I've been trying something out for the past couple of days. I have been trying to push past any laziness I feel towards cooking. Sometimes when I'm feeling tired I can't be bothered putting in the effort to cook a meal. As a result, I whip up something quick, and most times it ends up being something less nutritious than what I'd like to be eating. For example, instead of having a decent meal with vegetables, protein and grains, I'll make a peanut butter sandwich or something. Pretty sure that kind of food isn't going to fuel my body in the way it needs; and that won't be a good thing once I start med next year.
So because I'm trying to be a person who changes things about myself that need changing, I have started a new experiment where I will force myself to just get things done. The way I see it, the more I attempt this, the better I will be at doing it next year when I'm tired after uni and not wanting to cook. My hope is that by not taking the path of least resistance (i.e. not sitting on my butt watching TV and eating potato chips when I come home from uni) I will become more familiar with the path that requires more effort (i.e. cooking a decent healthy meal for myself). No one ever said life would be easy, and if you want the results then you need to put in the effort where it's due.
I've been doing okay for the past two days. When I first think of the idea of having to prepare and cook my food, I feel so lazy but after finishing it all and when I start eating my meal, I actually feel really happy that I went through the effort. I hope I can keep this up :)
Tonight's meal isn't so much a super healthy meal, but I've been craving it for a while and so I decided to make it while trying to put a bit more of a healthy vegan spin on it. I made myself a vegan "meat" pie and boy did it hit the spot :)
Such a hearty and flavoursome dish, I could have downed the whole thing. The great thing about a meat pie recipe is that it is quite flexible and you can add pretty much anything to make it to your liking. The recipe I used called for mushroom, but I didn't have any so I added carrot, celery and parsnip which worked really well. I also used Sanitarium Nut Meat which wasn't too bad either. What I really enjoyed was the gravy. I think I'm even going to make more for my left overs tomorrow and pour it on top. Delectable!
This is my own adaptation to the recipe I found on Vegan Tasmania. Head on over to their site to check out the original recipe for vegan "meat" TVP and gravy pie.
Vegan nutmeat pie
To make the pie:
- Vegan margarine or olive oil
- Filling (recipe below)
- Gravy (recipe below)
- Pastry (recipe below)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 200° C.
- Brush vegan margarine/oil inside your pie dish to
prevent sticking and roll out pastry. Place one sheet of pastry inside pie
dish and add your filling. Pour gravy over the top and place second sheet
of pastry over the top and press down sides. With a fork put a few holes
in the top of your pie and pour a little oil or margarine over the pastry.
- Place pie in oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until
golden brown. Keep checking. Enjoy!
To make the pastry:
- 3 cups plain flour (I used half plain flour and half white spelt flour)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup vegan shortening (or vegan margarine)
- 1/2 cold water
Directions
- In a
large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Stir.
- Add the
vegan margarine and mix on low with beaters until the mixture resembles course
bread crumbs and the margarine has mixed evenly.
- Add the
water and mix again until the mixture can be pressed together. Add a splash
more water if needed.
- Push the
dough together and lay out on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for a
minute and divide in half. Roll out dough into inch thick discs and cover both
with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until needed.
To make filling:
- 1 can Sanitarium nutmeat. I suggest you only use this if you've tasted nutmeat before...and you like it. Otherwise, just use the TVP recipe from the original recipe.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 stalks celery, chopped into small cubes
- 1/2 medium carrot, chopped into small cubes
- 1 medium parsnip, chopped into small cubes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vegan/vegetarian stock powder
Directions
- Sautee vegetables in olive oil for 5-7 minutes
- Add water and vegetable stock and cook until vegetables are soft. You can add more water if need be.
- Add the nutmeat and cook for a further 5 minutes. Set aside until needed
To make gravy:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon. corn flour (corn starch)
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce/tamari
- Nutritional yeast
- In a small saucepan heat olive oil over
medium heat and add plain flour and stir to make a roux. Add onion and
garlic and stir.
