#vegan recipe

Connect with me on Instagram!

☾ (@missmasonjar) • Instagram photos and videos

Base:

Cheating - buy a box of gluten free chocolate brownie mix

Or -

• 1 cup of gluten free flour (you can use wheat flour if you want)
• 2 tablespoons of ground linseed/flaxeseed
• 3 tablespoons of oil
• ¼ cup of almond or soy milk (others are fine too)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder (you can also leave this out and have a vanilla flavoured base)
• ¼ cup soft brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• A pinch of salt

Optional

• Cinnamon
• Dessicated coconut
• Ground almonds, walnuts etc

Mousse

• x2 Silken tofu (this stuff: https://www.morinu.com/)
• 1 block of whittakers plain dark chocolate (50% or higher is fine). You can use baking chocolate but it isn’t as good. If you can’t get whittakers, aim for a good quality block of 50% or higher chocolate that’s around 400 grams (or 14 ounces)
• ¼ cup almond or soy milk (others might work too depending on your tastes)
• A pinch of salt
• ¼ cup of soft brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (natural is better but not essential)

Optional

• Cinnamon and nutmeg
• Strawberries or other fruit
• Maple syrup
• 1 ripe avocado
• Coconut oil
• Agar Agar
• Guar Gum
• Cocoa powder
• Chilli
• Coconut flakes
• Nuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F)
2. Get a round spring form pan, it makes everything so much easier. Grease it if needed
3. Mix up all your base ingredients in one go, you’re looking for a fairly thick mixture. Add almond milk and oil by the tablespoon if it’s too dry. Press the mix into the pan and make it as even as you can.
4. Put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Either use the guide on the baking mix box, or if you’re not cheating, look for the surface of the base to gently spring back when you press on it a little. Worst comes to worst it’s not gonna matter if it isn’t super well cooked. Under cooked is better than overcooked.
5. Leave the base to cool. If you’re in a hurry, put it in the freezer. I usually leave it in the freezer for an hour at least.
6. Now you have to “press” the tofu. Get a bowl, put a seive over the top, and line the seive with a clean tea towel or cheese cloth. Put the tofu in the cheese cloth, and squeeze it, I find twisting the corners around helps. Water will come out, after a while, leave it in the seive to keep draining.
7. Half fill a pot with water, now find a metal bowl that will fit in the pot. Break up the chocolate and put it in the metal bowl, and then float the bowl in the pot. It helps if they’re close in size, so just the bottom of the bowl is in the water. Bring the water to the boil and slowly melt the chocolate.
8. Put the tofu in a blender, add the melted chocolate, and blend until smooth. Add the sugar, salt and vanilla and blend again. Over time it will get thicker. Taste test, add sugar if needed, or if it’s too intense, add a tablespoon of almond milk. Blend and test until it’s how you want it. Bear in mind that the flavours will smooth out in the fridge. I usually add cinnamon, maple syrup, and other stuff during this stage.
9. If you want to use avocado, you’ll likely need extra cocoa powder. If it’s too runny, add some melted coconut oil, or a little agar or guar gum. Remember it will get a bit firmer after being in the fridge.
10. Pull the base out of the freezer. If you want strawberries round the edges, now is the time to put them there. Then use a spatula to scrape the mousse into the pan. Spread it out as evenly as you can and add strawberries/other fruit, nuts, coconut etc on top.
11. Chill in the fridge for at least a few hours. you should notice a change in how firm it is. When you want to take off the sides, run a knife around the edge first to loosen it.

Disclaimer: This recipe might no accessible for everyone, depending on what things cost where you are, or how easily things grow, but hopefully it can spread far and wide.

Uses: I put it on toast, pita bread, tortilla chips, crackers, I use it as a pasta sauce, put it on pizzas instead of cheese, add a dollop to minestrone, it also goes nicely with salads and other antipasto type snacks.

