Thai Larb salad (vegan)

Thai Larb Salad (vegan)

Ingredients

1 packet of Omnimeat
1 baby portobello mushroom (or a few small mushrooms), chopped up
2 stalks of spring onion
2 cloves garlic
1 red chili (sliced into small strips) - or dried chili flakes
a few stalks fresh coriander - if you use the stalks, cut them fine, otherwise, just use the leaves
vegan fish sauce (I happened to have a Vietnamese one)
sugar (brown)
cooking oil
juice of 2 small limes

Preparation:

1. Add the minced omnimeat to a frying pan / wok in a bit of cooking oil and stir fry it. Add a bit of finely chopped red chili (or dried chili flakes).
2. Add the mushrooms and stir fry for a few minutes, add spring onions, garlic, chili next, stir-fry.
3. Add the juice of 2 small limes (or 1 big one), a pinch of sugar and the vegan fish sauce (you could add some other kind of saltiness like tamari sauce as well if you don't have vegan fish sauce).
4. Add the fresh coriander (and if you have it thai basil or mint would go really well too) to the mixture and stir through.
5. Use Romain lettuce leaves and add a bit of rice in it and serve the larb mixture on top of that. Top it off with some of the chili strips and coriander for presentation.

Ingredients

prepare the ingredients

after stirfry completed

lettuce and rice prepared for serving

Chilli Sin Carne (vegan)

this is my version of chilli sin carne - I use what I have in the fridge and pantry and ingredients may vary based on that. Goes well with carrots also - so just use this as a guide and make your own! Easy and wholesome.

Ingredients

2 cans of beans (I used 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of mixed beans including black beans and black eyed peas - but feel free to change that to what you have in your pantry)
1 can of plum tomatoes (you can also do your own fresh tomatoes and blanch them and peel them)
1 large onion (I use red onion)
1 capsicum
2 stalks of celery
1 zucchini
200g mushrooms (I used swiss brown mushrooms)
vegan "minced meat" (I used Beyond beefy crumble - but you could use other kind of meat replacer too - as long as it is firm - tofu will get messy, but tempeh would work well)
olive oil
apple cider vinegar
smoked paprika
chilli powder
cumin powder
sea salt
sundried tomato paste (optional)

Preparation

Cut all the vegetables and the mushrooms finely (up to your liking how fine).
Add oil in the frying pan/wok and fry the onion first till translucent, then add the minced "meat" followed by the mushrooms. Fry them while stirring regularly till they are brown.

Add other ingredients (onions, capsicum, celery, zucchini) and mix it all well and let it fry for a bit and then add a dash of water.

Add in the seasoning - the smoked paprika will give it that smokey flavour. Stir through and add the beans (the kidney beans in water I drain of the water first - but if you have one with seasoning or tomato base you can keep it in). Stir through, taste and add more seasoning if needed. Add the can of tomatoes and also if you have it a bit of sundried tomato paste (I happened to have it in the fridge). Add a dash of vinegar.
You can add some fresh herbs to this as well like cilantro or parsley.

Serve with rice, bread or nachos!

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.

Creamy kale mushroom pasta (vegan)

Ingredients:
pasta of choice
1 bunch of kale
2 cloves garlic
1 onion (red)
olive oil
flour
nutritional yeast
white miso paste
black pepper
sea salt
pine nuts

Method:

1. Cook the pasta
2. Cut garlic, onion and sauté
3. Cut the mushrooms (I used baby portobello) and sauté with the onions, add seasoning (black pepper , sea salt)
4. Clean the kale, cut away the stems and cut the leaves fine, then add to the pot as well. Add a dash of water so the kale gets sort of steamed a bit.
5. Add seasoning and keep the veggie mixture aside.
6. Make a roux with a bit of olive oil flour (stir till you get a ball, add water gradually and keep stirring till you have a nice smooth sauce)
7. Add nutritional yeast to the roux mixture - and add a bit more water if necessary and heat it.
8. Lastly add a bit of white miso paste to the roux.
When the sauce is smooth, add back the veggie mixture to the pot, stir and add the pasta and stir it all through. Serve with roasted pine nuts.
You can make this in different ways, e.g. with cashew cream instead of the roux.

Shepherds Pie (vegan)

ingredients 

For the filling:

Beyond meat crumbs (you can use alternatives)

Swiss brown mushroom 

1 red onion

4 cloves garlic

1 carrot

1 small zucchini 

Tomato paste

Mustard

Basil

Rosemary

Black pepper 

Sea salt

Coconut aminos (or vegan worcestershire sauce)

Olive oil

Mash:

8 potatoes

Vegan butter (e.g. nuttelex)

Black pepper

Sea salt

Preparation

First peel the potatoes and cut them in cubes. Boil in water for about 20 minutes till they are soft.

After they finished cooking, drain the water and mash them up with the butter and seasoning. 

While the potatoes are cooking you can start on the filling.

Clean and cut the vegetables. Carrot and zucchini into cubes.

Sautée the garlic and onion in olive oil, then add the mock mince meat. 

Add the mushrooms and carrot, and the zucchini last.

Add the seasoning, tomato paste and a bit of water (not too much).

Let it simmer for a while till the carrots are soft. 

Prepare an oven dish (or individual small dishes) and add the filling at the bottom of the dish. Add the mash on top. Make sure the mash fully covers the filling. Make the surface rough with a fork. 

Put in preheated oven at 190C for 20 minutes. Serve while hot! 

Note: 

You can make variants to this based on what you have in the fridge. I made this with leftovers and my usual staples. 

used this as the base

cooking of the ingredients

the filling is ready

filling up the oven dishes - filling at the bottom, mash on top

roughed up the mash with a fork - before putting it in the oven

finished baking! 

Vegan jambalaya

Jambalaya is a tasty cajun / creole dish, that makes for a hearty meal.
This recipe caters for about 12 persons, but you can reduce the amounts for less people.

jambalaya on the bottom left, other pictures the ingredients and start of cooking

Ingredients

olive oil (for cooking)

smoked paprika

bay leaves

cajun spice mix

freshly ground black pepper

freshly ground seasalt

1 vegetable stock cube (optional)

garlic (4 cloves)

onion (4 red onions, but you can use yellow onions too)

2 (yellow) zucchinis

8 large stalks of celery

6 big tomatoes

beans (I used a packet of mixed dried beans - see picture - that I soaked for 2 hours prior to adding them, but you could use a can of pinto beans or kidney beans too if you like)

450g long grain brown rice (or other rice, but long grain)

fresh cilantro

vegan worcestershire sauce (I didn't have this, but used another vegan seasoning)

in terms of vegetables, you can do a lot of variations, whatever you have in the fridge! goes well with capsicum, eggplant, etc. too and I'm sure mushrooms will be nice too.

Preparation

Cut the garlic and onions finely. Cut the other vegetables into small cubes (see photo).
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot, add the garlic and onions to saute. Once done, add the other vegetables (zucchini & celery) and saute till tender. Add the tomatoes and the seasonings, use your feeling and taste to get the quantity right.
Add the rice and water with a vegetable stock cube.

Stir for a few minutes till everything is nicely blended. 

Once it is at a boil, put it to low heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Occasionally check that the water is sufficient (follow the instructions on your rice pack as to how much water to add) and have a taste to see that the flavours are working. After 45 minutes the rice should be done, and the water will have been absorbed. 

Finally add the cilantro and stir through and save a few leaves to put on top for serving.

Serving suggestions

Serve with jalapeno peppers (I don't get fresh ones here, so served it with pickled jalapenos from the shop) and hot sauce or tabasco for those who want to have it spicier.

To balance out the heavy flavours, I served it with a rainbow salad. 

Credits

I create my own recipes, but get ideas from others. My recipe is inspired by this recipe: http://www.lifeasastrawberry.com/spicy-vegan-jambalaya/

and this recipe: http://www.gumbopages.com/food/veg/veg-jambalaya.html

Cashew garlic sauce (vegan)

I made this cashew garlic sauce recently for dipping the falafels in that I made for a BBQ and it was really nice! Used it the next day as a salad dressing, so it works multi-purpose. Sorry, lack of picture but I will make it again in the future and add one!

the sauce

serving suggestion

ingredients:

raw cashews (soaked overnight)
lemon juice (just a dash of it)
garlic (2 or 3 cloves, depending on how garlicky you want it to get - i use pink garlic)
herbs (I had some parsley leftover that i added - but be creative and add what you like or have)
seasalt (a pinch)

preparation

drain the raw cashews and put in the blender
Add lemon juice and a bit of water (you can add more later, depending on how liquid you want the sauce to be)
Blend this first till it's nice and smooth.
Roughly chop the garlic and herbs, add to the mixture in the blender.
Blend it again, till you have a nice consistency and add more water if you need.

lastly add the salt and ready to serve!

Vegan tomyam soup

vegan tomyam soup

ingredients

Shallots
green birdseye chillies
galangal
lemongrass
kaffir lime leaves
lime
oyster mushrooms
chokos
bambooshoots
cherry tomatoes
cilantro
seasalt
coconut cream

preparation 

Cut shallots and chillies fine. Galangal in chunks, lemongrass crushed, lime leaves roughly cut.
Sauté shallots & chillies in a bit of coconut oil till shallots are glazed. Add water and the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer.

Prepare the vegetables while the stock is simmering. I used oyster mushrooms, chokos & bambooshoots, but you can do your own mix of veggies.
Add the vegetables to the stock, bring to boil again and let it simmer. Taste once in a while.

When it is about done, add the juice of the lime and I also added some halved cherry tomatoes to give it some colour and flavour.

Add sea salt and coconut cream at the end, heat and stir and it's ready to eat!
Serve with some cilantro.

You can serve this with rice and have it for lunch or serve it as an appetizer. 

Vegetables can be varied - depending on what you have in the fridge! But make sure you use veggies that are quite firm and don't get mushy. The bambooshoots give the dish texture and crunch, the mushrooms I left them whole as it has a nice meaty texture and looks pretty! The chokos is good as it stays firm and absorbs the flavours of the spices and herbs. 

Mediterranean style couscous

 

This is a healthy kind of fast food. 

Ingredients:

Couscous

vegetables: Capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, shallots, mushrooms ( or whatever you have in the fridge that goes well together)

olive oil

sea salt

black pepper

(fresh) herbs: e.g. rosemary & basil

nuts (up to your preference)

seeds (up to your preference)

blue berries 

Preparation:

Prepare the couscous as per the packaging (soak in boiled water for 5 minutes and fluff up with fork). Capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, shallots, mushrooms, or whatever you have in the fridge that goes well together. Clean and cut the vegetables, fry in the frying pan with a bit of olive oil, add a dash of sea salt, some ground black pepper, add some Italian herbs for flavour (I love rosemary and basil) and stir fry till the veggies are cooked but not mushy. 

Serving:

Serve on a plate with the cooked couscous. I cut up some mixed nuts, added some chia seeds, hemp seeds and fresh blueberries and fresh basil (basil & blueberries are a perfect match). Sprinkle all those over it and voila you have a healthy, tasty, fast meal! 

I make this in many varieties depending on what is in my fridge that day. Instead of couscous you can use quinoa as well.

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.

Mushroom soup (vegan)

Ingredients (serves 8-10):

2 packs of mini portobello mushrooms
1 pack of assorted mushrooms 
1 pack of raw cashew nuts
black pepper (freshly ground)
sea salt (I use freshly ground pink Himalayan salt)
2 stalks of rosemary
olive oil
1/2 cup wheat flour
(You could also add garlic and shallots)

Preparation:

Soak cashews overnight in water at room temperature (around 8-12 hours).
Drain the cashews, put in a mixing jar add a cup of fresh water and use the stick blender to blend it to a creamy liquid.
Cut the mushrooms, keep the smaller ones from the mixed mushroom pack aside. Simmer the rest of the mushrooms in a bit of water till the mushrooms shrink and you get a fragrant broth. Take off the heat.
In a stock pot, heat a bit of olive oil and slowly add the flour to make a roux. Then add the mushroom stock to it and add more water if you need to get a smooth consistency. Add the mushrooms to it and use the stick blender to mash up the mushrooms. Add the seasoning and let it simmer for a while. Finally add the cashew cream and the smaller mushrooms that were kept aside earlier. Let it simmer for a few more minutes and it's ready to serve!

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:

Vegetarian Moussaka

(serves 6 - 8)

ingredients
1 large zucchini
3 large potatoes
2 large eggplants (or 3 smaller ones)
3 cloves garlic
2 large tomatoes
portobello mushrooms (1 packet)
feta cheese (1 packet)

olive oil
fresh oregano
fresh basil
cayenne pepper
cumin powder
sea salt
black pepper
(sundried) tomato paste

grated cheddar cheese
grated parmesan cheese
1/4 of a packet of butter
wheat flour
milk
3 egg yolks

preparation
Peel the potatoes and garlic cloves. 
Slice the zucchini, potatoes into thin slices.
Slice the eggplants into slices as well but thicker than the zucchini.
Slice the tomatoes into thin slices. 

Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the eggplant slices over the baking tray. Sprinkle the eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle a bit of salt over the eggplant as well. 
Slice the garlic and place the garlic slices between the eggplant slices.
Put in a preheated oven at 180C and bake the eggplant for about 30 minutes, till the eggplant is nicely browned. 

Meanwhile, parboil the potato slices. 
Roast the zucchini slices in a frying pan or skillet with a little olive oil. 
Keep aside when done. 

Cut the mushrooms into small pieces (to give it a minced meat texture), and bake them in olive oil in a frying pan. Add some black pepper for seasoning. 

Make a bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a small pan. Add the flour gradually and keep whisking till you get a nice ball of butter and flour. Gradually add in the milk and keep stirring to get a smooth sauce. 
Whisk the egg yolks and add to the sauce on low heat, stir till it is integrated with the sauce.
Add part of the grated cheddar to the sauce.
Add seasoning, cayenne pepper, cumin to taste (I don't measure, just go by feeling and taste). 