- Add the vegetable stock cube and water, heat
and stir until the stock is melted through. Add the corn flour and mix
well. Don’t worry about lumps too much but mix as well as you can while
bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and add soy sauce and nutritional yeast
(as much as you like) and stir well.
- Using a hand mixer, mix to blend and remove lumps.
Once smooth let sit until needed.
In a
large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Stir.
Add the
vegan margarine and mix on low with beaters until the mixture resembles course
bread crumbs and the margarine has mixed evenly.
Add the
water and mix again until the mixture can be pressed together. Add a splash
more water if needed.
Push the
dough together and lay out on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for a
minute and divide in half. Roll out dough into inch thick discs and cover both
with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until needed.
To Make Pie:80g of TVP (about ⅓ of an average 250g bag)
1 vegan beef stock cube (Massel brand is vegan)
½ – ¾ cup of peas
¾ cup of mushrooms
Gravy (recipe below)
Pastry (recipe below)
- Preheat oven to 200° C.
- In a bowl add the TVP, cover with hot water and mix in the vegan beef stock cube. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes.
- In a frying pan heat a little oil and cook mushrooms and peas. Drain and add the TVP and mix together.
- Brush
vegan margarine inside your pie dish to prevent sticking and roll out
pastry. Place one sheet of pastry inside pie dish and add your filling.
Pour gravy over the top and place second sheet of pastry over the top
and press down sides. With a fork put a few holes in the top of your pie
and pour a little oil or margarine over the pastry.
- Place pie in oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Keep checking. Enjoy!
To Make Gravy:1 tbsp. vegan margarine (Nuttelex)
1 small onion
1 tbsp. plain flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. corn flour (corn starch)
1 vegetable stock cube
¾ cup water
1 tbsp. soy sauce
nutritional yeast
- In
a small saucepan melt vegan margarine over medium heat and add plain
flour and stir to make a roux. Add onion and garlic and stir.
- Add
the vegetable stock cube and water, heat and stir until the stock is
melted through. Add the corn flour and mix well. Don’t worry about lumps
too much but mix as well as you can while bringing to a boil. Reduce
heat and add soy sauce and nutritional yeast (as much as you like) and
stir well.
- Using a hand mixer, mix to blend and remove lumps. Once smooth let sit until needed.
To Make Pastry:You
can use bought frozen sheets of Puff Pastry instead if you’re in a
hurry but I do recommend making your own if you have time.
3 cups plain flour
1 and ½ tsp. sugar
pinch of salt
⅔ cup vegan margarine (I use Nuttelex)
½ cup cold water
- In a large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Stir.
- Add
the vegan margarine and mix on low with beaters until the mixture
resembles course bread crumbs and the margarine has mixed evenly.
- Add the water and mix again until the mixture can be pressed together. Add a splash more water if needed.
- Push
the dough together and lay out on a lightly floured surface. Knead the
dough for a minute and divide in half. Roll out dough into inch thick
discs and cover both with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or
until needed.
Note: Can be stored in fridge for a week or frozen for 2 months.
- See more at: http://www.vegantasmania.com/2012/07/vegan-meat-tvp-gravy-pie-friendship-pie.html#.UqPneCfAH3F
To Make Pie:80g of TVP (about ⅓ of an average 250g bag)
1 vegan beef stock cube (Massel brand is vegan)
½ – ¾ cup of peas
¾ cup of mushrooms
Gravy (recipe below)
Pastry (recipe below)
- Preheat oven to 200° C.
- In a bowl add the TVP, cover with hot water and mix in the vegan beef stock cube. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes.
- In a frying pan heat a little oil and cook mushrooms and peas. Drain and add the TVP and mix together.
- Brush
vegan margarine inside your pie dish to prevent sticking and roll out
pastry. Place one sheet of pastry inside pie dish and add your filling.
Pour gravy over the top and place second sheet of pastry over the top
and press down sides. With a fork put a few holes in the top of your pie
and pour a little oil or margarine over the pastry.
- Place pie in oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Keep checking. Enjoy!
