Lentil & Rice Dahl (type thing)

Lentil & Rice Dahl

I realise this isn't a strict dahl, however it is a really versatile recipe, I've used it mixed in with steamed vegetables. Over rice, wrapped in cabbage leaves, it could also be baked into squares lentil loaf style or used as taco filling or for sloppy joes etc. Endless options. 

It's also super cheap :)

Ingredients

2 cups split red lentils

1 cup red jasmine rice

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 TBSP minced ginger

1 tsp cumin

1 TBSP oil

2 TBSP sambal oeleck

First par cook the rice in a large saucepan (10-15 minutes) with about 4 cups of boiling water and the oil can be added here. 

When the rice is beginning to soften add in the lentils and top up the water if you think it needs it. Simmer for another 10 minutes

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir thoroughly, add more water as needed. You want to just continue to cook this till the lentils are starting to disintegrate and the rice is nice and soft. 

I'm very rough with the water and just top it up as needed. You want it a little bit moist but not an actual liquid. 

That said if you wanted to add some vegetable stock or more tomatoes possible even some vegetables like cabbage/carrot/broccoli/spinach it could easily be turned into a lovely soup :)

Serves 4

Peanut Rice Noodle Salad

1 large packet of rice noodles

2 large carrots, cut into thin half moons

1 can baby corn 

1 red capsicum  thinly sliced

3 cups finely chopped celery leaves or cabbage

1 cup coriander leaves

1 cup mint leaves

1 cup vietnamese mint leaves

1/2 raw peanuts lightly crushed

optional

4+ sliced spring onions

2 medium avocado's diced

1 can drained chickpea

or

200g green soy beans

or

200-300g protein of choice

Dressing

1/2 cup kecap manis or soy sauce/tamari

3 tbsp hot chilli sauce

3 inch piece of ginger grated

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tbsp sesame oil

(All amounts are rough adjust to taste/what you have!)

Rehydrate the noodles in a bowl with boiling water for 10 minutes.

Drain the noodles and add all the rest of the ingredients minus peanuts. The salad can keep like this for about a day in the fridge. 

Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a jar and shake vigorously. 

Add dressing + sprinkle with peanuts just before serving. 

Keeps for ages in the fridge even with the dressing though the peanuts do get a bit softer after a few days and less crunchy. 

Serves 6+

Beetroot Dip

150/175g vegan cream cheese
4 large boiled and peeled beets roughtly chopped
1 handful fresh mint leaves
1/2 TBSP horseraddish
1TBSP olive oil
1TBSP white wine vinegar


Add cream cheese, beets, mint, horseraddish and vinegar into a food processor and mix until all chopped and combined without lumps of mint beet or cream cheese remaining. (will probably have to scrap down sides multiple times).

Then add oil and salt and pepper to taste.

And serve, goes well with plain salted biscuts/crackers/corn chips and cucumber etc.

Asian Cabbage Noodle Salad

1/4 Wombok cabbage shredded
1 packet fried noddles (check for no egg, Chang's make at least 2 good vegan types).
1/2 cup mixed pine nuts and sunflower seeds

Dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar/sweetener
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp Sambal Oeleck/Crushed Chilli

1. Grill/pan fry the nuts and seeds till they are starting to brown.

2. Mix the dressing all together until the chilli and sugar is dissolved/not in lumps

3. Combine everything in a bowl and leave it for 10 minutes. The longer you leave it the more the flavours infuse with everything but the soggier the noodles get.

This is also a great one to experiment with adding different fresh herbs too like coriander, mint, parsley. Also something like fresh chilli's  spring onion, onion, even many stuff like garlic flowers or stuff like that could work really well too.

BBC

Broad Bean, Bean Curd + Chinese Chutney.

Due to my own special and annoying dietary requirements I've had to super modify this recipe both to remove garlic. Which means that not only did I have to leave out garlic (which is sometimes included), but in a quest to avoid garlic for myself and MSG for my b/f I've had to find substitutes to the Chinese Chutney which is actually just chinese pickled cabbage.

If you want to use this ingredient (and it would probably be worth it, omit the rice wine vinegar and just sub 1/2 cup chinese pickled cabbage which can be gotten from both the Adelaide Central Markets and most Asian/Chinese Grocery Stores around the place.

Also the other fun thing about the title of this recipe is that it doesn't actually use broad beans, but uses green soy beans/soy nuts.

Ingredients

1 bag (400g) frozen green soy beans, defrosted.
200g finely sliced deep fried tofu (firm can also be used but you don't have the skin bit)
4 finely sliced spring onions
2TBSP rice wine vinegar
2TBSP tamari or soy sauce (or to taste)
3 heaped tsp minced ginger
*optional 1 tsp minced garlic
either 1 chopped dried chili or 3tsp Sambal Oelck/hot chili paste

1. In a wok cook off the spring onions till they are soft.
2. Add tofu and fry till crispy
3. Add beans and all the sauce ingredients and cook until beans are warmed through and some have little brown marks from the heat of your wok.


Serve with rice.

Bean + Corn Enchiladas

Enchiladas 

Serves 2-4 (2 HUGE serves or 4 normal) 

Preparation time 20 minutes, Cooking time 20 minutes

Filling

1 can drained corn kernels
1 can drained + rinsed kidney beans
250g cubed firm tofu
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
2 large chopped tomato's

Sauce/Construction

1 large jar of Enchilada sauce
1+ dried chili's finely chopped
4 pieces of Mountain Bread cut in half
2 slices of Toffuti American Style Cheese sliced cut into strips
Optional *more cubed tofu or sliced olives!

1. Pre-heat oven to about 180degrees
2. Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl.
3. Mix the sauce and chili and spread a few spoonfuls onto the bottom of a rectangular casserol dish.
4. Place one piece of mountain bread at one end of the dish, place a line of the filling along the bread and roll bread around filling leaving seam side down.
5. Repeat for the remaining 7 pieces of bread using all the filling and filling up the casserole dish.
6. Cover with the remaining sauce and sprinkle cheese, olives and tofu over the top.
7. Bake for about 20minutes or until warm and cheese has melted.

I like to eat this with Mexican themed salad full of avocado and iceberg lettuce and cucumber with jalepeno's and drizzled in lime juice.

But feel free to just eat it as is. Also what you put in the filling is pretty variable, capsicum, fake meat, zucchini, mushroom etc. You can also use official enchilada wraps, follow cooking directions.

Chickpea Chocolate Cake

Just try it!! Dense as, chocolaty gooey yum!

2 cans rinsed + drained chickpea
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 large apple cooked + mashed (could also use 1/4 cup apple sauce but I think real apples tastes better - could also try with 1/4 cup mashed banana)
3 tbsp oil (rice bran, could use canola etc.)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup crushed dark chocolate (could use chocolate chips) + more to grate on top!


Pre heat oven to 180C

Process everything but the chocolate in a food processor. When combined add chocolate.

Cook in a well greased 10" pan. I like the spring from ones cause it's easier to get out.

Cook for 35 - 45 minutes. It will always be gooey in the middle so don't let that bother you. Just make sure it's all crusty on the outside.

Let it stand for 10 minutes before taking out of the tin.

I like to grate dark chocolate over the top while it's still warm, this gives it a thin melted chocolate glaze/crust thing & also makes people less scared to eat a chocolate cake made out of beans!

Can be eaten hot or cold. Just beware to not eat to much, it's both delicious and ridiculously filling.


This recipe is heavily based off of a recipe from http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com