Mains, RECIPES, Sides, Uncategorized

Creamy Mushroom Rice

*Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS⠀
3 tbsp olive oil⠀⠀
1 tsp dried whole thyme
1/2 tsp ground dried sage
2 shallots finely cut
5 large garlic cloves, minced⠀⠀
1 1/2 cups white rice⠀⠀
680 gr white mushrooms, sliced coarsely (you can also use portobello or shiitake)⠀⠀
4 cups vegetable stock, plus if needed⠀⠀
2 tbsp tahini *this is what gives it its creamyness 🙂
Fresh lemon juice of 1 small lemon
Salt and pepper to taste⠀⠀

INSTRUCTIONS⠀⠀
1. In a large pot, heat olive oil and saute the shallots and garlic.

2. After 5 minutes, stir in mushrooms, rice, and dried herbs, then fry until the mushrooms have released some of their water.

3. Pour in the vegetable stock, stir in the tahini and cover the pot. simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, until the rice is cooked through.

4. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon the juice.

There ! you’ve made yourself a bowl of yummy flavourful rice !

Cristina for Peas and Peace

Desserts, RECIPES

Baked Cinnamon & Sugar Coated Donuts

* Makes 12

Ingredients

1 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of soya milk
1 tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vegan butter (Melted)
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Neutral oil spray to coat the donut pan

Coating

1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 cup vegan butter (Melted)

Directions for the donuts

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a donut pan with the oil spray.
  2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Pour the soya milk, applesauce, melted vegan butter and vanilla into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix well with a large wooden spoon to combine.
  3. Spoon the batter into the donut pan with a small ladle , filling about 1/2 of the way full. Be careful not to overfill, as the donuts will rise and you might lose your donut hole.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool for three minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer to a wire rack, let cool completely.

For the coating

  1. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl, and melt the vegan butter in a separate bowl. 

2. Dip the donuts into the melted butter just one side. Then dunk the donut into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat completely. Once you have coated all 12 if you have any mix left, repeat the coating process minus the butter.

Leftover donuts will keep for two days, covered and at room temperature.

Enjoy ! with a Chai tea or a Cappuccino

Cristina for Peas and Peace

Desserts, RECIPES

Cookie Sandwiches

Imperfect but oh so delicious !

*Makes 18 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

COOKIES

  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup of grapeseed oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp almond essence
  • 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of almond meal

FILLING

  • 150 g vegan dark (70 % cacao) chocolate
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp of coconut milk (Can)
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup

METHOD

COOKIES

  1. In a bowl, whisk up maple syrup, oil, vanilla and almond essence until well combined.
  2. Fold flour into the wet ingredients together with salt.
  3. Finally fold in almond meal until fully combined. The dough should be thick and sticky.
  4. Refrigerate the dough for 60 minutes.
  5. Pre-heat the oven to 355° F and shape the dough into 36 even portions (I used a 1 1/4 scoop), place each ball on a baking tray leaving some room around each cookie.
  6. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass or a spatula.
  7. Bake for about 15 mins. Remove the biscuits from the oven, transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool down completely.
  8. Place some of the ganache on half of the cookies and top with the other half of the cookies.

FILLING

  1. Place roughly chopped up chocolate in a large glass or metal bowl together with coconut milk.
  2. Place the bowl over a pot of water (make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl) and bring the water to a simmer.
  3. Let simmer without stirring, until all the chocolate has melted.
  4. Take the bowl off the heat and whisk the coconut milk / chocolate mixture until combined. Mix in maple syrup.
  5. When the mixture cools down, cover the bowl with cling film and leave it in the fridge for a few hours until it has hardened. You are now ready to sandwich your cookies !

Enjoy !

Cristina for PEAS & PEACE

Desserts, RECIPES

Roasted Almond Chocolates

5 ingredients only and you have yourself a little treat in no time, either for yourself or as a gift !

  • makes 15 chocolates

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted cocoa butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp of vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa powder
45 Roasted almonds, you can also use salted roasted almonds if you wish

1. Melt the cocoa butter in a pan. Remove and add maple syrup & vanilla. 
2. Using a whisk, add cocoa powder and mix until smooth.


Place 2 whole almonds into each of a silicone chocolate mold bottom, then cover with chocolate. Top with an almond or 2….. 🙂


Place in the freezer to firm up for about 15 mins

Remove from mold and place in mini muffin cups of your choice.

Enjoy !

Cristina for Peas and Peace

RECIPES, Sides

Scalloped Potatoes

The holidays approaching, this is a wonderful dish that marries well with any meal, it is creamy in texture, and the blends of different spices makes it for a successful dish.

*Makes 9 or 18 portions depending on what size you cut them

Ingredients

  • 6 tsp olive oil 
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 6 tbsp all purpose flour (all purpose)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2  tsp onion powder
  •  zest of 1/2 of a lemon 
  • 1 tsp of rosemary
  • 1 tsp  of thyme
  • 1 tsp miso paste
  • 2 tsp stoneground mustard 
  • 4 cups of soya milk at room temp 
  • 4 large or 8 medium yukon gold potatoes
  • Neutral spray oil

Instructions

  • Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and let it heat up a bit. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 mins. Add the flour and herbs, black pepper and salt and mix in. Cook for half a minute, add in the lemon zest, miso and mustard and mix in and cook for another few seconds.
  • Add in half cup of the milk and mix in, add in the another half cup and mix in so that there are no lumps. Add in the rest of the non dairy milk and mix in and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 mins then take off heat.
  • Peel and slice the potatoes into an 1/8th inch thick slices with a Mandolin.
  • Oil spray a 10 x 12 baking dish and arrange the slices of half of potatoes overlapping each other. Pour 1/4 of the sauce over them, then repeat the overlapping with the other half of potatoes and lastly pour remaining of the sauce, make sure all potatoes are covered.
  • Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Once done broil for a minute to brown the top, it gives it a nice finish.
  • I sprinkled the top with dried parsley, but you can certainly choose another herb such a chive

Enjoy !

Cristina for Peas and Peace