Wheat-Free Oat Crunchies

(These do contain sugar, but you are welcome to adapt this recipe as needed)

Ingredients
2 cups Oats
1 cup wheat free flour
1 cup dessicated coconut
½ cup sugar
1 tsp Soda Bicarb
¾ cup + 2 Tbsp Rice Bran Oil
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 banana

½ tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp Ginger
½ tsp Allspice
¼ cup Linseeds
¼ cup Sesame seeds
¼ cup Sunflower seeds
A handful Pumpkin Seeds

Instructions
Sift the dry ingredients (except the oats and nuts)
Add oil and syrup to the dry ingredients
Spread into greased pan and spread flat



Bake for 40-50 minutes at 100C

Allow to cool slightly and cut into squares before it cools completely.

Homemade Wheat-free flour

This is not completely gluten-free, but feel free to adapt it as you wish
(Can be used for baking sweet stuff as well as vegan bread)
Pre-mix together and store so you can use in your baking

2 cups oat flour (you can get a gluten free option)
1 cup almond flour
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup brown rice flour (leave out for gluten-free)
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup chickpea flour

I do not use flax seed flour or buckwheat flour because I mix those in separately when making vegan eggs etc.

Banana Cashew Chocolate Creamy Vegan Ice Cream

So it turns out we do not need dairy or refined sugar for some seriously yummy ice cream!!

Ingredients:

1/2 c raw unsalted cashews
1/4 c sesame seeds
1/4 c almonds
1/4 c dessicated coconut*
3 dates

As it starts clumping

3 t mixed superfoods
     (lucuma, maca and baobab)
2 t raw cacao powder
1 t carob powder

1 pinch salt

1 tbsp honey*

1 tbsp coconut oil*

1/8 c strawberries*

1/8 c pawpaw*

3 large bananas

* = (optional)

Instructions:

(To make it easier I've listed the ingredients in the order that I add them)

- Process the dry nuts first until it starts clumping and turning into nut butter.



Dates added

- Then add the dessicated coconut and the dates (break the dates up by hand before adding to the food processor so they are blended in easily)
- Once the dates are mixing in add the powders: superfoods, cacao, carob and salt)
- Hint - stir those in to the mixture manually before switching the food processor on or the inside will get covered with the fine powder 
- Add the honey & the coconut oil and blend for 30 seconds.

Cocoa Added

- Add the strawberries and pawpaw for extra tastiness.
- Add the bananas in one by one and blend them in.


Pour into containers / ice cream moulds, freeze overnight or 6 hours at least and serve.


Different Flavours

Add bananas one at a time

- If you want vanilla flavour instead of chocolate, feel free to add 1/8 t vanilla essence.





If you'd like choc mint add some fresh mint leaves when you add the honey.

For a mocha flavour add 2tsp coffee melted in 1tsp warm water.

Feel free to add in some cinnamon and/or ginger too if you wish... Experiment... Play... Enjoy! :)

 

Unfried Vegan StirFry

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 cup water
2 tomatoes, diced (or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved)
1 tbsp red peppers, chopped
1 tbsp green peppers, chopped

1 tbsp celery, chopped

2 carrots, sliced / grated
3 baby marrows (zucchini), sliced / grated
1/2 chinese cabbage (the rest can be chopped and frozen for later use)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
Spices to taste: cayenne pepper, ginger, coriander & a pinch of rosemary
1 tsp rice bran oil (optional)
10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Instructions
Fry up the peppers and celery first (optional), then add the tomatoes, the water, the carrots and the herbs and spices.
Add the cabbage and the marrows (zucchini) as they need less cooking time than the carrots.
Cook for 30 mins in the hotbox / wonder cooker or on the stove. (You may need to add more water if you cook on the stove).

Serve with brown tumeric rice and (optional) lentil sprouts*

Fried White Butter Beans

Serves 4

Pre-preparation
Soak 1 cup butter beans in 2.5 cups of water overnight. Leave to activate for a further 24-36 hours (rinsing morning and evening)

Ingredients

1 cup water (may need to add more if you cook on the stove as opposed to in a hotbox)

The butter beans prepared above
1 tbsp red peppers
1 tbsp green peppers

1 tbsp celery

10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

a sprinkle of mixed herbs

To taste: coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper and a pinch of rosemary

Optional: parsey

(NO salt yet) 

Instructions:

Add all ingredients together (do not add salt as it will prevent softening when the beans cook)
Bring to the boil in a pan with a pot with a lid if using a hotbox.
Put in your hotbox/slow coker for 3-4 hours or simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours (don't forget to top up the water regularly).

Pour the beans and broth out of the pot into a green frying pan.

Allow the mixture to simmer over a low heat for about 10 mins to evaporate the water

Add 2/3 tablespoons of rice bran oil and fry on a low heat for another 10 mins, stirring regularly

Serve as a side dish, a starter or with rice (to make a whole protein), avo and fresh tomatoes + a sprinkle of herbs, salt and pepper as a yummy light meal. 

Do not expect leftovers on this dish either...

Minestrone Soup

I re-use the water from my boiled potatoes after making potato salad. That way you don't lose too many nutrients and you do not need to use any stock cubes and can avoid preservatives :)

Serves 4 as a main and 6 as a starter

TIP: As the water is still warm from cooking the potatoes I add the carrots and sweet potatoes first - as they take the longest to cook and they can start cooking immediately.

Ingredients
1l water
2 tomatoes, diced (or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved)
1 tbsp red peppers
1 tbsp green peppers

1 tbsp celery

2 carrots, diced
1 cup sweet potato, cubed
6 chunks butternut
a handful of green beans / peas
2/3 cup cauliflower
2/3 cup broccoli
2 baby marrows (zucchini)
1 Bay leaf (can use the same one as from the potatoes)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
Spices to taste: cayenne pepper, ginger, coriander & a dash of rosemary
6 mustard seeds (optional)

Instructions
You can chop and add as you go and are heating up the water if you add the carrots and sweet potatoes first so that they can start cooking. The marrows (zucchini) can go in last as they take the shortest time to cook.

Bring to the boil. Cook in the hotbox or on the stove for half an hour. Using a fork 'break up" the butternut so that it goes into the base.

Serve alone as a starter or with some sprouted lentils and tumeric brown rice and a side salad as a light main meal.

Thai-style Butternut Curry

Before you do anything else:
First put two pieces of dried galangal, two kefir lime leaves and 1 cardamon pod into half a cup of hot/warm water to start hydrating. Try do this an hour before you are ready to start cooking.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 pieces dried galangal
2 kefir lime leaves
1 cardamon pod
1 tsp chickpea flour (to thicken the sauce)
1 tbsp red peppers
1 tbsp green peppers
1 tbsp celery
2 tomatoes
1 cup butternut pieces
1 sweet potato (aprox 1 cup)
a handful of green beans / peas
2 leaves of spinach
1/3 can coconut milk
1 bay leaf
1/2 stick cassia
2 sticks of lemongrass
1 tsp fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh coriander
1 tsp med curry powder

1/2 tsp fresh ginger / 1/2 tsp powdered ginger spice
aprox 10 mustard seeds
aprox 10 black cumin seeds / 1/4 tsp powdered cumin spice
To taste: mixed herbs
a dash each of cinnamon, nutmeg

Instructions:
Soak the galangal, lime leaves and cardamon pod for about an hour before you start cooking.

To bring out the flavour of the spices: Fry up (lightly brown) the cumin, mustard seeds, ginger and curry powder in a little bit of rice bran oil first, then add the peppers, celery etc and tomatoes. Fry a little more before adding the rest of the ingredients.


(NB mix the chickpea flour into a little boiling water before adding to the pot)
add all the ingredients into your pot.
Bring it all to the boil
Allow to simmer in the hotbox / on the stove for 45 minutes.

You can serve as is or use a fork to mash the butternut and the potatoes before serving.

Serve with Tumeric brown rice and some sprouted lentils (or you can cook a cup of pre-soaked lentils in the curry).

Salad for 1 (perfect for a work lunch)

Serves 1 (or add lettuce to serve 2/3)

Ingredients
1 medium tomato
1/3 (10cm) cucumber
1 tbsp green & red peppers
1 tbsp celery
1 tsp parsley
4 olives
salt, pepper, ginger, coriander, rosemary
apple cider vinegar
avocado oil
pumpkin seeds
Alfalfa sprouts

Instructions
Chop all the ingredients and mix together (except for the alfalfa sprouts)
Refrigerate overnight so that the cucumber 'marinates' in the vinegar. 
Add the sprouts in the morning before you leave for work.
If you want to add lettuce (or kale) add in the morning or just before serving.

