Easy eggplant and tomato pocket pies and my 2014 in a nutshell

I love simple recipes like that. For the dough, you only need flour, water and salt. Could it be any easier? For the filling, I made garlicky eggplant and tomato mixture. The pies are a bit crispy and a perfect party snack. You can also try out different vegan fillings. 

And since the year 2014 is coming to an end, I made a little summary of my year. If you are in the mood for some flashbacks with a lot of photos, scroll down a little bit :)

Sauerkraut and tomato soup with potatoes

Where has the time gone, really? I remember it was August and now it's the end of the year and holidays are over. Our Christmas were really tasty again. Me and my mom cooked nut roast, oven baked potatoes, gravy, sauerkraut, vegan black pudding sausages, vegan meat jelly, beet-orange-hazelnut salad, mushroom pâté, potato salad, layered vegetable salad and tons of homemade preserves. I'm sure I forgot something.

But now it's back to the regular - making buckwheat flake porridge and refreshing smoothies for breakfast (today it was cherry, banana and date smoothie, YUM!). For lunch or dinner I strongly recommend to make this comforting sauerkraut and tomato soup with potatoes. It is perfect for kick-starting your digestion after the holiday food orgies.

My new cooking show "Sandra Vungi Cooks Vegan" launched!

Today I launched my very own cooking show "Sandra Vungi cooks vegan". I have wanted to do this for a very long time and I am super excited about the outcome. The first episode arrived just in time, because it's a Christmas special! Watch me cooking vegan black pudding sausages and the best winter dessert ever - gingerbread and ice-cream shake.

Go watch the first episode on my YouTube channel and don't forget to subscribe, because there are more to come :)

Millet and mushroom burgers

Aren't these vegan millet and mushroom burgers just golden? My boyfriend woke up to the smell of cooking and he had a really sturdy brunch awaiting for him! Millet has been on my menu only a few times. Mostly in the kindergarten. A couple of years ago I gave it another chance and boiled a pot of millet porridge. It was really good served with a dash of olive oil and soy sauce. After that, this yellow grain was once again forgotten. But one day my friend Anna talked about how she loves to make a morning porridge with millet flakes. I immediately imagined how I would turn this fluffy porridge into crispy and golden cutlets. I also added some chopped mushrooms, grated root celery and chopped onion. 

I must say these cutlets are really amazing and I will definitely make them again. They are mild, crispy, juicy and this vibrant yellow color is so fun to look at on a misty winter day. This burger also contains rye buns, fresh cucumber, homemade vegan sour cream (I added some thinly chopped onions to the cream) and tomatoes. Yes, I have a really expensive hobby - buying tomatoes in the winter season isn't the greatest idea, but I just cannot live without them! 

Are you ready to brighten your day with these sunny burgers? 

Pasta salad with homemade vegan sour cream

I have made this homemade sunflower sour cream so many times in a couple of weeks and still couldn't get enough. I have discovered that you can make an absolutely wonderful salad with it. Be it potato or pasta salad, it suits just perfectly. I love that I don't have to buy the sauce anymore, I can make it myself. Real quick, cheap and healthy.

I like to keep my sour cream or mayo salads pretty simple. I don't like to add bell peppers or apples or fresh cucumbers. Instead, I almost always add just canned peas and chopped pickles. Works every time. This time I also added some chopped onions. You can always add chopped vegan sausages for example. Just yesterday I boiled potatoes and made white sausage sauce with vegan wieners. A pretty common dish in Estonia. And it was just like the meat version I ate a long-long time ago. Makes me wonder why all the sausages in the world aren't vegan yet :)

My new cookbook "Vegan Dinner Party" is out!

Today is the day I have been waiting for over a year. My brand new cookbook Vegan Dinner Party: Comforting Vegan Dishes for Any Occasion is officially published. It is now ready to rock your bookshelves, kitchen counters and gift bags. It contains over 60 super delicious and comforting vegan recipes to wow your family and guests.

