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

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:

Mushroom Curry

This is an Indian dish called Dhingi Kari. It can be served with rice and a coconut raita (found elsewhere on this site).

A nice reminder that simple things can taste surprisingly good.

Mushroom Curry

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp nuttlex (or margarine - non-vegans can use butter or ghee)
500g field mushrooms
2 leeks or 14 spring onions
2 crushed cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
6 curry leaves
2 tsp curry powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 cup coconut milk (or 1/2 cup water and 125g coconut cream)
2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Cut the mushrooms into slices

2. Finely slice leeks or onions

3. Heat nuttlex/marg/butter and fry garlic, ginger, curry leaves and leeks (or onions) until soft but not brown.

4. Add curry powder, salt and mushrooms; stir over a low heat until mushrooms are soft.

5. Cover and cook on a low heat for 8-10 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with garam masala, add coconut milk and cook uncovered, stirring constantly until heated through.

7. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

Adapted from: "Oxfam Shop Vegetarian Cookbook", 2006

Serves: 6-8

Rating: 4.5/5