Vegan Ratatouille with kidney beans

You're going to need to cook the beans for a few hours first... Prepare them and then stick them into your hotbox to cook for 4 hours.

Serves 4-6





Step 1 - cooking the kidney beans

Pre-preparation 
Soak 1/2 cup kidney beans in 1.5 cups of water overnight. Leave to activate for 24 hours (rinsing morning and evening)
Kidney beans can be exchanged for lentils if you'd like - or left out, see instructions at the end for cooking the ratatouille without the beans.

Ingredients
Kidney beans (prepared as above)
1.5 cups water
2 tbsp red & green peppers
1 tbsp celery
mixed herbs, ginger, coriander, cumin, a few mustard seeds
10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
1tsp parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp Rice Bran oil

Instructions
Add all ingredients together (do not add salt as it will prevent softening when the beans cook)
Bring to the boil
Put in your hotbox for 4 hours or cook on low-medium heat for 2 hours

Step 2 - making the Ratatouille

Ingredients
1 medium sized eggplant (brinjal)
2/3 baby marrows (zucchini) use approximately the same (equal) amounts.
1 large tomato / 1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 spinach leaves
3/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp chickpea flour (dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water)

Instructions
Chop up the eggplant and fry it up with Rice Bran oil in your green pan.
Add it and the rest of your ingredients to the kidney bean base.
Bring to the boil.
Allow to simmer in the hotbox or on the stove on medium heat for 45 minutes.

Serve with tumeric rice.

(Should you wish to do this without the beans, just fry up the eggplant first and then add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 45 minutes)

Cashew 'Cream' based veggie pasta sauce

Cook the veggies and add them to the creamy cashew pasta sauce (see previous recipe).


Ingredients
1 cup cherry tomatoes or 1 large tomato
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp mixed herbs
1 carrot (finely chopped)
2 baby marrows
1 tbsp chopped celery
1 tbsp chopped peppers
a pinch of ginger, coriander and salt

Instructions
Chop up the ingredients into small chunks
Cook on medium heat for 10 mins. You shouldn't need to add any water, but you can always check.

You can either serve the pasta sauce with the veggies or whole or blend them in (my preference;)

Vegan Wheat-Free 'Macaroni Cheese'

I've been reading up on dairy free macaroni cheese, but it all seems to have nutritional yeast yadayada and I'm not risking a migraine on that, so I thought I'd take what I'd read, just play with it and add things I think would taste nice and see what happens...
Oh my goodness I freaking LOVE this recipe!!! I just HAD to share it!
It's seriously delicious and really easy! :)

(FYI If you want to add some veggies to the sauce click here for the recipe).

Serves 3 - 4

Sauce Ingredients
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup activated raw almonds (soak 12 hours, allow to 'sprout' for 12 hours)
2 Tbsp Sesame seeds
2 Tbsp Chickpea flour
1/2 cup water
1 tsp lemon
6 large cooked cauliflower florets
a pinch each of salt, coriander, cayenne pepper, rosemary, cumin, mixed herbs
dash nutmeg

Sauce Instructions

Blend the nuts & seeds alone first until they get to a powder form (just as you can see it starts to clump together and starts to make nut butter)
Add in the herbs and spices and the chickpea flour
Blend for 10 seconds at least
Add the water, the lemon and the cooked cauliflower florets
Blend
Once the pasta is ready take 1/2 a cup of the leftover water with the buckwheat in it, add to the sauce and blend (or you can use both 1/2 cups from the leftover pasta water.
(If the cauliflower and the buckwheat water are warm there is no need to cook the sauce).

Pasta
Bring 1l of water to the boil, add 1/2 tsp salt
take 6 handfuls of buckwheat pasta spirals and boil for 12 minutes.
Drain the water (don't forget to use one or a half a cup of it in the sauce).

Dish up and pour the sauce over. Do not expect leftovers although it is surprisingly filling!

Option 2 is to add veggies to the sauce... See the following recipe

Brown Rice with Tumeric

TIP 1: as an added health bonus I only make brown rice and I always cook my brown rice with Tumeric (a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial agent) and I add some black pepper to activate and increase the bioavailability of the Tumeric.

