Pastry (If you’re in NZ and need gluten free, pavillion does one, you can get it from countdown. New Way does a non gluten free puff pastry that’s awesome, available from countdown and Pak n Save)
A block of firm tofu (2 if you don’t want to use vegetables) You could swap out the tofu entirely for vegetables but it will change the flavour.
1 can of plain chopped tomatoes or puree (can be substituted for tomato paste, but use half as much)
A good splash of soy sauce
¼ cup brewers yeast
Sundried tomatoes (pams is the best brand). You can do without these but I really think they make the flavour.
Kalamata olives (delmaine is good) You can do without these but I really think they make the flavour.
Flour (can be gluten free)
Optional
Whatever vegetables you have spare. I like eggplant, zucchini, spinach, and kale. Be aware that carrot will likely change the taste so use sparingly until you know what you like.
Vegetable stock - this is ideal if you want a ‘meatier’ tasting filling (massel does a FODMAP friendly veggie stock)
Dairy free cheese (zenzo chedder is good, if you want something creamier and milder the dairy free mozarellas are good). Plain hummus or one of my cheese sauce recipes will also do fine.
Cumin seeds
Ground coriander
Herbs, fresh is ideal but dried is fine. I like basil, coriander, oregano, and chives (chives are good if you want a more onion/garlic flavour)
White or apple cider vinegar
Hot sauce - I like chipotle, it’s not too hot and it adds a smokey flavour.
Another can of tinned tomatoes
Chunky vegetables (pies, carrot, corn etc)
Method
Chop up the tofu and/or vegetables, and the olives and sundried tomatoes. It’s a good idea to either press or freeze/squeeze the tofu so it can soak up the flavours of the broth (see my earlier post about freezing tofu to make pressing super easy). If you feel like it, just run the tofu and vegetables through the food processor till they have a vaguely mince like texture. Don’t mince up any vegetables you want to keep whole (like peas and corn etc).
Throw the 'mince’, any other vegetables, and the cumin seeds (if you’re using them) in a frying pan or wok. You can use regular oil but I like to use some of the spare oil from the sundried tomatoes. Stirfry everything for ten minutes or so.
Add a good splash of soy sauce (more if you want a meaty flavour, less if you don’t) and the brewers yeast and stir them in really well. Now is also a good time to add the ground coriander if you’re using it. Stirfry for another ten minutes. If the mixture starts to stick or clump up, add a splash of white or apple cider vinegar, it’ll deglaze the pan and add a bit of bite to the mixture.
Now add the tomatoes, if you want a strong tomato flavour add two cans. If you’re using it, add the made up stock. This will add quite a bit of moisture to the mix.
Let the mixture simmer for about ten minutes, then taste test. If the flavour is a bit too mild, add a quarter cup of the brine from the kalamata olives and test again. If you want more flavour, add hot sauce slowly until the taste is about right.
Add the chopped herbs and stir them in. Let the mixture simmer for ten minutes. If it gets too dry, add a bit of water, what you’re looking for is the pieces of tomato to be getting soft and mushy.
When you’re sick of waiting, or the tomato chunks are mushy, add a few tablespoons of flour (and more water if needed) and stir in well to make a thick gravy around the 'mince’.
While the mixture is simmering, preheat the oven to 180C and roll out or cut your pastry, then line a pie dish (use oil if it isn’t non stick) with it (you can also cheat and use muffin trays for small pies but it’s a bit fiddly). If you want to, brush the inside of the pastry with oil to keep it from getting soggy (I don’t usually bother). When the mixture is ready, spoon it into the pastry, then add slices of dairy free cheese on top or your preferred “cheese” mix. Dab a bit of water around the edges, and put the pastry lid on, smooshing the pastry together as you go.
Brush the top with oil, stab a few holes in it. Bake at 180C until the top turns golden brown. It’s nice hot or cold, but when it’s hot the cheese melts through the mince.
Like most of my recipes, this calls for a few main ingredients and the rest is adaptable to suit your budget, timeframe, tastes, and imagination. In the future I think I’ll break this down into individual recipes, but for now, I’m lazy.
Depending on where you are in the world, capsicums (bell peppers) can be cheap or expensive. I’ve found if you can find them in jars, you get a lot more for your money and they take less cooking.
