Lu's Banana Bites

My lovely friend, Lu, keeps bringing these delicious banana bites to work. She makes them as a healthy treat for her and her husband to take to the office. I have had them a few times now and can't believe its taken me this long to make them myself because they are SO easy!

The base recipe is very simple: bananas, dates, oats and oil. You can then dress them up as you please, with seeds, nuts, chocolate, berries, dried fruit etc. I have just made this batch with some seeds that I had in the cupboard, but will definitely be a little more creative next time. 

 I also adapted the recipe slightly by baking it flat in a dish and then cutting them out like cookies. Lu originally rolled them into balls and then baked them, so you can do whichever is easiest.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

2 large or 3 small bananas

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup dates, chopped

Additions:

2 tbs chia seeds

2 tbs sunflower seeds

Place all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. You can either blend the bananas beforehand and mix it all with a spoon, or if you want to have some fun put the bananas in whole and smoosh the whole lot together with your hands until its all evenly mixed. Just make sure your hands are very clean!

Line a baking dish with wax paper (my dish is more or less 30cm x 20cm) and press the mixture in until its flat. Bake at 200 degrees C for about 20-30 minutes. The top will be lightly golden when it is ready. 

Remove and allow to cool to a warm temperature before cutting your shapes out. Roll the leftovers into balls (we don't want to waste any do we?).

Makes about 18-20 bites. These are packed with good energy and make a fabulous mid morning or afternoon snack! Take some to work to share with your colleagues xxx 

 

Sourdough Pizza with Pineapple and Tempeh Bacon

Some days the pizza craving just latches on and doesn't go away. Today I needed pizza. There was no choice in the matter.

I made all of the components of this pizza from scratch, so it is a reasonably complicated, yet easy recipe. But I promise, you will not be disappointed. The flavours are rich and wholesome, and there is something very special about eating something you've created so carefully.

 

For the cheese:

Ingredients:

1 large potato (or two small ones) peeled and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1/4 white onion,  chopped into 4
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs tapioca flour
1 heaped tsp xanthan gum
1 tbs lemon juice
1-2 tsp salt

In a small pot, boil the potato in about 2 cups of water. After 2 minutes, add the carrot. After a further 5 minutes add the onion and leave to boil until the vegetables are all soft (about another 5-8 minutes). Place the veggies in a blender and add 1 1/2 cups of the left over water. Add all the other ingredients except the xanthan gum and blend until smooth. Taste the mixture at this point, and if necessary add more salt or nutritional yeast until the cheese flavour is strong enough. Lastly, add the xanthan gum while blending at high speed. The cheese will quickly form a ball in the blender. Place in a container and allow to set in the fridge.

This will make enough cheese for about 4 pizzas, but its great to keep in the fridge for other dishes if you don't plan to make more than 1 pizza. 

For the tomato base:

3 small tomatoes per pizza
1 tsp mixed Italian dry herbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
2 cups boiling water
1 small pot ice water

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water. After 3 minutes, drain and place the tomatoes in the ice water. The skin will loosen and you can easily peel them with your hands. Dice the peeled tomatoes, and cook on high heat with the herbs, garlic and chilli until reduced to a thick sauce.

For the base:

Ingredients:

1 cup rejuvelac (I follow this recipe)
1 1/2 - 2 cups self raising flour
4 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until the dough forms a ball. You will need to add more or less flour to get the correct consistency, but I found that I needed at least two cups to get it to be dry enough. Leave the dough to stand for 30 minutes, then press the dough onto a wax paper lined tray to form the shape of your pizza base. The dough is quite sticky, so I used a fair amount of flour as I was shaping the base to stop it from sticking to my hands.

Pre-bake the base at 200 degrees C until it just starts to brown slightly on the edges. Then turn it over and allow the other side to brown slightly as well. This will stop the pizza from getting soggy.

To make the pizza:

Topppings:

1/4 queen pineapple, sliced into small pieces
40g tempeh, cubed and marinated for 15 mins in 2 tbs light soy sauce, 2 tsp liquid smoke and 1 tsp brown sugar
Fresh rocket
homemade tomato base
homemade vegan cheese

Smear the tomato all over the pre-baked pizza base. Spoon dollops of the cheese around the pizza and add the pineapple and tempeh. Place under the grill at 220 - 250 degrees C until golden. Serve with fresh rocket.

Enjoy and have a happy week everyone! xxx

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Last Tuesday I lay awake in bed, way past my bedtime, dreaming of making vegan ice cream. I have wanted an ice cream maker for the longest time, so decided in my half dazed state that I would have one before the end of the week. I reached for my phone and, squinting, placed my order and rolled over to sleep. I collected my Krupps ice cream machine on Friday afternoon and have been grinning like a kid with a new pony all weekend.

