Category: vegetarian

Salted Caramel Sauce

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Salted caramel sauce is the best topping. Ever. But the butter and sugar can be pretty unwanted. Try this date and peanut butter concoction and you’ll never go back.

sauce

My recipe serves 2, but can easily be doubled, or tripled…

1/2 cup dates

1/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste

1 tablespoon peanut butter (or more to taste) I used Fix and Fogg’s coffee and maple p.b.

1-4 tablespoons plant milk (I used almond milk)

 

Simmer the dates in the water for a couple of minutes until they are soft. Put the whole lot in a blender with the salt, vanilla, and peanut butter.

Blend until smooth, then add milk until you get your desired consistency. Great over coconut yogurt, sliced bananas, or licked straight off the spoon.

Scrambled tofu

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I’ve accepted that eggs on toast won’t be part of my life anymore, and that doesn’t make me sad because they don’t do me any favours. But it’s the recipes that have eggs as an integral ingredient that I miss. So I’m pretty chuffed with this egg replacement using soft tofu, because it means that I can make a pad thai that’s pretty close to the original!

tofu eggs

I wouldn’t eat this on toast, but it makes a great substitute in a meal. I give you scrambled tofu:

1 packet soft/silken tofu

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coconut oil

 

In a bowl, roughly mash the tofu so it is still lumpy and mix with the seasonings. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then toss the tofu until it is brown and hot through. Optional extras you could throw in include spring onion, chopped chilli, fresh herbs, mushrooms, chopped spinach…the list is endless!

 

Green Goodness

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So at the end of the week, I like to round up a whole lot of green stuff and make a pesto sauce with it. It’s an absolute gem to have in the fridge for the week, and doubles as a salad dressing, pasta sauce, sandwich filling, dip, cracker spread and soup stir-through.

sauce

There really is no recipe, but I want to share the idea because its a great way to boost your raw vegetable intake with minimum effort!

I literally gather up whatever leafy greens I have plenty of, add some fresh herbs, cashew nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, water, and blend it all until it’s smooth. It keeps in the fridge for about 5 days, and if I make an extra big batch I freeze some.

This emerald-green pot of goodness was made with about 6 silver beet leaves, 2 big handfuls of rocket (I’ve been clearing out my vegetable garden for spring-yay!), a few sprigs of parsley, mint and coriander, juice of a lemon, 1/3 cup raw cashew nuts, about a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of salt and enough water to get a good consistency.

You can use any greens; kale and spinach are also good, and you can mix the flavour up with garlic and different herbs or nuts. Give it a go-you won’t know how you lived without it!

Make your own coconut yogurt

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Anyone who has discovered coconut yogurt knows that it’s a revelation; creamy, rich, tangy and full of probiotics without the side effects of dairy. Anyone who has bought coconut yogurt knows that it’s really expensive!

coconut yogurt

I’m here to tell you that making your own coconut yogurt is ridiculously cheap, easy, and good! Here are the basics:

You will need:

  • a tin of good quality coconut cream (one without added water or stabilisers)
  • either a couple of tablespoons of left-over yogurt from a previous batch (store-bought is fine) OR
  • a probiotic capsule
  • any flavours you want to add. I like to add some natural vanilla paste

When your previous yogurt batch is down to the last 2 tablespoons, just add the tin of coconut cream and any flavourings you want. Give it a really good mix/shake, and leave in a warm place for 2-3 days. That’s it. In winter I like to use my yogurt maker, but I fill it with hot tap water rather than boiling water or it tends to separate. Otherwise, a hot-water cupboard,  a sunny windowsill or any other warm, draft-free spot will work fine.

If you want to start from scratch, instead of using old yogurt you can open up a probiotic capsule (the ones you take for gut health) and sprinkle it in. These all have different strains of probiotic and strengths, so you might need to experiment with using more than one if it doesn’t turn tangy after a a couple of days.

My advice is just to have fun; it only costs the price of a can of coconut cream so experiment until you find a recipe that works for you. I had a few fails before I settled on a recipe that works for me.  I like to use Kara coconut cream and either leave it unflavoured (so it works for savoury or sweet dishes) or add a touch of vanilla bean paste. But the possibilities are endless!

Please comment if you come up with a great flavour combination; I’d love to hear about other people having success with coconut yogurt making.

 

 

Plant-based Pad Thai

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Pad Thai is a great meal any day of the week, but can be a bit stodgy with lots of oil and eggs. I made this version with loads of fresh vegetables, not too many noodles, and scrambled tofu. Fresh and zingy, and the left-overs make a great lunch the next day!

pad thai

The easiest, most delicious butternut squash soup recipe ever!

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You know when you really want to eat soup but can’t be bothered chopping and sauteing vegetables? I do, so I ran an experiment to see just how lazy I could I be and still turn out a passable bowl of soup. Turn out very, and the soup is as good as any I’ve ever made!

So, here’s what I did:

pumpkin

Chop a butternut squash in half, chop a red onion in half, chuck them together with 3 unpeeled garlic cloves on an oven tray with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.

Bake at 200 degrees for about an hour.

