Dalgona Coffee (Whipped Coffee)

Well we all knew there would be at least one craze during our time on COVID-19 isolation but at least this is a tasty one!!

Dalgona Coffee (Whipped Coffee) 

Ingredients

2 tsp granulated instant coffee, I used decaf (this won't work with powdered or liquid forms)

2 Tbls suagr

2 Tbls hot water

Non-dairy milk

Method

In a small bowl or glass measuring cup add the coffee, sugar and water and blend with a milk frother or an electric whisk until thick and foamy. This can take a few minutes so be patient.

Pour over iced non-dairy milk and serve. You can drink as is or mix together well.

Traditional Ratatouille

This recipe comes from the classic Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Ratatouille is a traditional French dish made of just vegetables and is traditionally used as a side or accompaniment for bland meats but for us vegans it is lovely with rice, potatoes or pasta or just as side dish. I'm planning on using my left overs for lasagne (just add bechamel sauce) or Ratatouille Quiche. With traditional ratatouille you need to cook all the vegetables separately so that when you layer them in the casserole dish they retain all their own flavors. That being said it's not a quick dish to make, it takes time but luckily it only gains in flavor overnight so it can be made in advance and then reheated. It can be served hot or cold. I replaced the zucchini with yellow squash because I had some on hand.

Traditional Ratatouille

Ingredients (in stages)

1lb eggplant (around 1 large)
1lb zucchini (around 3 medium)
1 tsp salt
4 Tbls olive oil

1/2 lb yellow onion, thinly sliced (around 1 1/2 cups)
2 sliced peppers (around 1 cup)
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 lb ripe tomatoes (around 5 medium)
salt and pepper

3Tbls mince parsley
Salt & pepper to taste


Method

Step One
Peel eggplant and slice into 2"x1"x1" rectangles.
Scrub zucchinis and slice in the same way.
Place both in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes.

Step Two
Onto a non-stick/cast iron skillet add around 2-3 Tbls olive oil and heat the onion and peppers on a low-medium setting for 5-10 minutes to get soft but not brown.

While they are heating up boil your tomatoes in water for 10 seconds to soften the skin. Remove and slice skin in an X at the base and peel away the skin then de-seed.

Slice the tomato pulp and add on top of the onion mixture allowing a couple of minutes for the juices to flow down.

Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and season with salt & pepper.
Remove to a separate dish and place 1/3 of the mixture into a stove proof casserole dish that has a lid. Sprinkle with 1/3 the parsley. Reuse pan for the eggplant and zucchini.

Step Three
Take the eggplant and zucchini out of the bowl where they should have sweat out some of their liquid. Place singly between two paper or kitchen towels to remove the excess liquid.

(Since you need to do this in batches I found it easier to do one vegetable at a time because I had two batches of each vegetable so it worked perfectly because you need to do two layers of these vegetables in the casserole dish.)
Add the olive oil to the skillet and on a low-medium heat sear the vegetables on both sides then add half of eggplant and zucchini onto the onion mixture in the casserole dish.

Step Four
Add second layer of 1/3 onion mix to casserole dish and sprinkle with 1/3 of parsley.
Add last layer of zucchini and eggplant.
Top with last layer of onion mix and sprinkle with last Tbls of parsley.
Cover and simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft. You want to check often to make sure the mix isn't sticking at the bottom and that the juices are being eveny distributed.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Magic Thai Sauce

This is a fabulous recipe that I veganized from Rin S Cookbook Youtube channel. She's amazing! All her dishes are so authentic but obviously not at all vegan so I wing it where I can! This sauce is great for marinating, using as a stock, a soup or other sauce base or as a sauce alone. I threw some in the pan with my soy curls and one tablespoon was enough to beautiful flavor the whole batch (maybe 1.5-2 cups of hydrated curls). Picture at the bottom. My son loved it and he’s a picky eater! I hate them just with rice and it was such a good meal! It tastes pretty strong when you try it but a small amount spread over that much food or as a base for something and it's perfect! This makes nearly around 3/4 cup. It will keep in the fridge for at least a month although you may find it won't last that long :)

Magic Thai Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegan sugar

1/4 cup vegan fish sauce

6 Tbls tamari or GF soy sauce

1 Tbls Braggs liquid aminos

1/2 cup vegan oyster sauce or Golden Mountain seasoning sauce (you can sub with Braggs if you need to)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

Method

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil on a medium heat.

Once boiling lower to simmer for five minutes.

You can add a mixer of tap corn starch and 2 tsp water to thicken if you like if you're not using oyster sauce as it will help substitute the thickness but I was happy with it being liquid.

One month in fridge.

Marinated, mixed  vegetables, noodles, thai basil sauce.

 Soy curls cooked with Magic Thai Sauce

Easy Roast Beet Salad

 Great way to use up any left over roasted beets or just if you're looking for an easy recipe to include them! Serves 2

Easy Roast Beet Salad

Ingredients
1 head Romaine lettuce (chopped roughly)
5-6 Beets, peeled and chopped into slivers or chunks
1/4 Tbls Sunflower seeds
1/2 bunch Cilantro, chopped roughly
Olive oil

Dressing;
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbls tahini
½ chili (with seeds)
2Tbls olive oil
2Tbls lemon juice
½ Tbls maple syrup
2 Tbls hot water
 salt & pepper to taste


Method

Preheat oven to 400F/200C and prepare a baking tray/dish with a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
While the beets are cooking whisk all your dressing ingredients together well and set aside.
Add beets and bake for 40-60 minutes, turning half way. Should feel rubbery when done.
Prepare salad on bowls with Romaine on the bottom followed by beets, sunflower seeds & cilantro.
Drizzle dressing over the top and enjoy!

Soy Curl Jerky

I've been a vegan ten years and I just discovered soy curls, or maybe I new about them and with all the vegan faux meat on the market just forgot. Whatever the reason, yay! I'm so happy I discovered them again! I made some pretty yummy vegan jerky with them this weekend! I got my Butler soy curls on Amazon. It loses a alot of flavor in the baking so if you want to add more salt etc, go for it!

Soy Curl Jerky

Ingredients

4oz Soy Curls
1/4 cup yellow or Dijon mustard
1 Tbls apple cider vinegar
4 Tbls vegan brown sugar
1 Tbls Tamari wheat free soy sauce
4 drops liquid smoke
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
Black pepper to taste


Method

Hydrate soy curls as per packet instructions.
Mix marinade together.
Make sure soy curls are very well drained and not wet.
In a container mix the soy curls with the marinade and refrigerate overnight (or at least a couple of hours).
Spread out on the top shelf of your dehydrator at 160F (or in your oven on the lowest setting). The lowest oven setting  is usually above 160F so make sure you're checking them regularly.
Dehydrate for around 3 hours, until the soy curls are chewy, too early and they are too liquidy, too long and they are crunchy. Keep in an airtight container for a week.

Popcorn Chicken with Sweet Mustard Sauce

This is a Chick-Fil-A chicken nugget copycat recipe by 40 Aprons. Honestly I didn't think the pickle juice added too much except to make them taste like pickle juice (which is fine with me but not chicken-like).

Popcorn Chicken with Sweet Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

Tofu:
1- pound block firm or extra-firm tofu
3/4 - 1 cup dill pickle juice (you want the old-school, bright green kind, not the deli-pickle kind)

Breading:
1 cup corn starch
2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
vegetable or canola oil , for frying

Sweet mustard sauce:
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon agave nectar
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon turmeric


Method

Marinate the tofu: tear into bite-size nuggets and place in a medium bowl. Pour pickle juice over and let marinate 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, make your breading. Whisk together all breading ingredients, except oil.

Make your sweet mustard. Stir together all ingredients, taste & adjust seasonings, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Once tofu has marinated, drain well and then toss in breading to coat.
Pour a thin layer of oil into a large sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat.
Fry "nuggets" in a single layer, in batches if needed--don't crowd.
Turn fairly regularly to brown on all sides. Once breading has browned, remove from sauté pan with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels or brown paper bags.
Serve with sweet mustard sauce.

DIY Hand Sanitizer

So in the recent COVID-19 madness and indeed in any pandemic madness the hand sanitizer is always the first to disappear off the shelf but with some careful planning or even a quick Amazon shop when you first get wind of the crazy you can easily make your own at home. And it's cheaper and you know what goes into it so really it's great for even outside times of mass hysteria. As long as you use an alcohol base of over 60% alcohol then you can use isopropyl alcohol, Everclear or even rum if need be, just make sure the alcohol content is over 60%, the higher the better! I blended a couple of recipes together for this one but the main one that worked was Little House Living.  This recipe is for a thicker spray but just add a bit more aloe to use in a pump. This makes two small purse pumps but just double, or quadruple the recipe for larger containers.

DIY Hand Sanitizer

1/4 cup Alcohol
6 Tbls Aloe Vera gel (try for 100% and free of colouring/scent)
20 drops of essential oil*
1/4 tsp Vitamin E (optional)


*I used doTERRA On Guard (which has Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf, and Rosemary Leaf/Flower) but you can use any antibacterial oils such as tea tree, cinnamon, thyme or oregano.

