Category Archives: Sauces

Mushroom Pancakes

Mushroom Pancakes

I remember eating savoury pancakes as a child (yes Findus did an infamous frozen variety which we would sometimes experience!) and as a young adult in the 80s they were quite fashionable with different fillings but it was the mushroom ones I loved: creamy, sautéed mushrooms in a rich sauce with garlic and onion, stuffed inside soft rolled pancakes.  It’s pretty easy to make these WFPB with the use of wholewheat flour and there’s a whole variety of fillings which would be delicious – spinach and tofu springs to mind but this first time it had to be mushroom! 🙂  These make a fairly quick and easy supper but are also “fancy” enough for company. 🙂


Mushroom Pancakes
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
  • 1 heaping cup wholemeal spelt flour
  • 1.5 cups soy - we use Vitasoy Milky Lite
  • 2 tsp Orgran No Egg
For the filling:
  • 800g portobello mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 T tamari
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ½ cup soy milky lite
  • 2 heaped T hummus
  • 1 T cornflour
  • 1 T fresh lemon juice
  • Seasoning
Instructions
  1. Make the pancakes by whisking all the ingredients together in a large bowl or jug.
  2. Let the batter sit whilst you prepare the filling.
  3. Saute the mushrooms in a large pan. Once the liquid has released add the tamari and white wine and stir from time to time until the liquid has almost gone and mushrooms are tender. Mix together the soy milk and hummus, stir it in thoroughly and simmer until the sauce comes together. If it needs thickening add the cornflour to a splash of water in a cup, mix thoroughly, then stir in and stir continuously until sauce is thickened to your liking. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.
  4. Turn off the heat and spoon the mushroom mixture into a container. Keep it warm in the oven if you're eating straight away, or just microwave it later.
  5. To cook the pancakes pour a cup of the batter into a good non stick pan which has been heated until beads of water roll around the surface. Tip the pan quickly to cover the bottom of the pan. Your pancakes should be the size of a small dinner plate.
  6. Once it is set underneath gently loosen it and flip it over and cook for another minute or so.
  7. Remove from the pan and continue with the next, inserting a sheet of baking paper between each. You should have enough for 4 pancakes.
  8. Keep the sauce and pancakes warm in a low oven in covered containers or to serve later just reheat the sauce and pancakes separately and assemble on a plate, or assemble each once separately and microwave it for 1 minute before serving with your favourite green steamed veggies e.g. asparagus, broccoli / green beans etc.

 

Spicy Orange Noodles with Mushrooms, Kale & Edamame


Spicy Orange Noodles with Mushrooms, Kale & Edamame
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • SAUCE:
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon orange / mandarin zest
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed / chopped
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup / brown rice syrup
  • 1 teaspoon semi dried chilli / chilli flakes - adjust to suit
  • ¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
  • ½ cup soy milk
  • OTHER THINGS:
  • 350g wholewheat noodles or spaghetti
  • 1 cup podded edamame beans
  • ½ bunch kale, destemmed, finely shredded
  • 375g punnet sliced mushrooms
  • To serve: spring onions, finely chopped
Instructions
  1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for the noodles.
  2. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
  3. Prepare the beans, mushrooms and and kale.
  4. Put the shredded kale in to a large bowl and pour boiling water over it.
  5. Heat a large deep frying pan or wok and add the mushrooms.
  6. Once liquid is released add the kale and stir around.
  7. Once noodles are almost ready add the beans to the frying pan or wok and heat through. Cook for a few minutes until the kale is tender and most of liquid evaporated.
  8. Serve up the noodles into individual bowls, top with the vegeables and drizzle over the sauce.
  9. Sprinkle over the spring onions.

 

Sweet & Sour Tofu

I had a craving for this dish which I used to love as a child when we would very occasionally go to a Chinese restaurant.  Of course it wasn’t tofu back then, was probably chicken or pork but it was the way that sweet tangy sauce soaked into the rice that I loved so this satisfies that completely!  After trying a few recipes I found on the net, I combined the best of them plus a few variations to make this version.  We usually enjoy it with some steamed bok choi or broccoli on the side. You can also add other vegetables such as snow peas or bamboo shoots / beansprouts at the end if you like.