So, to Christen my new appliance I decided to recreate my all time favourite flavour, Salted Caramel, using dates, coconut milk and Himalayan salt. The result was positively addictive and we have been sticking our heads in the freezer for a sneaky spoonful just about every hour!

Ingredients:

1 can light coconut milk
400ml soy milk
1 cup dates
2 tbs corn flour
2 tbs soya lecithin
1/2 cup xylitol or brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 level tsp Himalayan salt (add more after tasting if necessary)

*Note: I have used one part light coconut milk and one part soy milk to keep the calories down. For a richer, creamier ice cream use two cans of full fat coconut milk instead.

If you are using an ice cream machine, pre-freeze the bowl for 24 hours.

In your measuring cup, soak the dates in boiling water for about 5 minutes so that they soften. Drain and place in a medium pot, along with all the other ingredients and blend until smooth with a stick blender. Heat the mixture, but don't allow it to boil, and stir continuously until it thickens to a creamy sauce consistency (note, at this point, this recipe can also be used as a hot caramel sauce, perhaps to use over future vanilla ice cream recipes).

Remove the pot from the heat and when completely cool, place in the fridge until chilled. Pour the batter into the ice cream maker and churn for 30-40 minutes. At this stage the ice cream will be a soft serve consistency, ready to be eaten immediately. If somehow you don't eat it all in one sitting, the rest will freeze nicely and still be perfectly scoopable.

If you are not using an ice cream machine, place the chilled mixture in the freezer and stir thoroughly every hour or two until it is frozen. It should retain its softness, but if not leave it out of the freezer for about 15 minutes before scooping. 

Serve with fresh strawberries, or with bananas and whipped non-dairy cream for a frozen banoffie pie dessert!

Makes approximately a litre of ice cream.

Creamy Zucchini Pesto Pasta

I have always been a creamy pasta person, which is very dangerous. Thankfully I'm not in the habit of cooking pasta very often, but when I do, I like to make it rich and very garlicky.

Yesterday, I had a kilogram of zucchini that needed to be eaten in a hurry. I decided to create a creamy pesto-ish sauce by roasting the marrows with garlic, and blending them with non-dairy cream and basil. It worked a charm!

I topped the saucy pasta with roast brown mushrooms, fresh baby plum tomatoes and toasted seeds. The tomato gives a nice acidic contrast to the creaminess.

Ingredients:

+- 350g wholewheat pasta
1 whole bulb garlic
1kg zucchini, cleaned
2-3 tbs olive oil
250 ml Orley Whip unsweetened non-dairy cream
8-12 brown mushrooms
20g fresh basil
20-24 baby plum tomatoes
Himalayan salt
Black pepper
2 tbs sunflower seeds
2 tbs pumpkin seeds

Pre-heat your oven (top element only) to 250 degrees C, and start boiling your pasta as per the packaging instructions. Chop the zucchini into 1 inch thick medallions and place evenly on a large oven tray. Chop just the top of the garlic bulb off and place on the tray, along with the brown mushrooms. Drizzle olive oil over all of the vegetables, add a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper and toss with your hands so that everything is coated. Place under the grill for about 10 minutes. When the tops of the zucchini are starting to blacken, turn them over. Also turn the garlic and mushrooms over (the garlic should be open side down). Continue to grill until the other side of the zucchini begins to blacken.

Place the grilled zucchini, basil and cream in a medium bowl. Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, pop each clove out of the skin and into the bowl. Pulse all the ingredients with a stick blender so they are combined, but not completely smooth. You want to retain some texture. The zucchini is naturally sweet, so you may want to add some more salt and pepper to the sauce.

Mix the sauce into the pot of drained pasta. Toast the seeds in a dry pan on high heat until golden. Serve the pasta with sliced fresh tomatoes and top with toasted seeds, two or three mushrooms and a sprig of fresh basil.


Makes four large servings.

Kale Curry with Tofu and Butter Beans

Palak Paneer, a mild Indian curry with blocks of white cheese and a spinach based sauce, was one of my all time favourite pre-vegan dishes. Here I've substituted the paneer for blocks of tofu and butter beans, and used kale instead of spinach to give it a slight nutrition boost.

 This is quite an easy curry, with only a few key spices. I served it with jeera rice and a side of toasted coconut and raisins, for a sweet twist.

Ingredients:

For the curry:

250g extra firm tofu, cubed
1 large bunch kale (25-30 leaves), cleaned and shredded
1 cup red split lentils, thoroughly rinsed
1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets
1 can butter beans
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp jeera seeds
1 tsp chilli flakes
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp Himalayan salt
2 tbs olive or coconut oil
1.5 - 2 litres water

Tofu marinade:

2 tbs light soy sauce
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder

Pre-marinate the tofu while preparing the kale and other ingredients. In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in the oil until mostly translucent. Add all the spices and salt and stir for 1-2 minutes while they toast. Add the lentils and kale and stir fry in the spices for about 3-4 minutes so that they absorb all the flavours. Pour enough water into the pot to just cover the kale and lentils. Place the lid on the pot, and bring to the boil. Continue to cook until the lentils are completely soft (about 10 - 15 minutes) and add more water during the process if necessary, but you dont want your sauce to be too watery. Remove from the heat and blend into a smooth sauce. Taste and add more salt as required. Return to the stove, add the tofu, beans and broccoli and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.

