Friday 28 May 2010
Classic Vegan Carrot Cake
Classic Vegan Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (or plain flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
6 tbsp flax seed meal
3/4 cup warm water
1½ cup sugar
1 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Cream Cheese Icing
230g vegan cream cheese (e.g. Toffutti's brand of "Better Than Cream Cheese" available in Coles, Woolworths, IGA, etc)
¼ cup margarine, softened (e.g. Nuttlex)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup powdered sugar
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Line two 8×8″ pans with baking paper.
2. In a small bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour through to salt).
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flax seed meal and water. Beat in sugar and oil. Add vanilla and carrots and mix until combined.
4. Add dry mix and stir until moistened. Fold in walnuts.
5. Pour equal parts into pans. Bake for 18-20 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes.
6. For the icing, beat together "cream cheese" and margarine. Add vanilla and powdered sugar; whip until smooth. (Don’t overbeat; in my experience, store-bought vegan cream cheese has a tendency to get runny.)
7. Use a knife to loosen edges of cake from pans. Using the baking paper, lift cakes out of pans. Carefully remove paper from the cakes.
8. Ice both cakes (one acts as filling), layer one on top of the other, and decorate as you wish. Serve chilled.
Source: http://hellyeahitsvegan.com/?p=1739
Rating: 5
Makes: makes 2 8×8″ cakes (or 2 9″ round cakes)
Chocolate Chickpea Spread
When I saw this recipe on the blogsite I stumbled across, I thought, "Ew! That doesn't sound appealing". But then I saw what the woman had written and I was intrigued:
"How different is this from tofu cheesecake? Or lentil cookies? Seriously, just give the combination of cocoa and chickpeas a chance. This versatile legume can be dressed up as sweet as candy if you give it the benefit of the doubt! Plus, with their oft praised protein and fiber, it’s perfectly reasonable to spread some chocolate on toast for breakfast, and call it a balanced meal."
So I decided to give it a go, and I was pleasantly surprised!
Chocolate Chickpea Spread
Ingredients:
1 x 440g Can Chickpeas
1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 – 4 Tablespoons Water
Method:
1. Throw everything except the water into your food processor or blender, and thoroughly puree, scraping down the sides of the bowl to get everything incorporated as needed.
2. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the water, until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Spread at will!
Source: http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/beans-theyre-whats-for-dessert/
Rating: 4
Makes: about 2 cups
"How different is this from tofu cheesecake? Or lentil cookies? Seriously, just give the combination of cocoa and chickpeas a chance. This versatile legume can be dressed up as sweet as candy if you give it the benefit of the doubt! Plus, with their oft praised protein and fiber, it’s perfectly reasonable to spread some chocolate on toast for breakfast, and call it a balanced meal."
So I decided to give it a go, and I was pleasantly surprised!
Chocolate Chickpea Spread
Ingredients:
1 x 440g Can Chickpeas
1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 – 4 Tablespoons Water
Method:
1. Throw everything except the water into your food processor or blender, and thoroughly puree, scraping down the sides of the bowl to get everything incorporated as needed.
2. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the water, until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Spread at will!
Source: http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/beans-theyre-whats-for-dessert/
Rating: 4
Makes: about 2 cups
Simple Carrot Soup
Simple Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
2 Medium Onions, Chopped
5 Cups Water
3 Medium Gold Beets, Chopped (if unavailable, you can use the usual Red Beetroots, but the colour will be different that's all)
4 -5 Carrots, Chopped
1/4 Cup Sweet White Miso Paste
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Salt to Taste
Method:
1. In a large soup pot, throw in your chopped onions, beets, carrots, and water. The water should just cover all of the veggies; if not, add a splash or two more. Cover, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
2. Allow everything to cook for about 30 minutes, until the beets and carrots are fork-tender.
3. Transfer everything (carefully!) to your blender, and thoroughly puree, until completely smooth.
4. Add in the miso, lemon juice, and salt as needed, and blend to incorporate. Serve immediately for a hot soup, or chill for at least three hours if you’d prefer it cold.
