Broccoli, Basil & Chickpea Tortellini w Orange & Thyme Sauce

July 4, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

Print
Broccoli, Basil & Chickpea Tortellini w Orange & Thyme Sauce
Yum yum yum! I don't eat wheat products often, but as I haven't been able to find gluten free wonton wrappers or similar, I make concessions 😉 These tortellini (I guess it depends on how you fold them what you call them) are delish and nutritious as well! You wouldn't even know you're eating beans! Try them, and make them with any sauce you fancy - I made a quick coconut orange & thyme sauce. You can steam them too, I have found the dough is softer after boiling, so up to you what you're after 🙂
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: past
Serves: 20
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 125gr cooked chickpeas
  • abt. 100gr broccoli florets
  • 1 hand of fresh basil
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp vegetable stock powder
  • a good grind of black pepper
  • 1 medium to large clove of garlic (abt 15gr)
  • about 20 sheets of dumpling pastry
  • for the sauce:
  • ½ cup coconut yoghurt
  • zest of ¼ (large) orange
  • orange juice, as much as you like to dilute the yoghurt to a consistency of your liking
  • pepper
  • about ½ tsp of dried thyme
To do
  1. mix all of the above, except for sauce ingredients and pastry sheets, in a food processor, processing till the mixture starts to stick to the sides
  2. take a dumpling sheet in your hand, moisten the edges with water using your fingers, then place a heaped teaspoon in the middle. Fold double, and fold the edges closed. Dent the dumpling in the middle of the seam (as in upwards), then fold the corners towards each other.
  3. while you're doing this, bring a large pot of water to the boil (add a little bit of salt to prevent sticking), and when you've finished making the tortellini, place all of them in the water in one go
  4. boil till they float and they're done! (in general, if you want to check if they are done, and you find the filling needs more time, just add a cup of cold water and bring to the boil again, and check again etc.)
  5. while the tortellini are cooking, mix the ingredients for the sauce, using a fork or small whisk
  6. serve and enjoy!

 

Filed Under: All, Light meals, Low/no added fat, Snacks & Entrées · Tagged: , , , , ,

Orzo w Onion, Mushrooms, Olives & Basil

October 9, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

Print
Orzo w Onion, Mushrooms, Olives & Basil
A super quick dinner (especially if you have some plain left over pasta). Serves 1, so just multiply to make more.
Prepared by:
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: main
Serves: 1
Prep time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 1 cup of cooked Orzo
  • 2 large mushrooms
  • ½ medium onion, chopped or sliced
  • a few olives, sliced
  • fresh basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped
  • a few cloves of garlic
  • salt & pepper
  • olive oil
  • vegan grated Parmesan cheese
  • a dash of water
To do
  1. if you don't have cooked Orzo, cook it now
  2. in the meantime, slice your mushrooms and onion, and grate or press the garlic
  3. heat some olive oil in a pan, add the garlic, stir and add the onion & olive slices
  4. cook for a couple of minutes and add the mushrooms
  5. add in just a dash of water, just to help the mushrooms stay moist
  6. drain your pasta, add to the mushrooms
  7. heat through, then add the basil
  8. scoop in bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

 

Filed Under: All, Complete Meal Ideas, Main Dishes, Pasta & Legumes · Tagged: , , , , ,

Lasagna Rolls w Walnuts in Tomato Sauce

September 23, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

Print
Lasagna Rolls w Walnuts in Tomato Sauce
Just another - but fun - way of presenting lasagna; roll up the sheets with a filling you like. Mine are never the same 🙂
Prepared by:
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: main
Serves: 2-3
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 5-6 wholemeal spelt lasagna sheets (or wheat, if you prefer)
  • ½ zucchini, sliced in long pieces
  • ½ large red capsicum, also sliced in long pieces
  • 2 slices of vegan cheese per roll
  • a few spinach leaves per roll
  • 1 small to medium onion, sliced
  • fresh basil leaves, a small bunch (or as much as you like, really)
  • 2 or 3 walnuts per roll, chopped
  • about 2 cups of tomato sauce (to make: chop 10 ripe tomatoes, place in a large pan with a dash of olive oil, and cook till all nice and soft, then blend quickly or look here), with a few cloves of minced garlic stirred through
  • grated vegan cheese to cover (about 1.5 cup, loose)
  • 2 tbsp of vegan mayo/aioli or 1 tbsp of oil to oil the oven dish
  • a good squirt of tofu mayo or aioli for topping
To do
  1. preheat oven to 200C
  2. cook your lasagna sheets in a large pot
  3. while they are cooking, slice the veggies and grate the cheese
  4. when done, rinse the lasagna sheets and one by one, on a plate or any non-sticky surface, place 2 slices of vegan cheese on the end away from you, and on the end close to you arrange the veggies and walnuts
  5. roll up and place in oven dish
  6. when all are done, pour tomato sauce over the top so all rolls are covered, then top with grated cheese
  7. place in oven and bake for 35 minutes
  8. place portions on plates, dress with some aioli and serve 🙂

 

Filed Under: All, Main Dishes, Pasta & Legumes · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Home made Bread w Mushrooms & Chickpea Sauce

September 1, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

Print
Home made Bread w Mushrooms & Chickpea Sauce
Hubbie is well and truly allergic to mushrooms, so I usually have them for breakfast or lunch; they are easy and quick to prepare and even just a piece of toast will do just fine with them 🙂
Prepared by:
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: lunch, light meal
Serves: 1
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 1 slice of bread (to bake your own, have a look here)
  • 4 mushrooms
  • a dash of oil for cooking
  • a few fresh basil leafs
To make the sauce (I make more and keep it in fridge for other dishes)
  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • 1 heaped tbsp of miso
  • ⅓ cup of oil
  • 1 tsp of Himalayan rock salt
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced (I always use the microplane for garlic)
  • non dairy milk to dilute as much as you like
To do
  1. blend all ingredients except for the milk in your blender or food processor
  2. (let sit overnight if you like, it will make it slightly tangy)
  3. dilute with milk to consistency you like (handy is to dilute only what you need, so you can keep the rest for a dip or spread on toast)
  4. then slice your mushrooms, bake in a bit of oil. I wouldn't add water as your bread will go soggy then.
  5. place mushrooms on bread (toasted, if you like), top with sauce and scatter basil leafs on top
  6. Voilá!

 

Filed Under: All, Light meals, Wraps & Sandwiches · Tagged: , , , ,

Gluten free Gnocchi w Peas, Basil & Lemon Sauce

August 16, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

Print
Gluten free Gnocchi w Peas, Basil & Lemon Sauce
A quick dish to make, especially if you have Cashew Cream sitting in the fridge. I love the taste of lemon zest in dishes like this and pasta, it seems to lift all flavours 🙂
Prepared by:
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: main
Serves: 1
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • about ½ to ¾ cup of gluten free gnocchi
  • ½ to ¾ cup of peas
  • half a cup of Cashew Cream
  • a small hand of fresh basil leafs, or about 8, chopped or torn
  • 2 tbsp of lemon juice
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • ½ cup of almond milk (or similar non dairy milk)
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • oil to cook
To do
  1. heat some oil in a small pan, add the peas and garlic and heat till peas are cooked
  2. add some salt & pepper
  3. in another pan, cook the gnocchi
  4. use a small pan for the sauce: heat the non dairy milk and lemon juice, when just coming to the boil, add cashew cream, zest, salt and pepper
  5. stir and add more milk if too thick
  6. place gnocchi & peas on plate, pour sauce on top and then the fresh basil

 

Filed Under: All, Complete Meal Ideas, Gluten free, Light meals, Main Dishes, Potato & Grains · Tagged: , , , , ,

Basil Tomato Sauce

June 8, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment
Basil Tomato Sauce

Basil Tomato Sauce

 

No more store bought prepared tomato sauces once you’ve made your own, they are SO tasty and beautiful. Do use home grown or organic tomatoes though, as they are much more flavoursome than non-organic.

You need (for about 1.5 cups):

•    8-10 tomatoes
•    14 leafs of fresh basil
•    a dash of olive oil
•    2 tsp of minced garlic
•    1/4 cup of non dairy milk (I used hemp milk)
•    salt & pepper to taste

You do:
– quarter the tomatoes (or just roughly chop them)
– cook them in a small pan with the olive oil, garlic, pepper and basil
– let simmer without a lid so water can evaporate, stir regularly
– when the sauce is reduced enough to your liking, take off heat and blend sauce with stick blender
– return to heat and add non dairy milk, heat through and dilute more if you like to
– taste and add salt if you need to

Filed Under: All, Dips, Sauces & Condiments · Tagged: , , ,

Tomato & Capsicum Salad w Fresh Herbs

May 11, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

 

Tomato & Capsicum Salad w fresh Herbs

Tomato & Capsicum Salad w fresh Herbs

Too easy!

You need:
•   2 tomatoes
•   1 capsicum
•   fresh mint
•   fresh basil (I used purple basil)
•   fresh flat leaf parsley
•   olive oil
•   a dash of balsamico upon serving
•   sesame seeds
•   salt and plenty of black pepper

You do:
– merrily chop everything
– mix and eat!

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: All, Gluten free, Raw & Almost Raw, Salads, Veggies & Sides · Tagged: , , , , , ,

Raw Cucumber & Avocado Soup w Capers

April 30, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

 

 

Print
Raw Cucumber & Avocado Soup w Capers
This is a lovely, delicate soup, served cold. Although made with avocado, it is not heavy at all.
Prepared by:
Cuisine: raw & vegan
Recipe type: soup
You need
  • ½ tall cucumber, chopped
  • 1 avocado, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup of coconut water
  • 1 heaped tsp of fennel seed
  • 1 pinch of mild chilli powder
  • juice & zest of ½ lime
  • juice & zest of ½ lemon
  • 10 fresh basil leafs
  • pepper
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp of capers (or more, but it shouldn't become a caper soup 🙂 )
  • optional: ½ tbsp of Smoky Toasted Coconut Flakes, or plain toasted coconut flakes.
To do
  1. put everything except for the last two items in the blender, and whizz until it is a nice fluffy soup
  2. taste and tweak
  3. cool in fridge
  4. when you serve, top with capers, an extra basil leaf and coconut flakes.
Notes
If you want to make toasted coconut flakes: just toss some flakes in a dry hot pan and stir, they will toast pretty quickly. Once off the heat they will continue to crisp.
Here's a recipe for baked smoky flakes, and here's one for raw smoky flakes.

Filed Under: All, Gluten free, Light meals, Raw & Almost Raw, Soup · Tagged: , , , , ,