Italian Rice and Beans

Another Vegan Yum Yum iPhone app recipe, a great easy recipe full of flavour.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown rice ( pre cooked or uncooked)
1-2 tsp italian herbs (oregano, basil, marjoram etc)
1/2 can cannelini beans
1/4 cup oil packed sundried tomatoes cut into strips
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 large handful baby spinach
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Zest of 1/2 lemon

Method

Start your rice, I use a rice cooker. When nearly finished (or actually finished), heat 3 Tbs of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add herbs, tomatoes, and pine nuts. When pine nuts start to turn golden brown, add the beans. Toss gently, trying your best to keep the beans whole. Add salt and vinegar, stir gently. Turn down heat to low.

Place spinach in one layer on top of the beans. Place hot, steaming rice over spinach and leave for 30 seconds or so, until you see the spinach start to wilt. Mix gently and plate.

Grate lemon zest on top of rice and beans, and finish with a sprinkle of almond cheesy sprinkles if desired. I ate lunch alone today, so I only made enough for me. I'll test the recipe in bigger portions sometime soon, but if you want to double it before then, keep an eye on the vinegar and salt levels - they may not double exactly.

Sweet Chilli Lime Tofu with Asian Vegetables and Quinoa.

I have recently discovered the amazing vegan yum yum app for iPhone which is full of great easy recipes!

I've also gone a bit tofu obsessed at the moment! This is a great sweet chilli tofu with an awesome lime twist!

Ingredients:
I block extra firm tofu

Sweet Chilli Lime Sauce

3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/4 fresh lime juice
1/2 zest of a lime
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp salt
4 mint leaves chopped

Quinoa
3/4 cup quinoa
Half a lime zest
2 cardamon pods, bruised
1 tiny cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup water

Steamed Chinese Vegetables
2 bunches Chinese broccoli
2-3 tbs water
1 tsp lime juice

Method:

Combine all the ingredients for the quinoa in a pot that has a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, then turn off heat. Do not open lid. Let steam for 10 minutes before serving

Prepare the sweet chili lime sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together until the sugar and salt is dissolved

Prepare the sweet chili lime sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together until the sugar and salt is dissolved

Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick frypan over medium heat. A 10" frypan will fit all the tofu, so if you're using a smaller frypan, you'll need to do this in batches. In order to properly "dry fry" the tofu, you'll need a pan the tofu won't stick to even without any oil.

Spread the tofu out in one layer in the pan. Using a spatula, press the tofu. The liquid will squeeze out and boil away, and the tofu will begin to turn golden. The more water that evaporates, the sturdier the tofu will be, so be gentle at first to prevent the tofu from breaking up. After several minutes, flip the tofu over and press the other side. After about 10 minutes of dry frying, you can turn off the heat and set the tofu aside for finishing later, or proceed to adding the sauce. (You might want to set the tofu aside before finishing in order to to prepare the Chinese vegetables below.)

To finish the tofu, bring the pan back up to temperature if it's not already very hot. You want to heat the pan and the tofu over high heat, making sure the tofu is hot all the way through. Add the sauce and stir to coat the tofu. Turn off the heat. The sauce will bubble up, reduce, and form a glaze. If it isn't bubbling up and forming a glaze, turn the heat back on high and cook until the glaze is.. well.. glaze-y.

Chop the Chinese broccoli leaves into small pieces, then add them to a wok with the water, lime juice and salt. Cover with any lid that will contain the collards and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes until the collards are steamed and tender

For plating, arrange the Chinese broccoli atop of a bed of quinoa. Add tofu over the top, drizzling any leftover sauce over the dish. Garnish with lime slices and mint leaves. Serve

Roasted Pumpkin and Garlic Risotto with Baby Spinach and Pine Nuts

So this has pretty much become my staple, yes it is a little time consuming but well worth the effort!

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 half butternut pumpkin (roughly 1kg)
1 bulb of garlic
1 small to medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups aborio rice
1 litre vegetable stock
500 gr baby spinach
1/2 cup of pinenuts (or more if your like me)
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees celcius

Remove seeds from pumpkin and place flesh down on a baking tray, then remove outer layer of garlic bulb ensuring that cloves are still intact, cut off the top of the bulb and place on baking tray. Cover both pumpkin and garlic with 1tbsp of the oil. Roast garlic for 30 mins and pumpkin for 50 mins. Once cooked, remove the flesh from the skins and place into a bowl and mash.

Whilst the garlic and pumpkin are baking put the stock in a saucepan and heat until warm, once warm reduce temperature and cover to reduce evaporation.

Put remaining 2tbsp of oil into a large fry pan, add onion and sweat on a low to medium heat for approx 8 mins ensuring that onions stay transparent and dont go brown.

Add rice to oil and toast for 5 minutes.

Once rice is toasted add 1 to 2 ladels of vegetable stock at a time to the rice, ensuring all liquid is absorbed until the next is added, until stock is gone.(You may need to add some water if rice isnt cooked to desired consistancy)

Add baby spinach and cook until wilted

Dry roast pine nuts in a small fry pan over a medium heat until browned, ensure that you dont burn them, then add to rice.

Add mashed pumpkin and garlic mixture to rice and combine well.

Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste.

Taste of Morocco

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, cubed
1 small sweet potato, cubed
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp. oil
1/4 cup water
1 can chick peas
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. each: allspice, ground ginger, turmeric, and paprika
1/4 tsp. each: salt, cayenne, and cinnamon
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 cups uncooked couscous1/2 cup raisins
1 tbsp nuttlex

Method:
Sauté the zucchini, sweet potato, and garlic in the oil until partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Use water as necessary to keep the vegetables from sticking.
Drain and rinse the chick peas.