For the rice:

1 cup jasmine rice
3 cups water
1 tsp jeera seeds
1 tbs coconut oil

Cook the rice as per the packaging instructions. In a medium pot, melt the coconut oil and add the jeera seeds. Allow them to toast for a minute or two, then add the cooked rice and stir thoroughly.

Makes about 6 servings.

Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Tartlets

I dreamed this recipe up after I made chocolate mousse for a picnic last weekend, and have been DYING to make it all week!

Ingredients:

400g roll puff pastry, defrosted (ensure it is vegan)
250ml Orley Whip non-dairy cream
90ml aquafaba (brine from a can of chick peas)
2 x 100g slabs Albany dark chocolate (or any vegan dark chocolate - you may need to add some powdered sugar if you are using a very dark, bitter chocolate)
20g cocoa powder
400g fresh strawberries, sliced
1 tsp vanilla essence

Begin by melting your chocolate in a bowl over a pot of boiling water. I usually make a little tripod with three chopsticks to allow the steam to escape and avoid boiling over.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Lay a sheet of baking paper on a large oven tray and roll the pastry out flat. Using a cookie cutter, cut the pastry into pretty shapes and remove the excess. I used a sweet blossom shape and got about 12 of them out of my roll of pastry.

Bake the pastry until it is well risen and golden, this should take about 15-20 minutes. Check on your chocolate, if it is completely melted, give it a stir to make sure it is smooth. Then remove it from the heat and allow to cool.

While the pastry is baking, whip the non-dairy cream and aquafaba with an electric beater in separate bowls until each is firm and peaky. Spoon about a quarter of the cream into a separate bowl for topping later.

Add the aquafaba to the cream and mix with the beater at a slow speed. Then, pour the chocolate in slowly while continuing to mix. Finally, add the vanilla essence and sift the cocoa powder into the mixture and beat slowly until it is all combined.

Remove the pastry from the oven and allow to cool before splitting the bases in half, as below.

Once the pastry is completely cool, spoon a thick layer of chocolate mousse onto each one. Arrange a few slices of strawberry on each tartlet and top with a dollop of cream.

This is possibly one of the most delicious vegan desserts I have ever had. What a wonderful end to the weekend!

Makes 24 tartlets. Share and enjoy!!!! xoxo

Grilled Tempeh Breakfast

What an incredibly fateful morning! I was on my way to buy some supplies for my next blog post when I took a wrong turn. I ended up having to make a detour and got caught behind a vegan/animal rights protest called Animals Matter to Africa. I pulled over and ran to join them. I only caught the tail end of it, but I was so happy to see a bunch of vegans getting together to spread the word and stand up against animal cruelty.

Photo from Animals Matter to Africa event page

So, on to breakfast! This week I bought some tempeh from Tempestuous Tempeh. I hadn't tried it until now and was so glad to discover a local supplier who uses all organic ingredients. I was also very pleased to find how delicious it is, since I went out on a limb and bought an entire kilogram of the stuff!

If you're not sure what tempeh is, have a read here.

 

It's a pretty chilly morning in Sea Point, so I felt like something roasty and warm to start the day. I decided on a toast stack with grilled veggies and tempeh bacon. We usually don't have white bread in the house, but Kyle had to buy some yesterday when there were no healthier options at the little shop near his work. I have to admit, good old white bread is pretty delicious now and then.  

 

Fresh zucchini slices and whole garlic cloves make a lovely grilled combo.

Ingredients:

80-100g tempeh
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs water
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp brown sugar or xylitol
2 medium zucchini's, sliced length ways
2 medium tomatoes, sliced into 3
12 cloves garlic, peeled
2-3 tbs olive oil
2 slices toast
2 tbs B-Well vegan mayo
salt + pepper

Cut the tempeh into thin 3-4mm slices and marinate in a mixture of the soy sauce, water, liquid smoke and brown sugar for about 15 minutes. Place the zucchini and garlic on an oven tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, and place under the grill at 250 degrees C until golden brown. Turn them over half way so both sides are well grilled.

While the zucchini's and garlic are grilling, fry the tomato slices in a pan with a little olive oil until they are soft and slightly charred on either side. Do the same with the marinated tempeh.

Spread a tablespoon of mayo onto each slice of toast and stack all the ingredients on top, like a tower of delicious breakfasty goodness! Serves two, enjoy! xxx