Lemon Cake

Looking for a cake recipe that wasn't chocolate I came across this lemon cake recipe.

http://www.recipezaar.com/68428

The instructions are a little confusing, I needed to read it a few times. But I used regular sugar instead of brown (it seemed innapropriate for a lemon cake) I also added lemon juice to the mix. I assumed the 2 vegan egg substitute was 2 tablespoons.

I made a more traditional lemon icing (similar recipe to the icings for the iced biscuits) and topped it with some dessicated coconut.

Vegan soups

I finally tried out my non-vegan SIL's lentil and celery soup recipe the other day and it was fantastic! Using this recipe as a basis I switched the celery for pumpkin, omitted the garlic and added nutmeg for a delicious pumpkin soup. The way the lentils end up helps creat a creamy consistincy without using milk or cream. I think adding some sweet corn to the pumpkin version would be absolutely delicious too.

Serve it with some crusty bread.

Here is the recipe:

Lentil and Celery Soup

1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 medium sized onion
1 cup red lentils
2 sticks celery (chopped finely)
4 cups of water
2 chicken stock cubes
Salt and pepper
Bouquet garni/mixed herbs (optional)

Heat oil in a large pan.
Add onion and minced garlic and fry until soft.
Add all other ingredients with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove bouquet garnet before serving.

Vegan biscuits

Inspired to make some bisuits after playing with playdoh and cookie cutters with my little girl, I made the original ones from millenium hippie.

Here is the link: http://millenniumhippies.blogspot.com/2005/07/4-vegan-biscuit-recipes.html

I added 2tbs or sugar, some vanilla and cinnamon to the mix to make a sweet plain biscuit. And just to make it fun I iced them in either chocolate, custard or strawberry icing. Some were sprinkled with dessicated coconut. They look so cute and taste yumo!

Lemon muffins with passionfruit icing

If you have tried the lemon and poppyseed muffins this variation I did of them was fabulous!
I omitted the poppyseeds and iced them when cooled, with passionfruit icing.

This was made with
about a tablespoon of melted butter,
juice and seeds from one passionfruit (it was a very big one)
and enough icing sugar to get the desired consistency.

Mix together then spoon over the top.

The different qualities of the fruit work really well together.

"Meat" Pies

It's been a while again since I last posted, but here is one that my husband adores.

I have always made pies and doing vegan variations was pretty easy, I mean you can put anything into a pie, even left over bolognaise.

But when it comes to the traditional meat pie that you get from the local bakery, that can be a challenge.

However, thanks to some gravy, onion, some seasonings and a tin of Sanitarium Casserole Mince it was quite simple.

I got two medium pies out of this, one topped with pastry, the other potato.

To make simply dice an onion and saute in some oil until soft, add the 'mince' and seasonings (salt, pepper, I also put in some mixed herbs and poppyseeds).

Make up the gravy so it will be a little thick as this will hold it all together.

Add it to your pre prepared pastry crusts and top how you like. Bake at 180 C for about 1/2 an hour.

Great served with a salad or some steamed veg. Ones that are topped with pastry can be frozen then cover with foil to reheat after defrosted so it doesn't burn.