Ingredients
Bell peppers (Red is best, but you can use other colours too)
Filling
There’s a bunch of possible combinations, but here’s some of the ones that I like:
Spinach, Quinoa, Basil, Tinned tomatoes, Veggie Stock, Garlic, and Onion
Roast Pumpkin, Cashew nuts, Spinach
Cooked Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrot, Garlic and Onion with Veggie stock, soy sauce, a splash of sweet chilli, and Mashed beans (optional)
Brown rice, Kidney beans, Tinned tomatoes, Corn, Celery, Sweet chilli sauce, Garlic, and Onion
Guacamole - Avocado (smooshed), Lemon Juice, Paprika, Salt, (optionally you can add fresh chopped tomato, grated carrot and cucumber) stirred together
Barbecue sauce
Basil pesto - Fresh basil leaves, cashews/pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds, a sprinkling of brewers yeast, and a splash of oil, blended together
Sweet tomato sauce - Tinned tomatoes, a dollop of barbecue sauce (or a splash of vinegar and a teaspoon of brown sugar), fried onions, and raisins, simmered for a while
Madness/Method
If you’re using fresh peppers, slice them in half lengthways and remove the core and seeds. If you’re using jarred ones, just drain them and arrange them on a lined baking tray.
Gather up whatever filling you want to use. Chop up anything that needs chopping. Anything that needs pre cooking, like pumpkin, quinoa, or cauliflower, get that going.
Chop and fry garlic and onions if you’re using them, then add whatever else is going in, stir and and adjust to your tastes, then let it simmer till it’s very thick, add a little cornflour if you need to.
Now, depending on the sauce and your tastes, you might want to include the sauce in the actual peppers, drizzle it over the top, or add it after cooking. That’s up to you. I like to pair anything with beans or rice with guacamole and add the guacamole after cooking, but I like to add the hummus sauce to other fillings before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
Spoon your filling into the peppers. It pays to underfill them a little bit since they tend to leak while cooking. Add sauce if you want to.
Bake them for about 20 minutes or until they go a little bit crispy on top.
Take them out of the oven, add sauce if desired, and eat.
I thought I’d miss ice cream when I went vegan. But I didn’t, which surprised me at the time, but maybe that says something about dairy not being necessary for noms.
This base uses bananas. Just bananas. You can add whatever you want to it though.
Method
Chop up bananas - if you use older bananas the flavour will be stronger.
Freeze them
Put the pieces in a blender. Blend till smooth.
Serve.
Different flavours
Chocolate - Add some cocoa and vanilla essence.
Nuts - Add some nuts. Cashew nuts and pistachio nuts are good. Depending on how you want the texture, add at the start or finish.
Coconut - Add some coconut cream or melted coconut oil (I won’t be doing this myself until I can find a source that isn’t linked to animal cruelty. Don’t add too much or it’ll go runny.
Vanilla - Add a little non dairy milk and some vanilla essence.
Berries - Nom.
Caramel - Blend up some dates soaked in water to make a thick caramel flavoured sauce, and stir it through, or just add it to the blender with the bananas.
Storing
If you want to store the ice cream in the freezer, but aware that it melts faster than dairy ice cream, but reacts in much the same way - let it melt and freeze it again, it goes like ice. So put it in the freezer quickly. You can just blend it again though for the same result.
Sorry for the lack of posts but i had exams and today is my last one for the semester wohooo yesterday’s lunch was amazing anyways: baked oatmeal muffins and a orange ginger lime juice for the muffins i simply mixed (without weighing) oats with peanut flour, popped quinoa, cinnamon, baking powder, flaxseeds, maple syrup and oatmilk (+water) and baked them on ~180°C for about 15 minutes
Red cabbage leaf wrap with a base of Redford pinto beans, spicy tomato and green chili, vegan red cabbage, carrot and spring onion coleslaw, smoky tempeh, avocado. Garnished with fresh cilantro and lime juice. Chili habañero hot sauce to finish.
Just comment if you would like the recipe for one part or more of this meal.
Note: could easily swap out the red cabbage leaf for a large lettuce leaf such as romaine, iceberg or butter.
