I was woken up Swedish-style by people coming into the room singing happy birthday and bearing a tray laden with flowers, a cake, coffee, a candle and presents. I could definitely get into birthday cake for breakfast in bed.
The loving one made me dinner from the World Food Cafe 2 cookbook - one of the best recipes in there. It's a Sri Lankan curry with cashew stuffed peppers in a curry leaf and coconut sauce. It was this recipe that first taught me about curry leaves, and I was so happy to find out that they do indeed grow on curry trees!
Then for dessert, my childhood favourite of chocolate fondue. Simple, but always feels fancy. I like to add some vegan cream to the chocolate so that you get more, and it becomes all truffley when it gets cold (we did a mixture of coconut cream and the fantastic Swedish oat-based cream Oatly's iMat).
In NZ as a child I always used to have marshmallows and strawberries and fresh pineapple, but November is different in Sweden. So we had dried apricots, brazil nuts, walnuts, and bananas. I also got some fancy gingerbread as a thank you present from a customer yesterday, so that got added to the mix, along with some home-made biscotti! I adapted a recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, flavouring the biscotti with vanilla and cardamom.
Almond and Cardamom Biscotti
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract, but in that case add it to the wet mix)
1/2 tsp cardamom (generous)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp ground linseeds (flax seeds)
4-5 tablespoons plant milk (or water, in a pinch)
3/4 - 1 cup toasted almonds
METHOD
1. Mix flour, BP, vanilla sugar, cardamom, and salt together.
2. Microwave the flax seeds together with 2 Tbsp of the plant milk till a bit thickened, whisk a bit with a fork.
3. In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the linseed mixture, oil, sugar, and remaining plant milk together.
4. Add the flour mixture and mix gently to make a soft, smooth dough. Fold in the almonds.
5. Flatten into a rectangular log on a greased oven tray (or line with baking paper). It can make it easier to cut later if you score it before the first bake. Bake at 180 degrees C for 25 - 30 minutes. When ready, log should be firm and risen. Remove from oven.
4. Let cool for about half an hour. Then cut into slices, and put back on baking paper, standing on bottom side. Bake at same temperature for another 20 - 25 minutes (check after 15).
Apparently they should be stored in a container loosely covered.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Venetian antipasti and "French" potato salad
Whenever fennel and zucchini both turn up in my fridge I want to make this recipe. It's based on one from the Venetian antipasti section of the World Food Cafe 2 cookbook, modified to suit my kitchen and incorporating breadcrumbs in the gremolita à la Vegan Yum Yum. Although it's pretty easy and quick to throw together, it both tastes and looks kind of fancy. I wanted to have it along side a Venetian inspired bean salad and some herbed polenta, but my kitchen helper was against the polenta given the amount of stirring involved. So we padded out the salad with potatoes instead, and added a mustard-based dressing that I believe takes it over into the territory of what Swedes call "French potato salad". Here follow the recipes for both.
Zucchini and Fennel with a Herb and Lemon Gremolita
(serves 2)
INGREDIENTS
1/2 a big zucchini, sliced thinly lengthways
1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly lengthways
olive oil for frying
lemon juice to taste (but don't forget to zest the lemons first)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
finely chopped Italian herbs, especially parsley (use fresh if poss, but we use a frozen mixture)
salt and pepper
METHOD
Fry the fennel in olive oil until soft and browned on both sides. Remove and arrange on a plate. Do the same with the zucchini, adding more olive oil if necessary. Drizzle the cooked veg with lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
For the gremolita, combine breadcrumbs, zest and garlic (and herbs if using frozen) and toast in olive oil until garlic is golden and breadcrumbs have browned. Add herbs (if using fresh) and salt and pepper, and sprinkle over the veges.
French Bean and Potato Salad
1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup cooked large white beans
4 cups cooked cubed potatoes
2 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp finely chopped Italian/French herbs (we used the same frozen mix, but get some oregano in there)
a handful of rocket (optional)
Dressing: a glug of olive oil, juice of 1/2 a lemon, some mustard (start with a tsp, add more to taste)
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste.
Zucchini and Fennel with a Herb and Lemon Gremolita
(serves 2)
INGREDIENTS
1/2 a big zucchini, sliced thinly lengthways
1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly lengthways
olive oil for frying
lemon juice to taste (but don't forget to zest the lemons first)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
finely chopped Italian herbs, especially parsley (use fresh if poss, but we use a frozen mixture)
salt and pepper
METHOD
Fry the fennel in olive oil until soft and browned on both sides. Remove and arrange on a plate. Do the same with the zucchini, adding more olive oil if necessary. Drizzle the cooked veg with lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
For the gremolita, combine breadcrumbs, zest and garlic (and herbs if using frozen) and toast in olive oil until garlic is golden and breadcrumbs have browned. Add herbs (if using fresh) and salt and pepper, and sprinkle over the veges.
French Bean and Potato Salad
1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup cooked large white beans
4 cups cooked cubed potatoes
2 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp finely chopped Italian/French herbs (we used the same frozen mix, but get some oregano in there)
a handful of rocket (optional)
Dressing: a glug of olive oil, juice of 1/2 a lemon, some mustard (start with a tsp, add more to taste)
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Cheeze sauce
Laziness with regard to soaking and cooking pulses has meant that we've been breaking out the blender recently for some creamy instant protein goodness. This has resulted in some amazing salads, but with the cold weather having arrived in gusts and downpours, some more comforting fare was called for. So I tried Isa's sunflower seed-based macaroni and cheeze recipe. I never liked Mac and Cheese as a child, never having been a huge fan of buttery or cheesy things. But I figured that my matured tastebuds might appreciate a veganised version. Turns out, not so much. I still don't like Mac and Cheese.
But, I discovered that I do really like that fabled American snack, grilled cheese. I think it's pretty much like a toasted sandwich? Anyway, I took the leftover sauce from the recipe, slathered it on a piece of bread, squirted over some sriracha sauce, put another piece of bread on top, and toasted the lot in a lightly oiled frying pan. And then I ate it and then I made another one. So good.
But, I discovered that I do really like that fabled American snack, grilled cheese. I think it's pretty much like a toasted sandwich? Anyway, I took the leftover sauce from the recipe, slathered it on a piece of bread, squirted over some sriracha sauce, put another piece of bread on top, and toasted the lot in a lightly oiled frying pan. And then I ate it and then I made another one. So good.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Briq à légumineuse
This is an adaptation of a recipe for the Tunisian snack Briq à l'oeuf in the Caldicotts' wonderful vegetarian cookbook World Food Cafe 2. The original involves some kind of runny egg business - "l'oeuf" of the title - which is obviously not vegan, so here is Briq à légumineuse - not sure if my internet translation into French makes any sense, but I've replaced the egg with legumes! I've tried both chickpeas and white beans mashed into the mixture, but lentils would probably be nice too with black olives!
INGREDIENTS
400g potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed till smooth
200g cooked chickpeas/ white beans/ lentils, roughly mashed
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 cup green olives, chopped
2 handfuls chopped coriander leaves (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
filo pastry
METHOD
Fry the garlic in olive oil and add spices. Add the garlic and the rest of the ingredients to the potato mixture. Make filo parcels, using only one sheet per parcel. Fry the parcels in oil until very brown. Serve with lemon and chilli sauce.
INGREDIENTS
400g potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed till smooth
200g cooked chickpeas/ white beans/ lentils, roughly mashed
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 cup green olives, chopped
2 handfuls chopped coriander leaves (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
filo pastry
METHOD
Fry the garlic in olive oil and add spices. Add the garlic and the rest of the ingredients to the potato mixture. Make filo parcels, using only one sheet per parcel. Fry the parcels in oil until very brown. Serve with lemon and chilli sauce.
Jerk Tofu
Tonight we had baked jerk tofu (and jerk veges), with rocket, polenta, and a spicy tomato sauce. The sauce and tofu marinade are adapted from the collection of caribbean recipes in the World Food Cafe 2 cookbook. I loved everything, especially the combo with creamy polenta. The tofu was exactly what I was craving, dense and flavourful.
Jerk Tofu
Press the crap out of a block of tofu. Cut it into strips (not too thin, like at least a cm thick).
For the marinade, blend:
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 an inch peeled and grated ginger (or use a tsp ginger powder)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp soya sauce (or tamari)
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pepper
Marinate the tofu for at least half an hour, then bake on oiled aluminium foil until browned. Obviously grilling would be awesome too. We also drizzled the sauce over some staves of zucchini and capsicum, and chucked them in the oven with the tofu.
Spicy Tomato Sauce
Sautee 1 diced onion, 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped) in some oil until softened. Add 1-2 tsp dried thyme and some fresh chilli or a generous sprinkling of chilli flakes. Stir and let cook for a couple of minutes more, then add a tin of crushed tomatoes, 1-2 Tbsp lime juice, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer under a lid until reduced and saucy.
Jerk Tofu
Press the crap out of a block of tofu. Cut it into strips (not too thin, like at least a cm thick).
For the marinade, blend:
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 an inch peeled and grated ginger (or use a tsp ginger powder)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp soya sauce (or tamari)
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pepper
Marinate the tofu for at least half an hour, then bake on oiled aluminium foil until browned. Obviously grilling would be awesome too. We also drizzled the sauce over some staves of zucchini and capsicum, and chucked them in the oven with the tofu.
Spicy Tomato Sauce
Sautee 1 diced onion, 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped) in some oil until softened. Add 1-2 tsp dried thyme and some fresh chilli or a generous sprinkling of chilli flakes. Stir and let cook for a couple of minutes more, then add a tin of crushed tomatoes, 1-2 Tbsp lime juice, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer under a lid until reduced and saucy.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Elegantly Rustic
Last night's dinner:
A turn to colder weather and fridge full of odds and ends of veges means... vegetable soup! I love how cauliflower makes a creamy soup without the addition of extra fat.
Cauliflower and Celery Soup
Saute 1 diced onion and 2-3 cloves garlic in a little oil in a soup pot, for a few minutes until softened.
