Tuesday 29 December 2009

Spinach and Orange Salad

This looks so simple, but tastes great! The oranges make the salad really juicy, but there is a vinagerette should you wish to add it.

Spinach and Orange Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh baby spinach
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 large avocado peeled, and sliced
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Method:

1. Rinse and dry baby spinach and divide onto four plates.

2. Slice the ends of the orange off and use a knife to peel the orange. Slice in between the segments so you get only the best part of the orange.

3. Arrange the orange and avocado on the spinach and top with toasted nuts.


Dressing (optional):

In a jar, put 1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange zest, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons salad oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, dash black pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake well.

Source: http://coleensrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-new-favorite-salad.html

Serves: 4

Rating: 4.5

Brocoli and Orange Salad

Browsing through random blogsites today I found this recipe from a woman named Coleen. The combination of crunchy and soft, sweet and bright looked really appealing.

To make this a vegan salad, you could replace the mayonnaise with vegan-mayonnaise (if available in your area) or even with soft tofu.

Broccoli and Orange Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

3 large heads of broccoli (broken into small pieces)
1 red capsicum (diced finely)
1 cup raisins
2 oranges (peeled & sliced thick)
15 ounce can of black beans (rinsed & drained)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sliced green onion tops

Dressing:

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

1. Wash (and shake dry) the broccoli heads. Remove as much of the stalk and stems as you can so you can break the florets into bite size pieces and place these into a bowl.

2. Add diced red capsicum, raisins, oranges, black beans, sunflower seeds and green onions.

3. Mix dressing ingredients with a whisk and pour dressing over the salad. Toss gently and serve immediately.

NOTE: Peel the oranges, removing as much of the white as you can, then slice the orange into thick slices; cut the thick slices into four wedges.

NOTE: You may not need all of the dressing.

Source: http://coleensrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/broccoli-and-orange-salad.html

Serves: 4-6
Rating: 4.5

Satay Tofu & Vegetables

It is important to remember that tofu takes on the flavours in which it is marinaded.

This recipe is so much tastier than the "off the shelf" varieties that come in jars. This way, you know what you're putting into your body, and you can avoid nasty additives like MSG.

This dish can be made vegan by substituting agar agar or maple syrup for the honey as well as using soy milk.

Satay Tofu & Vegetables

Ingredients:

350g firm tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot, sliced
1 red capsicum, sliced
1 cup snow peas
½ cup broccoli florets

Marinade:

1 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon honey

Satay Vegetable Sauce:

½ cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 small onion, diced
1 cup vegetable stock
1 teaspoon cumin
½ cup low fat soy milk or dairy milk
½ teaspoon mild curry powder
½ cup reserved marinade
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

Method:

1. Cut tofu into eight 1cm thick small rectangles.

2. Combine all marinade ingredients in a shallow dish and place tofu in marinade and stand for 30 minutes.

3. Heat half the oil in a frypan. Cook tofu until golden brown on both sides, set aside and keep warm.
4. Combine all Sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.

5. Bring mixture to the boil, reduce heat and simmer continuously for 5 minutes.

6. Whilst sauce is simmering, heat remaining oil in the frypan. Stir-fry carrot, capsicum, snow peas and broccoli for 2-3 minutes.

7. Add tofu to the frypan and pour satay sauce over the vegetables and tofu.

8. Serve over steamed rice.

Per Serve: 1100 Kilojoules (265 Calories). Protein 14g. Total Fat 15g. Saturated Fat 2g. Carbohydrate 19g. Total Sugars 13g. Sodium 580mg. Potassium 505mg. Calcium 230mg. Iron 2.5mg. Fibre 6g.

Source: http://www.vegetarianweek.com.au/HealthyEatingTips/Recipes/Satay-Tofu--Vegetables.aspx

Serves: 4-6
Rating: 4.5

Chickpea and Sweet Potato Koftas

This dish can be served with Hummus or Babaghanous. Omit the yoghurt for a dairy-free/vegan dish.

Chickpea and Sweet Potato Koftas

Ingredients:

400g orange sweet potato (kumera), peeled and diced (you will need 200g cooked sweet potato)
240g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup soy flour
½ cup fresh peas
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 lebanese cucumber
4 pita bread rounds, cut into quarters
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup low-fat plain yoghurt
1 cup firmly packed fresh mint

Method:

1. Cook the sweet potato in boiling water for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Blend in a food processor with the chickpeas, onion, garlic, ginger, cumin and lemon juice until smooth.
Add the soy flour and process until combined. Stir in the peas.

2. Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls, then flatten with your hand. Dip into the flour, shaking off any excess.

3. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the koftas in batches and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes each side, or until golden brown. Drain well on crumpled paper towels.

4. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the cucumber into ribbons.

