Soak the cashews in (boiling) hot water. 

Into a stainless steel pan over low heat, add olive oil. Let it warm up for a minute or two. Then, add the onions. 

Add the salt, pepper and thyme. Stir well. 

Cook the onions for an hour over low heat. You don't want them to brown too fast. Stir every 7-10 minutes. 

In the meantime, make the cashew cheese: mince one clove of garlic.

To a high-speed blender, add the garlic and all the other ingredients for the cashew cheese. Blend until smooth (this make take a few minutes depending on your blender).

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F), to toast the bread.

Slice the bread, sprinkle with some olive oil and put on a baking tray into the oven for a few minutes. 

When the onions are done cooking, add the wine and balsamic vinegar. Cook for two more minutes. Add some more salt, pepper and thyme to taste.

Spread some cashew cheese over your freshly toasted bread, and top with a good amount of caramelized onions. Garnish with some fresh thyme leaves. 

If you're like me and have too much time on your hands during the covid-19 pandemic, a great way to pass the time is to cook some onions for an hour while sipping wine. The balsamic vinegar and white wine give this recipe an amazing sharpness. These crostini are divine, so have them at a chill night or maybe serve them for brunch. They're easy to make ahead as well. 

Vegan caramelized onion and cashew cheese crostini

Finely chop the fresh dill, pickles (aka gherkins) and shallot. I use a super tiny shallot so if you don't have that, use half a normal one. Add to a bowl. 

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add to the bowl. 

Now add the rest of the ingredients and mix. 

Serve on some (toasted) bread with some veggies or greens. Grated carrots, radishes and spinach all work great with this chickpea salad.

Sooo sometimes you want something different than hummus or peanut butter on bread for lunch. That's where this lil' salad comes in and brightens your day. If you're a chickpea fan like me you need to try this. 

Put the cashews in a bowl with hot water to soak.

While the oven is warming up, start making the ricotta. Peel the shallots and cut them into half rings. In a non-stick pan over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots. Fry for 5-6 minutes until translucent. Then, take the pan off the heat and let them cool. 

Put the two red bell peppers on a lined baking sheet. Roast them in the pre-heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are properly charred.

Make the ricotta filling. Add the tofu, lemon juice, olive oil, water, garlic and spices to a blender or food processor. Drain the cashews and add them to the blender. Blend for a minute or two, with some intervals to avoid overheating your blender. You might need to add some more water or lemon juice if your blender has trouble mixing everything. Then, transfer the ricotta to a big mixing bowl. Don't clean or put aside your blender yet - we'll need it later.

Wash the spinach, then finely chop and put in the bowl with the ricotta. Mix with a spoon. Also add the fried shallots. Taste if there's enough seasoning and add salt, pepper, nutmeg or lemon juice to taste. 

To make the roasted pepper sauce, cut one more shallot into half rings.

When the red pepper is roasted, remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. This helps loosen the skin. Lower the oven temperature to 180°C. (360°F) 

After 10 minutes, peel the red bell pepper and remove the seeds/core. Then, transfer them to the blender you made the ricotta in and blend them up until they are saucy. It's okay if there's bits of ricotta in it, it'll help make the sauce a little creamy. 

To a cooking pot over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the shallot. Fry for 2-3 minutes. 

Add the tomato puree and fry it with the onion for two minutes.

Add the red wine, stir well and let the alcohol evaporate for a minute. 

Now add the remaining ingredients. The blended red peppers, a can of tomatoes (rinse the can and blender with some water and add that to the sauce), vegan cooking cream and spices. 

Let the sauce simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Grab a big ovenproof dish (I used two smaller ones). With a ladle, spoon in a bit of the roasted pepper sauce. Now, fill the cannelloni with the spinach ricotta. I like to use the back of a teaspoon to push it in. Put the filled cannelloni's next to each other in the ovenproof dish. When there's no more space for cannelloni or you've used up all your filling, spoon the rest of the red sauce over it.

