Italian Okara Meatballs

• Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (75g) vital wheat gluten
  • 1/4 cup (30g) oatmeal, ground to a fine powder
  • 1/4 tsp each oregano, thyme, and celery salt
  • 1/2 cup fresh okara, as much liquid squeezed out as possible
  • 90g chopped onion (about one smallish onion)
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) vegan worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) ketchup
  • 2 tsp Natex or yeast extract spread
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

• Directions/Method
  1. Mix the dry ingredients, the gluten flour, spices, and oatmeal powder (use a grinder or blender/liquidiser to grind whole oats) in a medium bowl.
  2. Make a paste out of all the remaining ingredients by placing all but the okara in a spice mill or blender. Remove and stir okara in until mixed.
  3. Add the okara mix to the dry mix and stir until all of the ingredients begin to mix. You can also use your hands if you’d like, but be sure not to overknead the dough.
  4. Form into small balls and steam for 25-30 minutes. When you’re ready to eat the vegan meatballs, simply fry them up in a little oil or add to your favourite sauce to serve with pasta!

Winter Warmer Beans ‘n Pasta

• Ingredients
  • Approx 180g (2 cups) pasta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh finely chopped sage
  • 1 tbsp red wine
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 400g tinned tomatoes (a small can)
  • 400g tin of butter beans

• Directions/Method
  1. Parboil the pasta until it’s around 5 minutes from being cooked to your liking.
  2. While the pasta is boiling, heat olive oil over medium heat in a pan and fry the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the sage and cook a further 30 seconds. Throw (okay, not literally) in the red wine, tomatoes, salt, and sugar and mix until incorporated before adding the drained butter beans.
  3. When the pasta is par-cooked, drain it and add it to the sauce to cook for a further 5 minutes (keep the lid on if possible). It’s always a good idea to finish cooking any pasta in its sauce!

Creamy Parmitalia Salad Dressing

• Ingredients
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 3 tbsp vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast + 1 tsp
  • 1 tbsp white miso paste
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1/8 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/8 tsp dried basil
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp okara (optional)
  • Scant 1/4c (10-15g) finely grated vegan sharp cheddar (I use Scheese)
  • 1 tsp vegan parmesan powder

• Directions/Method
  1. Using a pestle and mortar, or in a blender, combine and mix the garlic and olive oil into a paste. Add the vinegar, miso, water 1 tbsp of the nutritional yeast, the herbs, and salt.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the grated vegan cheese with the other teaspoon of nutritional yeast, plus the Parmazano and okara if using (a few clumps are fine).
  3. Fold the cheese mixture lightly into the dressing and voila! You’re done.

Vegan Pumpkin and Okara Ravioli

• Ingredients
  • 3 cups (375g) pasta flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Up to 1 cup (240ml) of water
  • 350g (approx 1.5 cups) pumpkin puree (steamed or roasted)
  • 100g (1 cup) okara
  • 10g (1/4 cup) nutritional yeast
  • 35-40g (1/4 cup) vegan mozzarella
  • 2-3 tbsp freshly chopped sage
  • 2-3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (approx half of a lemon)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp tahini
  • 1/2 tsp salt

