Chocolate and tahini baked oat bars

When I shared some favourite porridge / oat combinations last year, it was my chocolate tahini porridge that got the most enthusiasm. With good reason, too, as it makes for a wonderful way to start the day.

Whilst I always enjoy traditional porridge (oatmeal to Americans), I also enjoy oats in other formats. English flapjack is one example. These chocolate and tahini bars are another. Inspired by my chocolate tahini porridge, they are semi-sweet, gorgeously chocolatey, studded with tahini tones, and utterly delicious. They would provide a perfect make ahead breakfast or an easy snack on the go. I've been enjoying them at pretty much any time of day.


If you have tried baked oat dishes then you will be familiar with the texture of these. They are chewy rather than firm, with a soft but dense texture that holds together well without being crispy. You could easily use a nut butter instead of tahini but I recommend tahini if you have it, because the flavour pairs so well with the other ingredients and really contributes to the overall finished product.

Tweet

Vegan pizza with tahini, mint, sriracha and kale

I've mentioned previously that we regularly make pizza for dinner. However, I've never actually shared a full savoury pizza recipe (I have shared a dessert one). There are two main reasons for this. One is that I use a base recipe only loosely adapted from Kate's on No Meat and Three Veg, and it didn't seem necessary or appropriate to re-post it. The other is that I generally use the same toppings, and they aren't that exciting: tomato paste, dried oregano, spinach or kale leaves, pepper, tomatoes and pineapple. Sometimes I use hummus instead of tomato paste, and sometimes I add nutritional yeast. So far, so standard.

This pizza was a bit more adventurous and so I am taking the opportunity to share the recipe with you. To be honest, even as I made it I wasn't confident that it would work out. I was sure about the tahini, and even the sriracha, but mint on a pizza? It wasn't something I'd come across and I was prepared to regret my whim to use it. Fortunately, the combination was delicious and I can now attest that mint on pizza is excellent! I will definitely be adding these toppings to my pizza rotation.

I tend to make pizza base in a quantity that gives 4 individual pizzas. Mr Bite and I each have one for dinner, and then another slightly smaller one for lunch the next day. We have his and hers toppings (albeit with lots of overlap) and I am sure many households would do the same. Thus, I list the pizza base ingredients to make a quantity of 4 bases, but then give the toppings for this particular recipe with a guide to what you need per pizza. Whilst the tahini, mint and srirarcha components are essential for this version, feel free to vary the vegetable toppings to suit what you have to hand.

Tweet

Orange-maple-ginger soba noodle bowl

Noodle bowls are something I go through phases with. They always appeal to me on restaurant menus if I'm eating out, but at home I can go for months without making them. Then, as I am wont to do, they will reach the top of my 'loving right now' list and I'll make a whole string of similar dishes close together.

I may be entering such a phase now. This orange-maple-ginger bowl is certainly worth making again - I loved the mix of flavours and that the dressing served as a tofu marinade as well as noodle sauce. I adapted the recipe from the orange-maple-miso noodle bowl in Angela's Oh She Glows cookbook. Her sauce used miso instead of soy sauce, didn't include ginger or apple cider vinegar, and had less orange juice. The vegetable / tofu components varied too - and you may want to vary them again to suit what you have to hand. It's an easy dish to customise.

I made this when my mother-in-law was visiting and it was well received by her. It was also tolerated by Mr Bite, which is as good as I can hope for when dishing him up tofu and broccoli! I found it worked equally well served hot for dinner and cold for lunch leftovers the next day. 

Tweet

Purple vegan lasagna

If I'd been more organised, I might have shared this post for Halloween. Purple lasagna would have been particularly fun then, but as it is, we're having it in mid-November. I'd like to think it is fun now too - difficult to photograph well, but fun.

As with my previous purple meals, the colour in this dish comes from purple carrots. It amazes me how much colour they are capable of providing. They usually cost a little more than regular carrots, but I get such pleasure from them that I think they're worthwhile every now and again.

Other than carrots, this dish drew inspiration from the lasagna with hummous I made earlier in the year. I used tahini here instead of hummous, but either would work well. Whilst purple carrots don't taste very different to regular ones, their dark colour conjures up a depth of flavour that tahini complements nicely.

Tweet

Giant couscous with greens, sun dried tomatoes, chickpeas and tahini

I'm on a real tahini streak at the moment. My jars of peanut butter and almond butter have been untouched for weeks, but tahini is featuring pretty much daily. I've come to expect this from myself and am sure I'll move on to a different ingredient love soon. For now - tahini it is. As a result, you get to share in a few tahini recipes and today's bowl meal is a savoury counterpart to my tahini chocolate oat balls of last week!