Ingredients(for a batch that makes about four half litre jars full)

• A truly colossal amount of fresh basil. To give you an idea. I usually fill up four ten litre containers with basil from the garden.
• Kale or Spinach (optional) - this will dilute the flavour, but it can be a good filler to make more pesto overall.
• Garlic (preferably fresh) - You can use minced garlic but I find it has a different flavour. You want about half a bulb for a big batch, possibly more if you like garlic or the variety you have is milder.
• Brewers yeast, Savoury yeast, or Nutritional yeast - About a cup for a big batch. You could also try vegan parmesan if you want.
• Vegetable oil - About two cups, but you can adjust to get the consistency you want.
• Cashew nuts - Pinenuts, Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and similar are all good substitutes.
• Cumin seeds - About a teaspoon (optional but tasty)
• Celery seeds - A pinch (optional but tasty)
• Salt - About a tablespoon
• A cube of veggie stock (optional)

1. Method
2. Strip the leaves off the stalks. Thin and soft stalks are fine to go in the mix but the thicker harder stalks don’t add to the flavour and they ruin the texture. Any leaves that have gone gross should be thrown in the compost.
3. Rinse the leaves in water, drain them in a sieve, gently pat them dry with paper towels or a tea towel and put them through the blender in batches with a bit of oil each time. You’re unlikely to be able to fit everything in the blender at once so transfer batches to a big bowl. Ideally you want everything to be blended down to very very small pieces.
4. Add the salt, half the brewers yeast, half the garlic, the nuts/seeds, and the spices to the blender. Run them through the blender with a batch of basil, and transfer to the big bowl. When it’s all been blended, mix everything together with a spoon. Taste test and run more garlic and brewers yeast through the blender and add according to your tastes.
5. Store in clean jars (I boil the jars and lids in a pot of water). Try to fill the jars up as high as you can and pour a little oil over the top before sealing. The top few millimetres in each jar will likely oxidise and turn dark once it’s been opened again, this shouldn’t affect the taste but you can just scrape that bit off before using.

For the Base: You can use mini pita pockets, split english muffins, bought pizza bases, sliced baguette rounds, or make your own bases (which is less lazy than I’m usually feeling)

• Toppings:You can put whatever you like on these but this is the combination I like best
• Tomato paste (the cheap canned stuff is fine)
• Kalamata olives
• Sundried tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Onions
• Kale and/or spinach
• Fresh basil
• Garlic
• Oregano
• Dairy free cheese (plain hummus will also work nicely)

Method

1. Spread tomato paste as thick or thin as you like on the bases. 
2. Slice/chop up everything except the cheese/hummus and sprinkle it over the bases. I like to really pile my pizzas up but do what works for you.
3. Slice/grate the cheese and put it on top, or add a couple of good dollops of hummus.
4. Cook in the oven at 180C (350F) until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown (or the hummus is just starting to brown)
5. Eat

• Two cups pasta (I had wholemeal so that’s what I used but any pasta will do, gluten free, noodle, penne, spirals, whatever)
• A cup of almond milk (any non dairy milk is fine)
• Three tablespoons of flour (I used wholemeal wheat, but you could use rice, oat, or cornflour to make it gluten free)
• Half a cup of brewers yeast (nutritional or savoury yeast would work too)
• A pinch of salt
• A block of firm tofu (seitan would work too if you prefer it)
• A big handful of fresh chives (you could use dried as well, but you’ll need to simmer the sauce for longer and possibly adjust the amount)
• White or Apple Cider vinegar (could be swapped for lemon juice)
• A cube of veggie stock (optional)
• A splash of soy sauce (optional)
• A pinch of cumin seeds (optional)
• A few tablespoons of oil (I like to use the oil from sundried tomatoes but any vegetable oil is fine)
• A handful of pumpkin seeds (optional, you could swap for other nuts/seeds if you wanted)
• A handful of sunflower seeds (optional, you could swap for other nuts/seeds if you wanted)
• Olives (optional)
• Sun dried tomatoes (optional)
• Spinach, Kale, whatever vegetables you have spare would do fine, broccoli and cauliflower go surprisingly well in pasta dishes.