TIP 2: If you can get yourself a hot box / wonder cooker, it saves energy and makes cooking rice a breeze as it will never burn (I made my own as I wanted a specific colour, but your local health store should sell them or know where to find one :)

Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
2 cups of water
1/2 a teaspoon Oryx Desert salt (I love this healthy + tasty option & get mine here)
1/2 a teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:
Put all the ingredients in a pot.
Bring to the boil at full heat
Either turn heat down to 2 and cook for 40 mins on stove or put into wonder cooker and leave for an hour.
(if using brown basmati rice use slightly less than 2 cups of water per cup of rice and cook for twice as long)

Chickpea Protein Patties

I just LOVE these for when I'm needing a protein boost

Pre-Preparation:
Soak 1/2 cup of chickpeas in 1.5 cups of water for 12 hours.
Soak 1/4 cup of lentils in 3/4 cup of water for 12 hours.
(Water your plants with the nutrient enriched water. It's great for them!)
Let them sprout for at least 2 days for higher nutrient value (optional)

Ingredients:
Chickpeas - as above
Lentils - as above
1/2 cup Rice
1/2 cup Cauliflower (cooked or uncooked)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Mixed Peppers  
1 tsp Celery
2 tbsp Sesame seeds
a pinch of Rosemary
A dash of each of the following - to suit your own taste: Mixed Herbs, Ginger, cumin, coriander, pepper and a tiny dash of cinnamon

Instructions:
Blend together
Make patties and fry in your Green Pan and Rice Bran Oil. They soak up oil, but that's how they get nice and crispy


FYI
(You can substitute the rice for sweet potatoes if you'd prefer. That is also a delicious option :)

Good to know:
Also these can be frozen and defrosted easily.

Cashew Nut Butter

This needs to be done in stages so that you don't overheat your blender, but is surprisingly easy.

Ingredients:
2 cups of Cashew Chips
½ cup Sesame Seeds (optional)
1 tsp Linseed (optional)
¼ tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
2 Tbsp Rice Bran Oil
1 tbsp Raw Honey (optional if you don't want it slightly sweetened or use maple syrup if you don't eat honey)

Instructions:
Put all the ingredients into your blender EXCEPT the coconut oil and the honey.

Blend.

*** NB: Do NOT let the butter get hot - or the blender. I usually leave about 20-30 minutes in between blends for the blending stick to cool down.


The nuts will get chipped into crumbs. This is stage 1.












Stage 2 is when it starts to stick together and get clumpy.

Keep going. You're nearly there...

Ok now add the coconut oil and the honey. The coconut oil helps make it easier to spread otherwise it gets very dry and crumbly. Make sure you keep going til it is all blended in. 

Put into a glass jar and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Butternut: Baked and stuffed

This is so easy and can be a meal in itself (serves 2) or as a side (serves 4)

No preparation of the butternut is necessary, no wrapping in foil. Nothing :)

Bake the whole butternut at 100C in the oven for 40 minutes, turn, bake for another 40 minutes until the skin is soft.

Fry up some peppers and celery.
Slice in half. Take out the seeds (you can dry and/or eat those later).
Fill the butternut with sprouted lentils, sprouted alfalfa and the fried peppers and celery.
Add salt and pepper to taste. 
You can squeeze some lemon juice on if you'd like.
Serve with some slices of avo and voila... Dinner is served!

Vegan Potato Salad

(TIP I always boil potatoes first before making soup and then use the same water, so I lose as few nutrients as possible from the cooking of the potatoes :)

1. Cooking the potatoes

Ingredients
4-5 medium sized potatoes
2l water
2ml Oryx Desert Salt
4-5 coriander seeds
a pinch of coriander powder
6-10 pieces of Rosemary
1 bay leaf

Instructions
Add the spices and seasoning to the water
Bring the water to the boil while you chop the potatoes up.
Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes.
Bring the water back to the boil and boil for 20 minutes until the put your hotbox for 20 minutes to cook through until the potatoes are soft
(a nice test that they are cooked is if they can be pierced with a knife and will fall off the knife when lifted out of the pot).

Pour the water and potatoes into another heatproof dish and then pour the water back into the pot to continue cooking your soup.

Allow the potatoes to cool. You can refrigerate them plain until you are ready to make your potato salad or make it when it is cool.

2. Making the Potato Salad

Ingredients:
Your potatoes cooked as per above
Avocado oil
Freshly Squeezed Lemon
Salt
Coriander Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Paprika
(Optional additions: Some finely chopped up celery, red and green peppers are a delicious addition)
You can also add finely chopped up parsley

Instructions
Add spices to taste. Mix it all together. Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Setting up a Healthy Vegan Kitchen for one

I have chosen to cook everything from scratch as loads of vegetarian/vegan food includes onion and garlic. (Not all but) Loads of health food still has preservatives in it (even some 'natural' ones) which will trigger migraines for me, so this way I know exactly what I am eating.

Switching your kitchen/pantry around takes an investment of time and money, as superfoods, nuts and organic foods are not cheap (but definitely worth it). The way I did it was to buy the first lot small and figure out which ones worked for me. Then over the next few months I would buy large box/bag one at a time as it is more cost efficient that way.

Superfoods
Are great for adding to smoothies, great for bioavailable vitamins and minerals and some are natural detoxing.
My own personal favourite superfoods are:
Chia Seeds
Green Power
Maca
Lucuma
Baobab

Spices
Non-irradiated, non-GMO spices are readily available at health stores and online so I simply replaced these one by one or as I went along and had extra money.
(I don't like the Mixed Herb options I found, so I mix my own - thyme, sage, oreganum, basil & marjoram :)
Also something that goes well with everything is putting coriander seeds and rosemary into a pepper grinder.

Nuts
Not cheap again, but essential for vegans. The health benefits, the protein and, of course, the taste! YUM! Buy in bulk and replace when you can afford to.
I prefer raw nuts as the fat has not been hydrogenated, plus the health benefits of soaking and activating your nuts completely is worth it and once the nut has been cooked that option is no longer there.
Almonds and cashews are staples.
Pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds are next on the list
Pecan nuts are a serious bonus and a must if you love to make carrot cake like me :)

Sprouts
Meals have to be planned a few days in advance when sprouting, but it is a routine that you incorporate into your lifestyle and get used to. It is a 'sacrifice' that I gladly make so that no animal has to suffer on my behalf.

Cooking Oil options:
I recommend the following:
Coconut Oil
Rice Bran oil
as they can be cooked with at high heats and not become hydrogenated.
(For non cooking oils I love my organic avocado oil and use it in all my salads)

Wheat free flour:
Wheat makes me sneeze and itch (there are times when I am eating out and I just want a damn pizza or a brownie with everyone else, so I suffer the consequences, but I generally try to avoid it by using these)
I am never without the following 3 staple replacement flours.
Coconut Flour
Almond Flour
Chickpea Flour
Also you need Xantham Gum to help bind your flour.

Chopping up and freezing food
Just because I live alone and cook for one doesn't mean that I want to pop down to the stores constantly every 2/3 days to buy fresh fruit in smaller portions so that it won't go off. I chop and freeze fruit in ziplocks for portions for my smoothies.
(FYI don't forget to take the ziplock out of the freezer first thing in the morning so that by the time you are ready to blend it it is slightly defrosted and easier to cut through).
I also freeze my peppers and celery, as well as fresh ginger and turmeric, so that I am not chopping til 9pm on a weeknight if I'd like to cook something for dinner after work.
I generally cook 2/3 large portion meals every few days and then I have enough to eat for lunch and dinner and alternate meals.
Also you easily freeze freshly squeezed lemon juice - I measure it into small containers in 10ml and 5ml measurements and, once frozen, I pop them into a larger container labeled, surprisingly, 10ml and 5ml and they are so easy to just take out and cook / bake with the pre-measured portions

My homemade Hot Box / Wonder Cooker

Fresh Herbs
So far I am only growing some basil and celery outside. I will post more on this once I've got a small herb garden going. For this you will either need a balcony or a garden or some wall space.

Worthwhile investments:A hot box / wonder cooker (make your own pattern here)
A stick blender (a tough one that can handle frozen fruit like my Triblade Kenwood Chef Hand Blender)
A dehydrator like this one.
...and if you love fried foods every so often like me, a green pan is a worthwhile investment.

I hope these suggestions are helpful. Please feel free to share and post any suggestions back to me too :)