Source: http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/simple-spring-fare/
Rating: 4
Makes: 8-9 cups
Ingredients:
2 Medium Onions, Chopped
5 Cups Water
3 Medium Gold Beets, Chopped (if unavailable, you can use the usual Red Beetroots, but the colour will be different that's all)
4 -5 Carrots, Chopped
1/4 Cup Sweet White Miso Paste
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Salt to Taste
Method:
1. In a large soup pot, throw in your chopped onions, beets, carrots, and water. The water should just cover all of the veggies; if not, add a splash or two more. Cover, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
2. Allow everything to cook for about 30 minutes, until the beets and carrots are fork-tender.
3. Transfer everything (carefully!) to your blender, and thoroughly puree, until completely smooth.
4. Add in the miso, lemon juice, and salt as needed, and blend to incorporate. Serve immediately for a hot soup, or chill for at least three hours if you’d prefer it cold.
Source: http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/simple-spring-fare/
Rating: 4
Makes: 8-9 cups
Golden Lentil Stew
Great for a cold winter's night!
Golden Lentil Stew
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Small/Medium Yellow Onions, Roughly Chopped (2 Cups)
2 Leeks, Roughly Chopped (2 Cups)
8 Stalks Celery, Diced (1 Cup)
4 – 6 Carrots, Diced (1 Cup)
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
2 Tablespoons Yellow Curry Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Sweet Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 Cups Split Yellow Daal (Lentils)
1/2 Cup Uncooked White Rice
1 x 400g Can Crushed Tomato
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
6 – 8 Cups Vegetable Stock, or More if Desired
1 1/2 Teaspoons SaltFreshly Ground Black Pepper
4 Cups Broccoli Florets, Par Cooked from Fresh or Frozen
1 Cup Frozen Peas
Method:
1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, get the oil nice and hot, and saute the onions, leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are translucent and all the veggies are tender.
2. Add in the herbs and spices, and cook for another 10 minutes to let the flavors begin to mingle.
3. At this stage, you can go ahead and introduce your dry lentils and rice, as well as the tomatos, vinegar, and 6 cups of the vegetable stock. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the stew to simmer, adding in more stock if it threatens to dry out and burn, for about 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through.
4. Give it a taste, add in the salt and pepper, taste again, and adjust the seasonings if desired.
5. Toss in the frozen veggies, kill the heat, and just stir them through the mixture to thaw. Allow 5 minutes for this last round of veg to come up to temperature. Add in the remaining amount of stock if it’s too thick for your tastes, and even more if you’d prefer something soupier. Serve piping hot!
Source: http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/warming-from-the-inside-out/
Serves: 8-10 (good for taking to work the next day)
Rating: 4
Golden Lentil Stew
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Small/Medium Yellow Onions, Roughly Chopped (2 Cups)
2 Leeks, Roughly Chopped (2 Cups)
8 Stalks Celery, Diced (1 Cup)
4 – 6 Carrots, Diced (1 Cup)
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
2 Tablespoons Yellow Curry Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Sweet Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 Cups Split Yellow Daal (Lentils)
1/2 Cup Uncooked White Rice
1 x 400g Can Crushed Tomato
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
6 – 8 Cups Vegetable Stock, or More if Desired
1 1/2 Teaspoons SaltFreshly Ground Black Pepper
4 Cups Broccoli Florets, Par Cooked from Fresh or Frozen
1 Cup Frozen Peas
Method:
1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, get the oil nice and hot, and saute the onions, leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are translucent and all the veggies are tender.
2. Add in the herbs and spices, and cook for another 10 minutes to let the flavors begin to mingle.
3. At this stage, you can go ahead and introduce your dry lentils and rice, as well as the tomatos, vinegar, and 6 cups of the vegetable stock. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the stew to simmer, adding in more stock if it threatens to dry out and burn, for about 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through.
4. Give it a taste, add in the salt and pepper, taste again, and adjust the seasonings if desired.
5. Toss in the frozen veggies, kill the heat, and just stir them through the mixture to thaw. Allow 5 minutes for this last round of veg to come up to temperature. Add in the remaining amount of stock if it’s too thick for your tastes, and even more if you’d prefer something soupier. Serve piping hot!
Source: http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/warming-from-the-inside-out/
Serves: 8-10 (good for taking to work the next day)
Rating: 4
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