With Corn on the Cob, Salad and Hummus

Bean burger Recipe:

• 1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 slices brown seeded bread
• 1Ts tomato pureé
• a sprinkle of chopped walnuts, and pumpkin seeds
• 1 red onion
• 2Ts lime juice (or lemon)
• 1tsp oregano and basil
• 1/2tsp paprika
• 1/4tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2tsp cumin
• plain flour

Method:

1. Pour the kidney beans into a big mixing bowl and mash with a fork until they’re still a bit chunky.
2. Chop the onion finely and fry in a little oil until glassy, then add to the bowl. 
3. Tear up the bread and rub between your hands into the bowl to make crumbs.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, and mix thoroughly, then add a small handful of flour and mix in.  Keep adding flour in small amounts until it sticks together and you can press it with your hands into three or four small patties.
5. Rub a little flour on the outsides then fry on a low heat in a little olive oil, until browned, then flip and repeat.

Serve with salad, or whack em in a bread bun :)

Yummy and Easy :)  This makes a tonne, so cook for friends, or get the Tupperware ready - it freezes really well.
First, get this stuff (vegetables interchangeable):

• 350g risotto rice
• 1Ts margarine
• 2 stock cubes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 leek or onion
• 2 medium carrots
• half a head of broccoli
• a few large cabbage leaves
• 1 tin kidney beans
• 1 tin butter beans (giant white beans)
• 1 tin coconut milk/equiv other non-dairy milk
• 2tsp paprika 
• 1tsp turmeric 
• 1tsp mild chilli powder 
• a pinch nutmeg (optional)
• 1Ts each dried parsley, basil
• use a handful of fresh basil/parsley instead if you have it (I didn’t) 
• 1/2tsp coarse salt and loads of black pepper

Melt the butter in a large pan or wok, then chop and fry the garlic and onion/leek for two minutes, then add the rice and fry for another two minutes.  Add 1 litre hot water and the stock cubes.  Cook on low until the liquid has been absorbed (approx 15 mins).

Chop up the rest of the veg into fairly large chunks, then add to the rice, stirring in thoroughly.  Add the herbs, spices and walnuts, then gradually stir in the coconut milk as it absorbs, cooking for a further 10 minutes.  Taste, and if the rice is cooked to your liking, adjust the flavours if needed, and serve.

I’m surprised its taken me so long to post this, because its basically my favourite recipe.  Super easy, and really tasty.  The lime juice really completes this dish, and its way nicer with brown rice noodles.

Get this stuff:

• 1 280g block tofu for 2 people, or 2 for 3-4
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2tsp thai green curry paste
• 2tsp brown sugar
• 2tsp ground coriander
• 1tsp ground ginger
• 1 lime
• vegan stock powder
• 1-2 courgettes (zucchini)
• a big handful green beans
• half a supermarket punnet of white or brown mushrooms (is punnet the right word?)
• as many portions of noodles as people eating

1.  Stick the coconut milk, curry paste, sugar and coriander in a deep saucepan and bring to the boil.  Reduce to a simmer and leave to thicken, stirring ocassionally.  

2.  Drain the tofu and wrap it in several sheets of kitchen roll, then a teatowel.  Place a chopping board on top, and balance on anything to weigh it down eg. 4 tins of beans. Leave for 20 minutes to get most of the water out. 

3.  Cut into flat squares and rub with salt, pepper and a little stock powder.  Fry in a tiny bit of oil, on low, flipping ever few minutes, until it is golden brown.  Add to the coconut sauce and leave to soak up the flavours. Set the noddles off boiling.

4.  Chop the vegetables up in fairly large bits, and stir fry for 5 minutes in a little olive or peanut oil, adding the mushrooms a minute or two after the rest.  Squeeze some lime juice, and salt and pepper over them as they cook.

5.  Add a squeeze of lime juice to the sauce and stir in, right before you dish up.  Serve the noodles, place the veg on top, then squeeze more lime on each serving before adding the tofu and coconut sauce, which by now, should have thickened quite a bit.

Enjoy (:

My family went to see my sisters footie match yesterday, and while I had intended to join them, I woke up so damn hungover that the only way I would be entering a vehicle is if it had flashing lights on top.  Instead, I sat very still for several hours, until the room stopped spinning.  To make up for the fact that I missed the game, I had dinner ready for when they got home :D  SOOOO here it is!

