Root Vegetable Casserole

Time to get the slow cooker out again. This recipe is a combination of slow and 'regular' cooking, as you will see. The ground spices really 'make' this dish, as does the sweetness from the parsnip and sweet potato. And it smells delicious as it is cooking.

What you will need:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 swede, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
2 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander, and paprika
1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
1 can chopped tomatoes
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp fresh coriander

Method:
Heat oil in a large pan and add celery. Saute for 3 minutes and then add carrots, swede, parsnip and potato. Saute for 5 minutes.
Add ground spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
Add lentils, tomatoes, and stock. Bring to boil, stirring and then transfer into slow cooker.
Cover and cook on High for 3-4 hours. Stir in fresh coriander and serve.

Rich Vegetable Hot-Pot

This dish takes a bit of effort, as there is a fair bit of chopping involved, so set aside about 30 minutes for preparation work and then 45 minutes for cooking in the oven.
There are a fair few ingredients involved but none are hard to find and they all compliment each other so well.
I suggest using a VERY large pot during the prep. stage and then a very large ovenproof dish. There is a lot to pack in!

What you will need:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped (optional)
2 small - medium eggplants, cut into small cubes
3 zucchinis, cut into small cubes
1 cup frozen peas
handful of green beans, cut into pieces
450g new potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
11/2 cup vegetable stock
sliced black olives to garnish

Method:
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot and cook onion (if using) until golden. Add eggplants and cook for 3 minutes. Add zucchinis, peas, beans, potatoes and the spices. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour mixture into a large oven proof dish and level the surface. Pour stock over the top.

In bowl, mix together both the fresh and tinned tomatoes, 1 tbsp oil, and the parsley.
Spoon over the eggplant mixture.
Cover with foil and bake in the oven for approx. 45 minutes.
Serve with sliced black olives on the top. This adds a salty bite to the dish.

Pana Chocolate

Pana Chocolate has to be one of the very best raw, vegan chocolate I have every tried. It is handmade, organic, contains no dairy or any other animal products and is low GI and gluten free. Oh, and it is DELICIOUS!

There are several varieties available:  Mint, Orange, Rose, Nuts, Cinnamon, Coconut and Goji, Raw Cacao, 80% Cacao and the new Sour Cherry and Vanilla - which I just tried and loved!

If you tend to shy away from dark chocolate because of bitterness, you have nothing to worry about here. This chocolate is neither bitter or sickly sweet. It has just the right balance. Also, it is so very smooth in texture.

The bars are small and quite expensive, so I just treat myself to a square at a time - the way it should be, really. Pop a square into your mouth and savour it!

Pana Chocolate is available in several healthfood shops, cafes and organics stores.
Their website has an extensive list of suppliers in Perth. Just pop in your postcode.

Thai Rice Noodles with Lime-Basil Sauce

I found this recipe in the cookbook "Big Vegan" by Robin Asbell. I used it as a 'base'. In other words, I changed a fair bit of it to suit me and the results were more than favourable.

The rice noodles I used were the Trident Rice Stick Noodles but any will do. You can find them in regular supermarkets. I tend to soak them in boiled water for longer than what is usually advised - about 10-15 minutes.

This recipe is gluten free - just make sure to use tamari and not soy sauce. again, I have had no trouble finding tamari at supermarkets. Sometimes it will be shelved in their 'health foods' section. 

Agave syrup can be found in health food shops or organics stores. If you want, you can use sugar, instead. 

You will find that as you are cooking this, the vegetables will give off a fair bit of liquid, but don't be concerned, as when you add the noodles, they will take up a fair bit of the sauce created.

What you will need:

Approx 250g dry rice stick noodles

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

small broccoli, cut into florets

1 medium carrot, julienned

4 spring onions, diagonally sliced (optional)

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp of light agave syrup 

2 tbsp tamari

2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

1 tbsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger

a few leaves of basil, slivered

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped (optional)

Method:

Place dry rice stick noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Soak for at least 10 minutes and then drain.

In a wok pan, heat the coconut milk over medium high heat and add tomatoes, broccoli, carrots and (is using) spring onions. Bring to a simmer and add lime juice, agave, tamari, ginger and garlic (is using). Stir while cooking. How long you wish to cook is up to you. Some prefer the vegetables to be firmer, whilst others prefer them to be tender. Taste test ever few minutes until vegetables are to your liking and then add the noodles. Stir to coat with the sauce and heat thoroughly.
Add basil and peanuts (if using) and toss.
Done!

