Seitan with peppers and tomatoes

This is very quick and easy dish. My all family are ill and I'm feeling bad too also I need something easy for our stomach and healthy. This is very very simple but tasty...yummy. If you don't want to make a Homemade seitan, you can use vegan sausages, smoked tofu or smoked tempeh...

You will need

1/2 of Homemade seitan ( http://vegalucy.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/homemade-seitan.html )

1/2 cup vegetable broth

3 peppers, chopped

10 cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp oil

Method

Pour oil into the big saucepan. Add chopped onion and fry about 5 minutes. Then add peppers, tomatoes with cubed seitan and garlic. Mix everything and pour the vegetable broth. Cook about 10-15 minutes and serve...for example with polenta, bread....

Homemade seitan

You will need
1 1/2 cups wheat gluten flour
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup Besan (gram) flour
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp oil
3 tsp vegetable bouillon powder (I used Marigold Organic Swiss Vegetable Vegan Bouillon Powder)
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Method
In a large bowl mix wheat gluten, besan flour, nutritional yeast, bouillon powder and all spices.

Mix and pour the water with oil. Stir with the tablespoon at first and if all ingredients are combined, continue with your hands. Knead the dough about 5 minutes and than return it into the bowl and leave to rest (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile prepare four pieces of aluminum foil. Tear off 4 pieces and wrap each piece of seitan like bonbons.

Put the prepare seitan's "bonbons" into the steamer and steam 35 minutes. Remove from the steamer and let cool.

Note: Wrapped tightly, it'll last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Freeze it, and it'll last for months.

Langos - czech fast food

Langos is a very popular type of Czech fast food. It is usually served with cheese, ketchup, garlic oil and somewhere you can find a version with meat, mustard, mayonnaise.....I made a vegan version and served with smoked tofu, Alpro white yogurt mix with garlic, ketchup and vegan cheese Vitalite....
I know it is not a diet food but once a time is it acceptable.

You will need
400 g plain flour
150 ml lukewarm water
150 g Alpro white yogurt
7 g dried yeast
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt


Method
In a bowl mix flour, dried yeast, sugar and salt. Add yogurt, oil and water and work a smooth dough. Give the dough to the working place sprinkle with flour and divide for a 10 or more pieces. Roll every piece and leave 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile pour oil into the small saucepan (about 5 cm). Take every piece of a dough and carefully take it into the hot oil. Fry about 3 minutes from both sides. Try to serve with garlic's yogurt (grated garlic mix with white yogurt and salt), grated smoked tofu or/and vegan cheese and ketchup.

Babovka

Babovka is a traditional czech recipe that is a cross between pound cake and angel food cake. I really like double color with raisins...I remember, if I was a child, I always ate the light part first and then the dark - how it say...the best in the end. And I make it now too....

You will need
3 cups plain flour
2 cups non-dairy milk (I used Alpro Vanilla milk)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 bananas, mashed
2 tsp baking powder
cocoa powder, sultanas...

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. In a large bowl stir the flour, brown sugar and baking powder. In a small bowl mix the mashed bananas with oil and milk. Mix the dry and wet ingredients until smooth. Take a babovka form or bundt ring cake and if you haven't silicone type, is good to grease it with butter and sprinkle with flour. Pour a half of dough into the form. Mix cocoa powder to the second half, add a splash of milk and mix until smooth. Mix sultanas and pour over the light dough. Bake about 40-50 minutes. Cool upside down (the babovka cake is falling down) and serve. Enjoy.

If you don't like cocoa, you can't use it...mix the dried fruit (sultanas, raisin, candied peel...) into the light dough and bake

Silicone Babovka (bundt ring cake) form

Silicone Babovka (bundt ring cake) form

Lemon and blueberry loaf cake

You will need
250g self raising flour
220 ml soya or rice milk
120g sugar
100 ml flavourless oil
100g fresh blueberries, with a few reserved for decorating
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

for the lemon glaze
120g icing sugar
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice

Method
In a large bowl stir the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix everything. Add the soya milk, oil, lemon zest and juice and mix together until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin (line with parchment or baking paper) and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for about 15 minutes

Meanwhile make the glaze - mix together the icing sugar, lemon zest and juice. If the glaze is too stiff, mix in a couple more drops of lemon juice, if it is a bit too runny, add a bit more icing sugar.
Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool completely. Then pour over the lemon glaze and decorate with the reserved blueberries and lemon zest.

This recipe is from the book "The naughtiest Vegan Cakes in Town!"

