Vegan Almond Cookies

I had a craving for cookies late one evening, so I cruised the internet for some vegan recipes. A little tweaking and I came up with this. It was so good I ate a lot of the dough before baking it.

 

It was so good we made it twice in one week and discovered that it is fantastic with some chocolate chips or pine nuts mixed in too.

 

Ingredients:

¾ cup coconut oil or sunflower oil

1 cup ground almonds (or another nut, if preferred)

2 1/3 cups flour

½ - ¾ cup sugar, depending on desired sweetness

1 tbsp vanilla

¼ cup water

¼ cup or about 50 g pine nuts or chopped hazelnuts or chopped chocolate, optional

icing sugar

 

Instructions:

1. If using coconut oil, melt it.

2. Mix the coconut oil with all the other ingredients, except the icing sugar.

3. Roll the dough into flat rounds.

4. Bake at 175 C for 15-18 minutes.

5. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Chickpeas, Corn, and Spinach in a Coconut Sauce

This can be varied easily, depending on what legumes or vegetables you have at home. Have it over rice or with potatoes or sweet potatoes.

 

Ingredients:

oil

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cilantro

1 tin chickpeas

1 tin coconut milk

1 tin corn

400 g spinach

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

dried chilli peppers, to taste

 

Instructions:

1. Warm the oil in a sauce pan. Chop the garlic, ginger, and cilantro and add to the oil.

2. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and cook them in the garlic mixture for 2-5 minutes, stirring now and then.

3. Add the coconut milk and the other vegetables and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and everything is thoroughly warm.

4. Season with lemon juice, cinnamon, and chilli peppers.

Asparagus Soup

You can also use cream (or a vegan cream, like soya or oat) for a richer flavour. I served this with the bread I posted in the last recipe.

 

This was one of my best soup recipes ever, I thought.

 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp maple syrup or sugar

1 vegetable stock cube

500 g asparagus

1-2 cups water (about 300-500 ml)

½ cup milk (I used rice milk)

 

Instructions:

1. Warm the oil in a pot.

2. Peel and chop the onion and garlic and add it to the oil. After a few minutes, add the maple syrup or sugar and caramelise for a couple of moments, then add in the stock cube.

3. Wash and chop the asparagus. Add it to the pot, then stir it, so the pieces are covered with onions.

4. Boil the water and add about 1 cup to the pot. Cook the asparagus for about 5-10 minutes.

5. Fish out the asparagus heads and put them in a separate bowl. Using a hand mixer, blend the soup until smooth. Add more water and the milk until it is your desired consistency.

6. Set it out in bowls and top with the asparagus heads.

Another Nice Brown Loaf

I make the same few breads a lot (focaccia, baking powder biscuits, white bread), so I wanted to vary it. This is what I created.

 

It can also be made into individual rolls.

 

Ingredients:

450 g strong bread flour (I used 270 g white and the rest wholemeal)

7 g dried yeast

1 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar or honey

2 tbsp olive oil

2 eggs (only one if not using seeds or oats)

250 – 300 ml liquid (I used 200 ml rice milk and 50 ml water)

seeds or oats, if desired

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil together.

2. Blend in one egg and slowly add the liquid, a bit at a time. Knead for 10 minutes or mix in a food processor for 5 minutes.

3. Set in a lightly oiled bowl and leave to rise for an hour or so, until doubled in size.

4. Shape into a loaf or rolls and leave to rise another 30-60 minutes.

5. Brush with the second egg and sprinkle with seeds or oats. You can skip this skip, if you want.

6. Bake at 180 C for 15-25 minutes.

Vegan Chocolate Cake 3

This one is lovely topped with chocolate ganache.

 

Ingredients:

50 g (about 3 tbsp or ¼ cup) coconut oil, plus a little extra to grease the dish

150 g flour

20 g ground almonds (or another 15 g flour, if you prefer)

45 g cocoa

175 g sugar (I use a combination of dark brown and white, to add a bit more depth of flavour)

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp vanilla

235 ml (1 cup) coffee, water, or milk

30 ml (1/8 cup) maple syrup

 

Instructions:

1. Melt the coconut oil.

2. Sift all the dry ingredients together.

3. Mix in all the other ingredients.

4. Lightly grease a cake tin and bake for 15-25 minutes at 180 C.

Ciabatta

This sounds fiddly, because you have to start it the day before, but it’s still quite easy, and has a lovely sour taste.

 

Starter ingredients:

½ tsp yeast

8 tbsp warm water

150 g strong white bread flour

 

Dough ingredients:

275 g strong white bread flour

½ tsp yeast

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp milk (I used rice milk)

150 ml warm water

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the yeast with 2 tbsp of warm water, then leave for a few minutes. Add the rest of the water and the flour and mix, then leave for 12-36 hours (depending on how sour you like it).

2. Mix the dough ingredients together. Mix in the starter. Knead or mix in a machine for about 5 minutes.

3. Transfer to a lightly oiled mixing bowl and leave to rise for 1-2 hours.

4. Divide the dough into two halves and shape into loaves. Set on a baking tray on top of baking paper and leave to rise another 1-2 hours.

5. Dimple and dust with flour, if desired.

6. Bake at 220 C for 20 minutes.

Baking Powder Biscuits

I’ve posted a similar recipe before, but here I’ve improved on it and made it vegan.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp oil

¼ - 1/3 cup milk (I used rice milk)

1 tsp sugar or maple syrup, as desired

 

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together well.

2. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased baking tray.

3. Bake at 200 C for 12-15 minutes.