vegan dinner

easy imam bayildi

~ aplotzi ~ 2 Comments

This aubergine recipe is absolutely one of my favourite things. It’s an ancient Middle Eastern recipe that is so delicious I could eat it every day. Traditionally it’s made with scooped out roasted stuffed aubergine halves which can go a bit too leathery, so instead I make it with sliced aubergines like a lasagne. You can serve it with warm flat breads, Greek yogurt or labneh and salad and it’s the perfect lunch or starter. It’s brilliant with my Baked Falafel too. Sometimes I add toasted pine nuts on top with the mint and parsley leaves.

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whole roast squash with saffron rice

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This recipe can be made with a pumpkin or any large squash or several smaller ones like the munchkin pumpkins. The rice recipe is from the Moro cookbook and they use the saffron rice to stuff a butterflied leg of lamb, because it is fragrant and deliciously flavours the meat, but as I don’t really eat meat I thought it would be fantastic as a stuffing for a squash or pumpkin. It also looks amazing as a centre piece on the dinner table, and would be delicious roast potatoes and a salad or any roast. I love it with garlicky yogurt and have just discovered Alpro are doing a vegan Greek yogurt in Morrison’s which is utterly delicious.

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soba and arame salad with soy

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This is the salad I eat when I am being really healthy. Arame seaweed is really good for you, it’s full of vitamins and antioxidants, it boosts the immune system, is anti-inflammatory and it’s full of iodine which can help regulate your hormones. It’s great for your hair, skin and nails too and can help flush toxins out of your system. I serve this on its own or with tuna sashimi that has been seared quickly on all sides in a pan with a little oil then sliced like sashimi.

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roasted aubergine and chick pea shawarma with forbidden rice

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Belazu sent me a jar of their spicy shawarma paste and I immediately thought of roasting aubergines and chick peas with it. To that I added their forbidden black rice and a little salad and garlicky yogurt it became a shawarma bowl. You can also serve this in a warm flatbread wrap with tahini or humus instead of the rice. It’s Middle Eastern and spicy, creamy, salty and super healthy.

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freekeh salad with nuts and coriander

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Freekeh has a fantastic flavour and texture and it’s even better for you than quinoa, although it’s not gluten free it’s packed with good things if you google it. I wanted to make a warm salad with it with a Middle Eastern vibe that was easy and delicious. I serve it on its own or as a side dish to a main meal and everyone loves it. It’s not gluten free but the freekeh grain is different in structure to standard wheat grain and is tolerated by some people who are gluten free.

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baby aubergine curry with coconut

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I love trying new ways of cooking tasty vegan food, and I particularly love aubergines. Because the aubergines are babies they cook differently to large aubergines, they are tender but at the same time they stay firm. I adapted this recipe from an Indian cookbook called 50 Great Curries of India by Camellia Panjabi.
I have cooked this for dinner parties with basmati rice, salad and papadums and it is always a huge hit. It looks impressive and it’s tasty, sweet and savoury and has all the lovely flavours of delicious Indian spices. I sometimes serve it with a dollop of dairy free yogurt or kefir too.

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