'Cheesy' Mushroom Pasta

As requested by so many of you on instagram, here is the recipe to my cheese free and completely vegan 'cheesy' pasta. It has all the flavours of Italian cuisine without the unnecessary animal products.

Ingredients:

• 250grams uncooked vegan penne pasta
• water to cook pasta
• 3 tbsp vegan margarine
• 1 small onion diced
• 6 garlic cloves crushed/diced 
• 1/2 cup green beans cleaned and cut in half
• 2 cups small cremini (white) mushrooms sliced
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 cup almond milk
• 3 tbsp toffiti (or another vegan cream cheese)
• 1 cup tomato pure or crushed tomatoes
• 2 small fresh tomatoes quartered
• basil to taste
• Himalayan salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Put the uncooked pasta in a pot and cover with water. Bring the water to boil and cook until the pasta is soft but tough enough to pick up without breaking. Drain the water and set the pasta aside.

2. In a large pan heat 1 tbsp of margarine for 30 seconds. Add the diced onions and garlic to the pan and lightly fry. Add the beans and cook for 4 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes. 

3. In another pan heat 2 tbsp of margarine and flour. Whisk the mixture as you add the almond milk to the same pan. Mix in the toffiti and mix until combined. At the same time add the crushed tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and basil to the vegetable pan. Once the toffiti has combined, pour this mixture to the vegetables. 

4. Season with salt and pepper then add the drained pasta to the sauce. Lightly toss the pasta and then serve hot. 

Let me know what you think of this recipe by leaving a comment here or on instagram. It was my first time making a creamy vegan pasta sauce and I was pleasantly surprised. Feel free to ask me for any clarifications on the recipe and of course change anything as you wish. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family and I did.

Samara,

xx

Snackarolls

An easy peasy recipe for an after school/work snack. Prepare the filling a head of time and then roll these up when you're feeling a bit peckish.

Just boil, mash and season (if you really need to, it tastes delicious without anything) carrot and beetroot. I added a little desiccated coconut to the boiled veggies. Roll the filling in thin wraps and hold it together with tahini or natural peanut butter. Enjoy!

Chickpea and Lentil Curry

Some-times you need some heart-warming, tummy filling curry in your life so here's a recipe that's close to my heart. Although I was born in Australia, I grew up in Sri Lanka for half of my childhood and got to experience the delicious authentic curries made with so many different vegetables. I took this recipe from my mum and added my own twist to it. If you're not used to eating a lot of chilli, feel free to leave that out... or if you like to live life on the edge why not add more?

Simple lentil and chickpea curry with brown rice.

Lentil curry with eggplant, okra and brown rice.

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 3 cloves of garlic

• small piece of ginger

• 1 cup red lentils 

• 1/2 cup chickpeas (soaked and boiled or from a can)

• a couple of sticks of cinnamon

• handful of bay leaves

• 2 small tomatoes

• 4-5 cups water

• 1 tbsp of turmeric powder

• 10 cumin cloves crushed (use the inside only)

• 1 tbsp of chilli powder

• 1 green chilli sliced fine

• 2 tbsp of coconut milk powder (or fresh coconut milk)

• 1 cup fresh spinach 

1. Start by heating the coconut oil in a pan (or a clay pot if you want the real authentic taste).
x


Ingredients: Serves Four

2. While that's heating chop up onion, crush garlic and ginger. Add these to the pot. 
3. Wash and rinse red lentils and chickpeas and add once the onion is cooked and becomes transparent. Break up cinnamon and throw this in with a handful of bay leaves. Chop the tomatoes and add these to the pot too.
4. Add 4-5 cups of water and bring to boil (this part takes a while around 10- 15 mins). When it's boiling reduce the heat and simmer for another 10mins. Mix in turmeric powder, cumin cloves, chilli powder, chilli and cook until it's combined. 
5. For the final touches I add coconut milk powder  and mix until combined. Turn off the heat, add the spinach and mix.