 

Tweet

Tahini chocolate oat balls (vegan, one bowl, no food processor required)

These energy balls are not hugely different to recipes I've shared before (their closest counterparts being peanut butter cacao energy balls, cinnamon peanut butter oat bites and chocolate fudge bites) but they managed to be just different enough. It's amazing how you can combine such a small number of ingredients and get such delicious, fully-flavoured results. These showcase natural foods to decadent perfection and they make extremely satisfying snacks!

The ingredient list is pretty much summed up in the post title, with the exception of liquid sweetener, which I used in the form of Sweet Freedom low GI sweetener. I have mentioned the Sweet Freedom Choc Shot sauce before and was pleased to recently spot this syrup in their range. It's made entirely from fruit extracts and carob and I think it tastes like a cross between maple syrup, rice malt syrup and molasses.

Tweet

Chocolate tahini porridge (oatmeal) with raspberries

For me, there is no better test of the weather than how frequently I am eating porridge (oatmeal to Americans). I might have it occasionally in summer, but it takes cooler days and grayer skies for me to embrace it on a regular basis.

I've had porridge four times in the last three weeks, so it's safe to say the weather is changing.

If you are struggling with the shift to autumn (or are impatiently waiting for spring to arrive) then this chocolate tahini porridge is guaranteed to lift your morning. It's about as decadent as porridge can be, but is still true to what porridge should be - nutritious and based around real food.

What made this bowl particularly delightful was having chocolate from three sources (!). I added cocoa powder to the porridge when cooking, drizzled Choc Shot over the top, and sprinkled cacao nibs over everything for good measure. This is a breakfast to satisfy in every way.

Tweet

Vegan potato and aubergine bake

I don't know my own taste buds at the moment. After loving lasagna with hummous and aubergine last week, I have discovered potato bake made with tahini and aubergine. This version is veganised and cheese free, but there is a definite nod to that cheesey creaminess I profess to dislike. It seems I can profess that no longer, at least when tahini (or hummous) is involved...

In contrast to the lasagna, this is a side dish rather than a main. It pairs well with bean / legume dishes and I imagine some veggie sausages would be a good match too.

Tweet

Sweet chilli tortillas with falafel balls, aubergine, pepper and tahini {London marathon fundraising}

I really loved this meal. The tortillas are great in their own right, but when served with falafel, vegetables and tahini they are really great! Mr Bite had his version with mayonnaise instead of tahini, and he gave his meal a tick of approval too.

I used to be scared of making tortillas, but they really are quite easy. Mine are always misshapen and messy, but I like to pretend that adds character. The ingredient list is half the length of commercial brands, and you can tweak flavourings to suit - like adding sweet chilli sauce in this case.

If you serve the tortillas straight from the plan, they are warm and delicious but still quite fragile. However, they do firm up on standing, and I find that they keep find for a day in the fridge if well sealed or wrapped.

Tweet

Paprika-spiced sweet potato, bean and tahini patties {London marathon fundraising}

At first glance, these sweet potato patties may not look very exciting. I am sure we've all come across sweet potato veggie burgers before, and nice as they may be, they're not exactly novel. However, I can say with all honesty that these are the best veggie patties, of any type, that I have ever had! The texture is almost cake like, and the flavours are sweet and smoky and full-bodied and altogether delightful.

I am particularly taken with these because I made the recipe up as I went along. It could have turned out terribly. Instead, it seems I was channeling some hitherto unseen kitchen intuition. I wouldn't change a thing next time around. I think the magic ingredient was besan (chickpea) flour, which I suspect lends these patties their cake-like texture. Savoury cakes probably don't sound very nice, but I promise these work!

Tweet

Maple tahini dressing

There are two products that are proving elusive in standard UK supermarkets. One is carob powder, and the other is tahini. Both can be ordered online or picked up in larger health food stores, but I have been surprised at not being able to find them readily (although it is possible it is just my local stores!).

I will source both of these ingredients eventually, but while I'm waiting, I thought I would give homemade tahini a try. After all, it is just processed sesame seeds. I have made nut butters before; how hard could it be to make tahini?

The (potential) makings of tahini

For me, it turns out, quite hard! With hindsight, I should have toasted my sesame seeds to facilitate easier processing and enhanced flavour. My mix did not reach a buttery state. Moreover, I didn't like the taste. I remembered too late that I like unhulled tahini. My sesame seeds were hulled.

Tweet

Vegan tahini-filled chocolate eggs, and carob-raisin-crisp bites

I have definitely moved into long weekend mode. We spent much of yesterday in a national park east of Perth. Today I have baked muffins, baked cupcakes, and made the things in this post. I am feeling very content.

