Once upon a time (2 years ago, almost to the day), I found myself toying with the idea of making a raw meal.  I’d been daydreaming about it ever since I bought my very first raw ‘cookbook’ about 6 months earlier.  The stunning photos in that book and the stories of increased vitality I’d read all over the net enchanted me.  I’d tried raw pizza, nachos and desserts at PAWS, Manna and the Raw Kitchen Cafe and they were all delicious, but all the dehydrator talk and complicated recipes discouraged me from giving it a go myself.

It was hot in the city that week.  Really hot.  Summer rocks, but it’s not really conducive to eating hot dinners, especially not with my penchant for being heavy-handed with the chilli.  Left to my own devices I would’ve happily just eaten frozen fruit for dinner, but apparently this is frowned upon past the age of three.  So what was a sandgroper to do?  Join the raw food movement?

Oh yes, raw food.  Back then I liked to pronounce it ‘ROAR!’ to scare whoever I was talking to twice.
Friend: “You’re going to eat what?”
Me: “ROAR food!  Like a tiger!”  (a hot, vegan tiger, obviously).

Of course, these days I’m much more (*ahem*) mature.

Then I came across this amazing recipe!  Thai food + summer + ROAR! = bliss, right?  Plus it only had two steps and minimal ingredients, and we all know I’m all about that.

Well, one taste and I was HOOKED!  Holy guacamole!  I didn’t think raw food could ever be so decadent!  If this was how all raw meals tasted, all I could say was viva la rawvolution!  

Fast forward to recently.  You know those delicious meals you make and fall in love with and then kinda’ just forget about?  So weird.

Anyway, since it’s summer and I’m going crazy with the zucchini noodles again, I finally decided to whip up my own version of this tasty treat first inspired by the gorgeous Eden at Feed Life Starve Cancer:

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Raw Pad Thai

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini
• 1/4 red cabbage thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves chopped
• 1 spring onion sliced
• 1/2 avocado peeled and sliced
• 12 raw almonds
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Dressing

• 1/4 cup peanut butter 100% natural with no added salt or sugar
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 tbsp tamari / salt-reduced soy sauce
• 1/2 chopped green chilli or more if you like the hot stuff!

Instructions

• Assemble dressing ingredients in a jar. Pop the lid on and shake really well to combine. I like mine nice and creamy but you can add a touch of filtered water if it looks too thick.
• Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, remove one outer strip of skin from each zucchini and discard. Peel again, in long strips and periodically rotating the zucchini, to create ‘ribbons’ from all around the core. Discard the core or use it in another recipe (or juice it!).
• Combine zucchini ribbons, cabbage and dressing in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
• Divide zucchini mixture between two plates or bowls.
• Top with remaining ingredients and enjoy! xx

Serve it up elegantly, like this:

Or Buddha Bowl style (with added red capsicum and cherry tomatoes):

Or all tropical-like (with triple the almonds!):

 
Just be warned: it’s highly addictive! xx
 

The post Crazy Delicious Raw Pad Thai appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.

Where’s the sun?  Where is it?

I’ve searched high and low but ohhh well, it seems I’ll have to wait a bit longer to feel the sand between my toes and the warm sea breeze…   and until then there are always healthy Indian curries (and singing ‘Here comes the sun! na na na naaaa!’ at high volume) to cheer up the chilly nights.

This spicy little number was inspired by that magical Chana Masala Pizza and the creamy awesomeness of eggplant.  Soaked in a spicy tomato sauce and served with steamed brown rice and fresh coriander leaves, it’s the perfect healthy indulgence.  And did I mention a cinch to make and free of unhealthy fats, sugar and gluten?

You can even pair this with a delicious Frozen Mango Lassi mocktail if you’re feeling adventurous!

