Vegan MoFo Archives - Page 3 of 4

Raw Lemon-Lucuma Macaroons

L is for…Lucuma!

This is the first recipe on Coconut and Berries made in my new home! I moved into my own flat just yesterday! I’m having a few internet issues so you’ll have to excuse me for posting later than usual and probably commenting less too. Hopefully I’ll get things sorted soon so I don’t have to go and pay for tea in a café forever just to blog!

Lucuma is the sweet fruit from the Peruvian Lucuma Tree. The raw powder can be used as a sweetener in foods and has a delicious caramel maple-y flavour. I first tried it in what is still the best ice cream I’ve ever had- the Raw Lucuma & Pecan Ice Cream from Inspiral Café in Camden, London.

Lucuma is considered a “superfood” since it boasts a variety of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and fibre. I’m generally a little sceptical of “superfoods” and prefer to just think of them as ingredients like any other, rather than supplements. It just so happens that I love the taste of lucuma which is what has earned it its place in my kitchen, rather than its supposed health benefits. You’ll have to make your own mind up about it!

As I’ve just moved in I don’t have any desserts or snacks hanging out in my freezer, so to keep my sweet tooth happy and to give me a little energy boost whilst I’m sorting I made these Lemon Lucuma Raw Macaroons.

I think the Lucuma, Coconut and Lemon are lovely together and the lemon also prevents these from being too sweet, as raw desserts can be. No cooking or cooling time needed, just whiz everything together in your food processor and you can be enjoying these in 10 minutes.

Raw Lemon-Lucuma Macaroons:

Even if you don’t believe in “superfoods” these bite-sized treats are still very healthy. They’re satisfying too because of the protein, fat and fibre provided by the almonds, coconut and flax.

1/2C Almonds
1/4C Soft pitted dates
1/2t Vanilla extract
1/2t Lemon extract (if unavailable, add a little extra lemon zest)
Zest of one lemon
1t Lemon juice
1 1/2T Maple Syrup
2T Ground flaxseed
2T Lucuma
1/2C Shredded Coconut (+ 1/4C for rolling)

Pulse almonds in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add dates through to lucuma and process until a sticky dough forms. It should stick together when pinched between finger and thumb.

Add Shredded coconut and pulse briefly to incorporate.

Shape mixture into 12 macaroons and flatten slightly. Roll in remaining shredded coconut.

Makes 12

I’m submitting this recipe to Wellness Weekends and Raw Food Thursdays

These have a great chewy texture and hold together easily too, with no need for any time in the fridge. I’m looking forward to trying other flavours with the same base ingredients and different extracts and add-ins- I think vanilla with cacao nibs,almond, maca, hazelnut and chocolate would all be good.

Since lucuma is a powder it can be used in so many types of recipes. Here are a few I’ve got my eye on:

Lori and Michelle of Purely Twins have a Cashew Lucuma Frosting recipe that looks divine, especially spread in a thick layer on top of their pumpkin squares.

These Butterscotch-Tahini Bars use lucuma as a main ingredient and look as if they’d taste like “Caramac” bars if anyone remembers those…?

Ricki’s Lucuma-Walnut-Coconut Butter looks like another fabulous speedy recipe. I bet it would be delicious as a dip for crunchy apple slices

As usual, I want to know what you’ve made or want to make with today’s ingredient!

Have you tried Lucuma? What do you think about “superfoods”?

Kidney Bean, Sweet Potato & Quinoa Patties

K is for…Kidney Beans!

Since I’ve been featuring some less common ingredients recently I thought I’d take it back to basics and highlight a vegan staple- beans! At least they’re a staple for me and if they’re not for you, why not?!

Packed with protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals and low in fat, they’re a highly nutritious, not to mention versatile, ingredient.

Kidney beans are not the most used variety in my kitchen but as this A-Z series is all about challenging me (and you!) to explore different options they seemed a good choice for “K”.

It’s so easy to get into a rut of using the same chickpeas and brown rice, or whatever your favourites are, over and over, and forget that there’s a whole world of food possibilities out there. As healthy as chickpeas and brown rice are, a varied diet is also important.

