Mushroom Pâté (vegan)

Last year I made this based on a recipe by Nora of ingeniouscooking.com.
http://www.ingeniouscooking.com/mushroom-cashew-pate/?fbclid=IwAR3M7VnH24nPo7zxBfepggFEVQUnUtBM512QPb82-NYLFxcGhrMwhLQ7a3Q

I did my own take on it though - and below is my version of the recipe. The pâté that I did looked a bit darker in colour because of the portobello mushrooms.

Ingredients

250g portobello mushrooms, sliced
50g or ½ scant cup of cashews
1 small onion
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
(I used black tasmanian seasalt and freshly ground black pepper)

Preparation

Roast cashews in a dry pan over medium heat until golden brown. You could also do this in the oven: 10 minutes at 180 C / 360 F.
Finely mince onion and add to oil over medium heat. Fry until translucent.
Set aside onions and add sliced mushrooms to frying pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides. (Don't crowd them: you want them fried, not cooked.)
Put cashews in food processor and mix until finely ground. Add other ingredients (onions, mushrooms, parsley, salt, pepper) and mix until smooth.

Kale with Tahini Lemon dressing

Simple side dish of sautéed kale with a tahini lemon dressing. Very tasty and healthy! 

ingredients:
kale
tahini
lemon
seasalt
cayenne pepper
garlic
olive oil

preparation:
Clean and cut the kale and massage olive oil into it. Sauté in the frying pan for about 5 minutes, add a bit of water if you like. Can add a bit of garlic too. 

Dressing: 
mix tahini with lemon juice (taste to see how much), add a bit of water if it is too thick. A pinch of salt and a dash of cayenne pepper for flavour. 

Sprinkle the dressing over the kale. Kale goes well with potatoes or sweet potatoes. 

Rainbow Salad

My friends call this my rainbow salad as it has all the colours of the rainbow in it (more or less).

ingredients:

different types of lettuce (I used a mix of red and green coral salad in this one)
cherry tomatoes (halved)
yellow capsicum (for the colour!) sliced
avocado (sliced)
strawberries (sliced)
blueberries
walnuts (broken into smaller pieces)
fresh basil leaves (torn into smaller pieces)

of course you can vary the ingredients to your taste!

dressing:

balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil (use a good one, not the one for cooking)
drizzle of honey
finely shredded young ginger
finely shredded basil leaves
pinch of sea salt (I use pink himalayan salt from the grinder)

preparation:

arrange all the ingredients nicely in a salad bowl.
prepare the dressing, and sprinkle it evenly over the salad - so that it keeps it nice looks and the guests who will be eating all get some of the dressing when they serve themselves.

Babaganoush

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
30g tahini
1 lemon
olive oil
cumin powder
pinch of sea salt
clove of garlic (optional)

Preparation:

Half the eggplants lengthwise and coat the flesh with a bit of olive oil - and a sprinkle of salt. Put face down in an oven dish and prick in the skin with a fork to create some holes. put in the oven. Grill them in the oven for about 30 minutes.
When done take them out of the oven and turn them over. The flesh should now be soft and juicy. Scoop out the flesh and put in a bowl. Mash it up with a fork, add the tahini and juice of half a lemon and cumin powder (and minced garlic). Ready to serve! You can add parsley for garnishing if you like.

Serving suggestion:

HUMMUS Recipe

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas (or fresh ones that you soak overnight)
60g tahini
1 lemon
olive oil
cumin powder
pinch of sea salt
paprika powder
clove of garlic (optional)

Preparation:

Drain the chickpeas and remove the outer layer - it easily comes off.
Mix tahini and juice of 1 lemon in the blender, add a bit of water to make it a smooth paste.
Add the cumin powder, salt, garlic and a dash of (extra virgin) olive oil to the paste and add half of the chickpeas. Blend till smooth. Add a bit of water if it stays too firm. Add the rest of the chickpeas and again water to get it the right consistency. I like mine a bit firm, but if you like it smoother, add more water and/or olive oil to the mixture.
Serve in a bowl with some paprika power on top for garnishing.

Serving suggestion: