Tag Archives: vegan

Vegan meatballs, amazing texture.

These vegan meatballs are the perfect base for all your favorite dishes. This recipe is without sauce or gravy because they are meant to be as a base for other recipes, like Spaghetti and meatballs, Swedish meatballs, meatball Curry with rice or a great meatball sandwich for instance.

A vegan meatball that has the texture of actual meat. Holds together, not mushy like most, but firm and with bite. I made these one night with mashed potatoes in Swedish meatballs style and the next night I poured a sticky honey chili maple glaze over them and served them over rice. They freeze well too, you could easily make a double batch and always have a supply for a quick dinner fix.
So whether you’ re a vegetarian, a vegan or simply trying to eat more veggies, these are a great option and you really need to try them.

Makes around 24 meatballs.
Serves 4-6. Double if needed.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup tvp* see not (I use pea tvp)
1/4 cup chopped dehydrated vegetables (mix for soup)**see note
1/2 onion chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 vegetable stock cube, crumbled fine
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup quick oats
2 tbsp pine nuts (optional but delicious)
A dash of liquid smoke
A dash of franks hot sauce
1/2 tsp vegan Worchestershire sauce
Pepper
2 tbsps ground flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water, or 2 eggs

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook lentils and tvp in a bit of salted water for around 5 minutes, or until almost soft, but still semi firm. Drain in a colander and return to the pan, add the dehydrated veggies, they will absorb the excess water. Set aside and let cool.
Cook onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes until soft. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl mix, lentil-tvp-veg mixture with onion and garlic.
Add all the remaining ingredients and let sit for 5 minutes, now grab a ball of the mixture with your hand and gently squeeze to see if it holds. Add a splash of water if it seems too dry or add a bit more flour if it seems too wet.
Shape into balls, the size of a ping pong ball approximately.
Place in refrigerator for two hours before baking to firm up.
Pre heat oven to 220C/450F.
Place balls on a silicone baking sheet and spray with oil (or drizzle over).
Bake 15 minutes turning halfway.
Use straight away with your favorite sauce or let cool and store in ziplock bag in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.

Enjoy!

tvp stands for texturized vegetable protein
** Amazon sells a Deluxe Vegetables Soup Blend.

5 minute Romesco Sauce, cheats version

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Romesco Sauce is a Spanish pepper and tomato based sauce from the region of Cataluña, that dates back to the 15 th century, thanks to Christopher Columbus who brought back the Romesco peppers from his travels in the America’s which are the base for this sauce.
You can find Romesco sauce everywhere in Spain, it’s very popular and can be eaten with everything from just bread to grilled fish, grilled meat or vegetables.

The original version is with dried peppers, almonds, some times hazelnuts as well, bread, garlic etc…
I have come up with a cheats version that can be done in 5 minutes and it is addictively delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

6 tbsp. Olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 jar roasted red bell peppers (15 oz. jar / 500 ml), drained
1/4 cup almond butter (the roasted kind)
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
1/3 cup parsley, roughly a handful
1-2 tsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. salt
fresh black pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika (preferably the Spanish kind)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the sun dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Let sit for five minutes then drain.
On medium heat, fry onion and garlic in two tablespoons of oil, until light golden and just soft. Let cool a bit.

In a food processor, add the pepper, the onions and garlic, almond butter, drained sun dried tomatoes, parsley, vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika and the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
Turn on the food processor and blend until smooth. That’s it!

I use only one teaspoon of vinegar but you can add more depending on how acidic you like it.

The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about five days in a glass container or jar, but I can assure you, you will be putting it on everything.

Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread, gluten free

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This vegan chocolate zucchini bread is a game-changer. It’s perfectly sweet, and dare I say it…moist (ughh, I just can’t with this word) and has a rich chocolate flavor. It’s soft and bouncy, tender and just everything you want from a banana bread.

Morning, noon or as a dessert, it’s always good and just perfectly delicious.

I wanted to create a Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Banana bread that would have all the characteristics of a regular Banana bread, but without is either falling apart or being too dense, which can be a challenge since it is gluten-free too. Guess what?…nailed it…LOL.

The trick is the combo of flax flour and Psyllium husk powder, it’s like magic. I use in my gluten-free breads too and honestly, it works every time. A great plus about this recipe is that you can skip squeezing out the zucchini altogether, there’s no point in removing liquid first and then adding it back in later. Also, a waste of perfectly healthy zucchini “juice”.

