Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 onion chopped very fine or several scallions
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• dash of coriander and some cayenne
• 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vinegar and salt

Directions:

Toss all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. I add about a
tablespoon of water and “toss” with my hand. (don’t ask me why it
seems to taste better!) This salad is especially tasty if it sits a
bit… Serve at room temp with vegan pita bread and something else yummy
like the soup above or falafil.

Serves:

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 4 pita’s
• oil
• onions
• canned tomatoes
• garlic
• canned kidney beans
• bean sprouts
• cucumber
• salsa or garlic sauce
• any kind of beans you can find

Directions:

Put some oil in a frying pan, add the chopped onions (as much as you like), add the canned tomatoes
with their juice, add the minced garlic, the beans, some mexican-spice mix (a lot if you ask me) let it simmer for awhile
until everything is really warmed.
Put the pita’s in a pre-heated oven (200 C) for 5 minutes.(this is the way you can buy them in Holland
I don’t know if that’s the case in the US, but just use pita’s you know…)
Take them out, slice them open, put some lettuce, sliced cucumber and slices of
fresh tomatoe in, add the bean-mixture.
Top all of this with some salsa or garlic-sause if you like.

It’s a bit tacky to eat, stuff keeps dripping on your fingers and hands but
it’s heavenly and if you don’t use much sauce almost no calories…

Enjoy.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 min.

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 small red pepper
• 1/2 kg of tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• salt
• grounded pepper
• one small onion [optional}
• 1 cup of textured soy protein {optional}

Directions:

Cut the tomatoes into quaters or small chunks{doesnt really
matter} and throw them into a pot. Let them cook on high for
5 minutes stirring it occasionnally. Once most of it has
become into soupy mixture throw in the diced garlic, chopped
onion, textured soy protein and cut red peppers. Lower the heat and let it
cook for another 10 minutes. The peppers and tomatoes should
be soft and stir it occasionnaly. Add salt and pepper
depending on your taste and serve with spaghetti or you can
eat it as a dip. My mate can’t eat onions so I found this is
a healthy and delicious meal to make. It is cheap to do
also.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 ripe Hass avocado
• lemon juice
• salt
• cayenne (powdered)
• garlic
• cilantro (optional)

Directions:

This is an incredibly easy and addicting dip. I make it
fresh at work with a fork, knife and small bowl. My
colleagues were amazed the first time I whipped it up and
now they’re on the look out for it whenever I come in.

First, about the avocado.
It’s essential that it be ripe, but not overripe (i.e.
fibrous and with a bunch of nasty brown spots inside). You
can tell when it’s right by pressing your finger on the
skin. It should give in slightly, not be too hard or
mushy. Once that’s established, the rest is easy.

Cut and peel avocado.
Mash with a fork.
Add lemon juice, salt and cayenne to taste.

Chop a decent sized clove of garlic into fine pieces (or
even better yet put through a garlic press) and add.

Optional - but if you’re a cilantro lover as I am, you
won’t be able to resist: chop fresh cilantro leaves and mix
in as well.
Blend, with the fork, to the texture of your liking; smooth
or slightly chunky.

Serve with tortilla chips, soft tortillas, whatever.

In most cases this guacamole disappears almost immediately;
however, if you wish to refrigerate it for later, that’s
fine. Just pack it down well in a small container, squeeze
some extra lemon juice over the top and cover tightly with
plastic wrap, pressing out any little air bubbles. This
latter procedure helps to prevent it from oxidizing too
fast and turning an unsightly brown. It should keep a
couple days in the fridge.

Serves:

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• Soaked tamarind about the size of a large lemon
• 1 1/2 tbspn jaggery
• 2 tbspns sesame seeds roasted dry
• 6-8 green chillies, slit into two (more, if it isn’t hot)
• 2 inch ginger cut into thin strips
• 1 tspn vegan mustard seeds
• 1 tspn chana dal
• 3-4 tbspns oil, preferably sesame
• good pinch asafoetida
• pinch turmeric
• curry leaves

Directions:

1. Squeeze out the pulp from the tamarind. You can add a
little fresh water each time to extract the pulp. When you
have a about a small bowl full, set aside.

2. Warm oil, season with mustard seeds first. When they
start to pop throw in red chillies, chana dal, asafoetida
and curry leaves. When dal turns red, add the green
chillies and fry. Throw in the ginger, add tamarind extract
carefully, a pinch turmeric, salt to taste and jaggery.
Simmer on low heat till raw smell disappears and the
sauce has reduced to one-third or thickened yet spoonable.

3. Crush the roasted sesame seeds with a rolling pin on
paper or in a spice mill rather coarsely. Add this at the
end to the pulikacchal Mix well so there are no lumps.

Serves: