Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (49 page)

Serves 1 to 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1½ hours

1 medium baking potato

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thinly

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2.
Scrub the potato and make cuts widthwise along the potato, about ½ inch apart. Cut about ¾ of the way down through the potato; you want the segments still attached at the bottom.

3.
Using a thin flexible knife to aid in guiding and opening the cuts, push the slices of garlic into the cuts on the potato. This is a little tricky; just be careful not to force the garlic in or the segments will break all the way through.

4.
Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 1¼ to 1½ hours, turning twice if desired, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

Garlic and Onion Mashed Potatoes

I
OFTEN MAKE ROASTED
or Poached Garlic (
page 54
) and add it to my mashed potatoes for a lovely garlic-infused part of dinner. Use whenever you would use mashed potatoes—with stews, casseroles, and even maybe the odd chili.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

1 pound white potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks, skin on for a more rustic version
 

1 teaspoon mustard seeds, lightly crushed
 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced
 

½ medium onion, quartered and finely sliced
 

²
/
₃
cup plain soymilk
 

Salt and black pepper

1.
Place the potatoes and enough water just to cover in a large saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook over medium heat uncovered until the potatoes are tender, 12 minutes.

2.
Using a colander, drain the potatoes and leave them in the colander.

3.
In the same saucepan, toast the mustard seeds over medium heat for 1 minute.

4.
Add the oil and garlic until the garlic sizzles, about 1 minute.

5.
Add the onion and sauté until lightly browned, 5 minutes.

6.
Deglaze the pan with the soymilk. Return the potatoes to the pan. Bring the soymilk to a boil, remove from the heat, and mash potatoes to your desired smoothness.

7.
Season to taste with the salt and pepper and serve.

Coconut Rice

H
ERE WE HAVE
a super coconut rice with layered coconut goodness for the coconut lover in your life. Not sweet at all, just aromatic, this rice is good with any of the Curries and Asian-Inspired Dishes (
page 105
).

Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes

1 cup brown basmati rice

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
 

1½ cups vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)

½ cup canned coconut milk 1 tablespoon coconut oil

½ teaspoon salt, optional

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
Toast the rice and coconut in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring very frequently, for 7 to 8 minutes or until the coconut is golden. Take care not to burn.

2.
Add the stock through the salt; stir until the oil is dissolved, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

3.
Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork just prior to serving.

VARIATION:

HERBED COCONUT RICE

Add 1 tablespoon of your choice of chopped fresh herbs (cilantro and mint are good) prior to fluffing and serving.

Couscous with Dried Apricots and Pistachios

R
EADING THIS RECIPE
you could be forgiven for thinking that it will taste sweet, with the apricots and cinnamon and all. Calm that concern, as it’s just pleasantly accented by a little hint of sweetness. Great to serve warm or cold alongside anything really, but especially dishes with North African– or Ethiopian-influenced flavors such as the Ethiopian Fusion Squash Stew (
page 91
). It’s also good by itself as a very quick and easy lunch.

Serves 2 to 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

1½ cups vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)

1 tablespoon olive oil
 

1 cup couscous

¼ cup dried apricots, finely chopped

½ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon cardamom

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon black pepper
 

½ cup toasted pistachios, roughly chopped (see Note)

2 or 3 scallions, finely chopped (¼ cup)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
 

Salt and black pepper

1.
In a medium saucepan bring the stock and oil to a full boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the couscous through the pepper, cover, and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, 10 minutes. Uncover, stir in the pistachios through the parsley, and fluff with a fork.

2.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

NOTE
: If toasting the pistachios, use the saucepan you will later be using for the couscous. Cool on a plate, then chop and add as directed.

Israeli Couscous with Almonds and Parsley

T
HIS DISH IS
great as a hot side dish or served cold as a salad. I quite like to eat it as a main meal, which serves only 2; as a side dish it should serve 4. It’s lovely served with Curries and Asian-Inspired Dishes (
page 105
) and with the flavors of North Africa, such as Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Stew (
page 93
). If at the end you find the dish a little dry, add a little more olive oil, maybe 1 tablespoon, and toss.