Sweet & Sour Tofu
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Cooking time may be extended depending on how long it takes to cook your rice. I use a rice cooker and ours takes around 30 minutes.
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 300g pack of firm tofu (we like to use smoked but plain is fine)
  • 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Juice from 1 400g can pineapple pieces
  • ½ cup water
  • Pineapple pieces from the can
  • 2 tablespoons brown unrefined sugar
  • 2 heaped teaspoons corn flour
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced / microplaned
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 large red capsicum cut into strips
  • 1 large green or yellow capsicum, cut into strips
  • 1 large red onion, sliced into strips
  • 1 small can water chestnuts, drained - optional
  • 4 tablespoons roasted cashews - optional
Instructions
  1. Put your brown ride on to cook
  2. Mix together the pineapple juice, vinegar, tomato ketchup, soy sauce and lime juice in a small bowl, whisk in the corn flour and water and mix thoroughly until smooth with no lumps. Put the tofu in to a shallow dish and pour the sauce over and leave to marinade.
  3. When then rice is almost ready heat a large non stick frying pan over a medium heat and saute the onion and peppers until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and stir around for 5 minutes, adding a tiny splash of water if any sticking is occurring. Put on the lid and allow to cook on a low heat for a further few minutes until peppers are tender.
  4. Add the tofu and sauce to the pan, along with the pineapple, water chestnuts and cashews. Stir consistently until the sauce thickens and becomes transparent. Add a splash more water as needed to create as much sauce as you'd like.
  5. Serve with the rice and accompanying vegetables as desired.

 

Curried Brown Rice Salad

Indian Brown Rice Salad

Curried Brown Rice Salad
 
Print
Prep time
Total time
 
Brown rice with chopped fresh raw veggies and an Indian inspired creamy dressing For a speedy week night dinner, cook the rice the previous day. This can easily be stretched to feel more mouths, depending on how much rice you add to the chopped veggies.
Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 large stick of celery
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 medium capsicum
  • ½ cup baby frozen peas
  • ½ cup frozen corn
  • 12 green beans, steamed and sliced
  • 2 fat spring onions, sliced
  • ½ cup raisins or sultanas (optional)
  • 4-6 cups cooked brown rice, chilled or at room temperature
  • Garnishes: (optional): Fresh chopped coriander, coconut, toasted cashews, chopped chillies
  • Dressing:
  • 2 tsp tahini
  • 2 desert spoons avocado
  • ¾ cup soy milk or other milk of choice
  • 3 tablespoons vinegar, any variety
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
  • 1 tsp curry powder
Instructions
  1. Put the rice on to cook if you're not using precooked rice.
  2. Whisk together, or blend in processor the ingredients for the dressing.
  3. Finely chop all the vegetables and mix together in a large bowl.
  4. Once the rice is cooked, spread it out on a large tray to cool down, or place in fridge for 30-50 mins if you have the time.
  5. Dish up the rice in to individual bowls and top with the vegetables and dressing, and optional garnishes.
  6. Leftovers can be mixed together and put in the fridge for lunches the next day! 🙂

 

 

 

 

Quick Cheezy Sauce

As promised here’s the recipe! This worked really well on lasagme but would be equally at home in a pasta bake.

Quick Cheezy Sauce
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 large leek, chopped and washed
  • (About 2 cups)
  • 2 heaped dessert spoons of hummus
  • 1 cup soy milky lite
  • 1.5 T miso paste
  • ⅔ T lemon juice
  • 2 heaped dessert spoons potato starch
Instructions
  1. Soften leeks with a splash of water in covered small saucepan until softened.
  2. On a very low heat, add the miso, hummus and lemon juice, mix well then add the milk and potato starch. Whisk to mix thoroughly then once it has thickened use a stick blender to make completely smooth then cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes.

 

Incan Salad

2014-10-30 12.55.562014-10-30 12.55.36

South American deliciousness in Incan Salad: Quinoa, Sweet Potato, Rice, Corn and Beans with an avocado, lime and chilli sauce. Sprinkled with some spring onion greens, chopped coriander leaves and hemp seeds. This one will keep you full for hours!

