Tofu Mayonnaise

Egg-Free Mayonnaise
makes 325ml, keeps 2 days in fridge
300g drained tofu, chopped
1 T olive oil
juice of half lemon
1 T cider vinegar (or brown rice vinegar)
1 garlic clove, crushed


Subtle Mayo (for use in other recipes)
6 oz. of firm tofu
1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of natural sweetener like Stevia or Agave (optional)
3 Tbsp olive oil, sesame oil, flax oil or Udo’s oil - your choice base on flavor preference.

Place all the ingredients, together with 2 T of cold water, in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and chill.

Veggie Bean Burger with Avocado Cream

Veggie Bean Burger
(makes 4 burgers)
2 cups cooked beans (black beans, aduki, pinto, kidey, chickpeas)
1 cup steamed squash
1 carrot
1/2 onion, finely sliced
1 small shallot
1/2 cup miso liquid or stock to moisten patties
1 T fresh herbs or powdered (sage, corainder, parsely, thyme, dill, basil, ginger, fennel, cumin, mint, garlic)
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
sunflower seed if desired

Mash up beans. Mix in the other ingredients and make patties. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 oF until brown. Serve with avocado cream.

Avocado cream sauce
2 very soft avocado
2 spring onions, chopped finely
1/4 t coriander powder
1/4 t seaweed seasoning (or salt)
1/2 t olive oil
3-4 T water

Place water at the bottom of a blender. Add avocado, spring onion, coriander, seasoning, olive oil and mix until creamy.

Quinoa/Buckwheat Tabbouleh

(serves 4)
2/3 cup cooked quinoa ( or 175 g dry buckwheat groats: Cook for 10 minutes until tender)
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 1/2 cup fresh parsely, chopped
1 large beef tomato, deseeded and diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
2/3 cuo ( 2-3) finely chopped onions
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 whole fresh lemon, juiced
1 pinch sea salt
lettuce leaves

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover and chill for 20 minutes. Serve tabbouleh mounded on a bed of lettuce, accompanied by lemon wedges.

Sweet Potato Shepherdess Pie

(serves 4)

2 t virgin oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 sticks celery, washed and sliced
1 bay leaf
1 small butternut squash, peeled, halved and cut into small pieces
15 oz vegetable stock (made from 1 cube of stock)
15 oz can of red kidney beans, rinsed under water
410 g can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 red or yellow peppers, washed and sliced
3 tomatoes, washed and sliced in half
2 medium zuchhini, sliced
1 broccoli head, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp arrowroot
4 sweet potatoes, steamed for 15 minutes and mashed

Heat a little water and olive oil, in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, onion, celery and bay leaf and simmer for approx 3 minutes. Add the squash and heat for 3 minutes, stirring. Pour in the stock and bring to boil over medium heat. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionly. Add the kidney beans, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, and carrots. Simmer for further 5 minutes until squash is tender. Stir in the parsely. Add a little arrowroot to thicken.
Transfer ito baking dish, mix the sweet potato mash with little of cooking water and dash of tamari sauce and add as topping and bake for 15 minutes at 40 oF. Just enough to set.

Moroccan-style Spicy red lentils

Serves 6 as side
Ingredients

1 1/4 cups dried red lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 serrano chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Directions

In a saucepan over high heat, combine the lentils, water, bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain and discard the bay leaf. Set aside.

In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chili and garlic and saute until softened, about 1 minute. Add the cumin, ground coriander and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the lentils and the spice mixture. Toss gently to mix. Stir in the parsley, cilantro and mint and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Stir in the vinegar and serve immediately.

Chickpea hummus

Serve this easy Mediterranean spread with warmed whole-wheat pita bread. For a more traditional version, replace the vinegar with lemon juice and the olive oil with tahini (sesame paste).

Serves 6
Ingredients

2/3 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzos), picked over and rinsed, soaked overnight, and drained
3 cups water
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sliced green (spring) onion
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the chickpeas, water, garlic cloves, bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the beans are very tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Drain and discard the bay leaf, reserving the garlic and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a blender or food processor, combine the chickpeas, cooked garlic, olive oil, the 3/4 cup green onion, vinegar, cilantro, cumin and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Process to puree. Add the reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture has the consistency of a thick spread.

In a small serving bowl, stir together the chickpea mixture and the remaining 2 tablespoons green onion. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Hummus with Yogurt
1 15 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained (save liquid)
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini, or low fat peanut butter if you prefer (optional, but if you do not use, increase yogurt by 1 TBLS
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon salt

Spinach and Feta Hummus
1 can garbanzo beans/chickpeas (15 oz), drained
1/2 cup fresh spinach
3 oz, crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cups red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon roasted garlic

Split pea soup

By Mayo Clinic staff

Serves 4
Ingredients

For the chive cream
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh chives, plus long cuts for garnish
3 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt
1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups dried yellow or green split peas, picked over, rinsed and drained
3 cups water
3 cups vegetable stock or broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped lean ham

Directions

To make the chive cream, in a small blender or food processor, combine the chopped chives, yogurt, buttermilk, sugar and salt. Process until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Add the carrot and saute until the carrot is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the split peas, water, stock, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the peas are tender, 60 to 65 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth and return to the saucepan over medium heat. Reheat gently.

Ladle into warmed individual bowls. Top each serving with a drizzle or swirl of chive cream and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped ham and a few long cuts of fresh chives. Serve immediately