Saturday, December 19, 2015

Vegan Spinach Lasagne

This recipe comes from: http://www.free-easy-vegan-recipes.com/spinach-lasagna.html

DO NOT make this it is horrible. The recipe does not work, it goes as predicted a yummy chemical grey. My suggestion abandon replacing milk and cheese and just have an enjoyable vegetable lasagna using tomato sauce.



Ingredients:

1 box of lasagna noodles

3 cups fresh spinach

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 package of firm tofu

1/4 cup plain soy milk

1/2 tsp garlic, minced

2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp sea salt (to taste)

2 cup shredded vegan mozarella cheese


Steps:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook lasagna noodles according to packaging.  Drain and seat aside.

2.  In a food processor blend together tofu, soy milk, garlic, basil, oregano and salt. This will be your tofu ricotta filing. You can use more or less soy milk depending on how thick you like your ricotta filling.

3. Using a skillet heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medum heat. Add spinach, mushrooms and onions. Cook for 5-7 minutes.

4.  Using a 9x13 baking dish cover the bottom with spinach mixture,  place a layer of lasagna noodles, then tofu ricotta and repeat until you have filled the dish. Add a sprinkle of vegan cheese in between layers.

5. Bake for 30-45 minutes, during the last 5 minutes add vegan mozzarella cheese to the top. Let cheese melt, remove from oven to cool before serving.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Kale And Zucchini Coconut Pasta Bowl

This is another Vegan recipe sourced from here

https://veryveganrecipes.com/kale-zucchini-pasta-bowl/2/

This works ok.


Ingredients

fettuccine pasta
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup hot salted pasta water
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium zucchini quartered  sliced thin
1 brown onion sliced thin
2 cloves minced garlic
¼ cup fresh or frozen green peas and corn
1 packed cup kale

Instructions

Cook pasta in heavily salted boiling water until al dente.
Drain Pasta and save 1 cup of the pasta water
In a high-speed blender blend until smooth, cashews, coconut milk, cup pasta water,  lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Add zucchini and onion to hot olive oil in large frypan
Add Kale and pinch of salt. Toss frequently
When veggies are fork tender (about 2 mins), add garlic and green peas to your skillet, and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
Pour pasta and blender contents over the veggies and combine.
Cook until cashew cream has thickened
Add the remainin 1/4 cup of pasta water you saved

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Vegan Spinach Balls with a Walnut and Basil Pesto


I have adapted this from:
http://vegalicious.recipes/2012/09/03/vegan-spinach-balls-with-pesto-sauce/

Ingredients:
for the spinach balls:
  • 2 cups of panko bread crumbs
  • 1 packet of frozen spinach, cooked
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 medium onions,diced
  • 2-3 tsp crushed garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dill
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 egg replacement equivalents
  • pinch nutmeg
for the vegan basil walnut pesto:
  • 2 cups tightly packed basil
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 2 – 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • splash Tabasco 

Directions:
to make the spinach balls:

Combine and mix ingredients in a large bowl
Shape into small balls and place on a baking tray
Cool in fridge for 30 minutes
Bake at 180c for 40 mins

to make the pesto:
  1. Place the basil, garlic, lemon juice and oil in a blender and plus to a smooth consistency.
  2. Add the walnut pieces and pulse again until it is smooth.
  3. Add the nutritional yeast and pulse.
  4. Add the salt and pepper and Tabasco, pulse again to mix.

Serve on pasta with vegan cheese

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Mushroom Roulade

I got this idea from here:

http://mouthwateringvegan.com/2012/12/07/lentil-mushroom-spinach-spicy-nut-roulade-your-perfect-sunday-roast/

This is an incredibly time consuming and fiddly dish whose taste does not reflect the effort to put it together.


INGREDIENTS
4 Tbsp olive oil
6 large mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
1 400g can brown lentils, washed and drained
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups cooked spinach
6 to 8 sundried tomato halves
1 tsp hot curry powder
¼ tsp corianderpowder
salt to taste
the zest of a small lemon
2 Tbsp tomato paste
¼ tsp onion powder
1/8 cup water
EXTRAS
¾ cup hazelnuts, 10 halved walnuts finely chopped (you can process them in a food processor, but don’t make powder of them, they still need to be in small pieces).
1 cup vegan melting cheese 
2 Sheets short crust pastry  


METHOD
    1. Fry the mushrooms and garlic in a large frying pan, mixing all the time.  Then, after a few minutes of letting them sweat, add the tomato paste, the curry powder, and the onion powder, and mix. A minute later, add the cooked lentils, and stir.
    2. Add the spinach, and the remaining ingredients, except for the ‘Extras’ – those are for later.  Cover, and allow to simmer gently for 20 minutes – the mixture should be thick, rich and very aromatic.  Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 15 minutes or so.
    3. Next, place your thawed pastry sheets on a clean, baking paper, and roll the pastry sheets together in such a way that you create one sheet approximately 10 by 7 inches.
    4. Now spoon thick spinach and lentil mix onto the pastry sheet – if the mixture’s still too hot, you may have to wait a few more minutes for it to cool down further – it should be no more than lukewarm.
    5.  Once your mixture is ready on the pastry, flatten and evenly distribute it using the  back of a large spoon (see picture).  Then add the grated vegan cheese, and top with the roasted nuts – leave a few nuts for dusting the sides of the roulade at the end.
    6. Now start slowly rolling the mixture away from you, until you reach the end.  You might feel you need an extra hand, so if anybody is around at home, do not hesitate to give a shout.  No panic, if any bits fall out of the side, just gently finger them back into place.
    7. Wash your hands at this point, dry them thoroughly, and dust the remaining nuts on the open sides of each end.  Brush the roulade with vegan milk, then make horizontal ‘surface-cuts’ at half inch intervals on the surface of the dough, but don’t put any weight on it whilst you do this.  These will be your markers for each slice once cooked.
    8. Preheat your oven to 200ÂșC. Then line a suitably sized oven-proof dish with grease proof paper from end to end, and then grease it just the same.  Lift the roulade up gently using the baking paper trim the excess.
    9. It should take 20 minutes to turn golden brown, remove and slice.
The recipe really didn't work for me. It was way to watery and simply didn't roll up well. I think it might work well as a pie but as a roulade it did not. 

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Vegan Massaman Curry (?????)


Why the question marks?

Because I think any time faux meat is used is dodgy. So here goes.

Fry 2 tbsp massaman curry paste (Maploy brand)

Add 400mls coconut cream

Add 300 gms frozen faux beef meat ( This is the dodgy bit, I don't know what is in it)

Meanwhile cook 300 gms of potato (cut to prefered size, in this case small)

Combine with:

1 sliced bell pepper150gms sliced capsicum
1 block fried tofu, cubed
150gms  fried baby corn

Simmer for 20 minutes and serve with rice (jasmine)


Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Bean Tortilla

This is one for Brenda it is a vegan dish.


In a greased baking dish (I used olive oil spray)

  • 2 cups shredded cheese (vegan of course)
  • 2 cups red salsa
  • 1 cup black beans and brown rice, jasmine rice, quinoa  mixed
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced  mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup diced onion
  • mixed greens (baby spinach and rocket with a little kale)
  • minced garlic and onion powder
  • Olive oil spray
Place a layer of the tortillas in the baking dish
Cover with onion powder and garlic
Place a layer of vege
Add salsa

Repeat

Top with remaining salsa and cheese

Oven bake at 180c for approx 20 minutes

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Pork Belly

I have not been able to cook much this year. This is a simple but tasy dish.

Score and salt the pork belly, place in a baking tray on a rack over a little water.

Oven bake at 180c covered in foil for 90 mins

Then uncover and cook for 30 minutes more on 250c to get the crackling.

If that doesnt work then simply add to a hot frypan to crisp up the crackling.

I served this with some mixed vegetables with oyster sauce and with a rice mix consisting of Dongara white and brown ice with some wild rice and quinoa in the mix.

Siracha sauce to serve.


Sunday, September 6, 2015

Dahl: Slow cooker

I have tried a couple of times to cook dahl in the slow cooker without much success. This time I am hoping it will work. It did and well. 

Ingredients
  1. 1½ cups yellow split lentils and mung lentils
  2. One medium onion, finely chopped
  3. 400 gm can diced tomatoes
  4. 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  5. 2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  6. 1 teaspoon salt
Tempering Ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoons  oil
  2. ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  3. ½ teaspoon asofetita
  4. 1 whole chilli
  5. ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  6. ½ teaspoon coriander powder
  7. ¼ teaspoon chili powder
Rinse the lentils and add to the slow cooker with the tomatoes, onion and garlic and 4 cups of water
Cook on low for 5 hours

Add the tempering ingredients to a frypan and heat until frgant
Add to slow cooker stir through and cook for one hour more

Serve with rice and a dash of lemon juice

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Potato and Mushroom Curry



This is my interpretation of a recipe from :
http://dustysfoodieadventures.blogspot.ca/2015/07/mushroom-ambat.html
Please check out the original!!!!

Ingredients:
2 cups large button mushrooms
4 medium potatoes (boiled)
1 can coconutcream
salt to taste

Masala ingredients:
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
4 cloves garlic
4 green chilies
2tbs Tamarind puree

Seasoning ingredients:
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
8 curry leaves
2 green chilies (slit)
1 pinch Asafoetida

Grind the masala ingredients into a paste
Cook the potatoes and cut into pieces (or vice versa) 
Combine with mushrooms which should be quartered. 
Add the coconut milk and the masala paste

Lightly fry in oil the seasoning ingredients until fragrant
Add to the mix once mushrooms are cooked and turn off heat and cover


Thursday, July 9, 2015

Curried Sausages - Slow Cooker


Slice a brown onion
Slice one red capsicum
Cut finely 2 carrots
Quater 6 small potatoes
Line the bottom of the slow cooker with these

Add 500gms of sausages cut in half

Add 500mls of beef stock
4 tbs of curry powder
2 cups of peas and corn

Thicken with gravy Flour and serve on rice




Monday, July 6, 2015

Lamb Obsession

This is a variation on a recipe that has been doing the rounds of the internet.

On a bed on sliced onion
Add 1 can of condensed Chicken soup
Place 1 leg of lamb
Cover with a sachet of French Onion Soup
Add 4 tbs of cranberry sauce

Cook on low for 8 hours
Shred the lamb and serve on mash potato


Sunday, June 7, 2015

Slow Cooked beef Ribs



This is a great one for a cold night.

In the bottom of your slow cooker palce a layer of sliced onion

Place the ribs on top
Cover with sauce, I used a mixture of hot chilli sauce and HP bbq sauce
Add a little water
You do not want it to dry out nor to drown so add a little as needed
It will make a sauce

Cook on low for 8 hours, the meat comes off the bone

I served with a selection of vegetables and potato mash.


An Eggplant Lasgne



Take two eggplants slice into slices and bake in a moderate oven brushed with olive oil.

Meanwhile in a saucepan/frypan
Heat some olive oil and saute
1 finely chopped brown onion
2 diced capsicum
1 jar pasta sauce
6 crushed and chopped garlic cloves
2 grated carrots
4 grated zucchini

Add 1 400gms can of chopped tomatoes

When the eggplant has browned remove from oven and in a baking dish
Place a bottom layer of eggplant
Add the contents of the  pan and spread out
Top with the remaining eggplant

Cover with bechamel sauce and a generous sprinkling of grated cheese.

Return to the oven and cook until cheese is melted.





Sunday, May 17, 2015

Thickeners

This is a really great guide for thickening liquids while cooking.


http://www.cookscountry.com/how_tos/9126-getting-to-know-thickeners


Sunday, May 3, 2015

Pork Ribs - Slow cooker style



I have pork ribs, I have a slow cooker, sooooo.......

In the slow cooker :

2 sliced brown onions
2 sliced red capsicumm
4 sliced celery ribs
2 diced carrots
5 crushed and diced garlic cloves
400ml can crushed tomatoes
Place the ribs on top cut into pieces (strips)

Cover with your sauce or marinade

Mine was 1 cup of Sweet baby Rays BBQ sauce mixed with half a cup of garlic chilli sauce.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Szechuan Style Pulled Pork


This is my take on a Szechuan dish.

Begin with two sliced brown onions
Two thinly cut carrots
Two thinly sliced red capsicum  
Place the pork atop of these 
Season with salt and pepper and 2 tbs of freshly ground Szechuan pepper
Add 4 tbs of chilli bean paste
Two cups of water

Cook on low for 8 hours and pull pork apart 

Serve with rice and vegetables
 


Brenda's Vege Surprise

This is a vegan stew at Brenda's request.

Dice two brown onions and brown in oil
Add 2 sliced red capsicum
Break down a cauliflower into florets and add
Cut into chunks 4 eggplants and add
Sprinkle liberally with vegeatable stock and pepper (no salt as powdered stock is high in salt)
Cover with water and simmer

Serve with crusty bread


Chicken Stew

This recipe was a way of using a frozen chicken I had in the freezer for too long.

Thaw the chicken in advance and break into pieces.
Place a base of diced carrot, eggplant, red peppers and tomato in the bottom of the slow cooker
Place the chicken pieces on top
Season with salt and pepper, oregano and basil
Add water till chicken just covered

Cook on low for 8 hours

Serve with crusty bread and freshly ground black pepper.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Chicken Chilli Slow Cooker Style


My version of chilli using chicken instead of beef, because... why not?

In your slow cooker:

2 sliced brown onions
2 sliced red peppers
3 celery ribs sliced
1 diced tomato
500gms of chicken mince
6 chicken drumsticks

400gms of three bean mix
400gms kidney beans
400gms condensed Chicken Soup
1 jar jalepeno peppers

2 tbs chilli powder
2 tbs coriander/cumin mix
2 tbs tomato paste
Water to cover

Cook on low for 8 hours

After 6 hours add 1 cup of quinoa

khalari style Eggplant Curry - Low fat/vegetarian


This is a curry that goes well with weight loss and vegetarians.

Begin by cutting 4 eggplants into cubes, spray with cooking oil and oven bake
Cut 2 brown onions and two red capsicum into slices and oven bake
I placed 2 trays in the oven at 180c until browned

In a saucepan bring to a light boil a little water and vegetable stock (I used vegeta)

Add the spice mix and boil lightly until fragrant
Combine the cooked vegetables and coat with the curry paste
Add the sauce mix and slowly simmer until done.
Note that the sauce will thicken and so water will need to be added.

Spice Mix:
2 tsp each
Cumin
Coriander
Chilli
Fenegreek
Garam Masala
Tumeric
Diced garlic

Sauce Mix:
300 mls no fat Greek yogurt
600mls water
3 tbs besan flour
Whisked till it forms a gravy (adjust ingredients as necessary)

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Bacon, Smoked Sausage Pasta Sauce


I have many things in my freezer and hating waste I am determined to use them and create something nice. In this case I had some frozen bacon, I just never got to use it so I popped it in the freezer. I also had some Japanese style sausages (purchased for a reason I cannot recall).



In my slow cooker I created a layer of:

1 Diced brown onion
3 sliced celery ribs
2 crushed chopped garlic cloves
2 finely chopped carrots
1 thinly sliced red capsicum

To this I adeded while frozen
My bacon roughly chopped
My sausages whole (broken into individual sausages)

For the sauce I added:
1 tin tomatos
1 tin beans (cannolini)
1 jar pasta sauce
Approx 3 cups red wine

Cooked on low for 6 hours (was ready in 3)

Serve with pasta and cheese (I also add some hot sauce)

Needless to say the spirit of the dish lets you add ingredients you need to cook rather than bin. Tasted really great and left that sense of accomplishment you get when you use rather than throw out food.




Saturday, February 14, 2015

Mushroom Onion Korma


I have adapted this recipe from:
http://www.meatfreemondays.com/recipe/creamy-mushroom-onion-korma-cashew-nuts/

It was origially vegan, if you want it to remain vegan swap out the cream for a vegan alternative.

Ingredients
  • 4 medium onions, sliced
  • 150 g mushrooms, sliced
  • 50 g sultanas
  • 40 g roasted cashew nuts
  • 50 g Patak’s Original Korma Curry Paste (use this or any other animal-free brand, available from your local supermarket)
  • 400gms coconut cream
  • 150 ml cream 

Method

Heat some vegetable oil
 Add the onions.
Once the onions are browned, add the sultanas and cashew nuts.
Add the creamed coconut and water and stir well.
Add the sliced mushrooms.
Once the water has reduced by a quarter, add the curry paste and continue to cook.  Now turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the cream.  Stir in well and serve immediately.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Slow Cooked Wild Leg of Goat










Using my slow cooker

On the base of the cooker add:
2 roughly chopped onions
2 sliced carrots
4 potatos cut into quaters
3 diced tomatoes
Place the leg of goat on top of the vege
Season with salt and pepper

Add
400gms cannolini beans
400 gms of red kidney beans
1 can of crushed tomatoes

3 sprigs of rosemary and a little more seasoning

Cook for 8 hours on low

My Fish Curry










This is my take on an Asian style curry.