• Directions/Method
  1. To make your pumpkin puree, get the oven going at 200 C (400 F). Slice a small to medium sized pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half in half again. Halve the halfs again if your pumpkin is, like, 8 feet wide. Stick on a tray and roast for half an hour or so, or until the flesh is soft. Remove and allow to cool before peeling the skin away from the flesh with a spoon (it will come away very easily).
  2. To prepare your pasta dough mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and mix in the flour until there are no large chunks of flour-oil mass left. Add the water slowly, mixing with the flour until you achieve a smooth dough. You’re better off with a drier dough than a floppy lump of of moisture, so take it easy with the water flow. You can use either a dough mixer or your hands, whichever you prefer. Ensure the ingredients are evenly mixed and set the dough aside in a covered bowl for at least 15 minutes, or while you prepare the ravioli stuffing.
  3. Throw all the other ingredients in a bowl with the pumpkin and mash it up. Tricky, I know.
  4. If you’re using a pasta maker, follow the instructions as per its instruction manual (yes, I sometimes read them). If you haven’t yet invested in a pasta maker, what’s wrong with you? Sike. Get out the rolling pin and get busy. Break the dough into 4 or 5 chunks and roll each out to approx 1-2mm in thickness. To do this, you’ll have to keep a bowl of flour on hand to continually dust both your surface and the sheet of pasta with which you’re currently working.
  5. To make the actual ravioli, place a line of about 1/2 tbsp filling about an inch from the edge along one rectangular sheet of dough, leaving 1.5-2 inches between each. Brush around the edges with water and fold the other half over the top. Press and seal around the edges. Using a pastry cutter, cut around the edges to make individual raviolis.
  6. Collect any remaining dough, roll out and follow the steps again. Repeat until no dough is left.
  7. Cook the pasta for just a few minutes in boiling water. Don’t overcook!
  8. If this is a pain in your arse, stuff some shells instead. Or go buy a pasta maker, or one of those clever ravioli gadgets or something.

<img title=”Vegan Pumpkin Ravioli” src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2729/4053604744_372bd0fbc2.jpg” alt=”" width=”500″ height=”333″ />

I’m an autumn moper. There, I said it. This is the time of year where I have to face the fact that it’s getting too dark too quickly. It’s the time of year where I have to come to terms with the fact that my feet will be frozen for the next six or seven months. But then I suddenly look up and face a mindboggling array of various squash and pumpkin -esque shapes, and remind myself that there are some positives about this time of year, too.

Pumpkin, or “punkin” as my mother so adorably calls it, is a delicious vegetable which is overshadowed by pre-processing and all too often goes to waste. As an American I only ever knew pumpkin to be one of two things: something edible out of a can or something carved for Halloween. How tragic is that? My recollection of pumpkin was either from a factory or a vision of perfectly good food gone to waste (!!!), so I’ve been making an effort over the past couple of years to, you know, actually cook with the real live vegetable. Since it’s food and all.
<h2>Recipe Notes</h2>
If you’ve never cooked with pumpkin before, this is it. Seriously, <em>this is it</em>. It’s one of the most delicious things I’ve had in a long while, and I’m so happy there were enough left to freeze for one or two more meals.

Don’t listen to anyone who tried to tell you that making your own pumpkin purée is difficult or “not worth it.” Dude, really, all you do is cut the thing into a few wedges and stick it in the oven. You don’t even need to purée it properly for this recipe (a light mashing will do). Anyone who tells you this process is hard is either a canned pumpkin lobbyist or a terrorist, clearly.

I suspect not many people make their own soymilk and tofu, and I’ve never really seen it marketed widely in food retail, so I know okara seems an inconvenient ingredient. If you can’t get ahold of it, don’t worry. I use okara because it’s coming out my ears and because I like the slightly grainy texture (reminiscent of store-bought ricotta), but you should be able to use an extra firm tofu with no problem.

I used a small amount of vegan mozzarella cheese in this recipe, but if you don’t have that on hand then feel free to use a basic cheddar substitute or simply omit the ingredient altogether. The ravioli will survive and you’ll still enjoy your dinner.

The sauce, if you could call it that, I used was a simple hazelnut and garlic mix in vegan butter and extra virgin olive oil. You could also try lightly frying some whole sage leaves in garlic and oil/butter also. I would advise against a sauce which is too heavy with flavour because the flavour of the ravioli is so good on its own. Try not to top it with anything too overpowering.