Put the cannelloni in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve with some fresh basil. 

This vegan cannelloni is filled with vegan ricotta, shallots, garlic and spinach. It's baked in a flavour-packed creamy roasted red pepper sauce. 

vegan cannelloni with creamy roasted red pepper sauce

Into a big bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dough (except for the flour) and stir well. 

Now add the flour and mix well with a spatula for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is smooth and sticky. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 hour at room temperature. If it's cold where you live putting it near the heater might help to make it rise more.

Make the filling: finely chop the roasted nuts, then combine them with the sugar and cinnamon.

After 1 hour, the dough should've doubled in size. Mix the dough again with your spatula to remove the air bubbles. Cover again and let it rest for another 20 minutes. 

Cover your kitchen countertop with flour. Using a spatula, transfer the dough from the bowl to your countertop. Now, oil your hands with vegetable oil and split the dough in two using your fingers as "scissors". Then, split both parts in two again and repeat once more until you have 8 small balls of sticky dough. 

Making sure your hands are oily enough, put one of the balls into your hand palm. Flatten it a bit and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the middle. Then, gently fold over the left and right sides of the dough, and then fold over the top and bottom. Pinch the dough a little in the part where all the sides come together so the dough is totally sealed and put them back on your countertop (with flour), sealed side down. They should be as much in the shape of a ball as possible. Repeat for all the pancakes.

In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add two balls to the pan with the sealed side down. Leave them be for around a minute. Then, when the bottom is getting a nice brown color, flip them around and press down on them with your spatula until they are around 1 - 1.5 cm (=0.5 inch)thick. Cover with a lid and turn down the heat to low. Let them cook for about a minute. They might need a little more time after that, because we're trying to get the dough fully cooked. When these are done, transfer to a plate and cook the other pancakes the same way. 

Eat them while they're warm (but watch out for the hot sugar).

These pancakes (known as hotteok) are the ultimate treat! They are super fluffy and have a sweet filling. I used a traditional filling of sugar, nuts and cinnamon, but you can fill them with whatever you like. Eat them while they're warm!

I used Albert Heijn's "ruig" mince which was great for this recipe. If your supermarket doesn't have vegan mince that's easy to form into balls, you can try making balls out of vegan sausages. 

Start by making the meatballs. Take your vegan mince (the mallable kind) and roll them into little balls. 

Put a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the meatballs until they're brown on the outside. Then, set aside into a plate. 

Make the champignons à blanc: cut the white mushrooms into quarters. Put a saucepan over medium high heat with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and the juice of 1 lemon, some salt and pepper. Cover with a lid (but not completely) and let the mushrooms cook. Stir occasionally. 

Put a large cooking pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of margarine. When it's melted and hot, add 1 tablespoon of white flour and stir well. Cook softly for a minute or two, you want the flour and butter mixture to start smelling a little like cookies. When it smells good, extinguish the pan with the wine. Stir well with a whisk to avoid lumps of flour. 

Let your sauce come to a boil. Add vegetable stock bit by bit, the sauce should stay pretty thick. You might need more or less veggie stock than the recipe asks for but trust your gut :). Also add the vegan cream.

Check in on the champignons à blanc - if they're cooked, drain the cooking liquid and add them to the large cooking pot with the sauce.

Add the chicken pieces, meatballs and a bay leaf. Season with some nutmeg and pepper. Let everything simmer on a low heat. 

Chop the oyster mushrooms into strips. In the same pan we used for the meatballs, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and put it over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chopped oyster mushrooms and a good pinch of chicken spice mix. Fry for about 5 minutes until they're soft, and add to the sauce. Let everything simmer for at least another 10 to 15 minutes. 

Prepare your fries or potato croquettes. I usually bake them in the oven and used vegan pommes duchesses this time.

Chop some fresh parsley, and cut a lemon into wedges. Taste the ragout - add salt, pepper, nutmeg or some more wine to taste. 

Put everything together on a plate - some people like to add a sprinkle of lemon juice. Enjoy!

Vol-au-vent is a Belgian classic, and it's proper comfort food. It's a chicken ragout with meatballs. This one's totally vegan and tastes just as good. Traditionally it's served in a puff pastry shell. Serve with french fries or (potato) croquettes.

https://koken.vtm.be/sofie-in-de-keuken-van/recept/vegan-vol-au-vent-met-frietjes

Remove the tofu from the packaging. Wrap it in a clean tea towel and put something heavy on top (e.g. a cutting board with some jars) to press out some of the liquid. Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes.

Make the tofu marinade. Remove and discard the hard outer leaves from the lemon grass. Then, chop the lemongrass in to big chunks and add to a blender. Also roughly chop the ginger and garlic and add to the blender. Now add the remaining ingredients and blend until you get a saucy marinade. Then pour it into a plastic container or whatever you will marinate the tofu in.

You will probably still have some fibrous bits in the marinade from the lemongrass but that's okay. If you want to avoid those, you can smash the lemongrass with something heavy until it gets fragrant and then you can just put the whole stalk in the marinade and remove it later. 

When the tofu has been pressed for about 15 minutes, you can chop it into cubes or slices (whatever you like) and add it to the marinade. Let it sit in the fridge for as long as possible - and at least for 25-30 minutes. 

Now make the carrot marinade. Stir everything together in a bowl. 

Chop the carrot into matchsticks and add to the marinade. Set aside. 

Now chop the other veggies and garnishes: chop the cucumber into matchsticks. Roughly chop the coriander, chili, mint and peanuts. 

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles. 

Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Usually that means turning off the heat and soaking the noodles in the hot water for about 4 minutes. Drain the noodles when they are done, rinse them with cold water and set aside. 

Put a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu to the pan. Let it sit for about 2 minutes and then check if the underside has browned. If it has, you can flip the tofu and continue to cook the other sides. 

Assemble your plate: add rice vermicelli, salad, chopped veg and tofu. Use the rest of the carrot marinade as a sauce for your salad. 

A filling Vietnamese noodle salad with lemongrass marinated tofu. It's super fresh and perfect for warm(er) weather. 

Roughly dice the onion and cut the carrots into rings. Set aside. 

Put a big cooking pot over medium heat. Add the oil and the cumin seeds. Fry the cumin seeds shortly in the oil, for about 2 minutes. 

Add the onion and curry powder. Fry for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the carrots to the pot. Then, pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cover with the lid and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

When the carrots are soft, turn off the heat. Add in the coconut milk and blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

 Chop up some fresh coriander and cut the lime into wedges. Serve the soup in a deep plate or bowl with the coriander and some chili flakes, and add a good bit of lime juice. 

This carrot soup with coconut milk is super easy to make. The coriander and lime add a nice freshness to it, and you can whip it up in just 30 minutes.

Put the cashews into a bowl and cover them with boiling hot water. Let them soak for a minimum of 15 minutes. The longer you soak them, the softer they will be which will make a silkier cheese.

Pickled green olives are the ones you buy in a jar, in brine. (Not the ones that are covered in oil.)

When your cashews have soaked for at least 15 min, add them to a blender. Add the juice of the lemon and all remaining ingredients. Blend.  You should blend for a few minutes if you want it to be really smooth. (Take a few breaks though so your blender doesn't overheat.) Add some more water if your blender needs it. 

Assemble your toast - spread some of the za'atar and olive oil mixture on it. Then, spread the labneh on top. Add your veggies and some fresh mint leaves. Ready!

A super refreshing toast. Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that works great with olive oil and bread. On top of it I've put a vegan labneh. Labneh is a silky, tangy cheese. To serve as an entree, use small pieces of toast.

Drain the block of tofu and wrap it in a clean kitchen towel. Put some heavy objects on top (e.g. a cutting board with some jars) to press the liquid out of the tofu. Let it sit while you do the rest.

