Tag: almonds

Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

This is a lovely fruity dessert that is super easy to throw together! Strawberry and rhubarb is one of my favourite fruit combinations of all time. The perfect balance of sweet and sour, it’s super delicious!

Prep time: ~1 hour
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

For the fruit filling:

  • 2 cups rhubarb, diced.
  • 3 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters.
  • 3/4 cup sugar.
  • 2 tsp lemon juice.

For the crumble topping:

  • 1/3 cup flour.
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter or margarine, cold, cut into small cubes.
  • 1/2 cup oats.
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds.
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar.
  • 1 tsp cinnamon.

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C.

Grease a casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine the fruit, sugar, and lemon juice, then tumble it into the casserole dish, spreading it out evenly.

In another bowl, mix the flour and the butter together, either using your fingers or two knives, until you get a breadcrumb-like consistency. Add in the oats, almonds, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and mix well. Sprinkle the crumble topping generously over the fruit mixture.

Pop the casserole dish in the oven for 40-45 minutes, until the crumble topping is crisp and golden and the fruit is soft. If you’re worried about the fruit bubbling over and making a mess in the oven, place the casserole dish on a baking sheet, or line the bottom of the oven with aluminum foil!

Serve warm, with vegan ice cream or whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!

Curried Eggplant and Chickpeas

Not a traditional curry in the least, but it’s yummy! The chickpeas add a nice amount of protein to this dish. This is also quite a quick meal to make, so it’s good for a weekday!

Prep time: ~25 minutes
Gluten-free
Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed to remove excess starch.
  • 1 tbsp olive oil.
  • 1 onion, finely chopped.
  • 1 can whole tomatoes, sliced, with the juice reserved.
  • 1 Chinese eggplant, cut into half moons.
  • 1 1/2 tsp curry powder.
  • 1 cup vegetable stock or water.
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
  • 1 large handful fresh basil, shredded.
  • Hot sauce, to taste.
  • Salt and pepper, to taste.
Cooking Instructions:
Place your rice in a rice cooker with the appropriate amount of water, a little bit of oil, and some salt, and turn it on.
If you don’t have a rice cooker, then place the rice in a pot with 1 1/2 cups water, a little bit of oil, and some salt, and bring to a boil.
Stir the rice once, then cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the water is absorbed, and then take the pot off the heat. Let it stand, covered, for about 5 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and fragrant.
Then stir in the tomatoes, eggplant, and curry powder. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.
Next, add the stock/water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and hot sauce (if you’re using it), and cook until they’re warmed through.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the basil. Fluff the rice with a fork, and serve the vegetables on a bed of rice. Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable and Chickpea Tagine

Tagines are wonderful. They’re a North African stew, named after the kind of pot you cook them in. I don’t own one, but my parents do, so here’s a picture of theirs:

Tagine dish

Very pretty, right?

If you don’t have a tagine pot, don’t run out and buy one unless you really want to. You can just as easily make this dish using a large pot!

This dish is traditionally served with couscous, but if you can’t eat gluten, use quinoa or buckwheat instead. If you don’t drink, use some vegetable stock and a splash of vinegar to imitate the effect the wine will have on the dish.

Prep time: ~70 minutes
Gluten-free (if serving without couscous)
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • ~350 g small potatoes, cut into chunks.
  • 1 bulb of fennel, trimmed, and sliced into chunks.
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled if desired, cut into chunks.
  • 1 bell pepper (red, orange or yellow), seeds removed and cut into chunks.
  • 1 large onion (red onion is best), cut into chunks.
  • 4 tbsp olive oil.
  • 1 tsp ground cumin.
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds.
  • 1 tsp ground coriander.
  • 3 cloves garlic, roughly minced.
  • 1 can whole tomatoes, sliced, with the juice reserved.
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins.
  • 1 cup red wine.
  • zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 1 large cinnamon stick.
  • Slivered almonds to garnish (optional).

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400ºF (approx 200ºC). Place the potatoes, fennel, carrot, bell pepper, and onion in a large roasting tray (lined with foil if you want easy cleanup) with 3 tbsp of the olive oil, the cumin, coriander, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper, then toss everything well until the vegetables are thoroughly coated.

Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes, stirring twice to make sure they cook evenly, until the potatoes are cooked through.

Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium heat and add the last 1 tbsp of olive oil. When hot, fry the garlic until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, raisins, chickpeas, wine, orange zest and juice, wine, and the cinnamon stick. Bring the whole thing to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for about 20 minutes.

When the vegetables are done roasting, add them to the pot and stir well. Bring the tagine back to a simmer and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

While the tagine is simmering, it’s the perfect time to roast off some slivered almonds and prepare some couscous. Place a small frying pan on low heat and add your slivered almonds. Toast them, stirring frequently to prevent them from burning, until they’re a nice golden colour. For the couscous, your best bet is probably to follow the directions on the package. I do recommend adding a little salt and olive oil to the water for a little seasoning, though!

Serve the tagine on top of a bed of couscous (or couscous substitute), and sprinkle the slivered almonds on top. Enjoy!

Garam Masala Coconut Green Beans

A delicious side dish I learned from my father. Goes very nicely with spicy food, especially curries. Again, I won’t claim that this is authentic, because it absolutely isn’t. Quite a healthy dish, with no added fats.

Prep time: ~20 minutes
Gluten-free
Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • Raw green beans, halved, with the ends cut off.
  • 1 tin coconut milk.
  • 2 tsp garam masala.
  • Slivered almonds.
  • Salt and pepper, to taste.

Cooking Instructions:

Place the green beans in a large saucepan or pot, and pour in just enough coconut milk to nearly submerge them. This won’t be the whole can! Save the rest.

Add the garam masala, and stir well. Cook on medium-low heat, simmering the beans in the coconut milk until done. If the coconut milk is too thick, or boils away too quickly, add a small amount of water (1 or 2 tsp at a time) so the beans don’t burn.

In a small frying pan on medium-low heat,, with no oil, toast the slivered almonds. They should be lightly browned and crispy. Serve the beans piping hot, and garnish with the almonds.