Vegetarian meets World

I wanted to share with you how easy it is to make your own home made bread without any overnight palava.  I made two loaves of this this weekend, one to take to a game night as a host gift, and one for home, which has been housed in one day.  

I used this super easy recipe on breadworld.com as my base, and I cannot, CAN.NOT. recommend you go buy some rapid rise yeast stat!  I use Fleischmans, and get my fix from amazon but recently I’ve seen it in a bunch of supermarkets in NYC.

After mixing my wet and dry ingredients, I added about 30 or so corsely chopped green olives (pitted, no pimento) and about 8oz of sharp cheddar cheese and folded it in.  I then made it into a dough and kneeded for about 4 minutes as instructed.  This is a live photo of the mess I create when I cook!

Once kneeded, and allowed to sit for an hour, I punched it down and, because I wanted to bake two loaves in the oven at the same time, I shaped them on their own ‘tray’ of tinfoil and then put those trays into a larger baking tray, add a little oil or butter underneath to stop it sticking.

I put slits on the top, for fun I put initials of people who were going to eat it.

Put them in the oven and let them cook till the bread is brown, and if you pick it up, and tap it, it sounds hollow.  

**I’ve been told, by my brother, to add a bowl of warm water in the bottom of the oven for a crustier crust, but I haven’t tried that yet.  

I’ve been very lucky recently and my local market has some delicious bhindi so I’ve been making this a fair bit, recently, and thought I would share.  To this day, there are a handful of dishes that my mum and gran know to make for me if I am ever home, and this is definitely in the mix.  I love Bhindi, made using indian techniques, and there are a few!  This is my favourite.

Ingredients:

- 1lb Okra, wiped down (never wash!) and topped and tailed

- 5 small to medium potatoes

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- salt, chili powder and, coriander and cumin powder

- pinch cumin seeds

- I usually have this with rice and dahl, the recipe for dahl is on this blog too, you can make this without veggies too.

Method:

- Peel the potatoes and dice them into 1cm cubed pieces, it doesn’t have to be too uniform, but the pieces should be similar in size.

- Get your okra, and a clean knife, and slice them into just under 1cm discs

- Heat the oil in a pan and let it heat up

- Once oil is heated, when you swill the oil around (gently!) it should behave like water, add cumin seeds and let them cook for a few seconds

- Add okra to the oil and let them fry in the oil.

- As the okra start to crisp up a little, add potatoes and spices (1tsp salt, 2tsp chili powder, 2-3tbsp coriander and cumin powder)

- Stir well, add half a cup tap water if the mixture looks v dry, cover and cook over a low to medium heat till potatoes are fully cooked through, stiring regularly.

With mushrooms and sweetcorn, because...why not?

This makes enough for about 4 hearty servings and takes around an hour to make start to finish, I made enough for dinner and saved some for a rainy (soon to be snowy - brrr) day.

Ingredients:

3 Potatoes

2 leeks

1 small box mushrooms (from supermarket)

2 ears of corn

750 ml water

1 veggie stock cube

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup cream or 1 cup milk

Directions

Wash the leek thoroughly and slice horizontally into 1/2 cm width

Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes

In a large pan, melt about 1.5 tablespoons of butter

add leek and saute till melted down:

cut mushrooms into quarters and add to the leeks

add water, potatoes, stock cube

Bring to boil, then cover and simmer till potatoes are soft

I warn you, it won’t look very appetizing right now!

shuck your corn, and cut the sweetcorn niblets off of the ear

once potatoes are softened, add corn, simmer for another 5 minutes

using a blender, either immersion or by taking soup out bit at a time into a normal blender, blend the soup down into a semi chunky consistency

add cream, or, milk, and serve with this amazing home made bread: http://www.breadworld.com/recipes/Beginners-White-Bread  Store bought is also fine!!

This makes enough for about 6 people, and lasts in the fridge for 2 days, I’d freeze half of the casserole mix and half the raw biscuit dough after making it for another warming dinner another day.

Ingredients:

3 large/medium carrots, peeled and diced into large chunks (as you like them but make sure all veggies are roughly same size)

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into chunks

1 sweet potato peeled and diced into chunks

I had taro but any other root veg you like, peeled and diced into chunks

1 large zucchini peeled and diced into chunks

1 regular/small box mushrooms diced into chunks

2 cups frozen peas (optional)

¼ white onion finely chopped

1ltr milk

1 cup flour

½ cup butter

For Biscuits:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder (2 if its old)

¼ tsp salt

½ cup cold/frozen butter

¾ cup milk

Method:

Turn oven on to 450F

Make a roux with flour and butter in a large pan by melting the butter fully and then adding flour to create a smooth paste.  Cook till it goes slightly red

Slowly start adding milk to the roux, mixing all the time to avoid lumps and only adding more milk once the sauce thickens

Add a cube of veggie stock and stir in

Add potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrot to the mixture

Put a lid on and let it cook through on medium heat

To the biscuits:

In a large mixing bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Grate in butter and mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour milk into flour mixture while stirring with a fork. Mix in milk until dough is soft, moist and pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and toss with flour until no longer sticky.

Roll dough out into a 1/2 inch thick sheet and cut with a floured biscuit or cookie cutter.  Do NOT twist the cutter when you pull it out of the dough!!

Press together unused dough and repeat rolling and cutting procedure.

Place biscuits, ready to bake, on a plate or tray and put them out of the way

Back to the casserole:

In a skillet, heat some olive oil

Add onion and let cook down a little

Add mushrooms, and any herbs you like to flavor the mushrooms

Cook on medium till mushrooms are browned

Add mushrooms, rest of veggies to the casserole, and cook until all veggies are soft or nearly there.

Add peas (optional)

Take pan off of heat, pour into large casserole dish

Arrange biscuits on top and put in oven

Leave in oven for 20-30 minutes, until biscuits are just turning golden

Once cooked, leave to rest for 10 minutes, and then serve with a :)

Stuck with trying to eat less carbs and a can of refried beans that were destined to not meet their taco love, I decided to make them into a mexican inspired soup.  Recipe below, hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 Can chopped tomatoes 1 Can refried beans (be careful that they are vegetarian) 1/2 Onion finely chopped 2 Jalapeno seeded and diced into 1/2cm cubes Vegan cheese (Or regular cheese) for garnish Salt, Taco seasoning, cayenne pepper and coriander powder to taste 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 2 Large cups vegetable stock 1/2 Cup sweet corn

Instructions

- Heat oil in a large saucepan

- Add onions and half of the jalapenos and cook down till Onions are translucent - Add refried beans - Season with salt et al - Stir till mixture is fully mixed and no seasoning is left to be seen - Add tomatoes and stir again till the mixture is one consistency - Add about 2 cups of vegetable stock, stir and leave to simmer on a low to medium heat - Add frozen corn, cover for a few minutes - Serve with vegan cheese garnish and rest of jalapenos.  Add fried tortilla pieces if you do not have the same low carb restrictions I have currently put myself on! I added some home made coriander chutney that my mother makes and has just sent over but you can go without too.

I made this tonight, ironically, for dinner.  Its pretty easy and works out well for a nice low carb diet meal.  You can add more veggies but then I feel it becomes more of an omelet and below provides a cleaner taste and a good protein bomb in your diet.

You will need:

- 2 eggs, room temperature

- Half a ripe avocado, diced or mashed

- 1 spoon jalapenos, to taste

- Pinch salt

- 1 tomato, sliced

- 1 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

- Heat up a little oil in a small frying pan

- Crack eggs into pan and turn heat on very low 

- Add half the cheese and cover with a lid

- Once cheese is melted, add avocado, jalapeno and tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and add rest of the cheese and cover again with the lid.

- Let cheese melt, take off lid, shake the pan gently to ensure eggs aren’t stuck to sides

I made this the other day for my flatmate.  its a bit involved and takes a little time, but, it will serve 4 people heartily and there will be enough for lunch the next day.

You will need:

- Lasagna sheets  - 1 medium eggplant - 1 bell pepper (I used red) - 1 zucchini (green)  - 2 tins of tomatoes, diced - 1 small yellow onion - 2 garlic cloves - 5 Mushrooms - Salt, Italian herb mix, chili powder and coriander powder to taste - two medium balls of Mozzarella - 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese 

Method:

- Turn oven to 400F (if its anything like mine, it will take a while to warm up.

- Cut the eggplant in half length ways.  Take half and further cut into 2mm thick slices.  Cut the other half into chunks, about an inch wide.  Put in colander with salt to draw out the bitterness

- Cut peppers, zucchini and mushrooms into slices.  Add zucchini slices to the colander also.

- cut the garlic cloves into thin slices and dice the onions

- mix the egg plant with some olive oil and salt and lay out on a baking tray, put in oven to cook through

- Heat up some olive oil in a pan, add garlic and onions and allow them to sweat

- Add peppers and zucchini and the chunks of egg plant and mix well

- Season with chili powder, herbs, salt and Italian herb mix.  let the mixture cook through and add tomatoes.