Add half a small zucchini (chopped), 3 medium ribs of celery (chopped), and a head of cauliflower, chopped. Stir around a bit, and add some dried thyme, oregano, and a couple of pinches of ground cumin. Add enough stock to cover (not too strong). Cook with the lid on until everything is soft. Add 1-2 cups cooked chick peas. Blend everything in a blender till smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ratatouille Tarte Tatin
This would probably be delicious with croutons, but I decided to fancy it up a bit with a savoury tart to serve on the side. I made a ratatouille-inspired version of the classic tarte tatin. Instead of apples and sugar on the bottom, I sauteed some red onions, fresh tomatoes, aubergine, and zucchini, until reduced. Then I sprinkled on some dried basil and salt and pepper, pressed a pastry top on top of the lot (don't burn your fingers!), pricked lots of holes with a fork and bunged the whole thing in the oven until browned. (Frying pan has to be cast-iron or something that can go in the oven - no plastic or wooden handles). To serve, flip upside down, so that veges are on top. I usually find this step difficult, so I often cut it into wedges while still in the pan, and then flip the wedges individually onto plates. This time I made Isa's olive oil pastry, which worked pretty well for me, but I always have best results with store-bought vegan pastry.
A turn to colder weather and fridge full of odds and ends of veges means... vegetable soup! I love how cauliflower makes a creamy soup without the addition of extra fat.
Cauliflower and Celery Soup
Saute 1 diced onion and 2-3 cloves garlic in a little oil in a soup pot, for a few minutes until softened.
Add half a small zucchini (chopped), 3 medium ribs of celery (chopped), and a head of cauliflower, chopped. Stir around a bit, and add some dried thyme, oregano, and a couple of pinches of ground cumin. Add enough stock to cover (not too strong). Cook with the lid on until everything is soft. Add 1-2 cups cooked chick peas. Blend everything in a blender till smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ratatouille Tarte Tatin
This would probably be delicious with croutons, but I decided to fancy it up a bit with a savoury tart to serve on the side. I made a ratatouille-inspired version of the classic tarte tatin. Instead of apples and sugar on the bottom, I sauteed some red onions, fresh tomatoes, aubergine, and zucchini, until reduced. Then I sprinkled on some dried basil and salt and pepper, pressed a pastry top on top of the lot (don't burn your fingers!), pricked lots of holes with a fork and bunged the whole thing in the oven until browned. (Frying pan has to be cast-iron or something that can go in the oven - no plastic or wooden handles). To serve, flip upside down, so that veges are on top. I usually find this step difficult, so I often cut it into wedges while still in the pan, and then flip the wedges individually onto plates. This time I made Isa's olive oil pastry, which worked pretty well for me, but I always have best results with store-bought vegan pastry.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Easy Peasy Pesto Spaghetti
I'm addicted to these baguettes from Andrum, a vegetarian restaurant in Gothenburg, which is (in)conveniently close to my workplace. They make their own salty chewy carrot and sunflower seed bread, and fill it with salad, a couple of olives and a pickled chilli on the side, and top it all off with an absolute mound of creamy pea pesto. I basically want to eat that baguette every day. Unfortunately, even eating it once a week would put an unsustainable dent in my income at the moment, prices in Sweden being what they are. So I decided to have a go at whipping up some pea pesto of my own, for a solo Saturday lunch - working with the ingredients I have. It didn't really taste anything like theirs, but it was yum and easy.
Easy Peasy Pesto
Blend in a food processer until saucy (I prefer mine a little chunky, but go for smooth if you like it like that):
- some green peas (fresh, or thawed frozen. You can thaw them with boiling water or in the microwave)
- some nuts (pine nuts are obviously the pesto classic. Walnuts would also rock. Some cashew cream would bring the pesto to another level of creaminess. I only had pumpkin seeds on hand, so in they went!)
- some garlic (minced if you're worried about the odd chunk of garlic turning up in your pesto)
- a little water (not too much, you can always add more)
- fresh basil if you've got it, dried if you're like me and you don't
Add more water if desired, some lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend till combined.
I made a meal of this with some wholemeal spaghetti, and some lightly fried zucchini and tomatoes.
Easy Peasy Pesto
Blend in a food processer until saucy (I prefer mine a little chunky, but go for smooth if you like it like that):
- some green peas (fresh, or thawed frozen. You can thaw them with boiling water or in the microwave)
- some nuts (pine nuts are obviously the pesto classic. Walnuts would also rock. Some cashew cream would bring the pesto to another level of creaminess. I only had pumpkin seeds on hand, so in they went!)
- some garlic (minced if you're worried about the odd chunk of garlic turning up in your pesto)
- a little water (not too much, you can always add more)
- fresh basil if you've got it, dried if you're like me and you don't
Add more water if desired, some lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend till combined.
I made a meal of this with some wholemeal spaghetti, and some lightly fried zucchini and tomatoes.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Bestest eggplant curry
I don't know how vegans managed before the Post Punk Kitchen. I really don't. Isa is a genius. I love how accessible and adaptable her recipes are. Being on a budget means that we can't usually afford fresh herbs or out of season veg or a fully-stocked spice rack. Last night we took this recipe for Eggplant curry, added some chopped capsicum, left out the beans, the green lentils, the lemon juice, tomato paste, and fresh coriander, and subbed caraway seeds for the fennel seeds. And it was still spicy and hearty and frighteningly delicious. We had it with wholemeal cous cous, which was a winning combination (but obviously rice or mashed potatoes would be great too, and that would make the meal gluten-free). I've made variations of this curry several times now, and it always goes down a treat. Thank you Isa from the very bottom of my stomach.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Better than my local Chinese restaurant
One thing I really miss about Wellington is the food. As my Mum says, New Zealand is really starting to wake up to the fact that it is a multicultural Asia-Pacific nation, rather than little England 30 years behind the "motherland". In Wellington you can get delicious Asian food that actually bears some resemblance to the stuff you get in different parts of China, or Vietnam, or Japan, or Malaysia, etc. Sometimes you get fun fusion foods that make the best of local ingredients. In Sweden, the Chinese food I've tried hardly deserves to be called food, much less Chinese. So I've started learning to cook my favourite Asian food myself - sometimes with heavy moderations based on what ingredients I can find/afford - but often I'm pretty impressed with the result.
Yesterday we had Isa's fabulous Mango Fried Rice, with a side of salt and pepper tofu because we were out of nuts. Varied the veg a bit too - carrots, cabbage and zucchini chopped small, and some mung bean sprouts. All good.
Southeast-Asian lunch
On the weekend I had a group of friends over, and we made Vietnamese summer rolls (example) - a favourite in my family. I was trying to make the most of the final days of warmish weather before rainy autumn sets in. I also like how summer rolls are interactive - like tacos - you just put out little bowls of different ingredients and a bowl of warm water in the centre for softening the wrappers, and people can construct their own. (In Vietnam they even have a chain restaurant called Wrap and Roll).
Summer rolls
(gluten-free if using tamari instead of soya sauce)
What I put in mine usually depends on what I have on hand, but I usually make a base of
- mung bean or rice vermicelli noodles (lightly seasoned with sesame oil so that they don't clump together)
Then add:
- grated carrot tossed with some lime juice to prevent browning
- mung bean sprouts
- finely chopped roasted peanuts
- fresh herbs (at least one of mint, coriander, thai basil).
Other good vege accompaniments are:
- thin staves of cucumber and/or capsicum
- avocado
For protein you can either upp the peanuts, or add some marinated tofu, tempeh or soy/wheat meat.
I like this marinade.
For dipping sauce I usually just mix soya sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, chilli flakes and a little sugar together.
Coconut Agar
For dessert I made coconut agar jellies based on this recipe (using soy milk instead of cow) from the wonderful Shesimmers. I separated the coconut mixture into two loaf tins, and only made half of the coffee mixture which I layered with the coconut in one tin. For the other, I blended the flesh of a mango and a little sugar with some soy milk and then followed the same procedure with the agar-agar. Both were delicious, and even better the next day, for some reason. They weren't quite like the coconut agar I'm used to having at Chinese yum char restaurants in Wellington (the recipe was for Thai jellies), which are more coconutty and don't have the other layers. Next time I might try going all coconut and put in some dessicated coconut soaked in coconut milk (as per my genius Mum's suggestion).
The jellies were very pretty when cut into diamond shapes or hearts and stars using biscuit cutters. We ate them with fresh berries supplied by one of my lovely guests, which set off the tastes and colours beautifully.
Yesterday we had Isa's fabulous Mango Fried Rice, with a side of salt and pepper tofu because we were out of nuts. Varied the veg a bit too - carrots, cabbage and zucchini chopped small, and some mung bean sprouts. All good.
Southeast-Asian lunch
On the weekend I had a group of friends over, and we made Vietnamese summer rolls (example) - a favourite in my family. I was trying to make the most of the final days of warmish weather before rainy autumn sets in. I also like how summer rolls are interactive - like tacos - you just put out little bowls of different ingredients and a bowl of warm water in the centre for softening the wrappers, and people can construct their own. (In Vietnam they even have a chain restaurant called Wrap and Roll).
Summer rolls
(gluten-free if using tamari instead of soya sauce)
What I put in mine usually depends on what I have on hand, but I usually make a base of
- mung bean or rice vermicelli noodles (lightly seasoned with sesame oil so that they don't clump together)
Then add:
- grated carrot tossed with some lime juice to prevent browning
- mung bean sprouts
- finely chopped roasted peanuts
- fresh herbs (at least one of mint, coriander, thai basil).
Other good vege accompaniments are:
- thin staves of cucumber and/or capsicum
- avocado
For protein you can either upp the peanuts, or add some marinated tofu, tempeh or soy/wheat meat.
I like this marinade.
For dipping sauce I usually just mix soya sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, chilli flakes and a little sugar together.
Coconut Agar
For dessert I made coconut agar jellies based on this recipe (using soy milk instead of cow) from the wonderful Shesimmers. I separated the coconut mixture into two loaf tins, and only made half of the coffee mixture which I layered with the coconut in one tin. For the other, I blended the flesh of a mango and a little sugar with some soy milk and then followed the same procedure with the agar-agar. Both were delicious, and even better the next day, for some reason. They weren't quite like the coconut agar I'm used to having at Chinese yum char restaurants in Wellington (the recipe was for Thai jellies), which are more coconutty and don't have the other layers. Next time I might try going all coconut and put in some dessicated coconut soaked in coconut milk (as per my genius Mum's suggestion).
The jellies were very pretty when cut into diamond shapes or hearts and stars using biscuit cutters. We ate them with fresh berries supplied by one of my lovely guests, which set off the tastes and colours beautifully.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Kärleksmums
These are a Swedish classic. The name translates to "love-yummy" - who could argue with that?
They remind me a bit of lamingtons, with their thin icing that sort of soaks into the cake, dusted with coconut.
INGREDIENTS
cake
3dl flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp cocoa
1,5 dl sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract/vanilla sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1,5 dl milk
1 tsp cider vinegar
icing
1,5-2 dl icing sugar
2 Tbsp strong coffee
1 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp vegan margarine/oil
1 dl dessicated coconut
METHOD
1. Grease a loaf tin, and put the oven on to 175 degrees Celcius.
2. Mix/sift the dry ingredients together. Add the wet, except for the vinegar. Stir till combined, not over-mixing.
3. At the last minute, add the vinegar and stir through. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Turn out cake and leave to cool while you prepare the icing. Mix all ingredients (apart from coconut) together to form a smooth icing. It shouldn't be too stiff, but if it's very sloppy then add more icing sugar.
5. Let both icing and cake cool for about five more minutes, then spoon icing over cake. It should run a little down the sides. Sprinkle with coconut.
They remind me a bit of lamingtons, with their thin icing that sort of soaks into the cake, dusted with coconut.
INGREDIENTS
cake
3dl flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp cocoa
1,5 dl sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract/vanilla sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1,5 dl milk
1 tsp cider vinegar
icing
1,5-2 dl icing sugar
2 Tbsp strong coffee
1 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp vegan margarine/oil
1 dl dessicated coconut
METHOD
1. Grease a loaf tin, and put the oven on to 175 degrees Celcius.
2. Mix/sift the dry ingredients together. Add the wet, except for the vinegar. Stir till combined, not over-mixing.
3. At the last minute, add the vinegar and stir through. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Turn out cake and leave to cool while you prepare the icing. Mix all ingredients (apart from coconut) together to form a smooth icing. It shouldn't be too stiff, but if it's very sloppy then add more icing sugar.
5. Let both icing and cake cool for about five more minutes, then spoon icing over cake. It should run a little down the sides. Sprinkle with coconut.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Corn chowder for my loving person.
I invented this soup for my loving person, after hearing him remember fondly a soup his father makes. I also associate corn soup with my Dad, who enjoys a good chowder. My favourite soup when I was little was the chicken and corn soup they serve at a lot of Chinese restaurants in Wellington. This soup sort of reminds me of all these things, and of love. Made for my loving person, inspired by our Dads. It doesn't hurt that it's super easy, quick, and a one pot meal.
INGREDIENTS
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 fresh chilli (seeds removed), finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed (small)
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
400g corn (fresh, fozen or tinned)
1/2 cup red lentils
3 cups stock
juice of 1/2 - 1 lime (optional)
1 heaped tsp cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp paprika (smoked if poss)
1 tsp coriander seeds - crushed
salt and pepper
vegan creamer (optional)
oil
METHOD
1. Saute the onion, garlic and chilli in a little oil, in a pot big enough for all the ingredients. When softening add the spices and stir. Let it cook for a couple of minutes more.
2. Add the stock, lentils, potatoes, carrot and corn. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer with the lid on until everything is cooked.
3. Blend half of the soup and add back to the rest. Warm through, and add lime, salt & pepper and creamer to taste.
INGREDIENTS
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 fresh chilli (seeds removed), finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed (small)
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
400g corn (fresh, fozen or tinned)
1/2 cup red lentils
3 cups stock
juice of 1/2 - 1 lime (optional)
1 heaped tsp cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp paprika (smoked if poss)
1 tsp coriander seeds - crushed
salt and pepper
vegan creamer (optional)
oil
METHOD
1. Saute the onion, garlic and chilli in a little oil, in a pot big enough for all the ingredients. When softening add the spices and stir. Let it cook for a couple of minutes more.
2. Add the stock, lentils, potatoes, carrot and corn. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer with the lid on until everything is cooked.
3. Blend half of the soup and add back to the rest. Warm through, and add lime, salt & pepper and creamer to taste.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Brown Rice and Mung Bean Risotto
I can't remember where I got this from, but it is a staple in our weeknight repertoire. Although it takes a little while to cook, the prep is really easy (especially for a vegan meal), and it tastes a lot fancier than you'd expect for such a simple one-pot meal.
INGREDIENTS
(serves at least 4)
300g mung beans, soaked overnight
4 Tbsp oil (or use some vegan margarine for some of it for a butterier taste)
1 1/2 large onions, diced
450g brown rice (doesn't have to be arborio, but better if you steer clear of longer grains like basmati)
1.4L stock (hot)
3 Tbsp white wine or wine vinegar
6 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (we usually use the frozen Provencale mix in Sweden)
300g frozen green peas
salt and pepper
juice of one lemon
toasted pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds to serve (or pine nuts if you're fancy)
METHOD
1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot with a lid, heat the oil to medium high. Fry the onions for three minutes or so.
2. Stir in the beans and rice. Add the stock and wine/vinegar, and bring to a boil.
3. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes until everything is tender and the liquid is absorbed. It's ok if it's a bit soupy, though. Remove from heat and add the peas, stirring to combine.
4. Add the herbs, salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon juice and stir through.
5. Serve hot, sprinkled with toasted seeds.
To up the vege content, I would recommend fried zucchini rounds on the side, or some steamed greens like beans, asparagus or broccoli.
INGREDIENTS
(serves at least 4)
300g mung beans, soaked overnight
4 Tbsp oil (or use some vegan margarine for some of it for a butterier taste)
1 1/2 large onions, diced
450g brown rice (doesn't have to be arborio, but better if you steer clear of longer grains like basmati)
1.4L stock (hot)
3 Tbsp white wine or wine vinegar
6 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (we usually use the frozen Provencale mix in Sweden)
300g frozen green peas
salt and pepper
juice of one lemon
toasted pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds to serve (or pine nuts if you're fancy)
METHOD
1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot with a lid, heat the oil to medium high. Fry the onions for three minutes or so.
2. Stir in the beans and rice. Add the stock and wine/vinegar, and bring to a boil.
3. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes until everything is tender and the liquid is absorbed. It's ok if it's a bit soupy, though. Remove from heat and add the peas, stirring to combine.
4. Add the herbs, salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon juice and stir through.
5. Serve hot, sprinkled with toasted seeds.
To up the vege content, I would recommend fried zucchini rounds on the side, or some steamed greens like beans, asparagus or broccoli.
Carrot and Rice Soup
This is the easiest soup, and I love it because it is so colourful and hearty even though it has hardly any ingredients. My Mum gave me this recipe, and it has been a staple of my student days even since I left home.
INGREDIENTS
(serves 2-3 hungry people as a main dish)
500g carrots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
sprig of fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried
4 cups stock
4 Tbsp rice (white or brown ok)
(for a spicier version, use 3 cloves garlic, and add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp allspice, and a handful of fresh coriander)
METHOD
1. Sweat the veges and herbs (and spices, if using) in a small amount of olive oil for 15 mins or so until softened.
2. Add the stock and the rice and simmer until everything is very tender.
3. Puree in a blender (though I've even eaten it unblended in a pinch).
4. Serve hot. Optional addititions include oat or soy creamer, or rice milk, and/or cashew nuts on top. Also good with herb and garlic toast.
INGREDIENTS
(serves 2-3 hungry people as a main dish)
500g carrots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
sprig of fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried
4 cups stock
4 Tbsp rice (white or brown ok)
(for a spicier version, use 3 cloves garlic, and add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp allspice, and a handful of fresh coriander)
METHOD
1. Sweat the veges and herbs (and spices, if using) in a small amount of olive oil for 15 mins or so until softened.
2. Add the stock and the rice and simmer until everything is very tender.
3. Puree in a blender (though I've even eaten it unblended in a pinch).
4. Serve hot. Optional addititions include oat or soy creamer, or rice milk, and/or cashew nuts on top. Also good with herb and garlic toast.
Afghans
Today's chocolate fix was a Kiwi classic, veganised from the ubiquitous Edmond's Cookbok.
INGREDIENTS
(makes about 15)
200g Olivani (or other vegan marg)
75g caster sugar
175g flour
30g cocoa
50g cornflakes (or wheat flakes, etc)*
1/2 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
1 cup icing sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp boiling water
6 squares dark vegan chocolate
walnuts / pecans / pistachios / dessicated coconut for decoration (optional)
METHOD
1. Soften marg (if needed), add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy with an electric beater or a fork and lots of elbow grease (eww... is that even vegan?).
2. Add flour, cocoa, cornflakes and vanilla and mix till combined. I use my hands. It's ok if the cornflakes get broken!
3. Roll tablespoonfuls into balls (slightly flattened), and place on a greased or lined baking tray. Bake for 15 mins at 180 degrees celcius.
4. To make the icing, mix the icing sugar, cocoa, oil and water to form a glossy icing. It is actually delicious as it is, but to give it an extra chocolatey kick, try melting the chocolate and mixing it in.
5. When biscuits are cool, ice with icing and top with nuts or coconut if desired.
* If your flakes are not the freshest, I have heard that you can crisp them up by putting them on a baking tray (with sides, so they won't all fall off!) and baking them in the oven for 3 mins or so.
INGREDIENTS
(makes about 15)
200g Olivani (or other vegan marg)
75g caster sugar
175g flour
30g cocoa
50g cornflakes (or wheat flakes, etc)*
1/2 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
1 cup icing sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp boiling water
6 squares dark vegan chocolate
walnuts / pecans / pistachios / dessicated coconut for decoration (optional)
METHOD
1. Soften marg (if needed), add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy with an electric beater or a fork and lots of elbow grease (eww... is that even vegan?).
2. Add flour, cocoa, cornflakes and vanilla and mix till combined. I use my hands. It's ok if the cornflakes get broken!
3. Roll tablespoonfuls into balls (slightly flattened), and place on a greased or lined baking tray. Bake for 15 mins at 180 degrees celcius.
4. To make the icing, mix the icing sugar, cocoa, oil and water to form a glossy icing. It is actually delicious as it is, but to give it an extra chocolatey kick, try melting the chocolate and mixing it in.
5. When biscuits are cool, ice with icing and top with nuts or coconut if desired.
* If your flakes are not the freshest, I have heard that you can crisp them up by putting them on a baking tray (with sides, so they won't all fall off!) and baking them in the oven for 3 mins or so.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Winter lovin' for our new oven
Broke in the new oven today with roast veges - kūmara, potato, yams, parsnip, pumpkin and jerusalem artichokes, accompanied by steamed green beans and brussel sprouts (the latter also being excellent roasted, but we went for steamed today). And nutloaf - not sure where I got this recipe, and I muck around with it often, but tonight's was generally proclaimed very good. I also made possibly the best self-saucing pudding I've ever baked. The sauce stayed on top, but it was still delicious. Both of these dishes have been classics in my home growing-up.
Nut Roast
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium sticks celery, finely chopped
3 cups finely chopped nuts (can chuck some seeds in instead to bulk it out, but I wouldn't go more than a cup)
2 tsp dried herbs (thyme, sage, tarragon)
1.5-2 cups breadcrumbs
enough chickpea flour to make everything stick (maybe 1 cup or so?)
1 Tbsp soya sauce
1 1/4 cup stock (I used 1 tsp vegecon dissolved in water)
* can make gluten free if you use tamari and gluten free stock and breadcrumbs. whoo.
** can also make with 3 cups breadcrumbs and only 1 Tbsp regular flour if chickpea flour not available.
METHOD
1. Saute onions, garlic, celery and herbs in a little oil until soft, and remove from heat. If you use a big pot you can mix all the other stuff into the same pot!
2. Add nuts, stock, soya sauce, and breadcrumbs, and mix everything together.
3. Go grease your baking dish and let the crumbs absorb the liquid a bit.
4. Now add the flour, a bit at a time, mixing in between until you have a mixture that hangs together pretty well.
5. Press into your baking dish, spray top with a little oil, and bake at 200 degrees celcius for 45-60 mins.
Best Self-saucing Pudding
I have already put up a self-saucing pudding recipe from pantry basics, and I also have been meaning to try this exciting twist on the classic (and go read the blog post, I cried).
Well, here is a recipe I copied ages ago out of my own Mum's special collation of recipes. It is the ultimate. I have made marginal (margarinal?) vegan adjustments.
INGREDIENTS
Pudding
50g dark vegan chocolate
60g margarine (Olivani)
2 Tbsp cocoa
1/3 cup soy milk (or whatever plant milk you like)
1 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 vegan egg (I used No-Egg, but flax seeds'd probably be awesome with a little extra baking powder added with the flour)
1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
Sauce
1 1/2 cups water
50g marg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
METHOD
1. Grease a baking dish (not too big).
2. Combine chocolate, margarine, cocoa and soy milk in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat till chocolate is melted and ingredients combined.
3. Sift flour into a large bowl and stir in sugars. Add the chocolate mixture, No-Egg and vanilla. Stir well and spread mixture in baking dish.
4. For the sauce, stir ingredients in a pot over a low heat until combined.
5. Pour gently over pudding, and bake at 180 degrees celcius for about 45 minutes.
Nut Roast
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium sticks celery, finely chopped
3 cups finely chopped nuts (can chuck some seeds in instead to bulk it out, but I wouldn't go more than a cup)
2 tsp dried herbs (thyme, sage, tarragon)
1.5-2 cups breadcrumbs
enough chickpea flour to make everything stick (maybe 1 cup or so?)
1 Tbsp soya sauce
1 1/4 cup stock (I used 1 tsp vegecon dissolved in water)
* can make gluten free if you use tamari and gluten free stock and breadcrumbs. whoo.
** can also make with 3 cups breadcrumbs and only 1 Tbsp regular flour if chickpea flour not available.
METHOD
1. Saute onions, garlic, celery and herbs in a little oil until soft, and remove from heat. If you use a big pot you can mix all the other stuff into the same pot!
2. Add nuts, stock, soya sauce, and breadcrumbs, and mix everything together.
3. Go grease your baking dish and let the crumbs absorb the liquid a bit.
4. Now add the flour, a bit at a time, mixing in between until you have a mixture that hangs together pretty well.
5. Press into your baking dish, spray top with a little oil, and bake at 200 degrees celcius for 45-60 mins.
Best Self-saucing Pudding
I have already put up a self-saucing pudding recipe from pantry basics, and I also have been meaning to try this exciting twist on the classic (and go read the blog post, I cried).
Well, here is a recipe I copied ages ago out of my own Mum's special collation of recipes. It is the ultimate. I have made marginal (margarinal?) vegan adjustments.
INGREDIENTS
Pudding
50g dark vegan chocolate
60g margarine (Olivani)
2 Tbsp cocoa
1/3 cup soy milk (or whatever plant milk you like)
1 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 vegan egg (I used No-Egg, but flax seeds'd probably be awesome with a little extra baking powder added with the flour)
1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
Sauce
1 1/2 cups water
50g marg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
METHOD
1. Grease a baking dish (not too big).
2. Combine chocolate, margarine, cocoa and soy milk in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat till chocolate is melted and ingredients combined.
3. Sift flour into a large bowl and stir in sugars. Add the chocolate mixture, No-Egg and vanilla. Stir well and spread mixture in baking dish.
4. For the sauce, stir ingredients in a pot over a low heat until combined.
5. Pour gently over pudding, and bake at 180 degrees celcius for about 45 minutes.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Udon!
I wanted udon, I wanted them bad. I wanted seven spice udon, like I remember seeing in the Vegan Yum Yum cookbook and had always planned to make. Unfortunately, my udon craving hit me in New Zealand, while my VYY book is in storage on the other side of the world! Oh noes. I knew I would miss it. I remembered that the recipe had udon, Japanese seven spice, and finely chopped brussel sprouts and grated carrot. I didn't have any seven spice, but I was undeterred. Seven spice is pretty much garlic, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, chilli, pepper, orange peel and seaweed. Here follows my improvisation. When reunited with my beloved cookbook, we will see how it compares.
(feeds 3-4)
INGREDIENTS
2 tsp poppy seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds (or some sesame oil instead)
1 tsp chilli flakes
zest of 1 orange
2 tsp seaweed flakes (like wakame or nori)
1 tsp pepper (sechuan pepper if on hand)
2 large cloves garlic
350g brussel sprouts, shredded
3 handfuls haricot beans, topped and tailed
2 zucchini, chopped into thin sticks
3 carrots, grated
3 small packets pre-cooked udon
3 Tbsp soya sauce
2 Tbsp mirin
cooked marinated tofu (i.e. teriyaki, or the delicious Bean Supreme stuff)
chopped toasted almonds (optional)
chopped spring onions
METHOD
First, make your delicious seven spice! Take poppy seeds, sesame seeds, orange zest and seaweed and dry roast in a pan on the stove for a few minutes until it all smells roasty. Keep an eye on it, don't let it burn! Remove quickly from the pan when ready, as they can burn even when you turn off the heat. Put aside.
Stir fry the brussel sprouts, zucchini and beans with a little oil, in a wok on high heat. When nearly done, add carrots and sesame oil (if using), udon, soya sauce, and mirin. Stir everything around until all heated and cooked, then season with the roasted components of the seven spice, together with chilli flakes and pepper. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and spring onions, and serve with tofu.
***** BONUS YAKISOBA IMPROVISED RECIPE *****
I made yakisoba in a similar way with similar veges (slightly bigger bits of carrot, and broccoli cause it's yum) but instead of seven spice I seasoned it with soya sauce, mirin and Rocket Fuel sauce. Stirred everything through soba noodles and ate it with vegetable tempura and miso soup with soft tofu in. Yum.
(feeds 3-4)
INGREDIENTS
2 tsp poppy seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds (or some sesame oil instead)
1 tsp chilli flakes
zest of 1 orange
2 tsp seaweed flakes (like wakame or nori)
1 tsp pepper (sechuan pepper if on hand)
2 large cloves garlic
350g brussel sprouts, shredded
3 handfuls haricot beans, topped and tailed
2 zucchini, chopped into thin sticks
3 carrots, grated
3 small packets pre-cooked udon
3 Tbsp soya sauce
2 Tbsp mirin
cooked marinated tofu (i.e. teriyaki, or the delicious Bean Supreme stuff)
chopped toasted almonds (optional)
chopped spring onions
METHOD
First, make your delicious seven spice! Take poppy seeds, sesame seeds, orange zest and seaweed and dry roast in a pan on the stove for a few minutes until it all smells roasty. Keep an eye on it, don't let it burn! Remove quickly from the pan when ready, as they can burn even when you turn off the heat. Put aside.
Stir fry the brussel sprouts, zucchini and beans with a little oil, in a wok on high heat. When nearly done, add carrots and sesame oil (if using), udon, soya sauce, and mirin. Stir everything around until all heated and cooked, then season with the roasted components of the seven spice, together with chilli flakes and pepper. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and spring onions, and serve with tofu.
***** BONUS YAKISOBA IMPROVISED RECIPE *****
I made yakisoba in a similar way with similar veges (slightly bigger bits of carrot, and broccoli cause it's yum) but instead of seven spice I seasoned it with soya sauce, mirin and Rocket Fuel sauce. Stirred everything through soba noodles and ate it with vegetable tempura and miso soup with soft tofu in. Yum.
Nachos
We don't have nachos often, but these are excellent for a quick heartening dinner for a cold rainy Monday night. These were kind of improvised, but turned out so delicious that it was hard to stop eating them. This makes enough to feed a crowd, like 6-8 hungry people.
For the bean stew:
- 2 cans kidney beans, drained
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 can refried black beans
- 2 ribs celery, chopped thinly
- one big onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp paprika (smoked preferably)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp sugar (if desired)
- chilli flakes (if desired)
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Fry the onion and celery till soft, add garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander and chilli and a little salt. Fry a minute more. Add beans, tomatoes, and yeast and cook until thick and reduced (about 10 mins). I like to add a little sugar with the tomatoes, but it's up to you.
Serve with any or all of the following:
- nacho chips (or tortillas or rice)
- guacamole (however you like it! I like mashed avocado with crushed garlic, lemon juice, fresh coriander, salt, and some finely sliced jalapenos.)
- Isa's divine queso sauce (which I adore as a quesadilla filling for leftover tortillas or a cheezy accompaniment to the bean stew)
- sliced red onion
- sliced roasted red peppers
- sliced jalapenos
For the bean stew:
- 2 cans kidney beans, drained
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 can refried black beans
- 2 ribs celery, chopped thinly
- one big onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp paprika (smoked preferably)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp sugar (if desired)
- chilli flakes (if desired)
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Fry the onion and celery till soft, add garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander and chilli and a little salt. Fry a minute more. Add beans, tomatoes, and yeast and cook until thick and reduced (about 10 mins). I like to add a little sugar with the tomatoes, but it's up to you.
