Modified from the original by ISA CHANDRA MOSKOWITZ / APPETITE FOR REDUCTION

Ingredients

• 2 to3 average-size garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup fresh chives
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp miso
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

Pulse 2 cloves of garlic, the chives, and the parsley in a food processor just to chop everything up. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth.  Chill until ready to serve.

Salad Nicoise is steamed potatoes, crisp green beans, and salty Nizoise olives dunked in a lush dressing. Traditionally it is served with tuna which is replaced here with mashed chickpeas.

Green Goddess Garlic Dressing is a perfect accompaniment, but you can also serve it with a more traditional balsamic vinaigrette if you prefer. Tiny red potatoes work best here, but if you can’t find any, then chop up regular ones into 1-inch pieces.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
• 2 tbsp capers
• ¼ kg small, whole red potatoes
• ¼ kg green beans, stems removed
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin strips
• 1/3 cup Nicoise olives ( kalamata olives work, too)
• 8 cups chopped red leaf lettuce
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes ( orange ones if you can get them)
• fresh parsley and chopped chives, for garnish
• about 3/4 cup Green Goddess Garlic Dressing

Method

Prepare your steamer for the potatoes. Once it’s ready, steam the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes; they should be pierced easily with a fork. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a mixing bowl halfway with ice water. Add the green beans to the steamer and steam for 2 minutes, until the beans are bright green.

Transfer the potatoes and green beans to the ice bath immediately. Let them cool while you prepare everything else.

Place the chickpeas in a mixing bowl and use a small potato masher of fork to mash them. There should be no whole chickpeas left, but they shouldn’t be completely smooth like hummus, either; you want some texture. Add the capers and 2 tbsp of the dressing. Mix well and set aside.

To assemble, place the lettuce in wide bowls. In a Salad Nicoise, usually all the components are kept together, instead of tossed. Place a handful each of potatoes and green beans in piles on the lettuce, along with a wedge of sliced onion and a handful of tomatoes. Place a scoop of the chickpea mixture in the center and top with the olives. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with the dressing on the side.

• 2 cups coconut milk or cashew milk
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)
• ¼ tsp vanilla essence or vanilla powder
• sweetener as desired – chopped soaked dried fruit, agave syrup, jaggery, unrefined sugar

Method
Grind the chia seeds in a coffee grinder. Heat the coconut milk and then add in the chia seeds and other ingredients except the dried fruit if you are using it. Stir till it thickens as the chia seeds swell. If you are using soaked dried fruit as the sweetener, then add in the end and serve. (For example soaked dried mango will produce a wonderful coconut mango pudding. Serve warm.

Variation

If you prefer to eat the pudding cold, add all the ingredients and let the pudding thicken by itself. No cooking is required – you have a wonderful raw pudding if you use dried fruits as a sweetener.

• ripe bananas (large variety)
• fresh or dry rosemary

Method
Slit the ripe unpeeled bananas lengthwise and sprinkle rosemary inside. Close and put the whole banana in the oven at 180C till you get the aroma of bananas and rosemary. Serve immediately, whole or cut in half through the centre with the skin on to keep it warm. It can be peeled and eaten now.

• ripe bananas (large variety)
• black sesame seeds (roasted)
• date syrup
• tahini

Method

Peel the bananas. Slice the bananas lengthwise in 2 oř 3 slices and cut these in half and put on a hot frying pan. When you can smell the burnt smell of caramelising sugar, turn over and cook on the other side. Garnish with roasted black sesame seeds or with date syrup and tahini. You will need one banana per person.

• 1 cup fermented cashew cheese
• 2 tbsp garlic finely chopped
• ¼ tsp olive oil
• salt to taste
• black pepper
• 1 cup water
• herbs of your choice – fresh basil, parsley or dill (optional)
• finely chopped mushrooms (optional)

Method
Saute the garlic in the oil till the aroma fills the air. Add the cheese and water and stir in. Add mushrooms is you are using them, salt, pepper and cook  for a minute till the flavours blend and the mushrooms are cooked.
Add fresh herbs and serve with fettuchini.

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

• 100 g of soya granules
• 1 kg tomatoes
• 2 medium-sized onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• oil for cooking (optional)
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tbsp thyme
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1 tsp jaggery
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Soak the soya granules in hot water until the water is absorbed. Strain in a sieve and press to remove excess water. Rinse with fresh water, strain and press again. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan (or use the oil-free method), add the soya granules and stir-fry until golden brown.

In another pan, fry the garlic and chopped onions over a low flame until they become translucent. In the meantime, chop the tomatoes and put them in a blender/mixer and reduce to a pulp. Add them to the onions along with the herbs and jaggery. Cover and cook over a low flame for 20 minutes. Add the soya and cook for 10 minutes longer or until all the water is absorbed and the sauce thickens. Serve with your favourite pasta.

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp of sesame seeds- raw,organic,unpolished

6 to 8 almonds ( your choice )

6 to 8 dates – either seedless, or de-seed the whole

for flavour- 1 cardamom /a pinch of cinnamon /a pinch of saffron

Method

In the small blender blend sesame seeds, almonds, and the flavouring together till it forms a powder. Then add the dates ( de-seeded ) and blend till pasty. Add a little bit of water if you desire to make it smoother.

Remove the paste into a tall glass. Add water.

Serves 1 glassful

• 1 cup crumbled firm tofu
• ¼ medium sized onion chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped capsicum – red or green
• 2 tbsp finely chopped celery
• 5 – 6 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
• lemon juice to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• parsley for garnish optional

Method

Mix all the ingredients well. Garnish with parsely and serve.

This recipe was demonstrated by Lisa Pitman during her Eating without Heating demos in India. For more on Lisa and her recipes see www.veganculinarycrusade.com
Ingredients
For Crust

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup large dates, pitted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

For cream

• 1 cup cashews, soaked 2-4 hours and drained
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 date paste
• 2 tbsp lime juice

For topping

• 2 cups sliced strawberries

Method
In a food processor, pulse the almonds  into a flour.
Add the dates, vanilla extract and salt. Pulse until the mixture begins to clump together.
Press firmly and evenly into a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside in the refrigerator.
In a blender combine the cream ingredients until smooth.
Pour the cream over the crust and assemble the strawberries.