Vegan and Vegetarian

Posts in category 3. Recipes

500 Vegan Dishes Cook Book

May17
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Cook Book

A book of 500 vegan recipes by Deborah Gray.  I like finding new recipe books especially ones with pictures that show what the dish is supposed to look like,  so many vegan recipe books do not have pictures which annoys me a bit.  This book has lots of really great recipes with variation on a theme, so you can alter it slightly for a different style of dish.

Recipes include basic recipe for soups and salads,  pies and bakes and lots of lovely vegan dessert recipes,  there are some more complicated dishes but nothing seems that difficult to make.  I am looking forward to trying the chickpea pancake recipe, the sweetcorn and jalapeno chowder and the banana cake with passion fruit glaze.

I really like the simplicity of this cook book and I can recommend it.  I bought mine on impulse from Waterstones for £9.99 but I imagine it is cheaper on line.

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Easy Fennel & Broccoli Soup

May12
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Fennel Broccoli Soup

I love soup and I like to make my own so it is fresh and full of nutrients.  This soup is so easy to make and only takes about 15 minutes start to finish.  Serves 4.

1 bulb of Fennel
Approx 150grams of tenderstem broccoli or broccoli florettes
dessert spoon of olive oil
Dessert spoon of vegetable stock powder (I use Marigold)
800ml of Water

Trim the Fennel and cut out and discard any horrible looking bits and then chop the fennel into small pieces.

Trim the Broccoli getting rid of any unpleasant looking bits,  but keep the stalks as well as the heads.  Chop into small pieces.

On the hob in a large sauce pan heat the Olive Oil then add the Fennel,  stir this through and cook for approx 3 minutes.

Add the water and stock to the saucepan and bring to the boil.  Turn down the heat so the broth is simmering,  allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the broccoli and turn the heat up until it is boiling again, then turn the heat down and allow to simmer for another 2-3 minutes.  This allows the broccoli to cook but not too much. You dont want to lose the nutrients.

Take off the heat and then blend it.  If you have a stick blender do it right away.  But if you are adding it to a blender then let it cool down a bit, you do not want to risk spilling and burning yourself.

Then serve with some crackers or crusty bread.  The soup is warming and fresh.  You can freeze some or keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

If you like you can add a bit of chilli powder and garlic in when you are cooking the fennel.  But I like the simplistic taste of just the broccoli and the fennel.

Fennel is great for the digestion and has lots of other health benefits, and broccoli is a full of all kinds of health benefits including helping blood pressure and lowering Cholesterol and good for bones.  So this is a super green soup that is really good for you.

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Morrisons Chocolate Cookie Mix

May12
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Cookie Mix

A double chocolate chip cookie mix from Morrisons Supermarket.  This mix is designed to make six cookies and the recipe is vegan as long as you add a vegan margarine.  When I was making the cookies as per the instructions the mix would not come together it was too dry, so I had to add a little bit more water 25ml in total.  I used Vitalite vegan margarine.  The mix is very easy to make and cooks in just 15 minutes.

The cookies came out looking quite good,  they smell lovely.  I admit i slightly overcooked them which made them quite hard,  but the flavour was very good and I enjoyed them.

Each 275gram pack is suitable for vegetarians and vegan as far as I can tell.  Per sixth of the pack (one cookie) is 224kcal.  Sold in Morrisons supermarkets.
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Ginger Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Apr02
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Rum Butter Iced Ginger Cake with Chocolate Chips

We had a visitor over the weekend who happened to be celebrating a Birthday,  so I thought I would make some grown up cupcakes.  I am please to report that they went down quite well.  This recipe makes 12 cup cakes.

Ginger and Chocolate Chip Cup Cakes with Rum Butter Icing.

250gram of self raising flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
125 grams of caster sugar
1 dessert spoon of ginger spice (powder)
50 grams of vegan chocolate chips or pieces
50 grams of Stem Ginger Chopped ( I used the Crystalised Ginger)
6 tablespoons of sunflower oil
teaspoon of vanilla extract
225 ml of water

For the Icing
A cap full of Rum
2 Table spoons of Icing Sugar
20grams of vegan margarine, I like to use Vitalite

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.  Using a muffin/cupcake tray line them with pretty cup cake cases.

