Vegan Daging Semur & Nasi Kuning

One of our national supermarket chains launched vegan 'beef stew' pieces, which was the perfect opportunity to make this classic Indonesian stew.

Vegan Daging Semur (or Smoor)

What you need:

400g (2 packets) vegan 'beef stew' pieces (or the equivalent of reconstituted beef-style TVP)

75 ml kecap manis

200 ml vegetable broth or mock beef stock

Splash of rice vinegar

3 onions, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 cm fresh ginger, grated

1,5 tsp ground nutmeg

5 cloves

2 bay leaves

1 tsp sugar 

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp sambal ulek

Pinch of salt & pepper

Oil, for frying

Heat some oil in a pan with a thick bottom and add nutmeg, salt & pepper, cinnamon and sambal ulek.

Fry the spices for a few seconds, then add the chopped onion, minced garlic and grated ginger. Sauté until the onion has softened.

Add the vegan 'beef stew' pieces and stir to combine. Cook the pieces for a few minutes, then add the kecap manis, rice vinegar, broth, sugar, cloves and bay leaves. Stir to combine.

Let the pieces simmer according to packet instructions (I used my pressure cooker and cooked the stew 20min on high, with natural release).

Original recipe

Nasi Kuning

Nasi Kuning is yellow rice that is traditionally served on special occasions.

What you need

300 g pandan rice

80 g santen, grated

4 kaffir lime leaves (djeruk purut)

1 stalk of lemon grass (sereh), bruised

1 salam leave (Indonesian bay leave)

2 tsp turmeric 

1/2 tsp salt 

Add the rice to a pan and sprinkle the santen on top. Add salt, turmeric and enough water (up to your 1st finger joint). Stir to combine, then add kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass and salam leave.

Bring the water to a boil and boil the rice according to packet instructions.

Original recipe

Vegan Afternoon Tea Part I: My favourite sandwiche recipes

I like to treat friends & family to an afternoon tea on special occasions, and these are some of my favourite sandwich recipes.

No afternoon tea is complete without the Perfect Cucumber Sandwiches!

What you need (for 9 finger sandwiches or 12 triangles)

1/2 cucumber, peeled
Salt
6 thin slices of good white bread (such as pain de mie)
Unsalted margarine, at room temperature
White pepper

Cut the cucumber with a mandoline into very thin slices. Put them in a colander or sieve, sprinkle lightly with salt and leave for 20 minutes. Taste to check you haven't oversalted them: you can rinse them at this point if so.

Lay out a few pieces of kitchen paper on the work surface, place the cucumber slices on them, and pat dry with more paper.

Thinly butter each slice of bread. Arrange the cucumber on half the slices, overlapping each round, and sprinkle with ground white pepper. Top with the remaining slices.

Remove the crust and cut 3 fingers or 4 triangles each. 

Tasty alternative: instead of margarine, I like to use Oatly cucumber & garlic dairy-free spread. These are my mom's favourite :-)

Original recipe

Carrot & Raisin Sandwiches

I had these at a tea house once and liked them so much that I wanted to make them too :-)

What you need (for 6-9 finger sandwiches or 8-12 triangles)
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
2 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped mint
4-6 slices white sandwich bread (such as pain de mie)
3 tbsp hummus

Mix the carrot with the raisins, olive oil and vinegar. Season and add the mint.
Spread hummus on 2-3 slices of bread, top with the carrot mix and remaining 2-3 slices. Remove crust and cut into 3 finger sandwiches or 4 triangles each.

Original recipe

Roasted Red Pepper & Pesto Sandwiches

My friend's favourite!

What you need (6-9 fingersandwiches or 8-12 triangles)
4-6 slices sandwich bread (such as pain de mie)
Dairy-free margarine
3 tbsp dairy-free pesto
1-2 roasted red peppers from a jar, dained and sliced in strips
Pinch of salt & pepper

Spread half the sandwich slices thinly with the pesto and the other slices with margarine. Arrange the pepper strips onto the pesto and top with the buttered bread slices. Remove crusts and cut each sandwich into 3 fingers or diagonally into 4 triangles.

