MalS Vegan Eats

I will admit that my soup photo could look 'prettier', however my blender just died and so I took this moment to be kind to the planet, and instead 'pureed' my soup using some good old-fashioned elbow grease and my ancient potato masher, like they did in the 'good ole days'.

And I realised something else in the process, that there really is no need to 'pretty' up anything in life. Everything is always as it should be...already 'pretty' and perfect.

This soup recipe is one of my favouritest, amazingest, awesomest, most flavoursome recipes and I enjoy eating it immensely, so much so that I could eat, and eat, and eat it every single day if need be...and it always tastes amazing no matter what it looks like.

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500g Sweet Potato (Peeled, Diced)

3 Cloves Garlic (Peeled, Crushed)

1 Onion (Diced)

2 Red Chillies (Diced)

2 Carrots (Peeled, Diced)

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

2 x 400g Can Butter Beans (Drained)

500mL Water

2 Teaspoons Vegan Stock

200mL Soy Milk

¼ Bunch Coriander

200g Soy Yoghurt (Plain, Unfortified)

4-Slices Sourdough Bread - To Serve

Place sweet potato, garlic, onion, chilli (I omit this ingredient as I am not a lover of hot spice or chilli, and instead substitute by adding a very, very small dash of chilli powder later on in this recipe), and carrots on a tray and mix with the oil. Roast in oven on 180C until tender. Once roasted, add to a large saucepan along with butter beans, water, and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes.

Add soy milk, (and the very, very small dash of chilli powder if, like me, that's your preference) and blend to a smooth puree (I had to mash mine as the blender died), then return to heat.

Lastly, remove from heat and mix in the fresh coriander and soy yoghurt as desired. Can also be frozen and eaten at a later date.

Serve with crusty sourdough bread if that's your comfort.

Vegan Lentil Shepherds Pie - Serves 4

This is the perfect vegan alternative for when I'm feeling nostalgic inside about the 'good ole days', farming country, and my Nans Shepherds Pie on a cold and rainy winter's night x

Topping:

500g Potatoes (Peeled, Diced)

500g Swede (Peeled, Diced)

50g Vegan Spread

Black Pepper, To Taste

Filling:

200g Green Lentils (Cooked)

1 Onion

2 Carrots (Peeled, Diced)

2 Parsnips (Peeled, Diced)

2 Teaspoons Garlic Puree

1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

1 Teaspoon Onion Granules

1 Tablespoon Low-Salt Vegan Stock

400g Can Chopped Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Tomato Puree

2 x 420g Can Four-Bean Mix

Black Pepper, To Taste

Place potatoes and swede into saucepan of cold water, bring to simmer and cook until tender. Drain. Roughly mash potato and swede together, mix in vegan spread, and season to taste.

Place lentils, onion, carrot, and parsnip into saucepan and cover with water. Bring to simmer and cook until lentils are becoming tender. Drain off excess water, leaving a small amount in saucepan. Add remainder of ingredients to lentils, return to heat and bring to simmer.

Place all the mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with potato and swede mix. Cook in oven on 180C for 25 minutes until topping is golden and crispy.

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No-one will ever believe Nan didn't make this x

Corn and Mushroom Empanadas - Makes 24 Empanadas

If you want the easy, no-fuss way - Pampas Puff Pastry sheets are confirmed Vegan, otherwise, home-made from scratch as follows:

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Dough:

½ Cup Raw Cashews

1 Cup Potato Flour

½ Cup Whole-Wheat Flour

½ Teaspoon Sea Salt

Filling:

3 Cups White Mushrooms (Trimmed, Roughly Chopped)

1 Brown Onion (Finely Diced)

1 Red Capsicum (Seeded, Diced)

2 Garlic Cloves (Minced)

3 Cups Corn Kernels (Fresh or Frozen)

2 Tablespoons White Miso Paste

2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

3 Cups Fresh Spinach (Chopped)

Sea Salt

1 Cup Fresh Coriander (Finely Chopped)

To Make The Dough:

Soak cashews in ½ cup hot water for 20 minutes. Transfer cashews and soaking liquid to a blender or food processor; blend until creamy. In a food processor fitted with a dough blade or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine cashew “cream”, potato flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, and 1½ cups water; mix to a smooth dough, adding water if needed to make the dough come together. Using a spatula, scoop the dough into a large bowl; let it stand for 15 minutes.

To Make The Filling:

In a large pan, combine mushrooms, onion, capsicum and garlic, and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion are translucent and the water from the mushrooms has cooked off. Add corn, miso, cumin, cayenne, and pepper, and cook 5 minutes more. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Add salt to taste. Transfer filling to a large bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in coriander. Preheat oven to 180C. Line baking tray with baking paper.

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Preparing The Dough:

Clean, flat surface to roll out dough, rolling pin, pastry brush, and a bowl of all-purpose flour for dusting. Lightly dust the work surface with flour, transfer the dough onto the floured surface, and knead until smooth. Scoop 1 generous tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat with remaining dough until you have 24 balls. Re-dust work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll a dough ball in flour, and use the rolling pin to flatten it into an approx 4-inch disk, dusting with more flour as needed. Repeat until you have all disks.

Creating Empanadas:

Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling onto the middle of each disk. Fold the dough in half, press the edges together to seal, and crimp edges using the tines of a fork. (Dust fingers or fork with flour if the dough is to sticky). Place on baking-paper lined baking tray once completed. Repeat until all empanadas have been created. Brush each empanada lightly with vegan spread. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove baking tray from the oven and increase the heat to 200C. Flip the empanadas using a thin spatula and brush other side with vegan spread. Return empanadas to oven, and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Let empanadas cool for 5 minutes and then serve warm.