Incan Salad
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: South American
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2 cups or 300g cooked quinoa (about ½ cup dry)
  • 2 cups or 360g cooked short grain brown rice (about ¾ cup dried)
  • 2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 180g cooked sweet potato cubes (2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, diced, roasted)
  • Garnish (optional):
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • small bunch of coriander, chopped
  • hemp seeds to garnish - optional
  • Dressing:
  • 1 medium avocado (about 220g of flesh)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 75ml lime juice
  • 100 ml water
  • 1 tsp semi dried chopped chillies (Gourmet Garden brand) - or to taste
  • 1 heaping teaspoon rice malt syrup or other liquid sweetener
  • zest of a lime
Instructions
  1. To make this salad really easy to throw together, peel, dice and roast your sweet potato the night before or earlier in the day, then refrigerate.
  2. You could also cook your grains too and refrigerate so you don't need to wait for your grains to chill before assembling the salad. You can also leave out the rice altogether and double the quinoa but as it's quite an expensive ingredient this does help to cut the cost!
  3. You can cook brown rice and quinoa together in a rice cooker, just combine the ½ cup quinoa and ¾ cup dried grains with 2 cups water.
  4. Make the dressing by blitzing all ingredients apart from the lime zest in a blender, or jug and a stick blender, or a fork and some elbow grease will do the same job. Stir in the lime zest, taste and adjust the salt / lime juice etc to your taste. It should be quite tart to contrast with the sweetness from the potato.
  5. In a very large bowl, combine the rice, quinoa, sweet potato, beans, corn and cubes of potato and combine well. Stir through the onions and coriander - or leave in bowls if you have sensitive taste buds around the table so everyone can add their own.
  6. Serve with the sauce and hemp seeds to sprinkle if liked.

 

 

Oil-free Red Pepper Pesto

This is a game changer.  I’ve tried making many many pestos without oil over the years and been mainly disappointed.  The essential oil in basil it seems has to blend with some other kind of oil to be drawn effectively from the leaves and the pine nuts / cashews didn’t seem to be enough.  The liquid which comes from red peppers (capsicums for the Aussies reading) is a funny oily kind of substance which I thought might work.  So happy I was right.  You have to try this. 🙂

2014-10-01 13.53.05

Oil-free Red Pepper Pesto
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 4 small / 3 medium / 2 large red peppers / capsicums
  • 1 large bunch basil (or use 2 if they're smaller like supermarket bunches)
  • 2-3 tablespoons raw pine nuts or cashew pieces
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ½ - 1 tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade.
  2. Wash your peppers well, then place stalk-up on a baking tray lined with baking paper (bring the paper up over the sides as you want to catch any escaping juices).
  3. Wash your basil, then pluck off all the good leaves (not blackened / bruised) and tender stalk tips and put them in your food processor
  4. Add the nooch, garlic - sliced, and salt
  5. After about 20 minutes check your peppers and rotate them carefully, turning blackened spots underneath and be careful not to pierce them so the juices escape.
  6. Check again after 15 minutes and rotate once more. After 45-60 minutes they should be ready depending on your oven. They should be and collapsing but not flat yet!
  7. Place them in a bowl, and cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes or until just cool enough to handle, but still warm / hot. Wearing disposable gloves can help here!
  8. Holding them over the bowl, split them open, remove the stalk as many seeds as you can and peel off as much as the skin as you can. Let the juices drip into the bowl. Place pieces of flesh into another bowl as you go along. Once you're finished, place a fine sieve over the bowl of prepared peppers, and tip your bowl containing the seeds, stalks and skin over it, adding all that lovely syrup / juice to your peppers. Discard the other bowl contents.
  9. Add your peppers and juice to the food processor with your basil etc., and process on high until it is the texture you like. It helps if the peppers are still a little warm.
  10. Adjust the seasoning and serve.
  11. This makes an excellent dip also if you add a can of chickpeas /cannellini beans.

 

Thai Vegetable Curry

2014-06-18 19.44.05
Sometimes you really fancy that creamy, fragrant, hot curry from the local take away.  But then you think about all that coconut milk and oil and how it goes solid in the fridge overnight (only saturated fat does that..) and it makes you feel kind of queasy?  Well now you can have your curry AND eat it!  There’s a sneaky alternative to coconut milk (even the low fat varieties are actually high in fat) and you can’t tell the difference!  This uses shop-bought curry paste (I used Ayam Thai Panang) so you can make it as hot as you like – or add a spoon or two of hot chilli sauce to just your portion if you’re catering for little ones too.  Mine (11 and 16) handled the amount in this just fine – it’s warming and spicy but not hot.

