Tag: cheap vegan meals

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Potato Skins

Looking for some real-deal comfort food? Or are you looking for a nice vegan starter? Check out and enjoy – super easy to follow!!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back to the blog!

In this post, we are going to make stuffed potato skins and I am very excited to share this recipe with you as it’s sooo yummy!!

To start off find 4 ‘good’ lookin’ potatoes and then go ahead and cut them into half. The next step to do is to take most of the inner part of the potatoes, so the skin becomes nice and crispy – I used an ice cream scooper, but you can use whatever is at hand and does the job!
Wash them well.

If you are not going to use the inner part of the potato today, just place the potatoes into a bowl and cover them with water.

Place the potato skins on a baking tray and spray some oil and sprinkle some salt on both sides – preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) and first bake them for 15-20 minutes with the skin side facing up.
Take out the potato skins and turn them over – add some vegan butter and once it melts a bit, brush the whole inside with the butter.
Place back into the oven for 6-8 minutes.
Take out again and flip the skins, and brush them with some butter from the tray.
Leave in the oven for another 2-3 min.

Now the rest of the ingredients for the stuffing:
– 3/4 can of coconut milk (just the pure milk itself)
– 1/2 can of mixed beans
– 3-4 tbsp of 100% peanut butter
– 2 tbsp of tomato paste
– 1,5 tsp of salt
– 1,5 tsp of chili flakes
– 1 tbsp of cajun seasoning
– 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 2 tsp of light brown sugar
– 1 tbsp of dried paprika
– 1/2 can mixed beans
– 70g of sweetcorn
+ (just for the topping)
– 80g of mixed salad
– 4-5 spring onions
– 25g of salted peanuts

Go ahead and add the coconut milk to a saucepan and bring to medium heat. Add peanut butter & tomato paste and whisk until it incorporates a bit. Add all the ingredients: salt, chili, cajun seasoning, nutritional yeast, sugar, dried paprika – cook on low heat and wish occasionally for 6-7 minutes. Add beans and sweetcorn, mix it and take it off the hob after 2 minutes.

We are almost done!
Cut the salad and spring onion and mix them together and blend the peanuts just a bit (pulse).

Take the potato skins, fill them nicely up with the sauce and top up with salad, spring onions, and crushed peanuts on top!

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Favourites Lunch & Dinner

Vegan Sushi

Want to learn how to make sushi? Don’t worry, you are in the right place, it’s easy! Get your sushi mat out and let’s get started!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back to the blog!!

In this post, I will show you how to make vegan sushi and I hope you are as excited as me to try this out, if this will be your first – or if you want to find out for some new fillings.

To start off you will need:
– 2 cups of sushi rice (short grain rice)
– 5-6 Nori seaweed sheets (also called SushiNori)
– 130 ml of sushi dressing (or make a mixture of rice vinegar, salt, and sugar)

Put the rice into a bowl and wash it gently in cold water 2-3 times (you will see the water becoming much clearer), then drain the water and put the rice into a pot/pan and top it up with only 2 cups of water.
Start off with cooking it on high fire and once it starts boiling, lower down the heat (very low) and put a lid on top and cook for another 10 min.
Once done, spread the rice into a large shallow dish so it can cool down.
In the meantime, use half of the sushi dressing and gently mix it with a spatula (cut and fold technique).
Let it sit for about 5 min and then do the same with the rest of the dressing – once done, cover it with a kitchen towel again and now we are ready to get the fillings ready!

We will make 3 fillings:
1. Carrots, spring onion, and sweet paprika & wasabi
2. Spicy tofu, cabbage & sesame seeds (Californian roll)
3. Tempura mushrooms & avocado

DON’T forget your sushi mat – I usually wrap it in cling film so it doesn’t get too messy!
The easiest way to see how to roll the sushi is to check out the video below!

1. Carrots, spring onion, and sweet paprika & wasabi + how to roll the sushi
For the first one to get also warmed up, it’s really easy, just cut all the vegetable julienne cut.
Take your sushi mat and lay down a sushi nori sheet (shiny side down) and take about a cup worth of rice (maybe a bit more) and lay it on the sheet (wet your hands for every time you need to handle the rice, as it is very sticky). Spread it onto the sheet but leave about 1-1,5 inches of seaweed not covered with rice (the side that you are furthest away from). Now you are ready to put the filling (don’t put too much!). Take the mat side that is facing you and start rolling!
Once done, cut the sushi first in half and then 3 pieces out of every half.
1st one done, 2 more to go!