When cool, scoop out the butternut flesh, pop out the soft garlic, and put in a blender with the onion, a teaspoon of maple syrup, a tiny pinch of nutmeg, a grind of black pepper and about 2-3 cups vegetable stock.

Blend.

Serve.

soup

You’re welcome.

Avocados are back!

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In my opinion, avocados are amazing, and are best eaten with minimal fuss or seasoning. As well as being absolutely delicious, avos are full of healthy fats, vitamins and fibre.

This little bliss bowl allowed the perfectly ripe avocado to shine, with brown rice, edamame beans, shredded carrot, marinated mushrooms and a handful of my secret weapon; roasted munchy seeds. I drizzled a wee bit of olive oil over the top for some extra flavour.

Not so much a recipe as a suggestion for what to do with those avocados that are appearing in shops at reasonable prices right now. What are you waiting for? Get into them!

bowl

 

Comforting Koshari on a cold night

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If you’ve ever heard of the Egyptian dish Koshari you’ll know it’s a comfort dish made with white rice, lentils and pasta and layered with a tomato sauce. That sounded good for a day that didn’t get over 7 degrees (brrrrr!), but I wanted to make a recipe that was a bit less carby and a bit more vegetable-based. So with apologies to the purists, this is how I changed it up:

kusharibetter

carrot salad

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 cup brown lentils, soaked for a couple of hours

1 cup brown rice

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups mixed vegetables (I used peas and corn, but most things would work)

1 teaspoon salt

Good grind black pepper

 

Saute the onion and garlic in a heavy pan until soft and lightly coloured. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for another minute or so. Add the lentils, rice and stock and bake, covered, for about 25 minutes. Check it a couple of times during cooking; you might need to add a bit of water if it gets too dry.

Add your choice of vegetables and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the water has all been absorbed. Stir through salt and pepper to taste.

I served mine with chopped coriander and roasted eggplant, hard-boiled egg, spicy chutney and roasted peanuts and a carrot and coconut salad on the side. It would be equally good with caramalised onions, tomato pasata or any number of extras!

 

I

 

Freakin’ Freekeh

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I am loving all things freekeh right now. Freekeh is an ‘ancient grain’-basically wheat that is harvested young and roasted. It is higher in protein and fibre than that other superfood quinoa, cooks in 10 minutes, and is really tasty and filling!

Freekeh can be used in heaps of ways, but I love to cook it, cool it, boost it with vegetables, and make it a salad.

Here’s a very loose recipe (more a suggestion) for a delicious weeknight salad that also makes a stunning left-over lunch.

freekeh

Freekeh Salad:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1.5 cups freekeh

2.5 cups water

1 onion

1 garlic clove

3 cups vegetables; I used courgette, corn, capsicum, rocket, broccoli, tomato, avocado and mushroom

Handful of kalamata olives (optional)

Handful fresh herbs; parsley, mint, coriander, chives would all be good

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup toasted walnuts (or any nuts or seeds that take your fancy)

Dollop of coconut yogurt (mine was mango and turmeric flavour, but plain would be fine too)

 

To cook the freekeh, heat the first measure of olive oil in a heavy frying pan. Toast the freekeh in it until brown and smelling good, about 4-5 minutes. Pour in the water, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until soft. You might need to add a bit more water if it all runs out before the freekeh is soft. Put aside to cool down.

Saute the garlic, onions and any vegetables that require cooking in a pan until just soft. Add to the freekeh. Add any raw salad vegetables and the chopped fresh herbs.

To make the dressing, mix the second measure of olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir through the salad. Adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Serve with a sprinkle of toasted nuts/seeds and a dollop of coconut yogurt.

 

Not jam sandwiches!

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Trying to convince a teenager to take a salad for a school lunch can be difficult, unless you can call it a ‘deconstructed salad’. Somehow then it’s cool. I give you my deconstructed sushi salad. Guaranteed to keep you full all afternoon, and never be boring.

salad (2)

For 4 serves:

2 cups cooked brown rice (or sushi rice)

Approx 5 tablespoons sushi seasoning, check bottle for amount

1 cup shredded cabbage

2 carrots, grated

2 radishes, thinly sliced

3/4 cup frozen edamame beans

1 spring onion

1/2 packet tempeh or tofu

2 sheets nori

4 little bottles soy sauce (I keep the ones from sushi shops, but you could fill up little pots from your bottle in the fridge

Optional extras: sliced avocado, wasabi mayonnaise

 

Cook the rice according to packet instructions, cool, and season to taste with sushi seasoning. Layer in the bottom of 4 containers/bowls.

Layer the vegetables over the top. I just chuck the edamame beans in frozen; they’ll be defrosted by lunchtime, promise.

Lightly fry the tempeh or tofu in a pan until brown on both sides. You might want to splash some soy sauce on while cooking for extra flavour. Add this to the salad.

Lightly toast the nori sheet; I hold mine over the gas hob until it goes crisp. You could toast it in a frying pan. Roughly rip this into pieces and put on top of the salad.

Tuck a little bottle of soy sauce in, to be added to the salad just before eating. Yum!

*Meat eaters might like to add some cold chicken or tinned tuna. You can make this salad to order.