Thai Vegetable Curry
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Curry
Cuisine: Thai
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 large head broccoli
  • Same amount of cauliflower
  • 1 large red capsicum
  • 2 carrots
  • Handful green beans
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 packet baby corn
  • 1 large zucchini
  • 2 sticks celery
  • SAUCE:
  • 3 cups soy milk (we use Vitasoy Milky Lite)
  • 2-3 teaspoons coconut essence (like you'd use for baking)
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Thai curry paste (there are lots now without fish sauce or shrimp paste)
  • 4 teaspoons coconut sugar
  • 4 teaspoons tamari
  • Juice of a large lime
  • 4 kafir lime leaves, cut through from centre to edge to release extra flavour
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Instructions
  1. Cut the vegetables into smallish pieces so they will all cook evenly.
  2. Steam them in a large steamer, in batches if necessary. Once just tender, tip them into a large casserole dish.
  3. Meanwhile put your rice on to cook.
  4. In a large bowl whisk together all the ingredients. Check your sauce for heat/ salt / sour / sweet balance and adjust to suit your tastebuds (or those of your guests) and pour over all the vegetables, bring to a heat gently until hot.
  5. Serve over rice with lime wedges and a sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander.

 

Winter Bake

2014-06-10 19.35.12

Winter Bake

This was concocted in the far north of Scotland in 1998, whilst 5 months pregnant with my 1st child.  My husband still teases me that we could have gone to the Maldives for our final holiday as just a couple, but I wanted a cosy wintery holiday in Scotland!  It was very cold and snowy and we were staying in a beautiful old stone cottage.  I wanted something warming and comforting, and the only vegetables we had in were cabbage and potatoes, so I came up with this.  16 years later we’re still making it (albeit with a different cheezy sauce now)!

Winter Bake
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Bake / Casserole
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • ½ large savoy cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 ½ cups split red lentils
  • 1 onion, finely shredded (ditto)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 T tomato paste
  • 2 cups passata (or blended canned tomatoes)
  • 1 t vegetable stock powder
  • Tabasco - optional
  • 1 tsp mixed herbs
  • 4 medium / large potatoes (about 800g)
  • 1 cup freshly made breadcrumbs
  • SAUCE:-
  • ½ a raw onion
  • 1 T corn flour
  • ½ cup cashews
  • 1.5 cups Soy milk
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp vinegar
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 1 T nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp chicken style stock powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ date paste / other sweetener e.g maple syrup, rice syrup.
Instructions
  1. Heat a medium saucepan on a gentle heat, add cabbage and herbs. Place on lid and allow the cabbage to steam in its own juices.
  2. Put lentils in a medium saucepan, cover by an inch with water, add the onion, garlic, tomato paste, passata, stock powder and optional tabasco; bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until cooked down to a thickish soup.
  3. Finely slice the potatoes (use a mandolin or processor, or with a knife, about ½cm thick) and steam for 10 or so minutes or until just tender.
  4. Make the white / cheezy sauce by putting all ingredients into a blender, blend til smooth, pour into a small sauce pan and stir constantly until thickened.
  5. Grease a deep baking dish or casserole dish which has a close fitting lid e.g. Pyrex or Le Creuset)
  6. Layer in the dish as follows:
  7. - ⅓ of the potatoes
  8. - ⅓ of the cabbage
  9. - ½ of the lentil mixture
  10. - ⅓ of the white sauce
  11. - Half of remaining potatoes
  12. - Half of remaining cabbage
  13. - Rest of lentils
  14. - Half of remaining white sauce
  15. - Remaining potatoes
  16. - Remaining cabbage
  17. - Remaining white sauce
  18. - Breadcrumbs
  19. A quick spray of oil on top
  20. Bake for 40 minutes, in a moderate oven, placing on the lid for last 15 minutes to prevent top burning. Test is cooked through by piercing with a knife. Should be very soft, top crisp and sauce bubbling. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Cheesy Sauce

Cheesy Sauce
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Sauce
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 100g onion, peeled weight
  • 300g potatoes (peeled weight)
  • 75 g carrots
  • 1 spring onion
  • 75g raw cashews
  • 1 tsp miso
  • 1 level tsp fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2-3 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed (start with 2, add another after tasting)
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
  1. Pulse the onion, potatoes, carrots, spring onion and cashews in a food processor, then put in a medium saucepan with 2 cups water, bring to boil, turn down to simmer, cover and leave for 20 mins or until vegetables all very soft.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients, and use stick blender (or pour into blender) and blend til very smooth.

This was adapted from the infamous Vegnews mac & cheese sauce.