and coleslaw and an egg mayonnaise. I swapped the egg mayo with my friend for her cheese and coleslaw – winner!

I’m weird and I don’t drink tea or coffee, so I went for a Diet Coke with my afternoon tea. There were plenty of fancy teas and coffees to choose from though. Alcoholic drinks including a variety of cocktails were also available.

I will definitely be going back, I think I fancy going at Christmas time. I imagine it feeling like a scene from the Polar Express movie. Ambience and attention to detail 10/10, food 8/10.

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New Park Run – Great Denham 22th April

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I loved this park run. Smaller than the others I’ve run with 174 runners this week. This, however gave it a super friendly vibe, like everyone knew each other.

I love how it’s a complete 2 laps of the Great Denham Park. Psychologically, 2 laps rather than 2.5 laps at Bedford or 3 laps at Storeys Field, makes it much easier. It’s very flat, running on paths the whole way, tarmac and gravel. This is a good Park Run if you’re aiming for a PB. Make sure you position yourself nearer the front at the start line, as it’s a bit of a jostle to get past people at the start, it’s quite narrow at the start.

It’s a lovely green space, with sports pitches and children’s playing areas. Along one side of the park is the River Ouse. I found that there was enough to look at and keep my mind off how out of breath I was! I didn’t quite get a PB but I wasn’t far off. 25m 21s and my PB sits at 25m 16s at Storey’s Field. I think it will take a lot of effort to beat that!

There are plenty of places to park. I took the Park Run website’s advice and avoided the car park directly next to the park. This car park gets super busy, so I parked in a car park next to the primary school which was around a half mile walk to the start line. This meant I got to have a little look around the village too.

There are plenty of options for post Park Run refreshment, if like me you need a pick me up afterwards! There’s the Archers Rest, which is right on the start/finish line and there’s also The Eatery which is near to the Sainsbury’s. Both of these look popular and good options for food and drink. I look forward to trying both, when I definitely return to try and beat my time next time.

I was in such a good mood after this Park Run that I was mad enough to enter the ballot for next year’s London Marathon. I always said that I would never want to run a marathon but recently I’ve been inspired. I know that I am very unlikely to secure a space but I thought it was worth a try.

Thank you Great Denham for a really friendly vibe and a lovely change to my usual Park Run. I’d love to do the alphabet challenge at some point so I have now ticked off B for Bedford, G for Great Denham, M for Milton and S for Storey’s Field.

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Nando’s Veggie Food Review

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Most people wonder why vegetarians would want go to a chicken restaurant and I used to agree. However, Nandos veggie food hits the spot! All their starters are suitable for vegetarians and they have a substantial selection of plant based mains and sides too.

I didn’t go for a starter this time but I will try them all out in due course! I went for the great imitator wrap. Like with their chicken options, they have the same spice options ranging from their new “Peri-Tamer” and “Plain-ish” up to “Vusa XX Hot”. I love my spicy food so I tried the Vusa XX Hot. As I’m used to very spicy food, I didn’t find it that spicy which was slightly disappointing. The great imitator is a meat substitute made from pea protein. I haven’t tried this option plain, with no spice. However with extra spicy Nando’s marinade, it genuinely tastes like meat. The consistency is good, not too soft, and no weird after tastes.

The wrap comes with a little bit of lettuce, sweet chilli jam, mayonnaise and I added some halloumi in there too because I can’t live without halloumi. The combination of the spice, with the sweetness of the chilli jam and the mayo is juicy and delicious. I’d give the wrap 9/10. 100% would have again. Though, it could have been spicier.

For the side dishes, I went for my usual. My favourite is their spicy rice and then I went for the spiced grains with butternut squash and feta. I ordered this by accident once on the app, (I meant to order coleslaw) and now I order it every time. Their sides are always a solid 9-9.5/10.

Well done Nando’s for the great selection of not chicken dishes to try. Thank you also for continuing to provide us ever grateful NHS staff with a discount. We appreciate you too.

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Running – Week 14 2023

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This past week has been full of achievements starting with a Bedford park run PB. 26:25. I don’t know why, but since they changed the route of Bedford Park Run since COVID, I find it much harder. It’s now anti clockwise around the park, and instead of a sharp incline and a nice long decline, it is a long gradual uphill climb and a short downhill. Some would probably not even class this as a hill but, to me it might as well be Everest! I am sure with time I will get used to running up hill.

From complete beginner in January this year, to having run my 4th 10k with the run club this week. I am feeling so proud of myself. I am just so happy that I’ve started something and stuck to it. This is something that I am not very good at usually!

Run club this week was great. We had a change of meeting point and therefore a different route too. We started off at Bedford Park and it was glorious sunshine. Cue a necessary selfie.

Due to an unforeseen route change half way, it ended up being more than 10k and it was my longest ever run! 7.1miles to be exact.

10k is starting to feel easy, however only when running with other people. I find it harder to increase the distance on my own. That may be down to the fact that there aren’t many safe running routes near where I live. There is a loop I can run twice to make a 5k run but this has become boring. Also I need more ways to distract myself when running so I can keep going without getting bored and stopping. I have a good running play list on Spotify which you can check out by clicking on the Spotify icon at the bottom of the homepage. Maybe I should try some podcasts or audio books to keep me entertained.

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Wetherspoons Vegetarian Food Review No.1 – Burrito Bowl and Chocolate Brownie

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I’m not embarrassed to say that I am a spoons girl through and through. Don’t get me wrong, some are a lot better than others! I love the value for money and on the whole, the food is good.

So, when we went vegetarian last year, I thought let’s try everything on the Wetherspoons vegetarian menu! Sadly I can’t eat Quorn products, due to a nasty reaction. But I will try everything else and give my review.

