Spicy Red Lentil Soup

This is one the most gorgeously tasty soups I have had in a long time. I found it in “Veganissimo!” by Leigh Drew, who happens to be Australian. (Yay!)  I would recommend doubling the ingredients because you WILL want seconds or leftovers for the next day.  I decided to not blend the soup at the end, as I like chunky soups. If you do this, I suggest finely grating the ginger instead of chopping.  I omitted the onion and garlic (still tasted great without them) and used water instead of oil for the sauté step. I also omitted the tomato paste, as I felt it didn’t need it but feel free to use if you like.

What you will need:

½ cup water

1 small carrot (finely chopped)

1 celery rub (finely chopped)

1 small onion – optional (finely chopped)

1 garlic clove – optional (minced)

1 piece ginger (approx. 2.5 cm), peeled and finely chopped or grated

1 tsp chili flakes

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

1 ½ cups dried red lentils

½ tbsp tomato paste (optional)

1 can diced tomatoes

5 cups salt reduced vegetable stock (I use  Marigold vegan salt reduced )

Method:

Heat water in a large pot, over medium heat. Add carrot, onion (if using), celery, garlic (if using) and ginger for 15 minutes or until vegetables have softened.

Add the chili flakes, ground coriander seeds and ground cumin. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Add red lentils and tomato paste (if using) and stir well to combine.

Pour in canned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Reduce heart to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lentils should have broken down and be soft. If not, cook for longer.

The next step is optional. Remove pot from heat and use a stick blender to bend the mixture until it is smooth.  Serve.

Curried Mushroom and Chickpeas

I was reading the book “Foods that cause you to lose weight” by NealBarnard M.D and found this recipe in there. It is simple but packed with flavour. The original recipe calls for two tins of diced/crushed tomatoes, but I used only one, as I felt it was enough. Note that oil has been left out. This cuts down on fat and calories but does not affect the flavour.

You can serve this on rice or couscous.

What you will need:

½ cup water

Onion, chopped (optional)

½ tsp cumin

700g mushrooms, sliced

1 can diced/crushed tomatoes

1 can chickpeas, drained

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander

½ tsp ginger powder

½ tsp chili flakes

Method:

Heat water in a large pot and then add the onions, if using. Cook until soft and then add mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms begin to soften and some of the water evaporates. Add tomatoes, chickpeas and spices. Cook on low heat for approximately 30 minutes. 

Big Fat Taco Salad

This one is from "Appetite for reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. It is a big taco...as a salad. It is kind of fiddly, in that there are three components to it  - the salad, the tomato salsa dressing, and the Guacamame. If you are a bit of a lazy cook, at least try making the Guacamame - it is fantastic!

What you will need for the salad:
4 cups shredded cos lettuce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 batch of Fresh Tomato Salsa Dressing (recipe follows)
Approx. 100g tortilla chips
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 cup of Guacamame (recipe follows)

Method:
Arrange the salad in 2 big bowls. (Original recipe states that this for 4 people but I think if you want to make a meal of it, it is good for 2. Otherwise double the ingredient amounts for 4 servings.)
Place the lettuce in the bowls, then layer on the beans and salsa. Crumble on the tortilla chips and top with cilantro. Serve with Guacamame on the side or a dollop on the top.

What you will need for the Tomato Salsa Dressing:
3 tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
salt to taste

Method:
Chop up the tomatoes fairly small and then add all the other ingredients. Use your hands to mush everything up really well and leave to sit for 10 minutes or so. You can make this in advance and place it on a tightly sealed container in the fridge, for up to 5 days.

What you will need for the Guacamame:
1 large avocado, sliced
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed (Woolworths sells cooked and frozen edamame but you can also find it in Asian food stores. For thawing, you can leave out for a few hours or you can microwave or run under hot water. It must be thawed well.)
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
Pinch of cayenne

Method:
Place avocado and edamame in a blender or food processor and pulse until everything is well chopped. Add water, salt and lime juice. Puree until mostly smooth. Add tomato, cilantro and cayenne and pulse a few times.  Taste test for seasoning and then you are done.