5. Serve the koftas with the pita bread, tahini, yoghurt, mint and cucumber.

Per serve (6): 1440kJ (345cal). Protein 13g. Fat 15g. Carbohydrate 39g. Sodium 290mg. Potassium 530mg. Calcium 110mg. Iron 3mg. Fibre 8g

Source: http://www.vegetarianweek.com.au/HealthyEatingTips/Recipes/Chickpea-and-Sweet-Potato-Koftas.aspx

Serves: 4-6
Rating:

Spicy Pumpkin and Lentil Tagine

This recipe comes from the collection from Australia's National Vegetarian Week campaign.

National Vegetarian Week aims to encourage people to pledge to "try veg" for the week and see the benefits that eating a meat-free diet brings.

This dish takes around 15 minutes to prepare, and about 40 minutes to cook, but is worth it.

Spicy Pumpkin and Lentil Tagine

Ingredients:


1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground sumac
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground chilli (optional)
420g can low salt diced tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp sugar
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped
400g can brown lentils (drained and rinsed)
600g butternut pumpkin, seeded and chopped into 2cm pieces

Method:


1. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook over low heat until softened. Add the garlic, cook for a few seconds, then stir in the ground spices. Cook for 30 seconds, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, half the parsley and coriander.

2. Add the lentils and chopped pumpkin, stir well, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

3. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and coriander to serve.

4. Serve with couscous with currants and almonds.

Per serve: 775kJ (185cal); Protein 5g; Total Fat 11g; Saturated Fat 1g; Carbohydrate 14g; Total Sugars 9g; Sodium 170mg; Potassium 750mg; Calcium 60mg; Iron 2.1mg; Fibre 4g.

Source: http://www.vegetarianweek.com.au/HealthyEatingTips/Recipes/Spicy-Pumpkin-and-Lentil-Tagine.aspx


Serves: 4-6.
Rating:

Vegetable tagine with apricots

This dish is low-fat, low-GI, and diabetic-friendly, and is easily made into a vegan recipe by omitting (or substituting) the yoghurt. The fruit adds a great sweet answer to the spices.

Vegetable tagine with apricots

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1 brown onion, halved, cut into wedges
2 carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground paprika
1 x 7cm cinnamon stick
Large pinch of saffron threads
375ml (1 1/2 cups) vegetable stock
650g butternut pumpkin, deseeded, peeled, coarsely chopped
250g green beans, topped, cut into 6cm lengths
100g dried Turkish apricots
100g fresh dates, halved, pitted
1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves
Greek-style natural yoghurt, to serve

Method:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the carrot, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds, paprika, cinnamon and saffron and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic.

2. Add stock and bring to the boil. Add the pumpkin, beans and apricots. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Add dates, chickpeas and lemon rind and stir to combine.

3. Spoon among serving bowls and top with coriander. Serve with yoghurt.

Source: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/1847/vegetable+tagine+with+apricots

Serves: 4
Rating:

Couscous with Vegetable Tagine

Essentially, it's a variation on the previous two tagine recipes, but this one cooks in 16 minutes (10 minutes prep time), so it's a good "quick" meal.

It's a wonderful vegan dish. If you wanted to, you could subsutite the chickpeas for brown lentils or even do half and half.

Couscous with Vegetable Tagine

Ingredients:


olive oil
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 red capsicum, seeded and roughly chopped
4 long, thin eggplant, sliced
2 zucchini, halved lengthways, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
400g can whole tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (300g) couscous
2 cups boiling water
salt and pepper
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped coriander
chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve

Method:


1. Heat a little olive oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, capsicum, eggplant and zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin. Cook, stirring, for a further minute then stir in the canned tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are quite tender.

2. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a large heatproof bowl and pour over 2 cups boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and stand for 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap from the couscous and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper, fluffing up with a fork to separate the grains.
Once the vegetables are tender, add the chickpeas and coriander and cook for 2 minutes to warm through.

3. Serve the couscous topped with the vegetable tagine and scatter with chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve.

Source: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/18795/couscous+with+vegetable+tagine

Serves: 4
Rating:

Ginger and Vegetable Tagine

Following on with the tagine theme, this dish is vegan, but could easily be served to, and enjoyed by, non-vegans. It is also dairy-free, wheat-free and nut-free, so is a great dish to have on hand if anyone with allergies comes over!

Enjoy!

Ginger and Vegetable Tagine

Ingredients:


1/2 cup olive oil
3 medium spanish onions, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
3 tbsp fresh ginger, finely sliced or grated
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 cinnamon quill
Salt and ground white pepper
800g tin whole peeled tomatoes
400g tin chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp preserved lemon rind, finely sliced
1kg sweet potato, peeled and cut into 11/2 cm cubes
1 red capsicum, cut into squares
2 handfuls coriander leaves

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan or a tagine. Add onion, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, coriander seeds and cinnamon and season well. Cook over medium heat until soft and starting to colour, about 15 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes, chickpeas and lemon rind and bring to a simmer. Add sweet potato and capsicum and stir.

