Pizza Couscous Timbales

 

It is with a little bit of a frown that I share with you my last official recipe for "My Great Vegan Bake Off as part of Vegan Mofo.

Can you believe a month has past already?!? I felt like it went really quickly!

There are still so many recipes that I wanted to share! And I'm sure in time I will...

But for now here's some comfort food! :-)

PIZZA COUSCOUS TIMBALES

You'll need:

2 cups wholemeal couscous (pre-cooked)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon Italian herbs
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
Lightly oil spray ramekins. (2-4 depending on how many you want to make and if you want them to be large or small.)
Scoop spoonfuls of mixture into the ramekins and press down firmly.
If desired, spread more tomato paste over the top.

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 15-20 minutes until warmed through.
Flip out onto a plate (be sure to wear an oven mit!). They will slide out of the ramekins really easily and hold their shape nicely.

Kids Lunchbox Club - Chickpea Nuggets

 

Today's recipe is a childhood favourite turned healthy. If you saw the way chicken nuggets were made perhaps you'd never eat them again, let alone give them to your children.

Yet I don't believe in deprivation....
So fill your kids lunch box with these nuggets instead :-)
(Or your own, or your husbands.....)

Although panko breadcrumbs do work best fried, they also work baked to give a nice crispy outer layer - of course you can fry these nuggets if you would prefer.

CHICKPEA NUGGETS

You'll need:

2 tins chickpeas

2 spring onions

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon garlic powder

*panko breadcrumbs to coat

Drain the chickpeas and mash well.

Finely chop the spring onions and add them to the mashed chickpeas along with the other ingredients.

Stir until well combined.

The mixture will hold together.

Shape into nugget pieces and coat in panko breadcrumbs.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Apparently these are best served with either tomato sauce, BBQ sauce or mayonnaise - depending who you ask in our home ;-)

Banana Sultana Loaf

 

Back to real baking today! 

So pleased that this loaf turned out as good as I hoped it would.
It was so moist and tasty :-)

BANANA SULTANA LOAF

You'll need:

2 over-ripe bananas

1/4 cup soft silken tofu

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 Tablespoons boiling water

1 cup sultanas

1 1/2 cups self-raising wholemeal flour

1/4 cup plant milk of choice (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

Blend together the bananas, tofu, brown sugar and vanilla til smooth.

Add the flax mixture, and sultanas, followed by the milk and flour.
Stir until well combined.
Pour into a loaf tin (lined if needed).
Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 40-45 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.
Allow to cool before slicing.

Events we don't plan!

 

This morning I had wonderful intentions of baking a banana sultana loaf......
I had even written out a recipe that I thought would work and was busting to try it.....
All my best intentions for today were laid aside when we had a incident in our family that meant we spent all day at the hospital..... yes alllllllllllllllllllllll day.

I can't decide what's more tiring... emotional exhaustion or physical exhaustion.

I was devastated by the thought of not being able to do a 'baking' post today, and then when my hubby made dinner & put it in front of me I grinned from ear to ear!....
Although he had made us all a 'quick & easy' dinner, it also included a baked item!!!!!!!!! :D
How could I NOT post that! lol

So today's baking post is not something I baked, but something that was baked for me.....

Look at those lovely pieces of Lebanese bread that he baked!

We often cut slices of Lebanese bread & bake them.
They only take about 10 minutes to come out wonderfully golden & crunchy.
I love how they make a nice crusty addition to meals :-)

Lebanese bread works great as a pizza base too! It also works great as 'fold-overs' toasted in a sandwich press. It also makes a great snack to use for dipping into hummus and other spreads or dips.

So, I do have every intention of sharing with you my banana sultana loaf tomorrow..... but let's just see what the day brings!!!

Precooked Grains

 

I previously shared with you my tip about how handy it is to keep a snack box in the freezer.

Now I'm here to share another tip that is just as easy & just as wonderfully helpful.

Precooked grains

I often cook up a variety of grains on the weekend and store them in containers in the fridge. They are great additions to main meals or salads, breakfast or even to make desserts like rice pudding.

I can't recommend highly enough getting a rice cooker if you don't already have one. We got a cheap one and it works fantastic - switch it on and leave it to do all the hard work - no worries about the time or a pot bubbling over! :-)

They really do cook more than just rice!

Just keep in mind that cooked grains will only last about 3-5 days, so make sure that if you won't use them in that time then you freeze them instead.

Here's some recipes that you can use precooked grains for:

Barley choc smoothie

Leafy couscous salad 

Chickpea, rice and sweet potato stew 

Cheezey brown rice 

Tropical brown rice breakfast 

Pasta bake 

 And can't forget yesterdays recipe of Stuffed capsicums.

WIAW - Roasted Stuffed Capsicums

Look at this super yummy salad that I ate today!

 I did end up cooking my mushrooms though, and I smoothered it with hummus prior to eating ;-)

 I have always thought of roasted capsicums as a main meal, however when I saw these adorable little baby capsicums I couldn't help but turn them into lunch...

And this is how:

 

ROASTED STUFFED CAPSICUMS

You'll need:

5-6 mini capsicums

1/2 cup wholemeal couscous

3/4 cup boiling water (plus extra)

1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder

2 cubes frozen spinach

1 teaspooon italian herbs

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

In a bowl combine the couscous and the stock. Pour over the boiling water and cover. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Put the spinach in another bowl and pour over boiling water. Cover and allow to stand til defrosted.

Mix spinach, herbs & tomato paste together with the couscous. Stir well.

Scoop out the core of the capsicums.

Fill the capsicums with the couscous mixture. Press couscous in firmly and make sure the capsicums are well filled.

Place in a preheated 200C oven for 20 minutes until capsicums are softened and skin has blistered.

Chocolate Prune Cookies

 

Sometime ago I made chocolate prune cookies using okara. I love the moistness that okara provides in baking. But its been in the back of my mind ever since that I should un-okara these cookies! And today that is exactly what I did! This version is not quite as moist, but equally as delicious :-)

I really do love the mix of dried fruit & cocoa. 

CHOCOLATE PRUNE COOKIES

You'll need:

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon bi-carb soda

3 Tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup chopped prunes

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup plant milk of choice

Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

Place heaped tablespoons of mixture onto a lined baking tray & bake in a preheated 180C oven for 12-15 minutes until cooked through.

Makes 14 (depending on size)

I LOVE these new diced prunes that are available! They're so great for cooking with or adding to a breakfast bowl!

Chopping whole prunes is such a sticky job ;-)