Recipe #4 Spinach vegan-Ricotta cannelloni

This amazing recipe is from JAMIE; See for details his link
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/awesome-spinach-and-ricotta-cannelloni

I gave it a twist, veganizing it; so here's my recipe for 4:

• Olive oil
• Hot paprika powder
• Dry oregano
• Dry nutmeg (optional)
• 1 stock cube
• 600 gr of baby spinach leaves
• 2 cans of 400 g chopped tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 1 block silken tofu
• Mozzarella violife cheese, grated
• 12-15 cannelloni tubes
• 1 tablespoon of soy milk
• Nutritional yeast

In a wok add a bit of olive oil and place the baby spinach leaves on top. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Let the spinach cook until the leaves stick to each other. Drain the water and oil. Chop the spinach and transfer to a bowl; 

Prepare the tofu: 
in a food processor blend the tofu and the milk with some salt and pepper. Now add the tofu and the spinach leaves. Spoon this into a clean plastic bag and cut a SMALL tip off. Squeeze the mixture into a cannelloni tube very carefully and place the cannelloni in a oven proof dish.

Sauce: 

Blend the tomato cans with 2 tablespoons of dry oregano, salt, pepper and the stock cube. 

Now cover the cannellonis with the tomato sauce. Add grated violife cheese on top and 2-3 spoons of nutritional yeast. Let it cook in the oven around 30-35 minutes on 180oC.

Recipe #110 Lentil Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 can of green lentils
• 115gr dry chickpeas
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 red chilli (optional)
• 5 tablespoons of plain flour
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

Extra flour to dust your hands and either olive oil or sunflower oil to fry the burgers.

For a healthier version see below.

You'll need a food processor for this.

Start by placing the chickpeas in water for about 1-2h. Get a food processor and with the chopping blade chop the onion, the garlic cloves and the chilli. Now add chickpeas (drained) and the lentils (rinse well so they are loose). Blend again for about 1 minute.
Now add the lemon juice, olive oil, flour, cumin, salt and pepper. Blend until this forms a paste (around 2 minutes should be enough).

Flour your hands and with about 2 tablespoons of the burger mix shape this into a burger patty. 

1) For a healthier version of this recipe you can shape the burgers and place them on baking paper on an oven proof tray. You can bake them for around 20-25min on 180oC.

or you can fry them, just like meat burgers.
2) In a frying pan heat some oil and carefully place the burger shaped patty into the pan. With a skimmer carefully turn them so they fry on both sides. Around 4 minutes on each side should be enough to cook the burger and give it a golden colour.

The amount in this recipe makes 5 big burgers. Estimated cost for 5 burgers = under 40 cents (€) per burger.

Being vegan is expensive #1

1. Starter

Carrot cream soup

• 4 potatoes (1 kg costs 0,99 €)
• 3 carrots (1 kg costs 0,89€)
• 1 onion (1 kg costs 0,69€)
• 2 cups of baby spinach leaves (organic 200gr at 2,80€)
• salt
• Water
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (0,75 lt at 3,99€)

Total ingredients cost: 2,15 €

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2. Main Course

Lentil Bolognese

• 2 carrots (1 kg costs 0,89€)
• 125gr dry red lentils (500gr costs 1,19€)
• 1 onion (1 kg costs 0,69€)
• 1 Vegetable Stock (Knorr 8x at 1,99€)
• 1 can of plum tomatoes (Lidl at 0,39€)
• Fine salt
• pepper
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil (0,75 lt at 3,99€)
• 450 gr pasta Penne (Tesco at 0,49€)
• water

Total ingredients cost: 1,90 euros

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3. Dessert

Chocolate brownie

• 2 cups of flour (2kg at 1,29€)
• 2 cups of brown sugar (500gr at 1,49€)
• 1 cup of sunflower oil (1lt at 1,59€)
• 3/4 of cocoa powder (250gr at 3,39€)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• water
• 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (25ml at 3,19€)

Total ingredients cost: 3,40 euros

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Complete 3 course dinner for 4 people

=Estimate Total Dinner cost 7,45 euros=

Vegan Christmas Table

Merry Christmas to everyone, hope you are enjoying the holidays.
We had a quiet vegan Christmas eve dinner

Butternut squash & carrot soup:

Garlic butter, guacamole and olive tapenade:

Mini Falafel & hummus:

Butternut squash & carrots roasted with thyme ( in the back); bell peppers filled with couscous, peas & mini carrots:

Lentil & carrot gratin with violife cheese:

Mixed greens sautéed with garlic and pine nuts:

Mixed mushrooms au vin:

Chocolate Brownies:

Fruit:

Table: 

Recipe #66 Quorn Burger with caramelized onions

For this recipe I used Quorn Burgers, meat free

Shopping list

• 2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
• 4 big leaves of dark green cabbage, cut into small chunks
• 6 Brussels-sprouts
• 1/2 Courgette sliced finely
• 2-3 teaspoons of powder garlic (depending if you really like garlic)
• Olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
• 600 gr potatoes
• 1 onion
• balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• Nutmeg
• 2 full tablespoons of (vegan) butter

Method

For the greens check 

Recipe #65 Sauteed Greens

For the mash:

Boil the potatoes for about 20min in salt water. They should fall apart when you pierce them with a fork. Dran the water. Add the butter and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. A good dash of black pepper, salt, nutmeg. Mash it together.

For the burger: fry them for 5-8 minutes in olive oil. Take them out and use the same frying pan for the caramelized onions. Add a bit more olive oil and add the onion (chopped in thin loops). Let it get golden. Add a good dash of balsamic vinegar (2-3 tablespoons depending on the size of the onion) and the sugar. Let this thicken on medium heat. (2-5 minutes)

Cruelty Free Foie Gras

Check the recipe here 

Mushroom Mousse
1/4 cup finely diced white onions
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/2 cup unflavored soy milk
1 Tbsp. agar-agar
3 cups de-gilled and chopped portobello mushrooms
1/8 tsp. truffle oil
1/4 tsp. salt

• Cook the onions and 1 tablespoonful of vegan margarine on low for 15 minutes or until extremely soft.
• Add the soy milk and leave on low for 10 minutes, or until it comes to a boil.
• Add the rest of the vegan margarine (7 tablespoonfuls) to the pot and leave on low for 15 minutes, or until it comes to a boil.
• Add the agar-agar and whisk until it comes to a boil again (approximately 10 minutes).
• Remove from the heat and pour into a Vitamix or other high-powered blender and blend until very smooth and creamy.
• Add the mushrooms, truffle oil, and salt and blend for 2 to 3 minutes, or until creamy and fully incorporated. If the mixture is not silky smooth, pass through a fine mesh sieve or a chinois.
• Pour into a nonstick silicon cube mold and tap the mold a few times to ensure that the mousse has settled. Pour excess mousse over the top of the cube mold to make sure that there is no air trapped in any of the compartments and scrape the top to make sure that all the compartments are filled.
• Refrigerate for at least two hours, or until solid. Note: These directions are for preparation on an induction burner set between 1 and 2; if using a gas burner, set the flame as low as possible and keep an eye on the ingredients, as cooking times will likely be much shorter. Serving Suggestion: Spread the portobello mousse on truffled toast made from baguette slices. Place thinly sliced, grilled portobellos on top to give it more texture, and add peach and fennel compote for sweetness, if desired.

Makes approximately 9 servings

Recipe #65 Sauteed Greens

Easy Side dish !

Shopping list

• 4 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
• 6 big leaves of dark green cabbage, cut into small chunks
• (you can add more greens such as asparagus, kale, green beans, white cabbage, leek)
• 2-3 teaspoons of powder garlic (depending if you really like garlic)
• 2 tablespoons of oil (I like walnut or olive oil, use nut oil if you want to add nuts later)
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne powder
• freshly ground black pepper (5x turns)
• a pinch of sea salt 

Method

In a wok heat the oil and the greens. When you hear it start cooking add the seasoning and keep moving them so they won't stick and burn.

After 5-10 minutes all vegetables should be cooked and you can serve (be sure to use the remaining oil from the pan as this is full of flavour and, of course, garlic taste!) 

Recipe #64 Falafel Burger (no frying needed)

Similar to recipe #22 -  Falafel

Shopping list

• 100gr of dry chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons of dry parlsey
• cayenne pepper

Method

Place the dry chickpeas in water for 4-8 hours. Rinse well and drain the water. Place them in a food processor with all the other ingredients. Chop in the food processor till it is a nice thick paste. Place in the fridge for about 1h. 
Put some flour onto your hands and make little patties of the mixture. It should be enough for about 3-4 patties. 
Cover an oven proof tray with some baking paper and place the patties onto it. Let them cook for 30 min on 220 oC. Turn them after 15-20min.
They will be cooked and crunchy on the outside.