Tofu 'Burger' Buns

Plant-based living is so great! Seriously I can not express enough how much I love creating these nommy foods. Lets be honest... food just tastes that lil (lot) better when no animals were harmed in the process. Vegan food is so colourful and delicious. Don't despair if you're new to this and struggling to understand how plants can be so exciting (Samara what are you on? I'm on plants baby). Okay, I'll stop talking to myself and let's get down to why you're really here... to make some good looking vegan burgers that get your taste buds dancing!

Here, have a bite.

Just an inside look at those fillings...mmm

Ingredients: Serves Two

• 1 brown onion
• 4 small tomatoes
• 1 cup small  mushrooms
• 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar*

• 1 block of firm tofu

• 2 tsps chilli powder

• 2 tsps turmeric powder to taste

• 3 tbps tamari sauce (optional)
• cos lettuce (as much as you desire/can fit on the bun)

• vegan multigrain buns

Preparing the firm tofu (skip this step if you know what to do):

1. Open the packaging and drain the liquid.
2. On a chopping board lay a few paper towels and put the block of tofu on top.
3. Cover the tofu with more paper towels and weigh down with another chopping board and ALL the cooking books ( just a few will do too I guess).
4. Leave the block to drain for 10 minutes. It should be firm enough to cut without getting liquid everywhere. 
5. Cut to desired size and shape with a knife

Method:
1. Fry the tofu on a pan in 2 tbsp of the apple cider vinegar and half of the chilli powder and turmeric as well as 1 tbsp of tamari sauce. This should take 10 mins, it depends how hot your pan is. It's ready when the tofu is spongy not crumbly. 
2. While that's cooking, slice the onion, mushrooms and 2 tomatoes.
3. Fry the vegetables in the remaining apple cider vinegar and spices. Add 1 tbsp of tamari sauce and crush the tomatoes as they soften ( I use the same pan as the tofu to make these).
4. Once everything is cooked it's TIME TO MAKE ZE BURGUR!!
5. Slice open the buns and layer with lettuce, sliced fresh tomato, the tofu and finally the cooked vegetables. Put the top bun to finish off your burger. That's it! It's really not necessary to add any other sauces or vegan cheese because this tastes so good on its own. 

If you try this recipe, comment and let me know what you think or if you post a picture, tag me @urbanveganstudent on Instagram. 

Have a lovely day xx

Almond-Berry-Banana Loaf

If you follow me on instagram you would know that this month has been the month of raw foods, I'm even hosting a little #rawctoberfeast challenge. Encouraging you guys to incorporate as many raw meals into your day as possible and embracing the benefits of nature's candy. I have to admit though... between my smoothies and fruit platters I am guilty of some baking' makin'. Hey a little banana bread never hurt anyone right? Especially if it's smothered in berries and has a hint of almond swirled in there? I never expected this to turn out so well considering it was my first time and I was just throwing things in there until it looked about right. And it was so right! My mum could not believe that this was vegan and on the healthier side too. Well that's enough of my ramble. LET'S GET TO IT!

Oh baby this is one photogenic bread loaf

I mean... look at all those juicy berries. Am I the only one excited?

• 2 Cups Wholemeal self-raising flour ( Feel free to use a healthier option! I just like my loaf fluffy and the mixture just blends so perfectly)

• 1 teaspoon vegan baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan rock salt (optional)

• 1 cup organic coconut sugar (I used loving earth's which you can get at most health food stores and pharmacies) 

• 1/4 cup organic coconut oil (melted)

• 3 very ripe bananas (mashed real good)

• Drop of almond essence 

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

• 1/3 cup almond milk

• 1/4 cup of almonds crushed - optional

• 1/2 cup of mixed frozen or fresh berries

Ingredients:
Method: 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and get a tray ready for baking2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.3. Whisk together the coconut oil, almond essence and sugar in a separate bowl.4. Mix the almond milk, apple cider vinegar and banana into the sugar/oil mixture then add the flour mix and crushed almonds.5. When everything is completely combined pour into the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until half baked.6. Top with berries and bake until golden and fluffy, use a bake tester to make sure it's cooked the whole way through.7. Serve warm on it's own or with some vegan 'cream cheese'

Vegan Tacos

Hola amigos!
I've seen a bunch of leafy tacos floating around lately so I thought I'd jump on the band-wagon. For my first go at quinoa and tofu tacos these babies turned out pretty darn good! It's so refreshing and you can save the filling for later to make more tacos or a yummy salad on the go.

Vegan tacos with quinoa/tofu filling

I used the left overs to make a salad with avocado and spinach

Ingredients:

• 1 small brown onion
• 2 medium sized carrots
• 1/2 creen capsicum
• 2 tsps chilli powder
• 2 tsps tumeric powder
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• water
• 1 to 2 cups of 100% tomato puree with no added sugar
• 3 tbsp silken tofu
• parsley (optional)

Method:
1. Slice the onion, dice carrots and capsicum. 
2. Sautée the onion with 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp tumeric (I used water instead of oil to prevent the sticking but feel free to use oil if you wish).
3. While your onion is cooking, wash and rinse the quinoa and bring to boil in 1 cup of water in a separate pot. 
4. Add the carrots and capsicum to the onion (once cooked) and add another 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp tumeric. Add more water/oil so the food doesn't burn. Cook for two mins while watching the quinoa carefully.
5. Add the tomato puree to the vegies and mix. 
6. Once the quinoa is cooked (all the water should be gone and it will be fluffy) add it to the veggies with 3 tbsp of silken tofu. 
7. Mix everything together while mincing the tofu for another 30secs. 
8. Add some chopped parsley and you're done! Serve on taco shells or as I did on baby cos lettuce leaves. Enjoy! 

Triple Layer Jumbo Smoothie

JUMBO SMOOTHIE for three (me) 

This was meant to be a triple layer smoothie but one of the layers got engulfed in another so now there's only two...whoopsies! But take one slurp of this and your taste buds will go crazy because you can definitely taste each layer filled with fruity goodness. 

The smoothie was so huge I needed two hands to hold it!

To make, simply blend each layer separately, layer on top of each other and top off with delicious fresh strawberries...Mmmmm 

Top layer (hidden):

• 2 kiwi fruits
• 1 mandarin 
• 1/2 cup of water

Middle layer: Berrylicious

• 1 small ripe banana
• 1/4 cup frozen berries
• 1/2 cup almond milk

Bottom layer: Thick luscious goo

• l dates (cut into small chunks first)
• 1 small ripe banana 
• 1 cup almond milk
• 3 tsps chia seeds

Strawberry Shake

This is what strawberry shakes should look like: full of real juicy strawberries (the good stuff) and free of dairy, artificial sweetners and preservatives (the nasty stuff).

I like to have it with a fresh strawberry on the side.

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh and ripe strawberries
• 4 medjool dates 
• 1 tsp nut butter
• 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup of almond milk

Method:

1. Cut the strawberries (throw away stalks) and chop up medjool dates into chunks, if you have a really good blender you can probably skip this step.

2. Blend the fruits and nut butter with 1/4 cup of the almond milk until all ingredients are combined well.

3. Add the remaining almond milk and blend for 30 secs.

Creamy Avo Smoothie

Avo Smoothie Bowl

Avo Smoothie in a Jar

If you follow me on insta you would know that I am a MASSIVE fan of avocados. They are jam packed with healthy fats, protein, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E and dietary fiber. OH AND they taste FREAKING AMAZING and are perfect both savoury and sweet.

This is my go to avo smoothie recipe, sometimes I add a little something more or take something out depending on what's available at home.

All you have to do is blend:

• 2/3 small ripe avocados
• 4 medjool dates (cut into small chunks first)
• 1 small ripe banana (spotty spotty spotty)
• 1 cup of spinach
• 1/3 cup of almond milk*

* Add more almond milk for a thinner consistency, I personally prefer it thick.