Curry!

I wanted a curry for dinner, but not a strong one. It was more like a type of korma instead, but I'm sure if you add more curry powder then it will suit your tastes. :)

The recipe?

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1-2 tsps curry powder
• sea salt
• medium onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup water
• cauliflower, broken into bite-sized pieces
• pepper chopped
• mushrooms
• broccoli, if you want!
• handful of kale
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• a shake or 2 of turmeric
  

Directions:

1. Bring half of the coconut milk to a simmer in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Mix in the curry powder and salt, making sure there are no lumps.
3. Stir in the red onion, mushrooms and garlic and cook for a minute or two.
4. Stir in the rest of the coconut milk and the water.
5. Cook for a few minutes before adding the rest of the vegetables.
6. Cover and simmer for a few minutes, until the veg is however soft you want it. You can leave it simmer for 20 minutes or half an hour. I left it simmer to leave the flavours develop.
7. Remove from the heat, taste, and add more curry powder and/or salt if needed.
8. If it's too runny, add some cornflour and return to the heat, until the desired consistency is reached.

Enjoy :) And don't forget your rice!

Hot Hot Tomato Soup !

If you're a lover of spicy foods like me, then you'll love this hot tomato soup recipe! :)

Ingredients are :
1 tbsp olive oil
some onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 small red chilli, chopped finely
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tin - 200g - chopped tomatoes
125 ml vegetable stock

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion and cook until it's soft.
2. Add the tomato paste, garlic, chilli and spices and stir for a minute.
3. Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil over a high heat.
4. Turn the heat to a low heat, partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the garlic clove before serving, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

I added pasta to mine. Just throw in some cooked pasta or rice after about 15 minutes, and serve when done. :)

Nicest soup I've ever made! =D

Vegan Cupcakes !

Just look at these cupcakes. They turned out great and look fab too. My first time making them and they're perfect. :) The chocolate frosting is so rich, I was really surprised. Only a little bit is needed on the top. Mmmmm

Here's the recipe for the white cupcakes :
I got about 10 out of this mixture.

• 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar, I had no apple cider, but it worked just as well !
• 180mls soy milk
  
• 135g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 130g sugar
• 50 ml oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
2. Put the vinegar and soy milk into a cup and stir thoroughly and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix.
4. In another bowl, add the soy milk mixture, oil and vanilla extract, and whisk together.
5. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and whisk until it is smooth.
6. Fill each muffin case to about 1/4 of the way up with batter.
   
7. Bake for 15 to 20 mins, until you can stick something into one of the cakes and it comes out perfectly clean.
8. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tray and let stand on a wire rack for a couple of minutes.
9. Let cool completely before applying the frosting.

And here's the yummy yummy frosting recipe:

• 50g sugar
• 2 tbsps corn flour
• 1 & 1/2 tbsps cocoa
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp oil
• 60 ml water
• 1/8 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Whisk in the water.
3. Heat over a medium heat until it starts to get thick and boil, but only let it boil for 1-2 mins.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the oil and vanilla.
5. Cool, and spread once the cupcakes have cooled completely.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did ! =D

Sundays Menu!

Today's menu for me consisted of Spinach and Tofu stuffed Cannelloni. You're drooling already, I know it. :) I use tomato and basil flavoured tofu, because it's just that fantastic.
The recipe you ask? :

4 tubes of Cannelloni
handful of chopped spinach
chopped tomatoes, tinned
firm tofu
soya milk
onion, chopped
dried basil
dried oregano
sea salt
ground pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
olive oil

• Saute the onions in olive oil until they begin to brown. Add the spinach and heat for a minute. Set aside for a minute or two to cool.
• In a bowl crumble the firm tofu. You can then add a dash or two of soya milk just to moisten it a bit. Add the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and mix. Then add the spinach and onion mixture, and stir until everything is properly mixed.
• If you have time you can cover the bowl and pop it into the fridge for an hour or two. By doing this the flavours really develop, but if you don't have the time then no big deal. :) It'll taste just as great!
• Pour some chopped tomatoes into the bottom of a baking dish. Get your 4 Cannelloni tubes and stuff them with the mixture. Keep doing so, until all of the mixture is gone. Leave a little gap in between each of the tubes. Cover the tubes with chopped tomatoes and season if you wish.
• Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake at 180 degrees celsius for around 45 minutes.
• Serve on its own or with bruschetta.
• Happy dining!

It serves one person. :)


And here's my bruschetta recipe:

2 tomatoes
4 cherry tomatoes
green and or black olives
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
white wine vinegar
black and red ground pepper
dried basil
sea salt
2 pita breads

• Chop the tomatoes roughly.
• Slice the olives.
• Chop the garlic finely.
• Throw the tomtaoes, olives and garlic into a container.
• Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of vinegar.
• Add a dash of sea salt, basil, oregano and pepper.
• Put the lid on the container and shake roughly for a minute or two. When that's done, put it into the fridge for abou 10 minutes to let the flavours develop.
• Lightly toast the pita breads for a minute so they'll puff out.
• Set the grill on a medium heat.
• Slice the pita breads in half when they're done and fill with the mixture.
• Place under the grill for about 3 minutes and serve.

There's enough for two people if you're serving it with a pasta dish. :)

Todays Menu

So it's 22 minutes past 12 in the morning and yes, I'm still awake! I decided I wanted pizza today for my dinner, so I made it. Vegan pizza. T'was yummy I must say! Here's the recipe I use:

Vegan Pizza -
240 ml warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 packet yeast
3 tbsps olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
375g flour
2 tbsps herbs

• Mix the water, sugar and the yeast in a bowl until it's dissolved and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Mix the flour with the salt. Make a circle in the middle of this mixture and add the olive oil, yeast mixture and the herbs.
• Mix together and let the dough sit in a tin-foil covered bowl for around 1 hour. The dough doubles in size.
• Put the dough onto a pan that has been rubbed with vegetable oil, and cover it with whatever toppings you want.
• Bake at 230 degrees celsius for 15 minutes, or until it has turned a golden colour.

It tasted really great, especially as I was really in the mood for pizza. I covered the base in tomatoes, olives, asparagus, onion, red pepper and sweetcorn.

I had a total pig out day and had strawberries and melted dark chocolate for dessert. I bought dark chocolate and melted it in the microwave for a minute or two. Pizza and then strawberries and chocolate = one happy vegan :)