Black Lentil and Cranberry Salad

I got this recipe from Adi's mother. You can add quinoa to it and it will be a delicious black and white salad. This salad goes well as the protein component with my spicy vegetable dish.

Ingredients >  1 cup black lentils >  3 shallots or 1 medium red onion, chopped >  Cranberries, as per taste >  Coriander leaves garnish (optional) Dressing >  100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice >  50 ml olive oil >  Salt and pepper

Steps 1.  Put the black lentils in a saucepan with plenty of water. Bring to the boil and let it cook on a lower flame for about 20 minutes. The lentils should be cooked but slightly firm. 2.  In the meantime, chop the onion really small and put into a bowl with the cranberries. 3.  When the lentils are cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. 4.  Combine the lentils with the onion and cranberries. 5.  Add the olive oil and lemon juice and mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper. 6.  Taste again and add more lemon juice if your tastebuds require it.

Cabbage Salad with Tahina dressing

What's important here is the salad dressing, which I took from Gordon Ramsay's 'Healthy Appetite' cookbook. It would go just as well with other salads.

Ingredients >  1 cabbage, shredded >  Handful of dark raisins Dressing >  1 knob fresh ginger, grated or chopped >  3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar >  2 Tbsp soy sauce >  2 Tbsp sesame oil >  2-3 Tbsp tahina

Steps 1.  Shred the cabbage, put into a bowl and add the raisins. 2.  Put all the dressing ingredients into a bowel or jar and either whisk or shake. 3.  Put enough of the dressing onto the cabbage to lightly coat it.

Glazed Carrots - vegan tzimmes

I refer to this as tzimmes, but that is with meat. Here is my vegetarian version, taken from Evelyn Rose.

Ingredients >  ~800 gm new carrots (I used 1 bag of frozen baby carrots!) >  1-2 Tbsp olive oil >  1 knob of ginger, finely chopped >  1 Tbsp honey or vegan equivalent, such as date syrup >  Grated rind of 1 orange >  1 tsp salt >  Water to cover

Steps 1. If using fresh carrots, scrape them and slice them as thinly as possible. 2. Put the carrots in a deep narrow pan. 3. Add the oil, ginger, honey, orange rind and salt. 4. Cover completely with water, then bring to the boil. 5. Simmer uncovered until the water has evaporated and the carrots are tender and coated in a shiny glaze - about 30 mins. 6. You can make this earlier and then reheat in the microwave.

Carmi's Paella

I was casting around for a vegan dish for a buffet, and Carmi had just given me a taste of this delicious paella. It came out well.

Ingredients >  1/4 gm saffron threads >  1 medium onion, chopped >  2 cloves garlic, crushed >  3 Tbsp olive oil >  500 gm frozen peas >  2 cups uncooked sushi rice >  2 tsp paprika (Carmi used smoked) >  Salt and pepper >  3 cups vegetable stock >  15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved >  Slivered almonds to sprinkle on top

Steps 1. Dissolve the saffron threads in warm water. 2. Saute the chopped onions and garlic in the olive oil until golden. 3. Add the peas and rice, and season with the paprika, salt and pepper. 4. Stir well. 5. Add the saffron with its water and the boiling stock. 6. Only then add the tomatoes and stir. 7. Let it simmer 12-15 minutes so that it is still wet. If you are serving immediately, simmer for the full 15 minutes. 8. When ready to serve, put in the oven (heated to 180°C) for 5 minutes. the water dries an the paella heats up.

Nut spread (vegan chopped liver)

In Israel you can buy vegetarian "chopped liver", based on either eggplants or zucchini, but these include eggs. I needed a recipe for the festival meal without eggs. This came out really tasty, and made a good spread on matza.

Ingredients >  1 large onion, chopped >  1/2 kilo mushrooms, chopped >  3 Tbsp olive oil >  1/2 cup chopped walnuts >  1 Tbsp water >  Salt and black pepper to taste

Steps 1. Saute the onions in the oil until golden, so that the sugar comes out. 2. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 10 minutes. 3. Pour into the food processor, and add the walnuts, seasoning and water. 4. Blend until smooth, and then check the seasoning.

Vegan "cheese" cake

Shavuot (Pentecost) is here and we celebrate by eating cheese dishes! I used to make a wonderful cheese cake that I inherited from my mother, but needed to find a vegan alternative. This recipe is by Leah Koenig (http://www.myjewishlearning.com/recipe/vegan-lemon-cheesecake/) and turned out wonderful. If you didn't know you'd think it was made of cheese.

Ingredients >  200 gm (8 oz) petit beurre biscuits >  100 gm (4 oz) marge >  zest of one lemon >  14 oz silken tofu >  200 gm (8 oz) Tofutti tofu spread, cream cheese style >  2/3 cup sugar >  1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice >  1/2 tsp ground ginger >  1/2 tsp vanilla essence >  2 Tblsp cornflour

Steps 1. First make the base of the cake. Grind up the biscuits. 2. Melt the marge, pour the zest and biscuit crumbs into the pot, and mix well. 3. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch cake tin and refrigerate while making the filling. 4. Pre-heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) . 5. In the food processor process the silken tofu and vegan cream cheese until smooth. 6. Add the sugar and process until well combined, approximately 3 minutes. 7. In the meantime, in a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, ginger and vanilla essence. 8. Whisk in the cornflour until all smooth.  9. Pour this mixture into the food processor with the tofu, and blend until smooth. 10. Pour the mixture onto the crumb base. 11. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until set (the center will still be slightly wobbly).  12. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.

Miso Soup

This soup is healthy and tasty. Note that you shouldn't boil the soup once the miso has been added.