It has recipes like curried chickpea and avocado salad, meaty lentil ball sauce, my favorite vegan burgers, crispy oven baked spring rolls, pierogi with my favorite garlic sauce, many divine no-bake desserts, decadent pull-apart cinnamon bread, whole-wheat crumb cake with apple jam and etc. Vegan Dinner Party also contains a Christmas and a barbecue special. All these recipes are affordable, easy to make and contain widely available ingredients.

Thank you so much, if you have already pre-ordered my cookbook. It should now be shipped and soon in your inbox. If you haven't already, you can buy it on Amazon and you will get it just in time to prepare your Christmas menu or buy it for a lovely holiday present.

Thank you so much for all the support and stay tuned - I have quite a few new surprises coming up!

XOXO

Sandra

Sunflower sour cream

I discovered a while ago that sunflower seeds are the new cashews. Now I always have a pack or two of these miraculous seeds at my home. Whenever you crave a creamy soup or gravy, sunflower seeds are there for you. I have also used sunflower seed cream for a pizza topping or as a lasagna sauce. Perfect every time. Now I want to introduce you to my latest favorite - sour cream made out of sunflower seeds. Serve it with a soup or make a macaroni or potato salad with it. You can also add some thinly sliced onions or pickles to it and you have an amazing ranch sauce to go with your veggie burger. Use it as you would use a regular sour cream. I also have to mention that sunflower seeds are super healthy, really cheap and allergy free. But now lets get to the easiest sour cream recipe ever:

Easy cabbage rolls with spinach and tofu filling

Classic cabbage rolls made of the whole head cabbage are my favorite. But if you have made them before, you know it might take a lot of time. I really wanted to go the easy way this time. I decided to use Chinese cabbage a.k.a Napa cabbage. I had just bought some spinach and tofu, so I had the ingredients for the filling. I also had some tomato juice and sunflower seeds for making the creamy tomato sauce. The cabbage rolls will be a tiny bit crunchy in the end. If you want them completely soft, boil the leaves for a minute or two before filling them. I served these rolls with a root vegetable mash, which was delicious. It was made of potatoes, carrot, turnip and root celery. These cabbage rolls also suit really well with regular boiled potatoes or rice for example.

Recipe for Vegan.com: peanutty pumpkin pasta.

I was so happy to have a chance to make an exclusive recipe for the fabulous Vegan.com site. This heavenly creamy pasta suits just perfectly for a Fall dinner. Hearty peanutty sauce, spicy curried pumpkin, juicy cherry tomatoes and fragrant fresh basil are just meant to be. Invite your friends or family and have a lovely feast. Check out the recipe here!

Watch how I talk about my raw vegan salads on live TV

Couple of weeks ago, when I hit the "Publish" button on this raw salad special post at my Estonian food blog, I got a call from a TV show. They asked me to come to the studio and talk about these delicious, healthy and affordable raw salads. It was a really nice experience and I have been to their show "Ringvaade" before. When I arrived, I had about an hour to prepare all these salads. I carefully grated, chopped, mixed and tasted these fellas before handing them to the host, Marko Reikop.
The video is in Estonian, but yours truly worked her ass off to also provide English subtitles. Enjoy!:)

Root vegetable pie with parsley cream

One really large homegrown beetroot (thanks, mom!) was staring at me from the other side of the room. I knew I had to cook something different with it. Since I had just bought a root celery and some potatoes, a colorful Fall pie was born. After some brainwork, I settled with a good old yeast dough enriched with whole wheat flour. To make the pie more juicy, I added some parsley cream made with the almighty sunflower seeds. Serve this pie with a bowl of hot soup and you will have a great meal. If you love spicy food, sprinkle some hot tomato sauce on the pie before baking.

PS! To make it easier, you can boil the veggies the night before.

Potato and rice stew with red lentils

Usually when running, I had to really watch my step, because the beautiful Fall nature was so captivating. But when I went for a run yesterday, I saw the trees had dropped their beautiful leaves and the winter is slowly lurking by. No need to pout though, because this season has its own joys. Like these hearty and warming stews, which keep you full for a long time.

I have cooked this particular stew for many times now. And finally I wrote down the recipe. I was just craving a potato and rice combo. It may sound weird, but it actually goes together really well. Rice makes this dish creamy and these hearty potato bits fit just perfectly. Of course I served some fresh salad with the dish. This time it had to be the cabbage, cucumber and garlic salad with salted peanuts. So good! I also recommend to serve some hot tomato sauce with this stew.

Sunflower seeds are the new cashews!

I believe that frequent vegansandra.com readers have noticed that I LOVE sunflower seeds. I have shared many delicious recipes where the sunflower seeds are used in many clever and tasty ways. What can you make out of these amazing little seeds? Creamy sauces, hearty pie fillings, silky soups, salad dressings and so on. And of course, you can make an absolutely amazing plant milk out of the sunflower seeds!

In Europe, the seeds cost about 0,50 euro cents per pack (150 g). This is super cheap, compared to cashews which cost over 2 euros per pack. And if you have a nut allergy, cashews are out of the question and sunflower seeds are your new best friends. As you can see, I'm a huge fan. And I want to share all this greatness with you. Scroll down for a super versatile basic sauce recipe, plant milk and homemade granola recipe and some great tips!

Mashed potatoes with creamed spinach and peas

I made this meal for dinner a couple of weeks ago. It turned out so tasty that only after eating I realized I should have written down the recipe. But I was happy to cook it again and this time I wrote down the recipe and photographed this beautiful food.

I have found that adding a little bit of grated nutmeg makes your mashed potatoes smashing! I cannot believe how just a tiny bit of this incredible nut can make your dishes so good. To serve with the mashed potatoes, I cooked creamed spinach and peas. I have loved creamed spinach for years and adding peas to this meal, makes it even more filling.

Salad a day a.k.a the big raw salad special

I made myself a goal - each day I will prepare myself a bowl of raw salad as an addition to my regular meals. There is never too much fresh stuff and the extra vitamins come in handy, especially in the Fall and Winter season. Store-bought salads are mostly very dull and pretty expensive. I wanted my salad ingredients to be rather cheap and widely available. Then I have absolutely no excuses to not make a salad every day. Are you in for the challenge? I have made it super easy for you by creating five very simple salad recipes. All these recipes serve about 3-4 people.

Savory pumpkin and oat casserole

I asked my love - what does he think of this kind of a new recipe: a creamy pumpkin and pasta casserole but there are oats instead of the pasta. He said yes and even mentioned that there should be more recipes using oats. I agree. Even more so because we eat a lot of pasta anyway and I just had a pack of rolled oats and a cute homegrown pumpkin (thanks mom). To be honest, I have a wanted to post a savory recipe like this for ages. Where the oats shine more than in a regular morning porridge. I also like my oat porridge to be more hearty, so I almost always serve it with baked beans or with fried onions for example. And I have absolutely no problem eating buckwheat flake porridge the whole day. I love to sprinkle it with a little bit of olive oil and nutritional yeast flakes. Add some fresh tomato salad and this filling chickpea and onion omelette and you got yourself a very sturdy breakfast or brunch.

Coconut milk makes this casserole super creamy. I remember that many years ago I wasn't a fan of this little gem. But now it is obvious for me to use it in this cheesy baked mac and zucchini for example. Or toss it into other savory dishes to make them extra creamy. This casserole also contains chopped sun-dried tomatoes, thyme and a little bit of curry powder. My mom's pumpkin had such a tender skin so it was very easy to peel. Not like that store-bought pumpkin which had a terribly thick skin and it was a nightmare to peel it. Since it is the pumpkin season, check out these other delicious pumpkin recipes.

PS! If you want to make this dish gluten-free, just use certified gluten free oats and replace the soy sauce with tamari or add a little bit of more salt.

