^{(Image: Picatta served with Porcini Polenta)}

After watching my mother eat her way through a real Chicken Piccata and liking everything apart from the fact it was meat, I decided to come up with an alternative.  Piccata is generally made with real chicken that is basted in a sauce of capers, butter and white wine.  Whilst the some people use cream also, I think I prefer it without.

The extra “Chicken” pieces can be used as a burger for leftovers.  It’s got a great flavour and combines soy beans, tofu and gluten flour to get a protein combination.

The sauce is quite delicious with the “chicken” and is basted over it to soak the flavour through.  Whilst the sauce here is for two, you can easily double or reduce the recipe to serve for others at dinner parties.

The piccata is served with a porcini infused polenta, which I will post the recipe for later this week.  I definitely recommend having it with the polenta!

Vegans: Replace the butter with a vegan alternative or olive oil, and you can treat yourself to this one also!

Makes:

• 10 “chicken” pieces
• sauce for 2

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 250 grams firm tofu
• 4 heaped tbs gluten flour
• 400 grams soybeans
• 1 cup oats
• 1 tsp chicken salt
• 5-6 tbs rice flour
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp rosemary

Sauce

• 2 tbs capers
• 1 tbs butter
• 1/2 cup white wine

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 210 degrees C or 410 degrees F.
2. In a jug, mash the tofu and soy beans together.
3. Mix in the liquids and spices.
4. Add the dry ingredients.  If it is a little too wet still, add an extra tablespoon of rice flour.
5. Mould into a chicken fillet shape and place on an oiled tray.  Repeat until there’s no more mixture.
6. Place the tray in the oven and cook 10 minutes each side.
7. In a small fry pan, mix all the sauce ingredients and allow to thicken.
8. Add a couple of “chicken” pieces and grabbing a teaspoon, tip the pan to a side.
9. Grab some of the sauce and pour over the top of the pieces.
10. Repeat for a couple of minutes before serving, pouring the sauce on top.

Following from some previous recipes, I got the idea to use Balsamic Vinegar when trying to make something have a more “meaty” or “smokey” flavour.  I have to admit, the first time I did it, I actually thought the pan (used by my parents) hadn’t been washed properly.  

The steak comes from the idea of my “Chicken” Schnitz and it’s nice and crunchy on the outside, with a chewy texture on the inside.  You really do have to try it to be surprised how well it can be used for a subsitute or mock meat!

Yes, this is vegan.  I don’t add any animal bi-products at all, so everyone can try this treat!

Just a note for how to preheat these (applies to Chicken Schnitz also):  Although the next day they look hard, reheat them for 2 minutes in a microwave on a medium heat.  Any higher will cause these to go hard.  Once heated, you’ll need to eat them straight away or they’ll go hard also.  These can also be frozen with the same reheating instructions.

Serves:

• 3-4 depending on your size of steak

Ingredients:

• 4 heaped tbs gluten flour
• 3 tbs rice flour
• 1 tbs brown onion gravy powder
• 100 grams dried porcini mushrooms
• 3 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp garlic mince
• 1 tbs fried onion
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup boiling water

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees C or 450 degrees F.
2. In a small cup, place the porcini mushrooms and fried onions with the salt, pepper, garlic mince and balsamic vinegar.
3. Pour the hot water in and allow to soak for 15 minutes.
4. Drain the water (keeping to add later) and pulse the drained mixture to cut into small pieces.
5. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large jug.
6. Add the drained mixture as well as the liquid to the dried, stirring quickly.
7. If it’s a little dry and some more water, before portioning the mixture up.
8. Roll the portions out and flatten into a shape of a steak or what other shape you’d like.
9. Cook for about 5-10 minutes each side on a greased tray.  Once brown they should be taken out promptly and served.

Picture this – a sultry day with clean, bright blue water beaches and the gyros above with fries, salad, tomato sauce and mustard thrown at you.  Can you think of anything better?   Whilst at Corfu, Greece I first tasted this wonderful dish and have never forgotten it.

Meat gyros, usually consists of the meat from the rotisseries.  This vegetarian version uses leftover roasted-meat subsitutes and although it’s the first time making, it certainly won’t be the last!

Also this version definitely fills the void that anyone would have after trying the traditional meat version.   Try it yourself!

Serves:

• 1 massive GYROS or cut into 2 if you can share after tasting it!

Ingredients:

• 300 grams diced leftover meat subsitute (I used Sanitarium Deli Luncheon)
• 1/4 roasted onion, diced
• 3 cloves roasted garlic, diced
• 1 potato, diced and roasted
• 1 tsp sage powder
• pinch cumin
• pinch oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• salt to taste
• lettuce, handful cut
• tomato, three thin slices
• large pita bread
• tomato ketchup to taste
• wholegrain mustard to taste

Instructions:

1. In a pan place the onions, garlic and spices with a little olive oil.
2. Cook until the spices have mixed through the onions and roasted garlic.
3. Add the diced fake-meat and mix until the outside skin has browned and the spices have mixed through.
4. Place the large pita bread on a plate and lay your lettuce and tomato down neatly, leaving a little room on the bottom to fold easily.
5. Pour the gyros mixture on top and mix tomato ketchup and wholegrain mustard on top.
6. Fold and serve!

There’s quite a few recipes for Baked Tofu online, but I think this one’s quite simple but delicious to make.  The tofu is drained before adding the marinade to and baking in the oven.

The opportunities are endless to the flavours you could create to change this recipe!

Serves:

• 4-5 slices of tofu

Ingredients:

• 1 block of tofu, drained
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs barbecue sauce (used a Australian home-made variety with apples)
• 1 tsp white pepper
• olive oil for tray

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 360 degrees F.
2. Mix the soy and barbecue sauce together.
3. Pat the pepper onto the tofu and soak the tofu in the marinade for twenty minutes.
4. Place the tofu on the tray and place in the oven for twenty minutes.  Leave aside some of the sauce.
5. Turn over and cook for another twenty minutes, placing the marinade on top.
6. Serve with some brown rice.

Last week, I had an idea to make some italian meatballs on pasta and, although they turned out a little like hamburgers, they tasted quite good and I reckon worthy of putting up. Not only can these meatballs be used in this dish, but tried on their own as a burger. They’ve got a little chicken taste to them, but if you’re after a more meaty version, you could use something like shitake mushrooms in them or some vegetarian beef stock.

The recipe is based on Julie Hasson’s sausages after making some spicy vegan sausages.  It’s not a complete replica of either recipes though, and will be a little softer than these. 

Serves:

• Three to four serves

Ingredients:

Meatballs

• 1 slice fresh bread (here’s where you’d use vegan if you’re vegan)
• 2 tsp garlic
• 1 tsp onion powder
• salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp dried herb bolognese mix
• 1 tsp sage powder
• 1 cup gluten flour
• 4 tsp chickpea flour
• 1 tsp egg replacer
• 2 cups water

Sauce

• 400 grams organic chopped tomatoes
• 3 tsp garlic mince
• salt
• cracked pepper
• 1 tsp dried herb bolognese mix
• 1 tsp onion powder
• pinch brown sugar
• little water
• 3 tbs olive oil

• Pasta of your choice cooked to your liking

Instructions:

1. Blend the bread to breadcrumbs in your vitamiser
2. Mix all the dry ingredients for your meatballs together and then add the warm water.
3. Mix until blended and set aside.
4. Boil some water in a steamer in preparation for your meatballs.
5. Mix all the ingredients for your sauce in another pan and simmer down.
6. Roll your dough into balls and steam for five minutes each side.  They’ll stick a little to the bottom of the tray, so it may be an idea to place these in foil to keep the shape and stop them sticking.  Also, if you want them firmer, keep them on longer.
7. Add a little water to your sauce to allow to cook for longer.
8. Pan fry the rissoles on each side allowing to brown.
9. Mix these into your sauce, before adding it to your pasta of choice!
10. Blend using a vitamiser for a smooth consistency or mash for a chunky soup.
11. Simmer and stir for another 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
12. Serve with some crusty bread.

I was debating whether to post this recipe or not, as the photo itself is not the best.  What I’ve noticed is that I haven’t been able to take a good photo of noodles ever.  No matter what I do they never turn out!  However, it doesn’t mean that it lacks in the flavour!

What I do like about stir fries are how simple they can be to make!  Add a few ingredients in and you can change the flavour and look dramatically!  This dish itself uses low calorie noodles, tofu and the special ingredient of black bean sauce marinated with chilli.  Now, if you can get your hands on this sauce, I recommend doing so, as it really makes this stir fry come to life.  Stir after you’ve stir fried the vegies and voila, you have your have stir fry noodles ready to go!

Veganize this dish by leaving out the eggs!  They aren’t really required!

