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.