Sweet potato salad with soy balsamic

I mentioned before I love lentils, right?

Good, because here are some more. Dark green speckled lentils to be precise. My favourite kind of lentil as they hold their shape so well and look pretty on the plate. My favourite dish to date using these lentils is my ‘spag bol’ as the green lentil is just the right shape and texture to offer a great meat substitute.

For this dish I also had some sweet potato needing a home so another hot salad combo was born. The dressing it really simple but works so well drizzled over the potato, it is sweet and tart at the same time. I piled my hot lentil and potato mix over a bed of uncooked watercress but you could sub any greens here and cook them if you prefer it that way.

Check out this maple glazed sprout salad and this roasted cauliflower salad for another two of my favourite 'hot salads'.

Recipe: Sweet potato salad with soy balsamic

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 cups cubed sweet potato

1-2 tsp oil (I used melted coconut oil)

½ heaped cup dark green/puy lentils

2 large handfuls watercress (or sub spinach)

1 onion thinly sliced

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds- optional

Dressing:

1 tbs sesame oil

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 clove crushed garlic

1 tsp agave

½ tsp chilli flakes- optional

Method

 

Mix the cubed potato with the oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Lay in an even layer on a lined baking sheet and roast for approx 15 minutes until golden and cooked through. Add the sliced onion approx 5 minutes before the end of the roasting time.

Meanwhile boil the green lentils for 15 minutes or as according to instruction (if using canned pre-cooked lentils heat for 5 minutes).

Mix the dressing ingredients and set aside. Lightly toast sesame seeds if using.

To serve place a handful of watercress in the bottom of each bowl/plate, pile potato and onion mixture of top and drizzle with dressing and sesame seeds.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Sweet potato, orange and peanut rostis

Hot salads huh!  yep, here's another one...well maybe not so much a hot salad as hot rosti topping. Delicious!!

I was inspired by Abel and Cole with this recipe, the original recipe can be found here, I tweaked it to make it gluten free and also oven baked the rostis instead of shallow frying them. They were the perfect texture with a lovely golden coat, so I really can't see how frying could have given a better burger!

This is the second time I have made these burgers and the first time round I also added an extra handful of crushed roasted peanuts as I happened to have some to hand that I'd just roasted, however I didn't have any ready roasted this time around...feel free to through a few in if you fancy!

My salad consisted of a bed of mixed leaves, rocket and cucumber, along with some clementine segments to emphasise the citrussy flavours. I drizzled a little sweet chilli sauce over the top (I admit that part is a little naughty...oops!)

This makes a great light lunch and even a pretty substantial main meal.

For more 'burger' recipes...check these out.

Recipe: Sweet potato orange and peanut rostis

Makes approx 8 rostis

Ingredients:

2 cups sweet potatoes

2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 garlic cloves- crushed

½ tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp fresh grated)

½ tsp chili flakes (more or less to taste)

2 tsp freshly grated orange

A handful of fresh coriander or basil, finely chopped

½ cup chickpea (gram) flour (or other GF flour)

1 tbs chia seeds or flax meal (optional for good measure for binding!)

Method:

Peel and halve the potatoes. Plunge into lightly salted boiling water for 5 mins. Drain and cool.

Meanwhile mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, chili, ginger and zest in a large bowl.

Coarsely grate the cooled sweet potato or squash into the mix. Add the fresh herbs, chia seeds or flax (if using) and chickpea flour and fold through until well mixed. Season to taste. The mixture should be sticky but firm enough to handle. Note: add more flour if too sticky or a little water or orange juice is too dry.

Spoon small handfuls of the mix to form patties on a flour dusted parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly glaze with a little oil if desired.

Bake at 180C for approx 25 minutes until golden. Flip over after 15 minutes.

These keep well in the fridge for a few days, I imagine they would also freeze well although I haven’t tried this.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Mexican sweet potato soup

Soup…in the middle of summer?? 

Well yeah, if  'summer' is practically winter!

We need the sunshine, I need my plants to grow….and I want to wear shorts and flip flops…. is that really too much to ask?

In mean time, whilst I wait patiently for the sun, I bring you soup. Not just any soup mind you, this sweet potato concoction has a spicy kick and a great texture that you can adapt to your preference. It’s super quick to cook and makes up a big batch for the freezer…just the way I like it!  You could probably also serve this cold on a hot day (note: I have not tried this!!)

I love grating sweet potato into soups as it speeds up the cooking time so much whilst still giving a great flavour and texture. You can also vary the seasonings as you wish, but I wanted to create a Mexican twist here. Oh, and you can ignore the savoury scones in the photos, they were an experimental lentil based recipe that were edible but not yet blog worthy.

I hope you are enjoying your summer, however hot (or not) it may be, and for those readers  who are now having their winter- well this recipe is for you!

Recipe: Mexican sweet potato soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 red or white onion-finely sliced

2 cloves garlic-crushed

1 tsp red palm oil or olive oil

1 medium sweet potato- grated or processed until coarse (approx. 1 large cups worth)

½ tsp chipotle sauce (or a small chopped chilli/chilli flakes)

1 can tomatoes

2 cups vegetable stock

½ cup cooked sweetcorn

½ cup cooked black beans

1 pepper

2 tbs nutritional yeast

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chilli

Salt to taste

Method

Fry the onion and garlic in a large saucepan for few minutes in oil till soft.

Add the sweet potato, tomatoes, chipotle sauce and stock and simmer for approx. 10 mins until the potato is fully cooked. Blend to achieve desired texture if necessary.

Meanwhile cut the pepper into chunks and grill/fry this separately. Add to the cooked sweet potato mixture along with the sweet corn and black beans. Cook for a further 5 mins to heat through. Add all the remaining seasonings in the last couple of minutes prior to serving. 

For more soup recipes check out this collection.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Sweet potato cakes

Yesterday, I met up with a friend for lunch. It was a nice treat as usually all my friends work during the week and so I just have Fridays to myself to do my ‘baking things’ along with all the self-development and learning I’m taking some time out to appreciate.

I had my Pilates class as usual first thing then met up with my friend late morning. The loveliest thing about it was that she cooked lunch for us both….vegan style.  It was great!

It’s so nice when I can share the way I eat with others and it not feel like they are just accommodating me. I think a lot of that has to do with me still feeling a little self-conscious at times when I’m out with others, when it’s not simply me cooking for myself.  I’ve still only been eating this way for a relatively short amount of time (just over a year) and so habits, routines and assumptions are hard to break and I do still sometimes feel as though I’m ‘putting people out’ when chances are they are more than willing to accommodate. When people get interested and excited to share the way I do things it is a great feeling.

So, Friday’s lunch was sweet potato cakes with spicy beans and tomato. The potato cake recipe recipe was modified to use sweet potato instead of regular potato and then veganised so as to not use the egg and butter that the original recipe called for. The butter was easy to sub with olive oil but the egg was proposed as a glaze to coat the cakes before coating in polenta and frying, however we figured that since the potato cakes were soft and sticky as they were, the egg wasn’t really necessary. For those of you who are not vegan feel free to add the egg.

The polenta coating gives a lovely crisp crunch. I have often used polenta (I use the quick cook variety) as part of my flour mix in my baking to give added crunch to cookies. These chocolate shortbread cookies are a great example.

The potato cakes were served with a spicy bean topping, based on this recipe from way back right at the beginning of this blog! (note- awful photo with my compact camera under the fluorescent kitchen light!). The potato cakes themselves are very versatile and could be used to top a salad, with a variety of different toppings or even mixed with beans and used as burger patties in a bun or pitta bread pocket with salad.

Here you have it… Sweet Potato Cakes, courtesy of Fatima Cassim.

Recipe: Sweet potato cakes

Ingredients

700g sweet potato- peeled and cubed

25g olive oil

1 onion- peeled and chopped

1 garlic clove- peeled and crushed

Pinch each of nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

50g quick cook polenta

2 tbs mild oil

Method

Cook the sweet potato for approx. 15 minutes until soft. Drain and mash well.

Add the olive oil, onion and garlic to a saucepan and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add  the mashed sweet potato to the pan along with the seasoning. Stir together until mixed thoroughly.

Allow to cool before shaping into 4 circular patties approx. 1 inch thick. Coat in a generous, even layer of polenta. Refrigerate for approx. 30 minutes.

Heat a mild oil (such as rapeseed) in a frying pan and cook the potato cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden.

Serve with your desired topping or sides.

 
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Sweet potato curry

We've been in 'date mode' recently, with my new best friend the Date Syrup making an appearance. Don't worry he's not gone away for long- I have a couple more date inspired recipes for you next week...but for now I have a simple mid week winter warmer.

