Archive for Vegan
November 2, 2009
· Filed under Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged banana bread, date loaf, vegan, walnut loaf
This is one of my Mum’s specialties, which I have veganised. It worked out really deliciously well, so I’m hoping that Mum will take note and make it for me this way next time I visit her! *hint hint*
If you are looking for a healthy banana loaf, try this link for a sugar-free, wholemeal version, because this loaf is filled with sugary & (vegan)buttery goodness!
Mum’s Banana, Date and Walnut loaf
Ingredients:
125 g vegan butter/marg (I use olivani)
3/4 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates
3/4 cup SR flour
3/4 cup Plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Mash bananas finely with fork (should be about 1 cup of banana). Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add oil, mix well. Add bananas and vanilla, mix until well combined. Stir in sifted flours and soda in two lots. Mix well. Add walnuts and dates, mix, and then spread mixture into a well-greased loaf tin, bake in moderate oven for 60 – 80 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand for a few minutes before turning onto a wire rack.
*Mum actually uses a 20cm ring tin to bake this one, and baking time is greatly reduced with the ring tin because you don’t have to wait for the middle to cook through. I don’t have one though so I used a regular tin.
November 2, 2009
· Filed under Photos, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged minestrone, Robin Roberston, slow cooker, vegan soup, vegetarian soup
Well after the success of slow-cooker week I think I’m going to declare next week slow-cooker week too. All of these recipes were so easy and SO cheap as well, which is good because the foodie car needs new tires!
All-Day Minestone:
(Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion leek, minced
1 celery rib, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 medium sized zucchini or yellow summer squash – diced
6 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup raw ditalini or other small soup pasta
1/4 cup pesto
Method:
1. Pour the oil in the bottom of the slow-cooker. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cover and cook on high while you assemble the remaining ingredients.
2. After they’ve been prepped, add the green beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, zucchini and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for for 7 to 8 hours.
3. About an hour before you’re ready to serve, add the raw pasta to the slow cooker and cover.
4. Just before serving, stir in the pesto.
NOTE: you can use cooked pasta if you prefer instead of raw, just add it to the soup when you add the pesto.
The omnivore of the household sprinkles grated parmesan cheese on top for extra delish.
October 28, 2009
· Filed under Photos, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian
Another slow cooker recipe tonight, a nice accompaniment for the snow storm that unexpectedly swept over us this afternoon! Unfortunately due to technical difficulties with the camera (ie: a dead battery) I don’t have any progress pictures to go with this recipe, just the end result.
Almost Irish Stew
(Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion leek, chopped
1 1/2 cups baby carrots, halved lengthwise
6 very small white potatoes, halved or quartered
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tamari or other soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 large kale leaves – or other dark leafy greens, chopped, cooked until tender and drained
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the onions to your slow cooker. Add the carrots, potatoes, garlic, beans, stock, bay leaf, wine, tamari, thyme and salt and pepper, Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
3. About 10 minutes before serving stir in the cooked kale (we also added some browned vegan sausages at this point). Serve hot.
Serve up with some fresh bread rolls.. yum!
October 28, 2009
· Filed under Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian
I got a bit distracted while making this one and ended up making it over two nights instead of one, so rather than toasting the crumbs in a frypan and putting them on top of the cassoulet mixture like it says to do in the recipe below, I put the mixture in the fridge overnight and then reheated it in the oven with the breadcrumbs on top. Either way will work fine, and the oven idea might work best for any cassoulet mixture you are reheating from leftovers.
Slow and Easy White Bean Cassoulet
(Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion leek, chopped
10 baby carrots, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can white beans drained and rinsed (we used cannellini)
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Method:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add the onion leek, carrots and garlic, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the onion mixture to your slow cooker. Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, wine, bay leaves, and thyme; season with salt and pepper, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
3. While the cassoulet is cooking, lightly toast the bread crumbs in a small frypan, with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat.
4. When the cassoulet is ready to serve, remove and discard the bay leaves, top with the crumbs, serve hot, garnish with the parsley.
5. You may also like to serve with some browned vegetarian/vegan sausages.. delish!
October 24, 2009
· Filed under Photos, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged vegan, vegetarian, Recipes, bolognese, bolognaise, spagetti
I’ve decided that this week is going to be slow cooker week in the foodie household, starting with Vegan Lentil Bolognese.. and oh wow, this recipe was good! And I don’t just mean that in the being polite to the cook kind of way, I mean that in the oh my goodness I need another bowl even though I’m so full I can barely move kind of way. Bolognese was always one of my favourites when I was a kid and it’s one of those dishes that I have really missed as a vegetarian (that and the Hainanese Chicken Rice I used to love to eat when I was in Singapore – Anyone got a good vegan substitute for that recipe?). Well, I will no longer be pining for the bolognese of my past because I’ve definitely found a replacement for this particular comfort food.
The inspiration for this recipe came from “Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker” but I’ve modified it quite a bit.
Note: Although I used fettuccine in this recipe I actually prefer to use a shell pasta, that way the lentils are cupped in the pasta and more evenly distributed throughout the meal.. with fettuccine or other long pasta then you are likely to end up with a pile of lentils on your plate at the end.
