Some very quick, easy recipes for all the lazy ones among us 😉

First, a couple of smoothie ideas…

Tropical Smoothie

For 2 smoothies, you’ll need:

300 ml cloudy apple juice
a handful of strawberries
1/3 cantaloupe melon
1/3 small pineapple

Cut the fruit into chunks, then place them into the bowl of a blender. Pour in the apple juice. Cover and puree until smooth. A refreshing summer drink!

Raspberry Mint Smoothie

For 1 smoothie, you’ll need:

200 ml sweetened almond milk
a handful of fresh raspberries
2-3 fresh mint leaves

Combine everything in a blender and puree for about one minute.

Blueberry, Banana & Pineapple Smoothie

For 1 smoothie, you’ll need:

150 ml water
1 banana
a handful of fresh blueberries
a handful of pineapple chunks

Proceed the same way as above.

Mango Goji Smoothie

For 1 smoothie, you’ll need:

200 ml water
a handful of mango slices
1 banana
handful of blueberries
approx. 10 goji berries

Proceed the same way as above.

Mixed Berry Smoothie

For 1 smoothie, you will need:

150 ml cloudy apple juice / water
a handful of raspberries
a handful of blueberries
a handful of grapes

Proceed as above.

Now, for some sweet treats… 🙂  (Because dessert always comes first… at least in my world!)

Chocolate mousse

For 4 portions, you’ll need:

the liquid from 2 cans of chickpeas*
150g dark chocolate (70%)
80g dairy-free white chocolate
2 packs (2x 8g) of cream stabilizer (possibly only exists in Germany, but you can order it online: just google ‘Sahnefest’/ ‘Sahnesteif’)
2 drops of vanilla extract
2 packs of vanilla sugar (optional)

First, break the chocolate into little chunks and melt it over a water bath. Set the melted chocolate aside, leaving it to cool down a little. In the meantime, whip the chickpea liquid into stiff peaks using an electric hand mixer, adding in the cream stabilizer, and later the vanilla sugar and vanilla extract (once the mixture is very fluffy). Fold the melted chocolate into the whipped mixture (“aquafaba”) and keep mixing until fully incorporated, then pour it into four glasses and leave to set in the fridge overnight (or for at least five hours). Enjoy!

*If you don’t know what to do with the chickpeas themselves, just google ‘hummus’, ‘chickpea curry’, or ‘chickpea salad’ recipes.

Rhubarb Crumble

5-6 rhubarb stalks, washed and cut into pieces
juice of 1/2 lemon
180-200g sugar
1 pack of vanilla sugar / 1 tsp. vanilla extract
100g flour
70g vegan butter (not too cold)
1 packet of vegan custard (e.g. Alpro), or: 1 pack of vanilla pudding made with 3 tbsp. sugar and 300ml oat milk

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Arrange the rhubarb pieces in a gratin dish. Pour the lemon juice on top, spreading it evenly among the rhubarb stalks. Mix in approx. 60g sugar. Bake for five to ten minutes. In a bowl, combine the flour and vegan butter (best to use your fingers). Add the remaining sugar and vanilla sugar/extract and mix together until it’s the right crumbly texture. Sprinkle over the rhubarb and put the dish back in the oven for approx. 20-30 minutes. Serve warm with some custard (or vegan ice-cream).

Banana Pecan Bread

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup vegan sugar
1 – 2 drops of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 – 3 tbsp. maple syrup
handful of pecan nuts, chopped (alternatively: walnuts)
handful of dark chocolate chips (optional)

Easy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Drink

My lovely ex-housemate Yuning once made a delicious pumpkin milk using just soy milk and steamed pumpkin slices. Inspired by this and by the spirit of Halloween, I made this easy vegan version of a pumpkin spice latte. For two hot drinks, you’ll need:

600 ml soy milk (or oat milk / cashew milk / hazelnut milk)
3 tbsp. pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. maple syrup

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the drink in a pot and heat it up, stirring often. Fill the drink into two mugs and enjoy!

Pecan & Almond Croissants

This is one of my new favourite breakfast recipes! 🙂 I may not be the most adept at folding those things into the right shape, but just look at that melted marzipan coming out at the top! Yum.

The only three (or four) ingredients you’ll need:

Vegan puff pastry (e.g. Jus-Rol croissants)
Marzipan (1 thin slice per croissant)
Pecan nuts (1-2 per croissant), chopped
Cinnamon (optional)

Cut the puff pastry into triangles (if they aren’t already in that shape). Sprinkle some cinnamon on them (optional). Add a thin slice of marzipan and press a couple of chopped pecans into the marzipan. Then roll the dough up into the shape of a croissant. Bake until golden, and enjoy! 🙂

 

Christmas Chocolate Tart

I created this recipe inspired by the Crunchy Chocolate Truffle Pie recipe in the ‘Best Vegan Recipes’ magazine, published by the editors of Vegetarian Times (vegetariantimes.com) in fall/winter 2014. For one tart, you’ll need:

150 g dark orange chocolate
80 g dark chocolate
1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 container (12 oz.) silken tofu
100 g maple syrup
1 tbsp. gingerbread spice mix (alternatively, you can increase the amount of cinnamon)
1 tsp. cinnamon
150 g Oreo cookies
1 tbsp. vegan margarine, melted

Combine the Oreo cookies and margarine in a blender until it becomes a crumb-like mixture. Line the pie tray with the crumb mixture and press it down firmly. Melt the chocolate. In the meantime, combine the tofu, maple syrup and spices in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and coconut oil and blend again. Pour the mixture into the pie plate, smoothing the top, and refrigerate until set.

Christmas-y Chocolate Chip Pancakes

To feed 2 people, you’ll need:

200 g flour
1/2 pack of baking powder
2 tbsp. brown sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1  tbsp. corn flour
125 g soy yogurt
150 ml vanilla soy milk (or other plant-based milk)
40 g dark orange-flavoured chocolate, chopped into little chunks
sunflower oil for the pan

In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients, then add in the plant-based milk and  soy yogurt, and mix until smooth. Lastly, stir in the chocolate chunks.
Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium high heat. Pour the batter into the pan, using about 4 tbsp. for each pancake, and cook, until browned, on both sides.

Lunch & Dinner ideas

Cristina’s Papas arrugadas con mojo picon (Salty potatoes with a garlic pepper dip)

One of the first naturally vegan things my lovely housemate Cristina prepared after I moved to Dublin was this specialty from the Canary Islands. When I left Dublin this year, I got so nostalgic that I had to try and make it myself, and it turned out very well (though of course it is always going to taste way better when Cristina makes it for me! 😉 ).

For 3 to 4 portions, you’ll need:

10-12 baby potatoes
for the mojo picon:
2-3 garlic cloves
1 large red pepper
4-5 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika powder
1/2 tsp. chili (optional)
1/2 handful of fresh parsley (optional)
some white bread (to thicken the sauce if too thin)
salt, to taste

Cut the pepper into chunks and chuck it into a blender along with all other mojo ingredients. Add some white bread if the sauce appears too thin. Pour into a little bowl and put it in the fridge for at least half an hour. In the meantime, boil the potatoes in a large sauce pan, with a lot of salt and just enough water to cover the potatoes. Once they’re done and have cooled down, enjoy them dipped into the mojo picon. 🙂

Grilled Pumpkin, Mushroom and Chili Sandwich

I decided to use all the vegetables I found in the fridge – surprisingly, this random combination tasted pretty great 🙂 And it only took 10 minutes to make! For one sandwich, you’ll need:

2 slices of vegan bread
3-5 mushrooms
1/2 red onion
1 red chili pepper
roughly 1/3 of a small pumpkin
some fresh parsley
salt, pepper, paprika (season to taste)
Optional: guacamole (easiest recipe: mash 1/2 avocado, add 1 tsp lemon juice, some salt and pepper, and chili flakes)

Cut the vegetables into small chunks/slices. Grill them, or fry them in some sunflower oil until the pumpkin is soft enough. Season. Fill the bread slices with the vegetables, some parsley, and a spoonful of guacamole.

Sanja’s Vegan Wonder Wrap

My friend Sanja once made this amazingly easy, yet freshly delicious wrap for me, and I got addicted! For 1 wrap, you’ll need:

1 vegan flatbread or tortilla of your choice (e.g. tomato – basil flavour)
1 carrot, grated
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vegan mayonnaise (e.g. by Earth Island)
2 – 3 tbsp. of vegan paté (alternatively, 3 slices of smoked tofu work quite well too)
some fresh baby spinach
1/3 avocado, chopped (optional)

Combine the grated carrot with the lemon juice and mayonnaise and mix well. Grill the flatbread for a few seconds, then fill it with the carrot salad and remaining ingredients. If you feel like it, you can add some tomato and cucumber slices, or sprinkle on some parsley. Now enjoy!