I served with homemade hummus

Recipe #63 Roasted vegetables with cinnamon

Similar to

Recipe #3 Vegetable Couscous (vegan)

Shopping list (4 portions)

• 1 cup of dry couscous
• turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 carrots
• 1 courgette
• 1/2 butternut squash
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves

Method 

I cut the vegetables into big chunks and placed them in a wok with a big of olive oil (+- 1 tablespoon)

Seasoned with salt, pepper, cinnamon (1 teaspoon) and cayenne pepper till they were getting roasted on the outside.  (this pre roasting in a pan or wok gives the vegetables more flavour, you can use whatever vegetables you like: asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc)
Then I transferred everything into an oven proof dish and left it to roast on 250oC for 30min. At the end I added 1 mug of water and half a vegetable stock cube (optional 1 cup of frozen peas and 1/2 can chickpeas)

In a big bowl I added 1 cup of dry couscous with some turmeric and 1/2 vegetable stock cube. I poured over this 2 cups of boiling water, stirred a bit, not too much as you don't want to loose the steam. Cover this as soon as you can with a cloth or dish and let it be for around 5 min. When this is done you will have nice fluffy cooked couscous.
Serve the vegetables on a couscous bed.

Almond Milk, make your own !

Check out on WikiHow

You'll need:

• 1.5 cups or 220 grams of raw almonds (unsalted, uncooked)
• 3 cups of spring water, plus water for soaking
• 1 vanilla bean; scoop out the seeds; alternatively, use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract

1. Soak the almonds in water overnight. Do this for at least 8 hours, up to about 12 hours.
2. Blend the almonds in 4 cups of fresh spring or filtered water. Add the vanilla extract and continue blending until well mixed.
3. Sweeten to taste if desired. 
4. Strain. This is very important or you will be drinking almond pulp as well as the milk. Using something like a very fine strainer or sieve, or several layers of cheesecloth (muslin), pour the almond milk through the filter into a large bowl underneath. The filter will retain the almond pulp and the liquid will go through.
5. Store. Almond milk can be kept in the refrigerator for 4-7 days, covered. 

Recipe #62 Cottage Pie

Shopping list

• 1,200 kg potatoes
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons dry parsley
• 1 can tomato
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 big onion
• 1/4 cup chopped leek
• Vegetable stock cube
• 100 gr chopped mushrooms
• 300 gr Mince Quorn
• soy milk
• 3 tablespoons of vegan butter
• frozen peas

Method

In a food processor chop the carrot, onion, garlic and leek.
Peel the potatoes, cook them in salt water for about 20-25min or until they are soft.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the vegetables and the mince quern. Season and add the tomato can, use this can as measuring glass.
Add 1 and 1/2 cans of water and the stock cube. 1 can of frozen peas. Let it cook for about 5min and add the mushrooms. Let it cook on medium heat for about 15min.

Mash the potato and add 1/4 of can of soy milk, 3 tablespoons of vegan butter, salt, black pepper and nutmeg.

Place the quorn mix in an ovenproof dish (be careful with adding too much liquid), cover with the mash potatoes and place it in the oven for 15min on 180o C.

Recipe #61 Fresh Guacamole

Ingredients 

1 very ripe avocado,

4 mini plum tomatoes,

1/4 onion (or less, if you don't like onion taste),

1 tablespoon of lemon juice,

1/2 teaspoon sea salt,

1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Blend everything in a food processor. Serve with tortillas or Doritos ! Cheap, easy, healthy and fresh ! :) enjoy!

Recipe #60: Black Bean Burger

Similar to recipe #22 -  Falafel

Shopping list

• 100gr of soaked chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4-5 tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 can black beans
• 2 cloves of garlic
• cayenne pepper
• sunflower oil (2 -4 tablespoons)

Method

Place the dry chickpeas, half the can of beans (drained), the olive oil, the lemon juice, the seasoning, the onion, the garlic cloves and half of the flour into a food processor. Chop until it's a smooth (grey) paste. Now add the remaining beans and flour.
Place this paste into the fridge for some hours so it doesn't fall apart when you try to mould it into burgers.
Sprinkle some flour onto a dish and spoon some of the bean paste into the shape of a burger - I used a cookie cutter to help. Sprinkle the top with flour again (or flour and sesame seeds).
In a pan heat some sunflower oil and fry slightly the burger on both sides (1-2 minutes per side should be enough).