Serve with any or all of the following:
- nacho chips (or tortillas or rice)
- guacamole (however you like it! I like mashed avocado with crushed garlic, lemon juice, fresh coriander, salt, and some finely sliced jalapenos.)
- Isa's divine queso sauce (which I adore as a quesadilla filling for leftover tortillas or a cheezy accompaniment to the bean stew)
- sliced red onion
- sliced roasted red peppers
- sliced jalapenos
Lemon Scones
These are best eaten on the same day, as they go a bit dry afterwards. Although still delicious slathered with blueberry jam. It is the only jam partner for these scones. I made them just because my Dad bought blueberry jam. The recipe is from Vegan Yum Yum, who also has an intriguing suggestion for clotted cream, which I have yet to try due to my aversion to soy cream cheese. I actually prefer them with sugar rather than maple syrup, but that might be just me.
(makes 12-15 little scones)
INGREDIENTS
Scones:
2 cups flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
zest of one lemon
1/3 cup margarine
2 Tbsp maple syrup (or sugar)
½ cup soy milk
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Glaze:
1/8 cup soy milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp icing sugar
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 210 degrees Celcius.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and zest in a bowl. Rub the margarine into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture resembles sand or fine breadcrumbs.
3. Mix the syrup, soy milk, and lemon juice together, and then add to dry ingredients. Mix with your hands until dough is just combined.
4. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and use a glass or cutters (for best effect) to form rounds two inches in diameter. Reroll excess and repeat.
5. Glaze tops and bake on a lined baking sheet for 12-15 mins till lightly browned on top.
(makes 12-15 little scones)
INGREDIENTS
Scones:
2 cups flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
zest of one lemon
1/3 cup margarine
2 Tbsp maple syrup (or sugar)
½ cup soy milk
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Glaze:
1/8 cup soy milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp icing sugar
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 210 degrees Celcius.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and zest in a bowl. Rub the margarine into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture resembles sand or fine breadcrumbs.
3. Mix the syrup, soy milk, and lemon juice together, and then add to dry ingredients. Mix with your hands until dough is just combined.
4. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and use a glass or cutters (for best effect) to form rounds two inches in diameter. Reroll excess and repeat.
5. Glaze tops and bake on a lined baking sheet for 12-15 mins till lightly browned on top.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Caramel Slice
Another kiwi classic! Except I was sort of craving turtle slice, so I chucked some pecans in the base. I'm eating it now, it's so good...
Ingredients
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
(or instead of these flours, use 1 cup plain flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder)
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans (I used pre-roasted) (optional)
1/2 cup brown sugar
100g margarine
30g margarine
2 Tbsp golden syrup
400g sweetened condensed soy milk
150g chocolate
1 tsp oil
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Line a shallow baking tin with tin foil or grease the tin well.
2. Mix the flours and coconut, and pecans if using.
3. Melt the first lot of margarine with the sugar until all melted and combined. Add to flour mixture and mix to combine. Press into the baking tin, and bake for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the second lot of margarine with the golden syrup and soy milk. Stir on a medium-low heat until mixture boils and turns a brown caramel colour - about 10 mins.
5. Pour caramel mixture on top of base and cook in oven for a further 15-20 minutes.
6. When cool, melt chocolate with the oil and pour over the top of the slice. Leave to set in the fridge and devour when ready.
Ingredients
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
(or instead of these flours, use 1 cup plain flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder)
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans (I used pre-roasted) (optional)
1/2 cup brown sugar
100g margarine
30g margarine
2 Tbsp golden syrup
400g sweetened condensed soy milk
150g chocolate
1 tsp oil
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Line a shallow baking tin with tin foil or grease the tin well.
2. Mix the flours and coconut, and pecans if using.
3. Melt the first lot of margarine with the sugar until all melted and combined. Add to flour mixture and mix to combine. Press into the baking tin, and bake for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the second lot of margarine with the golden syrup and soy milk. Stir on a medium-low heat until mixture boils and turns a brown caramel colour - about 10 mins.
5. Pour caramel mixture on top of base and cook in oven for a further 15-20 minutes.
6. When cool, melt chocolate with the oil and pour over the top of the slice. Leave to set in the fridge and devour when ready.
Kūmara and celery soup
A veganised kiwi classic...
Ingredients
(serves 5-6)
7-8 medium sized gold kūmara chopped into small chunks
3 big ribs celery, chopped small, leaves included
2 big handfuls spinach leaves and stems, chopped
1.5 L vege stock
2-3 Tbsp oil or margarine (I like Olivani here)
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 Tbsp brown rice flour (or wheat flour)
100mL almond milk (or rice milk or other plant-milk)
salt and pepper
Croutons or toast to serve.
Method
1. Boil kūmara, celery, and spinach in stock until everything is soft. Puree.
2. Fry onions in margarine/oil till softening. Add flour and mix so that it coats the onions, and continue on a medium heat till flour turns toasty. Then whisk in almond milk.
3. Add pureed soup to the onion roux mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve hot with freshly prepared croutons or toast. Yum.
Ingredients
(serves 5-6)
7-8 medium sized gold kūmara chopped into small chunks
3 big ribs celery, chopped small, leaves included
2 big handfuls spinach leaves and stems, chopped
1.5 L vege stock
2-3 Tbsp oil or margarine (I like Olivani here)
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 Tbsp brown rice flour (or wheat flour)
100mL almond milk (or rice milk or other plant-milk)
salt and pepper
Croutons or toast to serve.
Method
1. Boil kūmara, celery, and spinach in stock until everything is soft. Puree.
2. Fry onions in margarine/oil till softening. Add flour and mix so that it coats the onions, and continue on a medium heat till flour turns toasty. Then whisk in almond milk.
3. Add pureed soup to the onion roux mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve hot with freshly prepared croutons or toast. Yum.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Rainbow lunch
We have an open jar of Thai yellow curry paste that I used in the fabulously satisfying Red Lentil Thai Chili (we used yellow curry paste because shrimpless red was hard to come by at our local. And used pumpkin instead of sweet potato because it is phenomenal with Thai flavours).
I wanted stir-fried noodles to eat with my frozen dumplings, but we didn't have any exciting sauces and I was too lazy to whip one up. Thus curry-fried noodles are born!
Curry-fried Noodles
Chop up an onion. Fry for a few minutes with some oil in a wok or large frying pan.
Chop up a carrot, some cabbage (I used red), some green beans (these pretty much just need their tops and tails off), and pea shoots. Add them to the pan, with the tougher veges first. (These were the veges I had on hand, use whatever that stir fries nicely).
Start cooking a packet of rice noodles.
Towards the end of your frying, add 3 heaped tsp of yellow curry paste, and stir well. Add the noodles when they're done, and mix everything around. Season with a dash of salt and soy sauce (or tamari) to taste. Yum.
I wanted stir-fried noodles to eat with my frozen dumplings, but we didn't have any exciting sauces and I was too lazy to whip one up. Thus curry-fried noodles are born!
Curry-fried Noodles
Chop up an onion. Fry for a few minutes with some oil in a wok or large frying pan.
Chop up a carrot, some cabbage (I used red), some green beans (these pretty much just need their tops and tails off), and pea shoots. Add them to the pan, with the tougher veges first. (These were the veges I had on hand, use whatever that stir fries nicely).
Start cooking a packet of rice noodles.
Towards the end of your frying, add 3 heaped tsp of yellow curry paste, and stir well. Add the noodles when they're done, and mix everything around. Season with a dash of salt and soy sauce (or tamari) to taste. Yum.
Lives on Drury Lane...
I have made (and eaten) ALL THE MUFFINS!
I had this chocolate and I we had these nice tinned peaches and some frozen berries, and I wanted to try to recreate the ones they have at Fidels.
So I adapted this recipe of Isa's:*
Chunky Chunkster Chocolate Peach Berry Muffins
(makes 12)
INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour (use white, just do it)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup syrup from the tinned peaches (top it up with a bit of water or plant milk if needed)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 cup high quality tinned peaches chopped into chunks
1 cup frozen raspberries
100g chocolate chunks
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celcius. Lightly grease muffin tins.
2. Mix flour, BP, soda, and salt. Make a well in the centre, and add the syrup, oil, and essence. Mix, and about half way through, add the fruit and chocolate. Don't overmix.
3. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for around 25 mins until browned on top and a skewer comes out clean.
* I should also mention that I had a go at the original recipe, Orange Cranberry Muffins, using hazelnuts instead of the pecans, and they were probably the best muffins I have ever made. Possibly the best muffins I have ever eaten. Although me and my sister did reckon they'd be jolly nice with some white chocolate in there somewhere.
I had this chocolate and I we had these nice tinned peaches and some frozen berries, and I wanted to try to recreate the ones they have at Fidels.
So I adapted this recipe of Isa's:*
Chunky Chunkster Chocolate Peach Berry Muffins
(makes 12)
INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour (use white, just do it)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup syrup from the tinned peaches (top it up with a bit of water or plant milk if needed)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 cup high quality tinned peaches chopped into chunks
1 cup frozen raspberries
100g chocolate chunks
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celcius. Lightly grease muffin tins.
2. Mix flour, BP, soda, and salt. Make a well in the centre, and add the syrup, oil, and essence. Mix, and about half way through, add the fruit and chocolate. Don't overmix.
3. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for around 25 mins until browned on top and a skewer comes out clean.
* I should also mention that I had a go at the original recipe, Orange Cranberry Muffins, using hazelnuts instead of the pecans, and they were probably the best muffins I have ever made. Possibly the best muffins I have ever eaten. Although me and my sister did reckon they'd be jolly nice with some white chocolate in there somewhere.
"I woke up this morning to a perfectly grey day"
Cold grey Sunday. Which means, delicious baked things! These are two classic recipes which you can find everywhere. Can't remember where I got these from, though I'm sure the pudding recipe is out of my Mum's own handwritten book of recipes she's been collecting and concocting since she left home. It's currently written in my own version of such a book, but the number of times I've wished I had it online totally justifies me posting it here.
Spinach Tofu Canneloni
(also works as a lasagne filling, of course)
Tomato Sauce
If lazy you can use two things of prepared tomato pasta sauce, otherwise make your own with 2 tins of crushed tomatoes.
