Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable juice
• 1/2 large papaya (about 2 cups)
• 4-5 large circles (slices) pineapple (about 2 cups of small pieces)
• 1 sweet bell pepper (we used a red one)
• 1 small zucchini (about 1 cup of small pieces)
• 1 Persian lime
• small pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon Cajun spice
• splash or 2 Tabasco
• cilantro or coriander as garnish

Directions:

1. Pour the vegetable juice into a large bowl.
2. Cut the papaya in half, remove the seeds, peel, cut into small pieces and add to the vegetable juice.
3. Slice 4 or 5 large circles from a fresh pineapple.
4. Cut the outside rind off. If the pineapple is very ripe, the inner core is also soft and can be used, therefor just cut into small cubes. If the core is hard, then remove the core and cut the ring into small cubes.
5. Add the pineapple pieces to the vegetable juice.
6. Seed and chop the bell pepper into very small pieces.
7. Add the bell pepper pieces to the vegetable juice.
8. Clean and slice the ends off the small zucchini, then cut into small cubes (should make about 1 cup).
9. Add the zucchini pieces.
10. Cut a large lime in half and squeeze both haves into the juice.
11. Season the juice, which is by now the gazpacho, with a small pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of Cajun spices and a splash or 2 of Tabasco.
12. Serve the gazpacho garnished with some coriander or cilantro and a small piece of fresh pineapple.

Please, give the recipe a try as it is really tasty. It’s easy to veganize by using maple syrup instead of honey and change the butter to vegan margarine. Otherwise the recipe is vegan. We used a pumpkin but either butternut squash or pumpkin work well. And, please use a lime not a lemon.

Yield: 1 9″ teasecake

Ingredients:

for the crust:

• 1/2 c. ground almonds
• 1/2 c. either rolled oats or granola and or bran
• 1 c. whole flour
• 1&1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 oz.vegan margarine
• 1 to 1&1/2 Tbs. agave or maple syrup

for the filling:

• 1/2 c. uncooked millet
• 2 c. water
• 1/2 c. raw cashews
• 1/3 c. key lime juice
• 1/3 c. agave or maple syrup
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lime extract (lemon works fine here, too)

for the blackberry sauce

• 2 cups fresh blackberries, washed and picked over
• 2-3 Tbs. sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• splash lemon juice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tbs. cornstarch mixed with 3-4 Tbs. water

Directions:

To make the crust:

1. Mix the ground almonds, oats, bran and flour in a large bowl.
2. Add the cinnamon and salt and mix together.
3. Cut in the vegan margarine until the mixture resembles sand.
4. Add the syrup and mix to form a ball.
5. Place the crust into an oiled tart form or spring form.
6. Put most of the dough in the center and using your fingers, press to thin the mixture towards the edges.
7. Allow the dough to go about 1/4 of an inch up the sides.
8. Place the dough in the refrigerator to harden for 1 hour.
9. Bake at 350 F, in a preheated oven for 5-10 minutes or until golden.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling.

For the filling:

1. Bring the millet to boil in a small saucepan with a tight fitting lid.
2. Once the millet is boiling, turn the heat down to simmer and cook with the lid on until the liquid is absorbed, this will be 30-40 minutes longer. I did not peek, but until after 30 minutes, and the millet was done.
3. Meanwhile, puree the cashew nuts, with the lime juice, syrup and vanilla. I used my blender. Puree until it is a very smooth creamy liquid.
4. When the millet is done, add millet and blend as creamy as you can get it.
5. Sample the mixture and adjust according to your taste. You may want it a bit sweeter, or more of a citrus flavor, however I found it perfect and not needing any adjustment.
6. Allow the millet mixture to slightly cool.
7. Once your crust has cooled, pour into the crust and allow to sit for 30 min at room temperature.
8. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
9. Top with the berry sauce and some fresh berries.

For the sauce:

1. Place the washed berries in a small sauce pan.
2. Add the sugar and 1/4 cup of water and cook.
3. When the berries have softened, push the liquid through a sieve and remove the pits.
4. Return the sauce to the pan.
5. Mix the lemon juice, water corn starch and cinnamon together in a small bowl and add to the berry sauce.
6. Heat until the sauce becomes clear and thick.
7. Set aside to cool.
8. Shortly before serving the teasecake.
9. Carefully pour the blackberry “sauce” over the top.
10. It will be semi-liquid/semi-jell.
11. Garnish with fresh berries dotted around on top.

Notes:

Any berry sauce would be delightful on this tasty teasecake. Based on a recipe from the The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook.

