Week 24 Dish 1: Vegan red pepper muffins

Revision is now in full swing with finals in only 6 1/2 weeks. I'm definitely feeling the stress! I've been baking a lot to help me relax in the evenings before bed otherwise I feel too tense to sleep. This means that I am going to have many yummy recipes to share with you all! I've continues with the savoury theme for now but I have a few sweet bakes planned too.

The first recipe I want to share with you all this week is vegan red pepper muffins. They have a very different flavour because of the polenta flour in them, which I used for the first time in my bakes. They turned out really yummy and filling, perfect for a revision snack. Enjoy!

Makes 12 small muffins
Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup polenta flour (aka cornmeal)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp bouillion powder (I replaced this with part of a veg stock cube)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 sweet red pepper
1/2 red onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup oil plus 1 tbsp for frying
3/4 cup soya milk
1 tsp cider vinegar
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and line a muffin tray with muffin cups - I used silicon cups as they are a little smaller.
2. Finely chop the red pepper and onion. Heat the tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add the onions and 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Cook for several minutes before adding the  red pepper, and a few minutes later the garlic. Let the garlic infuse for several minutes before taking off the heat and setting aside.
3. Sift the flour, polenta, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, bouillion powder, salt and pepper into a large bowl and mix. 
4. Combine the oil, milk and vinegar in a separate bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Fold until almost combined then add the red pepper mix and continue folding until evenly distributed.
5. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Original recipe: Gnarly vegan red pepper savoury muffins

Week 23 Dish 2: Vegan curry cupcakes (muffins really...)

To continue with the savoury baking, I have tried vegan curry cupcakes (which are actually muffins, but the alliteration sounds too good lol). Sounds like an odd thing to make, doesn't it? But trust me, if you're a fan of curry then this is one recipe not to miss! I've already made two batches and my family devours them in a couple of days. Better make more....

Makes 9-12 muffins
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups almond flour (which you can either buy or make yourself by grinding some almonds)
1 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmuric
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder (optional, double if you like it really spicy like meee)
1 large red onion
2 large garlic cloves
2 heaped cups spinach
1 tsp oil
4/5 cup water
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and line a muffin tray with muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flours, spices, salt, pepper, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
3. In a food processor pulse the onion, garlic and spinach until everything is roughly chopped.
4. Add the processed mixture to the flours, then stir in water and oil to combine.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cup and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Original recipe: Cupcakes gone curry

Week 23 Dish 1: Vegan chickpea pie

Revision stress is finally getting to me, it's so hard to believe that finals are only 2 months away!! Scary stuff! Thank god I still have baking to calm me down, it's the perfect remedy.

There were many recipes that I found to potentially make as the centrepiece for my Christmas feast; it was really difficult to choose just one and eventually I chose a vegan festive roast, but there were some yummy recipes that I still wanted to try. This is one of them, a vegan chickpea tart - perfect for a festive dinner but a yummy main meal at any time of the year!

Serves 4-5
Ingredients
For the crust
Crust ingredients
For the filling
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
4 minced garlic cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups chickpeas, reserve 1/3 cup
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground basil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup oats
300 g frozen spinach, thawed an squeezed to remove excess water (about 1 cup after squeezing)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I just used sultanas)
1 tsp soya sauce/ 1/2 tbsp oil mixture
Method

1. Prepare the crust: Crust preparation
2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, celery, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 9-10 minutes on a medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until softened and golden.
4. In a food processor, partially puree the chickpeas (except reserved 1/3 cup), lemon juice, soya sauce, basil, salt, chili powder and sauteed mixture. Add the walnuts and oats and pulse briefly.
5. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the spinach, cranberries and reserved chickpeas. Spoon the filling into the pie crust and smooth the top, brushing with the soya sauce/oil mixture.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden on edges and top. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving!

