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 200ºC. 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. 

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)

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

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.

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

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

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