Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts

Chickpea Tomato Soup

Friday, March 22, 2013 - Posted by Kristina Manente at 10:21 AM
I sometimes make dinner for the family I nanny for and I wanted to do something quick because i was feeling lazy. There were LOADS of chickpeas in the cupboard and I wondered how to make a soup with chickpeas. After running around the internet a bit to no avail, I found a book I had about cheap vegan meals. I found this recipe in there and made a few changes, and voila!

This soup is super (haha) easy and tasty. It was a hit and it can literally be made in less than ten minutes. Instead of parsely you could use cilantro and add some jalapeños and lemon/lime juice for a Mexican version.

INGREDIENTS

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed & drained

1 can of diced tomatoes
4 roma tomatoes, cut into quarters
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup of soy/almond milk
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh parsley
Red pepper flake

DIRECTIONS

In a blender combine chickpeas, garlic, diced tomatoes, and 1/2 of the milk. Blend until the chickpeas are liquefied and everything is combined. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and start to heat, adding the rest of the milk until you reach your desired consistency (this soup works well when it's thicker). Add in the tomatoes, cumin, cayenne, salt & pepper and heat through until the tomatoes are well done.


Top with chopped fresh parsley and some red pepper flake.

Black Bean Pizza

Monday, October 29, 2012 - Posted by Kristina Manente at 1:28 PM
I was craving black beans, but I was also craving pizza. Finding myself without the tomatoes for normal pizza, I decided to try and make a black bean pizza. I had never had it and had no idea what it would taste like. Let's just say this is the best pizza ever. Ok? Ok.

I've found naan bread to be an excellent base for pizzas. You can make them really fluffy bases or really crispy, and the size of a naan is a perfect size for a personal pie. Ugh. So good. 

It'd be great to spice this up a bit next time with some jalapeños. I also think diced tomato on the top would be marvellous. It was amazing at is, but adding things is always quite fun. Plus this is so stupid easy there are limitless combinations to be made!

INGREDIENTS

1 can of black beans, drained

1 small onion
1 large clove of garlic
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Cilantro
Salt & pepper to taste
Vegan cheese of your choice (I used Cheezly Mozz)
Naan bread


DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 190C/400F.


Dribble some olive oil in a pan and sauté your onions and garlic for a few minutes. After the onions are slightly soft, add the black beans. Add a healthy dash of garlic powder and cilantro plus salt and pepper. Cook together for around 3 minutes.

While that cooks, grate some vegan cheese/if already grated, put aside. 

Put naan bread on a cookie sheet and top with the black bean, onion, and garlic mixture, spreading it around. Should be quite thick. Top it all with grated cheese and with some more cilantro, salt, and pepper. Cook for around five minutes before switching to the broiler to melt the cheese for another five.

Moroccany Couscous

Monday, September 24, 2012 - Posted by Kristina Manente at 12:11 PM
I love couscous... probably too much. Something about it just pleases me to no end. I've made all sorts of coucouses... couscousi? What is the plural of couscous? Is it just couscous? Important questions people. Anywho, I just like experimenting with couscous and putting random things in it. So, as I was debating what on earth to make for dinner for Maria & I, I found some couscous and went to town raiding the fridge.

And this here is the result... with an extra bit of zing (and not because I accidentally dumped a whole lot of chilli flakes in there, not at all, I am as graceful as a swan). But basically, couscous is the easiest thing to make and it's also so easy to be vegan or anything!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups uncooked couscous
1 zuchinni, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 small can of beans (I used kidney, but any would work)
Handful of raisins
Spices (I mixed together cumin, garlic, cinnamon, chilli flakes, salt, and pepper)
Olive oil


DIRECTIONS

Pour couscous into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover the bowl and set it aside for 5-10 minutes.

Sautee the zuchinni, bell peppers, and carrots in olive oil for a few minutes until they start to become tender. Add in the beans, spices, and raisins. Leave some of the sauce/water from the beans. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Fluff couscous with a dork, drizzle some olive oil and combine with sautee mixture. Voila! Nom away!

Pancakes with banana, raisins, and coconut

Sunday, September 23, 2012 - Posted by Kristina Manente at 6:07 AM
One of the issues with going vegan was breakfast. I was never a huge brekkie fan to be fair, but sometimes I just REALLY wanted a freaking waffle or a pancake. My first attempts at vegan pancake making were...er... special. They were more like bricks made out of sweet potato.

I wanted to try something new and so I whipped this up, using baking powder as the eggs and the result was very very fluffy! They were a bit scorched, but in the end it was okay because covered in syrup, everything tastes good.

Next time I'd top with some margarine and I think I'd toast the coconut a bit, but these were very filling and were gobbled up by my non-vegan friend who said they tasted just like normal pancakes. Huzzah! These are stupidly simple too.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon cane sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
Some vanilla (to taste)
1 cup "milk"
2 tablespoons veggie oil

Syrup, raisins, banana, and shredded coconut for topping


DIRECTIONS

Combine your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl.

Add "milk", vanilla, and oil and stir until smooth.

Plop some batter onto a pan over medium heat. Flip when bubbles appear and the edges are stiffening.

Cut up a banana, toss some raisins, pour some syrup, and sprinkle some shredded coconut on top! Voila!