Combine the oil, vinegar, and garlic salt. Set aside.
4) Peel and mash the avocados. Peel and chop the tomatoes. Chop the onion finely.
5) Mix together the mashed avocado, tomato and onion and beat well.
6) Place the cauliflower on a serving plate. Pour the oil and vinegar dressing over it, then cover with the avocado mixture and serve at once.
Tomato and Onion Savoury
For a quick lunch or snack, nothing could be simpler or tastier than this. A quick recipe.
2 largeonions
1 dozen medium-sized or large
very ripe tomatoes
55g/2 oz/1/4 cup vegan margarine Pinch dried oregano 2 tsp raw cane sugar As required sea salt As required freshly ground black pepper 8 slices wholewheat toast spread with vegan margarine
1) Slice the onions and chop the tomatoes coarsely.
2) Heat the margarine and sauté the sliced onions until golden. Add the tomatoes and seasonings.
3) Simmer gently for approximately 15 minutes until the tomatoes are tender.
4) Serve immediately on hot ‘buttered’ toast.
Curry Spread
This is best served hot on wholewheat toast or chilled on crispbread or biscuits (crackers). It is quite a rich mixture, so spread it thinly.
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
55g/2 oz/1/4 cup vegan margarine 1 tbs curry powder 285ml/¾ pt/11/3 cups tomato ketchup 1 tsp cider vinegar or wine vinegar 2 bay leaves 12 whole cloves
1) Slice the onions and chop the garlic finely.
2) Heat the margarine and sauté the onion and garlic until brown.
3) Stir in the curry powder and add the tomato ketchup, vinegar, cloves and bay leaves. Simmer for 20 minutes until thick then remove cloves and bay leaves.
Mushroom Spread
The flavour of mushrooms is so good that few additional ingredients are needed for this spread. Serve it chilled on wholewheat bread or toast. A quick recipe.
455g/l lb/8 cups mushrooms
2 onions
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs vegan margarine
1–2 tbs soya (soy) yogurt
As required sea salt
As required freshly ground black pepper
1) Chop the mushrooms and onions.
2) Sauté them in the oil and margarine until tender.
3) Finely chop, mash, or blend the mixture in a liquidizer.
4) Add the yogurt and seasoning to taste, Chill.
Grilled Garlic Mushrooms
This is an ideal light lunch or snack for lovers of mushrooms and garlic. A quick recipe. Suitable for One.
455g/l lb/8 cups mushrooms
115g/4 oz/½ cup vegan margarine
2 cloves garlic
8 small slices wholewheat toast
1) Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems.
2) Crush the garlic and sauté it in the margarine over a very low flame.
3) Fill the mushroom caps with the garlic-margarine mixture. Place in a shallow baking pan and grill (broil) for 5–7 minutes.
4) Soak up the margarine which has run out of the caps with the toast; place the mushrooms on the toast and serve hot.
Hummus
It may be easy to find ready-made hummus these days, but nothing beats the home-made one. After experimenting a lot I have decided that it is the cumin seeds that make this version superior. A quick recipe.
455g/l lb/2½ cups or 2 tins (cans)
(c.400g/14–16 oz) each cooked chick peas
(garbanzo beans)
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 tbs tahini
2 tbs cumin seeds
3–5 tbs bean liquid
As required sea salt
1) Drain the beans, reserving the liquid.
2) Put all the ingredients into a liquidizer and blend well. It will usually be necessary to scrape the sides a few times to get an even blend. For a thick solid hummus add only about 3 tbs of the cooking liquid from the beans; for a thin runny dip add more.
Haricot Bean and Olive Dip
Although hummus is the main bean-based dip known in Britain, in the Middle East you will find many others, as in this and the following recipe. A quick recipe.
455g/l lb/2½ cups or 2 tins (cans)
(c.400g/14–16 oz) each cooked drained
haricot (navy beans)
Juice of 2 small or 1 large lemon(s)
8 black olives
4 tbs olive oil
As required sea salt
As required freshly ground black pepper
1) Drain the beans and blend them thoroughly in a liquidizer, with the lemon juice.
2) Chop the olives finely and add them to the puréed beans, along with the olive oil and seasoning to taste. Stir well so that the mixture is thoroughly amalgamated.
3) Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Brown Lentil Dip
170g/6 oz/1 cup brown lentils
1 onion
285ml/½ pt/11/3 cups water Juice of ½ lemon As required sea salt ½ tsp cayenne pepper 2 tbs finely chopped parsley
1) Pour boiling water over the lentils, cover the pan and leave to soak for an hour or longer. Drain.
2) Chop the onion. Put the lentils into a saucepan with the chopped onion, and cover with the water. Cover the saucepan, bring to the boil, lower the heat and leave to simmer until the lentils are tender and the water is absorbed – about 20–2 5 minutes.
3) Cool the lentils slightly, then liquidize with the lemon juice, sea salt and cayenne pepper.
4) Pour the lentil mixture into a shallow bowl, and garnish with the parsley. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Aubergine and Tahini Dip
This is another Middle-Eastern classic, which appears under various names (baba ganoush is one) and with variants of ingredients in different countries. Charring the aubergines (eggplants) is essential for the flavour of this dish. Suitable for a dinner party.
4 small or 2 large (about 900g/2 lb)
aubergines (eggplants)
3