Add the spices, chick peas, tinned tomatoes and peppers to the pan. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the couscous and raisins in another saucepan. Add enough water so that the couscous is covered by about 1/2 inch. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover tightly, remove from the heat, and let set at least 10 minutes. When set add nuttlex to mixuture and separate grains with a fork so couscous is light and fluffy

Remove the cover from the pepper/chick pea mixture, stir, and cook a few minutes longer to heat thoroughly and thicken.

Serve the bean-pepper stew over the couscous.

Luscious Lasagne

Holey Moley! This lasagne is so full of vegies and so so tasty! Be warned, this recipe is a little lengthy and time consuming so ensure you read the entire recipe first before you start. Remember, preparation is key.



Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
227 gr mushrooms, sliced
3-4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 800 gr can crushed can tomatoes
1/4-1/2 cup water
2 tsp dried basil (or 2 tbsp fresh)
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp sea salt.

"Ricotta":
500 gr firm tofu, crumbled
1 cup soymilk
1 tsp sea salt


280 gr brown rice lasagna sheets cooked for 10-12 minutes (*Note: You could probably use any lasagna sheets you wanted, fresh or dry, though if using brown rice sheets ensure that you follow the directions on the packet)

4X 5 inch long zucchinis, sliced length ways about 1/4 cm thick
2 cups spinach leaves, rinsed

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Toss the eggplants in the 2tbs oil and the 1 tsp salt, transfer to 2 baking dishes lined with grease proof paper and lightly oiled. Lay a the eggplant rounds in a single layered and roast for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Seperate the 8 largest prettiest rounds for the top layer of the dish.

Make the sauce by heating the 1tbsp oil in a frypan on medium-high. Add the onions and saute for about 8 minutes, until softened ( add a splash of water is needed to prevent sticking). Toss in the mushrooms and garlic and saute for another 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, water, basil, marjoram, rosemary and salt and stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat stirring occasionally for 30 mins.

(*Note: for time efficiency prepare the eggplants but refrain from putting them in the oven until the sauce is at the simmering stage, they will both be ready at the same time)

Whilst eggplants are baking and sauce is simmering prepare the "ricotta" and all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blitz for about a minute until smooth.

Layer it all up in a lightly oiled baking dish.
To begin: lay down lasagne sheets to cover the bottom of the of the baking dish laydown half the eggplant rounds on the sheets. Spread 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce evenly over the eggplant, then lay down half the zucchini over the sauce, spread half the ricotta  the zucchini and then half the spinach over the ricotta. Lay down another layer of pasta and repeat layering process. Put down one final layer of pasta and place the 8 reserved eggplant rounds and the remaining sauce. Cover the top with aluminium foil. (At this point in time you could put the dish in the fridge and wait to bake it until the next day or the day after)

Bake for about 55 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes if stored in fridge), until heated througha nd zucchinis are soft. Uncover and bake for another 10 mins to brown top.

Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Coconut Cauliflower Ghana

A deleicious coconut milk based curry. I found the flavour was intensified the next day and the dish over all tastier. None the less a relatively simple dish choc full of healthy vegies.

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive pil
2 medium-large onions, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
3 large, or 5 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1-2 tbsp curry powder (or to taste)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2 tsp sea salt
2 'fist-sized' sweet potatoes, diced
3 cups diced cauliflower
1 red capsicum, chopped
2 1/2 cups chickpeas  (2x 400gr cans), drained and rinsed
1 400 ml can, good quality coconut milk
1/4-1/2 cup filtered water
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Method:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot on medium. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes.

Add the carrots, garlic, ginger, curry powder, cayenne pepper and salt and saute for anothr 5 minutes. Stir in the sweet potatoes, cauliflower, capsicum, chick peas, coconut milk, water and shredded coconut. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sweet potatoes are soft.

Serve Hot.

Chille Non-Carne with Pan-Seared Polenta

WARNING: THIS DISH IS HOT! HOT! HOT!

A great healthy alternative to traditional american chillie full of healthy fiberous kidney beans!
Served alongside polenta and top with chunky avocado (really helps cut through the heat of the dish).

I will give you the recipe for polenta however, i found it easiest to use the pre made soft polenta found in any supermarket in the section where the cous cous is. It saves alot of time and effort.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3-4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium- large capsicum, diced (any colour)
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp ground cummin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 cups cooked kidney beans (I used 2 tins)
1 cup corn kernels (I used 1 tin)
1 796 ml can tomatos (crushed or diced)
2 tsp sea salt

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan in a large pot on medium high. Add the onions and saute for 8 minutes until translucednt. Toss in the garlic, capsicum, chilli powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and oregano, and saute for another few minutes adding a splash of water if necessary to avoid sticking.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir occasionall until heated through, about 10 mins.

If using pre-made polenta cut into slices and fry in a frying pan with a little oil until each side is golden and brown at the edges

Polenta:

1 cup cornmeal
3 cups filtered water
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 cloves garlic pressed or grated (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Mix cornmeal and 1 1/2 cups water in a small bowl

Bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a 3Litre saucepan. Add the salt and garlic. Once boiling, slowly stir in soacked cornmeal mixture.

Cook uncovered on medium-low heat for 20-30 mins, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until thick and smooth. Its done when you can jam a spoon into it and and it'll stand on its own.

Stir in the oil and remove from heat. Using a silicone spatula, transfer polenta to a parchment-lined baking pan, smoothing it evenly, and allowing to set for 30-45 minutes.

Once set, cut polenta into squares or triangles (or with cookie cutters or the rim of a mug or glass)

Lightly oil a fry pan and place on a medium heat. Carefully place polenta pieces in fry pan and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and brown at the edges.