Sludge soup, Smoky buffalo hummus and Smooth cashew chocolate butter

Welcome to the Sunday edition of Vegan MoFo brought to you by the Letter S with some speedy recipes with dubious claims to be included the my stable of recipes starting with S.  Sadly I don't have time to tell you about my new blender - that will have to wait for another day.  I can say I am very happy it is making dips, nut butter and smoothies.  However I still love my hand held blender for soups.

Firstly let me thank Janet for inspiring me to make a buffalo hummus recipe that has been in my bookmarks for ages.  My blender made far smoother dip than my cranky old food processor does.  E and I found the dip very pleasing.  A little bit smoky, a little bit spicy, a really good hummus.  Sylvia still prefers the hummus I buy from the shops.

I couldn't wait to try a nut butter in the blender.  It took minutes.  Hurrah.  I even dug out a recipe for chocolate cashew butter with a touch of coconut.  I am just trying to use up my coconut butter.  No doubt coconut oil would also work.  I liked it but with the melted chocolate it firm up too much when cool and I didn't have as much control over the sweetness as I would like.  I have my eye on a chocolate coconut butter with cocoa and maple syrup.  Something like this.

However I am sure that we would all love me to repeat this chocolate coconut cashew butter.  It was so soft and spreadable when just made.  Great on toast.  Once colder I loved it spread on apple slices.  And strangely enough, it disappeared within the day.  I blame E and Sylvia.  I think some of it was eaten straight from the tub.

Lastly I am sharing a sludge soup.  It was made primarily from purple carrots, cauliflower and chickpeas.  It looked like the sort of thing that Daleks would eat.  On the first night I would have been more than happy to give them the whole saucepanful.  It was ok but not great.

The second night it was graced by that mysterious alchemy that happens when soups and stews sit overnight.  I loved it.  The balance of flavours was just right.  I could have eaten the whole saucepanful myself.  I didn't.  It lasted a few nights.  I am sending this soup to Shaheen of Allotment to Kitchen for her Vegetable Palette event which this month focuses on purples and blues vegies and fruit.

More recipes for blenders from Green Gourmet Giraffe:

Baked almond feta

Blueberry Chocolate Cake

Cauliflower alfredo pasta sauce
Hurry up pumpkin alfredo
Pepper-crusted cashew goat cheese
Pumpkin and chocolate bread pudding 

Vegan buttermilk dressing

Buffalo Hummus
Adapted from Oh She Glows and Taste Space

400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt flakes
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
2 tsp tahini
1 tbsp hot sauce (I used Frank’s Hot Sauce)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 red capsicum, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil (or water)
Cayenne pepper, to taste, for serving (I didn't use any)

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  I did this for a few minutes at a low speed (between 2 and 3) with some scraping down in between.

Chocolate coconut cashew butter
Adapted from Cooking with Cakes

115g raw cashews
1/4 cup dark choc chips
 2 tbsp coconut butter
1 pinch salt

Blend cashews until finely ground.  Add coconut butter and blend until smooth butter.  Melt choc chips and mix in with a pinch of salt.  It will be very soft when first made and firm up as the choc chips cool.

Sludge Soup (aka Purple Carrot, Cauliflower and Chickpea soup)
An original recipe from Green Gourmet Giraffe
Serves 4-6
 
slurp of olive oil
1 onion
1 small beetroot chopped finely
2 large purple carrots
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups stock
4-6 cups water
1 cauliflower
1 tin chickpeas
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp onion salt 
1 tsp salt, or to taste
black pepper

Fry onion in oil for about 5 minutes.  Add beetroot and purple carrots and fry another 5 to 10 minutes or until softening.  Stir through garlic.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes until vegetables soft.  Puree. (I used my hand held blender.)

On the Stereo:
Down in the valley: Handsome Family

This post is part of Vegan Month of Food September 2014.  This year for Vegan MoFo my theme is The Letter S.  Today is S for Some recipes I couldn't fit in during the week.  Go to my Vegan MoFo list for more of my 2014 Vegan MoFo posts.