Arepas

'Easy' is probably one of the most common words used in this blog, along with noodles, ice cream and dessert because most of the dishes we make tend to be easy dishes which don't take hours and aren't fiddly to make. Except for maybe the few decorated cakes. This dish really surprised me because I didn't expect it to be easy.

I had areapas in san francisco once and enjoyed them and looked at the recipe in viva vegan but thought it sounded like too much word so avoided making them until a few weeks ago. I once tried to make pupusas but found them too be too fiddly but these are completely different. So easy and are quicker to make than corn tortillas.

But better yet they have act as a great glutenfree bun type alternative.  Ivan pointed out that they are almost like english muffins, slighty hard on the outside and soft iside. So I'm also considering making these again with tofu benedict.

I filled mine with our regular chilli, cheddar cheezly and quacamole. Not sharing the recipe, since I've already posted a few from viva vegan here and you should go get the book you cheap skate. I also tried the corn and cheese filled variety minus the cheese but found that the corn kept getting burnt so prefer the plain variety.

'Easy' is probably one of the most common words used in this blog, along with noodles, ice cream and dessert because most of the dishes we make tend to be easy dishes which don't take hours and aren't fiddly to make. Except for maybe the few decorated cakes. This dish really surprised me because I didn't expect it to be easy.

I had areapas in san francisco once and enjoyed them and looked at the recipe in viva vegan but thought it sounded like too much word so avoided making them until a few weeks ago. I once tried to make pupusas but found them too be too fiddly but these are completely different. So easy and are quicker to make than corn tortillas.

But better yet they have act as a great glutenfree bun type alternative.  Ivan pointed out that they are almost like english muffins, slighty hard on the outside and soft iside. So I'm also considering making these again with tofu benedict.

I filled mine with our regular chilli, cheddar cheezly and quacamole. Not sharing the recipe, since I've already posted a few from viva vegan here and you should go get the book you cheap skate. I also tried the corn and cheese filled variety minus the cheese but found that the corn kept getting burnt so prefer the plain variety.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Creamy Corn-Crusted Tempeh Pot Pie - Vegan MOFO Day 14

Tempeh is a totally awesome ingredient to cook with.  I have used it to make the famous tempeh "bacon", my Cantonese style "steak" and Masterchef pressure test stroganoff.  

Last week, I made the Creamy Corn-Crusted Tempeh Pot Pie from Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan.  I made a few substitutions and omitted a few ingredients but it still tasted very yummy!  

I don't think I should post the recipe as the author hasn't shared it on-line. It is like the Chilean version of shepherd pie but tastier. We both like the crispy but smooth corn topping a lot!  K doesn't like olives, so I skipped it (and the fresh basil leaves that we don't have).  I also used dried cherries instead of dark raisins (as I couldn't be bothered to go to the shops again).

  

yum

shaved Cheezly for extra awesomeness 

Tempeh is a totally awesome ingredient to cook with.  I have used it to make the famous tempeh "bacon", my Cantonese style "steak" and Masterchef pressure test stroganoff.  

Last week, I made the Creamy Corn-Crusted Tempeh Pot Pie from Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan.  I made a few substitutions and omitted a few ingredients but it still tasted very yummy!  

I don't think I should post the recipe as the author hasn't shared it on-line. It is like the Chilean version of shepherd pie but tastier. We both like the crispy but smooth corn topping a lot!  K doesn't like olives, so I skipped it (and the fresh basil leaves that we don't have).  I also used dried cherries instead of dark raisins (as I couldn't be bothered to go to the shops again).

  

yum

shaved Cheezly for extra awesomeness 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

First Meal from Viva Vegan- Vegan Mofo Day 22

A mishap from book depository meant that my viva vegan book didn't arrive on time, so I cancelled the order got a refund and raced out to dymocks and got the last copy. I couldn't wait any longer after hearing how fabulous it was from so many bloggers including Cupcake Kitteh who has written six posts on it and Zbvegan who has two massive glowing reviews. The first recipe that we tried from Viva Vegan was the refried beans and the lime coconut rice. Like Cindy, we also used canned red beans which made this dish much simpler but I am going to remake it with dried black beans just to compare.  As for the lime coconut rice, we skipped the coconut but it was still delicious and served it with some quacamole (also from the book) and some cheddar cheezly. Toby and I both thought that the beans were superior than other refried bean recipes that we have made but I can't pinpoint exactly how. Overall we loved our first meal from Viva vegan recipes and look forward to trying many more.

Refried beans from Viva Vegan

2 tbsp corn, peanut or olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced small
1 to 2 jalepeno or serrano chilies, seeded and minced (we skipped this)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground chile powder such as ancho or a blend (we used regular chilli powder)
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto, black or pink beans, drained and rinsed, or 3 - 4 cups cooked beans
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
Salt and fresh pepper
1. In a large heave cast-iron skilled, combine the oil and garlic and cook over medium heat. Allow the garlic to sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the onion and jalapeno. Using a wooden spoon to stir occasionally, fry until the onions turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the cumin, oregano, and chile powder, and fry for another 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the beans, bay leaf, and water, and increase heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium again and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until more than half the liquid has been absorbed, but about an inch of liquid remains.
3. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Use a potato masher to mash the beans smooth, then stir to form a thick, moist paste, anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. If refried beans appear to dry out, add a little water a few tablespoons at a time, until your desired consistency is reached.

A mishap from book depository meant that my viva vegan book didn't arrive on time, so I cancelled the order got a refund and raced out to dymocks and got the last copy. I couldn't wait any longer after hearing how fabulous it was from so many bloggers including Cupcake Kitteh who has written six posts on it and Zbvegan who has two massive glowing reviews. The first recipe that we tried from Viva Vegan was the refried beans and the lime coconut rice. Like Cindy, we also used canned red beans which made this dish much simpler but I am going to remake it with dried black beans just to compare.  As for the lime coconut rice, we skipped the coconut but it was still delicious and served it with some quacamole (also from the book) and some cheddar cheezly. Toby and I both thought that the beans were superior than other refried bean recipes that we have made but I can't pinpoint exactly how. Overall we loved our first meal from Viva vegan recipes and look forward to trying many more.

Refried beans from Viva Vegan

2 tbsp corn, peanut or olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced small
1 to 2 jalepeno or serrano chilies, seeded and minced (we skipped this)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground chile powder such as ancho or a blend (we used regular chilli powder)
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto, black or pink beans, drained and rinsed, or 3 - 4 cups cooked beans
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
Salt and fresh pepper
1. In a large heave cast-iron skilled, combine the oil and garlic and cook over medium heat. Allow the garlic to sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the onion and jalapeno. Using a wooden spoon to stir occasionally, fry until the onions turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the cumin, oregano, and chile powder, and fry for another 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the beans, bay leaf, and water, and increase heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium again and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until more than half the liquid has been absorbed, but about an inch of liquid remains.
3. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Use a potato masher to mash the beans smooth, then stir to form a thick, moist paste, anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. If refried beans appear to dry out, add a little water a few tablespoons at a time, until your desired consistency is reached.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad