Healthy Snacks: Stepaniak's Black Bean Hummus Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers (vegan&gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Melissa Etheridge ~ Sympathy
Joss Stone ~ I've Fallen In Love With You
Norah Jones ~ One Flight Down
Natalie Clein ~ Schbert:Arpeggione Sonata in A Minor
Amy Le Vere ~ Washing Machine
Sandi Thom ~ Time
KORN & Amy Lee ~ Freak On A Leash (Live)
Foo Fighters ~ Friend Of A Friend
Robert Palmer ~ I Didn't Mean To Turn You On
The Cult ~ Lil' Devil
Rob Thomas ~ Lonely No More
Beth Hart ~ Stay
HAIM ~ If I Could Change Your Mind
Thunder ~ Like A Satellite

We recently had a small celebration here at Rocket & Roses HQ.  We shared the celebration with our closest family and friends and it was a lovely afternoon/evening affair. We offered a table filled with vegan fare (and a few bits for ML and the other non-vegans..you know, those strange folk!..) Ahem...I was very happy to see the little ones tucking into the food and the vegan lemon and raspberry jelly shot glasses were a huge hit. A foodie moment of happiness for me was sitting with my brother G as he sampled everything from the table. He asked questions about the ingredients without being offensive like we all know some folks can be, eh? One of the offerings on the table was a trio of hummus served with a large tray of freshly chopped veggies and a jug of breadsticks. I served today's hummus recipe along side a Hummus bi Tahini and a White Bean Hummus that had a lot of freshly chopped coriander/cilantro in it. G really enjoyed the Black Bean Hummus and went back for a couple of servings. I was one seriously happy sis. So where did I get these three great recipes from....

Vegan Deli by Joanne Stepaniak is where. I have a deep affection for this cookbook and the recipes found between its covers. I have made almost all that is on offer and have never had one that was a dud. Well ok maybe one...Red Pepper Lox which ML devoured and gave a scoring of 11/10.  I couldn't get along with the oiliness of the skinned pieces of roasted peppers...but that is purely a personal preference issue and no fault of Ms. Stepaniak's recipe. Whenever I am hosting a party of any kind, Vegan Deli is always one of the first cookbooks I pull from my shelves. The list of chapters is extensive and have everything you would hope to find in your dream vegan deli...and they are almost all easy to make for yourself. If you are a dedicated vegan foodie...treat yourself and buy a copy of this book for your collection. 

There are a few reasons I love this hummus recipe. The first...it's black beans and I crave black beans. I like them for how versatile they are as an ingredient and for the health benefits from eating them. I like that it has substantially less fat than regular hummus as it has only 2 tbsp tahini and no other added fats. I also enjoy the depth of flavours from the Braggs (or soy sauce if you can have that) to the ground spices and then you get the final hit of flavour from the balsamic vinegar. It's flavours are intense and wholesome. 

I recently picked up a rather large bag of baby bell peppers from the supermarket and yesterday I cleaned them, removed the seeds and membrane and then smeared some of this hummus into the prepared halves. The deeply flavoured hummus combined with the crispy, crunchy freshness of the baby bell peppers were a perfect combination and made for a great mid-afternoon snack. It felt almost luxurious...

Healthy & Delicious Snacks: Stepaniak's Black Bean Hummus Stuffed Baby Bell Pepper

Stepaniak's Black Bean Hummus   Makes 1 1/2 cups
(Recipe from Vegan Deli/Stepaniak)

1 2/3 cup drained cooked black beans
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp Braggs (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp crushed garlic
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
large pinch of cayenne pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and blend into a smooth paste. 

Stuff into the prepped baby bell pepper shells and serve.

Enjoy the munching...

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your weekend is a great one...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore I take no credit for it. It is the hard work and creation of Joanne Stepaniak and I thank her for sharing such great recipes. ~R~   

Thrifty Thursdays ~ Kidney Bean Burgers with Pitta and 3 side salads

Kitchen Play List: Stevie Ray Vaughan ~ The Essential Album

Thrifty Thursdays are becoming one of my favourite things about my blog. It's a challenge and this week I think I met it head on. 

I love a 'good' veggie burger. During my vegetarian days I did tire of them for a while. Especially the mass produced cardboard burgers and in particular the veggie burgers that flooded the market with 'meaty' texture and taste. And although I could see...just!..their place for the struggling new veggies who missed their meat consumption, for me they were a nightmare, as I have never had a taste for meat or its texture. In fact that's the reason I struggle with mushroom and aubergine if they have a meaty texture. They are just not for me. If I have a veggie burger I need it to have three things...1. Packed with veggies, nuts and beans. 2. Little or no preservatives as they make me ill. 3. It must not taste of meat or have a meat texture. Simple, no? But now I make all my own..they are never an issue. And we greatly enjoy a veggie burger in this house. 

I was almost ecstatic when I found this recipe for Kidney Bean Burgers. In fact I was astounded that I hadn''t made these before today. A burger with just 3 ingredients? Was I reading it wrong? 3? And it was all ingredients I have in my stocks so that was even better. I found this recipe in Leah Leneman's classic cook book Easy Vegan Cooking.

I usually serve up my veggie burgers in pittas, a good roll or more often than not in a lettuce wrap but today I chose the pitta. I also usually serve them stuffed with bean sprouts of some kind but I could find any locally and a trip into the city, just for bean sprouts would really go against the whole point of Thrifty Thursdays, no? lol. So I opted for the crispy lettuce and sliced tomato option. I like to serve my burgers with a few little portions of side salads. I opted for the very simple (and one of our personal favourites) Carrot & Lemon Salad, Minted Beetroot Salad and finally Joanne Stepaniak's lovely Green Bean and Tomato Salad.  

These burgers were so easy to make it seemed too good to be true but nope..they were easy to handle, easy to cook...and easier to eat. lol. I use gluten free oats in my cooking so these were gluten free but if you can't eat oats then I think Quinoa flakes would work well in this recipe. And obviously choose a gluten free pitta, roll or just have them in the lettuce cups would be lovely. Also swap the soy for tamari. I plan to try them again in the cups very soon. 

The only other thing I need to add is that some may find them a little dry. So if you need a lot of juice with your burger it would be wise to have some relish or sauce at the ready. But I really enjoyed them as they were. 

NB: Following the recipe there is a breakdown of the costings for this meal for 4. I was stunned when I worked it out..lol. A bargain...lol  

Kidney Bean Burgers with Lettuce & Tomato in Pittas with 3 side salads

Kidney Bean Burgers Makes 4 burgers
(Recipe from Easy Vegan Cooking/Leneman)

455g/1lb/2 1/2 cups or 2 14oz tins of cooked kidney beans,  rinsed and drained
55g/2oz/ 1/2 cup rolled oats or gluten free option
2 tbsps soy sauce or tamari

Drain and mash the beans in a bowl. Add the oats and soy sauce and knead well with the hands. Form into four large burgers. 

These burgers could not be easier to make and form..and they didn't fall apart during cooking either!

In a lightly oiled skillet cook them on both sides until browned over a high heat. (Approx 4 minutes each side ~R~) Then reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 3 minutes each side to ensure they are cooked through. Serve.

Close up on the cooked burgers in the pittas..Yum.

Super Simple Carrot & Lemon Salad

3 medium to large carrots, peeled and grated
Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon

Place grated carrot into a serving dish and pour the lemon over the carrots, stir well and serve. Too easy! ~R~

Beetroot & Mint Salad

1 large or 2 med cooked beetroot/s, sliced 
Juice from 1/2 a fresh lemon
1/4 tsp brown sugar
8 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Place the beetroot into a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, sugar and the mint. Cover and chill before serving. Serve..

Green Bean and Tomato Salad
(Recipe from Vegan Deli/Stepaniak)

2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
1 med/large tomato
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp rapeseed oil or oil of choice
1 tsp soy sauce or tamari

Steam the green beans until just tender. Place in a large bowl. 

Cut the tomato into 12 thin wedges, and add to the green beans.

Combine the vinegar, oil and soy in a small bowl and beat together until well combined. Pour over the vegetables and toss gently. Let marinate at room temprature for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge but bring to room temprature about 30 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!
~R~ 

Thrifty Thursday Meal Costs Breakdown

Items  
Kidney Beans     0.32
Rolled Oats         0.05
4 Pittas                0.12
Tomatoes            0.54
Beetroot              0.09
Green Beans       1.00
Lettuce                0.39
Carrots                0.15
Lemon                 0.18
Fresh Mint         0.01
Rapeseed Oil      0.16
Soy Sauce           0.06
Red Wine Vin     0.05
Brown Sugar      0.01

TOTAL             £3.04             

Yes that's correct £3.04 to feed four people and that's 76p each. I'm still working on a proper calculation box for these posts so please excuse my primitive method of input for now.lol 

Enjoy folks...save those pennies. 
~R~
                          

Creamy Soya Bean & Black Bean Hummus

Kitchen Play List:  Billy Joel ~ She's Got A Way
                                      Thunder ~ Yesterdays News
                                      Slash ft Iggy Pop ~ We're All Gonna Die
                                      Madeleine Peyroux ~ Careless Love
                                      Shakira ~ Don't Bother
                                      No Doubt ~ Underneath it All

I firmly believe that you can never have too many Hummus recipes. And as I probably have about a hundred of them..it's a good belief! lol. I haven't always liked hummus but to be honest I hadn't even heard of it until about 10 years ago. It was during my first visit to My Love's parents house that I tried it. Instantly I was hooked and I couldn't understand why I hadn't tried it before. But I wasn't brought up in a 'hummus' household...if you know what I mean. My Mum experimented with lentils and soup mixes in stews and soups but lentil/bean dishes weren't part of household eating style. When I left home I experimented more but somehow the simple hummus slipped by me. Not now! I am now a card carrying paid up member of the chickpea fan club and enjoy all types of hummus. One of my favourites is made with pinto beans..not a chickpea in sight. lol. I use many different types as toppings for my lunch time salads and never tire of them. 

A few years ago I started to react badly to the preservatives in pre-made/produced foods and unfortunately hummus was one of them. So I make all of my own hummus now and if I do have a pre-made shop bought one, I find them too acidic and I never feel good later. 

So today I didn't have a topping for my salad and I'm still craving the comfort that I was seeking on Monday. Weather/hormones/My Love being away...yada yada yada. lol. I would love to say this is entirely my creation but it really isn't. I adapted the Black Bean Hummus from Joanne Stepaniak's wonderful Vegan Deli. 

The results were a deliciously creamy and light hummus. The flavours were subtle on the whole and then you pick up a little heat from the cayenne pepper. And it brought out the wholesome flavour of the salad ingredients. 

It doesn't look that great as it's beige, with flecks of black but what it lacks in appearance, it really does make up for it in taste. I hope you try this for yourself...

And I feel I should take the oppurnity to say thank you to my In-Laws for introducing me to the lovely stuff! lol

Creamy Soya Bean & Black Bean Hummus

Creamy Soya Bean & Black Bean Hummus
(Recipe adapted from Black Bean Hummus in Vegan Deli/Stepaniak)

1 14oz carton of Soya Beans, rinsed well and drained (Sainsburys sell them!)
1 14oz carton of Black Beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp tahini
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce/tamari
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Put the drained beans into a processor and pulse until broken down. Add the remaining ingredients and leave to blend until it is a smooth paste. You may need to get the spatula out and push everything down a couple of times but it's worth the effort. Store in a airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. 

Enjoy! ~R~   

Quinoa Tabooli and Humble Chickpea Salad

As I am still recovering from the viral bug that I picked up two weeks ago and feeling like I'll never step foot in my kitchen again...cue the violins! lol. I am forced to post two more salad recipes...not that salads aren't great. I love the tasty crunchy freshness they provide and look forward to being able to eat them again very soon. It's more of a case that I feel like I have saturated my blog with them since I've been ill. But then again...I do truly believe you can never have too many salad recipes...Oh well...and I am on the road to recovery so I hope to be back in my kitchen very soon.

These recipes are very similiar in that they are both very healthy and very worthy. The Quinoa Tabooli was an experiment as I usually use the wonderful bulgar wheat but as I had Gluten Free pals coming to share this meal I chose to try the quinoa variation. And I really enjoyed it and out of the eleven of us who was there only one truly didn't like it. So not bad. The Humble Chickpea Salad is just what it says...simply cooked chickpeas with a very simple dressing. I know it would be some people's idea of hell but as a fully paid up member of the chickpea lovers club..and it was my birthday party...lol...I loved it!! As did many others. The recipes are once again from Joanne Stepaniak's Vegan Deli. 

Quinoa Tabooli
(Recipe from Vegan Deli/J.Stepaniak)

1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of minced fresh parsley
1 ripe tomato, diced
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or 2 tsp dried spearmint
1/2 tsp crushed garlic

Place the quinoa in a fine mess strainer, rinse well under running water, stirring it with your fingers. Place in a pot with 2 cups of water and the salt, bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Fluff up. 

Combine the lemon juice and olive oil, and add to the quinoa. Stir in the parsley, tomato, spring onions, mint, and garlic, and mix well. Cover tightly and marinate the salad in the fridge for 4 to 12 hours. The longer the better! 

Humble Chickpea Salad
(Recipe from Vegan Deli/J.Stepaniak)


2 cups of drained cooked chickpeas
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
Salt to season to taste


Place the beans in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently. Chill before serving. Enjoy!

Once again, apologies for the quality of the photos...it is being worked on...~Red~
 

Caper & Dill Coleslaw and Deli Potato Salad

As I am still laid low with the lurgy and as it's such a beautifully sunny weekend out there I thought I would post up two of my favourite salads for you. I know the blog has been heavy on the salads lately but as soon as I am fighting fit I shall be varying the recipes again. So please stay with me...lol. 

I like the coleslaw because the flavours are so different and as there is no onion in it, it's more mellow then the usual kind. I really enjoy it. The potato salad is the very salad that got me hooked on...well..potato salad! I had spent my whole life thinking I didn't like it...but no..I just didn't like mayo smothered potato salad! Who knew? lol Both recipes are from Joanne Stepaniak's wonderful Vegan Deli

Caper and Dill Coleslaw
(Recipe from Vegan Deli/J.Stephaniak)

3 cups of finely chopped or shredded green cabbage
1 cup of finely chopped or shredded red cabbage
2 medium carrots, grated
1/2 cup of vegan mayo 
2 tsp capers, drained
2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp crushed garlic

Combine the cabbage and carrot in a large bowl, and toss together

Blitz the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Pour over the cabbage and carrots, and toss to thoroughly combine. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed. 

Deli Potato Salad
(Recipe from Vegan Deli/J.Stephaniak)

6 medium, red skinned potatoes
1 1/3 cups of Deli Dressing (recipe to follow)
2 - 3 tbsp finely minced or grated red onion
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp celery seeds
Salt and pepper
Paprika

Cut the potatoes into cubes or bite sized chunks, making about 6 cups. Steam until tender. Set aside to cool slightly. 

Combine the dressing, onion, vinegar, mustard, and celery seeds in a large glass or ceramic mixing bowl. Mix well. 

Add the cooked potatoes, salt, and pepper to the dressing, and toss gently. Chill thoroughly. Garnish with paprika just before serving. 

Deli Dressing Makes approx 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 cups of mashed firm silken tofu
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup canola/sunflower oil

Place the tofu, lemon juice, salt, and dry mustard in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth and creamy. With the appliance still running, drizzle the oil in a slow, steady stream through the cap opening in the lid. Store in the refrigerator. It will keep for at least a week. 

Enjoy!    


Many apologies for the photos...I am on a learning curve and will do better...especially when my new shiny camera turns up! lol

Grated Carrot Salad and Vinaigrette Potato Salad

We very rarely have dressings with our salads or a cooked cold salad. Daily we eat a large fresh salad with a 'topping' instead. Dressed salads are for high days and holidays, like my recent birthday celebration. The carrot salad is always very popular and is seriously tasty and the best part is that it's so simple to throw together. The potato salad is a relatively new salad to me, for years I hated regular potato salad, thinking I hated cold potatoes. Only to find out it wasn't the potatoes I hated it was the mayonaise they were covered in. So when I tried a Deli Potato Salad recipe which I made for My Love, I was shocked to find I actually loved it! Oh dear! lol. Then I started to experiment with all types of potato salad. Both of these recipes come from the wonderful Vegan Deli: Wholesome, Ethnic Fast Food by Joanne Stepaniak.

