Mains
DIY Tofu (Vegan Gluten-free)
You will need a cheesecloth, (you can buy these for $2-3 from any supermarket, look in the cleaning section for a folded up cotton stocking which you can cut open to make your cheesecloth), a colander, a candy thermometer, and for the last step, a large takeaway container with holes drilled in the bottom. If you don't have one use the colander but the tofu will be a round shape.
1 1/2 c dried soy beans
2 t Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) or 2 1/4 t granular or powdered nigari or 4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice or 2 t liquid nigari
- soak the dried soya beans in 4 1/2 cups water for 8 hours or overnight
- blend the soaked beans with their soaking water in a blender until they are finely ground
- bring 5 c water to the boil in a large pot and when boiling add the ground beans
- bring this mixture to a low simmer and cook for about 5-8 minutes
- stir constantly as this mixture will produce a lot of foam which will engulf your stove. Stirring constantly keeps the foam down.
- take off the heat and strain through a cheesecloth lined colander. This will take about 5 minutes. Squeeze the pulp to force as much liquid as possible from the bean pulp. Take care as it will be hot! Discard the pulp ( this can be used as a pulp in other dishes such as burgers or feed to pets) and give the cheesecloth a rinse, squeeze excess water out and line the colander with it again.
- now you have hot soy milk. Clean out the pot you boiled the blended beans in and place the soy milk into it. Bring the soy milk up to 65C. (Use a candy thermometer.)
- dissolve the Epsom salts in 1 c of slightly warm water (the more coagulant you use the firmer the tofu) then add to the warm soy milk. Stir to combine then let it stand 15-20 minutes.
- ladle the (now curdled) soy milk into the cheesecloth-lined colander to drain for 15-20 mins. Gently lift the cheesecloth and curds within and place them in the takeaway container or colander. Place a plate on top. Fold the cheesecloth over the tofu curds and weight down for an hour. You can put something heavy on top of the plate such as a tin of baked beans to make firmer tofu.
- remove the tofu from the cheesecloth, gently rinse under cold water and store in a container, covered in fresh cold water. Will keep a week if the water is changed daily.
Eggplant sambal (Vegan)
This recipe is from Flip Grater's The Cookbook Tour.
2 medium-sized eggplants
4 tomatoes
6 garlic cloves
½ bunch fresh coriander, finely sliced
1 knob fresh ginger
1 TBs tamarind paste
1 chilli
Salt, to taste
3 TBs dark soy sauce
½ tsp paprika
1 TBs brown sugar
Oil
Soak tamarind in about 200mls boiling water. While the tamarind is soaking, prick the eggplant and score the tomatoes so they don’t explode. Place in a roasting dish with a slug of oil and the unpeeled garlic cloves and roast at 180C, turning occasionally, until squidgy, about (20-30 minutes).
Vegetable Bake (Vegan)
This recipe is from Pam Bidwell's New Zealand book Living a Good Life.
Potato, kumara, pumpkin, carrots, parsnips, swede, mushrooms, 1 can of chickpeas, olive oil, sesame seeds, yeast flakes, salt and garlic
• cut the vegetables up into cubes
• drain the chickpeas
• put them into the hot olive oil in a roasting dish in the oven
• add in yeast flakes, sesame seeds, salt and garlic cloves
• slowly roast
Lentil Dahl (Vegan Gluten-free)
This recipe is from Pam Bidwell's New Zealand book Living a Good Life.
1 cup red lentils
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp salt
3 cups water
3 Tbs margarine
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli powder (optional)
1 Tbs lemon juice
• wash the lentils and soak the lentils in the morning (in the stated 3 cups of water) - although this is not necessary, it has the benefit of boosting the lentils vitamin and mineral content plus reducing cooking time.
• soak the lentils in the morning (in the stated 3 cups of water). Although this is not necessary, it has the benefit of boosting the lentils vitamin and mineral content plus reducing cooking time.
• melt the margarine in a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the onion and garlic and saute over a gentle heat until the onion is soft
• add all the spices and salt and saute for 1 or 2 minutes
• now add the lentils (including any residual water) and lemon juice
• bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 15-20 minutes
• stir regularly and add extra water if necessary
• can be served on rice or with chapatis
Cashew Nut Roast with Herb Dressing (Vegan)
50gm margarine
1 large onion
225gm unroasted cashews
100gm white bread
2 large garlic cloves
200ml water or stock
salt and pepper
grated nutmeg
1TB lemon juice
Stuffing: 100gm white breadcrumbs
50gm margarine
1 small onion, grated
½ tsp. thyme
½ tsp. marjoram
25gm parsley, chopped
• preheat the oven to 200C
• line a 450gm/1lb loaf tin with paper and grease with some of the margarine
• fry the onion in the margarine for 10 minutes at a low heat until soft but not browned
• grind the cashews in a food processor, then remove and process the bread until it is in crumbs
• place all other ingredients in the food processor and mix
Stuffing:
• process the bread in the food processor until it is crumbed
• add other stuffing ingredients and mix well
• put half of the cashew mix into the tin, top with the stuffing, then put the rest on top
• stand the loaf tin in a baking tray to catch any oozing oil, and bake for about 20 minutes until firm and browned
• remove from the oven, let stand for a few minutes, then slip a knife around the sides of the tin and turn out
Brocolli with Mustard Seed Dressing (Vegan Gluten-free)
4 tsp. white wine vinegar
½ tsp. salt
2 TBs coarse whole grain mustard
½ cup olive oil
4 cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed
• combine all the ingredients (except the broccoli) in a jar with a tight fitting lid
• shake vigorously until well mixed
• pour over the hot broccoli
• serve immediately
Cauliflower Paratas (Vegan Gluten-free)
One medium sized cauliflower grated
One cup and a bit of chapatti flour
2-3 TBs vegetable oil
some spice, chilli powder and salt
To Prepare the dough
• Add 1/3 cup water to 1 cup flour and mix to make reasonably soft dough. Add a bit water if needed.
To Prepare the cauliflower for filling
• Heat 1TBs of oil in a saucepan and add the spice, after a minute add grated cauliflower.
• Add salt and chilli power and mix well
• Cook for 5min and keep aside to cool
Making the paratas
• Take a little bigger than golf ball size dough and divide into two parts. Roll them separately to a size of ~ 5 inches diameter. Place one on the rolling board and spread 2TBSP full prepared cauliflower.
• Place the second chapatti over it and roll it gently to another 2 inches size.
• Heat fry pan and fry with a bit of oil.
• Eat with yogurt or tomato sauce
• Serves 4
Channa Dahl (Vegan)
1 cup channa dahl
1 tbspn oil
1/2 tspn vata churna (optional: Ayurvedic spice mixture)
1/4 tspn kapha churna (optional: Ayurevdic spice mixture)
1 tspn mustard seeds
2 - 3 cinnamon bark sticks
2 cloves
garam masala
2 tspns turmeric
1 tbspn freshly grated ginger
1/4 - 1/2 cup dessicated coconut, fine
1 tspn rock salt
juice of 2-3 lemons
• Wash dahl in water and soak for at least 30 minutes before boiling
• Take a big heavy pot, boil dahl with churnas for at least 30 minutes
• Blend to a smooth consistency with a blender stick
• In a small heavy pot, heat oil and fry mustards seeds until they pop, then add grated ginger, cinnamon bark, cloves, dessicated coconut and garam masala and fry until golden brown.
• Add to dahl and cook over low heat for at least 60 minutes
• Add salt and lemon juice just before serving.
Croustade of Mushrooms (Vegan)
Base:
125g soft breadcrumbs
125g ground nuts
50g margarine
125g flaked almonds/pine kernals/hazelnuts
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ tsp mixed herbs
Topping:
500g mushrooms, sliced
50g margarine
2 heaped Tb flour
400ml (more or less) soya milk
salt and pepper to taste
grated nutmeg
4 tomatoes, sliced
1 Tb chopped parsley
• Make the base by mixing together the breadcrumbs and ground nuts
• Rub in the margarine as for pastry.
