Vegan Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup soy milk

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. In a medium sized saucepan, gently simmer the carrots, raisins, water, and spices for 8-10 minutes. Add the sugar and salt and allow to cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Add the carrot mixture, along with the soy milk, and combine just until mixed.
Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan and pour in the batter. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Topping

First make cream cheese:

• 175g/6oz tofu 
• 50g/2oz coconut oil, melted
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup
• 2 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor or liquidiser and combine well. Then collect the following:

• 1/2 cup soy margarine
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Combine the cream cheese and margarine. Slowly add the powdered sugar, then vanilla and lemon juice.

Vegan Lasagna

This was amazingly nice!  Sadly I can't remember exactly how I made it, but I think it was something like this:

1. The mincey layer:

Fry a couple of onions and some garlic in the leftover oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes. Add a packet of Quorn mince and most of a bag of spinach. Cook it all up and then add some salt, pepper and cinnamon, followed by some chopped tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar, some mixed nuts and a load of chopped coriander.

2. The funky layer:

Fry some mushrooms and a courgette, also in leftover oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes. Throw in the rest of the spinach, some seeds, a load of mint, a bit of garlic salt, more coriander and some capers.

3. The milky layer:

Make a white sauce in the usual way, using vegan margarine and soya milk.  Add a load of pepper, some garlic salt and some piri piri or something else spicy. 

4. Layering the layers:

Layer the layers, with egg-free lasagna in between.  Pour some soya milk over the top to make sure it's sufficiently liquidy and then cook for half an hour at 200 ºC. Top up with soya milk half way through if required.