Chard and potato stew with chickpeas

My friend Silvi brought me some chard from her mother's garden. I was so anxious to turn it into a delicious stew. I'm sure you can also make very good pies and soups out of it, but today I was craving a stew. I also added some chickpeas and dried rosemary. Of course you can add any other vegetables and you can replace the chard with spinach for example.

I decided to take the food outside and photograph it there. As soon as I was finished, I grabbed this white bowl with a stew and ate it right there. I also added some vegan mayo. What a great lunch!

One week vegan menu nr.4 + grocery shopping list

I cannot believe I am already writing the fourth vegan menu! I have gotten so much positive feedback for my previous menus, so I was glad to make another one. I really hope you have gotten some delicious ideas from the last menus and maybe your weekly dinners are now a bit easier and even tastier. Since the Fall weather is starting to get a bit more colder, I put some really hearty and spicy dishes into this menu. I am sure you will find something suitable for your taste. There are also two pasta dishes, since pasta is just so easy to cook after a work day. To be honest, I love to make pasta almost 3 times a week. But lets get to business. Here is the full menu and a printable grocery shopping list, which you can find in the end of this post. All these meals serve at least four people and the preparation time varies from 15 to 45 minutes.

Pumpkin soup with a hint of ginger

One of the best ways to eat pumpkin is to make this silky and spicy pumpkin soup. I have seen many pumpkin soup versions and here is mine. I also love to eat raw pumpkin, since it is very good for the digestion. But oven-baked pumpkin is just the best. Combine it sweet tasting carrot, spicy ginger and cream and you will have a great dinner!

Tomato and chickpea curry with coconut milk

There is an absolutely gorgeous late summer weather in Estonia right now. Every morning I bring a chair outside, sit beside our cabin and enjoy the sun. And in the evenings, I tuck my self in a warm fleece blanket, sip some peppermint tea and watch the pink sky. Our cabin door is wide open all day long since the warmth of the sun is still so intense. I can already see the leaves changing color, but it's still so warm. Just perfect!

Today, when it was lunch time, I was craving something spicy. My mom and dad had just brought us a box of ripe homegrown tomatoes. And since I almost always have a can of chickpeas at home and I had just bought some coconut milk cans from sale, it was time for a curry. It is so easy, fast and tasty. Definitely give it a try!

One week vegan menu nr.3 + grocery shopping list

First of all, I have to share my joy with you. My new Estonian vegan dessert cookbook was recently published and on Thursday, I had a wonderful book presentation and signing session with some really incredible people. I made truffle tortes, oat, apple and cinnamon cookies, coconut truffles and lemon cookies. We also drank some really nice vegan friendly sparkling wine. I am thankful for all of it. Look how happy I am :)

But now is the time to share another really delicious and practical one week vegan menu with you. It also contains a full grocery shopping list. Can it get in easier? This week's menu is really seasonal. It contains a lot of mushrooms and some juicy pumpkin. It all smells and tastes likes Fall and in the best sense of it. All these meals will be ready in 10-40 minutes and serve about 4 people. Also, if you haven't already, check out the previous weekly menus here. 

One week vegan menu nr.2 + grocery shopping list

Somehow I thought that a full work week vegan menu with a grocery shopping list would come in handy for someone. It seems I was right, since the first one week vegan menu turned out to be really popular. I was so happy to see that, so I decided to make another one! Again, I made sure that the dishes in this menu are pretty diverse and cooked in a reasonable time. In the end of this menu, you fill find a full grocery shopping list with all the ingredients needed to cook this menu. And of course you can print it out, too. Just click the green "Print PDF" button on the bottom left corner of this post. You can also choose "Remove images" if you want to print a simple text file. All these dishes serve about four people. Preparation time varies from 10 to 50 minutes. Alright, about time we check out this week's tasty menu!

Chunky mushroom and plum gravy

Doesn't it just scream Fall to you? Mushrooms and plums together. In a rich and satisfying gravy. Imagine this with fluffy mashed potatoes...just heaven! At first, I wanted to make this gravy smooth. But when I saw how beautifully chunky it was, I just couldn’t bring myself to blend it. Of course, you can always do that to make it smoother or to get your kid to eat some mushrooms. The dried plums really give a rich and kind of smoky flavor and texture here.

serves 4 - 6 people

Preparation time: 15 minutes.

