Simple and Delicious 15 minute meal that you will want to cook again and again

I am writing to you on the eve of another Vegan Foundation Course starting. So blessed that this is the third course I have managed to run this year. Last year I got up to three then no more so fingers and toes crossed the next ones will run too. As I start to prepare 48 hours before the course (yep it takes me that long to get everything organised – they say for a teacher it takes one hour preparation for every hour taught, for a cooking facilitator it takes two hours set up for every hour taught.) I get more and more excited with each hour.

There are presently only two places left in the March 25th to 27th Vegan Foundation Course so if you want to make the most of this face to face course I would consider jumping on board as there aren’t any more spots then until late June.

There is still one spot left for the full Vegan Chef Training though which starts in April.

In my preparation and on my second trip to Santos organics I decided I wanted a treat for myself, I looked at all the fruit and picked up some Granny Smith apples and then I spotted the real treat, wait for it - wait for it, an iceberg lettuce. For those who don’t know I am a big iceberg lettuce fan, it is 100 times better than any chocolate bar or tub of ice cream.

Once home I thought I want to make something different with it, picked up the first book on the coffee table opened up to a page and there was a recipe for a stir fried lettuce bowl, first ingredient iceberg lettuce. No way I’m not going to fry a lettuce, I thought to myself and then I realised the synchronicity of it all meant I really needed to give this a shot. I was going to share the recipe next week but I am so much in love with this dish I just had to get it to you this week.

So thank you Hetty and your cook book Family. This really is a recipe I want to make again for dinner tonight and again for breakfast tomorrow. I tweaked the recipe to suit and Hetty suggested omitting the fried egg. Many non vegan cooks say to just omit the animal protein part but I always substitute something for it as I want all the protein components in a meal. I had some nut balls in the freezer but you could easily use some sliced tempeh or tofu or sprouted legumes instead.

#Note on all recipes they can be oil free for those who don’t want oil. Also rice is best cooked the day before, so a great recipe for left over rice.

Ginger and Sesame Fried Rice with Stir Fried Lettuce

Ingredients

1 nut ball or 2 slices tofu or tempeh sautéed per person

Splash of organic oil – sunflower, olive or avocado oil or water if you want oil free

2 cups cooked rice

2 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tsp tamari or to taste

2 tsp of liquid amino acid or 1 tsp maple syrup

4 tsp grated ginger

1 chilli finely chopped (optional)

2 spring onions, white and green cut small

1 small iceberg lettuce washed and roughly sliced

1 Lebanese cucumber grated

2 tbsp pickled cabbage or sauerkraut per person

Method

Place the oil in a wok and then add the ginger and onion (and chilli if using) fry for a few minutes then add the sesame seeds and fry for another 2 minutes, add the rice and 1 tsp tamari and the liquid aminos. Stir until heated through and set aside. Taste to see if it needs more tamari.
Place the lettuce in the frying pan and stir for a few minutes until lettuce is wilted and still crunchy, add 1 tsp tamari and stir for less than a minute.
Serve the rice and lettuce in individual bowls, top with the nut ball or tofu/tempeh, pickles and Lebanese cucumber.

# If you make this recipe please share on facebook or instagram to #veetsvegancookingschool

Online Course

Would you like to cook more vegan food on a regular basis with ease? If you can’t make the face to face courses, have you thought of trying out ‘Cooking at Home with Veet’ my newish online cooking course. It is a beauty with wonderfully delicious recipes.

I have a discount code for you FOREVERYONE1 where you save $66, making the course $189. You have as long as you like to access the course.