Culinary Hotline - Leozette Roode
Leozette Roode shares her fave recipes from her latest book, the second edition of the South African Vegan Cookbook!
All recipes by Leozette Roode
Ingredients:
- 30ml Olive oil
- 250ml Broccoli, cut into small florets
- ½ Red pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 Spring onion, very finely sliced
- 1 Carrots, grated
- Salt, to taste
- 750ml Vegetable stock
- 250ml Polenta
- 125ml Orange
- 30ml Nutritional yeast
How To Make Polenta Fries
1.Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spray a square oven dish with a non-stick cooking spray or oil.
2. Heat a little bit of oil in a pan over high heat. Add the broccoli, red pepper, onion and carrot and fry until the vegetables have softened slightly. Season with salt. Take off the heat and set aside.
3. In a pot, bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Add the polenta to the stock, stirring continuously until it becomes smooth and starts to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetables and stir through.
4.Pour the polenta mix into the prepared oven dish and bake for 20-40 minutes. The polenta will become springy and the edges will draw away from the dish when it is ready.
5.Remove the dish from the oven and let the polenta cool completely. Once cooled, carefully flip the dish over onto a plate or cutting board.
6. Cut the polenta cake into chips.
7. Heat a pan with a little oil over high heat. Place some of the polenta chips into the pan and fry for 2 minutes on each side until they become brown and crispy. Repeat with the remaining chips, adding more oil as necessary. ( You can also fry them in an air fryer, if you prefer.)
Ingredients:
- 250g Whole-wheat noodles
- 250ml frozen edamame beans
- 1 Red pepper, seeded and julienned
- 1 Large carrot, julienned
- Salt for boiling
- For the sauce:
- 75ml Peanut butter
- 80ml Soy sauce
- 3-4 Dates, soaked in hot water until soft
- 15ml lemon juice
- 15ml vinegar
- Small piece of ginger
- Pinch salt
- For the garnish:
- 15ml black sesame seeds
- 45ml Roasted peanuts, finely chopped
How To Make Thai Peanut Noodles with Crunchy Veg
1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
2.Make the peanut sauce: Add all the sauce ingredients plus 140ml (9-10 Tbsp) water to a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth and creamy sauce. If it is too thick, you can add a little more water.
3. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the edamame beans and boil for 5 minutes, the drain and rinse with cold water. If you are using edamame beans in the shell, cook them the same way and once cooled, squeeze the beans from the shells.
4.Combine the red pepper, carrot, and cooked edamame beans into a mixing bowl.
5. Once the noodles are cooked al dente, drain them well, return them to the pot and place the pot on low heat. Add the peanut sauce and vegetable mix and stir through. You want to just combine the ingredients and heat through. The raw vegetables should stay crunchy.
6. Serve in bowls garnished with black sesame seeds and roasted peanuts.
Ingredients:
- 250ml Oats
- 125ml Corn crum or breadcrumbs
- 15ml ground flaxseed
- 10ml Canola oil, for frying
- 1 Red onion, chopped
- 2,5ml minced garlic
- 2,5ml ground cumin
- Pinch of salt
- 2 medium beetroot, finely grated (about 500ml or 2 cups)
How To Make Meatballs aka Beet Balls
1. Place the oats in a food processor and process to form oat flour. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add the corn or breadcrumbs and mix through.
2. In a small bowl, mix the ground flaxseed with 45ml (3 Tbsp) water to form a paste.
3. Heat half the oil in a pan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the cumin and salt and coat the onion mix in the spices. You can add 15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) water to the pan if necessary.
4.Transfer the onion mix to the food processor and add the beetroot and flaxseed paste and process until well combined.
5. Add the oat flour and crumb mix and pulse a few times, taking care not to over-mix as you don’t want a sticky mush.
6. Form small balls, the size of a R2 coil, in your hands and flatten slightly. Place on a plate.
7. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the beetroot balls for a minute or two on each side until browned.
8. Serve with pasta, in wrap or on their own with a dipping sauce.