• 3 Tbsp oil
• 2 onions
• 1 ½ - 2 tsp salt
• pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 cup / 200 g dried plums
• 5 cups / 450 g chopped white mushrooms
• ½ cup / 120 ml water
• ¾ cup / 200 ml vegan cream (light or heavy creamy) or make your own

Heat up some oil in a thick-bottomed pot. Add chopped onions, salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes, until golden brown. Add chopped dried plums and cook for a minute. Add chopped mushrooms and water. Simmer over medium heat under the lid for about 5-7 minutes. Add cream and simmer for another 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs, if you like.

Creamy chili bean and zucchini stew

The first time I made this spicy and creamy stew, we were in our log cabin. It was a lovely summer day and my mom had sent me a bunch of zucchini she grew. I also had some chili beans (I almost always have, they are great!) and some vegan cream. So I made this juicy stew and we ate it with pasta. It is pretty spicy and heat loving adults will surely love it. You can use regular canned beans instead of chili beans to make it more kid-friendly. Serve it with rice, pasta or potatoes - it suits with almost anything.

I also have to mention that since the one week vegan menu I posted last Saturday turned out to be really popular, I'm planning to do another one this Saturday. Have you already prepared some dishes from this week's menu?

One week vegan menu + grocery shopping list

Sometimes, even if you try hard enough, you cannot think of a meal to cook. Especially on weekdays, when you are busy with other stuff and would gladly get someone to recommend you a great dinner idea. I thought I would help you out and write down a sample one week vegan menu plan to give you some ideas for great weeknight meals. I think a perfect weeknight menu is diverse, simple to follow and cooked in a reasonable time. So I thought I would serve you some good old favorites to make your week a bit easier and tastier.

Even if you are not a vegan or a vegetarian, this kind of menu could be a really great alternative for your regular weekly cooking. And if you are a vegan, then sometimes it's nice if you don't have to think so hard about planning your menu and writing your grocery shopping lists. That's right  - I even wrote down a nice shopping list with all the ingredients needed for this menu. And even better - now you can conveniently print it out. Just click "Print PDF" at the bottom of this recipe and you can choose if you want to keep the images too or just go with a simple text file. So things are getting pretty easy for you now. You just print the list out or keep it in your phone, go to a grocery store and gather the ingredients for a following week. And then you can easily cook these simple, tasty and satisfying vegan meals for you and your family. And if you happen to have some leftovers, you can take them with you to work or to school. Nice! But lets get to business and start with the beginning of the week:

My new Estonian vegan dessert cookbook is out!

I am so happy to share the news that my second cookbook was published this week. While my first cookbook (published in 2012) had almost 100 vegan recipes for everyday cooking, then this book concentrates fully on desserts. Delicious, satisfying, doable and affordable vegan desserts. I am super happy with the outcome and the print looks absolutely gorgeous! The book has 70 dessert recipes, including pancakes, smoothies, cupcakes, cakes, bars, no-bake desserts and cookies. Just look at this lovely book cover:

And here are some of the pretty photos from the book:

If you are an Estonian living abroad or just want to have this book in your collection, you can place your international order HERE!

Meanwhile you can always also pre-order my new upcoming ENGLISH cookbook "Vegan Dinner Party", coming out in October:

http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Dinner-Party-Comforting-Occasion/dp/1629145246

Beet and lentil soup

I remember how I used to be a soup fan nr.1. Now I rarely make and eat this healthy and cheap food. It is a real shame! I used to love split pea soup, broad bean soup, sauerkraut soup, borscht, potato and macaroni soup, different vegetable soups and so on. I wasn't a fan of the milk soups. Except milk and vegetable soup and milk, barley and potato soup, which my grandmother used to make and we were both big fans of it.