Paste:
Blend
4 long green chillis
3 red birdseye chillis
2 brown onions
4 garlic cloves
A generous handful of cashews
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of belecharan (shrimp paste)
A handful of fresh coriander including roots and stems

Fry the paste in a plain oil (2 tbs)
Add 400mls cocunt cream

I added 500gms of cubed white fish ( any fish or seafood will do)
4 cubed par boiled potatoes
2 tsp palm sugar

Simmer and serve with rice, garnish with coriander and nuts

Monday, January 26, 2015

Chicken kapitan




Chicken kapitan with fragrant rice

I am  not sure where I found this recipe but I cooked it and served not with the fragrant rice but with a mixture of Jasmine and Red Rice.


Ingredients

For chicken kapitan

90ml vegetable oil

300g spice paste (see below)

400ml coconut cream

2 small stalks lemongrass hearts, finely sliced into thin rounds

1 kg chicken thigh fillets, each cut into 6 pieces

400ml coconut milk

1/4 cup light palm sugar

40ml lime juice

sea salt

For spice paste

3/4 tbsp Belachan (Malaysian shrimp paste)

2 medium dried red chillies, deseeded and soaked in warm water

4 medium fresh long red chillies, deseeded

6 red shallots, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup cahsew nuts, chopped

1/4 tsp turmeric powder
For fragrant rice

400g cooked long grain white rice, cold

40ml vegetable oil

1/2 medium red onion, finely sliced

2 long green shallots, cut into 4cm lengths

2 medium fresh long red chillies, deseeded and sliced

2 tsp peeled ginger, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

30ml Shaoxing (Chinese cooking wine)

50ml yellow bean soy sauce

1 tbsp caster sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
For the spice paste
Place the shrimp paste in a small pan and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes until fragrant. Allow to cool.
Place all other spice paste ingredients, along with the shrimp paste, into a blender and blend to a fine paste.
For the curry
Heat oil in a wok, add the spice paste and fry until fragrant, stirring frequently for about 12 minutes, taking care not to burn it. Add half the coconut cream and the lemongrass, and stir-fry until the cream separates.
Add the chicken thigh fillets and fry for about 6 minutes until well coated with the spice paste. Add the coconut milk and palm sugar, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the lime juice and remaining coconut cream, and season to taste.
For the rice
Heat a wok or large non-stick frying pan over a high heat until it is hot. Add oil and when it is very hot, add the onions and green shallots, and fry for 1 minute. Add the chilli, and fry for 30 seconds. Add ginger and garlic, fry for 30 seconds. Add rice and stir-fry, mixing thoroughly and breaking up any clumps of rice. Add the Shaoxing, soy and sugar.
Continue to stir-fry until seasoning is totally mixed through and rice has no clumps.

HOT TIPS
You should be able to find Belachan shrimp paste in most good grocery stores.
This is also a great curry for seafood, so cook the paste, add the seasoning and coconut and cook for about 10 minutes, then add prawns, fish, scallops - whatever you like. Just be sure to cook the seafood gently.

Lobsters are cheaper in December and make the best kapitan curry going!

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Chicken Wing Chicken


Lazy weekend recipe in the slow cooker.

On the base slice
1 leek
1 brown onion
2 red peppers

Top with some diced chicken cutlets, leave the bones in.

Cover with chicken wing sauce (1 bottle of Sweet Baby Rays)

Cook on low for 7 hours

Serve on a bed of rice.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Goat Curry (Myanmar Style) Slow Cooker










Curry Paste:
In a Blender combine:
1 Chopped onion
5 Garlic Cloves
5 green chillies
4 tsps ginger

In your slow cooker:
500gms of diced goat (use beef if not available)
400gms tin chopped tomatoes
Curry paste
1tsp ground tumeric
2 bay leaves
4 cardamon pods
1 cup of lamb stock
4 potatoes cut into pieces

Simmer for 8 hours on low
Serve on rice