Niloo's inspired Caulitawney Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cauliflower

1 tin low fat coconut cream

1 tin tomatos

1/2 Tspn curry powder

1 red onion

2 Tspn grape seed or extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tspn turmeric

3 tspn vegetable stock

1 tspn garam masala

Direction:

1. finely chop onions and garlic, fry in olive oil;
2. add turmeric and stir through the onions and garlic until golden;
3. add curry and garam masala and stir through the mixture on medium heat so it stays soft and doesn't burn;
4. add coconut cream and tomatoes;
5. boil 1 cup of water and mix stock, then combine with rest of the soup and gently stir allowing the mixture to simmer for about 20 minutes; and
6. finely chop cauliflower and add to mixture. If you prefer the cauliflower crunchy, turn off the pot prior to chopping in the cauliflower. Leave stand to cool and serve with croutons.

Note: I served the soup with beanie burger patties and the combination was just perfect. If you are vegan or vegetarian, make sure that the stock is meat free as some 'vegetable' stocks include chicken or beef stock as a base ingredient. I use vegeta and find it to be flavoursome and meat free.

http://jameliche.blogspot.com/2011/10/beanie-burger-patties.html

Beanie Burger Patties

Ingredients:

400g cooked beans (black, kidney or butter beans all fine as are chickpeas so long as soft and cooked)

1 tspn curry powder

1/2 tspn tumeric

1 Tspn chopped onions

1 clove chopped garlic

pinch of salt

1/3 cup oats

1 Tspn tomato paste (optional - can be replaced by sweet chilli sauce or tomato sauce)

Direction:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper or aluminium foil and lightly grease;
2. Mash the beans in a bowll till all squashed and soft. You can mix different types of beans if you like to add flavour;
3. Mix in the onions, garlic and spices;
4. Add rest of ingredients and blend into a soft patti; and
5. Place onto the baking dish and bake in oven for 7 minutes.

Note, this is a perfect patti for barbecues and can be crumbed into spicy soups as croutons.

Orange pomegranate tempeh

The miracle of random cookery has struck when least expected! This is a flavorsome vegan dish perfect for a chilly winter night.

Ingredients:
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 orange
2 Tspn pomegranate molasses
½ tspn turmeric
1 ¼ cups chopped mushrooms (I used enoki)
¼ nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
250g tempeh
Fresh lettuce
1 Lebanese cucumber
Handful of almond slivers or cashews
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Heat oil in pan over medium heat and add turmeric.
Fry chopped onion and garlic.
Slice and add tempeh and fry for another 2 minutes.
Squeeze in 1/2 orange.
Add mushrooms (and any other veges you may have in fridge waiting to be eaten) and sauté for 2 mins.
Squeeze rest of orange and drizzle pomegranate molasses.
Add in yeast and toss to coat and fry for another couple of minutes.
Remove from heat and add mustard and almond slivers.
Serve on a bed of freshly chopped lettuce & cucumber.

Noosheh Jan!