Vegan Recipe: Oven Baked Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Risotto

I bought some risotto rice ages ago and had big plans to add it to my repertoire. Everyone says how easy it is and that it's really versatile and blah blah blah. So I get the bag home and whip out my recipe book and suddenly realise that traditional risotto requires a lot of stirring. Like a whole lot. Like a where is Sweet Brown when you need her because I shouldn't have to tell you that ain't nobody got time for all that stirring, amount of stirring. And I did remember being at college with an Italian room mate who made risotto once and watched him stir it for what seemed like days. He made it look so simple, but he didn't leave that pan alone for a second.

So I procrastinated. For months. And every time I opened my cupboard, that bag of rice was starring at me like 'Whatcha gonna do?', 'What's that matter? You afraid of a little bag of grain?'.  ENOUGH, I thought. There must be a way to do this and keep my sanity - though I was already talking to vacuum packed food at this point.

Enter oven baked risotto. The no fuss, simple, one stir cousin of the traditional method. I made this recipe this afternoon and it was delicious first time - which is exactly what we like. It took me about 10mins to prep then I popped it in the oven and wandered off to check my Twitter feed. Came back gave it a stir. By the time I had retweeted the latest raw vegan smoothie in a mason jar, it was ready to eat. That's 30mins from start to finish. Now that I can do!  

But it's not all about convenience, this risotto was off the charts. The sweetness of the peppers and the tang of the sun dried tomatoes makes for a beautiful combination that tastes as good as it looks.

Oven Baked Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Risotto

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 finely chopped yellow medium onion
4 sliced garlic cloves
1 finely chopped red pepper
1 cup of chopped sun dried tomatoes (about 15 slices)
2.5cups or 600ml of vegetable stock
250g risotto rice
pinch pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1. On the stove top, cook finely chopped onions and sliced garlic in olive oil until soft in an oven safe pan.
2. Add coarsely chopped red pepper and sun dried tomatoes to the pan and mix well. Add rice to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add vegetable stock to pan, stir through, cover and place in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring once in between. 
4. Season with pepper and vinegar to taste and serve.

And that's kind of it. Really simple right? Enjoy!

Vegan Recipe: Ginger Cranberry Granola

I'd never made granola from scratch before but it was actually simple, satisfying and pretty tasty if I don't say so myself.   I found that making my own was a really good opportunity to clear out odds and ends of tasty little tidbits from the pantry and I'm looking forward to trying more combinations in the future.

Making your own is also a good way to get high grade granola a a reasonable price. There are lots of different brands and flavours available to buy readymade but the good stuff often comes at gourmet prices and the cheap stuff tends to come with preservatives and questionable ingredients like palm oil. I got packs of the dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds for just 99cents each, and I had all the other ingredients in the cupboard already so it worked out to be cost effective and delicious. And this particular recipe made about 700g of granola which should keep me happily munching for days.

Ginger Cranberry Granola

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup agave nectar or honey
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 cup dried cranberries

1. Mix oats, seeds, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl.
2. Add agave nectar and oil to mixture and stir until well coated.
3. Spread oat mix on a baking sheet or tray, and cook at 300F/GasMark2 for 30mins or until a little bit golden brown.
4. Remove oat mix from oven to cool, then add cranberries.
5. Store in an air tight container and eat with milk, I like almond milk, or ice cream!

Sweet Potato and Fennel Pizza

Sweet Potato & Fennel Pizza

Yes, sweet potato pizza a pile of carbs. That is true. But my goodness if it isn't tasty, so you know...every thing in moderation! I had the authentic version of this Italian potato pizza at a friend's house and was fascinated. The original, pizza bianco con patate, is generally served vegan and consists of thinly sliced white potatoes, on a sauceless pizza base topped with rosemary and can be found throughout the pizzerias of Italy.

For my version, I joined up earthy sweet potato with fiery chili and subtlety flavoured fennel for something with a little vitamin K and that nostalgic taste of home.

Now, I must admit that this particular recipe is a bit of a cheat because I didn't make the base from scratch - I don't think this is something to be ashamed of because sometimes life happens and while mastering pizza dough is generally and aspiration of mine, it was not on this particular night - but if you are looking to have a pizza party or make your own there are a few good recipes around the web. That said, let's eat!

Sweet Potato & Fennel Pizza

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 small sweet potato
1 chopped layer of a fennel bulb - about 1-2 tbsp
1 pizza base
1 finely chopped deseeded red chili pepper
1 tsp dried basil
2-4 tbsp olive oil

1. Heat your oven to 450F/Gas Mark 8.
2. Peel and very thinly slice your sweet potato into little discs, lightly toss them in olive oil and set aside.
3. Coarsely chop the fennel, toss in olive oil and set aside.
4. Grab your pizza base and place on a pizza tray or baking sheet. Brush with a thin layer of olive oil and add your toppings. Sweet potato first, then fennel sprinkled on top, then chili and herbs.
5. Bake for 10 -15 minutes or until the crust is brown. Drizzle pizza with remaining olive oil.
6. Serve with salad.

Serve with salad greens for a balanced meal

Mythbusting: Vegans & Vegetarians Don't Get Enough Protein

Little old me, flexing some veggie muscle

Everybody knows  that if you don't eat meat or fish then there is no possible way that you could get enough protein in your daily intake of food. Right? You will wither away, your grandmother should be worried and you won't possibly be able to function in life because protein is, of course, the most important part of any meal.

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me about how I get my protein, I might be able to afford that Vitamix Blender I've been lusting after all these years!  But is it all old wives tales?  Is there any factual basis for this?

Protein is important for cell development and maintenance of vital bodily functions like enzyme creation and fueling neurotransmitters. In a single day the average adult human female needs about 46g of protein per day, the males require about 56g. Meat is a really easy source of protein but it's certainly not the only one. Bodybuilders are protein obsessed and two of the most popular protein supplements are whey (a vegetarian cheese derivative) and hemp (which is vegan cuz it's from from seeds).  Gram for gram there are plenty of plant based sources of protein - nuts, seeds, beans and even oats - that deliver the goods in a real and tangible way.

And while we're talking about it, there is some protein in most foods. So in practice, here's how you might get more than enough protein in an average plant based day of eating:

Breakfast

2 slices of wheat toast = 7g

2 tbsp peanut butter = 8g

1 glass of OJ = 1.7g

Snack

1 banana = 1.5g

Lunch

Lil pot of hummus 1/2 cup = 10g

10 tortilla chips = 1.4g

100g spinach = 2.9g

1 avocado = 4g

Snack

20 almonds = 4g

Dinner

1 cup white mushrooms = 2.2g

1/2 an onion = 0.6g

2 cloves garlic = 0.4g

1cup brown rice = 4.5g

1 green pepper = 1g

1 tomato =  0.8g

2 wheat tortillas = 10g

TOTAL PROTEIN = 60g

How easy was that? Meat eating folks need not worry that I will waste away or that a diet like this is bad for my health. The reality is totally to the contrary and we haven't even gotten into useful things like meat substitutes, nutritional yeast or juicing! Furthermore, vegetable sources of protein so completely out perform fleshly counterparts on overall nutrition it's almost laughable. So 100g of peanuts contains not only 26g of protein but 4 x the potassium, 5 x the iron, 9 x the calcium, and 8 x the magnesium of a 100g piece of chicken. That's right: peanuts!

Studies show that getting protein isn't an issue for vegetarians in the west, while scholars are currently debating whether a diet which is high in meat proteins might be as 'bad for you as smoking'. So really people, us veggie folks are doing fine.

Vegan Recipe: Black Eyed Bean Dip Boats

Vegan Black Eyed Bean Dip Boats make perfect party food!

I grew up eating one recipe for black eyed peas - soul food classic stewed in pork fat. But these little beans are packed with so many nutritional goodies - Omega 6, Omega 3, dietary fiber, protein, folate, iron and potassium - that it's a crying shame not to get them more involved with daily kitchen proceedings. Alongside the soul food recipes of the American south, black eyed peas are found in dishes from Sephardic Jewish, African, South American, Vietnamese, Indian, Greek, Brazilian and Indonesian cuisine. So there is plenty of inspiration for getting creative with these earthy beans.

For this recipe, I wanted to get down with a little bit of finger food, because it's picnic season and eating with your hands is always fun. The main element of this is a Black Eyed Pea Dip that can be dressed as you like in it's tiny tostada. I sandwiched the dip between a green salad base and a chopped tomato topping, but you could easily mix it up with a creamy avocado sauce, cashew crema, or spicy salsa. But I would recommend something with a little bit of  juice - not too much though, you don't want your boats taking on too much water!

I was really pleased with how these came out because as well as being tasty and cute, they're the kind of thing that looks impressive on the pot luck table but doesn't take that long to make! Win and win! Enjoy.