Vegan Lentil Bolognese
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium leek, minced
2 carrots, minced
2 celery rib, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red chili, minced
1 800g can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup of hot water
Pinch of mixed spice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Fettuccine or other pasta of your choice
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese or soy Parmesan to serve
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the leek, carrot, celery, chili and garlic. Cover, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine and simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the slowcooker. Add the tomatoes, lentils, tomato paste mixture, mixed spice and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours (couldn’t be easier!!!)
3. When ready to serve, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally. Drain well.
4. Just prior to serving, stir the parsley into the sauce. Place the cooked pasta in a serving bowl, top with the bolognese and serve immediately with the cheese (or not, it’s just as good without it!).
Tomorrow I’m pulling out the slow cooker again but I’m not sure yet whether I’ll make White Bean Cassoulet, Minestrone, or Irish Stew, they are all on the menu for the coming week.. any requests?
October 22, 2009
· Filed under Photos, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian
This is an old favourite of mine that I’ve been making for years. It’s not very pretty, but it sure is delicious!
Note: This recipe is fine to make and eat right away but is INCREDIBLE when made 24 hours before hand and left in the fridge overnight to let the flavors really mesh.
Lentil Cottage Pie
Ingredients:
800g potatoes
40g vegan butter
1 medium onion leek, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, crushed
100g button mushrooms, quartered
415g can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup dry red wine
2/3 cup red lentils
2 medium carrots, chopped finely
1 small red chili, chopped finely
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Boil, steam or microwave potatoes until tender. Drain and mash in a large bowl with half the butter.
Melt remaining butter in medium saucepan. Cook leek and garlic, stirring until leek is soft. Add mushrooms and chili, cook for 2 minutes. Add undrained tomatoes, vegetable stock, water, tomato paste, wine, lentils and carrot. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add peas, parsley, salt and pepper, cook, uncovered for 20 minutes. Stand pie for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTE: If you’re not concerned about keeping this dish vegan, you can stir 1/2 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese into the potato mash.
Yum!
October 21, 2009
· Filed under Photos, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian
This is such an easy recipe! And delicious too. I wasn’t really able to get a good photo of the end product, the loaf tin I used was a bit too wide so my loaf ended up flatter than I would have liked, also, I was too busy eating it to take photos – but rest assured it was very yum!
Banana, Date & Walnut Loaf
Ingredients:
4 large, ripe bananas
200g wholemeal flour
75g oats
100g chopped dates
50g chopped dried cranberries (optional)
50g chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Mash the bananas and combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Grease a loaf tin and bake mixture in oven for between 50 – 80 minutes (start checking it after 50 mins and take it out once a skewer or knife to the center comes out clean).
It’s as simple as that! Enjoy!
October 16, 2009
· Filed under Photos, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged cake, chocolate, cupcake, soy, vegan
This vegan chocolate cupcake recipe is soooo good that even the non vegans of the world will love them (that means you Tennille!!).
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
(Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World)
Ingredients:
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond or chocolate extract (I prefer chocolate – almond extract has quite a strong flavor)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract and other extract, to the soy milk mixture and beat till foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to the wet ingredients and beat till no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are okay!)
3. Pour mixture into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before icing.
For the icing, I just used a plain chocolate icing: 2/3 cup of cocoa powder, 3 cups of icing sugar and enough warm water to make a paste.. ice your cupcakes and sprinkle with some 100s and 1000s and you’re all done!
October 16, 2009
· Filed under Photos, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged beans, ragout, slow cooker, soup, stew, vegan, vegetarian
I have had a bit of a slow cooker fetish lately, I think it has to do with the cold New Zealand weather, there’s nothing like the smell of comfort food wafting through the house all day long while you sit by the fire.
This one is one of my favourites from the slow cooker so far, it’s super easy and very delicious!
Bean & Vegetable Ragout
(Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 medium sized onion, leek, finely chopped
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons
1 large turnip, peeled and sliced
1 large parsnip, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups of cannellini or other white beans (or one can)
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked chopped collards or other dark leafy greens (we used silver beet)
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot, cover, and cook until softened – about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the cooked vegetables to the slow cooker. Add the turnip, parsnip, sweet potato, beans, stock, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover, and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before ready to serve, stir in the collards or leafy greens.
4. Serve hot! (for the non vegans, top with some grated parmesan for extra yum!!)
Nice and easy!
October 15, 2009
· Filed under Photos, Recipes, Vegan
I know, I know, I’ve been terrible at keeping this blog going!
In the last week I’ve made a really great vegan ragout in the slow cooker and some super delicious vegan chocolate cupcakes and I’ll update the blog with them in the next couple of days.. for now though, I just wanted to show of this gorgeous little guy:
He is a variation on our ginger scented vegan pot stickers that we blogged about last year. The only difference being that we steamed them in a bamboo steamer instead of frying them like potstickers.. well, that and the fact that they are super adorable hedgehogs..