• Add flaked almonds and mix. Then add garlic and herbs.
• Mix well, then firmly press down in a flat ovenproof dish or swiss roll tin.
• Bake in a hot oven 230C for 15-17 minutes until crisp and golden.
• For the topping, saute the mushrooms in margarine until tender, add flour, stir and remove from the heat.
• Stir in the milk, return to the heat and stir as it thickens. Simmer for 10 mins on low. Season.
• Spoon mix on top of the base, top with tomatoes. Bake for 10-15 minus to heat through. Top with parsley.
• NB if you don’t like mushrooms, make the topping by replacing the mushrooms with 2 cups of finely sliced leeks and corn kernals. Add 2 tsp of vegetable stock powder.
Felafals (Vegan Gluten-free)
1 cup chick peas, soaked
1 bunch chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 finely minced onion
1 tb cumin
• grind the chick peas until fine
• add in all other ingredients and combine
• form small balls and fry in oil
Garlic and Salt Concertina Potatoes (Vegan Gluten-free)
6 medium sized roasting potatoes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
sea salt, freshly ground
150gm margarine, melted
• wash potatoes
• with a sharp knife, make parallel cuts width ways along the potatoes about 2/3 deep (as the potatoes bake, they will open out slightly to give a concertina effect)
• mix the margarine and the garlic together
• paint the tops with the garlic margarine
• sprinkle with salt and bake for 60 minutes at 200C, basting again after 30 minutes
Ginger Glazed Carrots (Vegan Gluten-free)
450gm carrots, cut into sticks (5-8cm long)
1 TB chopped root ginger
1 tsp. maple syrup
1 TB margarine
• place carrots and ginger in a pan with ½ c water
• simmer, covered for 10 minutes or until the carrots are just soft and water is just evaporated
• add the margarine and maple syrup and cook uncovered for a further 2-3 minutes, gently tossing occasionally to coat the carrots evenly in the glaze
• serve
Nut Bake (Vegan Gluten-free)
200 grams peanuts
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup mixed vegetables (eg corn kernels, peas, chopped onion, diced carrots)
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 small cup soy milk
1 tablespoon soy flour
• Chop peanuts finely (in a food processor, if possible) and put in a bowl.
• Add the breadcrumbs, vegetables and soy sauce.
• Measure the milk and stir in the soy flour until it’s dissolved, then pour into bowl and and mix everything together thoroughly.
• Grease a small casserole dish and add mixture, pressing it down and smoothing the top. Bake at 175 degrees C for 45-50 minutes. It’s nice with a vegan gravy.
Polenta & Nut Burgers (Vegan Gluten-free)
600mls/1 pint water
100g instant polenta
1 tbsp peanut butter
½ tsp salt
Ground pepper
Small dash of tamari
175g cooked bulghur
65g finely chopped salted peanuts
Oil for brushing
Bring water to boil and stir in instant polenta, peanut butter tamari and seasoning. Cover and reduce to simmer on very low heat for 30mins stirring frequently. Cool in the pan and allow to stiffen. When luke warm mix in the bulghur wheat and nuts. Shape into 10 8-10 patties and chill in fridge for 30mins. Brush with oil and pan-fry until lightly browned. Serve with HP sauce or sweet chilli sauce and with a sprig of parsley.
Potato Cakes (Vegan Gluten-free)
350g mashed potatoes
Salt
White pepper
¼ tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp rice flour
½ tsp celery seeds
Oil
• Make some mashed potato with Olivani margarine and a dash of So Good Essential soymilk and
• mix in salt, pepper, mustard and chopped parsley.
• Cool the potato mixture completely.
• Season the rice flour with salt, pepper and celery seeds and spread it evenly onto oven-proof baking paper.
• Shape the potato mixture into patties and cover with the flour.
• Fry in oil in a cast iron pan, turning once, until browned on both sides.
Serve with a light salad and Delmaine plum sauce.
Spaghetti Bolognese (Vegan Gluten-free)
1 or 2 x Gloves of Garlic
1 x Onion or 2 x Shallots
1 x 415g can of Sanitarium Casserole Mince
Can of Tomato Puree
Can of Tomato Paste
a few Bay Leaves
Oregano (fresh or dried)
Pasta of your choice (spaghetti, fettuccine etc)
• First of all you need to heat a good-sized saucepan. Then when its at a medium temperature, put in a small amount of olive oil; you can add the onion and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes.
• Then put in the casserole mince and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes. Lastly add the tomato paste and puree plus bay leaves and oregano and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. This is also the time to add the chillies if you like to hot things up.
• While that is cooking you can boil the pasta you have chosen.
• Take the bay leaves and chillies out of the bolognese before serving. For the more adventurous you can leave the chillies in and eat them whole.
• Once the pasta is cooked and drained, arrange a circle of pasta on each plate, topped with bolognese and cheese on top if you eat it. You could also make this into Chilli Con Carne by removing the herbs, adding chillies and a can of either mild or hot chilli beans.
• You can also use this mince as a substitute for use in Old El Paso taco/enchilada etc meal kits.
Tofu Burgers (Vegan)
This recipe won Gaynor Asquith the 2005 Christchurch Vegetarian Centre best burger taste test competition. Scoring 35.63 out of 40, it appealed on all levels. It looked great, is fast to prepare and is the perfect all round burger. It could be put in a sandwich, burger bun, BBQ or dinner plate. Because it is baked, it also provides a low fat option.
1 Pkt Firm Tofu (approx. 300g)
1/3 C Sago (soaked in warm water for 15minutes)
1 Clove Crushed Garlic
1t Garam masla
1t Ground Coriander
1t Curry Powder
4T Peanut Butter (can use tahni)
4T Toasted Sesame Seeds
1C Grated Carrot
1/3 C Tomato Paste
2T Tamari (or soya sauce)
½ C Fresh Parsley leaves (or Coriander)
extra Sesame Seeds for coating patties (approx. 1/2C).
• strain the sago in a sieve, making sure you push out the excess water
• place all ingredients in a food processor. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until well combined
• form into patties and coat them with sesame seeds
• place patties onto a lightly floured oven tray and bake at 180_C for 15-20 minutes
• change spices and herbs to suit taste.
• this recipe makes approximately 10 large patties.
Divine Deep Dish Vegan Pizza (Vegan)
from Vegnews magazine August 2011
2 tsps active dry yeast (or 4 tsps surebake yeast)
4 ¼ cups white flour
½ c olive oil
4 tsps salt
1 tsp maple syrup
2 c raw cashews
¼ c lemon juice
1 c water
1 tsp vinegar (rice or cider)
Toppings – your fav pizza sauce and other toppings such as sun dried tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion (coated in olive oil to prevent burning), chopped olives, peppers, mushrooms, corn, pineapple, artichoke hearts etc
1. in a small bowl dissolve yeast in warm water and let it stand 10 mins
2. in a large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour, ¼ cup oil, 2 tsps salt, syrup and yeast mixture.
3. stir in the rest of the flour, ½ c at a time, stirring well after each addition
4. continue to mix well until dough comes together completely and stir for ten mins to knead the dough (the dough will be quite soft, unlike bread dough)
5. cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm area for 45 mins
6. preheat the oven to 260C
7. in a blender, process cashews, 2 tsps salt, lemon juice, 1 cup water and vinegar til smooth
8. in a 30cm cake tin, spread 2 tbs olive oil evenly over the bottom and sides. Press dough along the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides so that the thickness is consistent throughout the pan. Spread another 2 tbs of oil onto dough. Add pizza sauce and toppings, and then pour cheese sauce over the top.
9. Bake for 18 mins.