VEGAN Four Course Meal

A four course meal is delicious. Right? So I decided to add a new twist on the typical four course meal. Make it vegan. This means cooking without milk, butter, eggs, so on, and no meat. Instead of soaking the cashews, I covered them with water and boiled them for 15 minutes, then rinsed them.

This four-course meal will serve three people. The courses are lemon chickpea orzo soup, bruschetta, cauliflower steak with Israeli couscous, and rose cardamon chocolate cheesecakes.

Enjoy :)

Lemon chickpea orzo soup-

1/4 cup water (for water sauté)

½ onion diced

Three carrots peeled and diced

Three cloves garlic, minced

Seven – eight cups vegetable broth

One cup whole wheat orzo

Two cans chickpeas drained and rinsed

1/3 cup tahini

½ cup lemon juice

A large handful fresh baby kale

Mineral salt to taste

Bruschetta-

Toasted baguette

One baguette

One tablespoon olive oil

Bruschetta

Eight tomatoes (plump, ripe)

½ cup finely chopped red onion

Three cloves of garlic, minced

One bunch fresh basil finely chopped

One tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½ tsp sea salt

Two tablespoons olive oil

Garnish

Fresh basil

Handful arugula

Cauliflower steak and Israeli couscous-

Cauliflower steak

Two medium heads of cauliflower

Four tablespoons olive oil

Six cloves garlic, minced

Two tablespoons of lemon juice

Four tablespoons pine nuts

Two tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Israeli couscous

One tablespoon olive oil

Two cloves garlic, minced

Two teaspoons minced ginger

Two cups Israeli couscous

1/4 cup golden raisins

Rose cardamon chocolate cheesecake-

Crust

One cup mix of brazil nuts and almonds

½ cup shredded coconut

Six Medjool dates, pitted

One tablespoon raw cacao powder

½ tablespoon ground cardamom

A pinch sea salt

One teaspoon coconut oil

Rose chocolate layer

2 cups cashews, soaked

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup almond milk

One teaspoon vanilla extract

Two teaspoon rose water

½ cup raw cacao powder

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

1/3 cup melted cacao butter

Two tablespoon melted coconut oil

Prep time- 10 minutes

Cook time- 20 minutes

Step one- heat water over medium-heat

Step two- add carrots

Step three- add onion

Step four- sauté for seven minutes

Step five- add garlic

Step six- sauté for one minute

Step seven- add vegetable broth

Step eight- bring to boil

Step nine- add orzo

Step ten- add chickpeas

Step eleven- reduce heat to medium-low

Step twelve- cook at a boil for nine minutes

Step thirteen- remove from heat

Step fourteen- add tahini

Step fifteen- add lemon juice

Step sixteen- stir

Step seventeen- add salt

Step eighteen- add baby spinach

Step nineteen- stir

Prep time- ten minutes

Cook time- five minutes

Step one- preheat oven to 450 degrees

Step two- cut baguette into 1/2 inch slices at an angle

Step three- put slices on baking sheet

Step four- brush with olive oil

Step five- bake for six minutes, or until golden-brown

Step six- add tomatoes in a large bowl

Step seven- add red onion

Step eight- add garlic

Step nine- add basil

Step ten- add balsamic vinegar

Step eleven- mix together

Step thirteen- scoop mixture (bruschetta) onto baguette

Step fourteen- garnish with basil

Step fifteen- garnish with arugula

Prep time- 15 minutes

Cook time- 45 minutes

Step one- preheat oven to 400 degrees

Step two- line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Step three- remove stem and leaves from the cauliflowers

Step four- cut through the center of the cauliflowers

Step five- take the halves of cauliflower and cut into one inch wide pieces, should make three

Step six- place cauliflower steaks on baking sheets

Step seven- brush with oil

Step eight- bake for thirty minutes

Step nine- take steaks out

Step ten- brush underside with oil

Step eleven- bake for fifteen minutes, or until edges are brown

Step twelve- take steaks out of oven

Step thirteen- squeeze lemon juice over steaks

Step fourteen- top with pine nuts & parsley

Israeli couscous-

Prep time- five minutes

Cook time- twelve minutes

Step one- heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat

Step two- add garlic

Step three- add ginger

Step four- stir for one minutes

Step five- add couscous

Step six- add water

Step seven- add raisins

Step eight- add salt

Step nine- bring to a boil

Step ten- cover saucepan

Step eleven- reduce to low heat

Step twelve- cook for twelve minutes

Step thirteen- stir with a fork to fluff couscous

Cook time- none

Prep time- 45 minutes

Step one- rinse soaked cashews

Step two- put Brazil nuts/almond mixture in a food processor

Step three- add almonds

Step four- pulse until ground

Step five- add desiccated coconut

Step six- add pitted dates

Step seven- add cacao

Step eight- add cardamon

Step nine- add salt

Step ten- blend until mixture comes together

Step eleven- add coconut oil

Step twelve- blend together

Step thirteen- spoon crust into a seven inch cake tin

Step fourteen- place in refrigerator

Step fifteen- rinse cashews under running water

Step sixteen- put in a food processor

Step seventeen- add maple syrup

Step eighteen- add almond milk

Step nineteen- add vanilla

Step twenty- add rose water

Step twenty one- blend until smooth

Step twenty two- add cacao

Step twenty three- add cardamon

Step twenty four- add melted cacao butter

Step twenty five- add coconut oil

Step twenty six- blend together until incorporated

Step twenty seven- spoon onto crust

Step twenty eight- cover with baking sheet to prevent frostbite

Step twenty nine- put in freezer to set

Step thirty- once set, remove from tin

Step thirty one- cut into eight bars

Step thirty two- sprinkle rose petals on top