Mouthwatering Boat Recipes (mainly plant based)

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Coops

A little tip for saving time with salad preparation. Of course you clever things may already know this.

How to core a head of iceberg lettuce in less than five seconds. [VIDEO]

Coops.

I just hold it up the other way and thump it with a closed fist.

As for "When you're in a pickle and don't have a knife to chop up your head of iceberg lettuce" - I subscribe to the "Never cut lettuce, always tear it" school. I know it's probably just an old wives tale, but roughly torn leaves do have a nice rustic look to them.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by StuM

I just hold it up the other way and thump it with a closed fist.

As for "When you're in a pickle and don't have a knife to chop up your head of iceberg lettuce" - I subscribe to the "Never cut lettuce, always tear it" school. I know it's probably just an old wives tale, but roughly torn leaves do have a nice rustic look to them.

Hmm...lettuce does brown very fast at the cut edge (when using a metal knife). Ceramic blades are OK but tearing is cheaper

[Coops]

Another water melon idea.

I had no idea you can do this with a watermelon. [VIDEO]

Coops.

[Seaworthy Lass]

I am a huge fan of oats, so I had to give this recipe a go when I found it this morning .

This is a modified version of Beth Leonard's recipe for 'Mimi's Oatmeal Bread':
http://www.bethandevans.com/pdf/Bread%20recipes.pdf
I halved the quantity to make just one loaf, but if you have a hoard of munchkins on board stick with the original amount, as it will disappear quickly. The recipe also called for a massive amount of molasses (¾ cup). Has anyone made bread with this much molasses before? Not having any on board I omitted it anyway.

OATMEAL BREAD

¾ cup instant oats
1.5 cups boiling water
¼ cup honey (or pure maple syrup) Edited to add: I reduced this to 1 tablespoon in later loaves
¼ cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
7g package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cups bread flour (high gluten)

- Whisk oats into the boiling water so lumps don't form
- Whisk in the honey and let it stand until lukewarm
- Mix yeast with warm water and sugar and leave 10 minutes to start foaming (mainly to make sure you don't have a dud lot of yeast)
- Add oil and yeast to the oats
- Add enough flour to form a soft, slightly sticky dough
- Knead 10 minutes until smooth and elastic
- Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled (approximately one hour if conditions are warm). In summer when making bread or pizza base I simply let it stand, otherwise I place a hot water bottle filled with a couple of cups of boiling water on top of the plate used to cover the bowl, and wrap it all in a blanket. You can be waiting until the cows come home for it to rise otherwise.
- Knock down the dough, shape it into a long flat loaf and place on a tray lined with oiled baking paper. I find this better than using a conventional loaf tin, as cooking time is then dramatically reduced (halved).
- Let rise until doubled again and sift on a few tablespoons of flour
- Bake in a hot oven 20-25 minutes. I don't bother preheating the oven.

See if you can resist cutting it before it cools .

This recipe has been added to the index in post #1.

The resulting beautifully light moist loaf (thanks Beth and Mimi):

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

I am a huge fan of oats, so I had to give this recipe a go when I found it this morning.

See if you can resist cutting it before it cools.

Follow up report:
I have to give this loaf a 10/10 .

Not only did it taste great fresh, but it was still soft and scrumptious this morning. Without all the preservatives put in commercial loaves, homemade bread tends to go stale pretty quickly (particularly in hot weather) and is generally better toasted the next day.

Not this loaf. The oatmeal kept it beautifully moist. Oatmeal bread topped with crunchy peanut butter and jam with Aeropress Illy coffee made an indulgent brekkie this morning.

(As odd as it sounds, try peanut butter with a generous amount of chopped chives to have as nibbles with champagne - one of those matches made in heaven )

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Not this loaf. The oatmeal kept it beautifully moist. Oatmeal bread topped with crunchy peanut butter and jam with Aeropress Illy coffee made an indulgent brekkie this morning.

Not original, but I won't argue with it:

"Buying an aeropress or espresso machine and then using Illy is like buying an Aga to cook fishfingers in."

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by StuM

Not original, but I won't argue with it:

"Buying an aeropress or espresso machine and then using Illy is like buying an Aga to cook fishfingers in."