1. Put the pasta on to boil. Traditionally you’d add a pinch of salt and a splash of oil, but I don’t usually bother. If you’re using wholemeal pasta like I did it’ll take a little longer to cook.
2. Usually with tofu you’re supposed to press it to get the moisture out, but I’m lazy. Years ago I discovered if you freeze tofu and then thaw it (if you’re in a hurry you can defrost it in hot water), it becomes a lot more like a sponge and you can just squeeze the moisture out without any trouble. Cut or crumble the tofu into chunks however you like it, and throw them a frying pan with the cumin seeds and a splash of oil. I use a non stick frying pan but you can do without (it’ll just take more stirring).
3. Fry the tofu much the same way you would fry onions for a few minutes, then crumble the veggie stock over the top, then add around a third of the brewers yeast, and a splash of soy sauce. Keep stirring.
4. After a few minutes, or as soon as the stock and yeast start to stick or form clumps, add a splash of vinegar, this helps to deglaze the pan and adds a sharpness to the flavour. Keep stirring.
5. Now add any vegetables, seeds, olives, etc to the mix, except the chives and keep stirring till the vegetables are cooked. Chunkier vegetables will take longer.
6. Now, you can mix up the sauce in the pan with everything else or you can mix it up separately. I find it’s easier separate but it means one more container or pot to clean.
7. Mix a couple of tablespoons of oil with the flour, add a splash of soy sauce, and a splash of vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Stir into a thick paste. Slowly add the almond milk, stirring as you go. If the sauce is still thick, add some more milk.
8. Now add the chives and if you haven’t already, add the sauce to the pan, then drain the pasta (which should be done by now) and add that too. Lower the heat and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes. If the sauce gets too thick in that time, add a bit more milk or even water. You’re looking for the flavour of the chives to spread out and mix with everything else. Add a bit more salt or vinegar if you think it needs it.

This mix should make enough to feed 2-4 people depending on how hungry they are. If you add a salad or bread or something it’ll stretch to six.

I can’t believe this never occured to me before

You need

• A cup/mug
  
• 1 cube of veggie stock
  
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
  
• 2 teaspoons of wholemeal flour
  
• A pinch of salt
  
• 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
  
• Water
  
• Optional - brewers yeast, ground linseed, chia seeds, cumin seeds, mixed herbs, garlic powder - there’s lots of options, so long as it doesn’t need to be actively cooked.
  

How to

1. Put the jug/kettle on to boil (you can boil water in a pot or microwave too if needs be)
   
2. Crumble the stock cube, add everything but the water and stir it all together to form a paste.
   
3. When the jug is boiled, pour a bit of the hot water into the cup and stir again till it’s a thinner paste. Then top the cup up to about two thirds (for a standard sized mug), and stir. Let it stand for a minute (add more flour if you’re in a hurry), then stir again.
   
4. Now you have gravy, just as quick as from a packet and you get to customise it ^_^.
   

My go to tahini kale salad

You will need:

• 3 cups of lacinato kale washed and chopped
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• ½ a lemon
• ½ tsp of salt
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• ½ tsp of garlic powder
• ½ tsp of onion powder
• 1 tbsp of tahini
• 1/3 cup of blueberries
• 1/3 cup of chickpeas
• ¼ tsp of paprika
• 1/8 tsp of ground cayenne powder
• ½ cup of cucumbers sliced
• 1 cooked beet sliced
• ½ an avocado cubed
• Oven
• Baking sheet
• Non stick mat or parchment paper

Step one

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

Step two

Pour chopped and washed kale into a large bowl. Combine olive oil, ¼ tsp of garlic powder, ¼ tsp of onion powder, ¼ tsp of red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp of salt, and the juice of ½ a lemon with the kale. Massage gently and place in the fridge

Step three

In a separate bowl combine the chickpeas with ¼ tsp of garlic powder, ¼ onion powder, ¼ tsp of salt, 1/8 tsp of ground cayenne powder. Mix together and then place on a baking sheet lined with a non stick mat or parchment paper. Place in the heated oven for 12 minutes

Step four

One chickpeas have cooked combine them with the kale salad mixture. To the same bowl add blueberries, sliced cucumbers, sliced beet, and cubed avocado. Pour 1 tbsp of tahini into the salad and mix

Step five

Transfer into a separate bowl and enjoy. Feel free to add additional seasonings, or 0 calorie vinegar/citrus

Honestly this recipe is soooogood!!

Nutrients

Calories: 534 (don’t worry they’re safe calories)

Protein: 18 g

Carbs: 62 g

Fiber: 24 g

Fat: 26 g

Vitamin A: 373%

Vitamin C: 436%

SERIOUSLY Y’ALL.. YOU GOTTA TRY IT OUT :)

-Ann