Tofu Filling
Blend:
500g tofu
60mL soy milk
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh basil (or dried oregano/other Italian herbs)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
Add 50g frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Season with salt, nutmeg, black pepper and a small amount of chilli flakes.
Blend till smoothish.
White sauce
Melt 2 Tbsp margarine on medium low heat. Add 2 Tbsp flour, and stir till lumpy.
Warm till toasty, then stir in about 2 cups of soy milk, slowly, stirring all the while. Bring to boil, season with salt and a pinch nutmeg.
ASSEMBLY
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius
2. Pour tomato sauce in bottom of a dish with enough space for 20 canneloni tubes.
3. Stuff tubes with tofu and spinach filling. Arrange in dish.
4. Top with white sauce so that the tubes are entirely covered.
5. Bake for 40 mins till browned.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding
This is a tried and true recipe that always satisfies, with minimal effort or ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup self-raising flour
3 Tbsp cocoa
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plant milk (I like almond)
1 tsp vanilla
30 mL oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1.75 cups hot water
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Mix flour, salt, cocoa and sugar.
3. Stir in milk, vanilla and oil and mix till smooth.
4. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish. Smooth top of pudding.
5. Sprinkle over brown sugar and cocoa and carefully pour hot water over pudding.
6. Bake for 40-50 mins.
Spinach Tofu Canneloni
(also works as a lasagne filling, of course)
Tomato Sauce
If lazy you can use two things of prepared tomato pasta sauce, otherwise make your own with 2 tins of crushed tomatoes.
Tofu Filling
Blend:
500g tofu
60mL soy milk
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh basil (or dried oregano/other Italian herbs)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
Add 50g frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Season with salt, nutmeg, black pepper and a small amount of chilli flakes.
Blend till smoothish.
White sauce
Melt 2 Tbsp margarine on medium low heat. Add 2 Tbsp flour, and stir till lumpy.
Warm till toasty, then stir in about 2 cups of soy milk, slowly, stirring all the while. Bring to boil, season with salt and a pinch nutmeg.
ASSEMBLY
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius
2. Pour tomato sauce in bottom of a dish with enough space for 20 canneloni tubes.
3. Stuff tubes with tofu and spinach filling. Arrange in dish.
4. Top with white sauce so that the tubes are entirely covered.
5. Bake for 40 mins till browned.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding
This is a tried and true recipe that always satisfies, with minimal effort or ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup self-raising flour
3 Tbsp cocoa
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plant milk (I like almond)
1 tsp vanilla
30 mL oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1.75 cups hot water
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Mix flour, salt, cocoa and sugar.
3. Stir in milk, vanilla and oil and mix till smooth.
4. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish. Smooth top of pudding.
5. Sprinkle over brown sugar and cocoa and carefully pour hot water over pudding.
6. Bake for 40-50 mins.
Mum's been throwing herself into vegan cooking, with an inspired orzo casserole and a coconut rice pudding. She's a total genius!
Orzo Casserole with Nutballs
(fed a hungry family of 6)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup mixed nuts, chopped finely
1 cup fresh wholewheat breadcrumbs
1-2 tsp dried herbs (eg. thyme, oregano)
about 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 'egg's worth of no-Egg
enough vegetable stock to make it all stick
lots of onion and garlic, chopped
1 packet cooked orzo pasta
2 tins crushed tomatoes
2 tsp brown sugar
pinch chilli powder
bread crumbs mixed with olive oil
METHOD
1. Mix together first lot of ingredients and form into small walnut-sized balls. Fry and set aside.
2. Sautee onion and garlic until soft. Mix with the orzo, tomatoes, sugar and chilli powder in a large baking dish. Pop in the meatballs at strategic intervals. Top with the breadcrumbs mixed with oil.
3. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 mins. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mum's very own Coconut Rice Pudding
INGREDIENTS
8 Tbsp short grain rice
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 can coconut cream (~350mL) + enough soy milk to make 1 L of liquid
2-3 tsp nutmeg
METHOD
1. Stir together all ingredients except nutmeg until well combined. Place in a very lightly greased baking dish and sprinkle with nutmeg.
2. Bake at 135 degrees C for 2-2.5 hours until creamy and liquid mostly absorbed.
Orzo Casserole with Nutballs
(fed a hungry family of 6)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup mixed nuts, chopped finely
1 cup fresh wholewheat breadcrumbs
1-2 tsp dried herbs (eg. thyme, oregano)
about 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 'egg's worth of no-Egg
enough vegetable stock to make it all stick
lots of onion and garlic, chopped
1 packet cooked orzo pasta
2 tins crushed tomatoes
2 tsp brown sugar
pinch chilli powder
bread crumbs mixed with olive oil
METHOD
1. Mix together first lot of ingredients and form into small walnut-sized balls. Fry and set aside.
2. Sautee onion and garlic until soft. Mix with the orzo, tomatoes, sugar and chilli powder in a large baking dish. Pop in the meatballs at strategic intervals. Top with the breadcrumbs mixed with oil.
3. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 mins. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mum's very own Coconut Rice Pudding
INGREDIENTS
8 Tbsp short grain rice
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 can coconut cream (~350mL) + enough soy milk to make 1 L of liquid
2-3 tsp nutmeg
METHOD
1. Stir together all ingredients except nutmeg until well combined. Place in a very lightly greased baking dish and sprinkle with nutmeg.
2. Bake at 135 degrees C for 2-2.5 hours until creamy and liquid mostly absorbed.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Corny Muffins
Ate Krishna food today at Higher Taste, pretty good. Not much room left for Dad's Antipasto Ebly salad, but still enjoyed it thoroughly. But now, dear food blog, you can have my favourite savoury muffin recipe. It's based on a cornbread recipe which I got from somewhere, and as such comes out quite crumbly and yellow and corny. It's a pretty forgiving recipe, I kind of stick to the base recipe and bung whatever I want in, so they never come out the same way twice. But they're always, always good.
Corny Muffins
(makes 6 big muffins or 12 little ones... or 9 medium ones)
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
6 Tbsp boiling water
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal or polenta
1/8 cup sugar 4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt some cayenne pepper, paprika, dried thyme (all optional). More paprika than thyme is good.
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 a medium sized zucchini (or even more), grated
one or more of: sliced green olives, basil, sliced pickled jalapenos, preserved roasted red peppers, finely chopped celery, or even actual corn if you're that keen
1 cup soy milk (or water)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or other light coloured vinegar)
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees C.
2. Add water to flax seeds, letting it sit for a minute or so before whisking until thickened.
3. In a big bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (I usually use a fork).
4. Add the veges, flax egg, milk/water, oil, and vinegar. Mix until smooth, but don't go crazy on it.
5. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake in the middle of the oven for around 15-20 mins depending on how big your muffins are. Do the toothpick test.
Corny Muffins
(makes 6 big muffins or 12 little ones... or 9 medium ones)
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
6 Tbsp boiling water
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal or polenta
1/8 cup sugar 4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt some cayenne pepper, paprika, dried thyme (all optional). More paprika than thyme is good.
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 a medium sized zucchini (or even more), grated
one or more of: sliced green olives, basil, sliced pickled jalapenos, preserved roasted red peppers, finely chopped celery, or even actual corn if you're that keen
1 cup soy milk (or water)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or other light coloured vinegar)
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees C.
2. Add water to flax seeds, letting it sit for a minute or so before whisking until thickened.
3. In a big bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (I usually use a fork).
4. Add the veges, flax egg, milk/water, oil, and vinegar. Mix until smooth, but don't go crazy on it.
5. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake in the middle of the oven for around 15-20 mins depending on how big your muffins are. Do the toothpick test.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wintery warmers
I always laugh when my sisters say there's no food in the house. You can make such delicious things with such simple ingredients. Yesterday I used the leftover pastry from my soup pie to make an improvised savoury tarte tatin with onions, tomatoes, and zucchini, jazzed up with some dried thyme and a sprinkling of brown sugar. That was a tasty lunch.
Then for dinner for the whole family I made this simple and delicious recipe from the wonderful Isa Chandra. Except without the dill as I'm not much of a fan (somehow living in Sweden for three years has made me associate dill with fish). And with the more substantial texture of wholemeal flour in the dumplings, made with fresh rosemary seeing as my parents grow a ton of it. We bunged in an extra can of beans to bulk out the protein content (fava, because we ran out of white beans). Worried too about it not being enough for a hungry family of six, Dad fried up some cabbage and orange capsicum dressed with lemon juice and black pepper and a drizzle of rosemary and garlic infused olive oil. This was not only delicious on its own but also went well just dumped in the soup as my Mum ate it.
Then for dinner for the whole family I made this simple and delicious recipe from the wonderful Isa Chandra. Except without the dill as I'm not much of a fan (somehow living in Sweden for three years has made me associate dill with fish). And with the more substantial texture of wholemeal flour in the dumplings, made with fresh rosemary seeing as my parents grow a ton of it. We bunged in an extra can of beans to bulk out the protein content (fava, because we ran out of white beans). Worried too about it not being enough for a hungry family of six, Dad fried up some cabbage and orange capsicum dressed with lemon juice and black pepper and a drizzle of rosemary and garlic infused olive oil. This was not only delicious on its own but also went well just dumped in the soup as my Mum ate it.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Places to Eat in Wellington
I love Wellington. I love its contours, its colours, the varied corners and cultures. I also love the explosion of vegan-friendly eateries. You can almost always get soy milk for an added charge (usually around 50c) at any place that sells barista coffee, i.e. most cafes and many restaurants in Wellington. Here follows a list of places I've had choice food.
Aunty Mena's
Has to top any list. Last time I asked they told me the whole menu was vegan. I'm busily trying to eat my way through it. Nasi lemak, wonton noodle soup, dumplings, roti chanai, have all been a hit.
Midnight Espresso
Good range of vegan food on the menu - the nachos are nice, as is the vegan big breakfast. Also often have a good range of counter-food, like rice bakes, sandwiches, cakes, and biscuits. But it's variable, and sometimes I've gone in feeling like something exciting and found the range somewhat depleted.
Tulsi
Says in their menu that many of the mains and sides can be veganised on request. We tried a couple of the vegetarian curries with naan, and everything was absolutely delicious - even without cream.
Maranui
This is one of my favourite cafes in Wellington. It's in Lyall Bay, right on the beach, and has a reasonable range of vegan breakfasts, mains, salads, and delectable vegan cupcakes.