Original recipe

Vegan 'oviebollen' (oven-baked oliebollen)

I don't know anybody who doesn't eat 'oliebollen' at New Years in the Netherlands! Traditionally, they are deepfried, but in 2016 one of the leading brands of supermarket baking products, Koopmans, introduced a ready-made mix for 'oviebollen', a.k.a oven-baked oliebollen.
Sadly, their mix is not vegan, so I decided to try this method with a from-scratch recipe and the results were surprisingly tasty!

What you need (12 pcs):

• 250g flour
• 250ml tepid water
• pinch of salt
• 20g fresh yeast or 7g dried yeast
• 15g sugar
• 100g raisins, soaked
• oil 
• flour for dusting
• powdered sugar, for serving

Pour the water in a large mixing bowl and add the yeast, stirring to dissolve. Stir in the sugar, then mix in the flour and salt to form a batter. Stir in the raisins. Cover the bowl with a clean, moist cloth and leave to rise in a warm spot for 30-45min.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (gas 4 / 190°C fan oven). Grease and dust a muffin pan, then use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter into the holes. Drizzle 1tsp oil over each hole and bake for 20min. Remove the 'oviebollen' from the pan immediately (be careful, hot!) and let them cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve the 'oviebollen' dusted with powdered sugar.

Rhubarb crumble bars

These rhubarb crumble bars are absolutely yummy!

 

What you need (12-16 bars)

- 1½ cups all-purpose flour

- 1½ cups oatmeal oats
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup refined coconut oil, softened
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 360g rhubarb compote (or 1 jar)

Preheat oven to 175°C. Combine flour through salt in large bowl. Combine ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.Reserve 1½ cups of the crumb mixture. Press the rest onto bottom of a greased square / rectangular baking pan (a brownie pan is perfect for this). Spread compote over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

 

Based on this recipe.

 

 

Easy peasy chocolate-date truffles

These chocolate truffles are delicious and super easy to make!



What you need:
- 10-12 Medjool dates
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp rum flavouring
- dessicated coconut (to roll the truffles in)

De-seed the dates and put them in a food processor with the cocoa powder and rum flavouring. Process into a smooth paste (depending on how soft your dates are this can take anywhere from seconds to a couple of minutes). Once done, take a piece of the paste and roll it between your (wet) palms to make truffles. Roll them through some dessicated coconut and store in an air-tight container. Serve at room temperature.


Based on this recipe.

Dal Palak & homemade vegan naan

After my Aloo Palak spinach epiphany, I felt bold enough to branch out to other spinach recipes. I love dal, so it was a natural choice to try out a spinach dal recipe.
I made some adjustments to the original recipe, so this is by no means authentic, but it's pretty darn yummy nonetheless.
I recently also made my own naan for the first time, so I'm including that recipe here as well.

Dal palak (4-5 servings):
1,5 cup toor dal (yellow lentils)
200g frozen spinach, thawed.
4 cloves of garlic, minced (or 4 tsp garlic paste)
2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 tsp sambal oelek (or more to taste)
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tbsp oil

Rinse the lentils and pick out any stones etc.
In a large pot, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Once they start to pop and give off scent, add onion, garlic and sambal oelek. Saute until onion is translucent, then add lentils and spinach.
Add ca. 1l (2 pints) water and crumble in the stock cube, stir everything together and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer the dal approx. 45 min, covered. The dal is done when you can easily crush the lentils. I like a thick dal, so I usually cook it uncovered for a bit to reduce the liquid. Using a spatula or masher, mash part of the the dal.
Serve warm with rice, naan or roti.

Tip: I like to make this dal in a stovetop pressure cooker. Saute the ingredients in the pressure cooker as described above. After adding the water, close the lid on your pressure cooker and bring to high pressure (2). Cook for 7-10 minutes, then use natural release.