They have a pretty good amount of vegetarian and vegan options on their menu. Unlike the typical, one vegetarian burger, that you sometimes find on pub menus. My friend and I decided to have a nice day out in Cambridge starting off in The Regal for lunch. It was a busy Saturday and the place was packed, so immediately I expected the quality to be lacking. I was proved wrong.

I ordered the burrito bowl with added vegan chilli and a side of onion rings. The burrito bowl is listed as vegetarian. It comes with; salad, spicy rice, roasted vegetables, grated cheese, sliced chillis, guacamole and tortilla chips. It is listed as 681 calories and the extra vegan five bean chilli is an extra 248 calories.

The portion size is deceptive in this photo but there was a decent portion of salad, rice and cheese in the bottom of this bowl before all the other toppings. It arrived very hot and fresh, and it was delicious. I am someone with a huge appetite so I felt I needed a side order of onion rings too. However the burrito bowl alone did actually fill me up! As onion rings go, these were very good ones. Again, very hot, fresh and crispy. The burrito bowl costs £8.76 and comes with a soft drink or it is £10.16 with an alcoholic drink. I paid £13.11 as I added the chilli for £1.75 extra. I ordered a gin for my included drink and for £1.88 extra, I got a double. The six onion rings side dish cost and extra £2.14.

Ratings: Burrito bowl, delicious – 8.5/10. Onion rings, standard but lovely 8/10.

My friend then ordered a dessert, and not to feel left out, I thought I had better order one too! Though, who can go out for lunch and not order dessert?! I ordered the mini chocolate brownie which comes with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. It is on the menu as vegetarian and is 426 calories. The brownie itself was very nice and not too rich. It is served warm and has chocolate chips inside. The ice cream is your standard tub style vanilla ice cream but goes well with the brownie. The chocolate sauce lets the dessert down slightly. It tastes pretty artificial and not really of chocolate and maybe because of this, I felt like there was too much of it. It overpowered the brownie.

The brownie dessert is pretty cheap at only £2.74.

Rating: Mini chocolate brownie with ice cream – I would have again but I would perhaps ask for no sauce. 6.5/10.

Overall it was a lovely lunch. The service was very quick and food was of very good quality. I would recommend The Regal if you’re out and about in Cambridge.

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Smashed Pea Bruschetta

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Smashed Peas on Toast

Not avocado but smashed peas on toast! Fresh and zingy flavours
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 15 mins
Course Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Servings 4 People

Equipment

  • 1 Small saucepan
  • Toaster or grill
  • 1 Potato masher

Ingredients
  

  • 150 Grams Frozen peas or petit pois Cooked as per instructions
  • 1 Tsp Garlic granules
  • 1/2 Lemon
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tsp Ground black pepper
  • 4-8 Slices Toast Depending on shape and size of bread
  • Grated or crumbled cheese of choice Feta and parmesan go nicely with this.

Instructions
 

  • Cook and drain the frozen peas.
  • Mash the peas roughly leaving some texture to them.
  • Mix in lemon juice and seasonings.
  • Toast your slices of bread and add peas on top. I like to top with either crumbled feta or vegetarian Parmesan.

Notes

This goes perfectly as a side to pasta dishes instead of garlic bread. It can also be eaten as a starter, or just a snack! 
Keyword Cheesy, Lemon, Peas,, Toast,
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Bedford Park Run

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Bedford Park Run is my favourite so far. I’ve only tried 3 different ones, but I would love to make a mission to travel and try them all! Or a lot more at least. Bedford has got a bit of everything. There is a small hill which is a bit of a killer by the last lap! It’s 2.5 laps of the park and there is a lovely pond with wildlife and a water feature, plenty of greenery and tennis courts. My favourite bit is the cafe at the finish point where I often go for their famous hot chocolate. It is a beautiful park on sunny and not so sunny days; you can visit my instagram for more pictures.

Today marked my 21st Park Run which means I have 4 more to go until I reach my first milestone! I will definitely be purchasing some merchandise to celebrate hitting said milestone. Yesterday was actually my 5 year Park Run anniversary, thanks to the guys at Park Run for letting me know that. So 21 over 5 years isn’t that great but I have done 8 this year so far and I plan to run every Saturday this year when I am not at work.

Today wasn’t my fastest time or even my fastest time at Bedford. I found it a bit of a struggle today and I’m still learning what causes these off days. Maybe I didn’t eat enough yesterday. I never usually eat before a morning run as I used to find that I would get abdominal cramps half way through if I did. I do hydrate before hand and I take some fast acting sugar with me just in case. Love heart sweets are my favourite for this purpose. They come in mini packets and are easily stashed in my running leggings pocket alongside my barcode and car key.

I’m also not very good at pacing myself when running at these events. I get overwhelmingly competitive with myself and I push myself to my limit. I certainly wouldn’t be able to talk at the pace I run at Park Run. I felt like I started off too quickly, to get a head start. However, looking at my Apple Watch stats it isn’t true. I appear to have started off slower for the first mile, the second mile was quickest and then slowed down for the end. Probably as I felt like I was dying and my legs were tired.

The volunteers at this event are fantastic at boosting morale. I feel like I’m completing a marathon, the way they cheer us all on! Without them, it wouldn’t be anywhere near as fun or worth doing. There’s a couple of regular super cheerful volunteers that keep me going back each time.

I’d love to hear your advice for running a great 5k and feeling good for the whole time. If that is possible! Also which Park Runs do you recommend I try next? I live in the Bedfordshire area, but I am willing to travel to try some good ones!

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