Autumn-winter | VEGAN IS GOOD

Vegan Coco-Squash Dessert

This very easy vegan desert has a smooth, light texture and won’t take much of your time. It’s also a nice surprise for all sweet toothed folks.

What you need is (preparation time: 10 minutes, cooking time: 50 minutes):

1 kg of grated squash

1 can of coco milk

1 coffee cup of brown sugar

100 grams chopped walnuts

1 tbsp vanilla sugar

Put the grated squash in a large bowl and mix it with walnuts, the sugar and the vanilla. Transfer it to medium sized baking dish and bake in a preheated oven (180C – 360F) for 20 minutes. Take it out, pour in the can of coco milk and mix well. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes. Then take it out, let it cool and put at the fridge overnight.

Serve decorated with some mint leaves and sprinkle with coco flakes, or something else, if you feel inspired.

Vegan is Good!

Vegan Christmas: Squash Dip

I think it’s a good idea to add some vegan meals to the whole long and not really healthy Christmas glutenous menu. As the minds are filled with whatever the traditional food is in your part of the world (if you even celebrate this…), here’s a suggestion for something seasonal, cheery-coloured and keeping our bottoms little 😉

What you need is 20 minutes:

1 small teacup of red lentils

250-300 g raw squash, cut in pieces

2-3 cloves of garlic

3 tbsp sesame tahini

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon

half teaspoon of the each cumin, turmeric, dried coriander, paprika, ground black pepper, cinnamon

and the handiest thing in the world: a blender!

Boil the lentils in 2 cups of water until tender and the pumpkin in a separate pot, and yes – in some water too. Discard the liquid and put aside to cool.

Mix all the spices, the tahini, the peeled garlic, the olive oil and the lemon juice in a bowl. Then add the squash and the lentils, and use the blender to reduce all to a nice, orange, smooth, heavenly tasting dip.

Serve with some fresh whole grain bread as an appetizer.

Vegan Is Good!

Easy Sambhar with Red Lentils

Indian food provides a diversity of vegan meals, filled with good proteins and yummi veges. And are suitable for improvisation. The truth is all you need is some Indian spices and your imagination. So, here I am, making my favourite walk along the vegetable-abundant nearby farmer’s market, thinking: ” How about trying something with that Sambhar masala my friend brought from India? Oh, let’s get those eggplants, and carrots. And yes, definitely some string beans and radish…” In the end I found myself with more luggage that I could possibly carry home on my own, but the result was worth it and spicy.

Here’s how it goes – just make sure you’ve prepared all the ingredients in advance, as it cooks quite quickly once started:

What you need for 2-3 hungry people (40 minutes):

1 tea cup of red lentils

1 large eggplant cut into long slices

1 average carrot, diced

300 g of pumpkin, peeled and cut into large cubes

1 average white radish, dices

1 onion, minced

some garlic, minced

2 red chilis

2 tbsp of sambhar masala

2 teacups of water

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Heat the oil in a large pan with cover. Add the Sambhar masala and let the oil absorb its divine taste for 30 seconds.

Put in the garlic and the onions and mix. now add the carrot, the radish, the pumpkin, mix well, cover and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.

Next – add the chilis, the aubergine slices, and again – mix and cover for another 2 minutes.

Then add the lentils and the water, lower the heat. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are soft and the liquid is almost absorbed.

Serve with flat bread or rice.

Vegan is Good!