4. Cover with a lid and bake for 1 hour or until sweet potato is cooked through.

5. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with couscous and natural yoghurt (vegans - use a vegan alternative).

Source: http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/Ginger_and_vegetable_tagine

Serves: 6

Rating:

Tagine of Pumpkin and Chickpeas

My mother claimed that she had "scoured the internet" for tagine recipes and had come up with only three recipes. So, that meant there was a challenge to find as many recipes as I could for her. In the process, I came across a few vegan and vegetarian recipes that sounded interesting. Here is the first of many!

This dish is very aromatic and beautifully sweet.

Definition courtesy of Wikipedia:

"A tagine or tajine (pronounced /tɑːˈʒiːn/; Arabic: طاجين, pronounced [tˁaːdʒiːn]) is a type of dish found in the North African cuisines of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, which is named after the special pot in which it is cooked. The traditional tagine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts; a base unit which is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving."

Tagine of Pumpkin and Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight *
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter **
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/4 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 100ml hot water
500g pumpkin, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 waxy potatoes, peeled and cut in half
half a 400g tin tomatoes
2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 a preserved lemon, chopped
cooked cous cous or rice, to serve
1/2 cup plain yoghurt (not sweetened) ***
1/2 cup coriander leaves

Method:

1. Put the chickpeas in a pot with plenty of cold water and boil for 30 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large pot, heat the oil and butter and cook the onion and garlic until soft and lightly golden. Add the spices (except saffron), cook for a couple of minutes, then add the partially cooked chickpeas, saffron, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes and just enough water to cover. Season with salt and simmer gently until the potatoes are almost soft (about 30-40 minutes).

3. Add the zucchini and preserved lemon and cook for 5 more minutes or until the potatoes and pumpkin are soft (but not mushy).

4. Serve with cous cous or rice and a dollop of yoghurt and some freshly chopped coriander.


Notes:

* You may use 1-2 cans of tinned chickpeas instead if you do not have the time or inclination to soak and cook your own. If this is the case, omit step one.

** Vegans should use a vegan margarine such as Nuttlex

*** Vegans may use unflavoured vegan yoghurt or products such as the "Better than Sour Cream" or "Better than Cream Cheese" by Tofutti

Source: http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/tagine-of-pumpkin-and-chickpeas

Serves: 6
Rating:

Vegan/Vegetarian Bean Curd Skin Rolls with Sesame Ginger Dipping Sauce

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it looks amazing. I can't wait to try it out.

You can get the dried tofu skin (sometimes known as "bean curd skin" or "bean curd sheets") on the shelf at your local quality asian market. I found mine by chance at the Westfield in Hornsby!

Vegan/Vegetarian Bean Curd Skin Rolls with Sesame Ginger Dipping Sauce

Ingredients :

200 g (4 cups) fresh mung bean sprouts
50 g (1/2 cup) enokitaki mushrooms, separated, cleaned, and blanched
2 carrots, peeled and cut into very fine strips
110 g (1 cup) sugar snap or snow peas, sliced thinly lengthwise
4 sheets dried tofu skin
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon oil

Dipping Sauce:

2 tablespoon sesame paste or tahini, blended with 5 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon black soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoon black Chinese vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 clovers garlic, minced
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
2 sliced fresh ginger, minced
1 red finger-length chili, deseeded and minced

Method :

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the bean sprouts, mushrooms, carrots, and snow peas. Stir a few times, leave in the water for about 30 seconds, then transfer to a colander, rinse in cool water, drain, and set aside.

2. Cut each tofu skin sheet in half. Place one half on top of the other. Repeat, ending up with 4 layered rectangles about 20x25 cm.

3. Place the vegetables in a mixing bowl, sprinkle evenly with the flour and mix. Divide the vegetables evenly into 4 portions, and place them neatly at the edge of each of the 4 rectangles. Roll the skin over the vegetable to form cylinders. To prevent the tofu skin from opening up while frying, seal the skin with a dab of paste made from flour and water.

4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat and when the oil is hot, but not smoking, gently place the rolls in the pan and fry for about 2 minutes, then turn and try the other side for another 2minutes. The skins should turn light golden brown, but be careful not to scorch them. When done, remove from the skillet and place on paper towels on a plate to remove excess oil.


Source: http://www.asianfood-recipes.com/Asian_Vegetarian/Vegetarian-Bean-Curd-Skin-Rolls-with-Sesame-Ginger-Dipping-Sauce.php

Serves: 4
Rating: ??