Pumpkin polenta and creamy veggies

Okay, I know it looks pretty lame, but its really very tasty! This is actually the first meal in some time that I've actually been proud of - another throw together, but this one actually tasted good!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of diced pumpkin aprox.
• 1/4 cup of polenta aprox.
• Rosemary 
• Ginger

• 1/4 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small zucchini
• 3 mushrooms
• 1/4 tomato 
• 1/2 cup of some kind of beans - I like chickpeas :)
• Tbls wholegrain mustard
• Cracked pepper
• 1/2 cup of coconut cream
• Some leafy green types (lettuce/spinach/sprouts)

Method:

1. Dice the pumpkin and place into a saucepan. Fill with water until pumpkin is just covered and add stock/veggie salt. Bring to boil and then simmer until pumpkin gets soft (10-20 mins)
2. Meanwhile, dice onion and garlic. Cut mushrooms thickly and the zucchini into sticks while you wait for the pumpkin to soften.
3. Once the pumpkin is soft mash it up. Then add polenta, rosemary and ginger. I kinda go by ear with how much polenta, but you're not going to want more polenta than pumpkin. Keep at a simmer until polenta is cooked (you may need to add more water).
4. In a separate frying pan, caramelise the onion and garlic. Do this by heating a little oil in the pan before adding onion and garlic. Then add a little sugar (a pinch) and keep at a low heat. 
5. Once they have began to brown add zucchini, mushrooms and beans, increase heat and lightly fry (1-2 mins).
6. Return to a low heat, add tomato, mustard and pepper.  Also add the cream, again I played the quantity by ear, but I like the veggies too be swimming in it. Leave simmering until the cream is absorbed by the veggies/evaporates and is not too runny. 
7. Before you take it off the heat mix in the greens so they just begin to wilt. Remove from heat.
8. Serve the creamy veggies on a bed of pumpkin and polenta, yum!

Mushroom Burgers

This is one of the boys’ favourites; it’s really quick, easy and tasty xD

Ingredients:

·         Burger buns/bread

·    Portobello Mushrooms 

(you’ll want ones about the same size as your bun/bread)

·         Tomato

·         Spinach/lettuce

·         Red Onion

·         Herbs

·         Firm Tofu (marinated)

·         Avocado

·         Tofutti Cheese slices

Method:        

•         Heat oil in a pan at a medium heat, add onion and whatever spices you choose, I think we had rosemary and basil , possibly garlic – brown slightly
•     Add mushrooms and cook gently till softened – Obviously we fried ours, but you could grill, bake or roast, whatever you prefer
•         Begin assembling the buns – spread the avocado on one slice, add spinach and/or lettuce, tomato slices & ‘cheese' 
•     Add the tofu to pan and cook till heated through
•     Once the tofu , mushrooms and onion are cooked to your liking, add to the semi-assembled buns

Enjoy!

Spinach, Potato & Mushroom Seasoned Scone-Based Pizza with Pesto Sauce - experiment!

Spinach, Potato & Mushroom Seasoned Scone-Based Pizza with Pesto Sauce - experiment!

Tonight, with my minimal fridge supplies, I decided to resort to a more pantry orientated meal.

Base:

I combined some ideas I got from Vegan Now! And a scone based pizza recipe I googled:

·         2 cups of Flour

·         2 tea spoons of Baking Powder

·         Pinch of Salt

·         30g (2 and a bit tbsp) Margarine (vegan of course)

·         1 Cup of Soy Milk

·         1 ground Linseed/Flaxseed egg replacement

Dough-y 

Method

·         Combine the ground linseed/flaxseed with water

·         In large, separate bowl sift Flour, Baking Powder and Salt

·         Add butter (soft or room temperature) by pinching with fingers until lumps are out

·         Then add milk and egg replacer

·         Work until all flour pockets are combined

You might want to experiment with quantities – I tend not to work off exact measurements.  According to the recipe in 
Vegan Now! You don’t actually need the egg replacement, but I find that the base tends to be too crumble-y otherwise.  You can also use wholemeal flour, or self rising (in which case you wouldn’t use 
the baking powder).  Also, another tip I got from VN! is to add herbs to the dough base to give it extra flavour.

Now turn the dough into something base looking.  
You can either; roll it out between two pieces of baking paper and remove the top layer after you have your desired width and thickness, or alternatively, 
you can work on a well floured space.  I actually just floured the baking tray, placed the ball on the centre and worked it out

Pesto Sauce

·         Basil

·         Chopped Garlic

·         Oil

·         Vegan Parmesan (I’ve also read that ground almonds create a ‘cheesy’ flavour )

Method

·         Combine in blender

Bring it altogether!

·         Spread pesto sauce onto base

·         Add desired toppings, I have used

o   Sliced potato

o   Spinach

o   Mushroom, &

o   Rosemary – yum!

I also sprinkled some more vegan Parmesan - totally optional

·         Place in a 240C preheated oven to cook for 15-20 minutes

This is what I did and I found that it was a little bit dry.  This could be compensated by some ‘wetter’ toppings or drizzling some sauce on the top; perhaps a tomato based one, maybe plum sauce? Or perhaps even just some olive oil?

It’s also been suggested that I’m hyper critical of my cooking... and it did pass the roommate test! Let me know how it goes if you try yourself :)  

- michelle