Pranah
This probably IS my favourite cafe in Wellington. In Newtown, only a 15 minute walk from where I live, I would give them all my money if I could. It's real handy for the Newtown vege market on weekends, so we often reward ourselves for getting up early with a coffee and a bite to eat there. They are all-vegetarian (I think?), and a significant proportion of their stuff is vegan (often around 50%). And it's all really good and reasonably priced. I love them. Their baking in particular is amazing.
Burger Fuel
Went to these guys in Taupo, but their menu is the same at all the outlets. They have one burger specifically labelled vegan, which has a gluten free bun (I think?), made on an all-vegan production line. They also have another vegetarian burger suitable for vegans if you just ask them to leave out the aioli, and I don't think it suffers for that. When I asked about the difference between the vegan and the vegetarian burgers, the senior staff member present told me that the bun was made under strictly vegan conditions, whereas the other vege-burgers had buns that were produced on equipment that also handled dairy products. Nice to know that they are so dedicated in thinking about these things. And the burgers are yum.
Fidels
Often a bit disappointing on the vegan front, but they ususally have really scrummy vegan muffins with berries and big chunks of chocolate in them.
Aunty Mena's
Has to top any list. Last time I asked they told me the whole menu was vegan. I'm busily trying to eat my way through it. Nasi lemak, wonton noodle soup, dumplings, roti chanai, have all been a hit.
Midnight Espresso
Good range of vegan food on the menu - the nachos are nice, as is the vegan big breakfast. Also often have a good range of counter-food, like rice bakes, sandwiches, cakes, and biscuits. But it's variable, and sometimes I've gone in feeling like something exciting and found the range somewhat depleted.
Tulsi
Says in their menu that many of the mains and sides can be veganised on request. We tried a couple of the vegetarian curries with naan, and everything was absolutely delicious - even without cream.
Maranui
This is one of my favourite cafes in Wellington. It's in Lyall Bay, right on the beach, and has a reasonable range of vegan breakfasts, mains, salads, and delectable vegan cupcakes.
Pranah
This probably IS my favourite cafe in Wellington. In Newtown, only a 15 minute walk from where I live, I would give them all my money if I could. It's real handy for the Newtown vege market on weekends, so we often reward ourselves for getting up early with a coffee and a bite to eat there. They are all-vegetarian (I think?), and a significant proportion of their stuff is vegan (often around 50%). And it's all really good and reasonably priced. I love them. Their baking in particular is amazing.
Burger Fuel
Went to these guys in Taupo, but their menu is the same at all the outlets. They have one burger specifically labelled vegan, which has a gluten free bun (I think?), made on an all-vegan production line. They also have another vegetarian burger suitable for vegans if you just ask them to leave out the aioli, and I don't think it suffers for that. When I asked about the difference between the vegan and the vegetarian burgers, the senior staff member present told me that the bun was made under strictly vegan conditions, whereas the other vege-burgers had buns that were produced on equipment that also handled dairy products. Nice to know that they are so dedicated in thinking about these things. And the burgers are yum.
Fidels
Often a bit disappointing on the vegan front, but they ususally have really scrummy vegan muffins with berries and big chunks of chocolate in them.
Souper Pie
Yesterday Dad made an amazing vegetable soup. I should ask him what he did. It was vaguely tomato-ey, with all kinds of delicious market veges chopped up in it, and four kinds of beans. It was so good that, combined with the fire he made, I nearly feel happy about autumn.
The broth was so delicious that it all got et and there was just a whole wet pile of soup veges left over. So I put them in a pie. It was tremendously satisfying. No time for pictures, although it came out quite appropriately pie-looking. I use store-bought vegan puff-pastry for the top, and the ever-reliable Isa's recipe for the bottom. Maybe the olive oil I used was particularly strong or something (sorry Mum and Dad, maybe I used the good stuff?!), but I found the that the crust was more olivey than I was expecting, and that the oil took a long time to get to the semi-solid state - more so than other oils I've tried. But on the other hand the pastry did what it was told for once and came out with a good texture, so I'm not complaining.
The broth was so delicious that it all got et and there was just a whole wet pile of soup veges left over. So I put them in a pie. It was tremendously satisfying. No time for pictures, although it came out quite appropriately pie-looking. I use store-bought vegan puff-pastry for the top, and the ever-reliable Isa's recipe for the bottom. Maybe the olive oil I used was particularly strong or something (sorry Mum and Dad, maybe I used the good stuff?!), but I found the that the crust was more olivey than I was expecting, and that the oil took a long time to get to the semi-solid state - more so than other oils I've tried. But on the other hand the pastry did what it was told for once and came out with a good texture, so I'm not complaining.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
A woman's place is... ?
It all started with an innocent attempt at concocting vegan creme eggs for Easter Sunday. Then we had all these veges and I decided that pizza would be a great idea. Then we had a guest with (justafiably) hurt feelings who needed cheering up, so I baked apology biscuits. I think I spent pretty much the whole day cooking.
VEGAN CREME EGGS (SORT OF)
With a lack of egg shaped moulds, and a lack of neutral syrups, these became more like chocolate-covered caramel patties, but they were still delicious and came out really pretty when dressed up with some piped icing. My recipe was based on this one.
Ingredients
1/4 cup barley malt syrup
1/8 cup Olivani
1 tsp vanilla essence (or less depending on strength)
1/8 tsp salt
1.5 cups icing sugar
about 200g dark chocolate
Method
1. Combine the syrup, Olivani, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar, half a cup at a time, mixing by hand after each addition. Mix well until smooth.
3. Cover and refrigerate (or freeze!) until firm, a couple of hours or so
4. Roll balls from the filling (about 12). Place on a greased plate and refrigerate again for a couple of hours.
5. Melt the chocolate with a tsp of oil, and dip centres in chocolate using a fork. Chill for an hour or so and dip again.
The pizzas included a few standard ones with a tomato base, fried capsicum and zucchini, black olives and fried vegetarian sausage chunks.
We also tried to recreate my favourite of Old Corner's vegan pizzas, the felafel pizza. Olive Grove felafel mix makes shit easy. Felafels, fresh tomatoes, thin ribbons of zucchini, and tahini sauce on a tomato base, then topped with extra tahini sauce when out of the oven. Tahini sauce is pretty much just tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and paprika. Then we made Isa's fabulous romesco pizza, except with big fat juicy black olives instead of caramelised onions.
My favourite pizza base recipe is:
Ingredients
1 Tbsp DA yeast (or 25g fresh yeast)
1.5 cups warm water
3.5 cups flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
pinch salt
Method
1. Dissolve yeast in water and set aside for a few mins.
2. Add to flour in a well. Add olive oil and salt. Draw ingredients together and mix to a dough.
3. Knead on a floured surface till dough stops sticking. Put in a greased bowl (turning dough to coat in oil). Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1.5-2 hrs. When doubled, punch down and separate into 3 pieces. Roll out into rounds.
4. Add topping and bake at 250 degrees for 20 mins or so till base is lightly browned.
MELTING MOMENTS
(a Kiwi favourite veganised from here)
Ingredients
125g Olivani
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/3 cup custard powder
60g Olivani
2/3 cup icing sugar
innards of 3-4 passionfruit (for a real passionfruit kick. Can use less).
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to beat the Olivani until pale and creamy. Add the flour, icing sugar and custard powder and use a wooden spoon to stir to combine.
2. Roll teaspoonfuls of the dough mixture into balls. Lightly flouring your hands can help here. Use a fork dusted in icing sugar to gently flatten. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside for 30 minutes to cool.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat the extra butter and icing sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the passionfruit and beat until combined. Spread the butter mixture over the flat side of half the biscuits and sandwich together with remaining biscuits.
VEGAN CREME EGGS (SORT OF)
With a lack of egg shaped moulds, and a lack of neutral syrups, these became more like chocolate-covered caramel patties, but they were still delicious and came out really pretty when dressed up with some piped icing. My recipe was based on this one.
Ingredients
1/4 cup barley malt syrup
1/8 cup Olivani
1 tsp vanilla essence (or less depending on strength)
1/8 tsp salt
1.5 cups icing sugar
about 200g dark chocolate
Method
1. Combine the syrup, Olivani, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar, half a cup at a time, mixing by hand after each addition. Mix well until smooth.
3. Cover and refrigerate (or freeze!) until firm, a couple of hours or so
4. Roll balls from the filling (about 12). Place on a greased plate and refrigerate again for a couple of hours.
5. Melt the chocolate with a tsp of oil, and dip centres in chocolate using a fork. Chill for an hour or so and dip again.
The pizzas included a few standard ones with a tomato base, fried capsicum and zucchini, black olives and fried vegetarian sausage chunks.
We also tried to recreate my favourite of Old Corner's vegan pizzas, the felafel pizza. Olive Grove felafel mix makes shit easy. Felafels, fresh tomatoes, thin ribbons of zucchini, and tahini sauce on a tomato base, then topped with extra tahini sauce when out of the oven. Tahini sauce is pretty much just tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and paprika. Then we made Isa's fabulous romesco pizza, except with big fat juicy black olives instead of caramelised onions.
My favourite pizza base recipe is:
Ingredients
1 Tbsp DA yeast (or 25g fresh yeast)
1.5 cups warm water
3.5 cups flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
pinch salt
Method
1. Dissolve yeast in water and set aside for a few mins.
2. Add to flour in a well. Add olive oil and salt. Draw ingredients together and mix to a dough.
3. Knead on a floured surface till dough stops sticking. Put in a greased bowl (turning dough to coat in oil). Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1.5-2 hrs. When doubled, punch down and separate into 3 pieces. Roll out into rounds.
4. Add topping and bake at 250 degrees for 20 mins or so till base is lightly browned.
MELTING MOMENTS
(a Kiwi favourite veganised from here)
Ingredients
125g Olivani
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/3 cup custard powder
60g Olivani
2/3 cup icing sugar
innards of 3-4 passionfruit (for a real passionfruit kick. Can use less).
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to beat the Olivani until pale and creamy. Add the flour, icing sugar and custard powder and use a wooden spoon to stir to combine.
2. Roll teaspoonfuls of the dough mixture into balls. Lightly flouring your hands can help here. Use a fork dusted in icing sugar to gently flatten. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside for 30 minutes to cool.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat the extra butter and icing sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the passionfruit and beat until combined. Spread the butter mixture over the flat side of half the biscuits and sandwich together with remaining biscuits.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Brunch in the Easter sun with family friends. It was so hot we had to break out the sunblock!