LaZuppa Classic Bowls

I am finding that more and more vegan friendly products are showing up on our supermarkets, which is great. My latest discovery is the LaZuppa Classic Bowls range. These are available in Coles and Woolworths, found in the same section that has the canned and packet soups. Whilst not all the range is vegan, a lot of it is.




The portions sizes are perfect for lunch, as they are the equivalent of a good sized bowl of soup. I have been having one a week for lunch at work, during the cooler months. All you need is microwave oven and about two minutes. Easy.




I have tried all the vegan varieties and they all get the 'thumbs up' from me: Spinach and Chickpea; Pumpkin; Minestrone; Ribbolita Tuscan Vegetables;  and Moroccan Pumpkin with Chickpea. They are as close to home made tasting soup that I found on store shelves, so far.
And they are also gluten free!

Mung Bean Casserole

One of the things I love about being vegan, is trying out new things. Before giving this recipe a go, I had never eaten or cooked with mung beans or fenugreek seeds. I had no idea what they would taste like, but I thought what the hell, I will give them a go.

I found this recipe in the cook book "Veggiestan : a vegetable lover's tour of the Middle East" by Sally Butcher. I tweaked the original recipe a bit to suit me. I must admit it took a fair bit of looking to find the mung beans. There were none in the supermarkets but I did find some in health food shops. The same went for the fenugreek seeds. I would imagine that stores like Kakulas would stock both, so next time I am there, I will stock up, because I have every intention of making this one again. Yes, it was a success!

What you will need:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
2cm knob fresh ginger (finely grated)
Dash or two of chilli powder
1 onion, chopped (optional)
2 capsicums, chopped (optional)
2 medium potatoes, chopped into about 2cm cubes
1 tsp turmeric
2 cups mung beans, washed (no need to soak)
1 litre water or veggie stock
250g fresh spinach, roughly chopped or thrown in whole
3 tomatoes, cut into chunks
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Method:
Heat the oil in a large pot or wok pan and sprinkle in the fenugreek and cumin seeds. One minute later, add garlic, ginger, chilli, onion and capsicums, if using.  Saute until onions are translucent, stirring often.
Add potatoes and turmeric. Minute later, stir in mung beans and add water.
Bring mixture to the boil and then simmer for 45 minutes.
Add tomatoes and spinach and cook for 10 minutes. Add lime juice and salt to taste.

You can serve this up with rice or bread but I found it very filling on its own.

International Vegetarian Food Fair 2013

I went to this event last year with a friend and rather liked it, so I decided to go back this year, with my

partner. As before, a lot of the food on offer was vegan and was marked clearly as being vegan. In fact, all the signs also listed the ingredients in each dish, which was great.

We didn't arrive at the venue (South Perth Community Center) until several hours into the event, and discovered that some of the foods were already sold out. I missed out on the savory Vietnamese pancake which I really wanted to try this year. Drats!

The place was quite busy - even more so than last year, which was great to see.

We had a walk around the stalls, having a look and deciding on what we wanted to try. Most of the food appeared to be Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. Certainly, all of it was Asian. There was a fair bit of mock meat dishes, some deep fried items, some fruity desserts and my favourite - the Green Papaya Salad. (More on that soon.)

The boyfriend decided to first try the Bean Curd and Seaweed Rolls which contained tofu, carrot, seaweed and mock ham made of soy. I wasn't a fan of the ham as it tasted way too much like the 'real thing' but the boyfriend seemed to have enjoyed it.

We then tried a sample of Fried Coconut Cake. We were won over and bought a pack to take home.

After loading up with some Taro and Sweet Potato Rolls and some Samosas, I thought I had better try something that wasn't deep fried  - the Green Papaya Salad.
Never before had I eaten green papaya and certainly not in a salad that combined it with tomatoes, soy sauce, peanuts, carrot, chilli, lemon and something called 'salted bean'.

I was asked how spicy I wanted it and I opted for 'not very'. I watched as the ladies at the stall added the ingredients into very large mortar and pestles and started pounding away at it. Before I knew it, I was handed the salad in a container. When I tried it, I was so impressed. The taste sensations! A bit spicy, a bit salty, juicy, crunchy, and the tomatoes went so well with it all. I did not eat it all in one go. I ate half and then the rest a bit later, and  I have to say that it tasted even better once it had 'stood' for a while. I will have to try and track down the recipe for this!

I am definitely planning to go again next year but earlier next time, before some of the dishes on offer disappear!