Soda Fountain Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup sifted Cocoa powder

1 cup water

1 cup golden syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Method:

In a saucepan mix sugar, cocoa and water while heating gently. 

When mixture is smooth add syrup and mix, continue heating till mixture thickens. 

Leave to cool and then add vanilla. 

Mix well.

Pour into pretty glass bottle. 

Does not need to be refrigerated. 

Enjoy. 

Cashew cream

The start of my experiments towards making my own vegan cheese. This is very yummy. 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of cashew nuts

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of real vanilla paste 

5 tablespoons of maple syrup (golden also works)

1 tablespoon of lemon juice 

1 or so cup of cold water. 

Method:

Soak the cashews in a large glass jar overnight. 

Drain cashews and rinse well. 

Put all the ingredients except the water in a blender. 

Pulse while gradually adding water until you are happy with the consistency. 

Blend for a further 2 or so minutes till creamy. 

Keep in a fridge and enjoy. 

sushi rice ingredients

I'll add instructions a bit later:

Ingredients

2 cups Japanese short-grain rice (“sushi rice”)

3 cups water.

4-inch square of kombu (optional)

1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar.

4 teaspoons sugar (or honey)

1 teaspoon fine sea salt.

Method :

1. Soak the rice in enough plain water to cover for minimum of 2 hours.

2. Drain the rice and rinse well to remove as much starch as possible. 

3. Boil rice in 3 cups of clean water till all the water is absorbed. 

4. In a separate pot put the Vinegar, sugar and salt and heat till everything has dissolved. 

5. When rice is cooked transfer it to a large bowl and stir in the Vinegar mixture. 

6. Cover bowl with a teatowel and leave to cool completely before making sushi. 

lettuce and sweet potato soup

What to do with too much lettuce?

Ingredients:

I fresh head of lettuce chopped

Garlic

Bay leaf

1 large onion

2 large sweet potatoes peeled 

Mustard seeds 

500mls Ina Paarman chicken style stock

Method:

Fry chopped onion and garlic in coconut oil till translucent 

Add diced sweet potato 

Add lettuce and cook down

Add stock and bay leaf

Cook till sweet potato is soft

Blitz till nice and thick. 

Flax seed eggs

Recipe:  Add 1/2 cup of organic whole flax seeds (not ground) to 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for roughly 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  After 30 minutes, remove from the stove. Use a strainer to separate the gel from the seeds. Let the gel cool before using. (I stuck mine in the freezer for 20 minutes and then added it to my recipe.)  

3 Tablespoons is the equivalent of one real egg. I have read that the remaining gel stays fresh for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.

Warning:  It takes technique to be able to spoon it after it has cooled.

No-beef Wellington.

Delicious experiment for Christmas. 

Ingredients:

1 350gram block of smoked tofu

1 tin red kidney beans in flavoured brine

Mushrooms

1 onion

2 rolls of vegan puff pasty

Mustard 

Sprigs of rosemary 

Ina Paarman beef style stock powder 

Chickpea flour

Method

Mash the tofu in a bowl

Add the beans with sauce and mash some more

Add beef style stock to taste 

If the mixture is sloppy add Chickpea flour and mix

Put mixture in a loaf pan and cook till firm

Fry chopped onions and mushrooms until brown. 

Let everything cool.

Assemble:

Cut the loaf of tofu in half

Divide the mushroom mixture in half

Place each half tofu loaf of a sheet of pasty. 

Spread with Mustard 

Spread the mushroom mixture on top

Add a sprig of rosemary 

Wrap in the pasty

Place in a fridge and let it all rest

Bake in a hot oven till pasty is crispy. Serve with cranberry sauce. 

crispy coconut coated beans.

Following on from crispy tofu, I had beans that needed something. This isn't bad. 

Ingredients:

100grams soaked, cooked and drained beans (I used pinto beans)

1 tbspn desicated coconut 

1tbspn corn flour 

Black salt

Turmeric 

Sumac 

For frying:

1 tbspn Coconut oil

Any of these: Sesame seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds)

Method:

Mix the coconut, corn flour, salt, Turmeric and Sumac in a bowl.

Toss the beans into the flour mixture and make sure it's well coated. 

Heat the oil and add the seeds. 

When the seeds have finished popping add the beans into the pan and stir. 

Keep staring until everything is crispy. 

Serve with a mixture of veggies.