Ingredients §  I/2 packet of firm tofu, cubed §  2 Tbsp Wakame (dried seaweed) §  6 scallions, sliced thinly or 1//2 leek halved again and sliced §  1.75 l vegetable stock §  3 shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly §  4 full Tbsp Miso paste §  2 Tbsp Mirin §  1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Steps 1.       Heat the vegetable stock and add the shitake mushrooms. 2.       After about 5 mins, add the tofu and leeks (if used). 3.       Simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the seaweed. 4.       In a small bowl, put in the miso and add ½ cup of the broth. Whisk it until it is a smooth paste. 5.       Turn off the heat under the soup. Add the miso paste to the pot and stir well. 6.       Add the mirin and sesame oil. 7.       Top with green onions (if used) and serve.

Warming Lentil Soup

When we were in Azerbaijan last spring, we ate a really tasty lentil soup. I looked up a basic lentil recipe and added ingredients to get to the remembered taste. It came out tasting delicious, if not as thick as I remembered it.

Ingredients >     1 Tbsp olive oil >     1 large onion chopped >     2 garlic cloves, crushed >      2 carrots, grated >     2  tomatoes, chopped (optional) >     1.7 litre vegetable stock >     2 cups orange lentils >     2 bay leaves >     Salt and freshly ground black pepper >     1/2 tsp mixed herbs  >     1/2 tsp garam masala (optional) >     2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional, but recommended)

Steps 1.     Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, garlic and carrots. 2.    Cover the pot and let them gently cook, on a small flame, for about 5 minutes. 3.    Add the tomatoes, lentils, seasoning and stock. 4.    Bring to the boil, then cover the pot, turn down the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes until the lentils are soft. 5.    Remove the bay leaves, and check the seasoning. 6.    Add about 1 tsp of lemon juice to each plate when serving. Makes 8 portions.

Sweet and Sour Vegetables with Quinoa

I had a sweet potato and some courgettes (zucchini), and wanted to make something interesting. The following recipe is easy and quick to cook; just prepare all the ingredients in advance.

Ingredients >   3 Tblsp olive oil >   1 packet of firm Tofu, cubed >   1 medium onion, halved, thinly sliced and the slices halved >   2 tsp grated or finely chopped ginger >   4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped >   Any vegetables you have, especially something sweet, cut into thin stripes. I used carrots, sweet potato and courgettes zucchini >   3 Tblsp flour >   2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth >   1 tsp cumin >   1/2 tsp turmeric >   Pinch of cinnamon >   2 Tblsp (or more to taste)of lemon juice >   2-3 Tblsp Date syrup, Agave syrup or granulated sugar - I used date syrup >   Salt and freshly ground pepper For the quinoa >   1 cup quinoa >   1/2 tsp turmeric (to colour the quinoa) >   2 cups water

Steps 1.  Prepare all the ingredients as listed. 2.  Heat half the olive oil in a large pan (I use the wok), fry the tofu cubes until lightly brown. 3.  Pour the tofu into a bowl and put aside for later. 4.  prepare the quinoa. Follow these instructions so that you have a really tasty quinoa without any bitterness. a.  Put the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse it vigorously with water, to get rid of the bitterness. Let in drain. b.  Put the drained quinoa, turmeric and water into a saucepan. c.   Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. d.  Turn off the heat and let the quinoa stand for 5 minutes. 5.  In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in  the pan, add the onion and ginger and fry  over a medium heat until translucent. 6.  Add the garlic and vegetables that take longer to cook, and continue frying until the onions are golden. 7.  Lower the heat and cover the pan. Let the vegetables cook until ready. 8.  Sprinkle the flour over the mixture in the pan and quickly stir in. 9.  Add the broth and stir constantly until the liquid thickens. 10.Stir in the turmeric, cumin and cinnamon. 11.Stir in the lemon juice and date/agave syrup. 12.Stir in the tofu, and then the quinoa. 13. Season well and heat through.  14. Check your seasoning and add more salt, pepper, lemon juice or sweet syrup.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Even if I say so myself, this is a delicious vegan dish. It is a combination of my old Cottage Pie recipe and my son's 'Humble Pie', but with important additions.

Ingredients >  1 packet of firm tofu, cubed small >  2 medium onions, chopped >  2 large carrots, chopped very small >  2 Tbsp olive oil >  Salt and freshly ground black pepper >  1 teaspoon Baharat spice mixture. If you don't have this use 1/2 tsp cinnamon with generous pinches of ground nutmeg, pepper, cumin, and coriander. >  1/2 tsp mixed herbs >  1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley >  1 level Tbsp plain flour >  2 Tbsp tomato puree >  275 ml (10 fl oz) hot vegetable stock Tofu Marinade >  1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard >  2 Tbsp soy sauce >  2 Tbsp date syrup (or similar) >  1 clove garlic, crushed >  1 Tbsp water >  1 Tbsp olive oil Topping >  3/4 kg potatoes, peeled >  2 medium leeks, washed and chopped >  3 Tbsp olive oil

Steps 1.  Marinate the tofu for at least half an hour, stirring midway. 2.  Make the topping: a.   Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes. b.  Gently cook the leeks in the olive oil.      c.   Mash the potatoes and add the leeks with their fat, and season to taste with salt and pepper.   3.  Heat the oven to 170°C. 4.  Fry the onions and carrots in the olive oil until the onions are soft. 5.  Add the tofu with its marinade and continue cooking for 10 minutes. 6.  Season with salt and pepper, then add the Baharat spice (or alternative mix), mixed herbs and parsley. 5.  Stir in the flour; mix the tomato puree into the stock and add to the tofu mixture, and bring to simmering point. 7.  Put the tofu mixture into a baking dish. 8.  Spread the potato & leek mixture on top. 9.  Put in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is gaining colour. Serves six.