Serve inside a burger bun, with salad (picture), fries... whatever you like. 

Recipe #59: (vegetarian) Quorn Farfalle

Shopping list

• 200gr Pasta (here I used Farfalle)
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 package of Mince Quorn "meat"
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 200ml of vegetable stock
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Dry parsley
• 150gr baby spinach leaves

Method 

Cook the pasta: bring 1litre of water to boil, sprinkle with sea salt and throw in the pasta. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes and drain the water. Keep about 2-3 tablespoons of the water in the pasta so that it won't get sticky - this way you'll have perfectly cooked and loose pasta.

For the sauce: chop the 1/2 onion finely and in a saucepan heat it in some olive oil. Add the frozen mince Quorn and season well. (2 teaspoons of black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons of powder garlic, 3 teaspoons of dry parsley).Stir well till the Quorn isn't frozen anymore.

Add the can of chopped tomatoes and use this as a measuring glass: fill about half of the can with water and add it to the sauce. Now add a stock cube (like mentioned before I use Knorr Vegetable Stock Pot). Stir well, cover and let it cook for about 5-8 minutes on medium heat.

Add the washed baby spinach leaves and the pasta and let it cook on high heat about another 1-2 minutes.

You can serve like this or sprinkled with parmesan.

You will impress your guests with vegan pasta that looks and tastes like meat !

Vegan Sushi

I never liked sushi. Never. The idea of raw meat is something that doesn't really make me salivate. Now, not eating meat at all, gives me a great excuse to not even to there. But I found vegan sushi, and oh it's good... Really good. I leave you with some pictures: avocado, tofu and cucumber sushi, cucumber and wasabi sushi and strawberry sushi covered in chocolate. The chocolate sushi is nice but it's somewhat strange to eat rice with chocolate, it's different but nice to taste the sweetness of the strawberry inside the sushi.

If you are in Ireland, pay them a visit at RAW - Sushi in the Sky

Recipe #58 Mushroom and Vegetables Stroganoff

Shopping list

• 3/4 cup of basmati rice
• 4 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1/4 cup of wild rice
• (optional) 1/2 finely chopped red paprika or medium chilli 
• 350 gr mixed mushrooms ( chestnut mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and white mushrooms)
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 small package of vegan cream (I used Alpro soy cream)
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Dry parsley
• 150ml white wine
• 1 cup of peas ( frozen ones work well)

Method 

For the rice: add 2 cups of water and get it to boil. Add a pinch of salt and the cup of rice and lower the heat. When almost all the water has evaporated, turn off the heat and cover the pan. Please note that the black grains of the wild rice usually take longer to cook and might be more al dente than the rest. If you don't like this, place the wild rice first into the boiling water, let it cook for 5min and then add the basmati rice.

For the stroganoff:

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan or wok (big enough for the mushrooms) and fry the onion till it's golden. Throw in all the mushrooms cut in different shapes (some in quarters, other sliced etc) so you have nice texture in the stroganoff. Season the mushrooms and add another 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir and after 2-3 minutes cover them with the wine and season well again. Let this cook on medium heat for about 10min so it makes a nice sauce.

Now add the cream and the parsley and let this thicken for another 10min (add 1 tablespoon of cornflour if needed, but it shouldn't need if you let it long enough on medium/low heat). Near the end add the peas to bring color and texture to this dish.

Serve on a bed of mixed rice.

Recipe #55 Bean Pot

Similar to recipe #26

Shopping list (4 portions)

• 1 can mix beans in water
• 1 can red beans in water
• 1 tomato passata
• 200 ml hot water
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 medium fresh tomatoes 
• Handful of fresh coriander
• 2 medium carrots (optional)
• Sprinkle of sugar
• Sprinkle of chilli flakes (optional)
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Method 

Chop the vegetables and open the cans, get everything ready.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and ass the onion and garlic (I leave them whole so I can take them out before serving but you can chop the garlic and leave it in, it's up to you). When they are golden add the peppers and tomatoes and stir well. Add the beans, passata, coriander and water (sprinkle the sugar). Season with salt & pepper.

Cover and let it boil for 10-15 min to thicken.

In another saucepan heat 2 cups of water and sprinkle with salt. Let it boil and add the basmati rice. After 10-12 min turn off the heat and cover so that the rice can finish.

Serve the beans on a bed of rice and decorate with coriander and bell peppers.