Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Jackets
Posted on July 2, 2013 by The Gourmet Vegan - No Comments
Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Jackets
Here is another wonderful baked potato recipe for you. Caramelised onions, chickpeas, tomato, potato, and all brought together with a combination of aromatic spices. Quick, easy and absolutely delicious. This is perfect as a side dish to any meals or even as a light snack served with a salad.
 0 Minutes |
 Serves 1-2 |
 ? kcal per serving |
INGREDIENTS
1 large baking potato
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon oil, for frying onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
120 g ( 1/2 a tin ) chickpeas
oil for drizzling
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius ( 400 F ) Gas Mark 6.
1 Rub the potato over with the oil and sea salt and place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for around 45-50 minutes, turning occasionally, until the potato is cooked through but not too crisp.
Whilst the potato is cooking, you can start preparing the filling.
2 Fry the onion and garlic in a frying pan over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for a further 5-6 minutes until the onions have started to caramelise. Add a little water if the onions become too dry.
3 Add the tomato and spices. Stir well, cook for 30 seconds and then add all the other ingredients. Continue to cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the mixture is cooked through and not too dry. Leave to one side until the potato has finished baking.
4 When the potato is ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, cut in half, and scoop out the flesh from both halves. Be sure to keep the shells intact.
5 Add the potato to the chickpea, tomato and onion mixture and mash lightly, to break down the chickpeas and potato but still keeping some texture.
6 Place the mixture equally into the potato shells, drizzle with oil, and place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the filling is hot and the top has slightly browned.
RECIPE NOTES
RECIPE TIPS
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The Gourmet Vegan ‘Can’t tell the difference’ Quiche
Posted on June 14, 2013 by The Gourmet Vegan - No Comments
The Gourmet Vegan “Can’t tell the difference” Quiche
Called the “Can’t tell the difference” quiche because this is indeed as close in both taste and texture as a dairy based quiche. I have never missed eggs, in fact, even before becoming vegan they were something i ate very infrequently, but I did miss the light and fluffy texture of a quiche.
Making this quiche was not something I had been planning on doing. I had not been working for weeks experimenting and this quiche is only in existence by chance because I happened to change channels on the TV by accident. As I flicked over, a programme on Burmese cooking was just finishing, but i happened to catch the last recipe. It was a recipe for Chickpea Tofu.
Never having heard of Chickpea Tofu, I reached straight for my tablet and googled it. What I found was the most incredible recipe by Cate at Girl Cooks World. I made her recipe (great in a stir-fry) and started to think about the process of making the dish which calls for mixing chickpea flour with water to form a thick and glossy mix and allowing to cool. Being inquisitive as I am, I started to think if there were other uses for this mixture and this led me to stage 2 of the making of my quiche.
Still researching Chickpea Tofu I then came across another recipe on the website I-40 Kitchen, and a posting by Vegan MoFo – Chick-Fu Reloaded. Reading through this post there was a mention of the writer liking to use this mixture in quiches, and being a huge lover of quiche, this was what caught my eye. I tried to use the original recipe as a base for a quiche but it just didn’t seem to work, there was something missing, the taste, texture, there was just something not quite right.
I went back to the drawing board with all the ideas from these other wonderful writers, played with the recipe a little, added other textures and flavours and finally came up with what I am sure you will agree is the most wonderful “can’t tell the difference” quiche.
| 1 Hr 30 Minutes |
Serves 4 |
? kcal per serving |
INGREDIENTS
1 batch Shortcrust pastry, enough to line a quiche dish. Can be home made but I used Jus-Rol
300 g ( 10 oz ) cauliflower, chopped into small florets
2 teaspoons groundnut oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
For the quiche mixture
1 cup ( 105 g ) chickpea flour ( This cannot be substituted for any other kind of flour )
2.5 cups ( 600 ml ) water
1 vegetable stock cube ( A cube that makes 500 ml stock ~ I used Kallo )
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons ( 10 g ) nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon black salt ( Kala Namak ), this is optional but it will give more of a taste of egg if used or 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
Other Ingredients
4-5 slices of tomato for garnishing
Melted vegan margarine for brushing.
METHOD
Note : Please read through this recipe before making the quiche to be sure the directions are followed correctly.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius ( 400 F ) Gas Mark 6.