This dish is one of my go-to dishes and it never fails to please veggies and meaties alike.

I was one of the first meals I cooked for the Boy when I began to experiment with doing things the vegan way. I love it just as much today as I did back then. What’s not to love….it’s colourful, warm, creamy, comforting, lightly spiced and hints at the tropics. Close your eyes and maybe you’ll be taken to a far off land.

Ok, well maybe not that last sentence. But I guarantee this bowl of colourful curry will brighten your day.

It’s also a simple dish with few ingredients, easily adapted to other veggies/beans you may have, is thrown together in one pot and can be frozen for future speedy suppers.

Ok, so have I convinced you yet!  This would also work really well with my super simple flatbread as a healthy alternative to naan!

I also have another reason as to why this particular dish, or namely the photos, are making me happy. I’ve been trying to take decent ‘night shots’of my meals for a while now, and up until recently I had been making slow progress. My research and investigations pointed me in the direction of two key props: a powerful light with good ‘white’ rendering (I’ve used a portable LED source) and a diffuser layer (I’ve used an old bed sheet over a wooden frame).

This shoot was a simple 5 minute experiment (before my dinner got cold), and I really wasn’t expecting much of an outcome. However, for such a quick first attempt I was really rather pleased with my efforts….well now to see if Food Gawker shared that same opinion!

Recipe: Sweet potato curry

Serves 4

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons madras curry paste

1 medium onion- diced

4 medium or 2 large sweet potatoes- approx. 800g (peeled and chopped into chunks)

1 red pepper- sliced

1 tin of chickpeas (or other white beans)

200g bag of spinach

1 can of coconut milk

Method

In a large frying pan or wok, fry the onion for few minutes in olive oil till soft. Add curry paste and fry for 1 min. Add the coconut milk, sweet potato, pepper and chickpeas and simmer for approx. 15 minutes until potato is cooked. Add spinach (fold spinach through the mixture in handfuls) simmer for a couple more minutes until spinach is wilted. If not liquidy enough add a little water. Serve immediately with rice or naan bread as desired .

Freeze left over portions in individual bags.

 
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Chocolate swirled blondies…that go with a bang!

Today I am very happy! It sometimes easy to underestimate how others may respond to a recipe, I worry that my tastes are different and that just because I enjoy my cakes- other people who are used to ‘normal’ cakes may not.

However, this time it can most definitely be said that these Blondies achieve top marks in the taste test!

The basic idea of including sweet potato came from a recipe in the highly regarded ‘Vegan Cookies Invade your Cookie Jar’, however I wanted to take healthy to greater heights!  This was a risk and I knew it! The plan was to make some cakes to take along to my friend’s fireworks party, so I knew I’d need to pull out all the stops to get it right.

There sat my plate of Blondies in amongst all the other non-vegan, non-healthy delicacies that had brought to the party....and by the end of the night… they had all disappeared! No one had guessed the secret ingredients and what’s more one of the guests at the party was diabetic and was so pleased upon realising he could eat my cake without any worry!

This first batch was made using spelt flour, but I figured since the amount of flour was already fairly low (as I’d subbed part of the flour for the chickpeas) it should be fairly simple to make a gluten free version.  I was on a role and so this morning I couldn’t resist making another batch for myself- this time with my favourite GF combo.

The result… I think I like the GF blondies even better!!

Recipe: Chocolate marbled blondies

makes 16 squares

Ingredients

1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato

¼ cup soy yoghurt

3 tbs water

1/3 cup coconut butter

¼ cup agave plus ½ tsp stevia

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup white spelt flour (or GF subs below)

½ cup mashed chickpeas

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

A pinch salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

NB: GF flour substitute- 1/3 cup each of almond meal, buckwheat flour, tapioca flour

Method

Blend wet ingredients in food processor until very smooth. Pour into a bowl, add dry ingredients (except choc chips) and blend together well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon mixture into a parchment lined 8x8 baking tin and smooth the top. Bake in oven at 180C for approx. 15 mins. Note- GF timings may be slightly shorter- check with a toothpick and remove when almost cooked. Allow to cool fully before slicing into squares.

Note- if the mixture is still slightly warm (from the sweet potato not being totally cool) the choc chips will melt slightly giving the batter a ‘marbled' effect. This was a happy accident which I actually love, but if you want to chocolate chunks to stay solid and the batter to remain ‘blonde’ than allow the potato to cool fully before mixing.