ES’S VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH VEGAN GANACHE
500 ml cake flour
100 g Rodelle baking cocoa (I love using Rodelle with its rich flavor, and you have a nice dark chocolate cake due to the dark Dutch cocoa)
10 ml baking soda
5 ml baking powder
pinch of salt
450 ml original coconut milk (Silk)
10 ml white vinegar
320 g sugar in the raw – Natural Turbinado Sugar
320 ml VOO (Virgin Olive Oil)
10 ml vanilla extract
Vegan Chocolate Ganache250 g Organic Vegan Chocolate: – I used Green&Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate with 70% Cocoa
150 ml original coconut milk (Silk)
Any fresh berries to decorate (strawberries, raspberry or cherries) or any combination.
Cake:
Preheat the oven to 315°F and line a 9-inch spring form cake tin with baking paper, and grease the sides.
Mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Mix with a hand whisk till smooth and no lumps visible.
In a separate bowl, mix the milk, vinegar, sugar, oil, and vanilla and whisk till sugar dissolved and all combine.
Mix the wet and dry mixture together and by using a hand whisk mix till smooth.
Pour the mixture in your spring form cake tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn off the oven, and leave for another 5 minutes in the cooling oven.
Place your pan (with the cake) on a wire cooling rack and let it cool down.
After about 10-15 minutes you can open the spring form pan and take out the cake and remove the base of the pan, and leave the cake on a wire rack till cold and ready for decorating.
Ganache:
Cut the chocolate into small pieces. I used a large knife and cut the chocolate slabs into small pieces. Less mess and very easy.
Combine the milk and chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute on high (the time will depend on the wattage of your microwave). Be careful, do not cook the milk and chocolate.
Use a metal spoon and stir till chocolate melted and you have a smooth consistency.
Set aside and let the mixture cool down for an hour or two, till thickened but still pourable.
Pour the cooled and thickened ganache over the cake and let is run down the sides, or spread as you will do with regular frosting.
Decorate with berries and fruit, get creative and enjoy!
Photo and recipe, tried and tested by: Esme Slabbert

VEGAN OATCAKES

Ingredients:

(Makes between 10-12, depending on thickness of cakes.)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cup oat flour (can be made by blending old fashioned oats until they are a coarse flour)
1 tbsp. almond butter or coconut oil
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin spice blend
1/3 cup non-dairy milk or water (I used a blend of almond and coconut milk.)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp. coconut nectar
cinnamon and almond slices for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients then add to dry ingredients and stir thoroughly.
4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Flatten dough between 1/4-1/2″. Cut into circles using a biscuit or cookie cutter. Press almond slices onto oat cakes (optional). Garnish with cinnamon (optional).
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until oat cakes easily lift off the parchment. Allow cakes to cool on a wire rack. Serve, and enjoy!

Bron en foto: Mary Hood Luttrell

PARATA
Resep en foto:  Adele Yslie
FOOD LOVERS RECIPES

Ek meet met die oog en kook op gevoel so julle moet self ook oordeel.
2 koppies bruin broodmeel
knippie sout, uiepoeier en knoffelpoeier
vars roosmaryn, baie fyn gekap, opsioneel
4 eetlepels vloeibare klapper olie
warm water uit ketel

Meng die droë bestanddele saam en voeg die olie en net genoeg water by om ‘n bal te vorm.
Knie die deeg goed deur.
Vorm die deeg in ‘n wurm en sny dit in wiele.
Rol elke wiel uit op ‘n meel bestrooide oppervlakte. Droogbak die deeg in ‘n warm pan op die stoof.
Spat water met jou vingers op die parata terwyl dit bak, dit sal “bubbles” maak.
Bak tot dit net net bruin of gaar is, anders is dit nie buigbaar nie.
Jy kan dit met enige iets vul. Ek het ‘n braaigroente gemaak met vegan mayo en rissiesous.

