Vegan Italy in Photos

Not too much chatter from me today, because I have neither recipes nor reviews to share. Italy has such good produce, pasta and pizza, that we hardly went out at all, I was so happy to cook simply.

So, you’ll have to settle with vicariously enjoying what everything I ate and saw looked like. Belissima!

Graffitti - not by us, we just found it

 

OMG they have vegan chocolate croissants here (albeit heavily packaged)

 

Sunset somewhere in the mountains of Emilia Romagna

 

pasta with oil and herbs and ratatoullie

 

A sunny day in Buti, Tuscany

 

ValSoia Vegan meatballs, lemon risotto and glazed veg

 

Il Colosseo (which was closed due to flooding)

 

Spooky haloween pumpkin soup with lovely couchsurfers

 

Excellent gelato from Gelatone in Rome

At a fountain in a piazza eating vegan gelato

 

Vegan parpadelle with basic veg and olive oil

 

Best pizza in thw rold? Take out in Rome

 

Detail of a painted wall in Pompei

See, we also ate some food without wheat in it

 

Pizza with potatoes, apparently... oops, not quite what I meant. In Imola.

 

Pizza verdure senza mozarella in Rome

 

Sunset over Rome (From the Forum)

Gnocchi, and the end of Italy week

Home made gnocchi

I had forgotten all about making gnocchi, until I found this photo.

I loosely followed the recipe from Vegan Yum Yum, ans served it up with tomato sauce (boy have we eaten a lot of that lately), and a big salad of lettuce, basil, mint and silverbeet from our garden, and some cucumber from a friend’s garden.

I love Italian food, and had a lot of fun and a bit of zen making bread, pasta, gnocchi and tomato sauce from scratch. It was fun having a lot of ways to use the tomatoes which are everywhere and very ripe at the moment.

I didn’t get around to making polenta, partly due to circumstances outside of my control, and partly because its just not my favourtie.

Next up is Brazil, I think, and maybe a pit-stop while I try to find out what to make with the four most available foods in Pohnpei: Bananas, Breadfruit, Taro and Yams.

 

Risi e Bisi and vegan “meat” balls

Maybe the best thing about risi e bisi is that the name rhymes. Its really just a plain-ish risotto with peas, although there are variations around, such as using mashed peas and slid peas, and turning it into a soup.

Again, I won’t post a recipe, as risotto isn’t rocket science, but I will give some links to various variations: Basic version, minty version, mashed verion – in italian, and a review of the recipe in 1000 vegan recipes.

risi e bisi

I refuse to put carrots and peas together in anything but soup, because something about it gives me the creeps (memories of cold peas pushed under mash maybe?). So my version uses an onion and garlic risotto with vegie stock, peas, and a little vegan cream cheese to creamy it up.

We also had some meat balls, served in tomato sauce. I made my usual home made tomato sauce, but added some zucchini, and made lemon-flavoured balls out of barlotti beans, bred crumbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried sage, vegan worcestershire sauce, golden syrup, soy sauce, and coated in flour and shallow fried.

vegan meat balls

They were delicious, but they were a bit loose and light, and next time I might sub some of the bread crumbs for something a little more substantial, like nuts or quinoa.

 

More Italian Stuff

There are a few Italian things I didn’t get around to making this time, partly due to a 10 hour, unconsummated hospital visit (everyone is fine) which will have to repeated sometime this week partly due to stupid drunk people who had accidents on Australia Day. This means that sadly I used up all the vegies I had planned to make antipasti with in a midnight stirfry, and also used some of the ingredients intended for polenta.

There are a few Italian things I have made though, which haven’t made it into the blog so far.  This is a post about them.

Tomato Bread

I love making bread – its very calming, it smells good, and there’s just something satisfying about easting home made bread. This one has tomato paste and chopped sun dried tomatoes in it. I made one loaf, and one group of tomato scrolls, with extra tomato paste, cheezly and olives.

The loaf

Sliced

Scrolls

Big Salads

Contrary to what the posts might show, we have also been eating a lot of delicious vegies! Here are a few pics as proof.

Big sweet potato and brocoli salad

Berries and mint salad dressing

Roast onion and tomato salad

Eggplant

Bean and facon salad

Bruschetta

I made Brushcetta with my home made tomato bread. I don’t seem to have a picture, which is sad because it was very pretty. So, you’re just gonna have to trust me that it was fab. We used mashed cannellini beans with lemon juice, and a mixture of chopped tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil and olive oil. Yummy lunch.

Risotto and arancini

Probably my favourite little-food-that-goes-on-trays-at-work-things is arancini (risotto balls). I especially love the ones with something cheesy in the middle.(yes there’s a theme – I like cheesy stuff).

I also love risotto, having discovered it as an easy, cheap and filling meal when I was at uni, and we eat it often now, although it usually has more ingredients now than it did at uni.

Anyway, I’m not posting a recipe, because everyone can make risotto, and mine does not have any special tricks. One vegan note – its nice to add some tofutti or other vegan cream cheese to it at the end to make it extra creamy.

This time around I served up some mushroom risotto (my fave kind) with some home made tomato sauce, for some extra vegetable.

Mushroom Risotto

Hopefully, audience, you feel very special, because I usually just dump it on the plat, rather than making a pretty mound and putting herbs on it

To make arancini you need day old risotto which has dried out a little, and some cheese or tofu or mushrooms for filling. Predictably, I used Cheezly.

Make a ball of risotto, flatten t, put some filling in the middle, then re-roll around the filling. Then roll in some soy milk and coat with bread crumbs.

I believe you are supposed to deep fry them now. I don’t deep fry things at home, because its a little bit gross. I do shallow fry things in the wok every now and then, such as spring rolls, but its pretty rare, and I always feel yuck later, even though it make for very tasty things.

So, you could deep fry your arancini, or you could shallow fry (I have tried this and it is delicious, although the bread crumbs do soak up a LOT of oil), or you could Bake them, like I do.

Arancini - please excuse the lunch-box picture

It does mean that they don’t turn lovely and golden, but they’re just as melt-in-your-mouth, and much better for you.

Give it a go with your favourite risotto!

Lentils for wealth

In parts of Italy, people eat lentils at New Year to bring wealth. They are also eaten throughout the year, braised, stewed or in soups. I made some basic braised lentils and served them with a mixed bean salad.

We may have missed New Years, but hey, the year hasn’t progressed too much yet, so we may still be in with a chance to affect our fortunes.

Dinner

I’m not a lentil-lover at the best of times, and I was really off my game here. I dont know if it was the lack of salt (we’re trying to cut back), the addition of carrots, or just the lentily-ness, but they tasted quite bland.

Pretty oregano sprig makes up for lack of flavour

The beans were yum, just steamed and then drizzled with olive oil and some chopped sundried tomatoes, but the pairing made for a very fibrous (read: chewy) meal.

Yummy bean salad

The saving grace of the meal was dessert (of course!).

I recently bought an ice cream machine, and I’ve been playing with it a lot. I made some Mango and passionfruit gelato, from a recipe in The Mediterranean Cookbook, by Joanna Farrow and Jacqueline Clarke. I substituted coconut milk for the dairy.

It was very very tasty!

mmm, gelato

 

The Food of Romance

We don’t do Valentine’s day at our place, but we do celebrate our love! (too cheesy?)

Every now and then I get a fit of vegan gourmet wrapped in a lovegush for Mr, and this usually turns into some heart shaped food.

Last week I had an exceptionally large lovegush/fooddream collision, and the results were fresh tomato soup, beet ravioli, strawberry carpaccio and a caramelised onion, pear and walnut tart. All with some pink or some hearts, of course.