Now take your oven dish and butter the bottom and sides.
Start assembling the dish.  
Put a layer of potato slices at the bottom, followed by a layer of zucchini.
Layer of eggplant. 
Layer of mushrooms and crumble the feta cheese and add the feta cheese with the mushrooms. 
Add tomato paste and spread it out over the layer.
Add some of your fresh herbs (I used basil and oregano leaves, the basil finely chopped) to this layer as well. 
Add a layer of tomato (I like it fresh).
Another layer of potatoes, a layer of zucchini and a layer of eggplant. 
Now add your bechamel sauce as the final layer and make sure it fully covers the top. 
Sprinkle grated parmesan and the remaining grated cheddar over the top of the sauce. 

Now that the dish is fully assembled, bake it in a preheated oven at 190C for 45-50 minutes. 

Serve it with a tzatziki (Greek yoghurt, cucumber and dill dip) to balance the heaviness of this dish. 

For a non-vegetarian version, you can exchange the mushrooms/feta mix with minced meat and onions. 

Roasted capsicum & tomato soup

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
3 large red capsicums
1 large red onion
6 large tomatoes (or 8 smaller ones)
Fresh basil
Fresh rosemary
Olive oil
3 cups of stock
Tomato paste (i used Leggos stir through instead for extra flavour)
Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnishing

Preparation:
Cut the capsicum and onion into wide strips.
Sprinkle oven dish with olive oil, arrange the capsicum & onions on the dish and sprinkle a bit more olive oil over it. 
Arrange a few twigs of rosemary and basil leaves over the capsicum.

Put in preheated oven (around 200C) for 45-50 mins until the edges of the vegetables are slightly charred and the capsicum has softened but is still in shape.

While the capsicum is baking, heat a pan of water on the stove and cut a cross on top of the tomatoes. Dip the tomatoes into the boiled water for a minute and take them out soon as the skin comes loose. Remove the skins of the tomatoes. 
Cut them up into smaller parts and make your stock. Add the tomatoes to it. Cook till tomatoes get soft (about 5-10 minutes).

For the capsicum & onion, remove the rosemary and basil leaves (they have infused their flavour already with the capsicum) and cut the capsicum & onion to slightly smaller chunks. Add them to the tomato soup, bring to boil and let simmer for a few minutes.

Switch the heat off and use a stick blender to make it smoother.
Serve with a few rosemary & basil leaves & roasted pumpkin seeds (or pine nuts).

Fresh Mushroom soup

A mushroom soup without cream, just mushrooms. This recipe serves 4 - 6 persons.
For best taste use flavourful mushrooms like Portobello mushroom, or a mix of different mushroom varieties.

Ingredients
500 g mushrooms
175 g butter
1 cup of wheat flour
1 cube stock (chicken or vegetable)
fresh ground pepper


Preparation
Clean and cut the mushrooms into fine pieces, keep a few in larger slices for garnish.
Put the cut up mushrooms in a pot add a bottom of water and put it on medium fire on the stove. Let the mushrooms simmer for about 5 mins or slightly longer, occasionally stir through till they are soft. Switch the stove off and drain the mushrooms through a sieve while collecting the water in a bowl. Keep both aside for later use.

Make a roux of the butter, wheat flour and mushroom water (see below the steps on how I make a roux). Add back the mushrooms, 1 stock cube, pepper, and stir through. If you want to make it a fine mushroom soup, at this point you can use a stick blender to blend it and then add the bigger slices of mushroom as a decoration (make sure you have simmered them as well and kept separate after that).

Serve with French bread or garlic bread.

How to make a roux
Melt the butter in pot, till it is yellow and has small bubbles.

Take a tablespoon and scoop in a spoon of flour. Stir it through and make sure there are no clumps forming. Keep adding another spoon and stir and repeat this till the butter has merged with the flour into a ball (it is never a very nice ball for me, but something like in the next picture).

Take a soup ladle full of the mushroom water and  add it to the mixture. Slowly stir it through, and then add the next ladle full of water and keep stirring. It will slowly become a chewing gum like texture until it gets into a smooth paste and finally it is a saucy mixture.

If you are making a roux for a sauce, then stop here and don't add more liquid, but if you are making a soup, at this point add the rest of your water and stir it so that it is a nice smooth soupy texture (use your feeling to see how watery you want the soup to be).

Then add the rest of the ingredients to your soup.

Instead of water you can use milk as well (e.g. to make a Bechamel sauce).

Apologies for the bad quality pictures, it was in a steamy pot with a phone camera and the light behind me, so the shadows is yours truly!