I was initially concerned about posting the chocolate creations I made today. There are lots of chocolate-themed recipes around at the moment, not to mention an excess of Easter products if you venture near any shops. However, I'm not sure you can have too many chocolate recipes, and I am so enamored with these ones that I don't have the patience to save them for another time. If you are looking for any last minute Easter ideas, these also have the advantage of being quick and easy to create.

The tahini-filled chocolate eggs are adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie's vegan peanut butter eggs. They aren't quite as impressive as Gabby's peanut butter caramel filled eggs, posted on The Veggie Nook last week, but I like them a whole lot nonetheless.

With a short ingredient list and a creamy filling, these eggs are less sweet than Reese's peanut butter cups and  they have a darker chocolate shell. Both features are advantages to my taste buds, and it turns out that tahini contrasts extraordinarily well with chocolate. Extraordinarily.

Tahini-filled chocolate eggs

Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie's vegan peanut butter eggs

Vegan and no bake

Makes 10 eggs

Print recipe

Ingredients

Filling -

1/4 cup unhulled tahini (sunflower seed butter)

Generous pinch salt

1 - 2 tbsp brown sugar (to taste)

1 tbsp custard powder

Chocolate coating -

2 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp good-quality cocoa

2 drops liquid stevia

Method

Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl, mix to combine, and chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Line a plate or baking tray with baking paper. 

Place the coconut oil in a small to medium bowl and warm to liquid state if necessary. Add the cocoa and stevia and stir well to combine.

Remove the tahini filling from the freezer and scoop out small balls using a teaspoon. Roll between your hands, then dip into the chocolate mixture using a spoon. Roll to coat. Remove and place on the prepared baking paper. 

Repeat for the remainder of the filling mixture, then place the chocolate eggs in the freezer for at least 2 hours, until set. When set, remove from the baking paper and trim any excess chocolate from around the eggs using a sharp knife. Serve immediately, or store in the freezer until serving.

Where these tahini eggs are creamy and decadent, the following carob-raisin-crisp bites are crispy and decadent. A variation on my carob crunch bites with goji berries, they can also be made with cocoa if carob isn't your thing. Similarly, other sorts of dried fruit can be substituted for the raisins and/or you could add chopped nuts to taste.

However you make them, they are likely to be enjoyable alone, with tea, or even on top of some vanilla soy ice cream...

Carob-raisin-crisp bites

Adapted from my carob crunch bites with goji berries

Vegan and no bake

Makes about 10 medium-sized pieces

Print recipe

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp carob

1 drop liquid stevia

Pinch salt

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup puffed rice, puffed millet or other puffed cereal

Few tablespoons granola (optional)

Method

Line a small square or rectangular dish with baking paper.

Place the coconut oil in a medium bowl and warm to liquid state if necessary. Add the carob and stevia and stir well to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well to coat the raisins and cereal thoroughly.

Transfer mixture to the prepared dish and press down. Chill in the freezer until set, at least 2 hours, and then cut into squares.

I wouldn't call these Easter chocolates (I'd hate to limit them to just one time in the year), but I think I'd rate them above most commercial Easter option.

On the topic of Easter - I hope you have a very happy day tomorrow if you celebrate it, and an equally happy day if you do not!

I am sending the tahini-filled chocolate eggs to Healthy Vegan Friday #36 and Catherine's 'anyone can cook vegetarian' Easter egg theme on Cate's Cates.

Tweet

Rice balls with chickpeas

Thank you, very much, for your congratulations and kind words on my last post. It has been really exciting sharing the news and Mr Bite and I both enjoyed reading your comments. Thank you :-)

Today, we have a post that is far more normal in its focus. It's nonetheless a post that I have been looking forward to writing, because it is the result of a recipe idea that entered my mind and got stuck.

I think I've mentioned these sorts of experiences before. Sometimes, I know not why, recipe ideas waft to me and then captivate my imagination until I get around to making them. Today's recipe started out with one idea: rice balls. I have never eaten rice balls and can't think back to what might have started this train of thought. Nonetheless, the idea arrived and then continued on to include chickpeas and tahini.

Rice, chickpeas and tahini would be a bit lacking as an ingredient list, but I wasn't initially sure what else to add to round things out. Then I saw Lisa's post on cauliflower rice at Bake Bike Blog and my imagination flared up again. Rice balls with chickpeas and tahini, cauliflower, celery, lemon and parsley. Yes, that was it.

Yesterday, the ingredient list moved from imagination to creation. There is something so very fun about taking to the kitchen with no recipe, no formal plan, just one's ideas and some optimism about them turning out. Even if the resulting product doesn't turn out, it is a wonderful way to pass an hour or two.

I am pleased to say that in this instance, things did work out. There is definitely scope for tweaks (more on that below) but the product was enjoyable and one I expect I'll make again.