Begin by roasting the cauliflower. Place in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of the oil and the 1/4 teaspoon salt and coat well. Place on a foiled baking tray and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until softened and slightly charred. Remove and put to one side.
Whilst the cauliflower is roasting, add the other teaspoon of oil to a frying pan and fry the onions, with a pinch of salt, for 3-4 minutes until they start to caramelise. Add the peppers and continue to cook on a low heat for 7-8 minutes until the onions are very caramelised and the peppers have softened. Put to one side.
Line an oiled quiche dish with the pastry, prick the bottom with a fork and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and put to one side as you prepare the filling.
Now prepare the quiche filling.
In a bowl add the chickpea flour and one of the cups of water. Whisk this together well and put this to one side.
In a wide bottomed saucepan, add the final 1.5 cups of water and the stock cube, nutritional yeast, turmeric, sage and black salt (or the sea salt). Bring to the boil.
When the water comes to the boil, slowly pour in the chickpea mixture and stir continuously.
Once all the mixture has been combined, lower the heat and continue to stir continuously for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes quite thick and glossy.
Add in the cauliflower and the vegetables and combine everything well. This will be a very solid mixture.
Pour into the prepared pastry case, leveling with a spatula, and top with the sliced tomatoes.
Put into the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the top with some melted vegan margarine and place back into the oven for a further 5 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool completely before serving. Can be served warm or cold. If you are serving warm, then allow to cool and reheat in the oven for 5 minutes.
SOURCE YOUR INGREDIENTS
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RECIPE NOTES
IMPORTANT ! The chickpea ( gram ) flour cannot be substituted with any other flour. This recipe only works if the correct flour is used.
RECIPE TIPS
Read well before starting the recipe, and then read again and then once more. This recipe needs to be followed to the letter for the incredible results you will get from your finished quiche !
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Spaghetti Moroccan Style with Spinach and Walnut Pesto
Posted on June 11, 2013 by The Gourmet Vegan - No Comments
Spaghetti Moroccan Style with Spinach and Walnut Pesto
This is such a wonderful dish and one that I have been meaning to put together for a long time. I originally used this concept to create a pasta bake, but the end result was always too heavy and I was looking for something fresh and light that would not feel complicated on the palate. Not over cooking the Moroccan vegetables and then combining with a fresh tasting pesto and adding to freshly cooked spaghetti allows for the most amazing spaghetti dish you will ever taste.
| 30 Minutes |
Serves 2 |
? kcal per serving |
INGREDIENTS
150-200 g ( 6-7 oz ) dried or fresh egg free spaghetti (use more or less depending on how much or how little spaghetti you like), cooked to packet instructions
For the Spinach and Walnut Pesto
100 g ( 4 oz ) fresh spinach
40 g ( 1.5 oz ) toasted walnuts
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 large clove garlic
1/4 cup groundnut oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Moroccan Vegetables
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 handful green beans, sliced and chopped
120 g ( 5 oz ) tinned or freshly cooked chickpeas
14 green olives
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1 large tomato, chopped
30 g ( 1 oz ) fresh spinach leaves
Handful of fresh rocket leaves (arugula)
METHOD
Start by preparing the pesto.
1. Place all of the pesto ingredients in a processor and process until smooth but still with a slight texture. Remove and put to one side for using later.
2. Next start cooking the spaghetti. I personally like my spaghetti with a bite, but cook it to how you like it. Do not drain the spaghetti until ready to complete the dish as you will also be using some of the cooking liquid.
Whilst the spaghetti is cooking, prepare the rest of the dish.
3. In a frying pan, over a medium heat, fry the onions, bell pepper and green beans, plus a pinch of salt, in the vegetable oil for 4-5 minutes. Stir occasionally to be sure the onions do not catch.
4. Now add all of the other ingredients except for the fresh spinach and rocket and add 10 tablespoons of the cooking liquid from the spaghetti.
5. Continue to cook for a further 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still have a nice bite. Add the pesto and cook for another minute to warm through.
6. Drain the spaghetti and return to the pan along with the vegetable mixture, combine well and cook lightly to heat through. Just before serving toss in the fresh spinach, chopped tomato and garnish with the fresh rocket.
RECIPE NOTES
Substituting the chickpeas for white beans, such as butter beans, works very well.
RECIPE TIPS
Remember to toss in the fresh spinach and chopped tomato, just before serving.
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