Muhammara (Turkish Spicy Walnut Dip)

Before our trip to Turkey we bought a Turkish Cookbook (not vegan but we can modify). Turkey’s cuisine is not known for it’s vegan friendly dishes but this was one we picked out and decided to try at Christmas. The recipe is a combination of the recipe from our cookbook and a recipe from Vegan Peace.

Muhammara is a hot pepper dip originally from Aleppo, Syria and now found in many places in Anatolia and the Levant. The principal ingredients are usually fresh or dried peppers, ground walnuts, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. It may also contain garlic, salt, lemon juice, pomegranate syrup, and sometimes spices (e.g. cumin). It may be garnished with mint leaves and eaten as a dip with bread or a spread for toast. Muhammara is referred to as Acuka in western Turkey while south-eastern regions call it Muhammara.

This recipe has an essential Middle Eastern ingredient, Pomegranate molasses , in it which can be found at good health food stores. It has a wonderful flavour and heady aroma, and keeps in the refrigerator after opening almost indefinitely.The uses for this thick, tangy, piquant syrup are many. It blends well with walnuts, adds a tart and pungent flavour to beans and other savoury dishes, and gives an astringent edge to salads and vegetables. It is delicious in glazes and marinades and it can even be diluted and used for sharp drinks and tart sorbets. This should not be confused with grenadine syrup, which is made from the same base but has other flavourings added. It makes all the difference in this spread. I have had other Muhammara's without this syrup and it wasn't as good.

This spread is addictive!

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet red peppers
• 1 tbsp water
• 175g walnuts (or pecans or hazelnuts)
• 1-2 cloves crushed garlic
• 2-3 pieces stale bread slices crumbed
• 125mls extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• salt and black pepper

Directions

Put the peppers in on a baking sheet and grill until the skins are charred and blistered. Put them in a bowl, cover with crumpled kitchen paper and leave for 10 minutes. Peel, stem and seed them, then chop coarsely.

THEN

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the walnuts, cumin seeds, chilli flakes and garlic (you could use a food processor but the oils released by the walnuts by smashing them adds to the flavour).

Add the capsicums and bread crumbs and pound to a paste then beat in the pomegranate molasses, sugar and tomato paste.

Slowly beat in the oil to make a nice thick and light paste.

OR

Place everything in the food processor and process until quite smooth.

I did this – I got lazy after 6 hours in the kitchen. I blended the walnuts and bread first. Then I added everything else.

AND

Spoon in to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let stand several hours before serving. If chilled, bring to room temperature before serving.

Serve with flatbread or sesame crackers, etc.

Favourite Chocolate at the moment

Our favourite chocolate at the moment is by Living Earth. Mike ordered 20 bars online. Our favourite is the Goji & camu camu chocolate – it reminds us of a cherry ripe although it probably isn’t that close, it’s just the berries!

Description

In this bar we have combined the zingy, tangy flavour of camu camu extract with the sweet, tart flavour of the whole goji berries and we are very happy with the result. Camu camu is a small berry from the peruvian amazon that is very high in vitamin C, one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C available. The extract powder created by evaporating all the moisture out of the pulped flesh tastes a bit like a tangy sherbet.

This bar is a great way to get your daily dose of vitamin C and goji berries.

Ingredients

Organic raw cacao butter, Organic raw cacao powder, Organic agave syrup (dark), Organic goji berries, Vanilla beans, Camu camu, Himalayan crystal salt.

POST UPDATE

Ok in our chocolate package we also ordered some Coconut Chocolate Butter and it is divine. It is so chocolaty and coconutty that it is pure heaven. I'm only sad that I didn't discover it earlier - although we waistline probably thanks me.

Description

Coconut Cashew Cream is a delicate, sweet blend of raw coconut butter, really raw cashews and Agave syrup. This buttery cream is heavenly and literally melts in your mouth.

We have been able to create this delightful treat by combining quality really raw cashews from Flores Indonesia, with virgin coconut oil and agave syrup. we have been able to create this delightful treat. Coconut cashew cream is a great source of Copper, Phosphorous and Lauric acid.

Ingredients

Organic raw coconut oil, Really Raw Cashews, Organic agave syrup (dark), Himalayan crystal salt.

Serving Suggestions

• Use as a spread or eat directly from the jar.
• Can be used as an icing for cakes or muffins.
• Fruit fondue (warm the cream to between 28-40C. Then dip the fruit into the cashew cream and refrigerate until the cream sets).
• Add a table spoon to 1 cup of water to make yourself a delicious coconut cashew milk.

