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.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
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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