2. Spicy tofu, cabbage & sesame seeds (Californian roll)
First, you will need a small bit of firm tofu (press it to take out as much water as possible – cut into small cubes.
Use the following ingredients to marinate:
– 1 tbsp of sunflower oil
– 1 tbsp of sesame oil
– 1 tsp of salt
– 1 tsp of pepper
– 1 tsp of chili flakes
– a bit of lemon juice
– 1,5 tsp of maple syrup
– 1 tbsp of tomato paste

Once marinated, bake in the oven for about 20 minutes at 180°C(360F) on the FAN option – turn them over halfway.
You will only need some Jullien cut cabbage and some sesame seeds (Californian roll is made with the seaweed from the inside.

The only difference is to do the following while making the sushi roll is once the rice is evenly spread out on the mat, you can sprinkle some sesame seed on top of it, and then you will turn it over (don’t worry, the rice will stick) and just put the filling after that!
One more to go!

3. Tempura mushrooms & avocado
I have to say that I don’t make tempura very often, but I do LOVE it!
The ingredients for the mushroom tempura:
– 1 cup of very cold water (cool it down with ice and if there is some left, just take it out
– 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
– 1/4 cup of corn starch
– a bit of salt
– a few mushrooms nicely sliced (thicker)

Mix up the cold water and the rest of the ingredients (leave out the mushrooms for now 🙂 and mix it well. Prepare a saucepan with sunflower oil (in this case with just a 1,5 inch of oil as the mushrooms aren’t that big). Once your tempura and oil are ready, put the mushroom into the tempura and fry it.
This sushi will be rolled with the seaweed outside – don’t forget the julienne cut cabbage!

Thanks & Enjoy!

Cheers,

Vito

For a video tutorial, chceck the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Mixed Lentil Pie

Created with GIMP

Are you looking for a new Sunday lunch recipe for the whole family?? Bingo! Check out our new recipe that is packed with protein!!

Hi Everyone,

In this post, I am showing you how to make a mixed lentil pie, that everyone at your Sunday lunch table will love and is also packed with protein!

INGREDIENTS:
To start off, you will need the following vegetables:
– 2 medium-sized onions
– 3 medium-sized carrots
– 2 celery stick
– 1 sweet pepper
– 1 eggplant
– 8 medium-sized potatoes

The lentils that are used in the recipe (but you can do any lentils – approx. 300g):
– 70g of black beluga lentils
– 70g of lentils verts
– 70g of red lentils
– 70g of green lentils

The rest of the ingredients:
– 1 can of red kidney beans
– 1 can of chopped tomatoes
– 2,5 tsp of salt
– 2 tsp of pepper
– 2 tsp of chili flakes
– 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 6 tbsp of milled chia seeds
– 1 tbsp of maple syrup

PREPARATION:
Go ahead and start cooking your lentils in cold water on low heat (once it starts boiling cook for another 15-20 minutes). Then, chop all the vegetables into smaller pieces, except the potatoes that have to be cut into thin slices.
Now you can heat up some oil in a pan (high heat) and add all the vegetables (not the potatoes) and saute them for 5-7 minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients (including lentils), stir it well, and cook on low heat for another 5 minutes.
Once the mixture is taken off the hob, spray some oil on the bottom of the baking tray and then put a layer of potatoes in – put some salt and oil on top and make your second layer, including a layer on the sides of the baking tray. Now it’s time to put the mixture in and then finish it off with the rest of the potatoes.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F) on the fan option and bake it for 45-50 minutes.

You are ready to serve it, enjoy!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Vegetable Soup With Semolina Dumplings

Looking for a simple and delicious veg soup recipe?? You are at the right place! Check out our new recipe and make it for yourself!

Hi Everyone,

In this post I will show you how to make a super easy and healthy vegetable soup, that will be served with semolina dumplings.