The flavours were reminiscent of falafel, as would be expected, but the overall experience was quite different to eating falafel. The rice gave a beautiful texture. The cauliflower and parsley made things lighter and fresher than traditional falafel balls, and contrasted well with the rice. The lemon and tahini flavours were just detectable and the balls survived being reheated in the microwave (I was worried they might go soggy).

What would be the tweaks I alluded to? My imaginary rice balls were crispy all the way through, whereas these were crispy on the outside but quite soft and slightly crumbly within. As it turns out, I quite enjoyed that, but it did mean that the texture was more like a veggie patty than the rice balls I was imagining. Adding more rice might help to keep the balls firmer, or of course they could be made as patties rather than balls.

Rice balls with chickpeas

Adapted from my imagination, with inspiration from Lisa's cauliflower rice

Makes 20 - 30 balls, depending on how large you make them

Vegan

Print recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup brown rice (uncooked)

~2 cups cauliflower florets

420g tin chickpeas, drained (~1 1/2 cups)

1 stick celery, chopped

1 tbsp unhulled tahini

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Black pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 180'C.

Cook rice according to packet instructions (I used the absorption method on the stove-top), until just cooked.

Meanwhile, process the cauliflower in a food processor until the mixture resembles rice - about 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas and process until just mashed and the ingredients are combined.

Transfer the cauliflower-chickpea mixture to a large bowl. Add the celery, tahini, lemon juice, basil and parsley and mix well to combine. Add the cooked rice and stir through.

Form rough balls using your hands or a spoon; mine were slightly smaller than golf balls. Place on baking trays lined with baking paper and sprinkle with black pepper. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until the balls are crisp on the outside.

Processed cauliflower and chickpeas

The mixture before being balled...

...and after

Nearly cooked

Finished

All in all, quite a satisfying way to spend an hour on a Saturday.

Have you had any imagination-driven recipes lately?

Or have you made rice balls previously - do you have any favourite varieties? 

Tweet

Non-traditional falafel and a tahini discovery

Every now and then I take pity on my neglected cookbooks and try out a new dinner recipe from a real life, printed, owned by me, book. I wish this happened more than once a month or so, but once a month seems to be my average.

Last Sunday, I am pleased to say, was one of those days.

The recipe was chosen in part by flipping randomly through cookbooks, and in part by seeing tahini feature in the one I ultimately chose. You see, traditionally I haven't liked tahini. At all. But last week I read Brydie's discovery of unhulled tahini, where she found it to be very different from, and much better than, the hulled variety. I wanted to try it.

So, falafel burgers it was. The recipe came from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, which I've posted from on several occasions previously. The serving suggestion involves a yoghurt and tahini-based Falafel Sauce, which I didn't make, along with salad filled pita pockets. The original recipe also featured garlic, but I discovered along the way that ours was too old to use.

Our less faithful version also involved several commercial sauces, wrap bread, cheese on one plate, and bok choi on the other.

Thus the 'non-traditional' part of this post title.

Regardless of how you serve these, the falafel patties are easy, quick, and tasty. I'm not usually a big fan of falafel and related products, so I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed these. My version of the recipe made 5 burgers as I halved the recommended ingredients, but you could easily make a full batch and feeze some.

Falafel patties

Lightly adapted from The Vegan Table (Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

Vegan

Makes a half batch - approximately 5

Print recipe

Ingredients

1/2 of a 420g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 onion, diced

Up to 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp tahini

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Pinch salt

Few grinds black pepper

Optional - the other 1/2 of the onion, to fry and serve with the burgers

Method

Preheat oven to 200'C.

Pulse chickpeas briefly in a food processor, until crushed but still thick, or mash by hand.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the bread crumbs (chickpeas, onion, parsley, tahini, cumin, coriander, paprika, baking powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper).

Add the bread crumbs and mix together. The mixture should be firm and hold together; add more bread crumbs if needed.

Shape into patties and place on a nonstick baking tray (I sprayed mine with cooking oil first).

Cook for 10 - 12 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 10 - 12 minutes until both sides are golden.

While the patties are cooking, saute or fry half an onion, chopped, until golden brown. 

You might want to dice your onion more finely than I diced mine, 

if you don't want visible onion chunks at the end!

I think these patties would be suited to burger buns, pita bread, wraps, or just atop salad. 

And the tahini? I am pleased to report that I have a new rival to almond butter. It is definitely savoury and not sweet (I find nut butters to sit at the interface), but the unhulled version tasted incredibly different to what I'd tried previously. It worked well in these burgers. It worked well on Ugly Duckling Muffins. It even works off a spoon. Try it!

Do you enjoy falafel and similar flavours? How about tahini?

Tweet