Now prepare the pickled carrots. Cut the carrot into small matchsticks. In a small mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, lime juice and sesame oil. Whisk well with a spoon and add the julienned carrots. Set aside - they should marinate for a while. 

Chop up the remaining veggies. I like to cut the cucumber into matchsticks and the onion into small rings. 

For the sriracha mayo: in a small bowl mix the mayo with a squirt of sriracha and some sesame oil. Or alternatively - just put some sriracha on your baguette. 

Remove the tofu from the towel and cut it into thin slices (around 1/2 cm or 1/4 inch). Add a big nonstick pan over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of sunflower oil. When the oil is hot, add the tofu slices and reduce heat to medium high. Don't move the tofu around too much, let them get a little brown and crispy. After 3 to 4 minutes, flip them around to fry the other side. 

When you're done frying the tofu, turn off the heat. Add a splash of soy sauce, a splash of ketjap manis and I like to pour in some of the carrot marinade as well. Mix well so the tofu is covered in sauce. 

Assemble your sandwich however you like. 

A Vietnamese baguette with tofu, a great combination of fresh and marinated veggies and a bit of a spicy kick. For whenever you want to treat yourself. 

In a large measuring cup, add 100 grams of roughly chopped mango. Add plant milk of choice, I used oat milk. Blend until smooth using a hand blender, or if you don't have a hand blender, use a regular blender.

Now, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until you get a smooth batter.

Put a non-stick pan over high heat. Add a splash of sunflower oil. Wait a minute, so the pan has some time to get hot. 

When the pan is hot, pour in some of the batter and slightly swirl it around. I find these pancakes turn out the best when they are rather thin. 

After +- 3 minutes you can flip the pancake. Leave on the other side for another two minutes. 

When your first pancake is done, you'll want to add a little bit of oil to the pan again to get nice crisp edges and golden colour. Continue until you finished the batter.

You can chop the whole mango into cubes and freeze the remaining bits for later use. 

A different take on banana pancakes. It tastes more like a traditional pancake but still has that nice silky texture - and it's naturally sweetened.

Chop the cauliflower into florets, then finely chop the garlic. Add cauliflower and garlic to a baking dish with olive oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and a sprinkle of salt. Put in the oven for 10 minutes. 

While the cauliflower is in the oven, prepare the sauce. Roughly chop the ginger and add to the blender along with the rest of the sauce ingredients.

After 10 minutes, remove the cauliflower from the oven. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to the oven dish. Then add in the sauce as well. Add a splash of water to your blender and swish to get out the remaining bits of sauce. Mix with everything with a spoon and put back into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. 

Your curry is now ready. Garnish with some coriander, red onion and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve with some basmati rice, roti or vegan naan. 

A comforting coconut and tomato curry with oven roasted garlic and cauliflower - and some chickpeas for protein. Serve with naan, roti or basmati rice.

https://www.veganricha.com/vegan-cauliflower-pea-curry-gobi-matar/

In a big mixing bowl, add the soy yoghurt and the sugar. Mix them well, using a whisk. 

Now add the sunflower oil, soy milk and vanilla extract. Mix until it looks like a smooth, uniform batter. 

Into another big mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: start by sifting the flour into the bowl. Then, add the baking powder. Add a sprinkle of salt. Mix well. 

Pour the wet batter into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk until you get a smooth batter.

Cut 1.5 of the apples into small chunks. Add the chunks to the cake batter and mix. Slice the remaining half into half moons and keep apart for now. 

Line a cake tin with parchment paper. Then, pour in your batter and spread it evenly. You can arrange the rest of the apple on top of the batter now. When you're ready, put your cake in the oven and let it bake for around 50 minutes. 

Let your cake cool down before cutting it up. 

This vegan cake is super airy and soft. It's not overly sweet and has a nice touch of vanilla and apple.

https://lactosefree.nl/recepten/vegan/vegan-citroen-cake/

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