Squidoo

In addition to blogging, I've also recently started writing lenses on Squidoo, a free publishing platform.

Here is my latest: How to make your own Soymilk, Tofu and Okara.

Expect tofu and okara recipes in the near future!  I make a mean sweet potato and okara burger.

Veggie Kale Stir-Fry with Toasted Sesame Seeds

I had kale left over so I stirfried it with mushrooms, carrots, onions, ginger, garlic and toasted sesame seeds.  Then added lime juice and soy sauce.

<3

Quinoa Parsley Salad with Crunchy Kale

Crunchy Kale
The directions I used for making crunchy kale are from Gillian McKeith's You Are What You Eat Cookbook. Although not advertised as a vegan (or even vegetarian) cookbook, I would estimate that at least 80% of the recipes are vegan, including some great smoothie and soup ideas, as well as full-blown vegan feasts.

The kale is cooked in the oven and takes on a delicious crunchy texture, along with kale's characteristic flavour.  It's great for snacking on, as well as for sprinkling on salads like this.


Why did it take me so long to discover kale when it's so tasty?

Salad

The rest of the salad is very simple.  It consists of:
50g (dry weight) quinoa
50g chickpeas
chopped parsley

Salad Dressing

I dressed this salad (as I do most salads) with lime juice and Flaxseed & SesameOil.  You could use olive oil, but I prefer the deeper flavour of the flaxseed/sesame mixture.  Also, I rely on this product for Omega 3, which is in short supply in most vegan foods.

Lentil and Quinoa Veggie Medley with Pumpkin Seeds

Quick dinner tonight: I had some leftover rice and quinoa, so I combined it with red lentils, turmeric, veggies and pumpkin seeds to make this colourful medley.

Bean Tomato Sauce with Brown Rice and Quinoa

For the sauce (makes 2 portions)
1 onion
1 clove garlic
3 mushrooms
1 can kidney beans
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp Vegan Bouillon Powder
basil

Directions:
Simple.  Fry the onions and garlic until lightly browned, add the mushrooms.  Add cans of beans and tomatoes along with bouillon powder and basil to taste, and allow to cook down for 10-20 minutes.

I was originally going to serve this with pasta as a kind of vegan bolognaise, but after eating bread all weekend I decided to go for a wheat-free accompaniment.  I find rice and quinoa quite monotonous to eat on their own, so mixed them together with some red lentils (and a few peas thrown in for colour) for someting slightly more interesting.

One thing I like about this meal is the variety of protein sources.  As a vegan, it's important to eat a wide variety of different beans and pulses to get all the essential amino acids.  Quinoa is also a good source of protein.

Sesame Stir-Fry Recipe

I love Asian cooking, particularly stir-fry.  In this meal I combined toasted sesame seeds with chewy chickpeas, crunchy broccoli, fresh lime, ginger and soy sauce for a wonderful fusion dish.

Ingredients:
1 onion
1 clove garlic
fresh ginger
3 mushrooms
1/2 can chickpeas
30g sesame seeds
few florets of broccoli
dried crushed chilli (optional)
juice of 1 lime
soy sauce

Recipe:
1. Toast sesame seeds and set aside
2. Fry onion, garlic and ginger in a little oil
3. Add mushrooms and broccoli
4. Add chickpeas and sesame seeds
5. Flavour with crushed chilli, lime juice and soy sauce to taste
6. Serve with rice and green tea

I like to add turmeric to my rice to turn it a fun yellow colour.  Turmeric is also very soothing to the digestive system as it has anti-inflammatory properties.

Cook Books

I enjoyed making my last post, with the food photos and recipe.  There's something about photographing food before you sit down to eat it which makes you appreciate it, not just as something to fill up a hungry stomach, but a work of art that has been lovingly prepared.  I will probably be including more recipe posts in future.

I love cookbooks, and get a lot of ideas and recipes from The Cranks Bible - a great resource for staple vegetarian meals.

My other two favourite cookbooks are opposites of each other:

Cranks Light - Full of healthy, fresh, colourful food that leaves me feeling light and energised.

Are You Sure That's Vegan? - For when I want to indulge myself.  Whenever I get nostalgic for dairy/egg/meat recipes, I turn here for a vegan alternative.  Also good for feeding non-vegans who are wary of trying new things.

Quinoa and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers

I'm a little fazed by where to start with this blog, so I'm going to begin with a tasty picture of the stuffed peppers I made for dinner today.

Recipe:

* Boil equal amounts brown rice and quinoa.

* Fry an onion, garlic and ginger.

* Mix together, with canned tomatoes and cumin.

* Fill peppers with mixture and place in pre-heated oven for ~30 minutes, or until peppers are cooked through and rice mixture is dried out and crunchy on top.

* I also added some sesame seeds on top of some of the peppers - if you do this, place under a grill for a few minutes to toast the seeds.

* I served them with salad, hummus and my favourite salad dressing: flaxseed and sesame oilmixed with lime juice.

Verdict: Delicious.