We had a feast of tofu and bean patties (a recipe by the DomPost's Ruth Pretty), polenta crostini topped with olive and sundried tomato relish, and home-made palmiers! Our hosts completed this with freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, roasted tomatoes, sliced avocado, bread and dukkah, and a delicious sauterne wine that was like drinking sunlight.
Me and J rounded the day off rockhopping down in Owhiro Bay and a stroll through Island Bay, stopping at the Empire for gelato, one lemon, one melon. The best thing really about having someone you regularly swap germs with is that you can swap ice creams and avoid the whole dilemma of deciding. Though we do take care that our individual flavour choices are always anagrams of the other's. Got home in time to find vegan Nasi Goreng take-aways waiting for us in a steaming heap of spicy deliciousness.
All in all, a wonderful day.
Some recipes...
TOFU & BEAN PATTIES
Ingredients
- half a smallish pumpkin, cut into 1cm cubes and roasted till soft (about 10 mins)
- 1 big onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- can of chickpeas, mashed (300g cooked)
- can of kidney beans (300g cooked)
- 200g firm tofu, 1cm cubes
- some cooked brown rice (medium grain) (about 2/3 cup uncooked)
- some corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup Thai sweet chilli sauce
- 2 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 2/3 cup rice flour
- salt and pepper
Method
Fry onion for a few minutes till soft, then add garlic and fry another minute. Put in a mixing bowl, and add all the rest of the stuff. Mix until able to form patties, adjusting flour amount as necessary. Fry patties in oil on medium high.
Serve with relish or tahini dressing (tahini mixed with some lemon juice, crushed garlic, olive oil and water).
(makes about 15 decent-sized patties)
POLENTA CROSTINI
Basically, fry rounds of polenta till crispy. This can take some time. I set my polenta in greased muffin tins, so the rounds were all ready to go.
PALMIERS
Get some vegan puff pastry. Get some vegan white sugar. Sprinkle some on a surface. Put the (defrosted) pastry on top. Sprinkle sugar on top of pastry too, going for an even layer. Use about 1/3 cup for the top and 1/2 a cup for the bottom. Roll the pastry out thinner, pressing in the sugar as you do so. Fold the left and right hand sides in until they meet at the middle. Repeat, then fold over like closing a book. Cut log into slices and arrange on baking paper on a baking tray. Bake at 230 degrees until caramelised on bottom (or top, if your oven is crazy like ours) - about 6-10 mins, then flip and cook the other side. Keep an eye on them. Likewise when they're out of the oven, these things disappear at lightning speed!
We had a feast of tofu and bean patties (a recipe by the DomPost's Ruth Pretty), polenta crostini topped with olive and sundried tomato relish, and home-made palmiers! Our hosts completed this with freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, roasted tomatoes, sliced avocado, bread and dukkah, and a delicious sauterne wine that was like drinking sunlight.
Me and J rounded the day off rockhopping down in Owhiro Bay and a stroll through Island Bay, stopping at the Empire for gelato, one lemon, one melon. The best thing really about having someone you regularly swap germs with is that you can swap ice creams and avoid the whole dilemma of deciding. Though we do take care that our individual flavour choices are always anagrams of the other's. Got home in time to find vegan Nasi Goreng take-aways waiting for us in a steaming heap of spicy deliciousness.
All in all, a wonderful day.
Some recipes...
TOFU & BEAN PATTIES
Ingredients
- half a smallish pumpkin, cut into 1cm cubes and roasted till soft (about 10 mins)
- 1 big onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- can of chickpeas, mashed (300g cooked)
- can of kidney beans (300g cooked)
- 200g firm tofu, 1cm cubes
- some cooked brown rice (medium grain) (about 2/3 cup uncooked)
- some corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup Thai sweet chilli sauce
- 2 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 2/3 cup rice flour
- salt and pepper
Method
Fry onion for a few minutes till soft, then add garlic and fry another minute. Put in a mixing bowl, and add all the rest of the stuff. Mix until able to form patties, adjusting flour amount as necessary. Fry patties in oil on medium high.
Serve with relish or tahini dressing (tahini mixed with some lemon juice, crushed garlic, olive oil and water).
(makes about 15 decent-sized patties)
POLENTA CROSTINI
Basically, fry rounds of polenta till crispy. This can take some time. I set my polenta in greased muffin tins, so the rounds were all ready to go.
PALMIERS
Get some vegan puff pastry. Get some vegan white sugar. Sprinkle some on a surface. Put the (defrosted) pastry on top. Sprinkle sugar on top of pastry too, going for an even layer. Use about 1/3 cup for the top and 1/2 a cup for the bottom. Roll the pastry out thinner, pressing in the sugar as you do so. Fold the left and right hand sides in until they meet at the middle. Repeat, then fold over like closing a book. Cut log into slices and arrange on baking paper on a baking tray. Bake at 230 degrees until caramelised on bottom (or top, if your oven is crazy like ours) - about 6-10 mins, then flip and cook the other side. Keep an eye on them. Likewise when they're out of the oven, these things disappear at lightning speed!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
A Good Friday...
Hot Cross Buns! Luxury!
Recipe mostly from Vegan Dad (who should be any vegan's go-to guy for bread recipes), modified mostly by including candied peel and a paste cross, both of which are favourites of mine. We didn't have any currants, and had hardly any sultanas, so I bulked the fruit content out with dried blueberries, which were just as delicious. Went so easily in the breadmaker that we had time to carry down the massive load of firewood that arrived at the top of our path.
Ingredients
Buns
- 1 cup warm soy milk
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp instant or active dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
- 5 Tbsp warm water
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
- 2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup melted margarine, or oil
- zest of 1 orange
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup sultanas and dried blueberries
- 1/4 cup candied mixed peel
- soy milk for brushing
Cross
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup flour
Glaze
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
Method
1. Mix sugar, soy milk, and yeast together in a large bowl. Let sit until yeast is hydrated (about 1 min for instant yeast, a few mins for active dry).
2. In a separate small bowl, mix flax seed and water together. Let sit for 1 min to hydrate, then whisk until thickened. Whisk in orange juice, then add to soy milk mixture.
3. Add 3 1/2 cups of flour, spices, margarine, and zests and bring into a dough, adding more liquid or flour as needed. The dough should be firm but still tacky. Knead on a lightly floured surface (or in a stand mixer) for 5-8 mins, until smooth, kneading in the fruit and peel right at the end.
4. Place in an oiled bowl, turning dough to coat, cover, and let rise until doubled (1 to 1.5 hours).
5. Grease a baking sheet. Roll dough into a log roughly the shape of a baguette. Use scissors to cut into 12 rounds. Put on baking tray, with buns touching one another.
6. For cross, put flour and water in a zip-lock bag. Seal and knead into a smooth paste. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag and pipe crosses onto the buns. Let rise until about doubled (30-45 mins). Preheat oven to 200.
7. Brush buns with soy milk and bake for 15-17 mins, until a deep golden brown.
8. While buns are baking, bring glaze ingredients to bubbling over medium heat in a small saucepan. When buns come out of the oven, brush with glaze. Let sit for 1 min, then brush with glaze again. Let cool in the pan.
Recipe mostly from Vegan Dad (who should be any vegan's go-to guy for bread recipes), modified mostly by including candied peel and a paste cross, both of which are favourites of mine. We didn't have any currants, and had hardly any sultanas, so I bulked the fruit content out with dried blueberries, which were just as delicious. Went so easily in the breadmaker that we had time to carry down the massive load of firewood that arrived at the top of our path.
Ingredients
Buns
- 1 cup warm soy milk
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp instant or active dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
- 5 Tbsp warm water
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
- 2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup melted margarine, or oil
- zest of 1 orange
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup sultanas and dried blueberries
- 1/4 cup candied mixed peel
- soy milk for brushing
Cross
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup flour
Glaze
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
Method
1. Mix sugar, soy milk, and yeast together in a large bowl. Let sit until yeast is hydrated (about 1 min for instant yeast, a few mins for active dry).
2. In a separate small bowl, mix flax seed and water together. Let sit for 1 min to hydrate, then whisk until thickened. Whisk in orange juice, then add to soy milk mixture.
3. Add 3 1/2 cups of flour, spices, margarine, and zests and bring into a dough, adding more liquid or flour as needed. The dough should be firm but still tacky. Knead on a lightly floured surface (or in a stand mixer) for 5-8 mins, until smooth, kneading in the fruit and peel right at the end.
4. Place in an oiled bowl, turning dough to coat, cover, and let rise until doubled (1 to 1.5 hours).
5. Grease a baking sheet. Roll dough into a log roughly the shape of a baguette. Use scissors to cut into 12 rounds. Put on baking tray, with buns touching one another.
6. For cross, put flour and water in a zip-lock bag. Seal and knead into a smooth paste. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag and pipe crosses onto the buns. Let rise until about doubled (30-45 mins). Preheat oven to 200.
7. Brush buns with soy milk and bake for 15-17 mins, until a deep golden brown.
8. While buns are baking, bring glaze ingredients to bubbling over medium heat in a small saucepan. When buns come out of the oven, brush with glaze. Let sit for 1 min, then brush with glaze again. Let cool in the pan.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
"It's all part of my autumn almanac..."
Today I made Pumpkin Risotto based on this recipe from the PPK.
We had no cranberries, but it was delicious without. Also had to use half kūmara instead of the pumpkin. Added some nutritional yeast because our stock sucks. Topped it with roasted cashews and ate it with steamed green beans on the side. It was a big success with the whole family, and very filling. A doubled recipe fed 7 of us with a little left over.
Followed it with Isa's amazing brownies, which have been turning up at various Wellington cafes recently. I can't be the only one who diligently follows the PPK blog. Except my parents had this amazing sour cherry jam, and this giant jar of preserved sour cherries, so I made cherry brownies instead. All in all, pretty damn good.
We had no cranberries, but it was delicious without. Also had to use half kūmara instead of the pumpkin. Added some nutritional yeast because our stock sucks. Topped it with roasted cashews and ate it with steamed green beans on the side. It was a big success with the whole family, and very filling. A doubled recipe fed 7 of us with a little left over.
Followed it with Isa's amazing brownies, which have been turning up at various Wellington cafes recently. I can't be the only one who diligently follows the PPK blog. Except my parents had this amazing sour cherry jam, and this giant jar of preserved sour cherries, so I made cherry brownies instead. All in all, pretty damn good.
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