Garlic Bread

What You Need
{1} part-baked baguette, sliced
{1/2 cup} vegan butter
{2 large cloves} garlic, minced
{1 heaping tbsp} freshly chopped parsley

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. In a bowl, mix together the butter, garlic and parsley until well combined.
3. Slice the baguette and spoon the butter mix into the cracks.
4. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

Scrambled Tofu

This brekkie staple is better than any scrambled eggs I ever had. Adapted from Vegan With A Vengeance.

 

Ingredients:

{1/2} large white onion, diced

{100g} small white mushrooms, thinly sliced

{2 cloves} garlic, finely chopped

{280g} extra-firm tofu, drained

{3 tbsp} nutritional yeast flakes

Juice of 1/4 lemon

{1/2} medium-sized carrot, grated

{1 tsp} ground cumin

{1/2 tsp} dried thyme

{1/2 tsp} ground paprika

{1/4 tsp} ground turmeric

{1/2 tsp} sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to  taste

Method:

1. Skillet: medium-high heat, warm up with a little oil spray. Sauté the onions for 3 minutes, until soft and browning. Add the mushrooms - 5 minutes. Add the garlic - 2 minutes. Take off the heat and throw in the cumin, thyme, paprika, turmeric, and sea salt. Mix together and cook for 15 seconds. Add a splash of water to gather up all the spicy yumminess off the bottom off the pan - especially if it's starting to stick.

2. Crumble in the tofu, but don't squish it! Big chunks are good. Let it cook for 15 minutes. If it's sticking add a little bit more water and turn down the heat. 

3. Add lemon juice, pepper, and nutritional yeast. Stir until well combined. Fold in the grated carrot. 

Plain Pancakes

Yesterday was my two-year veganniversary (three years not eating meat!). So, to celebrate, I bought myself Vegan With A Vengeance and got my pancake apron on.

 Ingredients:

{150g} plain flour, sifted
{2 tsp} baking powder
{1/2 tsp} sea salt
{1 tsp} cinnamon
{2 tbsp} grapeseed oil
{5 tbsp} water
{300 ml} unsweetened soya milk
{1 tsp} vanilla extract

Method:

Sift and mix together the plain flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add salt. In a different bowl, combine all other ingredients. Pour the wet mixture over the dry, and whisk up with a fork until just combined. Go for a few flour lumps rather than overmixing.

Heat up a skillet with a little oil spray for about 2 minutes. Cook pancakes until they start to bubble and slip easily in the pan. Then flip! Don't be shy. It's 15% technique, 85% confidence. Alternatively, carefully use a spatula. Brown off both sides and serve with lashings of maple syrup.

Hot Cocoa

If you're looking for something fancy, look away now. This is a 'basics' post, for those awake at 11pm, in their slippers, after a long day, craving a little something sweet and simple.

Ingredients:

{1 tbsp} cocoa powder (the good stuff, mind)
{1 mug} unsweetened soya milk (or any other dairy-free milk alternative)
{2 tbsp} maple syrup (if you don't have anything of the sort, 2 tbsp of brown sugar should suffice)
{1 dash} sea salt

Extras: a little bit of vanilla or cinnamon, if you like. (optional)

Method:

Saucepan: heat up all the ingredients. Don't let it boil. Serve and enjoy.

Cranberry Oatmeal

This is a Toast staple. Oh...oats...oh baby...

{40g} porridge oats
{200ml} unsweetened soya (or any vegan milk of your choice)
{100 ml} water
{1/2 tsp} salt
{1 tsp} peanut butter
{1 handful} dried cranberries
{A drizzle} maple syrup

Heat up the oats, water, soya, and salt in a saucepan for a few minutes, until the oats have cooked. Pour into a food blender. Whizz it up. Serve with peanut butter, cranberries and maple syrup.

Alternatively, if you want to make this raw: soak the oats overnight in water (just enough to cover the oats) with some raw salt. In the morning, stick it in the food blender, add raw nuts, fresh fruit, and sweeten with agave nectar.

SIMPLE.

Basic Caramelised Onion Houmous

{230g} drained chickpeas (tinned)
{55g} light tahini
{1 tbsp and 2 tsp} freshly squeezed lemon juice
{3/4 tsp} sea salt
{1 clove} garlic
{2 tbsp} vegetable oil
{2 and 1/2 tsp} water
{1 small} red onion, chopped small

Fry red onion until soft and brown - set aside. Cook chickpeas for a few minutes (per instructions on packet), drain and add to food blender. Chuck in all other ingredients, except the oil and water. Whizz it up. Stir. Add oil. Whizz it up. Stir. Add water and onions. Whizz it up. Leave to rest. Add a splash of water and a tiny bit of extra salt to make it creamy.



holy houmous!