To Make Gravy:1 tbsp. vegan margarine (Nuttelex)
1 small onion
1 tbsp. plain flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. corn flour (corn starch)
1 vegetable stock cube
¾ cup water
1 tbsp. soy sauce
nutritional yeast
- In
a small saucepan melt vegan margarine over medium heat and add plain
flour and stir to make a roux. Add onion and garlic and stir.
- Add
the vegetable stock cube and water, heat and stir until the stock is
melted through. Add the corn flour and mix well. Don’t worry about lumps
too much but mix as well as you can while bringing to a boil. Reduce
heat and add soy sauce and nutritional yeast (as much as you like) and
stir well.
- Using a hand mixer, mix to blend and remove lumps. Once smooth let sit until needed.
To Make Pastry:You
can use bought frozen sheets of Puff Pastry instead if you’re in a
hurry but I do recommend making your own if you have time.
3 cups plain flour
1 and ½ tsp. sugar
pinch of salt
⅔ cup vegan margarine (I use Nuttelex)
½ cup cold water
- In a large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Stir.
- Add
the vegan margarine and mix on low with beaters until the mixture
resembles course bread crumbs and the margarine has mixed evenly.
- Add the water and mix again until the mixture can be pressed together. Add a splash more water if needed.
- Push
the dough together and lay out on a lightly floured surface. Knead the
dough for a minute and divide in half. Roll out dough into inch thick
discs and cover both with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or
until needed.
Note: Can be stored in fridge for a week or frozen for 2 months.
- See more at: http://www.vegantasmania.com/2012/07/vegan-meat-tvp-gravy-pie-friendship-pie.html#.UqPneCfAH3F
To Make Pie:80g of TVP (about ⅓ of an average 250g bag)
1 vegan beef stock cube (Massel brand is vegan)
½ – ¾ cup of peas
¾ cup of mushrooms
Gravy (recipe below)
Pastry (recipe below)
- Preheat oven to 200° C.
- In a bowl add the TVP, cover with hot water and mix in the vegan beef stock cube. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes.
- In a frying pan heat a little oil and cook mushrooms and peas. Drain and add the TVP and mix together.
- Brush
vegan margarine inside your pie dish to prevent sticking and roll out
pastry. Place one sheet of pastry inside pie dish and add your filling.
Pour gravy over the top and place second sheet of pastry over the top
and press down sides. With a fork put a few holes in the top of your pie
and pour a little oil or margarine over the pastry.
- Place pie in oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Keep checking. Enjoy!
To Make Gravy:1 tbsp. vegan margarine (Nuttelex)
1 small onion
1 tbsp. plain flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. corn flour (corn starch)
1 vegetable stock cube
¾ cup water
1 tbsp. soy sauce
nutritional yeast
- In
a small saucepan melt vegan margarine over medium heat and add plain
flour and stir to make a roux. Add onion and garlic and stir.
- Add
the vegetable stock cube and water, heat and stir until the stock is
melted through. Add the corn flour and mix well. Don’t worry about lumps
too much but mix as well as you can while bringing to a boil. Reduce
heat and add soy sauce and nutritional yeast (as much as you like) and
stir well.
- Using a hand mixer, mix to blend and remove lumps. Once smooth let sit until needed.
To Make Pastry:You
can use bought frozen sheets of Puff Pastry instead if you’re in a
hurry but I do recommend making your own if you have time.
3 cups plain flour
1 and ½ tsp. sugar
pinch of salt
⅔ cup vegan margarine (I use Nuttelex)
½ cup cold water
- In a large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Stir.
- Add
the vegan margarine and mix on low with beaters until the mixture
resembles course bread crumbs and the margarine has mixed evenly.
- Add the water and mix again until the mixture can be pressed together. Add a splash more water if needed.
- Push
the dough together and lay out on a lightly floured surface. Knead the
dough for a minute and divide in half. Roll out dough into inch thick
discs and cover both with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or
until needed.
Note: Can be stored in fridge for a week or frozen for 2 months.
- See more at: http://www.vegantasmania.com/2012/07/vegan-meat-tvp-gravy-pie-friendship-pie.html#.UqPneCfAH3F
