Vegan Bean & Sweet Potato Chilli and Sweet Potato Hummus

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Whether you’re taking this time to feast, party, spend time with loved ones or simply to rest…I hope you’re enjoying yourselves this holiday season!  =)

Wanted to share a little about the recent Xmas Vegan Potluck we had (see previous post). Was great catching up with old friends and meeting new friends…also got to meet 2 readers (waves to Gigi and Angela!). Didn’t manage to take much pictures because it was SO HOT, but we had quite the spread!

I contributed 2 dishes – Vegan Bean & Sweet Potato Chilli and Sweet Potato Hummus. I love making my own food, but I admit it does get a little bit intimidating cooking for a large group of people because you don’t know if it caters to their taste. But luckily, both dishes were very well received and I had a few people asking me to post the recipe…so (whew!) and I’m more than happy to share!

VEGAN BEAN & SWEET POTATO CHILLI

I can’t claim to have written this recipe. Got it off this link but changed a few measurements along the way. Also made it less spicy!

What you’ll need

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can organic diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tsp chili powder (please add more if you want it spicer)
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (please add more if you want it spicer)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 pcs bay leaves

Here’s how

• Chop and cube sweet potatoes, carrots and bell pepper.
• Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil for a minute or two, then add sweet potatoes, carrots and bell pepper until onions are soft, about 5-6 minutes.
• In a separate pot, add remaining ingredients and bring to a low boil. Add the sautéed vegetables and bring to heat to medium low.
• Simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until flavors have mingled and vegetables are cooked. Taste and add more spices if you want more heat.

SWEET POTATO HUMMUS

This hummus is quite thick and can be a little dry. But its very close to the texture of traditional hummus. If its too thick for you, feel free to add more olive oil or save a little of the chickpea liquid to add in.

What you’ll need

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 5 – 6 tbs olive oil
• 1 can unsalted chickpeas
• 3 tbs tahini
• 3 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 ½ lemons
• 1 tsp paparika
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ – 1 tsp salt

Here’s How

• Preheat oven to 180 degreees. Using a fork, poke some “holes” in the sweet potatoes so that they bake faster. Leave them in the oven for an hour till
• Process all ingredients!
• Add more olive oil and paparika when you serve…enjoy!

Upcoming VEGAN XMAS PARTY!

Hi everyone!

Sorry I haven’t been posting much recently! Been settling into my new job and getting used to the 9 – 5 lifestyle …so not much action in the kitchen. But i promise I’ll be back with more posts once I’m more settled in!

Anyway, am excited to share about an upcoming event  – a VEGAN XMAS PARTY! Will be hosting it together with fellow vegans Yi Shuai and Ting Ting so do join us!

Just a little background about how I came to know Ting Ting and Yi Shuai –  When I first started being vegetarian, i didn’t know any one in my social circle who had the same eating habits as I did. It was a little lonely and awkward at times …especially during large social gatherings! I was really blessed to come across Yi Shuai’s instagram account a year ago and I remembered thinking to myself “OMG,another Singaporean!” . Through Yi Shuai , I got introduced to Ting Ting and so many more people who share similar passions and beliefs as I did. This journey has definitely gotten more enjoyable and supportive through such new found friends=)

Whether your vegan, vegetarian, trying to eat clean or simply someone who wants to know more about this lifestyle, you’re all welcomed to join! Its a great way to meet new people and try a spread of vegan food. Especially some of your who have been following my blog for a while, it’ll be nice to meet in person =)

So sign up at this link or drop either of us a text/comment and we’ll see you there!

> Ps/ Its a pot luck , so bring something enough of 5 – 6 people to share. And yes, it has to be vegan =P

> PPs/ We’ll be having a small gift exchange, so just bring along a small gift. Doesn’t need to be expensive please!

 

Pita Pan

Hi All,

I’m so excited to share about my recent dining experience at the casual vegetarian restaurant Pita Pan. Pita Pan (how cute is the name?!) has been around for a while but only recently opened a new outlet at the very convenient Marina Square.  After reading so many raving reviews about Pita Pan from fellow bloggers and instagrammers, I finally made some time to pay it a visit. And boy am I glad I did! I really love Mediterranean food and Pita Pan didn’t disappoint!

Just a little intro about Pita Pan which I lifted off their website:

“Pita Pan is a casual vegetarian dining experience, not fast food. Our Mediterranean inspired, vegetarian dishes are made to order, using the freshest ingredients, right in front of your eyes! We serve the most delicious homemade Pita Breads, Falafels, Middle Eastern Salads and many other unique Mediterranean dishes. The food is 100% vegetarian and most of the menu items are dairy-free.”

I decided to go for the pocket sandwiches made using their homemade Pita bread since it was the recommended item on the menu.  You start off by choosing your main ingredient –  either crispy Chickpea n or Veggie Shawarma (soy based mock meat)- followed by adding different toppings and sauces as much as your pocket can hold!

Naturally, I chose the Chickpea Falafels! Here’s my yummeh pocket pita – filled with Garlic Tahini, Hummus, corn, salsa, red cabbage, eggplant, onions, and carrots. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! The Falafels were tasty and crispy while the toppings and sauces complimented it so well. Right now I’m actually feeling hungry as I’m typing this post =X

My Bf had the Veggie Shawarma – which he preferred probably because it tasted like meat. I’m not a huge fan of mock meat but I guess the shawarma is a good option for hardcore carnivores. You can also choose to make your pita pocket a meal – comes with fries and a drink. If i had one criticism it would be – don’t order the Ice tea. It was pure syrup and very little water.

Being a typical kaypo Singaporean, I also scanned the restaurant to check out what everyone else was having and ended up ordering a Shakshuka to share. A Shakshuka is basically a dish of eggs poached in sauces and vegetables and served in a sizzling hot pan. We ordered the Green Shashuka which had baby spinach, basil, spring onions and paparika…but we omitted the eggs and Halloumi. Bf thought it was OKAY and felt it could be more flavourful …and I guess that’s why the original dish had cheese and eggs to balance out the flavours. I on the other hand quite liked it!  Sorry I couldn’t snap a picture of this because eating the pocket sandwich got really messy and I didn’t want to dirty my camera haha. You can check out how it looks from thier website here

After I posted a picture of my pita pocket on Instagram, a friend commented that the food at Pita Pan was quite expensive. While there are cheaper vegan options around, I personally find that the price point is decent for the quality of food you get. And it’s very filling too since you’re loading up on carbs and protein!

I have many fav vegan places to eat at but I always end up at the same one or two places like Real Foods because it’s convenient and centrally located….but now, I have a new option and you’re gonna see me there often. Very often!

So head down to Pita Pan if you haven’t already done so and show them some love ❤

PITA PAN
Marina Square Shopping Mall #02-183A
Operating Hours Sun – Thu 11am to 11pm Fri and Sat 11am to 12midnight
Website: http://pitapan.com.sg/
Phone: +65 6337 2587