Homemade Chocolate

Traditional chocolate is super easy to make - it only has three ingredients; cocoa butter, cocoa powder & sugar. Everything else is extra. Original base recipe from Sweet Simple Vegan.

I wanted to use my Easter egg molds that I never use and since we are stuck at home for Easter (the old COVID-19 pandemic) and I knew I had the ingredients I thought lets give this another go. I had tried making my own chocolate before but didn't like the way it turned out. This recipe was enough for all my egg molds plus a bit extra to join them together. What extras you add if really only as limitless as your imagination. I used rose water infused rose petals, rum infused raisins, salty crushed peanuts and sprinkles but I love the idea of mint essential oil or chili powder for variety also!

Homemade Chocolate 

Ingredients

1 2/3 cup raw cacao butter
9 Tbls maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan salt
1 2/3 cup cacao powder


Method

In a double broiler* melt your cocoa butter.

While that's melting prep your molds, whatever you're using make sure it's on a flat tray that can be easily transferred to the fridge.
Add into the mold any extras you want to change your chocolate flavor (I used rose water infused rose petals, rum infused raisins, salty crushed peanuts and sprinkles).

Once melted take off melted cocoa butter from stove and place on a heat proof surface or pot holder.
Add in the maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt and whisk together.
Lastly whisk in your cocoa powder making sure you sift it into the bowl. This will make a huge difference to smooth vs lumpy chocolate.
Pour chocolate into desired molds and  place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
If using egg molds like I was that need to be melded together you can do this two ways.
1. Just fill one tray first (make sure the other tray mirrors your extras) and once hardened fill the second tray and place the first harden tray upside down on top to they fuse together when cooling.
2. Fill all trays, wait till hardened then use a small amount of chocolate mix to fuse together and harden again in fridge.


Note
*A double boiler is very easy to make if you haven’t got a specific one, just heat sauce pan of half filled with water until boiling then bring it down to medium heat and place on top of stainless steel bowl or sauce pan that fits perfectly on top inserting a little bit without touching the water. This will help you melt butter or chocolate etc without burning it.

Vegan "Tuna" Casserole

There are two steps to a Vegan "Tuna" Mornay/Casserole. First you need to make the vegan tuna. I find when I make Vegan Tuna Melt I always have so much of the "tuna" mix left so this was a great way to incorporate it into another dish. You can also add 1/2 cup corn if desired.

Vegan "Tuna" Casserole

Ingredients

"Tuna"
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked from dried)
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise (I used Veganaise)
1 Tbls whole grain or djion mustard
1 Tbls umeboshi vinegar*
2 tps celery seeds (I used celery salt)
1/4 cup chopped celery, from about one rib
2 tablespoons sliced scallions, from about about two scallions
Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
Dulse flakes (optional)

Casserole
350g GFpenne pasta (or other short pasta)
3 tbsp vegan butter
3 garlic cloves , finely minced
4 tbsp GF flour (I used rice flour)
4 cups non-dairy milk
2 tsp Vegeta, or veg stock powder/granulated bouillon
1/2 cup vegan Parmesan, or can sub for shredded vegan cheese (I used Follow Your Heart)
1/2 tsp each mustard powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Topping
2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
1/2 cup GF panko breadcrumbs (I just used regular GF bread crumbs)
1/4 cup vegan Parmesan
1/4 tsp salt
Chives or parsley, optional garnish


Method

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
Cook pasta per packet directions till al dente.
If using chickpeas, pulse in a food processor until mushed.
Whisk mayonnaise, celery, onion, mustard, parsley, lemon juice and pepper.
Stir chickpeas through. You can add a sprinkle of dulse flakes for a fishy taste.
Mix together ingredients for the topping, rubbing between your fingers to resemble crumble, set aside.
To make the vegan white sauce melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add flour and stir into melted butter.
Gradually pour in about 1/3 of the milk and whisk through.
Add Vegeta, mustard, onion and garlic powder, whisk.
When the milk starts to heat up, whisk constantly to make sure the white sauce doesn’t catch on the base.
After 4 - 5 minutes, the sauce should be thickened, then remove from stove and stir in parmesan.
Add "tuna" mix into pasta.
Pour over sauce, then gently stir.

Scrape into baking dish, top with Crunchy Topping.

Bake 25 minutes until top is golden and edges are bubbling. Sprinkle with chives if desired then serve!