Its a little different to a standard ratatouille, as I added sweet potato - it sounds weird, but was really great.  It breaks up a bit and thickens the sauce, and adds a lovely sweetness to the dish.

You will need:

• half an onion
• 1 big aubergine (eggplant if you’re in the US)
• 5 tomatoes
• 1 courgette (zucchini)
• 1 big sweet potato
• a tin of chopped tomatoes
• a tin of kidney beans
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 3/4 cup of stock 
• 1tsp extra stock powder
• a big shake of dried mixed herbs
• a big shake of dried rosemary
• 1tsp paprika
• 1/2tsp cumin

First, peel and chop all of the vegetables into 1-2inch cubes.  Boil the sweet potato on medium heat in a small saucepan and leave to cook.  In a larger pan, lightly sautee half an onion and the garlic in a glug of olive oil, then add the rest of the vegetables after 5 minutes.  Cook until lightly browned, then add the chopped tomatoes and stock, with all of the herbs and spices.  Add the sweet potato when it is soft enough to eat, but not falling apart. 

Turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring regularly.  The longer you cook it, the better it tastes - rosemary takes a while to release its flavour, and the vegetables begin to soak up the juices.  Add the kidney beans 5 minutes before serving so they don’t fall to bits.

The couscous was cooked as directed on the packet, and I added stock powder, paprika and rosemary, then I oven baked the peppers for 10 minutes and dumped spoonfuls of couscous into them and roasted for another 10 minutes.

Serve.

SIMPLES!

with crunchy veg and rice noodles (serves 4)

After my best friend cooked an amazing Pad Thai for us all last week, I thought I’d give it a go for mothers day dinner.  This is perfect for when you don’t have access to a big city supermarket or heath food store, because all of the ingredients are easy to find - ideal for me, seen as my ‘home’ is in the middle of nowhere.  

In a wok, or large frying pan fry half an onion, with 100g whole unsalted cashew nuts.  Chop up whatever vegetables you want to use, and add when the onions are clear. I used:

• half a red bell pepper
• half a yellow bell pepper
• a large carrot
• a pack of mangetout green beans
• half a head of broccoli
• big handful white mushrooms (add after 5 minutes because they cook quicker than the rest)

Turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes, then add:

• 3tsp red thai curry paste
• 2Ts heaped, peanut butter
• 2Ts soy sauce
• 1tsp stock powder
• 1/2tsp ground ginger
• 2Ts lemon juice
• 1-3tsp brown sugar, to taste
• loads of cracked black pepper

Mix in thoroughly, and keep cooking for 5 minutes.  Adjust the flavours; add a splash more soya sauce or lemon juice if too dry, more peanut butter if too wet, and another tsp curry paste to increase the heat if you need to.

I had to use ‘straight-to-wok’ rice noodles from the supermarket, because that’s all they had, so I just chucked them in, but if you’re using brown rice noodles, boil, drain and rinse them before adding.  Mix in, stir fry for a further 2 minutes and serve.

Omg this was beautiful.  OK I don’t have any salad in, other than tomatoes, but still.  YUM.

• Chop up one medium carrot into small chunks, and set off boiling in water, on high.  Add 1 tin black beans and 2 tablespoons sweetcorn to the pan after 5 minutes.
• Chop up half a large onion and lightly fry with 2 cloves garlic.  
• In a mixing bowl, add 1 heaped tablespoon of plain flour, 1tsp cumin, 1tsp paprika, 1tsp coriander, 1tsp mixed herbs (or basil and parsley), 1tsp stock powder, 1/2-1tsp chilli powder and a little salt and pepper.
• When the carrot is cooked, but not too mushy, drain and add to the mixing bowl.  Mash up the mixture with a fork, then press into 2 large burger shapes
• Fry in a little olive oil on low, for 5 minutes on each side, then serve as a burger with loads of ketchup, or with a salad :)

You could try using a mixture of different beans instead; kidney beans, chickpeas etc.  Or you could add other flavours or ingredients like chopped olives or sun dried tomatoes.