Mexicali Roasted Vegetables

This easy to make recipe is adapted from the recipe found in the book “Skinny Bitch: Ultimate everyday cookbook” by  Kim Barnouin. The herbs and spices give the vegetables a nice kick to them, without being overpowering.  I was a bit skeptical about the inclusion of cinnamon but it really does work.

What you will need:

2 yellow button squash or one yellow zucchini – cut into 1 cm thick strips

1 green zucchini – cut into 1cm thick strips

2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

Pinch chili powder

Pinch ground cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients, making sure all get coated well with oil, herbs and spices.

Spread vegetables out on a large baking tray and bake for approx. 40 minutes, checking in a fork for tenderness.

Tuck in! 

Sushi Roll Edamame Salad

This salad is exactly how Isa Chandra Moskowitz describes it in her book "Appetite for Reduction" - a big, deconstructed sushi roll in a bowl. You can have it with wasabi and soy sauce on the side, to dip each mouthful, if you wish.
The recipe features edamame which are soy beans still in their pods. You can buy these frozen from supermarkets. I found some precooked and frozen ones in Woolworths. Their flavour and texture is exquisite so don't leave these out of the recipe.
As for the nori sheet, I found a pack of nori pre-cut into thin strips, at the supermarket (Coles or Woolworths - I can't remember which one now) in the Asian foods section.

What you will need:
1 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar
8 cups cos lettuce, chopped
2 cups cooked and cooled short grain brown rice
1 small cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1 medium sized carrot, cut into matchsticks
4 tsp sesame seeds
1 sheet nori, cut into thin strips
1 avocado, sliced

Method:
For the dressing, mix together the edamame, rice vinegar, and agave.
For the salad, place the lettuce in a large bowl and drizzle the dressing over the top.
Add the rice over the lettuce. Top rice with cucumber, carrot and sesame seeds. Sprinkle with the nori and add avocado on top.
Dig in!

Gwelup SUPA IGA

Many Perth vegans are reporting seeing more and more vegan products popping up in their local IGA stores. Previously, products that could only be found in health food stores, organics stores or other specialist stores, are now available in various IGAs. With this in mind, my partner and I decided to check out an IGA store near us - Gwelup SUPA IGA - and were pleasantly surprised.

We discovered that they had two long aisles of health food products, which included a lot of vegan suitable items, some which we have not seen elsewhere.

In the frozen and refrigerated section, we were excited to see pies from Loving Hut, Tofutti icecreams and cheeses, and Linda McCartney products. 

In the bread section, we found products by Bodhi's Bakery, which was pleasing, as they do some gluten and vegan loaves and rolls, plus the BEST gluten free and vegan pizza bases. 

There is also a good range of non-dairy milks (including my favourite Australia's Own Organic Rice Milk), and enough agave syrup to last you a year.

There was no sign of any Notzarella so we will be contacting them to suggest they stock it, and encourage everyone to do so as well.. Infact, you can lodge product suggestions via their website.

Gwelup SUPA IGA is situated on the corner of Wishart and North Beach Road in Gwelup.
Their opening hours are am to 9pm Mon-Fri, Sat - 8am-5pm, Sun 11am -5pm.

Blue Potato and Corn Salad

This dish is based on the recipe I found in the book "Appetite for reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I changed a few things about it die to personal tastes, availability of some of the ingredients and time and effort involved. Basically, I made it a lot less spicy and took some shortcuts. The outcome was still very pleasing. Just be careful when cooking the potato, so they are not over done. I think I made mine a bit too soft.

What you will need:
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
900g blue (they look purple) potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp grapeseed oil (yes, you can get this at the supermarket)
1 tsp agave nectar (the light kind, not the dark)
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1 can beans, drained and rinsed. (I used black beans, but I think kidney beans or even a 5 bean mix would work.)
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
dash or two of paprika
1/4 cup roasted red capsicums, chopped
Mixed salad greens

Method:
Boil potatoes for 5-10 minutes, making sure they are cooked but still firm
Drain and place in a large bowl. Let cool.
Add capsicum, corn, and beans.
For the dressing, mix together in a small bowl, the vinegar, oil, agave, water and salt.
Add the dressing to the other ingredients and toss to coat. Add coriander and paprika and mix gently. Serve over mixed greens.