Caramel Pecan Bars

If you saw my last post you would know that there is sickness in my household and unfortunately I have not managed to escape it. I think I was able to halt the severity of the infection with my soup but I still managed to come down with it a little. I have another problem too - cooking and eating are two of my passions and I would probably have to be on my death bed to stay out of the kitchen. So knowing that I’m not terribly well but still had this urge to cook something I attempted these Caramel Pecan Bars (from Vegan Cookies Invade). This is a fairly easy recipe and the results are fantastic. It results in a thick chewy caramel with yummy pecans stirred through it on a lovely biscuit base with a hint of cinnamon. These are awesome and well worth the 20 minutes of effort (not including baking and cooling time).

Crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• Large pinch of salt
• ¾ cup non-hydrogenated margarine, slightly softened

Topping

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup non-dairy milk (soy, rice, almond, etc.)
• 1½ cups dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted non hydrogenated margarine
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with aluminium foil, making sure the foil completely covers the sides of the pan, with about 2 inches folded outside over the edges. Spray the bottom and sides of the pan generously with non-stick cooking spray
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Use a pastry cutter or two knives held together to cut in the margarine until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into the prepared baking pan and press down evenly and very firmly, making sure to press the mixture all the way to the edges of the pan.
Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes until very firm and very lightly browned. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and non-dairy milk until foamy.
Stir in the dark brown sugar, brown rice syrup, melted margarine, vanilla and salt, until smooth.
Fold in the pecans and pour the mixture onto the crust, using a spatula to spread the topping evenly.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is rapidly bubbling. Place the pain on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes; then move it to the refrigerator to finish cooling and setting. Chill for at least two hours, or, even better, overnight.
To slide completely cooled bars, grab hold of the foil and carefully lift the whole thing out of the pan and onto a heavy cutting board.
Peel away the foil and cut bars with a heavy, sharp knife.

This recipe comes from: Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats by Terry Romero and Isa Chandra Moskowitz Recipe can be found at The Daily Green.

CHINESE VEGETABLE NOODLE SOUP

I was planning to go to Mt Lofty this weekend and play with the camera however Mike came down with a chest infection on Friday. So seeing as there was no chance of us leaving the house this weekend I decided to make a Vegetable Noodle Soup to help kill this infection. I love this Chinese soup by Kylie Kwong – it’s so good with lots of ginger to promote perspiration and help eliminate chills and garlic which is a natural antibacterial/ antiviral/ antibiotic. The secret to this soup though is to make your own stock. All the goodies are in the stock and then enhanced by adding vegetables to the stock when serving. Just what the doctor ordered.

Vegetable Stock

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 medium-sized red onions, finely diced
• 15 slices of ginger
• 10 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 6 sticks of celery, sliced
• 10 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
• 3/4 cup of sliced coriander roots and stems
• 6 litres of cold water

1. Heat oil in a large stockpots, add onions, ginger, garlic and salt, and sauté over high heat for 1 minute. Add carrots, celery, spring onions and coriander, reduce heat and sauté, stirring often, for a further 3 minutes or until the vegetables are very lightly browned.
2. Add water to the pot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, skimming the surface with a ladle to remove any impurities.
3. Turn down heat until surface of the stock is barely moving and cook for 1 hour, skimming as required.
4. Remove stock from the stove, strain through muslin (or a clean Chux cloth) an store, covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Vegetable Noodle Soup
Recipe can also be found on LifeStyle Food

• 1 medium carrot peeled
• 220g udon noodles
• 6 cups Chinese Vegetable Stock (see above)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ginger, julienne
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 sticks celery finely, sliced on the diagonal
• 100 g fresh oyster mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced
• 150 g fresh shitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced
• 150 g snow peas, trimmed and finely sliced
• 2/3 cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/3 cup mint leaf
• 2 large red chillies, finely sliced on the diagonal

1. Using a vegetable peeler, finely slice cucumber and carrot lengthways into ribbons. Cut slices into a fine julienne and set aside.
2. Place noodles in a colander and rinse well under hot running water, then drain.
3. Bring stock to the boil in a large heavy-based pot. Add soy sauce, ginger and sugar and stir to combine. Reduce heat, add drained noodles and celery and simmer for 1 minute.
4. Toss in reserved carrots, mushrooms, snow peas and cabbage and simmer for a further minute or until noodles are just tender.
5. Remove pot from stove. Ladle soup into large bowls. Place reserved cucumber, bean sprouts, mint and chilli in small separate bowls and serve alongside soup.