Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

This Alfredo pasta recipe was based on a Chloe Coscarelli's Fettucine Alfredo recipe. Original recipe here.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

400g GF macaroni/pasta
2 Tbls olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup raw cashews
2 cups water
2 tsp white miso paste
1 Tbls lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegan grated cheese (I used Galaxy Nutritional Foods Mexican Shredded Vegan Cheese)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
400g vegan sour cream/cream cheese (I used Tofutti)
1 tsp corn flour
freshly chopped parsley for garnish


Method

In a large pot of boiling water cook pasta as instructed on package.
In medium saucepan heat the oil on medium-high heat.
Add onions and stir until soft and clear.
Add garlic and cook for a few minutes then remove from heat.
In a food processor blitz the onions, garlic, cashews, water, miso paste, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth.
Put back on the heat and whisk in corn flour. Keep whisking till mixture thickens.
Stir through nutritional yeast, sour cream and cheese until melted.
Once pasta is cooked drain and stir through the cheese sauce until well coated.
You will probably only need half of the sauce for four people with 400g pasta.
You can freeze the remainder or use as a cheesy dip :)

Cinnamon Ice Cream

My husband made the best cinnamon ice cream in the ice cream maker we picked up from a thrift store.
Cinnamon is may favourite flavour because it tastes like doughnuts ;)
You can make this without a rice maker, just follow the instructions on my Vegan Ice-cream blog.

Cinnamon Ice-Cream

Ingredients

3 cups canned coconut milk
2 cups vegan sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups soy creamer/soy cream
2 cups Silk coconut milk
1 Tbls vanilla extract
1 Tbls ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)


Method

Heat milk until bubbles form around edge of pan.
Remove from heat,add sugar and salt.
Stir until dissolved and then stir in vanilla extract.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Freeze as directed on the ice-cream maker.

Country Meatloaf & Golden Gravy

This delicious recipe from Chloe Coscarelli will have even the most skeptical of meat eaters asking for seconds. Recipe from Well Blog.

Country Meatloaf

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 cups diced celery
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 (8-ounce) packages tempeh
1/2 cup soy sauce (I used Tamari)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup cooked brown rice, warm
1/2 cup GF bread crumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large deep-sided skillet and sauté onion, carrots and celery until soft, about 15 minutes. If vegetables begin to stick, add a little bit of water to the skillet.
Stir in garlic, thyme, basil and parsley. Let cook a few more minutes.
Crumble the tempeh into the skillet and add soy sauce and broth.
Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
Add warm brown rice and bread crumbs to the bowl and mix thoroughly with a large spoon. The more you mix it and mash it, the better it will hold together when you bake it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and pack it down very firmly using the back of a spoon. Cover the top of the loaf pan with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, covered, then remove foil, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before unmolding. Run a knife around the edges of the cooked loaf to loosen, then flip onto a serving plate to unmold. Slice and serve.

Chef’s note: Recipe can be halved to serve 3 to 4 people. If halving, bake in an 8-by-4-by-3-inch loaf pan for 30 minutes covered, then 15 more minutes uncovered.

Golden Gravy

Ingredients


2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 cup GF flour
2 cups water
3 tablespoons soy sauce (I used Tamari)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method

 In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion until soft.
Add nutritional yeast and flour, and stir for about 1 minute.
Add water, soy sauce, thyme and garlic powder.
Continue to cook, whisking continuously, until mixture is very thick.
Transfer gravy to a blender and purée until smooth.
Adjust seasonings, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Curried Lentil, Pumpkin and Apple Stew

This recipe is from Chloe Coscarelli's recipe book, however I found it on Well Blog and it was delicious and healthy :)
I recommend soaking or half cooking the lentils before adding because I found they didn't cook properly in the recipe time.

Curried Lentil, Pumpkin, and Apple Stew

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs curry powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried lentils
2 1/2 cup veg broth
2 Tbs tomato paste
3 cups butternut pumpkin/squash peeled (1/2 in cubes)
1 large unpeeled apple, diced
5 oz baby spinach


Method

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, and saute onions and carrots until almost soft.
Add garlic, ginger, curry, and salt, and let cook a few more minutes until fragrant.
Stir in lentils, broth and tomato paste. Bring to boil, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
Add squash and apples, cover, and simmer for another 25 minutes, or until vegetable and lentils are tender. Uncover and stir in spinach until wilted. add salt to taste and serve!

The Best Banana Bread

I adapted this recipe from Nigella Lawson's Butterscotch Banana Muffins. It's the best banana bread I've ever had. Moist and flavoursome. Healthier version at the end!

The Best Banana Bread

Ingredients

3 very ripe banana(s)
125 ml vegetable oil
2 egg replacers
250 grams plain GF flour
100 grams caster sugar
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
150 grams chocolate chips - optional
Crushed walnuts - optional
Cinnamon - optional


Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6/400°F and grease a cake/bread tin.
Mash the bananas and set aside for a moment.
Pour the oil into a jug and beat in the egg replacers.
Put the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a large bowl and mix in the egg replacer and oil mixture, followed by the mashed bananas.
Fold in the chocolate chips (if using), then pour into prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 20-40 minutes. 20-25 mins if using muffin tray.
I usually set my timer for 20 minutes then test them by sticking in a knife. If the knife comes out clean they are ready, if not then the batter hasn't set.

