The Mediterranean Vegan

The blog has been lacking color lately, so I wanted to make something solely based on vegetables. I came across this traditional Moroccan dish called c hakchouka, which is a fancy name for spicy tomatoes and bell peppers. It also exists in Tunisia, where they put fried eggs on top. This is usually served as a salad or a side with pita bread. Serves 3-4 What you need: 4 green bell peppers 5 ripe tomatoes, diced 4 tbsp olive oil 5 cloves garlic 1/2- 1 red chili pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp parsley Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Put the bell peppers on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the skin is lightly charred. Remove from oven and remove the skin (optional). Dice the roasted bell peppers and set aside. In a medium pan on medium heat, sauté the garlic and chili pepper in the olive oil until the garlic becomes golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and spices and sauté for 15 minutes. Then add the diced bell peppers and lemon juice and sauté ...

Sataras is made in different ways throughout Eastern Europe. This is the Croatian variety of the dish. It can be served with rice, bread, or potatoes. Serves 3-4 What you need: 1 large onion, diced 4 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp sugar 4 bell peppers (red and green), diced 5 medium tomatoes, diced 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp parsley In a large pan on medium-high heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the diced bell peppers, stirring occasionally for 1o minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, and parsley and sauté for another 12-15 minutes or until all of the juice from the vegetables has evaporated. Serve immediately.

This bread comes from Croatia, where they make it on very large wooden boards over hot ashes and serve it to groups of people. It is a dish meant to share, so make sure you have some friends around when you make it. Serves 3-4 What you need: 3 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil 3 cups swiss chard, chopped 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 1 tsp salt 3 cloves garlic, diced 1 tbsp olive oil Preheat the oven to 180 ° C (350 ° F). In a mixing bowl, mix the 3 1/2 cups flour with the 1 tsp salt. Add the water and olive oil slowly, mixing until a dough forms. Seperate the dough into two equal size balls. Chop the swiss chard and parsley and set aside. Flour a large surface and roll one of the balls of dough into a 10-inch diameter (25 cm) circle using a rolling pin (or a similar shaped object). Place dough on lightly oiled pizza sheet (or other baking sheet, you can change the shape of the bread depending on your baking sheet). Sprinkle the swiss chard, parsley, and salt on the rolled out la...

This recipe for creamy peas is very simple and full of flavor. The word grasak means peas , and there is really little else in this dish. I hope you like peas; I know my friend Sarah Seals will love this. Serves 4 (as a side) What you need: 1 tbsp margarine 1 tbsp flour 1.5 cup water 4 cups fresh or frozen peas 1.5 tsp salt 2 tsp parsley 1 tsp thyme pinch of pepper In a medium-size pan on medium heat, melt the margarine and then add in the flour. Mix the flour in well and then add the water. Stir to form a creamy paste and when it begins to boil add the peas and spices. Keep on low-medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.