- in another skillet, heat some oil, add the mushroom slices and fry with salt and Italian herbs and set to one side.

- let the tomato mixture reduce on a low heat.

- Boil up some water in a large pan with a little olive oil and a little salt.

- Once the water has come to a rolling boil, carefully place lasagna sheets and cook till al dente.

- Keep an eye on those eggplants!  You want them crispy, not burnt.

- Once eggplants are ready, pull out a casserole or lasagna sheet and start layering your lasagna: - Cover the base of the dish with the tomato mixture - Layer with Eggplant slices - Add slices of mozzarella - Add lasagna sheets - add another layer of tomato mixture, top this one with mushrooms before the cheese, add another layer of lasagna sheets and then layer with rest of tomato mixture and top with your cheddar cheese.

- Cook in oven till cheese is bubbling and then put under grill to brown the cheese

A quick winter warmer that fills you up, is high in protein and fiber and freezes well for lunches and future dinners!

Ingredients:

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 medium white onion

175 grams Gardin beefless tips (or any meat substitute)

- 1 tin kidney beans

- 1 tin pinto beans

- 1 1/2 tin tomatoes

- 1/2 spoon salt, chili powder

- 1 spoon mixed herbs

- 1/2 cube vegetable bullion

Instructions:

- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and sautee onions till soft

- Mix in the meat substitute and brown

- Add the vegetable bullion cube and mix till broken down

- Add mixed vegetables, and tomatoes

- add salt, chili powder and herbs

- drain and rinse beans and add to the pan

- Stir thoroughly

- Cover and let cook till beans are soft or the chili has reduced a little

A perfect winter recipe, I made this last week with my nephews help and we had a great time both making and eating this!  It was very good the next day too!

Ingredients

- 250 Grams ready made puff pastry, room temperature (keep wrapped in a damp cloth to prevent drying out)

- 6 small to medium potatoes diced into 1cm pieces

- 1 green pepper diced 

- 4 medium carrots diced

- Optional: 15 cooked chestnuts

- 1 red onion

- 10 onz cheese, grated

- 1/2 cup butter (use earth balance to make it vegan)

- 3 tbsp flour

- 1 liter whole milk (use soy milk to make it vegan)

- One 9 inch by 4 inch casserole pan

Instructions:

- Sautee the onion and put to one side

- In a deep pan, heat up the butter, once butter is melted, add the flour and stir fast mixing all the flour and butter together

- Stir till the flour and butter mixture is starting to toast

- Add milk bit at a time, stirring all the time, ensuring no lumps are created.  If lumps come in, just mix a little more before adding more milk.

- Once milk is completely added, reduce heat to a low simmer and keep stirring, adding cheese.

- Add potatoes and carrots and cover

- Add onions, chestnuts and bell pepper.  Stir occasionally, cook till the sauce has thickened, leave to one side.

- Take the pastry and roll it out so its about the thickness of two quarters and will cover the casserole pan fully.

- Grease the inside of the casserole pan and pour in the vegetable mixture

- cover with the pastry and crimp around the sides.  Cut off excess, you can cut shapes out of it to decorate the top or make biscuits.

- Put in the oven for 30 minutes, or till the pastry is golden brown

- Serve with the biscuits you make out of the left over pastry or on its own

I made these the other day for a little lunch I had with two of my favourite people in NYC.  IT was a beautiful lunch with some chilled Prosecco to add to the Italian feel.  You'll need to make the risotto the night before.

Ingredients:

Risotto:

- 6oz risotto rice

- 1 cube vegetable stock

- Half an onion chopped into small pieces

- Carton mixed mushrooms

- 2 tbsp olive oil

Risotto Balls:

- 2 eggs

- 4 tbsp white flour

- 4 tbsp breadcrumbs

- 400 ml vegetable (frying) oil

- Salt, Oregano

Sauce:

- 15oz can of crushed tomatoes

- Salt, Oregano, basil, rosemary

Recipe: 

First make the risotto the night before:

- Saute onions in olive oil over a medium heat until they are nearly translucent

- In a small pan, put about 2 pints of water to heat up

- Add mushrooms and saute, season with some salt and a pinch of Oregano

- Add rice and mix in, let cook for about 2 minutes

- your water should be boiling by now, add the vegetable stock cube and make sure its completely broken down

- Add the stock to the rice and mix in thoroughly

- Put a lid on the saucepan and let the risotto cook through stirring every few minutes.  The risotto will be done when the water is evaporated and the rice is no longer hard.

- Allow the risotto to cool a little and then put in a container and leave overnight

------the next morning------

It took me about an hour to cook the balls themselves and the sauce so give yourselves around that much time.  Make the balls first.

- You'll need three bowls, crack eggs into one of them and whisk up so yolk and whites are mixed up.  Put the flour and breadcrumbs in the other two bowls

- Take the risotto out of the fridge, wash your hands thoroughly - you will be touching other people's food!

- Scoop out about an inch ball of risotto and roll into a ball

- First roll the ball in the egg, then, roll it in flour so its totally covered, and then, roll it in the breadcrumbs.  Rolling it in flour and breadcrumbs will give it a crunchier bite.

- About halfway through making the balls, put the oil on to heat in frying pan till about 2 cms deep.

- Finish making the rest of the balls.

- When the oil is heated - you can check by dropping a little bit of an errant risotto ball into it, it should rise to the top and 'fizz'

- Put a few risotto balls at a time into the frying pan being very careful to not splash the oil.  Do not add so many balls that they cannot touch the bottom

- keep turning the balls as they cook, they will be done when they are a golden colour on all sides.  Its ok if some are over or under.

- Take out with a slotted spoon and put on a plate to drain.  Do this for all the balls.

Sauce: You can either just use a store bought paste sauce and heat it up, or, make your own very simple one per below:

- in a clean pan, add the tinned tomatoes and put on heat.

- Add a teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, basil and rosemary each (rosemary optional).

- Bring to a rolling boil and then down to a simmer stirring periodically until heated through

to serve: 

put about 4 balls per plate, and ladle over some sauce, add a dusting of cheese if you would like but I find this recipe is rich enough without.

Some options:

A quick and easy recipe to be had with rice or noodles and one that is always a hit :)

Ingredients:

1 Stir fry vegetable mix

1 tbsp Amino soy 

1 pack supermarket bought tofu

1 tsp coriander powder

1 piece ginger (about size of a thumb)

A handful of chopped cashews (raw or roasted, doesn't matter)

1 heaped tsp finely chopped garlic

3 tsp vegetable oil/chili oil - Don't use olive oil.

Method:

- unwrap the tofu and drain - I find putting the tofu between two plates and adding a weight to one of the plates is useful.  Once drained, cut into cubes of about a cm by cm.

- peel the ginger and chop finely.

- heat about 1.5tsps of the oil in a frying pan.  Add the tofu and season with chili flakes.  Shallow fry until tofu is golden.  Take of the heat and put on a plate covered in kitchen towel.

- Heat the rest of the vegetable or chili oil in a non stick pan.

- I usually put the noodles or rice to cook at this point.

- To the heated oil, add minced garlic and ginger and let it cook for 2/3 minutes

- Add vegetables, amino soy and coriander powder and stir thoroughly

- cover and let cook for 5 minutes.  Once cooked, add in the nuts, stir and let it cook till the vegetables are just getting cooked through - al dente

- either stir in rice, or drained noodles at this point.  serve garnished with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon, or even as is.

Its been a while, and while I haven't been posting, I have been cooking!  I just got busy at work and neglected my little blog.  I am coming back with a delicious and VERY healthy Gujarati vegan dish.  Everyone has of course heard of dahl, or, lentil soup, this is lentil soup made easy, in a pan, with mixed veggies.  Its pretty much the only way my mum could make me eat dahl as a kid!  You can get lentils at pretty much any store these days, but, if you can go to the 'ethnic' part of town, your wallet will appreciate it!  The recipe below makes enough for 6 to 8 pretty hearty portions.

Ingredients:

1 Cup chana dahl (yellow discs, about the size of a small chickpea cut in half)

1 cup mug dahl (tiny yellow discs, slightly elliptical, smallest yellow dahl you'll see)

1 can tin tomatoes

1 spoon garlic, chopped fine

1/4 medium yellow onion

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp coriander powder

mixed veggies - whichever you have and however much you want, I always like sweetcorn and peas and carrots, and then whatever else is around.

Method:

- Clean and soak the dahl, try to oak it for as long as possible

- Heat the oil in a large pan, add garlic and onions and saute till translucent

- Add tomatoes

- If you are using fresh veggies, add here

- Drain the dahl and add to the oil

- Mix up, add salt, chili powder and coriander powder and stir thoroughly one more time and reduce to a medium heat

- Add 3 inches water and let it cook, it will take roughly 45 mins, check regularly and stir the dahl thoroughly, really letting all the spices mix

- If you are using frozen veggies, wait till the dahl is almost done, most of the water has been soaked up, and add here

- Make sure the dahl is thoroughly cooked but getting some of the chana dahl on a spoon and trying to mash it with your fingers