Mix together all of the first part of the ingredients into a bowl.  If you have  a mixer or food processor, this helps to get more air into the mix.  Give it a good mix through.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the 12 cases,  place in the oven for 12-15 minutes.  Then allow to cool on a rack.

To make the icing mix together all of the Icing ingredients.  You may need to add a little more or less of the icing sugar to get a creamy texture.

With a flat knife spread the icing onto the cooled cakes.  I sprinkled mine with some grated dark chocolate.

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Coop Chocolate Cake Mix

Mar22
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Cake Mix

Recently I was reading the Viva vegan recipe club page and they mentioned that the Cooperative supermarket are selling a vegan cake mix,  so I thought I would give it a go as I love cake.

The mix is vegan,  but to follow the instructions on the pack you are advised to add an egg.  I tried what the viva website said and used a medium sized banana (mashed up) and soya milk and added a little baking powder instead of using egg and therefore making it vegan friendly.

The cake is quite easy if you do it all in a mixer,  you just add everything at once and give it a really good whisk.  The mix hardly covered my tins, so I will use much smaller ones next time for baking.  My cake was quite thin because the tins were too large.  For the filling I just made a little bit of icing using some icing sugar, cocoa powder and some vitalite vegan margarine.

Allow it to cool in the tins because it is fragile.

The cake tastes quite good,  the banana adds a pleasant flavour.  I did find it a little dry.  If I were to make it again I would add some chocolate chips, as this brings a bit more moisture.

Each 227gram cake mix is suitable for vegetarians,  vegan as long as you do not use an egg.   The cake takes 12-15 minutes to cook.  Sold in the Cooperative.

This is not something I would buy again because I like to make my own cakes from scratch, but for something quick and easy then this is not a bad idea.

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Apple and Pear Cinnamon Crumble

Mar15
2012 1 Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Apple and Pear Crumble Recipe

Paul made this for me a few days ago,  it is wonderfully sweet and satisfying I had mine with some Alpro Soya Custard which was just lovely.

350g apples – peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes
100g pears – peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes
50g dark brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
175g plain flour
85g vegan margarine (vitalite works well)
100g demerara sugar

Preheat oven to 190 celsius

Put flour and demerara sugar into bowl and mix together.
Cut margarine into smallish pieces and drop into the flour mix so that
the pieces are separate from each other.
Can either use a food processor with plastic dough blade (not hook) to
process into large breadcrumbs or can cut it in with a knife and then
rub together by hand.

Put the apples and pear cubes into the dish you will be using to cook
in (we used 8 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ pyrex)
Sprinkle over the dark brown sugar and cinnamon
Mix well to evenly coat the fruit.

Spoon the crumble mix over the top and sprinkle with a little demerara sugar

Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes at 190 celsius until the
crumble is golden brown.

Serve with some vegan ice cream or soya custard,  you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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Lentil Sweet Potato and Pea Dahl

Feb28
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Dahl

Paul made this for me recently and it tasted so good,  I had to share his recipe.  It is gently spiced and does not contain any onions, garlic or tomato but it does taste really satisfying and moreish.  It is very easy to make.

Serves 4

200g red lentils
850ml vegetable stock
one large sweet potato cut into small cubes (2cm x 2cm)
handfull of garden peas
2 tsp curry powder

Wash and bring lentils to boil in stock and simmer for 8 minutes,  add sweet potato, curry powder and peas.   Continue to simmer for 10 minutes until sweet potato and lentils are
cooked through.

It tastes wonderful served with some Indian Style bread such as chapatti.  You can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days if you do not want it all in one go.

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Vegan Gluten Free Cupcakes Recipe

Feb25
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Coffee and Chocolate Cupcakes

I have been trying some gluten free vegan foods recently and I wanted to see what some home baking would come out like using gluten free ingredients.  These cupcakes are really simple to make,  you just mix everything in the same bowl.  They are slightly heavier than standard flour cupcakes and the cakes look a little bit bumpy,  they do taste really nice.  You can add an icing on top if you like a bit more sweetness.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place cupcake cases into a muffin tray you will need 6 for this recipe, you can double the mix to make 12 cupcakes.

Doves Farm White Self Raising Flour Blend (Gluten & Wheat Free)
50grams of vegan chocolate chips
1 dessert spoon of instant coffee granules
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder (I used Barkat Gluten Free Baking Powder)
110ml of water
80grams of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Add all the ingredients into a bowl and give it a really good mix. Divide the mixture into the cupcake cases. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes.  Allow to cool on a wire rack,  then serve,  they go great with some vegan ice cream or just on their own with a cuppa.

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Vegan Cupcakes Chocolate & Raisin

Feb12
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Chocolate Raisin Cupcakes

Recently I tried the chocolate coated raisins from Redwoods,  I really enjoyed them, they are a classic combination of lovely flavours.  So I thought I would see how this worked in cupcakes,  I think they taste really good, and the recipe here gives you a mix of plenty of chocolate and raisins so you do not feel cheated.  I get annoyed at cakes that say chocolate chips and only have a couple of pieces in them.

This recipe makes 6 good size cupcakes.

125gram of self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
75 grams of caster sugar
50 grams of vegan chocolate chips or pieces
50 grams of good quality raisins
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
teaspoon of vanilla extract
110ml of water

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.

Lay out a muffin baking tray and line with 6 cupcake cases.

Mix all the ingredients into a bowl,  give it a really good stir making sure that all the lumps and bits of flour are worked through.

Spoon the mix into the cases and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes.  When cooked take out the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack,  then enjoy.

You can double the mixture to make double the amount.  I like to make small batches unless I have lots of visitors then I do not make myself fed up of cake,  they keep for a couple of days in an airtight container.  They always taste best when they have just cooled enough to eat, but I am impatient when it comes to cake, I can’t wait to have a taste.

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Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Jan26
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Double Chocolate Cup Cakes

This is a very simple recipe for chocolate chip, chocolate cup cakes which are vegan,  this recipe makes 9 generous size cupcakes.  Perfect for sharing or  for Birthday cup cakes.

225gram of self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
150 grams of caster sugar
30grams of cocoa powder
100grams of vegan chocolate chips or pieces
6 tablespoons of sunflower oil
teaspoon of vanilla extract
225 ml of water

Pre heat the oven to 180

arrange cup cake cases in a muffin baking tray.

Sift the flour into a bowl and then add all the other ingredients to the bowl.  Give everything a really good mix up.

Spoon the mixture into the  paper cup cake cases.

Bake in the oven for 12- 15 minutes,  use a cocktail stick to test,  stick into centre of cake and if it comes out clean then the cakes are done, if  not bake for a further couple of minutes.

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Winter Vegetable Soup

Jan20
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Winter Vegetable Soup

When I make a soup I like to use left over pasta or rice and use up all the odds and ends of vegetables in the fridge,  this not only makes a tasty soup but saves on waste.  I also make a very large pot of soup and when it has cooled I portion it up into tubs and then freeze most of it so I can have ready meals whenever I fancy.

1 onion (optional)
1 Segment of Garlic (optional)

A selection of  chopped vegetables that you like to eat,  I use cabbage, broccolli, green beans, carrot, peas, sweet potato and fennel and any left over vegetables you might have.
Cooked pasta or rice ( use fresh or left overs,  this adds a bit of substance for winter).
Beans I like to add a can of butter beans,  or chickpeas
Tablespoon of Vegetable Stock Powder
Fresh herbs chopped ( i used thyme and sage ) Use a good handful of each.
2 teaspoons of dried mint
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of English Mustard
A little Chilli powder (optional)
Olive oil
Water

First put some olive into your cooking pot and bring to a medium heat.  If using the onions and garlic, add them into the pan and stir and cook for approx 5 minutes.  Then add all the vegetables and coat them in the olive oil, stirring so they do not burn,  this helps to seal in the flavour.

Add the water  covering the vegetables to a consistency you like,  you can always add more later, then stir in the vegetable stock, add the fresh and dried herbs, salt and pepper, mustard and chilli.  Stir it well making sure that everything is well distributed.

Add the beans.  Bring it to the boil, then turn it down to a medium heat for approx 10 minutes.  Then add the pasta or rice and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

Serve with some crackers or home made bread.

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Vegan Scones Recipe

Jan18
2012 1 Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Sultana and Cinnamon Scones

This is such an easy recipe to make.  The trick with the scones is not to over work the dough,  handle it as little as possible.  This recipe makes 6 or you can make 4 large ones like I did.

Ingredients Makes 6

225gram of sifted Self Raising Flour (I use half wholemeal & half white)
60 grams of cold vegan margarine (I use Vitalite)
25grams of Caster Sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
A pinch of Salt
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon (more if you prefer a stronger flavour)
75 grams Sultanas
Approx 125ml of Soya Milk (you can use Almond or Rice milk if you prefer)

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees Gas Mark 5

Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and Sultanas.  Then add the margarine,  work it through the flour mix with fork as evenly as possible.

Little by little add the Soya milk and mix with the fork until it starts to stick together.  Then with your hands bring it completely together and into a ball.

You then have a choice,  some people like to roll it out into a thick 2.5cm sheet and use a cutter to cut the scones out and place on a baking tray.

I prefer to take chunks of dough and roll them up into balls then flatten the top and bottom and place on the baking tray.

Brush with little of the soya milk and sprinkle a little sugar on top and then bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the Scones. Allow to cool, serve them with some vegan margarine and jam or with some soya thick cream and jam for a vegan cream tea.

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Muffins with Garlic Mushrooms & Tahini Dressing

Jan08
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Roasted Muffins with Garlic Mushrooms & Tahini Dresssing

This is a lovely recipe that Paul makes from time to time.  They taste fantastic and are really satisfying to eat and because the muffins are roasted in the oven the texture is really good,  it is crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside.

4 muffins plus olive oil to coat
500g chestnut mushrooms – thickly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic oil
pinch chopped parsley
pinch salt

tahini dressing:
2 tbsp tahini
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic oil
1 tsp olive olive
pinch salt
pinch paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 200 celsius

Using the end a rolling pin or similar, press down hard on the top of
each muffin several times to create a central “well”.  The end result
will look a little like a ring doughnut but with a base.

Brush the muffins all over with olive oil

Place muffins in oven and bake until golden brown – around 10 minutes

Meanwhile, add olive oil to pan and heat

Add mushrooms and pinch of salt and saute for 5 minutes

Add the garlic oil and continue to saute for a couple of minutes

Remove from heat and mix in the parsley, drizzle with tahini dressing and serve

To make the tahini dressing:

In a small ramekin/bowl add the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic
oil, salt and paprika (if using).

Stir vigorously to combine and then very slowly add water a few drops
at a time and continue to stir until you achieve the desired
consistency – usually like a thick single cream.

The tahini dressing is also excellent with salad.

Note: if you don’t have garlic oil, just use crushed garlic to taste

Paul last made these using the Lidl muffins which I reviewed earlier.

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Vegetarian Society 12 Days of Christmas

Dec09
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Christmas Recipes

The vegetarian society have a lovely feature on their website called “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.  They have 12 Christmassy recipes,  11 of which are or can be made vegan.

They have cocktails alcoholic and non alcoholic, starters like the vegan sushi,  a lovely Festive Loaf,  left over recipe called second day strudel and some wonderful desserts like the Christmas baskets.

The recipes all seem quite simple and do not take long to make,  they are a great inspiration for the festive season and should delight your guests.

 

Here is a direct link to the feature.

https://www.vegsoc.org/page.aspx?pid=1323

Don’t worry if you are not a great cook as there is lots of veggie food products available in the local health food shops and in the supermarkets.  I will be shortly reviewing the Redwoods Celebration Roast which looks like a real winner for my Christmas lunch.  But there is so much choice including nut roasts,  fake meat roasts,  veggie bakes and veggie sausages,  that we all can have a lovely meal this festive season.

Posted in 1. Observations - Tagged , ,

Vegan Mince Pie Recipe

Dec02
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Mince Pie Recipe

A simple mince pie recipe that is so easy to make,  with left over pastry you can also make some jam tarts if you fancy.

makes 10-12 small mince pies

100 g plain flour
50g vegan margarine
50g icing sugar
Vegan Mincemeat ( I like the Morrisons Version)

In a bowl add the flour, margarine and icing sugar then rub to fine breadcrumb texture (or use food processor) add tiny drop
of water and work just enough to form a dough
chill for 30 minutes

preheat oven to 180c fan, or 200 non-fan

roll out thinly and use cutter for size of baking tray being used
push pastry discs into tray
prick bases with fork
make lids using smaller cutter than that used for bases

add mincemeat to top, wet edged and add pastry lids
cook for 20 mins or until golden brown

sprinkle with icing sugar to finish

variation for jam tarts:  bake pastry blind for 5 minutes, add jam and
continue to cook for 8-12 minutes, until pastry has turned golden
brown.  allow jam to cool before eating

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