Tuesday 30 October 2012

Brazilian Vegan Queijadinha

This is my version of the Brazilian Queijadinha. Queijadinha is just lovely, the saltiness of the "cheese" together with the sweetness of the coconut and sugar it's just delicious, put that together with the lightness of the puff pastry and you get a combination to die for.
I used Vegusto cheese because it's easy to find in London, but you can used any king of mild fake cheese you like. Indulge yourself and trust me you will make this one over and over again!! :)




Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry
65g desiccated coconut
4 tbsp light brown sugar
80g No-Muh Resent Piquant Vegusto Cheese
100g single cream




Method:
1 - Defrost the puff pastry
2 - Using a upside down glass make circle cut on the pastry. Group the remaining pastry and roll so you don't waste pastry
3 - Combine together the coconut, sugar, single cream and cheese.
4 - Put two tablespoon of the mixture in the middle of the round pastry cuts and press the edges of the pastry together in four or six places to hold the mixture in the middle
5 - Bake it for 25 minutes on a pre-heated oven at 180c.




If you are not going to eat it all on the same day, re-heat it on the oven as it's a lot better. Enjoy!!!

Monday 29 October 2012

Shiitake Tofu Stir-fry

That's a easy, quick an yet a delicious recipe. Perfect with rice and salad. It's one of those things that anyone can do in less than 30 minutes, it's light, meaty and nutritious.




Ingredients:
1/2 red onions chopped
4 cloves garlic smashed
250g Shiitake mushroom sliced
250g Tofu cut in small cubes
2 tbsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp lime and parsley seasoning
Juice of one lime
Sea salt
Black pepper




Method:
1 - Fry the onions and garlic on vegetable oil until tender
2 - Add the tofu and seasoning and fry for 10 minutes stirring from time to time
3 - Set the tofu aside and add the lime juice and salt
4 - Fry the shiitake on the sesame oil and add the tofu when most of the water of the mushroom is gone

Easy right?!! Enjoy!!


Thursday 25 October 2012

Chickpeas Salad

Every vegan know that legumes are very important for our diet and chickpeas are no exception. Chickpeas are very high in protein, a good source of zinc and folate, it's low in fat and recent studies have also shown that they can assist in lowering of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Convinced? If yes, try this salad, you'll love it!!!





Ingredients:
250g chickpeas (one can or pre-boiled)
10 cherry tomatoes cut in 4
10g parsley chopped
1/2 red onions thinly chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of one lime
Smoked sea salt




Method:
1 - Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy!!

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Mushroom Spaghetti

This is my post number 100 and to celebrate it I came up with this deliciously rich and yummy pasta!!!
It has been a real pleasure to create new recipes and share them with you. I hope my journey through veganism and vegan food has helped some of you out there.
To the ones who don't know me, I'm a Brazilian who live and love London and my journey to the light (lol) begun 16 years ago when I became a vegetarian and that I stayed until the beginning of 2012. Through the past 5 years I started cutting animal products from my life bit by bit and at some point it felt as if I was crossing a bridge and stopped halfway through where I felt comfortable. One day after watching the "I'm vegan" video with Dr Gary Francione, I felt like a complete fake and realised that if I was really true with everything I wanted for animals and the planet that becoming a vegan was the only way forward and that was liberating. I am healthier than I ever been and really happy with my decision. It really helped the fact that Neni (my husband) decided to go vegan with me.
Since then I started a with this blog, I am doing a Vegetarian & Vegan Nutrition Consultant Course and have just started giving cookery classes. It is just the beginning but for me a better one!
I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you fell like it, share your story with me! :)





Ingredients:
200g dried spaghetti
150g buna shimeji
250g chestnut mushroom sliced
1/2 red onions chopped
4 cloves garlic smashed
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup cashew nuts
1 tsp sesame seed
1 vegetable cubes
60g baby leaf spinach




Method:
1 - Fry the onions and garlic on the vegetable oil until tender
2 - Add the chestnut mushroom and stir for about 5 minutes
3 - Add the shimeji, cashew, vegetable cube and sesame seed and cook for about 10 minutes stiring from time to time
4 - Turn the fire off and pour the sesame oil stir together
5 - Sprinkle the spinach on top and set it aside
6 - Cook the pasta on a salted water and mix together with the mushroom and spinach mixture when ready.






