Easy Vegan Cooking: Over 350 delicious recipes for every ocassion. Leah Leneman
Mix the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and lemon juice in a small bowl. Slice the bananas and mix gently into the lemon mixture.
2) Heat a frying pan and add a little vegetable oil. Fry each of the crêpes on both sides, and spread them with melted margarine and some of the banana mixture. Keep everything warm.
3) Serve the crêpes sprinkled with icing (powdered) or finely ground raw cane sugar. Garnish with lemon wedges.
Blintzes
This is a vegan version of a traditional Jewish dish (makes 15–20 blintzes). Serve them topped with additional sugar and yogurt or vegan sour cream.
Crêpe batter made from 250g/½ lb/2 cups
wholewheat flour (see above)
455g/l lb/2 cups tofu
2 tbs soya (soy) yogurt plus additional
as required
or 225g/½ lb/1 cup tofu and 225g/½ lb/1 cup
vegan cream cheese
2 tbs raw cane sugar plus additional
as required
1 tsp vanilla essence
As required vegan margarine
1) Put the tofu into a tea towel (dish towel) and squeeze to extract the water. Transfer the dry tofu to a mixing bowl. Stir in the yogurt (or cream cheese, if using), sugar and vanilla essence.
2) Fry each pancake in margarine on one side only. Fill with the tofu mixture on the cooked side and roll up.
3) When all the pancakes are filled, heat a little margarine in the frying pan and fry the blintzes, turning them so that they are lightly browned on both sides.
Tofu French Toast
‘French toast’ is actually American, traditionally made with an eggy batter. Tofu gives the same effect. Serve with maple syrup, or jam, or a mixture of raw cane sugar and cinnamon.
340g/12 oz/1½ cups soft or medium tofu 230ml/8 fl oz/1 cup water 4 tbs vegetable oil Pinch sea salt 1 tsp vanilla essence 3–4 tsp raw cane sugar 8 slices wholewheat bread As required margarine for frying
1) Put the tofu. water, oil, salt, vanilla and sugar in a liquidizer and blend thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl, and dip the slices of bread in it.
2) Heat a little margarine in a frying pan, and fry the bread over a moderate heat until browned on both sides.
Nutty French Toast
This is a variant on the traditional French toast. Serve with the same toppings.
55g/2 oz/1/3 cup cashews 55g/2 oz/1/3 cup almonds 285ml/½ pt/11/3 cups soya (soy) milk 8 slices wholewheat bread As required vegan margarine or vegetable oil
1) Grind the cashews and almonds in a liquidizer. Add the milk and blend thoroughly.
2) Pour the nut and milk mixture into a shallow bowl and dip the bread slices in it.
3) Heat the margarine or oil and fry the coated bread, turning once so that it is golden brown on both sides. Serve immediately.
Queen Scones
Scones are a close relation to American biscuits.
255g/9 oz/21/4 cups wholewheat flour 2 tsp baking powder Pinch sea salt 45g/1½ oz/ 3 tbs raw cane sugar 60ml/2 fl oz/1/4 cup vegetable oil 85g/3 oz/½ cup sultanas (golden seedless raisins) 115g/4 oz/½ cup medium or soft tofu 120ml/4 fl oz/½ cup water
1) Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Mix well. Stir in the oil and then the sultanas (golden seedless raisins).
2) Put tofu and water in a liquidizer and blend well. Pour into the dry mixture and stir well.
3) Turn out on to a floured board, roll the dough out and cut it into scones. Place the scones on an oiled baking sheet and bake at 425°F/220°C/Gas Mark 7 for 15 minutes.
Treacle Scones
225g/½ lb/2 cups wholewheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground allspice
55g/2 oz/1/3 cup raw cane sugar 55g/2 oz/1/4 cup vegan margarine 1 tbs black treacle or molasses 140ml/1/4 pt/2/3 cup soya (soy) milk
1) Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Rub in the margarine.
2) Soften the treacle a little and add it with the milk to make a fairly soft dough. Turn on to a floured board, roll out to about ½ inch thick, and cut into rounds.
3) Place the scones on a greased baking tray and bake in a hot oven 425°F/220°C/Gas Mark 7 for 10–15 minutes.
Potato Scones
455g/l lb potatoes
½ tsp sea salt
115g/4 oz/1 cup wholewheat flour
1) Cook the potatoes (or use leftover cooked potatoes). Peel and mash them.
2) Add the salt and flour to the potatoes and knead the mixture. Roll it out thinly on a floured board and cut into rounds or triangles.
3) Bake in a very hot oven 500°F/240°C/Gas Mark 9 for 10 minutes, turning the scones after 5 minutes.
4) Serve warm with golden syrup or jam.
Lentil and Barley Soup
The combination of lentil and pot barley (the unrefined version of pearl barley) makes this a high-protein, sustaining soup, perfect for a winter day. It is also good for slimmers as it is fat free.
115g/4 oz/2/1 cup brown lentils
50g/2 oz/1/3 cup pot barley 1 large onion 2 sticks celery 2 carrots 1140ml/2 pts/5 cups water 2 tsp dried mixed herbs 1 tbs miso
1) Cover the lentils and barley with boiling water and leave to soak for a few hours or overnight. Drain well and rinse thoroughly.
2) Chop all the vegetables finely.
3) Mix together the lentils, barley and chopped vegetables and cover them with water. Bring to the boil, adding the herbs.
4) Simmer for 30–40 minutes until the lentils and barley are tender. Remove a little of the liquid and mix thoroughly with miso until smooth. Return this to the saucepan, mix thoroughly and serve. (Miso is quite salty, but extra salt can be added if desired.)
Avocado Vichyssoise
This is an unusual variant on an old favourite. Suitable for a dinner party.
3 leeks
1 large onion
2 tbs vegetable margarine
455g/l lb potatoes
850ml/1½ pts/3¾ cups water
½ vegetable stock cube
1 avocado
140ml/1/4 pt/2/3