Original recipe: Festive chickpea tart, pie crust

Week 22 Dish 2: Vegan mushroom courgette quiche

I'm quite bored of making sweet bakes these days, so I've been looking up some savoury ones. I have found so many that I want to try!! This one look especially good so I went for it first, and it was definitely a good choice. It tastes amazing, my whole family loved it so much that I making it again next week :D

Serves 4-5
Ingredients

For the crust
220 g plain flour
75 g soya margarine
80 ml cold water
2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
For the filling
1 cup sliced courgette (about one medium courgette)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (about 8-10)
1 finely chopped red onion
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
200 g firm tofu crumbled
240 ml soya milk
60 ml veg stock
2 tbsp lemon juice
60 g lightly toasted sunflower seeds
2 tbsp chickpea flour
1/2 tsp ground cumon
1 tsp ground basil
1 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp salt
Method

1. Prepare the crust: combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the margarine, vinegar and half the water and form a ball. Knead well, adding water as needed. Set aside for 30-60 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 220 degrees C. Grease a 9x9 inch pie dish.
3. Press and spread the dough evenly on the bottom and sides of the pie dish. Poke the bottom several times with a fork and bake empty for 7-10 minutes.
4. Blend the tofu with soya milk and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
5. Add the stock, lemon juice, sunflower seeds, chickpea flour, cumin, basil, chili powder, turmeric and salt. Stir until well mixed.
6. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and pepper  and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and courgette and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Turn off the heat.
7. Spoon the vegetables evenly into the baked pie crust and pour on the tofu filling mix slowly to cover. I had a bit left over - used it as a sauce/dip, it's too yummy to waste!
8. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to coon for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Original recipe: Vegan quiche

Week 22 Dish 1: Vegan banana oat cake

These days we seem to have many bananas that become overripe. I think it's because we have so many other fruits and snacks in the house that they have just been forgotten. But I can't let them go to waste so I've been making muffins or bread to use them up (which probably hasn't helped us eat the remaining bananas...vicious cycle). This time I decided to try and find a new recipe. It was difficult because I've already made banana bars, muffins/ bread and 2 types of cookies (here and here). So I thought I would go for cake or scones, and I happened to find a yummy cake recipe first so I went for that!

This cake is a bit dense because its made with oats and oat flour, and has banana pieces in it rather than just mashed banana, but boy is it delicious!

I topped my slice with left over vegan tofu frosting - tasted yummy! If you want to cover the top of the cake with it you will probably only need about a third of what I made for that recipe.
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
2 cups oats, processed into flour
1/2 cup oats (not processed)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil (coconut or other)
2 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
1/23 cup applesauce
1/4 cup soya milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 ripe banana cut into chunks
Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line an 8 inch cake tin with grease proof paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the oat flour, oats, sugar, spices, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, combine the mashed banana, oil, applesauce, soya milk and vanilla until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and incorporate until just combined. Finally, fold in the banana chunks and chopped walnuts.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 15-20 minutes before removing from the tin and allowing to cool completely.

Original recipe: Rustic chocolate chip banana oat cake

Week 21 Dish 2: Vegan spiced pumpkin cake with vegan tofu frosting

It was a good friend's birthday last week and I wanted to surprise her with cake at her birthday dinner. I thought about making banana cake initially (good thing I didn't choose this as another friend made an amazing banoffee cake) but then I found some pumpkin puree in the freezer which I completely forgot about. So I decided to go for a spiced pumpkin cake, and it was a big hit! It's the spice that makes it really irresistible in my opinion. The birthday girl loved it (yay) and everyone at the dinner gobbled it up! There is definitely no complement like a clean plate :D

