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 18 Dish 2: Vegan mince pies

OH MY GOD homemade mince pies are amazing! I really don't know why I never made them before. As you saw in the previous post, vegan mincemeat is so so very easy to make. Once that's done you just make this really simple vegan pastry, and voila!! Vegan mince pies! This recipe does not make a sweet pastry, just a simple shortcrust pastry. Once you have a taste of these you really won't want to go back to shop-bought ones!

Makes 12-15

You will need half of my vegan mincemeat recipe

Ingredients

200 g plain flour

100 g vegan margarine

3 tbsp ice-cold water

1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Add the salt to the flour and mix. Then add the margarine and rub into the flour using your fingertips until it resembles bread crumbs.
2. Pour in the cold water and press the mixture together to form a dough.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and grease a muffin tin.
4. On a clean, floured surface, roll the dough out fairly thin. Cut out large (~12cm - which I didn't have so I used a large flower instead!) circles and either smaller circles of funky shapes for the lids.
5. Carefully press the large circles into the muffin tin. Fill each with a generous dollop of mincemeat (I still had a bit left over at the end) and top with the smaller circles/ funky-shaped lids.
6. If you used circular lids, carefully pinch the edges of each pie closed and stab a fork in the middle of the pie to allow steam to escape. If you used funky shapes then no need for this!
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until a nice golden brown.

Original recipe: Mince pie pastry

Week 11 Dish 1: Vegan pumpkin pie

My surgery attachment is finally over! Not that I didn't enjoy it, on the contrary I feel like I learned a lot. Though watching surgeries got a bit boring, the medicine was very interesting! I think gastro medicine is definitely something to keep in mind (I was doing lower GI surgery). I've now moved onto my GP attachment which is in Somerset! A bit of an adventure for me since I've never experienced medicine out of London. I'm really enjoying it so far and hopefully will learn a lot too. 

Unfortunately this is making it quite difficult to do my baking but I baked a bit before I left home and I'm going to try and do a few bakes over this coming weekend since I'm back in London...for my final year dinner!!!! So so excited and really can't wait :D

The first bake for this week (which I did on Sunday and just haven't had time to put up) is a delicious spiced pumpkin pie! Really easy (like most of my recipes) and a huge hit with my family! 

Ingredients

For the crust

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 tbsp soya milk

For the filling

3 cups pumpkin puree

1/2 cup maple syrup/ honey

1/2 cup soya milk

4 tsp canola oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp corn flour

1 tsp agar powder (aka faluda powder, which you can buy from VB or other Indian food shop. This really is essential otherwise it won't set)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and grease a 9 inch pie dish with vegan margarine.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients for the crust in a bowl.
3. Add the soya milk and oil, and combine with a fork until dough-like (but quite crumbly).
4. Press into the pie dish until the base and sides are evenly covered (it's too crumbly to roll out).
5. For the filling, use a blender to pulse together all the ingredients.
6. Pour into the pie crust and bake for 60-65 minutes until the centre looks semi-firm not liquidy.
7. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes, then chill for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving - simply divine!! Keep refrigerated until eaten (though I doubt it will last long...)

Original recipe: Voluptuous Pumpkin Pie

Vegan, gluten free, no-bake pecan pie bars

It's my team's first netball match today, wish us luck! One of my teammates cannot eat gluten so I decided it's time for a gluten free recipe. Like my raw cheesecake, this is another no-bake yummy recipe which has absolutely no gluten! I hope my teammates like it, they are going to try it later today.

Makes 16 squares/ small slices

Ingredients
For the crust
1 cup dates, pitted and soaked in water for 5 minutes if dry
1 cup pecans (I used walnuts)
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
For the filling
1 cup dates, pitted and soaked in water for 5 minutes if dry
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup water, or more as needed for blending
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup additional pecans peices (or whole pecans if you prefer) for topping
Method

1. Line an 8x8 baking dish (I used a pie dish) with grease proof paper for easy removal of the bars.
2. In a food processor combine the crust ingredients and blend until a sticky dough is formed. Press into the lined baking dish until even. Place in the freezer to set.
3. Combine the filling ingredients (except the extra pecans for topping) in a blender until smooth - you will need to keep stopping and scraping down the sides to allow everything to blend smoothly.
4. Remove the crust from the freezer and spoon on the filling using a spatula to smooth the top. Sprinkle the extra pecans on top and press into the filling slightly. Return to the freezer and set for at least 6 hours before cutting and serving. Store in the freezer too!

Original recipe: No-bake pecan pie bars

Week 4 Dish 2: Vegan Pineapple Pie

You know what I've learned so far from all this baking? The best bit (other than the end product and the general joy of baking) is licking the bowl when you've put the goodies in the oven. Oh so good!!! I don't think anyone can disagree...And the worst bit is cleaning up after, though I'm getting better at being tidier (my mum is very happy about this - though of course I always clean up after myself). 

Last week I managed to buy 2 pineapples with my mum for £1 - I think it's the last of the Summer wine really, I doubt we will continue to have many more tropical fruits available now! So, as inspired by this week's Great British Bake Off episode, I decided to make a pie! It's one that should be eaten cold, and turned out really well. Hope you think so too!!

Ingredients

For the cream

450 g fresh pineapple, peeled and chopped

250 g soya yogurt

100 g corn flour

100 g sugar

For the base

250 g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

100 g sugar

80 ml pineapple juice

80 ml canola/ rapeseed oil

Method

1. First make the cream. Mix the chopped pineapple, yogurt, sugar and cornflour and blend.
2. Once it's creamy, transfer to a deep saucepan and heat over a medium heat, stirring constantly until it's well thickened (about 5-7 minutes). Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the juice and oil. Knead with your hands to form a soft dough.
5. Take out 1/3 of the dough and set aside. Place the remaining dough onto a piece of greaseproof paper and roll into a 1/2cm thin circle. Place into a 9 inch pie dish and cover the base and sides. Pit with a fork.
6. Roll the remaining dough to a circle large enough to cover the pie.
7. Fill the pie with the pineapple cream and cover with the rolled out dough. Cut four long lines on the top of the pie and brush lightly with 1 tbsp of soya yogurt.
8. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until well browned on top.
9. Allow to cool completely, then slice and serve!

Original recipe: Low-fat vegan pineapple pie