Beautiful kittens, how are you? Last week has been hectic, was back to work after a couple of days off and felt it would have been nice to treat myself to some delicious food for my dinner: I already eyed this recipe not long ago and was waiting for the perfect time to make it, a Monday night after a busy day. I ended up making a bit more and it lasted for Tuesday’s lunch and dinner: from one recipe I got out 3 meals! So, without further ado, here is the recipe for delicious Vegan Yachaejeon (Korean Vegetable Pancakes) by TheFoodieTakesFlight!

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp corn starch or potato starch
• 1 1/2 tsp salt or black salt (for an “eggy” flavour)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder optional for colour
• 1 1/2 cup room temperature water, plus additional 2-4 tbsp water to adjust consistency

Vegetables of Choice (see notes)

• 1 medium zucchini, sliced into match sticks
• 1 small sweet potato, sliced into match sticks or shredded
• 1 medium carrot, sliced into match sticks or shredded
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 long green chili or jalapeño, optional for heat
• 1 bunch scallions or green onions, around 2 cups, chopped or thinly sliced
• Other vegetables of choice sliced
• Neutral oil (I used vegetable oil)

Dipping Sauce to Serve

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar, adjust to taste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
• Gochugaru or chili flakes/powder optional

Method 

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in all the dry ingredients. Mix well.
2. Slowly pour in the water while mixing. Mix until you’ve reached a thick batter consistency. If the batter is still too thick, you can add 2-4 tbsp more water. The batter has to be thick and should coat the vegetables well.
3. Mix in the veggies of choice into the batter and mix evenly to coat. See notes for other vegetable options and cooking tips.

DIPPING SAUCE

• Mix everything together and feel free to adjust to your taste. You can easily make this dipping sauce before hand.

COOKING THE PANCAKES

1. Heat a medium/large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Note that the size of your pancake will depend on the size of your pan.IMPORTANT: I highly recommend using a non-stick pan for the best results and so that your pancakes do not stick to your pan. It’s also important that your pan has been preheated well and is hot before you add in the oil and the veggies/batter.
2. Add enough oil to add to coat the surface of the pan. Once hot, scoop a generous amount of the batter and veggie mix. Spread these over your pan and get these as thin as possible without exposing the surface of the pan.I use a spoon to spread it evenly onto the pan.If there are holes, feel free to scoop some of the batter to cover them.
3. Cook for 4-5 minutes over medium or medium heat or until the batter starts to dry up. You can also cover your pan to cook down the veggies.
4. If you covered your pancake, remove the cover and allow the excess steam to evaporate. Press down on the centre of your pancake. Once the top o the pancake and sides start to dry up, carefully scrape the sides and check underneath if the it’s lightly brown or golden.
5. Carefully flip the pancake with a spatula. Cook the other side until golden brown and crisp.
6. If you want extra crispness, allow the pancakes to cook over low heat for another 3-4 minutes on each side or until its a deep golden brown (a slight char is great too!) to get really nice and crisp on the outside.This way any excess moisture from the batter and veggies will evaporate and you’ll get crispier and less doughy pancakes.
7. Repeat this for the rest of the batter.
8. Slice your pancakes into small squares or bite-sized pieces and enjoy with the dipping sauce!

I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did!

Love,

TVCL xx

Hi cuties! How are you? The past week has been long and busy and I was working yesterday, so I wanted to make something delicious but really easy and quick: a colleague told me her husband was going to make a stir fry for their dinner and thought that was going a brilliant idea for my special Saturday night dinner. So here we go, I found this Vegan Chinese Seitan and Vegetables Stir Fry by TheSpruceEats. I also had to use some tofu and used it instead of the seitan.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup seitan, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup broccoli, cut into florets
• Cooked rice, or noodles, for serving

Method

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, hoisin sauce, sugar, cornstarch, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger over medium heat.
2. Simmer just until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes or so, then remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large wok or skillet, stir-fry seitan in remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the onions, pepper, and broccoli and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes longer.
5. Add the prepared stir-fry sauce mixture to the stir-fry and combine well, allowing to cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until broccoli is done.
6. Serve your Chinese vegetable stir-fry over plain steamed white rice or cooked noodles, if you like, or your favorite whole grain, such as quinoa or even Israeli couscous.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx

Happy Sunday, cuties! Are you surviving the “Artic Blast”? The weather forecast for our area was saying that there would have been a lot of snow, but in the end, we had only a sprinkle and not much else! However, it has been below zero for a few days so this called for some warm and comforting food and I was in the mood for a goulash: I still remember when my granddad was making this dish, all the care he was putting into it and how delicious and comforting it was. Obviously, it wasn’t vegan, but I was looking to recreate that feeling again and I managed to find the perfect recipe! ForkfulOfPLants’ recipe for a Vegan Goulash with Mushroom and Smoked Tofu is just what you want.

Ingredients  

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 brown onions chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 500 g mushrooms sliced
• 2 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 200 g carrots chopped into ½ inch pieces
• 300 g potatoes chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 block smoked tofu (approx 225g) cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tbsp flour
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 3 springs fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Method 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the chopped onions and pepper, and sauté over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes until they start to soften.
2. Add the mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes more, or until they start to release liquid. Then, add the smoked and sweet paprika, and the garlic powder.
3. Stir the spices through, then add the carrots, potatoes and tofu. Sprinkle over the flour, and mix well again.
4. Finally, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, vegetable stock and fresh thyme. Stir to combine, then bring the goulash to a steady simmer.
5. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes has passed, remove the lid, stir, and allow to cook for a further 20 minutes uncovered, or until the potatoes are soft and the vegetable goulash has thickened.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Alternative

You can swap the smoked tofu for the same quantity of soy chunks – rehydrate them in warm water, drain them and add to the recipe instead of the tofu.

I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe!

Love,

TVCL xx

Hi kittens! How are you? It’s been a very cold week: snow and ice have covered where I live and I was really a Winter Wonderland! Just perfect for the pre-Christmas period. And it’s a great time to have some comfort food like this Vegan Vegetable Wellington by ConnoseurusVeg.

Ingredients

• ½ cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 cups diced (½-inch) butternut squash (Note 1)
• 8 ounces diced ½-inch) cremini mushrooms (about 3 cups of mushrooms)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup whiskey (Note 2)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 sheet (about 9 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed (Note 3)
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted

Instructions

1. Place the rice, broth, thyme, sage and rosemary into a small saucepan and set it over high heat.
2. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Allow the rice to simmer for about 40 minutes, until the liquid is fully absorbed.
3. Remove the pot from heat and allow it to sit with the lid on for at least 5 minutes before uncovering.
4. While the rice cooks, preheat the oven to 400°.
5. Toss the squash with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and and toss the mushrooms with 2 teaspoons of oil. Arrange them separately on the baking sheets.
6. Place the baking sheets into the oven and bake until the squash and mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.
7. Remove the baking sheets from the oven but leave the oven on.
8. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and place it over medium heat.
9. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Sweat the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
10. Add the garlic and sauté another minute, until very fragrant.
11. Lower the heat and carefully add the whiskey (Note 4). Raise the heat back to medium, bring the whiskey to a simmer it simmer for about 2 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked off.
12. Add 1 cup of the cooked rice (Note 5), squash, mushrooms and pecans to the skillet. Stir a few times to mix everything up.
13. Taste-test the mixture at this point (careful, as it will be hot) and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
14. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to incorporate. Remove the skillet from the heat.
15. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
16. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it to about a 12-inch square. Transfer it to the baking sheet.
17. Pile the filling on the puff pastry, forming a long rectangle extending down the center of the puff pastry sheet. Shape the filling with your hands and pack it in. It should seem like a lot, but you can remove some if it’s way too much.
18. Option 1: Braid the dough. Use a knife to cut approximately 1-inch strips down either side of the rectangle, stopping about a half in from the strip of filling. Starting at the bottom, fold the strips inward at a slight diagonal, over the filling, pinching opposite strips together.
19. Option 2: Simply fold the top and bottom ends of the puff pastry over the filling, then wrap the sides overtop to form a log shape, pinching tightly at the seams to form a seal. Poke a few holes in the dough to allow steam to escape.
20. Brush the pastry with the melted butter.
21. Bake the log until golden and puffy, 30-35 minutes.
22. Allow the vegetable Wellington to cool just for a couple minutes, then slice and serve.

I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Love,

TVCL xx