Lemongrass & Sweet Chilli Stir Fry

Serves 4

Cooking time ~ 40 minutes

You will need: Small sauce pan for broth; Medium sauce pan for rice; Wok

Ingredients:

For broth:

1 vegetable stock cube

1.5 cups water

1/8 cup vegetarian "oyster" sause (mushroom sauce - buy at Asian Grocers)

1/4 sweet chilli sauce

1 TBSP sesame oil

Juice of 1 lime

Lemongrass stalk - peeled (5cm piece of large stalk or several smaller ones cut into 5cm lengths)

1 TBSP minced ginger

350g packet plain tofu

For Wok:

1 TBSP sesame oil

1 TBSP minced garlic

3-4 shallots, diced

3-4 cups of vegetable pieces

Optional - fresh coriander

Rice:

2 cups basmati rice (uncooked) + 4 cups water (for cooking via absorption method) or alternatively rice for 4 serves cooked in other style of your choice.

Instructions:

- Dice tofu into 1cm cubes.

- In small saucepan combine stock cube and water and bring to boil to dissolve cube, then add other broth ingredients and mix well, add tofu cubes and simmer for 30 minutes.

- Put rice on to cook.

- Heat Wok and add sesame oil, add garlic and shallots, cook for 1-2 minutes, then scoop tofu pieces out of broth (reserve broth) and brown in pan.

- Add other vegetables and stir fry, when vegetables are still firm but cooked, add broth and stir fry for a further 2-3 minutes.

- Add fresh coriander if using and stir through

- Serve over rice.

Weeknight Burritos for One

SERVES: 2 Burritos

Cold Burritos

As little or as many of the below ingredients work well.....

1x small tin of four bean mix, drained well

1x small tin corn, drained well

½ small capsicum, diced

1 small carrot, grated

½ zucchini, grated

2-3 button mushrooms, diced

1-2 shallots, diced finely

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

1 tomato, sliced

½ avocado, sliced

jalapenos and olives, sliced

Sauces – Salsa and hummus

Wholemeal tortillas

Using 2x dinner plates, place all ingredients on one plate, ready for making your burritos, and the tortillas on another plate. Then for each burrito start with a spread of salsa on your tortilla, then hummus, then place ingredients on 1/3 of tortilla, then fold tortilla over ingredients and wrap edges so you can pick it up like a pocket.

Hot Burritos

½ cup re-fried beans (buy these in the supermarket isle with the mexican food kits, tacos, tortillas etc)

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

pinch of chilli powder

1x small tin of four bean mix, drained well

1-2 shallots, diced finely

½ small capsicum, diced

1 small carrot, grated

½ zucchini, grated

2-3 button mushrooms, diced

1 TBSP olive oil

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

1 tomato, sliced

½ avocado, sliced

jalapenos and olives, sliced

Sauces – Salsa and hummus

Wholemeal tortillas

In a large fry pan heat oil, then add shallots and re-fried beans, cook for 2-3 minutes, then add spices and four bean mix well, add capsicum, and mushrooms, cook for 2-3 minutes more, add carrot and zucchini and cook for 2 more minutes, then turn off heat.

Serve with tomato, avocado, lettuce and sauces as per cold burrito instructions.

Tofu Scramble & Tempeh Crumble

Serve on grilled or toasted sourdough

Tempeh Crumble and tomato
Tofu Scramble on Sourdough

Scramble cooking

I really must post my own tofu scrambled recipe, once I get around to actually writing down how I make it!!

But here is a recipe to start from, then it's up to you what you include.....I add savoury yeast flakes, some light soy sauce and tahini or tomato sauce, the tahini gives it a nice creamy taste. Serve on your fave bread, toast or sourdough.

Scramble Tofu according to the PPK

Enchilada Bake....stay tuned for the recipe

The finished product, ready for baking.
Final topping, a blend of home made hummus, avocado, cumin, and turmeric and paprika.
The 3rd and final layer, ready for sauce...
2nd layer
Building the enchilada - 1st layer of tortilla and filling
Enchilada filling cooked in the pan, ready to build the enchilada bake

Vegan Quiches - Sun Dried Tomato and Basil

Ingredients:

1 500g block plain firm tofu
1 cup vegetable stock
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup savory yeast flakes
3 stems shallots - diced
4 cloves roasted garlic - crushed and finely chopped
1 cup sun dried tomatoes (the oily type)
1 cup packed fresh basil
2 teaspoons paprika
Fresh black pepper
2 cups soy milk or rice milk
1 packet vegan shortcrust pastry (i.e. using veg oil based pastry, not butter)
Olive oil

Equipment:

large fry pan, preferably cast iron.
1 jumbo muffin tray
1 spray can of olive oil
1 blender
1 large mixing bowl
Oven heated to 180 degrees C

Directions:

In mixing bowl crumble the tofu well, using your hands to squeeze and crumble until no large chunks remain.

Heat olive oil in pan, and add shallots and tofu, cook until the tofu is browning slightly, for approximately 10 minutes. Add the stock to deglaze pan as required while tofu is cooking.

Stir tahini and savoury yeast flakes through tofu, then cook for a further 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let cool slightly.

In the blender, blend the sun dried tomatoes and basil a little, then add the cooled tofu mix.

Blend into a paste adding soy/rice milk a little at a time.

Shake in paprika and some fresh black pepper to taste.

Spray the muffin tin with the oil then line the muffin tin with a circle of defrosted pastry (use a cup the same size as the base of the muffin holes to cut out the base) then with two strips around the edges, overlapping with the base and with each other.

At the pastry edges press well so that there are no visible joins that can separate.

Fill each pasty cup with the tofu filling and smooth the top.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then add a slice of tomato to each quiche before baking for a further 10 minutes.

Garnish with a sprig of basil and serve with tomato sauce, a salad or baked veggies and white sauce (recipe below).

Pizza!

Home made pizza, using the pizza base recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance.

Apologies for the photo quality, no forward planning and night time makes for very unprofessional pictures.

My favorite toppings are fresh tomato paste and tomatoes, tofu basil 'ricotta' (from Vegan with a Vengeance) roasted pumpkin, roasted garlic, fresh basil and walnuts. Sprinkled with some savoury yeast flakes and drizzled lightly with tahini to finish.

Laksa inspired tofu marinade.

Laksa Tofu (right) (and meat-less balls, left)

I love laksa.

I found laksa powder in the Asian grocery and made up this tofu marinade to have an easy laksa fix without the guilt of half a liter of coconut cream that comes with a great laksa.

Serves 2-3 as a side serve of tofu with a wombok salad. Or on jasmine rice with steamed vegies.

Ingredients:

1 x 375g block of plain tofu
1 x 275ml tin of light coconut milk
2-3 tablespoons of laska powder (3 if you like it spicier)
3 - 4 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup hot water

Directions:

Press tofu well in tea towel to squeeze out the water so the tofu absorbs as much marinade flavor as possible. Then cut into 2cm cubes approx.

Prepare marinade by mixing coconut milk, laksa powder, peanut butter and hot water together in a tupperwear container until peanut butter and laksa powder have disolved and combined well. Using boiling water helps disolve the peanut butter.

Place cubed tofu in marinade and coat well, store in fridge over night or for as long as possible prior to cooking.

To cook: (In oven or on stovetop)

Oven bake - Pour marinade and tofu into pyrex baking dish or small lasagna dish and bake in oven at 180 degrees until most of liquid has been reduced, turning tofu occasionally and coating well in marinade. Bake until tofu has firmed and becomes slightly golden and some reduced marinade remains as a sauce.

Stove top - Pour marinade and tofu into large frypan or cast iron frypan and cook uncovered on medium-high, occasianlly stirring, until the marinade has reduced to a thick sauce and tofu has firmed and browned.

Potato Salad Recipe

Potato Salad (right) (with crispy noodle and wombok salad, left)

This is the same potato salad I made for the PPCR Camp in September, and I promised I would blog the recipe! Sorry it has taken until Christmas!

Ingredients:
10 - 12 small new potatoes (skin on) - cut into 1/4's
2-3 shallots - sliced very thin.
3 gloves garlic - minced
2-3 stalks celery - sliced thinly
2 TBS fresh thyme (2 teaspoons if using dried)

Dressing:
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (if unable to find Soy King brand mayo or don't want to make your own, the fat-free "Praise" brand is egg-free)
1/3 Cup pickle relish
1 TBS Dijon mustard (or 1 teaspoons mustard powder)

Directions:
Steam potatoes until tender, don't overcook, they should be a little firm still to not crumble when you mix the salad. Cool under cold running water when cooked.

Mix all dressing ingredients and garlic in large bowl. Stir with a fork to combine well.

Mix in celery, shallots, and thyme with dressing.

Add potatoes and mix with wooden spoon to coat well.

Chill in fridge until ready to serve.

Meat-less Balls

Great Christmas finger food, or for any occasion needing finger food really!

I modified the recipe for Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon (http://www.theppk.com/nomicon.html) for these.

INGREDIENTS: If you are referring to the Veganomicon recipe this is 4x that with a few modifications.

2 large tins of chickpeas, drained (4 cups)
8 TBS olive oil
2 cups vital wheat gluten (also called gluten flour -buy this at a produce deli or order in at health food store)
4 well crushed wheatbix (easier than breadcrumbs to have on hand)
1 cup vegetable stock
4 TBS soy sauce
4 TBS vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (no anchovies)
6 garlic cloves , pressed or grated
2 tps lemon zest
2 tps dried thyme
2 tps Hungarian paprika
1 tps dried rubbed sage
1/2 cup of plain flour for rolling balls in.
Canola oil for pan frying.

DIRECTIONS

Mash (or pulse in blender) the chickpeas and oil until no whole chickpeas remain.

Add wheatbix and pulse until well mixed - Unless you have a huge blender this will need to be done in 2-3 batches to get a proper mix.

Put all blended ingredients into large mixing bowl.

Add remaining ingredients (but not flour!) to chickpea mix and knead for 3-4 minutes until strings of gluten have formed.

Form little balls about the size of cherries or slightly larger and roll each ball lightly in the flour.

In a fry pan heat about 1cm of Canola oil and fry balls in batches.

Serve with toothpicks to pick up each meat-less ball and dip in mustard sauce, sweet chili sauce or tahini-miso sauce.