Until recently, I’m sure the only recipes I’d used kidney beans in were for chili! Kidney beans at their finest but not very original. I’ve since tried a couple of other things, namely Vegan Richa’s Dal Makhani - Black Gram and Kidney Beans in Creamy Buttery Gravy and Dreena Burton’s Mediterranean Kidney Bean Burgers from Let Them Eat Vegan, both very good.

Since I’m going through a phase of making everything into patties, that’s what I did here for these Kidney Bean, Sweet Potato & Quinoa Patties.

I combined my beans with mashed sweet potato and quinoa for the basic patty mixture, added in sautéed kale, carrots and onions for a veggie boost, and rounded everything out with a little curry flavour.

These have a lovely texture, soft but not mushy, with a nice crisp exterior. They hold together well too so if you wanted I imagine you could pan-fry them instead of baking for a darker crust. Feel free to use whatever spices or herbs you like.

Kidney Bean, Sweet Potato & Quinoa Patties

Yield: 8 Patties (4 Servings)

Ingredients

1/2 Tbsp Coconut or Olive oil
1 Onion, diced
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Chili flakes (optional)
2 tsp Mild curry powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 C Coarsely grated carrot,
1 C Kale, chopped
1/2 C Mashed sweet potato
1 C Cooked Kidney beans
1-1/2 C Cooked quinoa
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
2 Tbsp Chickpea flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 190C/375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mash kidney beans with a strong fork or potato masher (you could pulse in a food processor too but make sure not to over-process). You want some chunks for texture. Add sweet potato and mix well. Set aside.
Warm oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic, spices and salt and continue to cook for another minute so that the spices toast and become fragrant.
Add kale and carrots and cook for a further 2-4 minutes until greens are wilted. Stir in lemon juice.
Add the vegetable mixture to the bowl along with the cooked quinoa and mix well. Stir through chickpea flour.
Shape into patties with damp hands to stop them sticking. Mine were about 1/3 C each. If you make them larger or smaller adjust cooking time accordingly.
Bake patties for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway.
Serve hot with marinara sauce.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2013/09/14/kidney-bean-sweet-potato-quinoa-patties/

*Update* : You’ll find some more kidney bean recipes on the blog now! Check out my Chili Quinoa-Bean Bites (with Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes) and Chili-Bean Soup with Avocado-Lime Cream.

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Spicy Jackfruit Fajitas

J is for…Jackfruit!

This one’s been making the rounds of the vegan blogosphere and I bought a can a while back from a great local ethnic store hoping to give it a try myself, only to forget about it in the back of a cupboard.

I didn’t actually know what it was, so turned to Wikipedia…

In case you’re in the dark too here’s some info:

The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family. It is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia and also widely cultivated in tropical regions of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

It can be used both ripe and unripe:

- Ripe jackfruit is naturally sweet. It can be used to make a variety of dishes, including custards, cakes etc.

- Unripe fruit, or young green jackruit, like the kind I used, is typically prepared as a savoury dish, used in curries, salads etc. It has a mild flavour and distinctive meat-like texture which is often compared to chicken.

I didn’t give up animal products because I didn’t like the taste of meat so it’s pretty fun to find something with a meat-like texture which isn’t a processed product. My Mum, an omnivore, enjoyed this too.

I was in the mood for something a little spicy so chose to use it as a filling for fajitas (of sorts…) with Mexican spices, sweet potato fries and plenty of guacamole.

There are lots of recipes for this sort of thing online but if you’re interested in what I did, my recipe’s below.

Spicy Jackfruit Fajitas:

1 Onion, diced
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
2t Ground cumin
1/2t Mild chili powder
1/4t Smoked paprika
1/4t Oregano
1/2t Salt
Dash of cinnamon + cayenne pepper
565g/ 20 oz can of Jackfruit in brine or water, drained
1t Tamari
Squeeze of lime
1T Maple syrup

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add garlic, spices and salt and cook for another minute to toast the spices. Add jackfruit and break it up a little with a spatula. It will soften up as it cooks so don’t worry if it’s in large pieces at the beginning. Add tamari, maple syrup and squeeze of lime and continue to cook for approx 30 minutes until brown with some crispy edges, stirring every now and again to break up the jackfruit. It should look like shredded chicken!

Serve with your favourite Mexican side-dishes- guacamole, cashew sour cream, sweet potato fries, salsa, salad, tortilla wraps etc. (N.b. I made Angela’s Spelt Tortillas and rolled them a little thicker)

Other jackfruit recipes I like the look of are these Mu Shu Jackfruit Lettuce Wraps, these Jackfruit Crab Cakes and this Spicy Jackfruit Salad. I’d love to try jackfruit in a curry as well, maybe a Thai Green Curry to use my green curry paste!

Nutty Crusted Tofu, Mediterranean Israeli Couscous Pilaf, Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Israeli Couscous!

Israeli couscous, also called pearl couscous, is similar to regular couscous in that it’s actually not a grain, (although many people think so), but a pasta, as it’s made from from semolina or wheat flour. It has a slightly chewy texture, similar to barley, and is toasted so has a slightly nutty flavour. It cooks quickly, in about 10 minutes so is useful to have on hand.

It’s not something I use often but it works great in hearty salads and you can use it to make a risotto-like dish etc. I also stumbled across this innovative breakfast recipe from Janet at The Taste Space for Israeli Couscous with Almonds and Coconut. How good does that sound?

This time I decided on a simple pilaf with bold Mediterranean flavours- slow-roasted tomatoes, black olives, capers and plenty of fresh parsley. It’s a cinch to put together and can be a meal in itself, especially if you bulk it up with some chickpeas or lentils.

I was feeling like a slightly fancier meal this particular day so added a few other components to take it to another level…

Nutty Crusted Tofu and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce! The tofu is marinated before dredging in the nutty coating so it’s packed with flavour. The red pepper sauce is a lighter variation on my Romesco sauce, sweet and rich-tasting. Along with the couscous pilaf and some greens for good measure this meal was exactly what I was hoping for.

Mediterranean Israeli Couscous Pilaf:

1/2C Israeli couscous (whole-wheat preferably)
1/2T Olive oil
1/2 Red onion, diced
1 Large clove of garlic
3/4C Water
1/2C Slow-roasted tomatoes ( I’ve been making a lot of these with all my garden tomatoes. Simply halve a load of cherry tomatoes, spread on a baking sheet cut side up, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, cook in the oven on low- 100C/210F for approx 3 hours until shrivelled and delicious!)
1/3C Black olives, halved
1T Capers, chopped if large
1-2T Chopped fresh parsley
Salt + Pepper
1/2T Lemon juice
Drizzle of olive oil (optional)

Sauté red onion in the oil in a pot over medium heat until softened. Add garlic and Israeli Couscous and continue to sauté for another minute. Add water and bring to the boil. Cook, covered, for approx 10 minutes (or follow directions on package) until water is absorbed and couscous is cooked but with a bit of bite. Stir through all the remaining ingredients and seasoning. Serve warm.

Nutty Crusted Tofu:

(Adapted from The Vegan Foodie)

1/2 400g/1lb Pkg Tofu, drained and pressed for at least 30 minutes, then cut in to 4 triangles

For the Marinade:

1 1/2T Tamari
2T Vegetable broth
1T Dijon mustard
1t Tomato paste
2T Fresh orange juice
1/2T Olive oil

Whisk together marinade ingredients, place tofu in a dish and cover with marinade for at least 1 hour

For the Crust:

1/2C Cashews (or other nuts)
3T Flour (any kind)
1t Dried Italian herbs (i.e. oregano, basil, thyme)
Dash of paprika
Salt + Pepper

Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor or spice grinder jar pulse cashews until a coarse crumb. Stir in other ingredients.

Dip the marinated tofu triangles in the crust mixture to coat on all sides and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, carefully turn over and bake a further 10-15 minutes until golden brown. You can also place them under the broiler/grill for a couple of minutes to get it crispier.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

2 Medium red peppers
1 Large clove of garlic
1-2T Vegetable broth
1T Olive oil
1/2t Agave nectar
1t Red wine vinegar
Large pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

To Serve: Top pilaf with nutty crusted tofu and add a generous drizzle of the red pepper sauce to the plate. I served it all over some steamed kale.

Hmmm, looking through my instructions I’ve probably made this meal sound really complicated, but honestly there’s nothing difficult about it, just quite a lot of steps.

Each of the components is tasty on its own though so feel free to mix and match. Simply serve the pilaf on its own as I suggested above, have the nutty crusted tofu just alongside a grain and greens and some marinara or whatever sauce you have on hand, make only the roasted red pepper sauce and smear on anything and everything!

Serves 2 (with leftover pilaf + sauce)

I’m submitting this recipe to Wellness Weekends

Hemp Seeds Recipes

H is for…Hemp Seeds!

We’ve had Chia seeds already and today I’m featuring another nutritious little one- Hemp seeds. No, you won’t get high from eating these I’m afraid! Hemp seeds and marijuana do come from the same plant, cannabis, but different varieties with different properties.

Just like chia, hemp seeds are packed with protein, EFAs, Vitamin E and minerals, not to mention they’re really tasty. They have quite a distinctive flavour, slightly earthy and sweet.

I frequently use them in my meals but almost always just sprinkling them on top of whatever it may be. From salads and soups, to porridge, non-dairy yogurt and fruit. I’ve also recently discovered these flavoured hemp sprinkles from the UK company Good Hemp. They come in 3 flavours: Asian Spice, Italian Herbs + Sweet Cinnamon and are extra tasty. I can especially vouch for the Italian Herb being good on pesto pasta .

For my A-Z challenge I decided I had to incorporate them into a recipe like I did for my Cheesy Tofu Scramble + Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos. I left it to the experts to come up with the recipes though and made 3 hemp recipes from 3 of my favourite bloggers.

First up was these Happy Hemp Two-Bite Brownies from Ricki Heller. They’re grain-free and also don’t contain any refined sugars. I use coconut sugar in my baking already but hadn’t found a good brand of stevia until recently so had avoided stevia sweetened desserts. I won a giveaway for some NuNaturals products and have to say these are unlike any others I’ve tried. Stevia can often have a bitter aftertaste but this one is completely undetectable.

Back to brownies. Ground almonds and hemp seeds are the main ingredients leaving them with that perfect fudgy brownies texture- a slightly squidgy middle whilst still being crisp on the outside.

Especially good with a tall glass of ice cold almond milk. I couldn’t decide if I liked them being small or not. Mini treats are fun but 2 bites of these was not enough!

Next, I made Gena from Choosing Raw’s Beet and Hemp Granola. This was my first time making granola of any kind and I was so pleased with how it turned out. Gena gives either the option to dehydrate or oven bake but as I sadly don’t own a dehydrator I had to go with the latter. I’m sure it didn’t compromise the taste but it might have resulted in the darker colour of mine, not quite the pretty beetroot pink it was before baking.

I don’t buy store-bought granola as it’s far too sweet for me but this had just the right amount of sweetness- all natural from dates. The goldenberries (Incan berries) added a nice chewy, tangy contrast too.

I served mine with almond milk and berries (N.b My blackberries were from the freezer which is why they look a little icy still!) . I’m excited to try out a bunch of other granola recipes now I know how easy it is to make, and far healthier and cheaper than buying it.

Hemp recipe number 3 was another breakfast recipe. Dreena Burton’s “Hempanana Smoothie” from her latest book Let them Eat Vegan (See this post for my review).

This is a super simple concoction but needs no adornment. Just frozen banana, almond milk, a generous helping of hemp seeds and a dash of cinnamon. Hemp seeds are very soft so they blend down easily and leave the smoothie dreamily creamy! I ran out of straws ( I need to get myself a reusable one….) and slurping this from the glass left me with a thick milk moustache. I’ll definitely be making this again and again.

I enjoyed this for breakfast alongside one of my Strawberry-Almond Muffins. (Oh, and that’s the Good Hemp Sweet Cinnamon variety sprinkled on top of the smoothie)

Incidentally, I just came across this recipe for Chocolate Hemp Banana Ice Cream the other day, which, along the same lines, uses hemp for richness. Can’t wait to try it out.

Have you tried hemp seeds? How do you use them?