Original recipe

Naan (serves 4):

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp warm tap water
3/8 tsp dry active yeast
6 tbsp warm non-dairy milk (I used Alpro unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt (I used Alpro unsweetened soy yogurt)
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1 tsp coriander powder (optional)
Oil for brushing

In a bowl, disolve the sugar in the warm water. Add the yeast and stir to disolve. Set aside for approx. 10 mins or until the mixture starts to froth and rise.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder & coriander powder (if using).
When the yeast mixture is foaming, add the warm milk and yogurt, stirring to combine.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and combine with a spatula. When the ingredients are combined, finish mixing the dough with your hands to form a ball. Do not overknead.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and leave to rise for an hour at a warm place.
Divide the dough into 4 parts and roll each part into a thin oval on a floured surface.
Thoroughly heat a skillet. Brush oil on both sides of the bread.
Add one piece of bread to the pan and cook 1-2 min, covered. Bubbles should form on the bread.
Flip the bread and cook another 1-2 min. Repeat with the rest of the naan.
Serve warm. These naans freeze well too.

Original recipe

Vegan pannenkoeken

Dutch pancakes are different than American pancakes. In America, pancakes are thick, fluffy, smaller and generally eaten for breakfast. In the Netherlands they are larger, thinner and usually eaten for lunch or dinner. They can be served with sweet or savoury toppings and traditionally contain eggs. However, eggs are not necessary at all or can be easily substituted should you want to.

Basic pancake recipe (9 pancakes):
500g (2cups) selfraising flour
Approx. 1ltr non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
2tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 6tbsp water (egg replacer, optional)
Pinch of salt (optional)
Oil or margarine

In a large bowl, sift together flour and salt (if using), add the flaxseed mix (if using) and then gradually add milk while using a handmixer until the batter is the desired consistency (aim for a thin custard-like batter).
Thoroughly heat a skillet and add some oil/margarine. Add a full ladle of batter to the skillet and swirl the pan to spread the batter. Flip the pancake once the top of the pancake is solid and the edges start to colour. Cook a few more minutes on the other side.
Serve warm or cold with a topping of your choice.

Some ideas for toppings/add-ins:
- good ol' fashioned molasses (my favourite)
- (powdered) sugar
- cinnamon-sugar
- jam
- chocolate spread with sliced banana (see below)
- add grated apple, soaked raisins and cinnamon to the batter and cook pancakes as usual

Peanut butter stirfry

Very quick and tasty stirfry!

What you need (2 servings):
400g bag of pre-cut Asian-style veggies (or use your choice of cabbage, onion, leek, red pepper, sugar snaps, bean sprouts etc)
200g button mushrooms, sliced
100-120g rice noodles (I like Terrasana black rice noodles)
1tsp sambal oelek
1tsp garlic paste (or 1 clove fresh garlic, minced)
1tbsp peanut butter
1tbsp sweet red chili sauce
2tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2tbsp warm water
1/4tsp ground ginger
Oil
Roasted peanuts, cashews or fried onions, for serving (optional)

Cook the noodles al dente in a pot. Drain and set aside.
In a microwave-safe cup, mix together peanut butter, chili sauce, soy sauce, water and ginger (this will go easier if you heat the ingredients for a few seconds first). Set aside.
Heat a drop of oil in a wok and add sambal and garlic. Add the mushrooms and stirfry a few minutes. Add the other vegetables and cook until done to your liking. Stir in the peanut sauce and cooked noodles until everthing is coated in sauce. Serve warm, with some roasted nuts or fried onions sprinkled on top.


Based on this recipe

Japanese plain white rice, sushi rice & Onigiri

Cooking Japanese rice is an art in itself. It takes quite a bit of effort, especially the rinsing and soaking before cooking.

Plain white Japanese rice (4 servings)
320g (1 1/2 cup) Japanese sushi rice
410ml (1 3/4 cup) water for cooking
water for rinsing

Add the rice to a fine sieve and put the sieve into a bowl. Place the bowl in your sink, under the tap.
Run the tab over the rice and gently rub the rice between your fingers. The water will turn white.
Lift the sieve and discard the rinsing water. Repeat several times until the water remains clear.
Drain the rice in the sieve for at least 15 minutes, but preferably 30 minutes.

Add rice and water to a pot or rice cooker and let the rice soak for at least 30 minutes, but preferably up to an hour. (you can leave it soaking in the fridge overnight or during the day if necessary)

Set a kitchen timer for 12 minutes, bring the water to a boil and boil the rice over medium heat with the lid on. (or just switch on your rice cooker. Note that soaking is not necessary for some high-end rice cookers since it is included in the cooking time. Check the manual to make sure). Turn the heat off and let the rice steam for 10-20 minutes, then stir the rice with a rice paddle.

Original recipe

For sushi rice, proceed as follows:
Transfer the hot, cooked rice to a bowl. Mix 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp fine sugar and up to 1 tsp finely ground salt in a small cup. Add the vinegar mixture to the hot rice and rapidly stir the rice with a rice paddle, using a cutting motion. Let it slightly cool and prepare your sushi.

Original recipe

Tip: freeze the rice in 1 cup portions. Use microwave-safe plastic wrap, tear off ca. 30 cm off the roll and scoop the - still warm - rice in the middle (the condensation will prevent the rice from drying out when reheating). Make a bundle of the plastic wrap and shape the rice into a flat ball. Freeze and store the rice balls in a large zip lock bag. One cup of rice is enough for 1 large or 2 small sushi rolls or 2 onigiri or 3-4 inarizushi.

Onigiri
Onigiri are rice balls made of salted rice, sometimes with a filling. They are often shaped into round disks or triangles.

1/4 tsp fine salt
1 cup cooked white rice, hot
2 strips of nori seaweed (15x2,5cm), toasted

Using a rice paddle, stir the salt into the hot rice. Divide the rice into 2 portions and put 1 portion into the lined bowl. Moisten your hands with a bit of water and pick up one portion of rice. Shape the rice into a disc or triangle. Wrap the disc/triangle with a strip of nori,

Tasty tempeh

It's taken me the longest time to appreciate tempeh but I've finally found some recipes that I really like. The first two recipes are actually quite similar, with only a few ingredients that are different. The third works well to sooth the Babi Pangang (Indonesian sweet & sour pork) cravings I occasionally get.


Tempeh Kering (ca. 4 servings)

1 400g package of tempeh
5 red chilis, finely chopped [less spicy? I used 1tsp sambal oelek instead]
5 shallots, chopped (or sub ca. 2 medium onions)
3 cloves of garlic (or 3 tsp garlic paste)
1 piece fresh laos/galanga (or 1,5 tsp jarred galanga)
0,5 tsp tamarind pulp
2 tbs palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tl sugar
Salt to taste
Oil, for deep frying

Cut the tempeh into small strips. Heat the oil in a wok and deep fry the strips in batches, until they are golden and crispy. Let the tempeh cool on kitchen towels to absorb excess oil. Discard most of the frying oil, leaving a little bit in the wok.

Make a curry paste from the shallots, garlic and laos, using a pestle and mortar, blender or food processor. Heat the wok and saute the curry paste for 3 mins on a medium heat. Add the chilis and cook another minute. Add tamarind, sugar and salt and cook 3 mins on a low heat to let the sugar caramelize. Add the fried tempeh and stir to coat well. Be careful not to burn the sugar.
Serve warm or cold with stir frys, roti & massala potatoes or on a hard roll with pickled cucumber.

Based on this recipe (note: Dutch)

Surinamese tempeh (ca. 4 servings)

1 400g package of tempeh
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or 2 tsp garlic paste)
1/2 Madame Jeanette chili, finely chopped [I used 1-2 tsp sambal oelek instead]
70g tomato puree (= 1 small can)
2 tbsp ketjap manis
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
1 tbsp Surinamese massala curry powder (=/= garam masala!)
1/2 tsp salt (or less, to taste. Remember that the ketjap is salty too)
100-150ml water
oil for deep frying

Cut the tempeh into small strips. Heat the oil in a wok and deep fry the strips in batches, until they are golden and crispy. Let the tempeh cool on kitchen towels to absorb excess oil. Discard most of the frying oil, leaving a little bit in the wok.

Sauté onion, garlic and chili (or sambal) for about 5 mins. Add tomato puree, ketjap manis, tamarind, curry powder and salt and stir to combine. Add fried tempeh and mix with the sauce. Add a splash of water to prevent from sticking to the pan and burning the sauce. Stew for a few minutes.

Serve warm or cold with roti & massala potatoes or on a hard roll with pickled cucumber.