Yield: 9″ pie or tart

Ingredients:

for the crust:

• 100 grams walnuts, shelled
• 125 grams flour
• 60 grams sugar
• 60 grams soy margarine, cold cut into pieces
• 1 tsp. egg replacement
• 3-4 Tbs. cold water
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• salt

for the filling:

• 2 cups plain soy yogurt, liquid, drained
• 3 limes, zest and juice
• 4 Tbs. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. corn starch
• 2 Tbs. vegan pudding powder (e.g. Custard Powder from Orgran)

for the topping:

• 3-4 ripe kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced
• car jam as lemon verbina, apricot, apple or lime as glaze (optional)

Directions:

For the crust:

1. Grind the walnuts to the consistency of flour using a food processor or coffee grinder.
2. Add the flour egg replacement and cinnamon.
3. Pinch in the cold soy margarine margarine pieces and mix well, until the mixture becomes as a crumbly sand.
4. Add the water and mix well to form a dough.
5. Preheat the oven to 395 (F).
6. Roll the dough out on a floured surface, and place in a well greased pie pan or tart form.
7. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork.
8. Put a layer of baking parchment in the pie and fill with beans or rice, to “blind bake” the pie.
9. Blind bake the pie for 10-15 minutes, remove from the oven, take the beans or rice and baking parchemnt out, and return the pie shell to bake for 10 minutes longer or until golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
11. Meanwhile, make the lime custard. Place the soy yogurt in a cheesecloth or other finely woven cloth and drain the excess liquid.
12. When the excess liquid is drained, put the soy yogurt in a small sauce pan.
13. Dissolve the corn starch and the custard powder in the lime juice, add to the soy yogurt, stir well to mix.
14. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and lime zest.
15. Heat the soy yogurt to a soft boil, while stirring.
16. Cook until it becomes thick and as a custard.
17. In a small saucepan, melt 2-3 tablespoons of clear jam with a tablespoon of water to make a thick sauce. This can be apple jam, apricot jam, ginger jam, citron melissa jam, whatever is clear.
18. Meanwhile, peel 3-4 kiwis and slice thinly.
19. Pour the lime custard into the baked pie crust.
20. Place the kiwis on top of the lime custard.
21. Using a pastry brush or spoon, brush a thin layer of jam over the kiwis as a glaze.
22. Place the pie in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set.

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 medium ripe melon, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 tbs. fresh mint, chopped
• juice from one medium lime
• cayenne powder,
• salt

Directions:

1. Make sure your melon is really ripe.
2. Cut it into bite sized pieces.
3. Squeeze the juice from a medium lime. (it’s important that it is a lime not a lemon).
4. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
5. Just before serving, cut the leaves of fresh mint in very fine pieces and add to the melon and mix well.
6. Sprinkle a dash of salt and a light dash of cayenne pepper and mix well.
7. Serve as a salad on a bed of lettuce, or as a refreshing desert.

Notes:
Inspired by
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/salad/fruit_mintymelon.html

Ingredients:

for the sweet crust

• 9 oz. pastry flour
• 1 oz. ground almond meal
• 3 oz. powdered sugar
• 1 egg substitute
• 5 oz. margarine
• salt
• 1-2 tbs. ice cold water

for the key lime filling

• 3/4 cup white almond meats, finely ground
• 10 oz. tofu, crumbled
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• zest from 1 lime
• salt
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/2 tsp. agar agar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric

Directions:

For the crust:

1. Put the ingredients in a kitchen machine and pulse until you have a crumbly mixture.
2. Add the water and pulse to for a ball.
3. Remove from the kitchen machine, kneed a bit.
4. Wrap in plastic foil and put in the refrigerator for 1/2 or until ready to bake.
5. When ready, preheat the oven to 350 (F) (175 C).
6. Roll the dough out on a floured surface.
7. Be sure to roll the dough out thin otherwise it is too thick and hard, you want a nice light flaky crust that is a bit sweet.
8. Grease the tart forms.
9. Fill each tart form with the dough.
10. Pierce the bottom with a fork in several places.
11. Place a sheet of baking paper in the bottom, put beans or rice on the baking paper and bake the tart crust “blind” for 20-25 minutes.
12. This (baking blind) is rather important, otherwise the dough will rise too much and you will not be able to fill the art as much as you would like.

For the filling

1. Grind the almonds as finely as possible.
2. Place them in a kitchen machine or blender and add the tofu, the cold water and sugar and blend or puree to a very smooth consistency.
3. Add the lemon juice and blend again.
4. Pour the mixture into a small sauce pan.
5. Taste the mixture, add more lime juice or the zest of another lime if you wish it to be more tart.
6. Dissolve the agar agar in 2 tablespoons of cold water and add to the lemon/almond mixture.
7. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is a thick smooth mass.
8. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked tart shells and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.
9. You can garnish with berries in season, or a slice of lemon or Soyatoo (whipped soy cream).

Note:

This recipe was inspired by La Tartine Gourmande, who is a very inspiring cook and photographer. Unfortunately, not vegan. So the recipes need some adapting for a vegan diet. Some of the ideas for altering the recipe came from Bryanna’s vegan feast kitchen blog.