Treat yourself to organic chickpeas, beautiful; they’re so much softer and tastier. Any leftovers are happy in the fridge for a couple of days and taste great reheated, so don’t be shy about cooking up a big batch.  Your family/friends/neighbours/postman/future self will love you for it.

xx

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Eggplant Chana Masala

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil optional
• 2 small brown onions finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 large eggplant/aubergine
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup filtered water
• 3 cups organic cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed if from a can)
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 cup fresh coriander/cilantro leaves chopped

Dried Spices

• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp garam masala

Instructions

• Wash eggplant and (skin on) chop into 1 inch cubes. Discard both ends. Place cubes into a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion in oil (or a splash of water) until translucent.
• Add garlic, ginger and eggplant and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
• Add dried spices and mix well to fully coat the onions and eggplant.
• Stir in the tomatoes, water and chickpeas. Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from the stove. Stir in lemon juice and half of the coriander. Season with salt & pepper.
• Serve topped with coriander. Enjoy! xx

The post Eggplant Chana Masala appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.

Ooh yes, I’ve mentioned before how blessed I am to be in love with a man who can whip up an incredible risotto at a moment’s notice and I figured Vegan Mofo was the perfect time for him to show us what he’s got!

Don’t believe the rumours.  Risotto is not difficult or scary to make, and if you love root vegetables like I do, you’ll love my lovebug’s recipe.  The earthiness of the beets combined with the freshness of the basil and the sweetness of the potato make for a killer combo and an impressive dish any day of the week.  Meal Planner and pretty pens optional.  xx

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Beet, Basil & Sweet Potato Risotto

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
• 2 pinches sea salt
• 1 cup peeled & diced beetroot
• 1 1/2 cups peeled & diced sweet potato
• 1/3 cup arborio rice
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups vegetable broth/stock
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, dried oregano & thyme, sea salt & cracked pepper and sauté until onions are soft.
• Add beetroot and sweet potato and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat, add rice, and stir through for 2 minutes.
• Add 1/3 cup of stock at a time, stirring through each time until well absorbed before adding more.
• When the rice is almost cooked, add fresh basil, then continue stirring until rice is cooked, adding more stock if dish becomes too dry (you want it to remain quite saucy).
• Serve hot, topped with fresh basil.

The post Beetroot, Basil & Sweet Potato Risotto appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.

I do believe it was my gorgeous bloggy friend Lisa from The Raw Serenity who first told me about socca pizza crust when she commented on my Blue Moon Mexican Pizza many blue moons ago.

I was so excited to read about it on Wiki, who knows why it took me so long to try it, but let’s just rejoice in the fact that it’s finally in my life, WHOOHOO!

This is no heavy, gluten-free pizza base, baby!  An absolute cinch to make, and melt-in-your-mouth amazing, I haven’t bought a pizza base since.

I’m so inspired to try it in so many ways in the future (crêpes? crackers?) but for now I just can’t stop making pizza!

Viva la socca pizza!  xx

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Socca Pizza

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -4

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

Socca Base

• 1 cup chickpea garbanzo bean flour - I used Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo Fava Flour
• 1 cup cold filtered water
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp coconut oil for greasing

Toppings

• Tomato paste
• Dried Italian herbs oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, etc
• Mushrooms
• Red onion
• Capsicum/bell pepper
• Sundried tomatoes
• Kalamata olives
• Vegan Cheese Vegusto, etc - optional

To Serve

• Fresh basil leaves chopped

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F (or slightly higher if your oven is not fan-forced).
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together garbanzo bean flour and water until there are no lumps remaining. Stir in garlic and sea salt. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
• Grease 4 small, shallow dishes/tins with coconut oil.
• Pour mixture into dishes and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove dishes from oven, top with your favourite toppings and vegan cheese (optional) and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or so.
• Remove dishes from oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before removing pizzas from the dishes.
• Top pizzas with fresh basil leaves and enjoy!

The post Socca Pizza appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.

Oooh it’s been a bit tough at Vegan Sparkles HQ this week.

Together with my gorgeous friends Emily from Olive on Blonde, Claire from This is Lifeblood and Tahnee from Eclectori, I’ve agreed to take up the ‘Dry July‘ challenge, which means – yep, you guessed it – no vino or bubbles for 3o days!  *gulp*

So if Fridays no longer entail a couple of sneaky glasses of sparkles, what’s a girl to do?

My plan is great food, a DVD, scented candles, snuggles on the couch, herbal tea, a long and blissful sleep, and the promise of a healthy chocolate smoothie in the morning.  Not so bad, right?

And so I bring you the second recipe in the ‘Fast Fridays’ series – Tempeh Veg Skewers with Party Rice!

Faster and a whole lot healthier than take-away (and without the sodium, MSG and other yuckies), these recipes are so easy, you don’t even need to measure.

Adjust quantities to suit your tastes and appetite, and add anything else you feel like – jalapenos, sweet corn, guacamole, hummus, quinoa, coriander/cilantro, etc.

Go crazy! It’s Friday!

A quick visit to your local shop/market on Friday lunchtime or Thursday night and you’ll have these goodies on your lap in front of a good DVD in no time.

Leg warmers optional.  (I’m so doing leg warmers.  And glitter.  Just so you know.)

xx

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Tempeh Veg Skewers with Party Rice

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

• Tempeh/Extra Firm Tofu
• Your fave veggies to grill - think Mushrooms Cherry Tomatoes, Capsicum/Peppers, Squash, Zucchini/Courgette, etc
• Brown Rice or Quinoa
• Fun 'Party Rice' additions - think Avocado Sundried Tomatoes, Spring Onion, fresh Parsley leaves, Sesame Seeds, etc

Marinade

• 1 tsp Garlic crushed
• 1 tsp Ginger crushed
• 1 tsp Red Chilli crushed
• 4 tbsp Tamari Sauce or Soy Sauce if gluten is not an issue
• 2 tbsp fresh Lime Juice

Instructions

• Rinse rice, place in a saucepan with twice as much filtered water and a pinch of salt and simmer until rice absorbs all of the water (about 20 mins or so).
• Meanwhile, combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
• Skewer veggies and tempeh onto sticks and lay in a single layer on a lined baking tray.
• Drizzle half the marinade over skewers and place them under a grill (or onto a BBQ) on medium heat until they just start to brown (just a few minutes).
• Flip skewers over, drizzle with remaining marinade, and grill until golden brown.
• Add 'Party Rice' ingredients to the pot of cooked rice and mix well.
• Serve skewers with party rice, season with cracked black pepper and sea salt, and enjoy!

The post Fast Fridays: Tempeh Veg Skewers with Party Rice appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.

We want a little something special to celebrate the start of the weekend, YAY!

But we’re too pooped to make it, BOO!

Before you reach for that take-away menu full of sodium (bloating!), MSG (headaches) and other nasties (yuck), how about a super fast, super delicious dinner that won’t push your health kick off-track?

This one’s so easy, you don’t even need to measure.  Adjust quantities to suit your tastes and appetite, and add anything else you feel like – jalapenos, capsicum, sweet corn, mushrooms, guacamole, quinoa, brown rice, coriander/cilantro, etc.

Go crazy!  It’s Friday!

xx

P.S.  Yes I am addicted to sweet potato and Mexican food.  An intervention is imminent.  Until then, it’s fiesta time, baby!

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Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Bowl

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

• Coconut or Olive Oil
• Sweet Potato scrubbed and chopped into 1-inch thick rough cubes (peeled or unpeeled are both fine).
• Canned Kidney Beans or Black Beans drained and rinsed
• Mexican Chilli Powder or a blend of paprika, cayenne, oregano & pepper
• Avocado
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Spring Onions

Macadamia Sour Cream

• 1 cup Macadamia Nuts pre-soaked in a bowl of water in the fridge overnight and drained
• 1/2 cup filtered Water
• A good squeeze of Lemon Juice
• Splash of Apple Cider Vinegar
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 220C/425F (or a little higher if your oven is not fan-forced).
• Grease a baking tray with oil and rub the potato cubes in the oil, being sure to coat all sides. Lay cubes flat on the tray in a single layer and season with sea salt and Mexican Chilli Powder.
• Roast potato, undisturbed, for 15 to 20 minutes – the undersides should be dark golden brown.
• Remove from oven, flip cubes over and return to roast for another 10 minutes or so – until dark golden brown all over.
• Meanwhile, make Macadamia Sour Cream by blending all ingredients on high speed until smooth and creamy.
• Chop Avocado, Cherry Tomatoes and Spring Onion.
• In a small saucepan, gently heat beans over low heat.
• When potatoes are golden brown all over, remove from oven and layer in a bowl, topping with heated beans, sour cream, salsa, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and finishing with the spring onion.
• Sprinkle a little more Mexican Chilli Powder on top and enjoy!

The post Fast Fridays – Healthy Mexican Bowl appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.

Winter Solstice!

SuperMoon!

Exclamation marks!

I decided we needed to stop the madness and get grounded again with a big, hot-pot of Veg Chilli.

Back when I was a newbie vegan and not very handy in the kitchen, one of my favourite mealtime tricks was to empty a can of chopped tomatoes and a can of (drained) red kidney beans into a pot with a chopped chilli, let it simmer for 15 minutes or so, throw in some coriander/cilantro leaves, and eat it using corn chips for spoons.

Sometimes I’d  pretend to be a cowgirl.  A cowgirl with cool, sparkly vegan boots, and vegan marshmallows by the campfire.  hmmmmmm…

Where were we?

Oh yes, getting grounded.   *ahem*

These days when I make chilli I squeeze those vegetables in good and tight so it’s packed with nutrition, but I’d never thought of adding kale to my chilli until my lovely Postman delivered a copy of Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Kitchen last week and I spotted this recipe.  Genius!  

I stuck with my usual recipe (because we’re getting grounded, remember – no funny business!) but I just had to try the kale trick.  Stealth kale!  Way to go, cowgirl!

I’ll most definitely be trying the Crazy Sexy Tempeh and Maple version next time, but for now this old faithful restored peace to the Galaxy.  As you were, young Jedis.
 

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Veg Chilli

Servings 3 -4

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 clove Garlic crushed
• 1/2 Onion chopped (brown or red are both good)
• 2 tsp freshly chopped Red Chilli or Jalapeno
• 1 tbsp Mexican Chilli Powder or a blend of paprika, cayenne, oregano & pepper
• 1 Zucchini chopped
• 1 cup diced peeled Sweet Potato
• 1 small Capsicum/Bell Pepper chopped
• 1 cup Mushrooms sliced
• 2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped Tomatoes
• 2 x 400g/14oz cans Kidney Beans or Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups filtered Water
• 1 cup washed chopped Kale leaves

To serve

• Fresh Coriander/Cilantro leaves
• Organic non-GMO Corn Chips

Instructions

• In a large pot over medium heat, toast cumin seeds until fragrant.
• Add olive oil, onion, garlic and chilli pepper. Stir-fry until onion is translucent.
• Add all remaining ingredients except kale. Cover, reduce heat, and allow to simmer for 25 minutes or so, or until potatoes are tender.
• Remove from heat, stir through kale, sprinkle with coriander leaves, and serve with corn chips.

The post Mexi Bean & Veg Chilli appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.

It made me giggle, and believe that this was the only dish Mothers taught their boys before sending them out into the world.

Is it true?   Come on Mums, spill!

In any case, back then I wasn’t too handy in the kitchen myself and I figured if cute boys could do it, so could I!  In no time I’d mastered their ‘canned apricots and syrup mixed with a packet of French Onion Soup Mix’ version, and it became a favourite in my regular meal rotation.

Later, Version 2.0 replaced soup mix with herbs and spices and chicken with chickpeas.  It was yummier but still pretty basic.  In fact, even as recently as just under 2 years ago, if you’d been around these parts you would have stumbled across this picture:

hehe, nawww, who’s in need of a good make-over?

Now that I’m all grown up and healthy-sparkly-sophisticated (*ahem*), I figured I should create an even healthier (and more attractive!) version to share with you.

You can absolutely use 1 cup of chopped, dried apricots soaked in 2 cups of fresh apple or pear juice instead of canned apricots, but the canned variety really adds the velvety texture that makes this so scrumptious.

If you do choose dried fruit, a quick word of warning – just watch those supermarket packets!  They can be full of nasty sulphites and preservatives.  If the fruit is shiny you can bet your bottom dollar it’s been messed with, so look for ‘dusty’ looking fruit.  Ask your friendly health food shop for organic (or make your own with your trusty dehydrator!) or check the back of the packet to make sure there is only one ingredient – the apricots.  Even better – if fresh apricots are in season and super sweet, try using fresh instead.

Either way, this is bachelor food at its finest – simple, fast and delicious.

Thanks Mums. 😉 xx

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Apricot Chickpeas with Lemon Mint Quinoa

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -4

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

• 2 x 425g/15oz cans organic Chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 825 g/30oz can Apricots in natural juice not syrup
• 1 small brown Onion chopped
• Splash Coconut Oil

Herbs & Spices

• 1 tsp minced Ginger
• 1 tsp minced Garlic
• 1 tsp ground Cumin
• 1 tsp ground Coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground Turmeric
• 1 tsp organic Vegetable Stock Powder

Lemon Mint Quinoa

• 1 cup organic Quinoa rinsed
• 2 cups filtered Water
• 1 Spring Onion sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Mint leaves
• Squeeze fresh Lemon Juice

Instructions

• Empty Apricots and juice into a food processor and process on low speed until smooth.
• Heat Coconut Oil in a large pan over medium heat.
• Add onions and herbs & spices and sauté until onion is translucent.
• Add apricot liquid and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
• In a smaller saucepan over high heat, bring quinoa and water to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until quinoa absorbs all of the water (about 10 mins or so).
• Add chickpeas to the apricot mixture, mix well and simmer for a few minutes more - until heated through.
• Transfer quinoa to a serving bowl and stir through spring onion, mint leaves and lemon juice until well combined.
• Serve and enjoy with the Apricot Chickpeas!

The post Apricot Chickpeas with Lemon Mint Quinoa appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.

Oh my beautiful friend Gnocchi, how I’ve missed you!

Remember how much we crushed on this Spicy Tomato & Basil Gnocchi last winter?  mmmmmmmmmmm…

Soooo delicious and comforting – not to mention ready faster than you can say where’s my other fluffy slipper?!  Gnocchi is usually a sure-fire hit with everyone.

And just because I’m having so much fun with vegan ‘Goat cheese’ and my funky new tapas dishes this week, I decided an experiment of the pumpkin kind was in order!

If you have the time to make gnocchi from scratch, all the better.  If not, a packet of store-bought gnocchi (checking the label to make sure it’s vegan), and you’ll be whipping up this incredibly simple and easy mid-week dinner in no time!

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Pumpkin, Rocket & Vegan 'Goat Cheese' Gnocchi

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -4

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped Pumpkin
• 1 cup Vegetable Stock/Broth
• 1 Garlic clove peeled and chopped
• 1/3 small Red Chilli chopped (optional)
• 1/2 medium Brown Onion
• 2 cups Rocket leaves rinsed
• 500 g/17.6oz packet of Gnocchi check ingredients for vegan & gluten-free

Vegan ‘Goat Cheese’

• ½ cup raw Cashews
• ¼ cup raw Macadamias
• ¼ cup raw Pine Nuts or more Macadamias but the flavour is better with a mix
• ¼ cup filtered Water
• 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• Pinch Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper

To Serve

• Pumpkin Seeds Pepitas
• Fresh Herbs chopped

Instructions

• At least an hour or two before you are ready to make this (or overnight), pop the ‘Goat Cheese’ nuts into a large bowl of water and allow to soak.
• When you are ready to make this dish, drain nuts and combine all ‘Goat Cheese’ ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy and then transfer mixture to a small bowl or jar.
• Heat vegetable stock in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add garlic, chilli, onion and pumpkin, and simmer until pumpkin is soft.
• Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly (for safety), and blend in batches until smooth and creamy.
• Return blended pumpkin sauce to the pot, season with sea salt and fresh black pepper, and place over low heat.
• In a second pot, bring 4 cups of water to the boil over high heat.
• Carefully add gnocchi (watch out for hot splashes!) and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes until gnocchi rises to the top.
• Remove gnocchi from heat, strain, and divide among plates or bowls.
• Remove sauce from heat and pour evenly over pasta.
• Garnish with 'Goat cheese', fresh herbs and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

The post Pumpkin, Rocket & Vegan ‘Goat Cheese’ Gnocchi appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.

During a particularly lovely bout of daydreaming about exotic places last week, I had an idea – Laksa!

I quickly researched traditional ingredients, brainstormed some changes, told my Lovebug to get his belly ready, skipped to the shops and back, and whipped up a pot with excitement.

Only…  the finished product was lacking.

Oh it was okay – Food Hall standard – but life’s too short for just okay food, right?  Forget those bland soups and crappy noodles – we want awesome, fresh food that makes us feel nourished and happy to be alive!  Sing it with me, sista!

The next morning dawned sunny and bright and I knew what I had to do.  Thankfully, when my Lovebug asked: ‘What do you want to do today?” and I replied: “Make Laksa!”, he just laughed and went along with it.  He’s pretty awesome like that.

The second time (and night in a row!), the Laksa was magical.  Hot, spicy, sweet, tangy and oh so satisfying.

And the best part?  You can freeze the spice paste and then next time you fancy a delicious, exotic, daydream-worthy soup, you can just take the paste from the freezer, throw it into a big pot, add the rest of the ingredients, and have dinner ready in less than 15 minutes.

Take that, Food Hall. 🙂

xx

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Easy Vegan Laksa

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 2 tbsp Sesame Oil or more Coconut Oil
• 4 cups Vegetable Stock/Broth
• 3 1/4 cups Organic Coconut Milk
• 1 tsp Tamarind Concentrate/Paste
• 50 ml Tamari Sauce or Soy Sauce if gluten is not an issue
• 50 ml Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 cups Capsicum/Peppers any colour, cored and sliced
• 1 cup Baby Corn quartered (or any other Asian veg you prefer)
• 5 Spring Onion sliced
• 300 g Firm/Hard Tofu drained and chopped into bite-sized cubes
• 200 g Rice Noodles any kind you like

Spice Paste

• 6 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
• 1 inch/2.5cm knob Ginger peeled and chopped
• 4 Red Chillies chopped (less if you don't like spicy food but the coconut milk really tames down the spiciness)
• 2 Lemongrass stems white part only, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp ground Turmeric
• 5 Kaffir Lime Leaves finely shredded (from a jar is fine if you can't find fresh)

To Serve

• 1 handful of Bean Sprouts
• 1 handful of fresh Coriander Leaves chopped

Instructions

• Soak noodles in a large bowl of hot water for 30 minutes to soften.
• Meanwhile, assemble all Spice Paste ingredients in a food processor and pulse/process until it forms a chunky paste.
• In a frypan over medium-high heat, shallow fry tofu in 2 tbsp Coconut Oil until just golden brown. (Don't let it cook for too long or the tofu will become too chewy. This step is optional - you can add the tofu directly to the Laksa later if you prefer but pre-cooking does give the tofu a lovely texture)
• In a large pot or frypan over medium heat, stir fry Spice Paste in Sesame Oil until fragrant (a couple of minutes).
• Add Coconut Milk and Vegetable Stock and bring to the boil.
• Add Capsicum/Peppers, Corn, Spring Onion, Tofu and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add Tamarind, Tamari and Lime Juice. Allow to simmer for another couple of minutes, then remove from heat.
• Drain noodles and divide among 4 bowls.
• Spoon Laksa over the noodles, garnish with Bean Shoots and Coriander, and enjoy!

The post Easy Vegan Laksa appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.