Original recipe (note: Dutch)


Tempeh Pangang (3-4 servings)

400 g tempeh
300 ml water
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 4 tsp garlic paste)
2 cm ginger, grated (or 2 t sp ginger paste)
6 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp raw sugar
1,5 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp flour
oil

Prepare a marinade of soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Cut the tempeh into thin strips, add to the marinade, making sure the tempeh is well coated and refrigerate for at least an hour.
For the sauce, sauté the onion in some oil for 2-3 mins. Add water, chili flakes, sugar and the vinegar. Allow to boil for a few minutes, then add the tomato paste and flour, stirring continuously to prevent  lumps forming. Add the tempeh with the marinade and continue to cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
Serve with atjar (Indonesian pickles) with boiled rice or nasi goreng.

Quick & easy:
Instead of making the sauce from scratch, use a storebought jar of pangang sauce. 

Original recipe

Easy vegan granola

Most granola available in stores contains honey (at least it does in my neck of the woods), so when my local supermarket decided to discontinue my preferred honey-free option, I thought: "Why not make my own granola?"
This recipe is so easy that I wonder why I never tried it before!

Makes 8-10 servings:
2c oats
1/2c almond flakes
1/2c maple syrup

Add-ins of choice, such as:
Sultanas or raisins
Dried cranberries
Freeze-dried strawberries
Shredded coconut or coconut flakes
Dried banana chips (not salted, obviously...)
Crumbled apple chips
Flax seeds
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 200°C. Prepare a baking sheet with baking parchment.

In a bowl, mix oats, almonds and maple syrup. Spread mixture out thinly on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15mins until the oatmeal is lightly browned. Let the granola cool completely (it will crisp up), crumble and mix in add-ins of choice (I used raisins and shredded coconut). Store in an airtight container.
Enjoy with (non-dairy) yogurt for breakfast.


Based on a Happy Herbivore Mealplan recipe.

Dutch holiday loaf

In the Netherlands, it is customary to eat a special raisin bread with almond paste filling for Easter and Christmas. This is a vegan version, and a friend of mine thought it was much better than the store-bought varieties!

What you need (for 1 large loaf or 4 small loaves):
- 100g raisins or sultanas
- 100g currants (or extra raisins)
- 2 tbsp lemon zest (I used store-bought zest from Dr. Oetker)
- 3 tbsp rum or water
- 1 package ready-made almond paste (Dr. Oetker) or make your own (see recipe below)
- 7g dry yeast
- 200ml non-dairy milk
- 60g unsalted vegan margarine
- 125g caster sugar
- 430g flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp soy yoghurt (or pureed silken tofu)
- sunflower oil
- additional non-dairy milk
- flaked almond (optional)
- icing sugar

Mix raisins, curants and lemon zest in a bowl, add rum or water and soak, covered, for 2hrs until all liquid has been absorbed. (Prepare the almond paste if making from scratch, see recipe below).
Melt the margarine and mix in milk, sugar and yoghurt. Let it cool to approx. body temperature, then stir in the yeast.
In a large bowl, stir together flour and salt, then make a dip in the centre. Mix in the milk mixture and knead for approx. 10 mins. until the dough is soft and elastic. Add a bit of flour if the dough is too sticky. Shape the dough into a ball, brush a bit of oil on top and let it rise, covered, for 1 - 1,5 hrs. at a warm spot.
Knead the dough, then flatten in on your work surface. Sprinkle the soaked fruit on top, then fold over the dough and gently knead it until well-mixed. Shape the dough into an 20cmx30cm (8"x12")oval. Knead the almond paste and shape it into a 30cm (12") roll. Put it on top of the dough, then fold over the dough so the almond paste is sealed inside. Let the loaf rest and rise for another hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (circulation oven: 170°C). Brush a bit of milk on top of the loaf and sprinkle on some flaked almonds, if desired. Bake the loaf for 30-35 mins. until golden brown.
Once the loaf has cooled, sift some icing sugar over the top. Cut into slices and serve with margarine and sugar.

Note:
This bread freezes quite well. Instead of 1 large loaf, consider making 4 smaller ones (each is enough to generously serve 2 people) and freezing the leftover loaves. Put the icing sugar on top after defrosting the loaves.

To make your own almond paste, you´ll need:
100g almond flour
100g sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp water

Mix all ingredients into a thick paste. Store at a cool place until ready to use.

Based on this recipe.

Easy Aloo Palak

I´ve never been particularly fond of spinach, because, let´s face it, it doesn´t really look that appetizing when cooked into oblivion. As a matter of fact, Aloo Palak doesn´t look that appetizing either, but I´ve become a bit more daring in recent years so I decided to sample a bite when my mother ordered it in an Indian restaurant a couple of months ago. Turns out spinach doesn´t taste like spinach when you pair it with plenty of spices, and anything potato is always good news!

Here´s what you need (for 2 moderate servings):
- 1/2 package frozen spinach in cubes, thawed

- 1/2 package (ca. 250g) pre-cooked potato wedges or pommes parisienne

- approx. 50ml. water

- pinch of salt

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 small onion, diced

- 1 tsp ginger paste or fresh ginger, minced

- 1 tsp garlic paste or fresh garlic, minced

- 1/2 tsp coriander powder

- 1/4 tsp each of ground cumin, curry powder and salt

- 1/8 tsp each of chili powder and turmeric

- pinch of cinnamon

- 2 1/2 tbsp non-dairy cream (I prefer rice cream)

Put the thawed spinach with water and pinch of salt in a blender (the Magic Bullet is ideal for this) and blend smooth. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the potatoes until they are slightly browned. Add the onions, ginger and garlic, and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the spices and sauté for a minute (add a splash of water if the spices stick). Pour in spinach and mix well with the spices and potatoes. Cover and simmer 7 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cream. Turn heat to medium/low. Cook uncovered 5 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Serve with rice, roti and/or chapatis.

Based on this recipe.

Vegan Bento No. 7 | Sandwich Bento

On a recent trip to Japan I went on a major bento shopping spree, and also managed to get my hands on several hard to find (outside Japan, anyway) sandwich bento boxes.
Sandwich bento boxes differ from other bento boxes in the sense that they:
1) have mesh sides so prevent the bread from getting soggy
2) are collapsible (very efficient on your way back home when you've finished your sammies)

I broke in my newly acquired bento box with a focaccia sandwich, consisting of:
~ basil & garlic bake-off focaccia bread
~ homemade arugula pesto
~ grilled aubergine & courgette slices
~ sliced tomato
~ fresh arugula

Vegan Bento No. 6 | Green Pasta Salad Bento

This bento proves that you don't need any cutesy, expensive bento boxes to make a bento lunch: it is a 'regular' sandwich lunch box, that, due to its size, is perfect to carry a salad for lunch.
It consists of:
~ Fussili pasta salad with sauteed courgette and green pepper, capers, tossed with homemade arugula pesto
~ cherry tomatoes
~ seedless grape medley


To make the arugula pesto, you'll need:
a handful of arugula leaves
a clove of garlic. minced
1 tsp nutritional yeast
approx. 1 tbsp of roated pine nuts
approx. 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Add all ingredients except oil and seasoning in a blender. Switch on the blender and slowly pour in the olive oil until all ingredients are liquidized and you have a smooth pesto sauce (you may need a bit less or more to achieve the desired consistency). Add seasoning to taste and pulse once more to blend well.

Vegan Bento No. 5 | Farfalle Pasta Salad Bento

I wanted to participate in a pasta-themed bento contest, so I made several pasta bentos in preparation for the contest. This was the first one, it consists of:
~ farfalle pasta salad with grilled courgette and aubergine, sauteed onion, garlic, mushrooms and sweet pepper, tossed with tomato tapenade
~ sliced cucumber
~ cherry tomatoes
~ vegan banana muffin (using the veganized version of this recipe)

Vegan Bento no. 4 | Roasted Potato Bento

When making dinner the night before, I saved some potatoes and nuggets to use for this bento.
It consists of:
~ rosemary & garlic roasted potatoes with ketchup & (vegan) mayo for dipping
~ Provençal vegan nuggets
~ bean stirfry made with green beans, sugar snaps, shelled edamame, onion and tomato

Vegan Bento No. 3 | Dried Fruit Bento

Bento no. 3 consists of:
~ blanched shelled edemame
~ stirfried bok choy, onion and mushrooms in soy sauce
~ (heirloom) carrot kinpira
~ Japanese white rice with gomashio (salted black sesame seeds)
~ dried fruit medley (a.o. apricot, raisin, apple, cranberry) for dessert

Vegan Bento No. 2 | Sidedish Bento

For this 2nd bento, I used leftovers from the 1st bento, and added some extras as well.
It consists of:
~ Japanese white rice with (heirloom) carrot-sesame furikake
~ blanched shelled edemame
~ leftover mushroom, onion & carrot teriyaki
~ instant cucumber pickles*
~ leftover pepper kinpira*


* Just Bento Cookbook recipe

Vegan Bento No. 1 | Teriyaki Veggie Bento

My bento-making has been on a bit of a back burner for a while, but I recently took it up again on a somewhat regular basis. The challenge this time is to make vegan bentos, which take a bit more thought for me as I can no longer rely on my past bento standbys such as shaped eggs, tortilla omelet or little meatballs...

My recent bentos have also been more Japanese-inspired than before, and a big help in this regard have been Makiko Itoh´s Just Bento Cookbook as well as her recipe sites Just Bento and Just Hungry.

 

This first bento consists on:
~ Japanese white rice with (heirloom) carrot-sesame furikake
~ Sauteed mushrooms, onion and (heirloom) carrot in teriyaki sauce
~ Yellow pepper kinpira*
~ Pickled ginger

Not to bad for a first try in ages, if I do say so myself :-)


* Just Bento Cookbook recipe

Vegan mayo

Store-bought vegan mayo is handy but relatively expensive. It is actually very easy to make your own vegan mayo! I tried this recipe the other day and was pleased with the results.

What you need (approx. 1 jar):
100 ml soy milk
250 ml sunflower oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp agave sirup (to taste)

Add all the ingredients to a tall mixing jar. Use a immersion blender to mix all the ingredients. Make sure that all ingredients are well incorporated, but don´t overmix. Transfer the mayo into a sealable container and store in the fridge for approx. 1 week.

Tips & tricks:
- An empty peanut butter jar works perfectly to store the mayo!
- Since this mayo keeps for approx. 1 week in the fridge, consider halving the quantities for about 1/2 a jar of mayo.
- It´s better not to substite the soy milk with other non-dairy milks such as oatmilk or rice milk: the lower fat content will not create the desired consistency.
- To prevent having to throw away the rest of a carton of soy milk, consider buying small juicebox-size cartons.
- Don´t have agave syrup on hand? You could also use regular sugar.
- Use the mayo as a base for other sauces such as cocktail sauce (omit the agave syrup, add ketchup), aioli (add garlic), remoulade/tartar sauce (add chopped capers, finely chopped cornichons and mixed herbs), etc.
- One of my favourite indulgences: fries with peanut sauce and mayo!

Recipe by EVA. Watch a how-to video (in Dutch) here.

Mushroom stroganoff

What you need (1 generous serving):

1 tbsp vegetable oil, such as olive oil or sunflower oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 small-ish onion, roughly chopped
200 g mixed mushrooms, cut in bitesize pieces
1 heaped tsp flour
100ml. vegetable broth (from a stock cube)
salt & plenty of fresh ground pepper to taste
50ml soy cooking cream

1 tsp dried herbs such as thyme or parsley
1 tbsp mild paprika
warm cooked pasta of choice (I like penne or tagliatelle), to serve

 

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add the mushrooms and paprika and cook for a couple of minutes until the mushrooms start to colour. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth slowly while constantly stirring. Add the cream, bring the sauce to the boil and season with salt, pepper and herbs. Cook for a few more minutes (reduce the sauce a bit if necessary) and serve over pasta.

 

Based on this recipe.

Quick & easy vegan satay sauce

Peanut or satay sauce is originally from the East Indies. Most storebought varieties contain regular milk/lactose. You can easily make your own vegan version.

What you need (approx. 3 servings):
2 heaped tbsp of peanut butter
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp sambal oelek
2 tbsp ketjap manis (or soy sauce of choice)
50ml water
splash of non-dairy milk of choice, such as soy, almond, rice (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and heat at `high´ for 1 minute. Stir to combine the ingredients and heat again for about 1 minute. Stir again until the sauce is smooth. Repeat if needed. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add a bit more liquid. Season with salt & pepper if necessary.
Tastes great when served with kebabs / satay, french fries, bread (to dip), nasi goreng etc etc.