VEGETARIAN STIR FRIED PUMPKIN SHOOTS
I ate these for the first time when I was 4 years old.
Next time you growing pumpkin do not throw away the good parts.
Servings: 4
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp cooking oil
700 g pumpkin shoot

The very tip of a shoot (first 40 mm), the flesh is tender and requires no peeling, but the other end (closer to the roots) requires it. You will be cutting the tender part of the shoots 40 mm long parts. Start at the tip, remove and discard any tendrils, cut 40 mm from the very tip and place in a container. Remove fuzzy skin below by taking a little piece and peeling down toward the other end. A big long piece of skin should come off. Go all around until all the fuzz is gone.
Cut another 40 mm when the peel is removed. Remove any leaves that are open and big, they will resemble sand paper. The young and unopened leaves are tender and great. Keep the baby pumpkins. Repeat the process until you reach the end. Toward this end, the shoots can be fibrous and old; discard any that seem too tough.
The weight ratio of cut and cleaned shoots to waste is consistently 1 to 1. My bundle weighs around 700 g, I seem to always get exactly 300 g of the cleaned shoots.
If you are storing the shoots for later use, do not rinse now. Rinse before cooking to keep the shoots fresh longer.
When you are ready to cook, rinse the shoots and drain the water out. You want the shoots to be as dry as possible so that they are cooked in oil, not steamed in water.
Chop 3 cloves of garlic. Place garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt on top of the shoots. When the wok is ready, everything will go in at once.
Cooking: This takes just 2 minutes. Heat your wok or pan up to be very hot. I let my wok sit on the fire for 5 minutes. When your wok is ready, add 3 tablespoons of oil. When you see smoke, put the shoots, garlic and salt in all at once. Stir around so that salt is evenly distributed and the shoots get a chance to cook. Your pumpkin shoots should be ready in 2 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.
Recipe posted by – Philip Reineke

VEGETARIESE HERDERSPASTEI
50 g sampioene gesny
3 knoffeltoontjies
500 g gemengde bevrore groente
1 blik tamaties
15 ml origanum
80 ml room
1 blik botterbone gedreineer sout en peper
kapokaartappels vir bo-op

Stel oond op 190ºC.
Roerbraai al die groente en prut vir ‘n rukkie, roer room by.
Bone kan fyngemaak word as jy dit verkies.
Voeg die groente mengsel in diep oondskottel, skep fyn aartappel bo-oor en bak so 25 min.
Lekker met volkoring brood en slaai.
Resep geplaas: Maude Kate Potgieter Bester

SPICED SIMMERED CORN

INGREDIENTS
1/2 kg cooked sweet corn kernels and baby corn
2 Tbsp fresh grated coconut
1″ ginger
4 green chillies
4 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
10-12 curry leaves
125 ml milk
2 Tbsp whipped curd
Chopped coriander to garnish

METHOD
Reserve 200 ml cooking liquid from the corn.
Grind coconut, green chillies, ginger and coriander together. Add to the corn liquid.
Heat oil. Toss in mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Add the paste to the pan. Heat through. Add cooked corn, milk and curd. Cook for 7-10 minutes.
Serve hot.

SOURCE/PHOTO: Roopa Gulati

BUTTERNUT PASTA
(hoeveelhede aanpasbaar)
Rooster butternut blokkies in die oond tot sag, kook 500 g pasta tot al dente en meng met die butternut en plaas eenkant.
Meng:
250 ml suurroom (ek gebruik Greek yoghurt)
400 ml melk
1 pakkie knoffel en kruie “potato bake” of enige geur
Giet die melkmengsel oor die pasta mengsel, strooi bietjie rooi peper oor en sprinkel kaas oor. Bak 30 minute in die oond tot lekker warm, kaas gesmelt en bruin bo-op.
Resep geplaas: Suneth van Rensburg

LENTIL CURRY (www.foodloversrecipes.com)
Ingredients
1 pack of brown lentils cooked till soft and tender . ( 35 minutes)
10-15 pieces of beef or lamb .
3-4 medium onions chopped finely
6-8 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped finely
3 cardamom pods
3 stick cinnamon
1 tablespoon of salt
2 teaspoons of turmeric
3 tablespoons of roasted masala
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of vinegar.
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Method
In a heated large pot add your oil , meat, onions , garlic , cinnamon, salt and cardamom … Braise till meat and onions are golden brown .. Now add 1 cup of boiling water and turn heat down to medium and allow water to cook away .. Stirring occasionally .. Repeat this process of add hot water and cooking slowly until your meat is almost tender , Beef will take about an hour and lamb about 45 minutes . Now add your masala , turmeric and sugar . Braise meat with a little warm water ( 2 tablespoons ) and stir cooking away the little water and allowing spices too cook and permeate into meat … Repeat this process about 5 times always stirring . Now add your cooked lentils and stir , cook on high heat for about 10 minutes , remembering to stir . Now add 1 cup of hot water and cook on a low to medium heat for half an hour – stirring occasionally otherwise lentils will stick to bottom of the pot .
Now switch off heat and allow lentil curry to sit for 15-20 minutes before serving with rice and onion salad . Delicious !!!
This is one of my all time favorite meals and very healthy for you
Delicious
Recipe : Fatima Sydow
Posted and photo: Amanda Conradie

Note from Amanda:
My version of Fatima’s Lentil Curry. I only added some potatoes, less lentils and then some chili flakes as I felt it didn’t have enough bite. What a wonderful dish

VEGGIE CHICKPEA SALAD – VEGAN
2 cans of chickpeas, rinse off the chickpeas and drain them
2 small green onions, chopped into small pieces
½ cucumber, sliced and halved
2 tablespoons chopped basil and cilantro (did not have fresh cilantro, so skipped it)
cherry tomatoes, halved
2 beet, thinly sliced and then steamed
8 asparagus, steamed and sliced into bite size
Add the following, if available:
Place everything on a bed of shredded lettuce
1 small handful sun-dried tomatoes
1 sweet potato, sliced and steamed
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, cut into small pieces

Salad:
Rinse the chickpeas, and let it drip dry.
Chop green onion, or use a scissor to cut it into small pieces.
Slice cucumber and half each slice.
Chop basil and cilantro or use the scissors here as well.
Half the cherry tomatoes.
Peel the beet and slice into thin slices and steam to slightly soft, not overly done – still need some crunch.
Cut off the hard stems of the asparagus and slice into bite size pieces and also steam to crunchy.

Should you prefer to use any of the additional ingredients, cut sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces.
Peel the Sweet potato and slice into thin slices and steam to slightly soft, not overly done – still need some crunch.
Cut the red and green peppers into slivers and then into 1/3’s.

You can pack layers of those ingredients you wish to use, and then toss or just leave in layers.
Place into the fridge to cool down and till ready to use.

Avocado Dressing:
½ avocado
1 spiralized zucchini
1 tablespoon Tahini paste
sea salt and pepper, to taste

I added some VOO and cider vinegar when I blended the dressing, in order to get a softer and smooth mixture. Serve with salad.
Note: Late this afternoon, when I wanted to use the left over for dinner, I added some thinly sliced steamed yam (sweet potato) and extra steamed asparagus.
As for the dressing, I added some milk to make it thinner and its perfect, more like a dressing than a spread, which I prefer.
Served with yummy single serving seed bread.
Esms’s own combination of a number of old favourites
Recipe and photo: Esme Slabs

BLACK BEAN ONION PILAF – VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE

INGREDIENTS
1 medium red onion, chopped (reserve 2 tbsp, finely chopped, for topping)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
4-5 crimini (or button) mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup bell pepper, chopped (optional)
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup brown rice (jasmine, long grain, short grain, basmati)
1 cup greens, chopped (swiss chard, kale, collard greens, or spinach)
½ cup green onions or chives, chopped
1½ cups black beans, cooked (1 can is ok, rinse and drain well)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional, but tasty)
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon medium-high heat oil of choice
In a deep skillet, add tablespoon of oil and saute onion, garlic, mushrooms, pepper, and carrot for 2-3 minutes.
Add rice and stir 30 seconds until glossy.
Add vegetable broth or water, bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 20-30 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked.
Add chives and greens to pan, along with black beans, salt, chili powder, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice.
Stir well and cover for 1 min to let beans and greens heat through.
Plate and top with finely chopped red onion. Enjoy!

Source: Esme’s archive