*NOTE:

Umeboshi (Plum) vinegar is available online or from Asian supermarkets. It has a very sea water saltiness to it which makes it great when replicating seafoods.

Cacio e Pepe (Cheese & Pepper Pasta)

Cacio e Pepe meaning "cheese and pepper" is a super simple traditional Italian recipe that literally only has four ingredients. You use the pasta water as a sauce base, brilliant! Of course you can add optional extras like garlic or parsley but it's a gorgeous dish on it's own too.
Original recipe from Gimme Some Oven.

Cacio e Pepe (Cheese & Pepper Pasta)

Ingredients

8 ounces GF pasta (thick spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine)
3 Tbls vegan butter
1 tsp freshly-cracked coarse black pepper
1 cup Vegan Parmesan cheese (I used Follow Your Heart)


Method

In a large stockpot of generously-salted water, boil your pasta according to package instructions until it just barely al dente, this is very important so it doesn't turn to mush later.
Once pasta is done reserve two cups of the starchy pasta water in a separate container and drain the pasta using a colander. 
Transfer the pasta back to the hot stockpot, not on heat.
Add the butter, starchy water, cheese and black pepper. 
Add in the diced butter and 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and toss quickly to combine. 
Add in the cheese and black pepper and quickly toss to combine.
Continue to gradually add in extra starchy pasta water, as needed, until the cheese has completely melted and turned into a silky sauce that coats the pasta evenly.
If your pasta is too liquidy you can add back to stove on a low heat constantly stirring until thick.
Dish up the hot pasta and serve immediately, garnished with extra cheese and black pepper if desired.

Individual Chocolate Cakes

Thank you to Allergylicious for this lovely recipe. I don't think these taste like donuts so I used a silicon mold I thought would represent the right shape at least. So yes, mine are more like individual cakes and not donuts but still delicious!

Chocolate Glazed Donuts

Ingredients

Chocolate Donuts Recipe:
2 1/2 cups 1-to-1 gluten-free flour (or sub in All-Purpose Flour)*
1 cup vegan cane sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional, or sub with more cocoa powder)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups dairy-free milk (we used flax milk)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
 1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:
1 cup vegan powdered sugar
2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
2-3 tablespoon non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup (I used Golden Syrup)
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips


Method

Chocolate Donut Recipe:
Preheat oven to 350°.  Prepare your mold by lightly spraying with vegetable oil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients; flour, sugar, cocoa, espresso, baking soda and salt.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk to incorporate together (you can also use a hand mixer if you prefer.

Spoon batter into prepared pan then bake 10-12 minutes.
Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from pan and placing on a baking rack.
Let cool completely then spoon on

 the chocolate glaze.  Add sprinkles if desired.

Make your Glaze:
Pour melted butter, milk, corn syrup and melted chocolate into a bowl with your powdered sugar.  Blend with your hand mixer until smooth.

DIY Peppermint Lip Scrub

This is so easy to make yourself, and it really works! But don't get addicted, it's pretty tasty!

DIY Peppermint Lip Scrub

Ingredients

2 Tbls Vegan Sugar (preferably caster because it's finer)
1 tsp jojoba oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 drops food grade peppermint essential oil (I used doTERRA*)


Method

Mix the all ingredients together. If you feel like it's liquidy add more sugar, if too dry ad a couple drops more of jojoba oil. You want the consistency of hard wet sand.



Note
*You actually get a free Peppermint Essential oil when you sign up with doTERRA!

Thai Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Soup)

Another classic Thai recipe from RinS Cookbook that I made a vegan version of. SO GOOD! My favorite Thai soup!

Thai Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Soup)

Ingredients

1 stalks lemongrass, sliced
1 inch ginger sliced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 tomato or 5 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 onion thinly sliced
2 Kaffir Lime leaves cut in half
Coriander/cilantro stalks in broth, leaves for garnish (I used 1 drop doTERRA Cilantro EO)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
4 thai chilis, seeds removed and crushed whole
1 1/2 cup broth or water
2 Tbls sugar
1 Tbls vegan Fish sauce
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup lime juice
1-2Tbls chilli oil
Extra chilli flakes for garnish


Method

Add everything in the ingredient list up to (and including)  the broth simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Add in sugar and vegan fish sauce and boil for 5 minutes (or longer if you have onion that needs to cook more).
Remove from heat and pour on the coconut milk and mushrooms and pour into serving bowl.
Pour over the lime juice and cilli oil on top or leave to side with extra chilli & cilantro leaves to garnish to taste.