Sprinkle some Vegusto cheese on top if want and enjoy!!

Monday 22 October 2012

Chocolate Almond Biscuits

These biscuits are so easy to prepare and a real treat. Sweet on the right amount, they are perfect with tea or coffee! Almonds, oats and chocolate what else can I say, it's a flawless combination!! Give it a go, you'll love it!





Ingredients:
25g chopped almonds
3 tbsp golden syrup
50g melted spread
25g oats
1 1/2 tbsp chocolate powder
1 tbsp light brown sugar
75g flour
40g mashed banana





Method:
1 - Mix together the almonds, oats, chocolate powder, sugar and flour
2 - Melt the spread, add the golden syrup and mix well
3 - Pour the spread/syrup and the mashed banana to the rest of the ingredients and mix together
4 - Leave it the fridge for 20 minutes to rest
5 - Using your hands divided the mixture into small circles and place it on a baking tray covered with baking sheet
6 - Cook it on a pre-heated oven at 180c for 12-14 minutes





Enjoy!

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Revisited Baked Cauliflower

Baked cauliflower is something that I do almost every week, it is a must at my house and I constantly change things, I add new seasoning and it's always good. But this one I have been doing for a little while and as it's perfect I have decided to post another baked cauliflower recipe. I hope you like it! :)





Ingredients:
One whole cauliflower
20g Vegutso No-Moo Mild-Aromatic (Cheddar Alternative)
2 tbsp Olive oil
Salt
 

 
Method:
1 - Separate the cauliflower florets and boil it in salted water for 10 minutes
2 - Drain the water and place the florets in a baking tray
3 - Spread the olive oil and the "cheese"
4 - Bake it for 20 minutes at 180c.




Enjoy!!

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Courgettes and Tofu Pasta

This pasta is absolutely delicious and it doesn't take long to prepare. It's a bless after a long day. The courgettes becomes like a angel hair pasta and it combined with the tofu and smoked sea salt is to die for. You can sprinkle any vegetable cheese you like on top but I actually prefer without as the combination of flavours in this recipe is perfect. I hope you like it!




Ingredients:
250g dried pasta
1/2 red onion chopped
250g tofu cut in small cubes
2 small courgettes
3tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pine nuts
Zest of one lime
Smoked sea salt
Black pepper
 



Method:
1 - Fry the onion until tender
2 - Add the tofu and cook for 10 minutes stirring from time to time until light brown
3 - In the meantime cut the courgettes into small slices using a food processor
4 - Add the courgettes, lime zest, salt, 2 tbsp olive oil and pine nut and cook for 10-15 minutes stirring from time to time
5 - Cook the pasta as per package instruction until al dente
6 - When the pasta is ready combine all the ingredients together and pour the last tbsp of olive oil



Enjoy!!

Monday 15 October 2012

Baked Tomatoes

I know this recipe is pretty basic, but basic it's also good right? And sometimes you have the ingredients the only thing missing is the idea of what to do with it. Well I love tomatoes, in any way and baked is delicious as it becomes a bit sweet. I hope you try this one. :)





Ingredients:
35 cherry tomatoes
2 sticks spring onions chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
Smoked sea salt





Method:
1 - Combine all the ingredients on a baking tray and bake it for 30 minutes


 
 
Enjoy!!

Friday 12 October 2012

Homemade Mint Chocolate

How can I describe this recipe - rich, smooth, chocolaty, exquisite, yummy, absolutely delicious and even so none of those get even close to how good this chocolate is.
It's one those things that unfortunately we can't make very often as it's very fattening but believe me it worth every mouthful. The good thing is that you know exactly what you are eating.
It melts in our mouth and leaves a sweet bitter taste that is sheer heaven! Come on, indulge yourself!!





Ingredients:
8 tbsp virgin coconut oil
10 tbsp light brown sugar
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp peppermint extract





Method:
1 - Melt the coconut oil on the microwave, it will probably take 1 minutes but instead of 1 minutes put two times 30 seconds
2 - Stir in the sugar and cocoa until it's smooth
3 - Add the peppermint extract and stir a bit more
4 - Grease a muffin tin, those with 12 holes and pour in the liquid chocolate
5 - Put the pan in the fridge to set, which takes 20-30 minute
6 - Keep in room temperature in a container with greased paper so prevent it from melting.




Enjoy!

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Stroganoff Revisited

This is a remake of an old stroganoff recipe which are already good but I thought that needed a little quick. So I added balsamic vinegar and lime juice to the crunchy tofu and that combined with the sweetness of the ketchup and the single cream makes a perfect combination.
As you might already know, tofu is perfect for absorbing the taste of any kind of seasoning, that's what makes it so versatile and a powerful ally in the kitchen for vegans and non vegans.

 
 


Ingredients:
200g tofu cut in small cubes
250g closed chestnut mushroom sliced
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic smashed
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 lime juice
250ml single cream
Vegetable cube
3 sticks spring onions chopped
Sea salt
1/2 cup ketchup
Black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil




Method:
1 - Fry the garlic and half the onions with two spoons of the olive oil until tender
2 - Add the tofu and fry it for around 5 minutes or until it gets light brown
3 - Pour it on a bowl and add the balsamic vinegar and the lime juice and set aside
4 - Fry the rest of the onions with the remaining olive oil until tender
5 - Add the mushrooms, vegetable cube, spring onions and black pepper and cook for 7 minutes stirring from time to time
6 - When ready add the tofu, single cream and the ketchup and mix it all together





It's delicious with white rice and homemade French fries, check the recipe on a previous post. Enjoy!!




Monday 8 October 2012

Nutty Ice Cream

This is rich and yet light, really yummy. A perfect desert. If you like ice cream, you have to try it!!! I can guarantee you'll love it! :)




Ingredients:
1 cup almonds flakes
1 cup cashew
1 cup pistachios
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
120ml golden syrup
2 tbsp light brown sugar
3 1/2 cups water
20g cornstarch




Method:
1 - Soak the nuts in water overnight
2 - Drain the water and beat them on a food processor or blender with 1 cup of water and the cinnamon
3 - Add the remaining water, a cup at a time, and beat until you can break most of the nuts. The amount of time you are going to beat will depend on how powerful your blinder or food processor is and also if you want to leave a few bits of nuts on the ice cream or not
4 - Mix 1/2 cup of the mixture with the cornstarch and set aside
5 - Pour the rest into a sauce pan and add the rest of the ingredients.
6 - Heat almost to boiling point on a low fire stirring from time to time
7 - Add the cornstarch mixture to it and stir for 2 minutes to avoid sticking
8 - Turn off the fire and stir for another 2 minutes
9 - Let it cool completely before taking it to the freezer for at least 6 hours.





Enjoy!!!




Inspired by Mouthwatering vegan recipes

Friday 5 October 2012

"Cheesy" Quiche

That was the conversation at my house the day I came up with this recipe:
Neni (my husband) - surely there is cheese in this
Me - yes, tofu and Vegusto
Neni - It taste as if there was dairy cheese in it
Well, that is exactly how it taste like. I absolutely love a challenge and like to veganise every recipe I used to prepare before I became a vegan. It's not that I miss cheese, because I don't, but it's good to know that if you want to, you have prepare your old recipes and they will taste as good, if not better, as they used to taste.
This quiche is lovely and perfect for an evening meal. Give it a go, you will love it!




Ingredients
200g flour
110g spread (I used Pure Sunflower)
215g tofu
1tsp balsamic vinegar
1 red onion chopped
250ml single cream (I used Provamel)
20g No-Moo Mild-Aromatic (Cheddar Alternative) Vegusto cheese grated
1 tbsp lemon parsley seasoning
1 vegetable cube
1 tbsp olive oil




Method:
1 - Using your fingers bring the flour and spread together to form a dough
2 - Open the dough on a 7 or 8 inches round spring form baking tray, depending on how high you want the sides of the quiche or devide it into four individuals quiche baking tray
3 - Fry the red onion on the olive oil on low fire for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time
4 - Squeeze the tofu block between your hand to get some of the liquid out and than to break it into crumbs
5 - Add the tofu, seasoning, balsamic vinegar and vegetable cube and stir for about 5 minutes
6 - Pour the single cream and the Vegusto cheese and stir for another 2 minutes
7 - Pour the mixture into the baking tray and cook it for 30 minutes at 180c pre-heated oven.




It is perfect with rice and salad. Enjoy!!



Wednesday 3 October 2012

Cashew Strawberries Cheesecake

This is the ultimate desert, so perfect you just can't get enough of it!!!!Sheer heaven!!!
I've been meaning to try and create my own cashew cheesecake recipe for a while as I tried a few before and always like it. So last weekend I decided that it was time. Although it might not look like, it is really simple and quick to prepare, you only need to remember to soak the cashew overnight or for about 10-12 hours. In my opinion this cheesecake is so much better than the tofu one, it is rich, creamy and sweet on the exact amount. Give it a go, you'll thank me later!




Ingredients crust:
1 cup walnuts
1 cup almonds flakes
15 prunes


Ingredients filling:
3 cups of cashew soaked overnight
1/2 cup lime juice
2/3 cup golden syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup coconut oil
3 tbsp light brown sugar
1 cup strawberries



Method:
1 - On food processor mix the crust ingredient and spread it pressing with your fingers on a greased 8 inches round spring form baking tray.
2 - Drain the cashew and beat on the food processor for about 2 minutes
3 - If your coconut oil is not liquid, heat it on the microwave for one minute
4 - Add the rest of the filling ingredients to the food processor, apart from the strawberries and beat for about 10 minutes. Only stop when all the ingredients are well mixed together into a thick cream
5 - Pour 2/3 of the mixture on top of the crust and spread as evenly as you can but don't worry too much it doesn't have to be perfect
6 - Add the strawberries to the remaining mixture, beat for 2 minutes and pour it on top of the first layer
7 - If you are serving it on the same day take to the freezer for 2 hours and take it out 1 before you serve. If you are serving on the other day you can leave it in the fridge over night.




Enjoy!!!



Tuesday 2 October 2012

Homemade French Fries

Who doesn't like French fries? They are a perfect accompaniment for any kind of food and simply delicious. This is not a regular French fries as it's not fried. Anyone who lives in London knows that is impossible to fry any food, unless you don't mind that your whole house is going to smells like fried food for hours or if you live in a very big house. Apart from that I always try to avoid fried food whenever I can. This one doesn't miss a bit in flavour or crunchiness. It is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Is so delicious that you will never think on frying them again.
 

 


Ingredients:
5 Vivaldi Potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt



 
Method:

1 - Cut the potatoes in thin slices
2 - On a small pan cook it for 5 minutes in salted boiling water
3 - Drain the potatoes on a colander and pour the olive oil
4 - Spread the potatoes on a baking tray coved with greased paper and bake them on a pre-heated oven at 180c for 30-40 minutes




Enjoy!!!

Monday 1 October 2012

Tomato Spinach Pesto

I guess is pretty obvious that I don't like complicated recipes, off course as everybody else I like when I can make something that looks difficult but on the other hand I prefer to spend time with my family and friend instead of hours in the kitchen and believe me I love to prepare good food for the people I like.
Now back to the recipe, you will never believe how easy and quick is to prepare this sauce, you will actually have to wait for the pasta to be ready as the sauce will take less the five minutes.




Ingredients:
300g linguine dried pasta
500g cherry tomatoes
100g pine nuts
65g spinach
2 tbsp olive oil
50g Vegusto No-Moo Mild Aromatic "cheese"
Sea salt
Black pepper



Method:
1 - Cook the linguine on salted water as per package instruction
2 - In a food processor mix all the ingredients for about 5 minutes or until it's very well blended
3 - When the pasta is ready pour the sauce and serve while hot




Enjoy!!