Shopping...

This isn't a recipe...I was shopping today in my favorite shop - Unicorn. The shop is in Chorlton (Manchester) and there are a lots of great food - tofu, tempeh, seitan, organic fruit and vegetable, handmade breads, salads...I love shopping there...

Today I bought smoked, basil and tomato tofu, a few of tofu sausages (all of this is from company "Taifun") and two types of tempeh (BBQ and marinated).

And there have had a wonderful vegan Coleslaw and Pasta salad with grilled veggie. One of this salad I ate for a lunch and it was delicious...as usual :D

In this vegan shop has great and cheap tinned chickpea, lentil, chopped tomatoes and a lots of dried cereals and legume....Today I bought only wholemeal couscous, because I haven't any at home.

Tempeh with buckwheat and potatoes

You will need
120g marinated or BBQ Tempeh, diced
2 big potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup of buckwheat
3 onions, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped,
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked pepper
marjoram
salt

Method
Pour vegetable broth to the saucepan, add buckwheat and cook about 5 minutes. Than turn the heat off, cover and leave about 15-20 minutes until soft.

Place the diced potatoes into the steamer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare onions and garlic. Pour oil into the pan, add onion and cook about 5 minutes. Then add garlic, steamed potatoes and tempeh. Season with cumin and red pepper, cover and leave to cook about 15 minutes. If the potatoes are soft, add cooked buckwheat and marjoram, season with salt and serve.

Millet with tempeh, chickpea and veggie

You will need
300g millet
600ml water
120g marinated tempeh - diced
2 big peppers (green and orange) - diced
1 red onion - chopped
4 garlic cloves - grated
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can chickpeas - drained
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp oil
3 tsp bouillon powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp of brown sugar
fresh chive

Method
Place the millet in a fine mesh strainer and rinse and rinse 3 times with boiling water. Pour water into the large saucepan, add the bouillon powder and millet. Cook about 5 minutes than turn the heat off, cover and leave about 10-15 minutes until soft and fluffy.

Meanwhile heat a oil in a large and deep pan and cook chopped onions for 5 minutes. Add diced peppers, tempeh and garlic.

Cook until slightly colored and then add drained chickpea, chopped tomatoes, dried basil, smoked paprika, sugar and 1 tsp bouillon powder. Cook about 5 minutes and then mix with cooked millet. Season with salt if you want and serve sprinkle with chive.

Portobello burger

I like burgers and especially vegan burgers. I tried a lots of variations and the last attempt was the simplest...and surprisingly one of the best....all what you will need is mushroom and a few ingredients for a marinade....you should try and I'm sure, you will love it

You will need
4 portobello mushrooms,
4 tbsp oil,
4 tbsp dark soy sauce,
8 cloves of garlic,
1-2 maple or golden syrup,
fresh thyme,
burger buns and veggie (I used young pea leaves and tomatoes)

Method
In the bowl mix oil, soy sauce, grated garlic, syrup and fresh thyme. Clean the mushroom and cut the mushroom's leg off. Put the mushrooms into the marinade and leave it in the fridge for minimum 2 hours. You will have three way to cook it - first is on the grill, second is in the oven and the third is on the pan. I choose the third way.

While the mushroom is cooking, prepare the burger buns - cut open it to the half, spread with margarine (vegan butter) and put it to the oven (grill). Fill it with veggie and portobello mushroom and then - ENJOY :D

Avocado dressing or dip

You will need
1 big or 1 1/2 middle size avocado,
4 cloves of garlic,
5 tbsp olive oil,
4-6 tbsp water,
3/4 cup fresh basil,
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley,
1/4 cup chive,
1/2 cup spring onion,
juice of 1/2 big lemon,
2 tbsp apple vinegar,
1/2 tsp salt

Method
Place the peeled avocado, garlic and oil into a blender. Mix and add water, apple vinegar, lemon juice, salt, herbs and spring onion. Mix everything until smooth. If you want to have a dressing add more water. You can serve it with baked sweet potatoes and vegan sausages or with young leave salad etc.

as a salad dressing 

as a dip

Potato-Avocado mash

You will need
2 big potatoes,
1 ripe avocado,
soy milk,
a hint of turmeric,
salt

Method
Place the peeled and cut potatoes into a medium saucepan. Add cold water until the potatoes are covered, add salt and turmeric. Bring the water to the boil and cook until soft. While the potatoes are done, drain the water, pour soy milk and add the peeled avocado. Mash the everything until smooth. Add salt to taste and serve.