Chocolate!

I whipped this up in a chocolate emergency the other day.
So easy, just melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot (not boiling) water, mixing often. Add whatever ingredients you like, i.e. dried fruit, nuts, puffed cereal, cornflakes, spices, etc. Mix well, spread out on a metal tray greased very lightly with good quality oil (something flavourless or macadamia or almond, etc.). Cool (usually in the fridge) until hard. Bend the tray gently and it should just pop up so you can remove it and break into pieces.



I used fair trade organic chocolate chips, chopped roasted hazelnuts and pistachios, and some big raisins.


Posted by Naomi

Quick, tasty meal ideas!

Sometimes you need to eat in a hurry, so here are some ideas for fast meals that taste great and look good:


Tempeh Burger

Lightly fry or grill some pre-seasoned tempeh (Tallyho Farm do a good one), toast a whole meal roll/bread, add some good chutney/sauce/hummus, fill with your choice of salad like lettuce, sprouts, sliced tomato, grated beetroot, grated carrot, avocado. Voila!


Chickpea and couscous salad

Prepare one cup of 5 minute couscous to package instructions but don't add margarine, cool. Combine with a drained and rinsed tin of chickpeas, diced small red capsicum, one or two ripe tomatoes diced, half a red onion diced, good handful of chopped fresh mint, juice of half a lemon, good slurp of olive oil, pinch of salt.
Serve with some mixed lettuce and olives.


Speedy Bean Stew

Sauté 1 small diced onion in olive oil, add 1-3 cloves crushed garlic, chilli, ground paprika, 1 small diced zucchini, red capsicum, chuck in a tin of crushed tomatoes or fresh ripe diced tomatoes, a dash of tamari, if you like liquid smoke add a drop. Simmer until veggies are cooked (you may need to add a little water), add a tin of drained and rinsed kidney beans (or any other beans) or cooked beans if you have them. Add some fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives or basil at the end if you wish.
Serve with instant couscous, rice, or quinoa.


Posted by Kristin

Baba Ganoush is oh so very good!

Recipe Ingredients

1 large eggplant approx 2 T of tahini approx 2 T of good extra virgin olive oil juice of a large lemon salt to taste 2 cloves crushed garlic one drop of liquid smoke (optional)

Instructions

Wash the eggplant and put it whole in a baking dish in a hot oven, turn it a few times and cook until is quite soft and skin is charred cool eggplant on rack over a bowl, reserve juice that drips out peel eggplant process eggplant and juice with rest of ingredients, adjust seasoning to taste put in nice bowl or plate, drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with paprika, oh la la looks so pretty! serve with toasted turkish bread/home made pita chips, celery, carrots, good olives Posted by Kristin

CAKE!!!

This is a favourite (very easy) recipe. Tried, tested and requested. Great with a simple chocolate icing, a decadent ganache or just straight up.

Fantastic (very rich) Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 and a half cups unbleached white flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

1 cup sugar

half a cup of mixed, chopped nuts (optional)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

half a cup cold water or soy milk

half a cup of orange juice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons vinegar

Preheat oven to 375F (180C). Sift dry ingredients into 8" square or 9" round baking pan. Mix liquids (except vinegar) and whisk into dry. When batter is smooth, add vinegar and stir quickly, until it is evenly distributed. Put it in the oven, don't let it stand around (that has something to do with the vinegar) Bake for 25-30 minutes...or longer until done.

Thank you Vegan Family!

Posted by Naomi