I've run out of my New Guinea Blue Mountain beans . No more beans until Dec/Jan .

[Seaworthy Lass]

I usually make mushroom burgers with a couple of cups of fresh breadcrumbs, but yesterday I tried substituting the breadcrumbs with quinoa. The oats bound the mixture together so well that it didn't look like the usual egg I throw in was necessary, so I experimented with a vegan version.

Success .

This platter is good served with drinks and crusty bread. I added walnut and parsley pesto this time - anything goes.
As a main meal wrap the burgers in tortillas and load up with salad and your favourite sauce or chutney.

MUSHROOM QUINOA BURGERS

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and cooked in 2 cups water or stock (I use a thermos for this)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
700 g mushrooms, reasonably finely chopped
1 stock cube
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup instant oats
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp pepper

- Cook the quinoa, drain and spread on a paper towel on a baking to dry out a little
- Sauté garlic until starting to brown (this removes the bite and leaves a subtle roasted flavour)
- Add onion and cook until golden
- Add stock cube and heat to dissolve
- Add mushrooms and sauté
- Meanwhile mix walnuts, oats, quinoa, oregano and pepper
- Combine the two lots together
- Divide in two (refrigerate one lot in a plastic bag for the next day)
- Flavour improves if allowed to sit
- Divide into 8 (this just fits nicely in my pan), then roll in balls and flatten slightly
- Fry 5 min each side in a little oil (don't overcook as they dry out)

Good hot or cold.

This recipe has been added to the index in post #1.

[markpierce]

I wonder. ... Do very many vegans have O-negative blood? This O-negative guy (me) needs a hamburger weekly (or a Mongolian beef dish) or I'm out of sorts.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by markpierce

I wonder. ... Do very many vegans have O-negative blood? This O-negative guy (me) needs a hamburger weekly (or a Mongolian beef dish) or I'm out of sorts.

I get out of sorts without chocolate .
If you subscribe to the idea that we should eat according to our blood type, then yes, you will get cranky without your hit of meat.

Mark, I find it amazing that given how much we know about the human body, we still have no idea what food is best consumed to keep it functioning optimally. Yet there are so many people with wildly opposing views that are absolutely dogmatic that they have it all figured out. In fact they almost have a religious zeal when it comes to this.

I think few groups would argue that an excess of sugar & salt, highly processed food, additives such as preservatives & colouring agents, and fats that have been heated to high temperatures etc are good for our systems. Variety is really important for getting all the nutrients we need, so whatever we eat we shouldn't get stuck consuming the same food over and over.

From there you are on your own. I find I function well on lots of fruit and veg, pulses, seafood, nuts and seeds, a little dairy, not a lot of grains (except oats) and minimal meat. As we sail with no freezer and minimal refrigeration and stay away from settlements often for weeks on end, I find it invaluable having a good assortment of recipes that don't include animal products. Even if cruisers aren't vegan these recipes may come in really handy occasionally.

Above all though, I think it is simply not healthy to be too obsessed about every single morsel that passes through our lips .

[bfloyd4445]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Follow up report:
I have to give this loaf a 10/10 .

Not only did it taste great fresh, but it was still soft and scrumptious this morning. Without all the preservatives put in commercial loaves, homemade bread tends to go stale pretty quickly (particularly in hot weather) and is generally better toasted the next day.

Not this loaf. The oatmeal kept it beautifully moist. Oatmeal bread topped with crunchy peanut butter and jam with Aeropress Illy coffee made an indulgent brekkie this morning.

(As odd as it sounds, try peanut butter with a generous amount of chopped chives to have as nibbles with champagne - one of those matches made in heaven )

use honey instead of sugar and it will stay fresh longer or freeze for another day any not used immediately

Howdy yall fine water worshippers and best wishes to all

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by bfloyd4445

Howdy yall fine water worshippers and best wishes to all

Howdy Britt .
Good to see you here again. Hope you have had a great summer.

[Seaworthy Lass]

After months of the thermometer reaching 30°C daily, temperatures have suddenly dropped a little here in the Med. One feature of no longer living in a temperature controlled environment, is that as soon as days no longer sizzle, thoughts instantly turn to heartier meals. It is like a switch has been flicked.

I found this recipe on Jamie Oliver's website and modified it just a little to suit:
Kerryann?s chilli con veggie | Jamie Oliver | Food | Jamie Oliver (UK)
The quantity of beans did not fit in my pressure cooker, so the black beans in the original were simply left out:

CHILI CON VEGGIE

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium leek, washed, trimmed and sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 long fresh red chilli or 1-2 tsp chili flakes (to taste)
2 flat tablespoons ground cumin
2 flat tablespoons ground coriander
2 flat tablespoons smoked paprika
2 flat tablespoons dried oregano
½ cinnamon stick, or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 whole nutmeg, finely grated or 1 tsp ground
2 tablespoons tomato purée (or whole 200g tin)
250 g (scant mug) dried green or brown lentils
250 g (scant mug) dried red lentils
2 x 400 g tins of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 x 400 g tins of whole tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 stock cubes and 3 mugs (approx 1.2 litres) water (or use vegetable stock)
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

- Sauté garlic until golden (a minute or two, stirring constantly)
- Add onions and continue cooking until softened
- Add the spices and herbs and fry for 2 minutes, stirring (it may need a splash or water if it is too dry)
- Add the tomato purée, lentils, beans, chopped tomatoes, then add the stock cubes and water
- Bring it all to the boil, stirring occasinally, then either simmer for an hour, or if using a pressure cooker, bring to pressure, turn off heat and let it sit for a couple of hours
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I then brought this back to the boil and sealed it in four lots of 750ml glass jars to be enjoyed over a week or so. Flavour improves with standing.

The first lot I opened was used with lemon rice, but potatoes would go well, as would simply spooning the mixture in tortillas. If you are not vegan, dollops of thick creamy Greek yoghurt or sour cream are a good addition.
The next jar will be used on pizza (see post #47 for the dough recipe).

[Seaworthy Lass]

I have no freezer on board, but occasionally buy a pack of frozen peas and this very easy soup is then made as soon as I am back on board.

The colour is divine and the flavour of peas and mint and coconut combine beautifully .

PEA SOUP

2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 medium potatoes peeled, and chopped
2 stock cubes
4 mugs water
(or use approx 1.5 litres fresh stock)
2 tablespoons coconut cream powder (or liquid)
1 kg frozen peas (minted if available)
1 tsp ground pepper
Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

- Sauté onions
- Add potatoes, stock cubes and water
- Bring to pressure, turn off heat and allow to sit for half an hour
- Dissolve coconut cream in a few tablespoons of cold water and strain to get rid of any lumps
- Add peas (can still be partially frozen), coconut cream, pepper and mint
- Puree with a stick mixer
- Bring to boil and simmer a few minutes (don't overcook as the lovely green colour will disappear)
- This makes four lots for us (eight generous bowls). I pour three lots in glass jars while boiling hot, seal, cool and refrigerate.
- Serve with cashews and a little extra fresh mint.

Recipe has been added to the index in post #1.

[NornaBiron]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

I have no freezer on board, but occasionally buy a pack of frozen peas and this very easy soup is then made as soon as I am back on board.

The colour is divine and the flavour of peas and mint and coconut combine beautifully .

PEA SOUP

2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 medium potatoes peeled, and chopped
2 stock cubes
4 mugs water
(or use approx 1.2 litres fresh stock)
2 tablespoons coconut cream powder (or liquid)
1 kg frozen peas (minted if available)
1 tsp ground pepper
Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

- Sauté onions
- Add potatoes, stock cubes and water
- Bring to pressure, turn off heat and allow to sit for half an hour
- Dissolve coconut cream in a few tablespoons of cold water and strain to get rid of any lumps
- Add peas (can still be partially frozen), coconut cream, pepper and mint
- Puree with a stick mixer
- Bring to boil and simmer a few minutes (don't overcook as the lovely green colour will disappear)
- This makes four lots for us (eight generous bowls). I pour three lots in glass jars while boiling hot, seal, cool and refrigerate.
- Serve with cashews and a little extra fresh mint.

Recipe has been added to the index in post #1.

That looks good, will give it a go as the weather cools :-)