Grated Carrot Salad
(Recipe from Vegan Deli/J.Stepaniak)

1lb carrots, grated
1/4 cup/4tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh coriander or parsley (I use parsley)

Place the grated carrots in a bowl. Dress with the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Stir in the herb. Serve...so simple! lol 

 
Vinaigrette Potato Salad
(Recipe from Vegan Deli/J.Stepaniak)

6 med thin skinned potatoes (I use a 1lb bag of baby new potatoes)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (I never use that much...1/4 cup/4tbsp)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tbsp dried tarragon
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
Several dashes of Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup minced red onion
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Cut the potatoes into cubes (if using baby new just halve), making about six cups. Steam until tender, then set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon, tahini,tarragon, mustard, salt, and hot pepper sauce to taste. Add the potatoes, onion, and parsley, and toss gently. Serve warm or thoroughly chilled.

Enjoy!

Hungarian Cauliflower Paprikash

Kitchen Play List: R&B Club Mix Compilation Album

This wonderful and tasty recipe is one of our regular meals. It's easy to make, tastes delicious and is quite easy on the budget. It comes from the excellent Vegan Deli by Joanne Stepaniak. 

We usually serve it hot over some brown rice and leftovers are used up served over a jacket potato. But recently I made a salad buffet and I thought that maybe this might be also good served cold. And it was! Very tasty indeed. So now I would happily eat it hot or cold...on its own or with rice etc. Once again thank you to Joanne Stepaniak for an excellent recipe. 

Hungarian Cauliflower Paprikash
(Recipe from Vegan Deli by J/Stepaniak)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, sliced
3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
Salt and cayenne pepper
1 medium cauliflower, cut into bitesize florets

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and pepper and saute until soft. 

Add the tomatoes, paprika, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper and mix well. 

Add the cauliflower, cover, and simmer, stirring often, until tender (about 20 minutes). Add a little water if the mixture becomes too dry. 

Enjoy!  

 

Sesame Broccoli Salad

Kitchen Play List:   Thunder ~ Gimme Shelter
                                      Shakira ~ Fool
                                      Jace Everett ~ I Gotta Have It
                                      Colbie Cailatt ~ Breaking At The Cracks
                                      Jack Johnson ~ Constellations
                                      Simon & Garfunkel ~ Cecilia
                                      Chris Cornell ~ Arms Around Your Love

This salad has to be my favourite! I am a broccoli addict..that's on record lol. But the tender crisp steamed broccoli and the sesame, garlic and tamari are perfect together to make a fantastic foody experience. The bright green broccoli florets and red pepper strips make for a visual delight. As a salad its quite delicious and as a filling for wholemeal pittas it's a pleasure. The recipe is not mine..it's from Vegan Deliby Joanne Stepaniak.  

Sesame Broccoli Salad...Heaven on a plate! lol

Sesame Broccoli Salad
(Recipe from Vegan Deli by J/Stepaniak)

6 cups Broccoli, cut into bitesize florets (roughly two very large heads of Brocs)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
1 small garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp lightly toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
Salt or natural soy sauce (I used tamari)

Steam the broccoli until tender crisp. Leave to drain in a colander for a couple of minutes and then place in bowl. 

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the red bell pepper, and saute until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and pour over the broccoli. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently. Serve warm or thoroughly chilled. 

We tried it both ways....equally delish! Enjoy!
 

Cook Book Junkie - Vegan Deli by Joanne Stepaniak

A sample salad platter...

This cookbook has been a joy since the moment I tore open the packaging and sat down and read it through from cover to cover. I have tried out almost all of the recipes and have enjoyed all of them...except the 'chopped liver' spread. I recently celebrated my birthday and as my oven has been acting up and the weather had finally begun to feel like spring, I put together a salad table. And almost all of the recipes were from this one cookbook. Above is a sampler of some of the salads I made for the day. Everyone who came commented on how much they were loving the food and came back for 2nd's. 3rd's. 4th's,5th's...you see where I am going with this? lol. This cookbook has never let me down and is a comfort to know it's sat there on my cookbook shelf for those 'deli' days. 

If you love the 'deli' shops but are struggling with affording the ridiculous prices they now charge then invest in this cookbook and make your own. It's worth every single penny I paid for it and Joanne Stepanick is a genius. 

I will be posting salad recipes quite regularly and many will be ones I served on my birthday...Treat yourself and go and buy Vegan Deliby Joanne Stepaniak