I love tomatoes. They are great in salads, burgers, pizza, on bread, in sauces, preserved, dried, hot, warm, with olive oil, or eaten on their own as a healthy snack. They always are exquisite. To cook this spicy soup you may use canned tomstoes if you prefer. But who prefers canned tometoes in the middle of summer?
Dinner on a budget is a new series on the blog that I hope will encourage you to cook animal free dishes. A few weeks ago somebody told me that vegan diet is much more expensive than vegetarian diet. It indeed costs more when you try to replace meat and dairy products with their vegan versions. But you may cook meals for two or three people for less than £5. Let’s start with this simple curry.
Corn is a very sweet and tasty vegetable. This bright yellow veggie gives all the dishes a touch of summer and makes them fanciful. Fresh corn is crunchy and juicy, and it puts canned one to shame. Since much of the corn is genetically modified, choose organic corn to avoid GMO. The soup is really sweet. Therefore, it's a good idea to serve it with some fresh herbs or chili peppers.
Life was slightly easier when I could get my favourite chocolate bar from a shop. A few days ago, when I was eating salted peanuts and some chocolate, I remembered the taste of Snickers. Then hit on the idea of vegan bars made of dark chocolate and peanuts. I have to admit vegan "Snickers" is one of the most delicious sweets I have ever tried in my life. It's just perfect.
Today is the last day of the Middle Eastern week. I liked all the dishes I cooked during the last seven days and this one isn't an exception. This Persian soup is very tasty, nutritious, full of vitamins, and it smells fabulous. It looks very nice when it's garnished with fried red onion and mint leaves.
Falafel is one of the most popular dishes throughout the Middle East. It’s also very popular among vegetarians and vegans around the world. It delivers essential nutrients, it’s easy to cook and filling. Falafel can be served in many different ways: topped with salads, sauces, or in a pita bread. It's great alone as a snack, or a part of a meze.
I love tahini and everything that is made of sesame seeds. This dish is incredibly easy to cook and just delightful. It takes only a couple seconds to prepare the tahini sauce. It's very smooth and creamy with a herbal flavour of chopped parsley. You can serve the fried cauliflower with tahini sauce as a main dish or a side dish / appetizer.
Dates are extraordinary fruits. They contain impressive amounts of vitamins and minerals. Therefore they are wholesome food and one of the best sweets you can get. Dates are very popular in the Middle Eastern countries where they have been cultivated for centuries. The date jam is really sweet, even though it's made with tart orange juice and no sugar is added. It is great with bread, pancakes, waffles, toasts, and more.
I like arabic cuisine for its simplicity and the way how different ingredients are combined to create unusual flavours. Just look at this recipe: a rice dish made with lentils and carmelized onions. This is so simple! Mujadarra is also inexpensive, quick, and filling. You can season it with cumin or some fresh herbs like mint or coriander, or parsley.
The first dish, that comes to my mind when I think of the Middle Eastern cuisine, is houmous. But it is too obvious to publish houmous recipe during the Middle Eastern week. I found this delicious dish instead. Three main ingredients of this puree are: baked eggpalnts, tahini paste, and lemon juice. Baba ghanoush can be seasoned with garlic, olive oil, mint, parsley, onions, tomatoes, and other vegetables and herbs. It is great as an appetizer or sandwich paste.
A blog about plant-based diet, cooking, veganism, ethical lifestyle.
If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian. - Paul McCartney
Animals are my friends...and I don't eat my friends. - George Bernard Shaw
Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. - Albert Einstein
If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them. - Dalai Lama