For this recipe I created my own gluten-free flour blend and I haven’t tested it with any other ready-made GF blend, but I imagine it would work too. You may need to add a little more or less liquid, depending on the flour you use. As for the chocolate chips, (I feel like I’m confessing to a crime…but) I didn’t use any, I opted for cocoa nibs instead but feel free to throw in a handful of real chocolate chips if that’s your game.

GLUTEN FREE FLOUR BLEND*:

1/2 cup Corn flour (not starch)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup tapioca four
1/2 cup corn starch

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup grated zucchini (280 gr. / 10 oz. ) about 1 medium/large
1 cup bananas mashed, about 2 large or 3 medium
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup rice syrup
1 tsp. plain vinegar
2 cups gluten free flour blend
1/3 cup cocoa
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. psyllium husk powder
2 tsp. flax flour
1/3 cup cocoa nibs or 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a buttered loaf tin 22 cm/9″ with parchment paper.

Start by grating the zucchini with a medium grater into a large bowl. Set aside for a minute.

In a blender add bananas, apple sauce, olive oil, vanilla, syrup and vinegar, blend until smooth.

Pour over the zucchini and mix thoroughly so that you don’t get zucchini clumps.

In another bowl mix the flour with the (sifted) cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, flax flour and psyllium husk powder. Mix by stirring with a whisk.

Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to combine without over mixing.

Sprinkle in the cocoa nibs or chocolate chips and mix gently into the batter.

Pour batter into prepared loaf tin, smooth out the top of the batter with a small spatula and place in the middle of the oven.

Bake for about 60 minutes, insert wooden skewer to check, if it comes out dry it’s done.

Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. Remove from loaf tin, leaving on the parchment paper and let cool completely before cutting.

This loaf will keep for 3 to 4 days, or you can slice and freeze individual portions.

Enjoy!

NOTES :

*you will have a little flour left over. Alternatively make a double batch and use for gluten free pancakes or any other baked goods.

** You don’t need extra liquid in this recipe, the zucchini, apple sauce and oil are enough.

Greek Salad Bowl with Tempeh

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With summer on it’s way and plenty of seasonal veggies available, salads become more than just a green side dish. A complete meal that is nutritious and delicious, a colorful, bountiful platter full of goodness. This Greek salad bowl with Tempeh is a complete meal, with fresh grilled veggies, quinoa, feta, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, tempeh and more. And an amazing Lemony garlic Dressing with lots of fresh herbs to drizzle over the top. Basically a Greek Super Salad.

We eat this Salad for lunch or dinner as a complete meal since It’s really filling and delicious. You can serve this Greek Salad with some grilled Pita bread or even French bread. It also keeps quite well for a few hours, so you can put it in a Tupperware and take it along on a Picknick.
There’s a little prep involved but not more that you would usually have for dinner. This is after all a complete meal. Perfect for Spring and Summer.

Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
Serves : 4

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 1 eggplant, cut into cubes
• 2 red peppers, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried thyme or a few sprig of fresh thyme
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup cubed cooked (left-over) Tempeh*
• Salad leafs of all kinds and as much as you want
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, yellow and red
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cubed
• 2 red onions, peeled and sliced*
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata black olives
• 4 ounces Greek Feta cheese torn into pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs like parsley, chives, basil
LEMON FOR SERVING
• Soak the red onions in lemon juice for about 15 minutes so they loose their sharpness if you prefer.

DRESSING:

1 juice of one Lemon
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. honey
1/2 cup (Greek) extra virgin Olive oil,
1 small Garlic clove minced or grated
1 tbsp. fresh Basil, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh Dill, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh Parsley
1/2 tsp. Onion powder
1 tsp. Oregano, dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

*If you don’t like tempeh sub for canned tuna or cooked chicken or even hard boiled eggs.

DIRECTIONS:
To make the Dressing, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, honey and mustard. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the remaining seasoning and garlic. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary, set aside.
Preheat oven to 220° C/425° F.
Cook Quinoa according to package instructions; set aside.
Place eggplant and pepper in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Add olive oil and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Gently toss to combine.
Place into oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until tender. Give it a stir around once during cooking.
Place a bed of lettuce leafs in each bowl.
Divide the quinoa over each bowl, Top with eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, olives, your choice of protein (tempeh, tuna, chicken). Place the Feta in the middle of the salad and top with some more red onion.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs and lemon wedges. Pour over the dressing and serve immediately. If you want to take the salad with you, put the dressing in a jar and pour over just before serving.
ENJOY!