Black Eyed Bean Dip Boats

Makes 9 Boats

Ingredients

3 soft tortillas, 8 inch
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
175g (just over 1 Cup) Black Eyed Peas
2 cloves garlic
1/4 medium yellow onion
1 tbsp jalapenos in brine
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garnish with chopped salad underneath and chopped tomatoes with cilantro(coriander) on top

1. To make the tiny tostadas, heat your oven to Gas Mark 6/400F/200C and grab a muffin tin from the cupboard. You can use any size muffin tin for this, as long as you can find a stencil that is about 1 inch larger in diameter than each muffin hole. So for a tin that made 3 inch muffins, I got a "stencil", aka "a bowl", that was about 4 inches across to cut my tortillas into smaller circles.
2. Once they're all cut out, I got about 3 per tortilla, brush each side of the shells with a bit of olive oil and place into the muffin holes. The should fit easily if you pinch them into a sort of  wonton shape like a cross. Place in the oven for about 5- 10 mins or until they are brown.
3. While this is cooking, put the garlic, onion, jalapenos, and olive oil into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more jalapenos if you like it spicier or another spoonful of olive oil if you like it smoother.
4. When your shells are brown, remove from the oven to let them cool. While this is happening prepare your garnishes.
5. To serve, fill shells with shells with salad, then bean dip then saucy topping like chopped tomatoes or guacamole. Yum!

My "stencil"

Cut tortillas in the muffin trays

Black Eyed Bean Dip Boats

Vegan Recipe: Wild Garlic Potato Salad with Crushed Almonds

No Mayo Necessary: Vegan Wild Garlic Potato Salad with Crushed Almonds

Yeeeessssss. Potato salad. It's the quintessential BBQ side dish with the starchy fluffiness making the perfect counterpart to the saucy smokey mains. Get the flavours right, and it will set off your whole plate.

This no mayo masterpiece is as simple as it is delicious, and can be eaten warm or cold. The wild garlic add a layer of depth to the whole affair, while the crushed almonds add texture and nutrients to this fabulously simple side.

I whipped this up in about 20 mins and it was ready to eat straight away. Yum!

Wild Garlic Potato Salad with Crushed Almonds

Makes 2 Side Portions 

Ingredients

1 large potato
1/4 onion
4-5 leaves wild garlic
1 handful of almonds
2 tsp mustard
1 tbsp vinegar (use a light vinegar like ACV or a white wine vinegar. I used rice vinegar on this occasion)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Chop the potato into bite sized chunks, place in a sauce pan with water and bring to a boil.
2. While the spud is cooking, finely dice your onion, coarsely chop your garlic, and crush your almonds. Put in a large bowl to wait for the potato.
3. In a smaller bowl, whip up the dressing. Whisk to together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil. And let stand.
4. When the potatoes are soft, drain them and add the dry potatoes to the bowl with the onions, almonds and garlic. Pour in the dressing and mix until everything is coated. Cover the bowl for a 2-3 minutes to let the warmth of the potato soften the almonds and then mix through again.
5. You can serve warm or chill it in the fridge for later.

Vegan Recipe: Easy Watercress & Potato Soup

Vegan Watercress Soup

I adore watercress. It's got such a unique combination of spicy bitterness and is such a versatile green. Delicious for salads but hearty enough to stand up to a bit of cooking. No to mention that it's generally pretty cheap, available almost year round and has some nutritional vitals that are out of this world. Yes and Yum.  

I grabbed a bag the other day and whipped up this tasty bowl of soup that would have served two, it I hadn't eaten it all!

Vegan Recipe: Easy Watercress & Potato Soup

Serves 2

Ingredients

1/4 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp vegan margarine
500 ml vegetable stock
4-5 small potatoes chopped (with or without skins is up to you I generally go with skins)
100 g watercress
2 tbsp almond milk

Instructions

1. Saute onion and garlic in margarine on low/medium heat until onions are soft.
2. Add coarsely chopped potatoes and stock to pan, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for about 10 minutes or until the the potatoes fall off the fork when you give them a poke.
3. When the potatoes are soft, add the watercress to the pan and stir until the leaves wilt into the spuds. 
4. Add the almond milk and stir for another minute or so.
5. Remove pan from heat and blend mixture into a soup using a hand blender or tabletop blender.
6. Once smooth, return to heat and stir for another minute or so before serving.
7. Grab some bowls and dig in.