Fresh tomato soup

Fresh Tomato Soup

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 very ripe tomatoes
• tomato paste, as needed
• filtered water
• pepper and salt, to taste

This is so easy to make. Fry the onion in some oil, until translucent (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic, and fry for a further 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, adding water if it dries out a little. Add about 1 cup of water, and blend. Taste – if the tomatoes are not super ripe, or if they’re from the supermarket, you’ll need to add some tomato paste. Then heat, stir and season.

Home made vegan beet ravioli

I borrowed this concept from Flavours of Venice, by Rosalba Gioffre, and borrowed from the Moreland Library. I made many changes to the recipe in order to veganise it.

I used my own pasta recipe, rather than the egg pasta suggested. For the filling I used some boiled beetroot, a teensy bit of cheesly, some mashed tofu, and some nutmeg. I had intended to make heart shapes, but my rolling was a little off, and I settled for any basic polygon instead.

I served the ravioli with just some margarine, olive oil, salt, and herbs from the garden.

Strawberry and Zucchini Carpaccio

Strawberry and Zucchini Carpaccio

Carpaccio is usually raw meat, cut very thinly. I think its better this way.

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 small zucchini
• small bunch mint leaves
• 1 tbs agave syrup
• 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbs olive oil

Slice the zucchini very thinly and set aside. To make hearts, cut a triangle underneath the strawberry “cap” to remove it, leave a pointy heart. Very carefully, slice the strawberries.

Mince the mint, and combine in a bowl with the oil, agave and vinegar. Muddle, then gently toss the zucchini and strawberries in it, and set aside for the flavour to develop for at least 30 minutes (60 if you can).

Heart Tart

Caramelised Onion, Pear and Walnut Tart (makes 4)

• 2 sheets vegan pastry
• 1 large red onion
• oil
• 2 tbs agave syrup
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs raw sugar
• 1/3 cup beetroot water (from boiling the beetroot for the ravioli – can be replaces with water or juice)
• 1 pear
• 4 tbs crushed walnuts
• 4 tbs vegan cheese

1. Pre-heat the oven at 160 degrees. Take the pastry out of the freezer to thaw.
2. In a frying pan heat a little olive oil, then add the onion. Fry for 5 minutes, then add the vinegar, agave and sugar.
3. Continue to cook, stirring as necessary, until the sugar begins to dissolve. Add the beetroot water a little at a time, over 20 minutes of cooking.
4. If your pear is firm, add slices into the onion mixture at about the 15 minute mark. If it is soft, don’t add it.
5. Cut the pastry sheets in half so they each form 2 triangles. Chop the acute corners (the two corners on the long edge of the triangle) to blunt them. Roll the edges in, little by little, and press into the middle to form a heart shape. You will have to do some molding to form the top.
6. Arrange the onion and pear mixture (or pear slices) onto the pastry. Sprinkle with walnuts and cheezly, and place in the oven.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, and allow to cool a little before serving.

Whatever you’re making, have a crack at making shapes – its fun, and definitley worth the effort to make your dining partner smile.

Stromboli (ok so not exactly Italian)

I’ve seen it around, but I’ve never actually eaten stromboli before. Its basically pizza, rolled up to make a loaf.

I was about to tell you that Stromboli came from Sicily, and was named after the eponymous volcano. I’m certain I read that somewhere. If I did, the lying liar of a web article appears long gone.

It turns out stromboli is American, not Italian, created near either Philadelphia or Spokane. So, its “italianesque”. Like nachos are “mexican-inspired”. Damn yanks, ruining my idea of the history of my favourite foods.

So, its not actually Italian. Doesn’t matter, it’s still delicious!

I make pizza frequently, and I’m sure I had a recipe from somewhere else at some point. These days I just go by my gut, so follow on if you dare.

From the outside

Vegan Stromboli

for vegan pizza dough

• about 200ml lukewarm water
• 1 tsp sugar
• about 1 tablespoon yeast
• about 3 cups bread flour
• pinch salt
• some more olive oil
• herbs for sprinkling
• olive oil and soy milk – for a wash

for the filling

• oil, for frying
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 capsicum, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 4 tbs tomato paste
• 2 x picnicker sausages(vegan cabana)
• 1/2 packet cheezly
• 1/2 cup pitted olives

1. Make sure the water is really lukewarm. You should almost not be able to feel it when you put you finger in it. If it is too warm, wait, as heat destroys the yeast.
2. Add sugar and yeast to the water in a large cup or small jug, leaving it plenty of room to froth. Let them sit for 15 minutes, until starting to get very frothy (on a warm day it can double in size, on a cold day it looks like frothy beer).
3. Sift flour into a large bowl (you know, if you’re a sifter – not me). Make a well in the centre, add yeast mixture, and slowly combine to form a dough, as for the pasta.
4. knead the dough on a floured surface for 15 minutes (set the timer, it always feels like you’ve been kneading for longer than you have). The dough should become smooth and elastic, and should be a little warm.
5. Clean the bowl, oil it, and leave dough in it to rest, covered for 45 minutes, in a warm place (i put mine by the window or on top of the oven if it was on earlier in the day).
6. While it is doing it’s thing, you can make the filling. In a frying pan, heat the oil, add onions, and fry for 10 minutes, until translucent. Add mushrooms and capsicum, and fry for a further 10 minutes.
7. Remove from heat, add olives and chopped sausage. Leave to cool.
8. By now the dough should have doubled in size. Punch it down (for dough newbies, that’s literal – punch it in the middle, just once). Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for just 30-60 seconds.
9. Roll out into an oblong shape – we’re not making pizza, so try to avoid the temptation to through it in the air and make circles.
10. Leaving an inch around three edges, coat the dough in the tomato paste. The cover with the cooked mixture, and finally with the cheezly.
11. Roll the dough up to make a loaf shape.
12. Pop it into a baking dish, brush with oil and soy milk, and spinkle with some dried herbs (i like rosemary or oregano).
13. Bake at 170 degrees celsius, for 20-25 minutes.
14. Allow to cool a little before cutting into slices to serve.

I wrapped it up in a tea towel and took it into the city for yummy dinner in Flagstaff park, to fuel us for an e-reader shopping expedition. Good stuff

Some left over stromboli for lunch

 

Cannelloni

Cannelloni is my favourite pasta dish. I adore it, and make it whenever I can. I used to love it filled with egg and cheese and covered in parmesan, but I think my vegan version stands up to the test.

Vegan Cannelloni

You can use bought pasta cannelloni “shells” if you like, but the recipe for the dough follows if you’d like to strike out and try making your own. It takes more time, but ts well worth it for the perfect al dente finish, not to mention the zen that kneading dough can bring.

Keira’s Favourite Vegan Cannelloni Recipe, makes 4 serves

Note: this works best if you have a rectangular baking dish about 33cm x 20cm x 5cm. You may need to increase the topping recipe if you have a larger, or two small dishes.

For the Pasta

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup water

Filling

• 350g tofu, crumbled
• 100g cheezly, crumbled
• lots of nutmeg
• one bunch kale (about 6 leaves), chopped finely and cooked (I boil it)
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tbs nooch
• little soy milk

Topping

• 3 tbs Olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 -8 large tomatoes, diced
• 3 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tbs tomato paste
• sugar, salt and pepper as necessary

Method

1. In case you didn’t read the ingredients properly, now is the time to cook the kale
2. Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees
3. Start with the sauce. In a large saucepan heat some olive oil, then add onion and fry for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent.
4. Add the garlic, and fry for another 5 minutes, being careful not to burn it.
5. Add tomatoes and cook for 15 minute over low heat.
6. Add all other ingredients (save the salt and sugar). Bring to the boil, then return to slow simmer, lid on, for the time being (about 40 minutes)
7. In a large bowl, or just on your bench, if you’re feeling adventurous, pile the flour and make a well, resulting in a volcano shape.I wrap a towel around my bowl, to stop it sliding around while I mix the dough.
   

   volcano

8. Pour the water into the well, and slowly add the flour into the middle, little by little, until all flour is combined with the liquid, and you have a loose dough.
9. On a floured surface knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes. Rest the dough in an oiled bowl, covered, for 30 minutes.
10. While the dough is resting make the filling. In a clean large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the filling together. This works best if you use your hands. Taste, and add salt and pepper and more nutmeg as necessary. Its the nutmeg that helps replicate the classic cannelloni flavour, so feel free to go heavy.
11. Check on the sauce. If it is beginning to look right, take it off the heat. Taste and add what you need (I like a little sugar in mine, if it isn’t in the tomato paste.) If it isn’t ready yet, you know what to do – leave it on the heat. Its ready when it tastes good, and is thick enough to coat the spoon.
12. Place about 1/5 of the sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish, coating it in a thin layer. Don’t forget to fish the bay leaves out first, and discard them.
13. On a floured surface, roll out the dough in 1 or 2 batches, as bench-space allows. Roll out until the dough is about 3-4mm thick, in a rectangle shape, approximately the same width as your baking dish, and a double the length. If your dough keeps bouncing back, you need to let it sit longer before rolling.
    

    Rolled out

14. Starting at one end, place the filling mixture down the edge of the dough. Brush the dough with some water, and roll into a cannelloni shape. Cut along the edge to form a cylinder. Place the pasta shape into the baking dish.
    

    the filling

15. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. My dish takes about 8 large rolls, so I use one 8th of the filling for each one. This will depend on the size of your dish/es.
    

    Without sauce

16. Once all the rolls are in the baking dish, cover with the sauce, ensuring that all pasta is coated.
    

    With sauce

17. Place the dish in the pre-heated oven, and cook for 35-40 minutes.
18. Enjoy with an enormous salad.
    

    Yum

Introducing Italy

Buongiorno! I am pretty happy to announce that this week coming (and the week prior, but whatever) is Italy week here at the Roundtheworldvegan kitchen.

Since I was little I have always wanted to visit Italy. It looks beautiful, the language is beautiful, and most of all, the food is divine! I probably wont be getting there for a long while, but it doesn’t mean I can’t bring a little Italy into my kitchen.

First, a little bit about Italy.

Where is it?

There it is!

Well, its in the Mediterranean Sea, sharing borders to the north east with Austria and Slovenia, and to the north west with Switzerland, France and San Marino.

Facts and Figures

• Population:58,090,681
• Median Age: 43.7 years (Really quite high)
• Birth Rate: 1.32 children born per woman (one of the lowest in the world)
• Life Expectancy at Birth: 80.33 years
• GDP per capita:$30,700 (2010 est.)
• I usually cover religion, languages and ethnicities here, but Italy seems to be quite homogeneous, according to the CIA world fact book: 90% catholic, nearly 100% Italian (the CIA is counting German-Italian and Slovenian-Italian as the same), with the predominant language being Italian, except in border areas.
• Unemployment: 8.4%
• Economic Equality (Gini Index): 32, which is more equal than Japan or Canada, but not as equal as Sweden (the fairest) or Australia.

Random other Italian bits and pieces

• One of the healthiest, longest living groups of people in the world live in Campodimele, Italy (according to a book I got for my birthday about living forever (a long time) via good nutrition).
• Italy competed in the Eurovision Song Contest frequently from the first in 1957 until 1997. It hasn’t entered since 1997.

Mmmm, this is the Italy week menu!

• Canneloni (my favourite pasta dish)
• Stromboli – rolled pizza
• Gnocchi – potato dumplings
• Risotto
• Arancini – risotto balls
• Gelato
• Big salads
• Riso Nero (from my book)
• Antipasti, various
• Braised Lentils
• Bruschetta
• some kind of polenta
• “meat” balls, if I get time

Hope you can join me for it!