Serves 12 (though we managed to get 18 respectably-sized slices!)
Ingredients
For the cake
2 1/4 cups sifted plain flour
1/2 cup + 2-4 tbsp sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (you can replace this with any type of squash puree, or sweet potato puree - though bear in mind that sweet potato is sweeter than pumpkin so you can reduce the amount of sugar)
1 cup soya milk
1/4 cup honey/ maple syrup/ agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Optional: 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup walnut pieces
For the tofu frosting
350 g extra firm tofu
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp soya milk if needed
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degress C and line two 8-inch cake tins with grease proof paper - I don't have two round tins so I used rectangular ones and it worked just as well. 
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and mixed spice.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, milk, honey, vanilla, oil and lemon juice. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients (add in the raisins and walnuts now if you want) and stir gently until just combined. 
4. Pour half the batter into each tin and bake for 24-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in pans before removing.
5. In the mean time make the frosting. Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. It's easier if you mash the tofu up before. Add soya milk to help blend but only if necessary and as less as possible. Put in a container and in the fridge to set a bit while the cakes cool. 
6. Once the cakes have cooled completely, place the first cake upside down on the serving plate, remove the grease proof paper and cover the base with a layer of frosting. This isn't a very thick frosting so don't make it too thick or it will ooze out the sides. Remove the grease proof paper from the second cake and gently place the right way up onto the frosting layer. Cover the top with the remaining frosting (I had some left over). Keep in the fridge until ready to serve!

Original recipe: Vegan pumpkin cake

Week 21 Dish 1: Vegan Raspberry scones

I had an amazing workout today, first one of the new year! Need to regain my fitness after all the laziness and eating during Christmas. I really went full out, with my normal workout plus some interval training. Felt so good afterwards, nothing like an endorphin rush to start the day. I just hope I won't ache tomorrow, especially because I plan on doing the same workout again!

To carry on the trend of healthier bakes (however long that will last) I baked yummy vegan raspberry scones. I was so surprised that I managed to get really cheap fresh raspberries and blueberries (2 punnets for £1.50, and they were really sweet too) last week so I made the most of them! But of course you can use frozen ones too.

Makes 6-8
Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/3 cup honey/ agave nectar/ maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup fresh raspberries (or frozen) - you can replace this with other berries e.g. blueberries or blackberries
Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line a baking tray with grease proof paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder and salt. 
3. Add the oil, agave nectar and vanilla and stir until a thick batter is formed. Pour in the hot water and mix. Finally, gently fold in the raspberries until they are evenly distributed. If you are using frozen ones, let them thaw first.
4. Scoop 1/3 cup of batter onto the tray for each scone. Space them 1 inch apart to allow for spread and bake for 14 minutes, rotating the tray 180 degrees half way through.
5. let the scones stand for 15 minutes before removing from the tray and cooling completely on a wire rack. 

Original recipe: Vegan raspberry scones

Week 20 Dish 2: Vegan healthy blueberry muffins

My Christmas holidays are over :( and they went so fast! Back to uni from Monday, starting with two weeks of lectures. It will be nice really, because the whole year will be together again for the third last time ever! It's so hard to believe that it's 2014 - I've always known that I would graduate in 2014 and it just seemed so far away whenever I thought about it. Now it's the present! Time flies (yes, a very cliche phrase, but cliche for a reason).

So as you all know, I begun this blog to challenge myself to bake two vegan dishes per week for 6 months. This dish signifies the end of week 20, meaning that I only have six weeks left! That's 12 more glorious recipes in 2014. To start off 2014, keeping in mind the need to eat healthier after all the indulgences during Christmas, I have baked healthy blueberry muffins! It's one of the classic muffins available in cafes, and I finally managed to buy some blueberries - forget buying them, definitely have a go making them yourself!

Yes they are in the shape of Christmas trees...a bit late but I got the silicon tray on sale earlier in the week and I just had to use it!

Makes 12
Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar (plus 2 tbsp sugar if you want it a bit sweeter)
1 cup soya milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups fresh blueberries (about 165g)
Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line a muffin tray with muffin cups.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and sugar.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the milk, vanilla and oil. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the blueberries and stir gently until evenly distributed without over-mixing and smooshing the berries.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin tray and bake for 19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to sit in tin for 10 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely.

Original recipe: Healthy blueberry muffins