Since the Fall is slowly lurking closer, it is a perfect time to simmer a big pot of this beet and lentil soup. The sweetness of the beets and the meatiness of the lentils make this soup extra tasty. And don't forget the magic bay leaves, which give this soup and almost any soup the needed kick. Me and my love really liked this vibrantly red soup and I will definitely make it again. What kind of soups you like to make and eat?

Peanut butter and vegetable curry

In Estonia, peanut butter isn't really popular and it is quite new in our stores. That is a shame, because I have started to use this protein-packed nut butter in many recipes and I love it! I already have two very delicious peanut butter recipes on this page. Try these carrot and peanut butter brownies and this colorful
crunchy vegetable salad with peanut butter-orance sauce and BBQ tofu.

This curry is extremely filling. Probably one of the most filling foods I have eaten in a while. You don't need much and your belly is already full and happy. Peanut butter makes this dish very hearty, vegetables add juiciness, and garlic and spices add the extra taste. Put it all together and you have a really satisfying dish. It is also very easy to make and you can use any leftover zucchini you might have. This curry will be mildly spicy. So if you want it spicier, feel free to add some more curry powder.

Cheesy baked vegan mac and cheese with zucchini

Zucchini season is in action and there's still time to make this absolutely amazing and succulent mac and zucchini casserole. When I made this dish the first time a couple of months ago, it instantly became me and my boyfriend's favorite. It is really "cheesy" thanks to the full fat coconut milk and nutritional yeast combo. Zucchini adds a lot of juiciness but remains pretty modest when it comes to the taste. So my bet is the kids will love it too, because I don't know a child who doesn't like cheesy macaroni! And I promise you, this is one of the best mac and cheese you have ever eaten. But enough of the advertising, lets get cooking!

Pickled eggplant rolls (eggplant rollmops)

Too much time has gone by since my last recipe. I must say that July was really eventful in my life and unfortunately not in a good way. I was hospitalized and had an emergency appendix removal surgery. I guess I don't have to mention that being in a hospital in the middle of July and for a week after the surgery wasn't really pleasant. So if you still have your appendix and your tummy aches for the whole day and in the end it hurts in the bottom right corner of your belly when you lift your right knee up, then call an ambulance or go straight to the hospital! But now I am feeling much better and it is great to be back in the action and create new recipes. I also cannot wait for my new Estonian vegan dessert cookbook coming out in August! Meanwhile you can pre-order my new English cookbook coming out October 28-th:

http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Dinner-Party-Comforting-Occasion/dp/1629145246

But until then, I offer you a great new savory snack recipe. Before I went vegan, I was a huge fan of rollmops a.k.a pickled herring rolls. This hearty little roll on a fresh rye bread was a really nice snack. I have noticed that in the vegan world, eggplant is the new fish. So I decided to veganize my old favorite. I was actually blown away when I tasted this little juicy roll on a bread after it had been in the fridge for a night. The roll had gotten really tight and the marinade had worked miracles. It was so identical to my old favorite. So if you have the same weird cravings like I do or just want to use eggplant in a new funky way, then give this delicious recipe a try!

Easy vegan chickpea omelette (soy free, gluten-free)

Many years ago, one of my favorite hearty breakfasts was a fluffy buckwheat flake porridge and an omelette. Today, I love the same breakfast, but instead of an egg omelette, I make a chickpea omelette. I have seen many different versions of this dish. Some versions recommend adding baking powder and some vinegar. To be honest, I really don’t like this method. I find the omelette to be much more tastier and with better texture when you don’t use any raising agents. I love how this completely gluten-free yet super filling protein rich omelette can be both a breakfast or a lunch or dinner. I'm sure it's a perfect camping food, too!

Delicious vegan Midsummer recipes

Long live the Summer! Or at least according to the calendar. When I look outside, there’s a whole different story. But I don’t mind. Rain is good sometimes. It makes the mushrooms grow and our cabin’s grass roof flourish. Soon we can make a picnic on our roof and eat delicious mushrooms! But until there aren’t any shrooms, I offer you five (!) new great recipes to make your summer dinners and get-togethers even more tastier. 