Vol-au-vent with mushroom ragout

Traditional appetizer for Christmas brunch or dinner, but very tasty any time of year.
Make your own ragout from cupboard ingredients and the possibilities are endless!

What you need (4 servings):
4 vegan pastry cases
50g vegan margarine
50g all-purpose flour
500ml mushroom stock (from a stock cube)
100g sliced mushroom (fresh or canned & drained)
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp of dried parsley
curry powder to taste (optional)
sambal oelek to taste (optional)
oil

Heat a bit of oil in a skillet. Saute the garlic and sambal oelek for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are browned.
In a saucepan, melt the margarine at a low heat, making sure it doesn´t brown. Once it is melted, stir in the flour, about a tablespoon at a time until well incorporated. Cook the sauce on a low heat for a few minutes, stirring continuously. Add a bit of stock to the mixture, stirring well to incorporate the liquid. Add more stock once all the liquid has been incorporated. Continue adding stock until the sauce has the desired consistency.
Stir in the sauteed mushrooms and parsley, and season to taste with salt, pepper and curry powder (note: be conservative with adding extra salt since the stock already contained salt).
Heat the pastry cases in an oven according to the directions on the box (approx. 10-15 minutes at 150°C). Spoon in the mushroom sauce and serve immediately.

Ovenbaked portobello mushroom with quinoa & vegetable stuffing

A satisfying and filling vegan dish.

What you need (2 servings):
2 large portobello mushrooms
90g quinoa
1/4 mushroom stock cube
1 tsp garlic paste (or 1 clove fresh garlic, minced)
1/2 tsp sambal oelek (or to taste)
1/2 leek, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
50g frozen peas
approx. 8 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil

Cook the quinoa, 240ml water and the stock cube in a rice cooker (or boil approx. 20 minutes in a pot on the stove). Grease an oven dish with some oil and preheat the oven at 180°C.
Remove the stems from the mushrooms, chop the stems and set aside. With a spoon, remove the gills from the mushrooms and add them to the chopped stems.
Drizzle a bit of oil on the mushrooms and place them cap-side down in the oven dish. Cook the empty mushrooms approx. 15 mins in the oven.
Meanwhile, heat some oil in a wok. Saute the garlic and sambal. Add the leftover mushroom stems and gills, leek and peppers. After a few minutes, add the peas and tomatoes. Stir fry until all the vegetables are cooked and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the pine nuts and cooked quinoa.
Remove the oven dish from the oven en spoon the quinoa mixture into the caps. Cover the oven dish with aluminium foil and cook the mushrooms for approx. 15 minutes. Remove the aluminium foil 5 minutes before the end. Serve immediately.


Loosely based on this recipe.

Vegan carrot cake cupcakes & cream cheese frosting

This is the first vegan cupcake recipe I tried to make, and it came out wonderful. My non-vegan colleagues loved it too.
The recipe is from an American cookbook, so the quantities are in US cups.

What you need (for 12 cupcakes):
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy yoghurt (plain or vanilla)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup finely grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins

For the frosting:
1/4 cup nonhydrogenated margerine, softened
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioner´s sugar (= powdered sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract

For decorating (optional):
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
12 raisins or finely grated carrot


Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Mix together sugar, vegetable oil, yoghurt and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Sift in the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices) and mix until smooth. Fold in carrots, raisins and walnuts.
Spray the liners with non-stick baking spray and fill them 2/3rds full. Bake for 26-28 mins (a toothpick should come out clean when they are done). Let the cupcakes cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the frosting: cream together margarine and cream cheese until just combined. Use a handheld mixer to whip while adding the confectioner´s sugar in 1/2 cup batches. Mix until smooth and  creamy, then mix in the vanilla. Keep tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to use.
Once the cupcakes have cooled and are ready to serve, top them generously with  the frosting. Put the chopped walnuts on a plate and roll the edges of the cupcakes in them. Put 1 raisin in the center, or sprinkle with grated carrot (if serving immediately).


Don´t like walnuts? I left them out and the cupcakes still came out yummy, though maybe a bit smaller than usual.


Recipe from `Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World´.