Vegan sushi rice bowls

Ingredients

Rice

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Toppings

• ½ cucumber
• 2 carrots
• 1 avocado
• 2 Tbsp Vegan mayo
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha

Braised tofu

• 200g tofu
• Flour
• Oil
• 250 ml orange juice
• 4-5 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Sambal Olek
• Ginger, grated
• 1 Tbsp sugar

Preparation

Cook rice according to instructions. Combine vinegar, salt, and sugar. Once the rice is done, add vinegar mixture. Meanwhile, Drain tofu and cut into cubes, toss with flour and pan-fry until crispy. Mix orange juice, soy sauce, sambal olek, ginger and sugar. Add sauce to the pan with the tofu and braise until the sauce sticks to the cubes. Cut toppings into bite-size bits. Mix vegan mayo and sriracha. Place rice and tofu into bowls, add toppings.

Bell pepper burger sauce

Ingredients

• 2 red bell pepper
• 3 red onions
• 1 lemon
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 jalapeños
• Whisky or brandy
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Smoked paprika
• Sweet paprika
• Chili powder

Preparation

Cut up the bell peppers and the jalapeños, halve the lemon and place the pieces into a casserole. Toss with olive oil and salt, then roast in an oven at about 200°C for 30 to 45 minutes, until the bell peppers are thourougly browned. Meanwhile, slice the onions and sauté them and the garlic in olive oil. Deglaze with whisky or brandy, then combine with the roasted bell peppers, the jalapeños, and the lemon's juice in a mixer or a food processor. Pulse until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve.

Berry muffins

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 70g brown sugar
• 180g yoghurt
• 80g butter
• 16g baking soda
• 210g all-purpose flour
• 20g vanilla pudding powder
• 2g salt
• 110g berries

Preparation

Beat egg and sugar with a whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is slightly foamy. Then add joghurt and melted butter, mix until combined. Sieve in flour, pudding powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until a dough has formed, then use a spatula to fold in berries.

Distribute evenly into large muffin pans – I like the silicone kind since there's no need for muffin cups with them. The dough should be enough for about 6 muffins. Bake in a convection oven at 180°C for 20 minutes. I've found preheating to be unneccessary with this recipe.

Lobscouse

Ingredients

• 800g potatoes
• 300g onions
• 800g celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 large pickled cucumbers
• 75ml cucumber pickling liquid
• 8 slices of beetroot
• 75ml beetroot pickling liquid
• salt
• pepper
• sugar
• parsley

Preparation

Cut the celery and the onions into small cubes. Panfry with grated garlic, salt, pepper and sugar until browned. Add cubed pickled cucumbers, cubed beetroot, and the liquids. Simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in salted water. Once done, mash the potatoes and mix with the vegetables. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with pickled vegetables, fried pumpernickel, or as a non-vegan option with fried eggs.

Bolognese sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large can tomatoes
• 4 large carrots
• 4 celery stalks
• 3 large onions
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 500g minced meat (beef, pork or a mixture)
• Olive oil
• Oil
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red wine
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Basil
• (optional) Cinnamon
• (optional) 1 tablespoon Butter

Preparation

Cut the carrots, celery and onions into small cubes, then sauté in olive oil until lightly browned to create soffritto. Transfer into a bowl. Then increase the heat to high, add some heat-resistant oil and brown the meat, adding salt and pepper to taste. Once done, deglaze the pan with the wine and re-add the soffritto. Add the tomatoes, garlic and paprika. If going for the optinal ingredients, add them now. Let simmer for at least an hour. About 10 minutes before serving, add the herbs. This sauce works as is with any noodles and some parmesan, or can be combined with a bechamel for lasagna.

Goulash

Ingredients

• 1kg roast beef, cubed
• .3l red wine or red grape juice
• .3l beef stock
• 6 large onions
• 6 red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoon tomato purée
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• salt
• black pepper
• rose pepper
• sweet paprika
• smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• clarified butter

Instructions

Cut the beef into cube, salt generously, cover and set aside for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut onions into stripes and sauté in clarified butter until starting to brown. Preheat a pan, add clarified butter and in batches brown the beef from all sides, deglazing inbetween with red wine. Add browned beef to the onions and season with black and red pepper. Once all beef is browned, add bay leaf, stock, paprika, tomato purée and mustard. Once boiling, add bell peppers. Reduce heat to a simmer for about two hours. If desired, thicken with some corn starch.

Summer salad

Ingredients

• 600g watermelon, diced
• 500g cucumber, diced
• Juice from 1 lime
• Sugar
• Salt
• 1 handful Moroccan mint, finely chopped

Preparation

Add watermelon and cucumber to a bowl, season with a pinch of sugar and salt. Add lime juice and mint, mix thoroughly. Put into the fridge for about an hour to let the flavors mix.

Winter glogg

Since the leaves seem to think it's autumn, here's a simple yet tasty glogg that'll compensate for the rainy weather and digging out the winter clothes.

Ingredients

• 300ml apple juice
• 4cl Amaretto
• cinnamon

Preparation

Pour apple juice into a pot, add cinnanom (either a pinch, or if you're feeling fancy, a stick), heat to about 80°C. Pour into heat-resistant glass, add Amaretto, stir a little.

Chili con carne

Ingredients

• 500g ground meat
• 500g (1 can) tomatoes
• 500g (drained weight, 2 small cans) kidney beans
• 2-4 onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 piece of dark chocolate
• 2 large chilis (I usually use Habaneros, but adjust to taste)
• 1 bottle (dark) beer
• cumin
• oregano
• salt
• pepper
• paprika
• olive oil

Heat olive oil, add sliced onions and chopped chilis, fry until onions browned, set aside. Season meat with salt and pepper, fry until meat turns brown. Re-add onions, deglaze with beer, add tomatoes, drained beans, garlic, and chocolate. Season to taste and simmer for at least an hour — the more patience you have, the better it will taste.

Peanut soy sauce marinade

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1 teaspoon peanut butter (unsweetened)
• 1 teaspoon lime juice (about ¼ lime)
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 1 pinch of salt

Preparation

Stir together, use to marinate chicken for at least ½ hour, fry.