Fruit and coconut torte on a raw crust

We made this vibrantly colorful and delicious creamy torte at one of my cooking workshops. It smelled divine, looked beautiful and tasted even better. I still cannot forget this cake's creamy texture and fresh smell. Everyone loved it! It is also fairly easy to make and you can use your favorite (seasonal) berries and fruits as a topping. Just imagine eating this beauty on a tender summer night after a lovely vegan dinner.

Happy preparing (since it doesn't need any baking)!

Turnip and red lentil pies

Many great new recipe ideas come to me at night, when I’m lying in bed, waiting for sleep. The same story was with these pies. Just the day before, I had made a delicious turnip and red lentil soup and I couldn’t get enough of this combination. Turnip has grown to be a really big favorite of mine. These pies are actually really authentic Estonian, since my ancestors ate lentils even before they got to know potatoes, and turnip has always been a pretty popular root vegetable in my country.

I also thought that it would be much easier to just make a one big pie, but I had to make little ones this time. And they were perfect! So, so delicious. My boyfriend really loved these. They are also suitable to take along to the picnic or on a road trip.

Crispy carrot patties + some tips

Usually the best meals out there are cheap and made with ingredients found at home. The same story is with these delicious carrot patties. I had a can of beans, a couple of carrots and some flour. Add some seasoning and you have a pile of these crispy patties! And of course you can always change the herbs and spices in this recipe to meet your taste. Since I get frequently asked about how to cook proper vegan patties and cutlets, you will find a small memo in the end of the recipe. Happy cooking!

Creamy lemon and mushroom pasta

When I first tasted a lemon pasta a few years ago, I was instantly a fan! This exquisite lemony taste and all that creaminess combined with one of my favorite foods of all time - pasta. Over time, I have made different versions of this pasta. Sometimes I add white beans, sometimes mushrooms or just make a simple creamy sauce with grated lemon zest. But white mushrooms really fit here. I really don't know a person who doesn't like a creamy lemony pasta. This dish will definitely win some hearts (my dad is a huge fan!)

Pre-order my new cookbook!

I am too excited! You can already pre-order my new English cookbook that will be published in Fall 2014 by Skyhorse Publishing (New York, USA). Early buyers will be the first to receive a copy and will get a 10% discount.

Vegan Dinner Party contains 64 absolutely delicious vegan recipes with 64 beautiful, full-color photographs. The cookbook has you covered from soups, salads, and spreads to main dishes and cakes. You can even find a whole selection of dreamy no bake desserts and a barbecue and christmas special. The recipes in the book are doable and affordable and made with familiar ingredients you can find in your local grocery store.

I want to thank everyone who have tried out my recipes and who have written me lovely letters and comments. You are a big motivation for creating new recipes!

Order the book here:

http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Dinner-Party-Comforting-Occasion/dp/1629145246

Crunchy vegetable salad with peanut butter-orange sauce and barbecue tofu

Yesterday I led a delicious vegan cooking workshop in Tallinn in a delightful company. The menu was:

• Luxury vegan sandwich with homemade vegan Cheddar, white bean-sundried tomato spread and bean and zucchini cutlets
• Crunchy vegetable salad with creamy peanut butter and orange sauce and smokey barbecue tofu
• Juicy spinach and green bean lasagna with sunflower seed cream
• Fruit cake with coconut whipped cream on a raw crust

We had a lot of fun and the plates were clean afterwards. Here you can see some beautiful photos made by Mari-Liis Ilover. Scroll to the very end to see the salad recipe.

Crunchy vegetable salad with peanut butter-orange sauce and BBQ tofu

I like my salads hearty. They almost always are more like a main dish and less than a simple salad. This salad is super crunchy and served with a delicious, rich and creamy peanut butter-orange sauce and crispy barbecue tofu. I just adore this combo! Definitely try this recipe out and you will fall in love!