My Favourite Lasagne

For one big tray (approx. 6 big portions), you’ll need:

1/2 packet of egg-free lasagne sheets (500g pack)
1 /2 glass of green vegan pesto
1/2 pack of grated vegan cheese (if you don’t have any, you can easily leave it out, or replace it with a yummy cashew topping – see recipe at the bottom of the page)
for the white sauce:
50g vegan margarine
5-6 tbsp. flour
approx. 300ml unsweetened almond milk
salt & pepper
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. yeast extract (optional)
red sauce:
some olive oil (or sunflower oil)
1 small onion (alternatively, you can use leek or 2 garlic cloves)
5-10 mushrooms
1 zucchini
1 red pepper
1/2 aubergine, 1 carrot, and/ or any other vegetables you might have in your fridge 🙂
2 cans of chopped tomatoes  or one large glass jar tomato passata (750 ml)
1 cube of vegetable stock, dissolved in approx. 100ml water
salt & pepper, to taste

Chop up the vegetables into small chunks. To make the red sauce, heat the oil in a large frying pan, then lightly fry the onion. After a couple of minutes, add the other vegetables. Once they are done, stir in the canned tomatoes/tomato passata, then add the vegetable broth. Add some salt and pepper. To make the bechamel sauce, mix the flour with approx. 8 tbsp. of water. Heat up the margarine in a sauce pan, add the flour mix and combine until smooth, then pour in the almond milk bit by bit, stirring continuously. Take the pan off the heat and add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. In a large gratin tray, pour some red sauce on the bottom, add a layer of lasagne sheets, then pour in white sauce, making sure to cover all of the lasagne sheets. Drop in a few little spoonfuls of pesto, then pour in some red sauce. Again, add a layer of lasagne sheets, pouring in the white sauce, then some drops of pesto, and finishing up with the red sauce. Continue like this until all of the sauces are gone; however, make sure that the final layer of lasagne sheets is properly covered in sauce so the top doesn’t end up too crunchy. 😉 Finally, sprinkle in some vegan cheese or a few spoonfuls of cashew topping (see below). Now bake for approx. 30 minutes, or until the lasagne sheets are fully cooked.

Spicy Creamy Red Pepper Pasta

This pasta sauce was inspired by one of many fantastic recipes I found in the book Vegan Express by Nava Atlas.  For 2-3 portions, you’ll need:

300g pasta
1 onion
1 package of silken tofu
2 red peppers
2 red chili peppers
3 tbsp. lemon or lime juice
some oil
salt, pepper, paprika, chili flakes

Boil the pasta. In the meantime, cut up the onion and peppers and fry them in a lightly oiled pan. Once the vegetables are done, let them cool down for a bit. Then place them in the bowl of a blender along with the tofu, lemon juice and spices, and puree until smooth. Mix the sauce in with the pasta, and enjoy.

Easy-Peasy Pasta Bake

For 4 – 5 servings, you’ll need:

300 g macaroni pasta
1 can of sliced mushrooms
1 can of carrots
1 can of peas (if you have frozen peas, even better – cook them with the pasta)
1/2 can of sweetcorn
250 ml vegan cooking cream (almond cream or oat cream preferred)
2 garlic cloves
1 vegetable stock cube
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
salt, pepper, paprika
1/2 packet of vegan cheese (e.g. Daiya; alternatively, make your own delicious cashew topping! (see recipe below))
3 tbsp. organic bread crumbs
optional: this is a bit more time-consuming, but for additional flavour, add 1 shallot, 1/2 zucchini and 1/2 yellow pepper (all sliced up and fried)

Boil and drain the macaroni. Pour them into a large casserole dish, together with the vegetables. Cut up the garlic and mix it in with the vegan cooking cream, along with the yeast flakes and spices (season to taste). Combine the stock cube with  just enough heated water for it to dissolve, then combine it with the cream. Pour the cream mix in the dish, blending it well with the pasta and vegetables, then sprinkle some vegan cheese on top. Bake for approx. 30 minutes. When it’s almost done, top with the bread crumbs, bake for another five minutes, then serve.

Cashew Topping

This tastes best sprinkled on lasagna or cannelloni, but I also like it as a pizza topping. To top one dish for approx. 3 people, you’ll need:

200 g cashews, soaked in cold water for at least five hours (ideally overnight)
50 ml unsweetened oat/almond milk
2 tbsp. nutrional yeast flakes
1 garlic clove (alternatively, you can also use spring onion or leek)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.