Serves:

• Three to four

Ingredients:

• 400 grams rice noodles, the thicker the better
• 5 mushrooms, sliced
• 250 grams oyster mushrooms, torn
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1/2 pepper, julienned
• 60 grams onion, sliced thin
• cabbage – red and white, sliced thin
• 2 florets of broccoli, quartered
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbs chilli and black bean paste
• 1 tbs rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp ginger mince
• 2 tsp garlic mince
• 1 tsp five spice powder
• 1 tbs peanut oil
• 1 tbs tomato sauce
• 1 packet firm tofu, diced
• pinch salt
• pinch white pepper
• pinch sugar
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• water

Instructions:

1. Precook your noodles to the pack directions and set aside.
2. Pour your oil in the wok and mix around, warming through.
3. Place in your harder vegies into the pan for a minute before adding the ones which will take less to cook (minus the mushrooms – leave till last minute).
4. Add some water, covering the vegies, bringing to boil.
5. Drop in your ginger and garlic, stirring into the vegies.
6. Once mixed in, stir in your spices and sauces, mixing thoroughly.
7. Mix in the mushrooms now and the tofu, allowing to soak in the sauce mixture.
8. Crack your eggs, leaving to firm up before breaking and mixing into your dish.
9. When you’re ready to serve, stir through the noodles or leave to the side (whatever you prefer)!

With all the types of mock meats on the market, no vegetarian (or vegan for that matter) has to miss out! These little sausages are made with the Sanitarium brand in Australia, but I’m sure you can find your alternative sausage wherever you come from! I certainly have found alternatives whilst visiting in England, Portugal, Italy and many other countries!

So this lovely bangers recipe can be made absolutely anywhere in the world and why wouldn’t you try it? Who has always wanted to make a simple sausage/bangers with gravy and mash?

There’s one ingredient which could be difficult to find – Vegemite! I’m sure with the various versions within the different regions, you won’t have trouble alternating. For example, use Marmite or Bovril instead! Although, I’d never dream of using a Vegemite alternative…I’m a happy little Vegemite here!

If you need some ideas for your potatoes including mashed alternatives, check these ones out:

• Spring Onion and Leek Vegan Mash
• Mashed Potato and Carrot
• Honey Mustard Potatoes
• Oven Roasted Oregano Potato Wedges

Serves:

• 1 serve

Ingredients:

• 2 vegetarian sausages of your choice
• 1 tsp garlic mince
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbs corn flour mixed with a little water
• 1/2 tsp Vegemite
• 1/4 tab beef style vegetarian stock
• 1/3 diced red onion
• pinch white pepper
• olive oil for sauteing onion

Instructions:

1. Saute the garlic and onion with the olive oil until soft, stirring in the rosemary and thyme.
2. Place in the water and stir through the stock and vegemite. Season with white pepper only (there’s enough salt in the stock and vegemite).
3. On a seperate pan, cook the sausages, allowing to brown each side.
4. In some water, stir the corn flour through and add it to the gravy.
5. Allow to thicken by simmering the gravy.
6. Slice the sausages into thick slices and mix in with the gravy.
7. Serve with some mash of your choice and enjoy!

As I’ve mentioned before my mum’s side is from Sri Lanka and we’re used to eating curries and spicy foods. One thing I used to be particularly fond of was my nan’s Chicken Curry. Unfortunately, she got Alzheimer’s before passing the recipe on and I was left without my favourite curry.

Being vegetarian has never stopped me trying to make it, I’ve tried for soooo long to try and get it just right! Although, I don’t think I’ll ever get the right ingredients happening, I will keep trying in some hope that I get that perfect chicken (well vegetarian chicken) curry just like my nans.

This one here, although isn’t my nan’s perfect one, it’s certainly getting close. I remember her using tomato sauce in hers, which is generally a no-no and I think I’ve figured out what else she used vinegar! Who would’ve thought?

This chicken-style curry uses the Sanitarium chicken soy fillets but feel free to change the chicken pieces to whatever you have on hand. It’s quite delicious and worth trying for yourself…you never know you might tweak it just right to perfect my nan’s famous chicken curry!

Serves:

• 3-4 serves

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red onion diced
• 2 tsp garlic mince
• 1 tab vegetarian chicken-flavour stock tab
• 1/2 tsp ginger mince
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 6 soy chicken fillets, diced roughly
• 3 tbs vinegar
• 1 tbs tamarind
• 1 hot fresh chilli diced
• 1 tsp chilli powder (to your heat level)
• pinch cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamons
• 2 tbs roasted curry powder (I use Larich deep roasted Sri Lankan brand)
• 1 tbs tomato ketchup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup light coconut milk

Instructions:

1. Place the diced onions, garlic, ginger and stock into the pot. Pour the olive oil in and mix around to soak the ingredients. Saute until soft.
2. Add the tamarind, cloves, curry powder, cardamon, cinnamon, ketchup and vinegar into the pot and reduce the sauce down, adding a little more olive oil if required to make the paste.
3. Place in the soy fillets and mix through.
4. Place the chilli in to your taste.
5. Add the water and coconut milk, stirring through.
6. Simmer until the gravy thickens before serving.

^{and dressing of white balsamic vinegar and a good extra virgin oil.)}

This week I’ve got an extra special recipe to coincide with Fatfree Vegan Kitchen’s Vegetable Love 2008 competiton. I’ve been concocting this recipe in my head for a couple of days, tweaking the flavours, before coming up with this great combination and best of all, it’s vegan. Not only is it vegan, it’s low in fat with only a little amount of oil.

The competition itself is to come up with a romantic dish for Valentine’s Day. I think this is certainly a sultry dish to serve to the one you love. It also brings a little unsuspecting heat just near the end, which could certainly represent your relationship with your other half!

The cannelloni here is homemade, which does take a little more time – it’s well worth it – but if you are running short of time, use some vegan lasagne sheets or cannelloni tubes and some packaged pesto also.

Serves:

• makes 15 rolls of cannelloni

Ingredients:

• 3 red capsicums

Pasta

• 1 cup “00″ flour or plain white flour
• 2/3 cup wholemeal flour
• pinch salt
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/3 cup warm water

“Cheese” filling

• 300 grams firm tofu, drained
• 1 tbs nutritional yeast flakes (for stronger flavour add 2 tbs)
• pinch salt

Sauce

• 1/3 onion finely diced
• pinch white pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic mince
• pinch salt
• 1 small chilli, finely diced
• a little water or you could use rice milk (for thinner mixture)

Pesto

• 1 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
• 3 handfuls arugula/rocket, rinsed and squeezed dry
• 15 grams pine nuts
• 1/2 tsp garlic mince
• 1 small chilli
• 2 tsp capers
• 1tbs olive oil
• pinch white pepper
• a little water or you could use rice milk (for a thinner mixture)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius or 355 fahrenheit.
2. In a wide jug, pour the flour and salt in, stirring thoroughly. Mix in the water and oil, until a dough has formed. Pull the dough out and knead for a minute before wrapping and setting aside.
3. Slice the peppers into their sides and place on a flame to roast (either on your barbecue or gas stove) until blackened. If you have neither, you can roast in the oven. Place in a large container covered tight for 5 minutes.
4. Drain the tofu and place into a container. Mash the tofu down and mix in the nutritional yeast and salt. Set this aside now also.
5. Once the pepper has softened, wash the blackened skin off the peppers and slice very thinly into long strips.
6. Place the diced onion in a pot with the garlic, chilli and olive oil. Saute until soft, pouring the 3/4 of the roasted peppers in. Saute once again, seasoning, before turning the heat off and vitamising the mixture down with your blender. Add a little water to help reduce to a sauce.
7. In a clean blender, mix all of the ingredients for the pesto, using water to thin the sauce down and blend properly.
8. Boil some water adding a little salt in the pot.
9. Cut the dough into thirds and flatten to fit into the wide setting of a pasta machine.  Using your pasta machine, do the following with the dough:
   1. Place through piece on highest setting three times, turning upside down each time.
   2. Place through setting number two for two to three times.
   3. Place through setting number five for two times.
   4. Slice into rectangles.
10. Boil the rectangle sheets in the pot, a couple at a time for around 30 seconds to a minute. Pull out and rinse. Repeat until complete.
11. Place the rectangle sheets out and spread a teaspoon of pesto, then tofu, a couple of the remaining pepper slices and then roll. Place each roll in a casserole dish side by side.
12. Pour a little of the pepper sauce on top of the cannellonis and place in the oven for twelve minutes.
13. Carefully slide a spatula underneath the cannelloni, transferring to your serving plate.
14. Layer with pepper sauce, a dollop of your leftover pesto and some capers before serving.

This light and quick snack for lunch is a great vegetarian option of the traditional BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato). I’ve placed a few optional steps in here, which are tried and tested. They are great additions, but this photographed version is a simple version with the use of a parmesan-topped roll.

Serves:

One

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp garlic mince
• 1-2 tbs mayonnaise
• 1 -2 strips vegetarian bacon (I use Sanitarium)
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 slices tomato
• handful gourmet lettuce
• pinch pepper
• pinch salt
• 1 long roll or sub roll (I used 1/2 Baker’s Delight Parmesan Sub Roll)
• Optional – Parmesan cheese grated and placed under grill on top of roll
• Optional – tomato or sweet chilli sauce

Instructions:

1. Heat Bacon up in microwave or shallow fry on pan.
2. Mix garlic into mayonnaise.
3. At this stage you could warm or toast the roll if you like. And place the optional parmesan on top!
4. Cut and butter roll. Layer lettuce on bottom.
5. Place tomato on top and season.
6. Top with bacon and spread mayonnaise on top. You could also place the optional tomato sauce or sweet chilli sauce if you prefer!