INGREDIENTS:
– 2 medium-sized onions
– 3 medium-sized carrots
– 3 medium-sized parsnips
– 4 celery sticks
– 4 small potatoes
– 1 eggplant
– 2 vegetable stock cubes

PREPARATION:
To start off, chop all your vegetables: fine chop onion carrots, and the rest in cubes. Saute the onions and carrots for a few minutes on high heat and then add the rest of the vegetables to the pot – mix them up and top up with cold water.
Cook the soup on low heat for an hour and a half – add the vegetable stock cubes a few minutes prior to taking it off the hob.

In the meantime let’s prepare the semolina dumplings, the ingredients that you will need are:
– 100g of wheat semolina
– 1,5 tsp of egg replacer
– 1,5 tsp of salt
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 1,5 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 1 tbsp of olive oil

Wisk the egg replacer in a bowl with 3,5 tbsp of water, and after that add the rest of the ingredients and make a dough out of it. Once done, make little dumplings and then cook them in water for 45 minutes.

When your soup is cooked, separate in another pot 1/3 of it and add into the 1/3 of soup the following ingredients:
– 1,5 tsp of salt
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 1,5 tbsp of olive oil
– 1,5 tbsp of vegan butter

Now go ahead and blend it – serve it with the dumplings and some fresh parsley & soy cream (this serves 3).

I usually freeze the rest of the soup for another day 🙂

Enjoy!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Seitan – Sweet & Spicy Glaze

Always wanted to make Roasted Seitan??? You are in the right place, as this is a great easy to follow the recipe and you will love it!

Hi Everyone,

In this post I am showing you how to make Roasted Seitan with Sweet and Spicy glazing – It can be eaten hot as part of the main course or cold as part of a sandwich – and both options are phenomenal!

To start off you will need to make a dry mixture so place the following ingredients into a bowl:
– 300g of vital gluten
– 250g of Gram (chickpea) flour
– 1,5 tbsp of garlic & 1,5 tbsp of onion powder
– 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 1,5 tbsp of dried paprika
– 1 tbsp of cajun seasoning
– 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
– 2,5 tsp of salt

Mix all the ingredients together and start preparing the liquid component – place the following ingredients into a jug:
– 1,5 vegetable stock cube
– 2 tsp of soy sauce
– 3 tbsp of maple syrup

Top it up with a pint of hot water and mix it together and then add it to the dry mixture.
Knead the dough until it all combines nicely.

Now you will need another liquid component where the Seitan will be roasting in, which will eventually become a glaze once it thickens up.
The ingredients are as follow:
– 1,5 vegetable stock cube
– 1 tbsp of dried paprika & 1 tbsp of chili flakes
– 2 tsp of pepper
– 2 tbsp of brown sugar
– 3 tbsp of maple syrup
– a bunch of fresh thyme

Top it up again with a pint of hot water and mix together (that should be enough liquid to cover about half of the seitan).
Pour it into a baking tray and then shape the seitan into a few pieces and put them into the liquid.

Bake it in the oven for 45-55 minutes at 200°C (390°F) while turning the seitan over every 15 minutes – once the liquid reduces, brush the seitan over with the remaining liquid.

Cut it and serve it – Enjoy!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Desserts Favourites

Vegan Cheesecake

Hi Everyone,

In this post I am showing you how to make vegan cheesecake, that is topped up with chocolate and there is gonna be a lot of nuts (so that means a great source of protein also).

 

To start off, soak 250g of cashews in water overnight and leave a can of coconut milk in the fridge!

The preparation will be in 3 stages: base, filling, and topping. This requires patience, but it’s sooo worth it 🙂

NOTE: you will need a springform cake tin!

 

Let’s start off with the base, the ingredients that you will need:
– 70g of walnuts
– 70g of brazil nuts
– 50g of desiccated coconut
– 80g of dried dates
– 2 tbsp of cocoa powder

As dried dates are not sticky, soak them in some hot water for a few minutes!

Add the nuts together with the desiccated coconut into your blender and press the button – once you are happy with the result it’s time to add the dried dates (without water) and cocoa powder – blend it once more!

Now, take the springform cake tin and cut out a piece of baking paper to lay it on the bottom of the tin. Take your base mixture and press it firmly on the bottom of the tin – base is done! Leave it in the freezer while you are making the filling.

 

The ingredients needed for the filling:
– 250g of cashews (soaked in water overnight – otherwise it’s gonna be tough for your blender to make a smooth mixture)
– 1 can of coconut milk chilled in the fridge (for this part you will use up 2/3 of the best/fatty part of the milk – the rest will be used for the topping)
– 5 tbsp of maple syrup
– 3 tbsp of agave syrup
– 3 tbsp of lime juice
– 1 tsp of vanilla extract
– 1/2 a cup of coconut oil (liquid)

To start off, make some liquid coconut oil – fill a pan and just melt it on really low heat.

Fill the blender with the cashews, 2/3 can of coconut milk, maple & agave syrup, vanilla extract, and lime juice – blend it very well together (to make it as smooth as possible). Now, go ahead and add the coconut oil and blend it once more – take the mixture and pour it into the springform cake tin and then leave it in the freezer for about 5 hours. For extra color you can add blueberries to it and mix them into the filling

 

The ingredients for the chocolate topping:
– the rest of the coconut milk
– 5 tbsp of brown sugar
– 60g of dark chocolate
– 3 tbsp of vegan butter
– 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Pour the rest of the coconut milk into a saucepan and heat it up. Now, add the brown sugar to it and simmer for about 20 minutes on low heat (whisk occasionally) to get a thicker consistency. Then add the chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract and let it all bind together – now pour it on top of the cake and leave it for another 30 minutes in the freezer.

Leave it for an hour in the fridge before serving – optionally decorate with strawberries.

 

Enjoy!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Snacks & Sides

Cauliflower Snacks

Are you looking for a nice vegan snack for any occasion? Make yourself these nice cauliflower snacks in delicious coatings! Enjoy!

Hi Everyone,

In this video, I will show you how to make great cauliflower nuggets, that is a great snack for any occasion 🙂 You can bake or fry them, that is totally up to you (but I liked the healthier option of baking).

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 small cauliflower (approx. 700g)
– 1,5 tsp of salt
– 1/2 tsp of black salt
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 1,5 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 1,5 tbsp of olive oil
– 1,5 tsp of egg replacer (with 50ml of water)
– 100g of regular flour (or gram flour if you want a gluten-free recipe)
– 3 coatings are used: Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and bread crumbs

PREPARATION:

To start this recipe off, shred your cauliflower on the small-hole side of the box grater – once done, add the regular salt to it so the cauliflower can release its water!
In the meantime, prepare the egg replacer by adding 50ml of water to the powder and then give it a good whisk.
Now you can take a thin cloth (if you have it), or just a strainer and squeeze as much water as possible out of it!
Once done, add the cauliflower to the egg replacer along with the rest of the ingredients (except flour) and give it a good mix – now you can add flour and make a nice dough.
Your next step is to form small ball nuggets and then roll them into your favorite coating 🙂

In case you are baking them, place them on a baking tray with some baking paper, and preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F) – bake them for 15-20 minutes.

In case of frying them, just keep in mind not to heat up the oil too much, as they are fairly quickly done!

You are ready to serve it, Enjoy!!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Vegan Bolognese

Ever wondered how to make delicious bolognese since transitioning to a vegan diet? You are at the right place, check out our post.

Hi Everyone,

In this post, I am showing you how to make vegan bolognese, and it can be done in about 25 minutes, so is great as a quick lunch option and you can also freeze it for those busy days!

INGREDIENTS:
– 2 small onions
– 3 small carrots
– 1 eggplant
– 70g of red lentils
– 100g of soy mince
– 2 tsp of salt
– 2 tsp of pepper
– 1 tbsp of mixed herbs (or use fresh thyme, parsley, and basil)
– 1/2 tbsp of brown sugar
– 1,5 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 1 tbsp of olive oil
– 6 tbsp of tomato paste

PREPARATION:

Start off with the red lentils – cook them on medium heat and once the water starts boiling, cook for about 8 minutes, so you don’t overcook them!
Soak the soy mince in water for 5 minutes and then try to squeeze as much water as possible out of it – otherwise, it becomes mushy – and you don’t want that with your bolognese 🙂
Now you can go over to the vegetables – finely cut the onions and carrots, and cut the eggplant into smaller cubes – now you can saute them for about 7-8 minutes on high heat.
Lower the heat on the vegetables and add your lentils and soy mince to in and mix it all well together.
And then add all the seasonings with a cup of water – and let it simmer for another couple of minutes!

You are ready to serve it, Enjoy!!

Serve it with pasta the original way, or make squash spaghetti (but it tastes great with rice as well).

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below: