Raw Sushi

1/2 Head of Cauliflower
1/2 Avocado
1 Lebanese cucumber
1 Carrot
3 Raw Nori Sheets (normal nori sheets are fine)
Braggs or Tamari ( raw soy) 
Wasabi (not raw)

Place cauliflower in the food processor and zap until it resembles rice, julienne cucumber and carrot and slice avocado, place a layer of cauli in the middle of the nori sheet, then place all the other veg onto the cauliflower, roll up nori sheet and sprinkle a little water on the end to seal the roll. Pour a little Braggs in the rolls just before you eat them and a little wasabi to taste. Enjoy, I certainly do ;)

Pumpkin Soup

Ok so I know i've been winging about winter but one thing I do love is to snuggle up inside on a rainy day with my family and have a nice big bowl of soup with crusty bread yum, this pumpkin soup is a real favourite with my children.

Serves 4 main
6 Starters

800 grms Butternut Pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
200 grms Potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 Medium Brown Onions, diced
2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1TBS Water
4 Cups Veg Stock
1 TSP Curry Powder
1/2 TSP Nutmeg
1 TBS Honey (not vegan) or substitute with raw sugar
Pinch Ground Black Pepper

Fry onion and garlic in water

Add pumpkin, potatoes, Spices and Veg stock and bring to boil then simmer untill potato and pumkin are soft, whith a hand held blender wizz everything together to make a nice thick soup. yum

If you want a more creamy soup add a splash of soy milk to each bowl.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Well I must say, being a mum I thought i'd be smart and buy dried mushrooms just because you never really know whats going to happen and it's in the cupboard for an easy meal, never again they were awful but the mixture was yum if that makes sense fresh is best I think, I love fresh mushrooms they are so chunky and meaty for a vegan and add so much taste and density, But Fresh is Best in my opinion.

Serves 4

*1 Red Onion Peeled and Finely Diced

* 2 Tbs Water

*2 Cloves Crushed Garlic

* 125g Shiitake Mushrooms, Trimmed

* 4 Large Flat or Portobello Mushrooms,trimmed and thickly sliced

* 125g Chestnut Mushrooms some sliced some whole

* 150ml Soy Milk 

* Three Tbsp Fresh Parsley

Place the onion and water in a medium sized non stick fry pan and cook gently for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

Add Soy milk and cook for a further 5 minutes on medium heat.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve with brown rice YUMMMMMY  

Roast Vegetable Tofu Stack

Serves  4

300g Firm Tofu
1 Zucchini
1 Red Pepper
1 Sweet Potato
2 Roma Tomatoes
Garlic Salt
Mixed Herbs
1/2 Cup Passata (tomato puree)
4 Cubes Pesto (see one of my pesto recipes)

Preheat Oven 180 or 160 fan forced

Peel sweet potato and chop into matchbox size cubes, red pepper into quarters, tomatoes and zucchini length ways into four even slices, place all veg on a tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle mixed herbs and garlic salt to taste. Place in oven and roast for 20-25 Min's or until sweet pots are soft.

Place tofu in a steamer and steam for 5-8 Min's.

Heat Passata up in microwave or saucepan.

Once tofu and veg are ready slice block of tofu into two then slice both halves into 4 slices. Peel skin off red pepper and slice.  Lay one piece of tofu on a plate then spread pesto and a little passata, lay potato down then tomato and so on until you have one little neat stack you may need to slice the veg to make it neat depends on the size of your veg. Then do the same for the other three stacks.

Try and keep veg that your not using in the turned off oven because it tends to cool quickly also the tofu keep what not using in the in the steamer until needed, Serve on a bed of cous cous or brown rice

Broccoli and Corriander Pesto

I love Pesto and I was reading one of my favorite vegan blogs www.fatfreevegan.com and was inspired to find ideas for pesto's that have no oil in them and I remembered an Italian friend of my mums uses alot of broccoli in his pasta, obviously he has parmasan and EVOO in it but I thought I'd give it a go making a fat and dairy free pesto and to be honest it turned out really yum and kept it's lovely green colour without adding lemon to it. I mixed mine in with wholemeal pasta and king prawns it was fab, It made about 2 Cups so as I always do I put the rest into ice cube trays and froze it for easy meals when I can't be bothered to cook.

1 Medium Head of Broccoli
2 Loose Packed Cups of Corriander
1/2 Cup Pine Nuts
2 Cloves of Garlic (crushed)

Put all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. How easy and healthy is that.

Flat Mushrooms Stuffed with Pesto Mash

*4 Large Flat Mushrooms
*1/2 Red Onion Diced
*6 Medium Potatoes Peeled
*1 Tbs Soy Milk
*1 Tbs Water
*4 Cubes of Pesto (see walnut pesto recipe)
*1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs

First take 4 pesto cubes out of the freezer, and leave to defrost.

Boil 6 potatoes until soft, chop the stems of the mushrooms and dice, in a fry pan use the water to fry  the red onion and mushroom stems until soft.

In another bowl mash potatoes, then mix in soy milk, pesto, cooked onion and mushroom stems.

Evenly spoon the mash mixture into each mushroom cup then cover with bread crumbs.

Bake on a oven tray lined with baking paper at 180 or 160 fan forced for 20- 25 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.

Serve with your favorite veg or salad.

Walnut Pesto

Pesto is great to keep in the freezer for a quick meal with pasta. I always make a batch then put it into a ice cube tray so I can just pop a couple of cubes out if I can't be bothered to cook and there is so many different types of pesto you can make.

1 Cup Firmly Packed Basil Leaves
1/3 Cup Toasted Walnuts
1 Garlic Clove, Crushed
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
2 Tsp EVOO
1 Tbs Boiling Water

Place Basil Leaves, Walnuts and Garlic in food processor and blend, then while processing slowly add Oil, Water and Lemon Juice until Smooth.

Place in a Ice Cube tray and freeze use when needed.

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Lasagna

Red Sauce
*400g Sweet Potato, Peeled and Chopped
*1/2 Red Capsicum
*1  Brown Onion
*2 Cloves Garlic
*1 Tbsp Water
*1 1/2 Cups Red Lentils, Rinsed and Drained
*2 x 400g Tins Crushed Tomato
*2 Cups Vegetable Stock
*1 Handful Fresh Torn Basil

White Sauce
* 1 Whole Cauliflower
* 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
* 1/4 Cup Light Soy Milk

*1 Box of Dried Wholemeal Lasagna Sheets

Preheat oven to 200 or 180 fan forced. Place sweet potato on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15-20 min or until tender

Meanwhile chop Cauliflower into pieces and steam.

In another saucepan place chopped onion, chopped capsicum and garlic with the Tbsp of water and fry for around 5 mins until onion is clear. Add Lentils and cook for 30 secs. Add tomatoes and stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 mins or until lentils are tender. Add sweet potato to lentil mixture.

Once cauliflower is soft puree with hand held blender or food processor then add soy milk and nutmeg puree again until it resembles a cheese sauce.

Reduce oven to 180 or 160 fan forced. Spray large oven proof dish with a little EVOO spray and lay lasagna sheets down then red sauce then white sauce then another lasagna layer and keep going until you have reached the top. Sprinkle with ground black pepper and cook for 40-45 mins. Serve with nice crusty bread and salad.

Chickpea Burger with Zucchini Fries

Chickpea Burger

*410g Can Chickpeas, Drained and Rinsed

*410g Can Red Kidney Beans, Drained and Rinsed

*1 Carrot, Trimmed, Peeled and Grated

*1 Small Onion

*50g Pepitas or Sunflower Seeds

*2 Tbsp Tahini, Drained of any oil before measuring

*1 Garlic Clove, Peeled and Chopped

*1 Handful of Chopped Coriander

*1 Tbsp Vegetable Stock

Preheat oven to 180 or 160 fan forced and line tray with baking paper.

Place all ingredients in a food processor or with a hand-held blender and blend until all ingredients are well blended together.

Wet your hands and roll into burger size balls then place on tray and press down slightly with the back of a spoon to flatten.

Bake for 15-18 mins or until golden, take out of oven and alow to rest.

Use Wholemeal or Multi-Grain burger bun adding, lettuce,beetroot,avocado,grated carrot,red onion, tomato, or any salads you want.

Zucchini Fries

Slice zucchini into chip like strips,  coat with 1 egg replacer and then roll in bread crumbs.

Place them on a tray lined with baking paper and bake at 180 for 20-25 mins until they are soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside.

They are really nice with sweet chilli sauce.

ENJOY  

chickpea patties are based on Dr Jillian Mc Keiths recipe.

Mushroom Barley Risotto

Serves 4

*4 tbs Water (for frying)
*1 Large Red Onion
*2 Cloves of Garlic
*150 g of Barley Rinsed and Drained
*3 tsp or 3 cubes of Vegetable Stock
*200 g of Mushrooms (what ever type you like)
*2 tbs Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley


Heat pan with two tablespoon of water. Add the onion and garlic and cook over a low heat until soft but not coloured.

Stir in barley, add 1.5 litres of cold water and the stock.Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer until the barley is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.

Heat the remaining water in a small pan and cook the mushrooms for 3-5 minutes. Stir into the risotto with the freshly chopped parsley and serve.