Month: June 2024

Recipe Sunday – Date Truffle

/ thevegancatlibrarian / Leave a comment

Hello cuties! How is your weekend going? While this wasn’t the most tiring week at work, it’s been full in my personal life: starting with Monday where I took my cat for her annual vaccination and finding out that she’ll need to go to the surgery vet to have her teeth cleaned and might need a couple of back teeth pulled out (but this might be the most extreme option depending on how bad the tartar is – keeping all my fingers crossed that she won’t need that!); then went to the GP for this breathing problem – you know I’ve been off/on with cold-like symptoms for the past six months, but they said that these are allergies and to take a nasal spray with steroids as well a tablet every day for six weeks – they decided it was allergies without any checks, no blood tests done, no referral to a specialist to actually see if it is allergies (please vote on Thursday! The current government has been the death of the NHS so we need someone else!); the whole week I was on cat-feeding duties for my ex-neighbour and it’s been lovely looking after the 2 adult cats as well as the 2 kittens, with the former recognising me straight away despite having been a year since last I saw them, and the latter wanting to play with me and making friends right away, but it’s been tiring. So, yes, I’m tired. However, yesterday after work I went to a local shop and found a kind of date that I didn’t know, Mazafati dates and they taste delicious: so soft and caramel-ly and thought they would be nice in a recipe so looking for a recipe using these dates, I found it in this article Interesting Iranian Date Recipes by Infinity Nuts in Medium. A recipe so easy and delicious and quick to make, is not always easy to find!

Date Trufflel

Ingredients:

  • 500 gr fresh Mazafati dates
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup chopped pistachio
  • Sesame, coconut and chocolate powder for the topping

Method

  1. Remove the date seeds, then mix the dates with walnuts and chopped pistachio completely.
  2. Pick a small portion of the paste and make a ball and do the same for the rest.
  3. Pour the powders on the balls and put them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
  4. Put them in the oven for 10 minutes, then our balls or date truffles are ready.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx

Recipe Sunday -30-Minute Tempeh Stir-Fry

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Hi kittens! How are you? Here all good, am currently on cat-feeding duties for a friend and in addition to their 2 adult cat, they also have 2 kittens – it’s quite fun as I haven’t been around kittens for a very long time but they are also so active! Also, the adult cats haven’t really taken the new entries that well so I feel bad for them and I’m trying to spend equal time between them.

The past week has been not too bad but I had an assignment due last Sunday so I didn’t manage to write here: even if it’s a 800-1000 words essay it takes me time as I want to do my best and it takes me time to write. You will understand then that I can’t be too bothered about making anything too complicated for food and this 30-Minute Tempeh Stir-Fry by MinimalistBaker was perfect to then be used for both lunch and dinner.

30-Minute Tempeh Stir-Fry by MinimalistBaker

Ingredients

GLAZE

3-4 tsp chili garlic sauce (adjust to preferred spice level)

3-4 tsp chili garlic sauce (adjust to preferred spice level)

4 Tbsp salted creamy peanut butter (or almond, cashew, or sunflower butter)

4 tsp sesame oil (if avoiding oil, sub water)

1/3 cup coconut aminos (or sub slightly lesser amount of tamari to taste as it can be more pungent in flavor)

4 tsp lime juice

3 tsp freshly grated ginger (or sub 1/2 tsp ground ginger)

1 tsp maple syrup (plus more to taste)

3-4 Tbsp water

TEMPEH

8 ounces tempeh (chopped into large, bite-size squares // if GF, ensure gluten-free friendly)

THE REST

4 tsp sesame oil (or sub double this amount in water)

2/3 cup chopped green onion

4 cups mixed chopped vegetables (we used red bell pepper, broccoli, carrots & kale)

4 tsp coconut aminos (or tamari)

3 cups leftover cooked quinoa,* brown rice,* or uncooked cauliflower rice*

Method

  1. Prepare glaze by adding chili garlic sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, coconut aminos (or tamari), lime juice, fresh ginger, and maple syrup to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
  2. Add water until a thin, pourable sauce is formed. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more chili garlic sauce for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, lime juice for acidity, or coconut aminos for saltiness. Don’t be shy — you want this quite flavorful.
  3. Add the chopped tempeh to the glaze and toss to coat. Then cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (or cover and refrigerate up to 24-48 hours). Prep your other vegetables and toppings at this time.
  4. Heat a large rimmed cast iron or metal skillet over medium heat. Once hot, spoon in the tempeh, reserving most of the glaze in the bowl (set aside for later). Sauté for 3-4 minutes, turning on each side until browned. Then remove from pan and set aside.
  5. To the still-hot skillet add sesame oil, green onion, and mixed vegetables (if adding greens, wait to add until step 6). Season with a bit of coconut aminos (or tamari) and stir to coat. Cover to cook and steam the vegetables, stirring occasionally until slightly golden brown and tender (about 4-5 minutes). If they stick to the pan, add 1-2 tsp of water to loosen.
  6. Once the vegetables are nearly done, add your greens and grains and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until warmed through and slightly browned. Then add in the cooked tempeh and the rest of the glaze and stir to coat. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until everything is hot and well incorporated.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx

Recipe Sunday – Vegan Apple Strudel

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Happy Sunday, beauties! How are you? Here, I am back with the umpteenth cold – as it usually happens when I get a few days off: typical. So I have been just taking it easy, watching a couple of series, doomscrolling on my phone and making healing food (Tomato and Turmeric Soup, drinking oregano oil in nettle tea, etc.). But you know I also love sweet stuff and while Skyping my parents, my mom told me that she made these mini-strudels so it got me the inspiration for how to use the many apples that I have and followed the recipe for a Vegan Apple Strudel by ConnoiseurusVeg.

Vegan Apple Strudel by ConnoiseurusVeg

Ingredients

  • 3 cups thinly sliced and peeled apples (about 2 large or 3 medium apples, weighing about 1 pound)
  • ¼ cup organic granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top of the strudel
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
  • 1 ½ tablespoons rum
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 sheet (about 8 ounces or 250 grams) vegan puff pastry, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
  • Organic powdered sugar, for topping, optional

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the apples, sugar, raisins, almonds, rum, lemon juice, flour, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
  3. Place the puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll it to a 12 x 14 inch rectangle.
  4. Use a knife to cut approximately 1-inch strips down either (long) side of the rectangle, cutting the strips about a third of the way into the width of the rectangle (you can see a photo of this within the post above).
  5. Spoon the filling down the center of the rectangle, leaving about 1 to 2 inches at the top and bottom ends.
  6. Starting at the bottom, fold the strips inward at a slight diagonal, over the filling, pinching opposite strips together.
  7. Brush the pastry with milk, then sprinkle it lightly with sugar.
  8. Carefully transfer the parchment paper to a baking sheet.
  9. Bake the strudel until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly inside, about 35 to 40 minutes.
  10. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and let the strudel cool for a few minutes.
  11. Optionally, sprinkle the strudel with powdered sugar.
  12. Slice the strudel with a serrated knife and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx

Recipe Sunday – Spinach Casserole with Lentils & Quinoa

/ thevegancatlibrarian / Leave a comment

Happy Sunday, beautiful kittens! Are you having a nice weekend? Currently, I am writing this in a hotel room as I will be attending a conference tomorrow and Tuesday – quite anxiously as well as I will be talking at said conference: I am going to deliver a workshop which is something I usually do online, but this is the first time I will do it in person. Wish me luck! After this, I will be off for the rest of the week and while I have a couple of things planned (i.e. taking my cat to the vet; spring/summer cleaning), I am going to take it as easy as possible. Last week was also another busy week and this Spinach Casserole with Lentils and Quinoa by ElaVegan was a great quick dinner and lunch that I am sure you will enjoy too!

Spinach Casserole with Lentils and Quinoa by ElaVegan

Ingredients 

  • 150 g (3/4 cup) dry quinoa or rice
  • 150 g (3/4 cup) dry red lentils
  • 1/2 Tbsp oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 400 g (14.1 oz) frozen spinach thawed
  • 1 tsp ground paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 180 ml (3/4 cup) dairy-free cream or canned coconut milk
  • 125 g (1 1/2 cups) vegan cheese shredded

Instructions 

  1. You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions. First, rinse, then transfer the quinoa or rice to a large saucepan, cover it with plenty of boiling water, and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Then add the red lentils and simmer until both are tender. Don’t overcook them as they’ll continue to cook while in the oven.
  3. Also, preheat the oven to 356 °F/180 °C and lightly oil a 9×9 inch (23×23 cm or similar size) casserole dish. Then, peel and finely chop the onion.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Once hot, sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes, then add the thawed spinach and cook until it’s heated through and the excess liquid has evaporated.
  5. Transfer the cooked quinoa and red lentil mixture and the chopped spinach mixture to the prepared baking dish. Add all the spices and the dairy-free cream (or coconut milk) and stir well.
  6. Sprinkle over the vegan shredded cheese, then transfer to the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly, melted, and slightly golden around the edges.
  7. Finally, remove the spinach quinoa casserole from the oven and leave it to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx