Kitabı oku: «Vegan Cooking for One: Over 150 simple and appetizing meals», sayfa 2

Herbs and Spices

It has become easier to obtain fresh herbs of late, and some people grow their own. Obviously fresh herbs have a wonderful flavour, and anyone who has access to them will certainly want to use them, but the majority will find it much easier to keep a variety of dried herbs in stock. When herbs are called for in recipes it is dried herbs that are meant.

As far as spices are concerned, although there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the mixture of spices which go to make up ‘curry powder’, far more interesting variations of flavour can be obtained by using the spices themselves. For the best flavour, coriander and cumin seeds are much better bought whole and ground in a small pestle and mortar when required. I realize such a suggestion may seem surprising in a book which is aimed at simple and quick recipes, but the average time required to grind a teaspoonful of spice cannot be more than about five seconds, and it is especially beneficial when cooking for one simply because these spices are likely to be stored for a long time, since only a little is required for any one dish, and if bought already powdered then much of the flavour will gradually be lost.

Rice and Pasta

If used straight from the packet, brown rice generally takes about 45 minutes to cook, which makes it less than ideal for a really quick meal. However, if it is covered with boiling water in the morning and left to soak all day then it will only take about 20–25 minutes. (The method is to drain the soaking water, cover the rice with water about a ¼-inch (5mm) over the top and a little salt, bring to the boil, lower heat, cover pan and simmer until all the water is absorbed.) This is all very well for well-organized people but rather annoying if you arrive home in the evening to realize you have forgotten the soaking step. There are now several brands of brown rice available in supermarkets which require no soaking and take only 25 minutes or so to cook. The method with these types of rice is different: the rice is covered with lots of boiling water and simmered uncovered before being drained and more hot water poured over it. As the water is not all absorbed, this type of rice is not suitable for pilaus and similar dishes which require the flavouring to be incorporated into the rice. These supermarket packets also work out rather more expensive than rice bought at a wholefood shop. The best compromise may be to use the latter normally but keep the supermarket kind in stock for emergencies or when the soaking has been forgotten. I find about 3 oz (85g) wholefood shop brown rice or 2½ oz (70g) supermarket brown rice to be right for one serving.

Wholemeal (whole wheat) pasta is available now in a variety of shapes and sizes. Not all of the packets provide information on cooking time. Twelve to fifteen minutes seems to be about the average time required for most types of wholemeal (whole wheat) pasta to cook.

Most Chinese noodles are egg noodles, but Chinese shops (and some supermarkets) sell a variety of eggless noodles, some made from wheat flour and some from rice flour. Wholemeal (whole wheat) Chinese-style noodles are available at some health food stores. Most need little or no cooking, making them an ideal food for those in a hurry.

Dessert

Dessert is not a necessary part of anyone’s diet, and many people are perfectly happy to end a meal with a savoury taste. Unfortunately, there are many of us brought up in such a way that a meal simply is not complete unless it ends with a sweet. For those of us in that situation all that can be done is to try and make the sweet course a healthy addition to the diet.

Fresh fruit is the most commonly suggested healthy dessert, but for die-hard sweet-toothed types, a fresh apple, pear or banana, which may be very welcome in the morning or between meals, does not constitute a real dessert. That is not to say there aren’t some fresh fruits which do. In the summer months fresh strawberries, raspberries, and similar soft fruit – particularly if served with cashew or coconut cream – certainly does, also sweet melons and the like. In the winter tropical fruits like fresh pineapple or mango are definitely reserved for dessert. Another winter fruit which can be classified as a dessert is the persimmon (also called Sharon fruit). For those who have not tried this fruit, it should be eaten when it is so soft it feels almost rotten. The skin is peeled off and the inside is unbelievably sweet.

Canned fruit is not the same, of course, but there are an increasing number of varieties canned in juice rather than sugar syrup: served with cashew cream or custard made from soya milk, they can serve as a pleasant dessert as well.

Nowadays there are an increasing number of vegan sweets available, both in the UK and USA, including ready-made puddings and dairy-free ice creams. Naturally a convenience-type dessert can never be the same as a home-made one, which is why I have included sweet recipes for one in Sunday meals, when there may be extra leisure time to make them.

Staples

A shopping list precedes each week’s menus, but it is assumed that certain foods will be kept permanently in the larder, and therefore those foods do not appear on weekly shopping lists. The items considered staples are the following:

HERBS

Sage

Thyme

Marjoram

Basil (sweet basil)

Oregano

Bay leaves

Rosemary

Mint

SPICES

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Cloves

Ginger

Turmeric

Cumin

Coriander

MISCELLANEOUS

Wholemeal (whole wheat) bread

Sea salt and black pepper

Garlic salt

Baking powder

Raw cane sugar

Wholemeal (whole wheat) flour

Yeast extract

Nutritional yeast flakes or powder

Soya milk

Soya cream

Soya yogurt

Cornflour (cornstarch)

Peanut butter

Bulgur wheat

Vegan Parmesan

Mustard seeds

Chilli powder or cayenne pepper

Paprika

Garam masala (a mixture of spices)

Vegan margarine

Vegetable oil (e.g. soya or corn)

Extra virgin olive oil

Soya sauce

Cider vinegar

Tomato paste

Brown rice

Wholemeal (whole wheat) spaghetti and macaroni

Introduction to the New Edition

In the 10 years since The Single Vegan was published, many new vegan products have appeared on the market, and existing ones have become much more widely available. Both in the UK and USA there are vegan cream cheeses and even sour cream. The UK is better for hard cheeses, with varieties ranging from Cheshire-style to Edam-style. They do not behave quite like dairy cheese insofar as they do not brown on top of a dish under a grill (broiler) or in the oven, but they do melt very satisfactorily. In the USA most so-called non-dairy cheeses contain casein, a dairy derivative, but there are some completely vegan ones to be found. I have used hard vegan cheeses in some of the new recipes but for the sake of flexibility have not specified any particular kind. Those who have a choice can experiment and see which kind is most appealing in any particular dish. Anyone unable to find a vegan hard cheese at all can make the mixture described under ‘Scalloped Tofu au Gratin’ in Week 5 of Spring/Summer menus (see page 47).

Plain soya (soy) yogurt is now readily available, but anyone unable to find this can easily make it, using a commercial yogurt ferment on soya (soy) instead of dairy milk. Vegan Parmesan can easily be found in both the UK and USA and is great for Italian-style dishes. Soya (soy) cream is now readily available in the UK and makes a useful addition to the vegan larder. Sliced imitation ‘chicken’ and ‘turkey’ are also readily available, and though one wouldn’t want to eat too much of them, I have used them in some new recipes to add variety and show how they can be incorporated into hot dishes rather than just sandwiches. I have also used frozen vegan ‘fishless fishcakes’ in a couple of recipes to show their versatility.

Apart from substitutes for dairy and meat products, other new foods have also appeared to extend the vegan range of dishes, in particular sun-dried tomatoes, both dried and in oil. Both will keep for a long time and therefore can be used in single-person recipes without needing to be used up. Fresh herbs are now much easier to find and therefore have been included in some of the new recipes. Coconut milk is delicious, but a stardard-size can is enough for four people; I have therefore used it in only one week’s menus but in four separate dishes.

Another change in the last 10 years has been my realization of how useful a microwave oven can be for anyone cooking meals for one. I have suggested this as an alternative in just one of the recipes from the first edition but suggest it in several of the new recipes. ALL MICROWAVE TIMINGS ARE BASED ON A 750W OVEN.

Spring/Summer Recipes

Week 1

Shopping list

VEGETABLES AND FRUIT

Spring onions (scallions)

Olives

1 small red pepper

1 lb (455g) potatoes

6 small onions

10 oz (285g) mushrooms

Capers

Spring cabbage (collards)

4 oz (115g) apricots

Garlic

1 small green pepper

1 small leek

1 small courgette (zucchini)

4 oz (115g) green beans

MISCELLANEOUS

10 oz (285g) packet smoked tofu

Red lentils

Vegetable suet or hard vegetable fat

Apple juice

15 ½ oz (440 g) can borlotti (pinto) beans

Millet

Flaked (slivered) almonds

Walnut pieces

Check that you have all the staples listed on pages xiii and xiv.

SUNDAY LUNCH Italian Pasta Salad

IMPERIAL/METRIC		AMERICAN
3 oz (85g)	wholemeal (whole wheat)macaroni or other pasta shape	3 oz
1	spring onion (scallion)	1
4	olives	4
½	small red pepper	½
1 slice	wholemeal (whole wheat) bread	1 slice
2 oz (55g)	smoked tofu	¼ cup
1½ tbs	olive oil	1½ tbs
I tsp	cider vinegar	1 tsp
pinch	garlic salt	pinch
pinch	oreganofreshly ground black pepper	pinch

1 Cook the pasta until just tender. Drain, cool, then chill.

2 Chop the spring onion (scallion) and olives finely. Chop the red pepper. Toast the bread, then dice it. Dice the tofu. Place all these ingredients in a bowl with the cooked pasta.

3 In a cup mix the oil, vinegar, garlic salt, oregano and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix it all thoroughly.