Categories
Favourites Lunch & Dinner

Arancini

Have some leftover risotto, or just want to find out how to make arancini?? You are at the right spot, an easy to follow recipe!!!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back to the blog!!

In this post we are going to make leak & mushroom arancini filled with the pestos we made in our last post. For a more detailed video tutorial, click on the LINK for my YouTube channel.

INGREDIENTS:
– 1,5 cup of arborio rice (risotto rice)
– 100ml of vegan white wine
– 2 medium-sized onions
– 2 vegetable stock cubes
– 250g of mushrooms
– 1 leak
– 2-3 cloves of garlic
– bunch of parsley
– 1 tbsp of vegan butter
– 1,5-2 tbsp of olive oil
– 1,5 tsp of salt
– 2 tsp of pepper

For a more detailed video tutorial on how to make risotto, click on the LINK for my YouTube channel.

PREPARATION:
You can start off by choppin’ the onion (fine chop), leak (just rings), mushrooms, garlic, and parsley.
Once done, boil some water and pour 1 liter into a pot and add the 2 stock cubes to it (just keep it warm on the stove – simmering).
Preheat the pan (on high heat) and saute the onions, after that, you can add rice, stir it and heat it all up for 1-2 minutes and then you can add the white wine to it – stir and let it evaporate.
Now you can lower the heat to medium and slowly start adding stock to the risotto (stir often). It should take you about 10-13 minutes until you can add the mushrooms to the story (don’t add any more stock – you should be left with about 200ml of it still in the pot). Cook the mushrooms 2 – 3 minutes and turn off the stove – now add the rest of the ingredients (you want to keep a nice fresh kick to it): leak, garlic, parsley, olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper – one last stir and you are done!!

Enjoy a plate or two, while you let the rest cool off 😉

Once cooled down have another 3 bowls ready: 1. filled with cold water, 2. with 1/3 cup of corn starch (flour) and 1 cup of water (mix well together), 3. with bread crumbs.

1.Take a spoonful in your palm and spread it out.
2. Take the tomato pesto and put it in the middle and then fold the sides over the pesto, add some more risotto if needed and shape a ball out of it.
3. Dip the ball into the corn starch (whisk before use as it falls to the bottom)
4. Roll it into bread crumbs
5. Repeat dipping into corn starch
6. ROll into bread crumbs

Do the next one with basil pesto and vegan cheese or vegan cream cheese that works great as well.

Once done, fill a frying pan with 1,5-2 inch of sunflower oil and once up to heat fry them (try to keep it on a medium+ heat 🙂
The rest that you don’t want to use, freeze, and use for another day!

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Favourites Snacks & Sides

Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Pesto

Looking for an easy way to make delicious pesto – tomato or basil? You are in the right place, follow along, and make it yourself!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back to my blog!!

Today I am going to make a couple of delicious pestos: sun-dried tomato & basil pesto.

You can use these for various things as: pasta, spreads, dips, salads; and it keeps for about 5 days if properly stored (airtight container – refrigerated).

SUNDRIED TOMATO PESTO recipe

INGREDIENTS:
– 150g of sundried tomatoes (drained from oil)
– 50g of quinoa (cooked)
– 50ml of olive oil
– 50ml of water
– 1 tbsp of maple syrup
– 1 tbsp of lemon juice
– 1,5 tsp of salt
– 2 tsp of pepper
– a pinch of chili flakes
– a bunch of chives
– 5-6 garlic cloves (roasted)
– 25g of walnuts

PREPARATION:
Cook the quinoa in cold water, once up to boil, lower the heat, and cook for 15 minutes.
Roast the garlic cloves (skin on) in the oven for 18-22 minutes on 180°C (360°F) FAN option.
Drain the tomatoes from their oil – you can keep the oil for cooking or salads (great umami taste!).
Once the garlic is roasted, clean it and also drain, and then wash the quinoa in cold water.

Now, it’s time to blend it together, add all the ingredients except for the quinoa, and give it a good blend. Stop halfway to scrape the sides of the blender using a spatula.
At the very end, go ahead and add the cooked quinoa to the pesto, and give it just a quick blend!

One pesto down, one more to go 😉

BASIL PESTO recipe

INGREDIENTS:
– 4 cups of fresh basil
– 1-1,5 tsp of salt
– 1,5 tsp of pepper
– 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast
– 1/3 cup of olive oil
– 1 tbsp of lemon juice
– 50g of roasted pine nuts
– 2 cleaned garlic cloves

PREPARATION:
First, roast the pine nuts in a pan with NO oil!
Your next step is only to put all the ingredients into a blender and to nicely blend it all together!

Enjoy and don’t forget to check out the upcoming video this weekend, where we will be using these pestos to make a filling for homemade arancini.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below:

Categories
Lunch & Dinner

Vegan Mince – 3 Layered Pie

Today we are doing a nice 3 layer vegan oven-baked dish that consists of a soy mince and veg layer, followed by some ‘cheesiness’ (who doesn’t like that?! 🙂 and finished off with mash potato. Not to forget a sprinkle of breadcrumbs that will create a crunchy crust.#

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 zucchini
– 1/2 eggplant
– 2 medium carrots
– 1 sweet pepper
– 1 leek
– vegan butter
– vegan cheese
– 1 tbsp brown sugar (or just use regular)
– 3 tsp salt
– 2 tsp pepper
– 1 tsp chili flakes (or as spicy as you like it 🙂
– 2 tsp mixed herbs
– 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
– 50g red lentils
– 50g soya mince
– 1 cup passata

PREPARATION:

To start off, did you wash your hands?!? 🙂
Begin with washing your lentils and put them in a pot of cold water with some salt and start cooking them (this will take about 15 minutes).
The next step is to chop your vegetables into small cubes, once that is done, it will probably be time to rinse of those cooked lentils under some cold water.
Afterward, start prepping your sauce by adding your ingredients (salt, pepper, chili, sugar, and herbs) into the passata and mix it all together (for some more flavor, you can always add some olive oil).
Now, preheat your pan and start frying the vegetables (put some salt to take out the water more easily out of them), meanwhile wash of the soya mince. You will also have enough time to cut your leek into rings, once cut, separate them so you can wash it more easily.
It’s time to get back to your veg and add the sauce and a cup of water – cook for about 5 minutes. Afterward, add your lentils and soya mince to the pan and stir it all together. In a few minutes it will all thicken up, but if it is still not up to your satisfaction, add 2 tbsp of milled chia seeds that will for sure do the job!
Before taking it off the stove add the leek and mix it once more.
Now, preheat your oven on a 180°C (360°F) on the FAN option.
At last, take a baking tray and start putting your mince as the first layer, followed by cheese and then mash potato. On the mashed potatoes spread some butter and then sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.
After 15 minutes of baking, it’s time for why we are all here – to serve it and enjoy (or just straight out of the tray, that’s all up to you 😉

Enjoy!!

Vito

For a video tutorial, check the link below: