Vegan – Page 18 – The Food Wife

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

26th February 201926th February 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

Good for all the family, this mildly spiced, creamy curry, is quick to make and suitable for a range of dietary requirements: dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan.

Itâ€™s made with standard store cupboard (or freezer) ingredients so you probably wonâ€™t need to do a special shop for it either and can easily fling it together on a weeknight without too much effort.

Serve with rice (I like it with nutty brown basmati) or with flat breads. It would also make a suitable side dish for a bigger Indian meal.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp (coconut) oil
2 onions, medium dice
1 fat clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 inches of ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tins of chickpeas, drained
150g red lentils
400ml coconut milk
500ml vegetable stock (ensure this is gluten-free if required)
250g spinach, fresh or frozen (defrosted) roughly chopped
Salt and pepper

Step 1: In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for five minutes or so; when softened add the garlic and ginger and cook for another two minutes.

Step 2: Add the spices and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 3: Add the chickpeas, lentils, coconut milk and stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Step 4: Add the spinach, cook for a couple more minutes and then check the seasoning and adjust as necessary before serving.

N.b. Make sure you only add the spinach at the very end to keep its vibrant green colour.

Lemon Fizz Cocktail

25th February 201924th February 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

A simple cocktail to serve as an aperitif. Make the lemon syrup in advance and chill in the fridge, ready to serve when your guests arrive.

Ingredients:
75ml fresh lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)
75g caster sugar
1 bottle of dry sparkling wine

Step 1: Make the syrup by heating the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan, until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup begins to boil. Remove from the heat and carefully pour into an airtight bottle container and store in the fridge until needed.

Step 2: Divide the syrup between six champagne flutes (this will be about 25ml each) and top up with a chilled, dry sparkling wine. Serve immediately.

(Gluten-free) Ginger Oat Cookies

23rd February 201923rd February 2019
by thefoodwife

Makes 12

Continuing my quest to make tasty gluten-free alternatives for the Food Husbandâ€™s new diet, Iâ€™ve been experimenting in the kitchen this week.

Heâ€™s dutifully eaten a gluten-free loaf (which left a lot to be desired) but I have just made a batch of ginger cookies which have been far more successful.

Admittedly these arenâ€™t all for him; they will be accompanying a lemon posset this evening as the pudding in a meal with friends.

These do not have to be made gluten-free, and can be made using regular flour and oats as you wish. If following a vegan or dairy-free diet, substituting the butter for coconut oil will result in a suitable alternative.

Store these in an airtight container and they will last a few days.

Ingredients:
120g butter (or coconut oil if making these vegan/dairy-free)
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (gluten-free if required)
150g oats (gluten-free if required)
150g plain flour (gluten-free if required)
120g soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp ground ginger

Step 1: Over a low heat, melt the butter and syrup in a heavy bottomed pan, stirring now and again. Once melted, leave to cool slightly.

Step 2: In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, oats and ginger.

Step 3: Stir the bicarbonate of soda into the cooled liquid mix and then add to the dry ingredients, stirring thoroughly until all combined.

Step 4: Roll into 12 equal balls and spread out on two lined baking sheets.

Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven (180c fan) for 10 minutes, until golden and cracked on top.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and allow to cool (they will firm up as they cool). Leave them for five minutes on their trays and then carefully transfer the cookies, still on their baking parchment (hold diagonal corners taut), onto wire racks to cool completely.

Cavolo Nero, Celeriac, Leek and Potato Soup

20th February 201920th February 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 8

I’ve had some cavolo nero and a rogue celeriac hanging around in my fridge for the past few days and as Iâ€™m trying not to let anything go to waste, this is essentially a fridge soup (but that doesnâ€™t sound quite so appealing!)

On its own this soup is low calorie, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan friendly, making it suitable for a wide range of dietary requirements.

Whilst leek and potato are familiar soup buddies, the addition of celeriac and cavolo nero bring a different flavour. The cavolo nero also gives the soup itâ€™s wonderful green colour and is packed with antioxidants and is also high in vitamins and minerals including lutein, calcium, manganese, vitamins A, C, K, fibre and iron. Itâ€™s a super soup!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1 leek, thoroughly washed and roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped (but fairly small)
1 celeriac, outer layer removed and then cut into 2cm dice
2 medium potatoes, peeled and then cut into 1 inch dice
1 large bunch of cavolo nero, thoroughly washed, â€˜spinesâ€™ removed and leaves roughly torn.
2L vegetable stock (gluten-free if required)
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Using a large pan (I used my largest Le Creuset cast-iron casserole dish), heat the oil over a medium-low heat.

Step 2: Add the leeks and celery and stir frequently for five minutes or so until softened but not coloured.

Step 3: Add the celeriac, potato and vegetable stock and increase the heat until it reaches a simmer.

Step 4: Add the cavolo nero, add a lid to the pan (ensuring a gentle simmer underneath) and cook until the celeriac and potatoes are cooked (they should be nice and soft after 15-20 minutes).

Step 5: Blend the soup until smooth, and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

This will last a few days in the fridge, or portion up and pop in the freezer. We enjoyed the soup both on its own and with some cheese on top.

Cereal Bars

17th February 20199th March 2019
by thefoodwife

Makes 14

The Food Husband has recently started a gluten-free diet to see if it will improve a chronic illness he suffers from. I’ve had a week to plan and start getting more gluten-free ingredients ready to use.

Evening meals, when we eat together, arenâ€™t an issue, as we often eat gluten-free or they are meals that can be easily adapted. A bigger challenge is finding him breakfast and lunch ideas for when he is at work. So Iâ€™ve started with breakfast.

His normal go-to breakfast on a work day is a cereal bar. They are convenient and quick to eat at his desk when he arrives. His usual bars are not certified as suitable for coeliac diets, and shop-bought gluten-free alternatives are pricey, so Iâ€™ve made our own.

The oats and Rice Krispies I have used are certified gluten-free versions but if this is not a requirement for you then by all means use regular cereals (itâ€™s definitely cheaper!). Iâ€™ve also kept these vegan, but again if this isnâ€™t necessary, honey could be used in place of the syrup.

I have wrapped each one in foil and then stored them in an airtight container. These need to be eaten fairly fresh, but should last the two or so weeks Iâ€™m expecting for the Food Husband to make his way through them.

Ingredients:
110g oats (1 cup) (gluten-free if required)
90g Rice Krispies (3 cups) (gluten-free if required)
150g (1 cup) cashew nuts
350g (1 cup) golden syrup
3 tbsp coconut oil
120g chopped dates (approx. 1 cup when uncut)

Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the oats, Rice Krispies and cashew nuts.

Step 2: Over a medium heat, melt the coconut oil, syrup and chopped dates together, until little bubbles start to rise to the surface.

Step 3: Carefully pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until everything is coated.

Step 4: Spread into a lined baking tray (suitable for a tray bake) and press down with the back of a metal spoon.

Step 5: Bake at 170c (fan) for 20 minutes.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and allow to semi-cool in the tin. After about half an hour, whilst still in the tin, use a knife to carefully cut into 14 pieces (cut in half length wise and then divide each into seven). Once fully cool, wrap individually and store in an airtight container.

N.B. you could reduce the amount of syrup to 3/4 of a cup but any less will make it difficult for these to stick together.