<div id=”recipe-container”>
<h2 class=”recipe-title”>Vegan Pumpkin and Okara Ravioli</h2>
<div id=”servings”>Makes 50-55 Raviolis</div>

<ul id=”navlist”>
<li><span id=”ingredients”>Ingredients</span>
<ul id=”subnavlist”>
<li>3 cups (375g) pasta flour</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>Up to 1 cup (240ml) of water</li>
<li>350g (approx 1.5 cups) pumpkin puree (steamed or roasted)</li>
<li>100g (1 cup) okara</li>
<li>10g (1/4 cup) nutritional yeast</li>
<li>35-40g (1/4 cup) vegan mozzarella</li>
<li>2-3 tbsp freshly chopped sage</li>
<li>2-3 cloves minced garlic</li>
<li>2 tbsp lemon juice (approx half of a lemon)</li>
<li>1 tbsp tomato paste</li>
<li>1/2 tsp tahini</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>

</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul id=”instructions”>
<li><span id=”method”>Directions/Method</span>
<ol>
<li>To make your pumpkin puree, get the oven going at 200 C (400 F). Slice a small to medium sized pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half in half again. Halve the halfs again if your pumpkin is, like, 8 feet wide. Stick on a tray and roast for half an hour or so, or until the flesh is soft. Remove and allow to cool before peeling the skin away from the flesh with a spoon (it will come away very easily).</li>
<li>To prepare your pasta dough mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and mix in the flour until there are no large chunks of flour-oil mass left. Add the water slowly, mixing with the flour until you achieve a smooth dough. You’re better off with a drier dough than a floppy lump of of moisture, so take it easy with the water flow. You can use either a dough mixer or your hands, whichever you prefer. Ensure the ingredients are evenly mixed and set the dough aside in a covered bowl for at least 15 minutes, or while you prepare the ravioli stuffing.</li>
<li>Throw all the other ingredients in a bowl with the pumpkin and mash it up. Tricky, I know.</li>
<li>If you’re using a pasta maker, follow the instructions as per its instruction manual (yes, I sometimes read them). If you haven’t yet invested in a pasta maker, what’s wrong with you? Sike. Get out the rolling pin and get busy. Break the dough into 4 or 5 chunks and roll each out to approx 1-2mm in thickness. To do this, you’ll have to keep a bowl of flour on hand to continually dust both your surface and the sheet of pasta with which you’re currently working.</li>
<li>To make the actual ravioli, place a line of about 1/2 tbsp filling about an inch from the edge along one rectangular sheet of dough, leaving 1.5-2 inches between each. Brush around the edges with water and fold the other half over the top. Press and seal around the edges. Using a pastry cutter, cut around the edges to make individual raviolis.</li>
<li>Collect any remaining dough, roll out and follow the steps again. Repeat until no dough is left.</li>
<li>Cook the pasta for just a few minutes in boiling water. Don’t overcook!</li>
<li>If this is a pain in your arse, stuff some shells instead. Or go buy a pasta maker, or one of those clever ravioli gadgets or something.</li>

</ol>
</li>
</ul>
</div>

Vegan White Pizza with a Beer Crust

• Beer Dough Ingredients
  • 225g strong white bread flour
  • 10g fresh yeast or 1 tsp easy-blend yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 125ml veg-friendly beer (room temperature, not cold)

• Olive Oil and Herb Base Ingredients
  • 3-4 cloves crushed and diced garlic
  • 1/4 cup lightly packed basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Creamy Pizza Topping Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup ground cashew and almond
  • 1/4 cup soya milk
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp light miso
  • 1 tsp tahini
  • 1 tsp umeboshi vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp hot mustard powder
  • 3/4 tsp corn flour
  • More vegan cheese to top (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. For the dough, mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and gradually add the beer until you have a soft dough. Turn out onto a solid surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. Ensure the bowl is scraped clean before coating with a bit of olive oil and returning the dough to rest inside. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for about 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to hot. Really hot. I turn mine all the way up to 250 C. If using a stone, place in the oven to heat (same applies for cast iron). I always put pizza trays in to preheat also.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the olive oil and herb base and set aside.
  4. For the creamy cheese topping, simply mix all of the topping ingredients together. Use a blender, a pestle and mortar, or a good old fashioned spoon and bowl if you’d like. Your method of mixture will determine the texture of the sauce (so if you want a really smooth texture, blend it).
  5. Once the dough has risen to a point just below doubled, knead it once more and roll out on a lightly floured surface to approx 12-14 inches (depending on whether you want a crust). Transfer to your pre-heated pizza baking implement and form crusts by rolling edges inward.
  6. If using a cheap pizza tray, I suggest baking the crust for 1-2 minutes first in order to avoid a soggy bottom.
  7. Spread the oil and herb base over the entire pizza before pouring the creamy sauce on top. If desired, top the pizza with some additional vegan cheese.
  8. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until crusts start to brown.