I've made this healthier version for my kids;

Ingredients

3 very ripe banana(s)
125 ml coconut oil
2 egg replacers
250 grams wholemeal flour
100 grams brown rice syrup
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tbls hemp seed hearts

Crispy Orange Tofu

This recipe from Chloe Coscarelli make delectable little tofu morsels that the kids will think are chicken.
Really delicious. I recommend making double the marinade if you want to have vegetables and/or rice with it. Recipe taken from Vegan Cooking in Colorado.

Crispy Orange Tofu

Ingredients


1 14-oz package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 cup orange juice
peel from 1/4 orange, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 Tbs agave nectar
1 Tbs soy sauce (I used tamari)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
canola oil for frying
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot (or GF flour)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups cooked rice, for serving
Steamed vegetables for serving (optional)


Method

After pressing the tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside. In a small bowl, mix orange juice, orange peel, agave, soy sauce, ginger garlic and coriander. Set aside.
Fill a large heavy-bottomed skillet with 1/2 inch oil and heat over medium-high heat.
While oil is heating whisk together cornstarch and salt in a small bowl.
Dredge tofu in the flour mixture by tossing a few cubes at a time in the bowl and removing them onto a plate. Be sure to shake off excess before frying.
The oil is hot enough when bubbles form around a wooden spoon inserted in the oil.
Carefully place tofu in the oil and let fry until the bottom is golden and crisp.

Flip tofu using a spatula or tongs and fry until the other side is golden and crisp.
Remove tofu from oil and drain on paper towels.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add fried tofu and orange juice mixture.
Let cook until the sauce bubbles down to a thick syrup. Turn off heat and mix in cilantro. Serve over rice.

Vegan Chorizo Brands

Helen's Kitchen and El Burrito Soyritzo make delicious vegan chorizo sausages which are also gluten free. They have so much flavour and only a small kick of spice. I used them in a basic tomato based pasta sauce and used the left overs for sloppy joes (with Galaxy Nutritional Foods Vegan Mozzarella - yum!).
Soooo good.

Bean Casserole

Now that I have a slow cooker I'm keen to start experimenting with it! I made this bean casserole last night and it was delicious and simple.
This can be done on the stove top or in a slow cooker.
I used mixed beans and lentils and soaked them for 24 hours prior. Then I cooked them before the casserole for 4 hours in the slow cooker with stock but you could just as easily cook them with the casserole.

Bean Casserole

Ingredients

1/2 onions, diced
1 cup mixed beans & lentils (pre soaked and/or cooked)
2 potatoes, diced
3 carrots, cut into rounds (I used rainbow carrots)
small bunch of English spinach, chopped
handful of Swiss brown mushrooms
enough vegetable stock to cover the vegetables (around 1 litre)
1 clove garlic, crushed


Method

In a small pan (or large pot if not using slow cooker) fry onions & garlic in a small amount of oil until onions are clear.
If using a slow cooker, add all ingredients (and onion/garlic mix) to the slow cooker and set for 4 hours.
If using the stove top, transfer onion/garlic mix to a large pot and add in potato, carrots, beans and stock.
(If not using pre cooked beans then just add the beans for 30 minutes, then add potato and carrot).
Bring mixture to boil then turn down to a low simmer for 15 minutes.
Once potatoes are cooked through add in the mushrooms and spinach and allow to simmer until excess liquid has simmered off.
If you prefer a liquidy casserole then just wait till mushrooms and spinach have heated through.
Serve with some crusty bread.

Helen's Vegan Mince

I found this vegan mince by Helen's Kitchen which is already seasoned at Harmon's. Perfect for anything that calls for mince. We used it on nachos (twice!) and was DELICIOUS (and gluten free)!!

"Chicken" Nuggets

You can use this recipe for vegan chicken nuggets, fingers or strips. Adapted from Vegan Dad blog.

"Chicken" Nuggets

Ingredients

Makes 24 nuggets

1 cup gluten free gluten substitute

1 tsp vegan poultry spice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup water

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups gluten free bread crumbs

2 tbsp nutritional yeast, crushed between your fingers

1/4 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground flax seed

1 1/2 cup soy milk

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Method

1. Whisk together flour and spices in a bowl. Whisk together water and oil and a separate bowl and add to flour mixture. Stir and bring into a dough. It's rather hard to knead this dough, so I stretch out the sides and then fold them into the centre. I then press down to mold it back together again. This works the gluten and helps mix everything together.

2. Roll dough out into a long log, about 12-14 inches long. Let rest while you mix together the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, tumeric, and paprika in one bowl, and the flax seed, soy milk, oil, and vinegar in another.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with oil.

4. Slice dough into 24 pieces (about half inch each). Press down a bit to get a nugget shape, dip in soy milk, then lightly roll in bread crumbs. Repeat with all pieces of dough.

5. Re-dip nuggets back in soy milk (let it soak up so you get a thick breading), and roll again in the bread crumbs. Press the nugget into the crumbs to get a nice thick coating and to maintain the nugget shape. Place on baking sheet.

6. Bake for 10 mins, flip, then bake for another 10 mins. Flip again and cook for 4 mins, then flip and cook another 4 mins (this keeps the breading from browning too much).

7. Serve with dipping sauce of you choice. These are a bit chewy when they are piping hot, but firm up nicely when they cool down a bit.

A NOTE ON BREADING: the key to a good breading is to keep one hand wet and the other dry. Use one hand to dip the nuggets and place into the breading. Shake the bowl to coat the nugget in crumbs, then use your dry hand to handle/press the nugget.