Vegetarian Okara “Chicken” Balls

• Ingredients
  • 65g chicken substitute
  • 65g fresh okara
  • 1 tsp miso
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 20g onion (pureed or grated)
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp water (give or take)
  • 30g vital wheat gluten (give or take)
  • About 1 cup breadcrumbs

• Directions/Method
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175 celcius (350 F) and lightly grease a baking sheet.
  2. Preferably use a food processor to blend all of the ingredients except for the gluten flour into an even paste, but you can do this by hand if there are no other options. Grate the onion and mash the chicken substitute as much as possible and then add the other ingredients. The mix will be fairly wet depending on how much moisture is in the okara. I use fresh okara, not dried, so if you use dried then you will likely need to add more liquid.
  3. Add the wheat gluten flour to the wet mix, mixing evenly and thoroughly, but no need to over-mix. You may need to play around a little bit here. The result you’re after should be a wet dough just hard enough to roll into balls. Add more liquid and/or gluten flour in small quantities in order to find this balance.
  4. Roll the dough into approximately 1-inch balls (I have done larger, so I know it works too). Roll each ball in the breadcrumbs and place on the baking tray. Once all are coated, pop in the oven for about 30 minutes. Turn over halfway through baking.
  5. The final product should be browned and crispy on the outside, but not burnt (I feel I have to clarify this because I often burn some foods on purpose)!

Summer Pasta with Minted Peas and Basil

• Ingredients
  • 275g pasta
  • 1 cup frozen peas (give or take)
  • 1/4 cup packed basil and mint mix (I went 50/50)
  • 1/4 cup packed rocket (arugula)
  • 1.5-2tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Chop all of the herbs and leaves, keeping the arugula separate from the mint and basil combination. Set aside.
  2. Cook the peas and pasta separately. The peas will finish before the pasta and when they do, drain them and cook over a low heat with 1 tbsp of the oil, along with the chopped mint and basil.
  3. When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and toss well with the pea mixture and the rest of the ingredients (plus salt and pepper to taste). Add the lemon juice and red wine vinegar last and serve warm or cold (this would make a lovely cold pasta salad picnic dish).

Creamy Risotto with Roast Asparagus

• Risotto ingredients
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 225g risotto rice
  • 1.5 litres homemade vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • vegan butter
  • Avocado, diced (optional)

• Roasted Asparagus ingredients
  • 125g asparagus
  • olive oil
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • sea salt
  • pepper (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 C. In an oven proof dish drizzle the asparagus generously with olive oil and a dash of sea salt. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes.
  2. While the asparagus is roasting, you can make the risotto. Begin by frying the onion and garlic in olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan until soft. Add the risotto rice and fry for a minute.
  3. Turn down the heat to a medium simmer. Add the stock 1 cup at a time, stirring often, allowing each cup to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15-20 minutes. How will you know if/when it’s done? Taste it! It’s like pasta in that you need to sample the goods to check the texture and consistency to see if it’s ready.
  4. Remove from heat and split the risotto between two dishes. Add thin slices of non dairy butter on top of the rice (I used about 1 tablespoon each).
  5. Remove the asparagus from the oven and place on top of the risotto. Sprinkle lemon juice over the asparagus.
  6. If using, add avocado cubes.
  7. Serve and enjoy!