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flying plum
Oct 2nd, 2008, 07:00 PM
Ok...i'm having some people over for dinner in a week or so, and a couple are veggie. but mainly, i wanted to do something a bit balkan-y. moussaka isn't croatian, i know, but i have a bit of a craving (i was going to make kupus stew with dumplings...but it's not very refined...)

HOWEVER, to my knowledge, or at least not without forking over half my monthly income, i cannot get nutritionaly yeast over here, and i haven't seen fake cheeses execept for the price equivalent to the GDP of a small african state.

SO...i'm trying to think of a way of making a white sauce which won't just taste like flour...do you think it's possible? or if i just made a soya milk and flour white sauce it would be alright?

opinions please, lovely forumers!

amanda

flying plum
Oct 2nd, 2008, 07:02 PM
also, tofu is reasonably expensive so though i have bought it, i don't really want to use it in large quanities in sauces. i also don't have a blender, which is actually more of an obstacle...

puffin
Oct 2nd, 2008, 08:42 PM
Last time i made one i used silken tofu and soya cream for the sauce and put it in a blender :D, sorry thats not very helpful :down:
What about soya cream, V mayo, salt and pepper.

flying plum
Oct 2nd, 2008, 08:55 PM
that's a good idea. not the vegan mayo...have yet to see any of that, but i have seem the alpro cream for not-breaking-the-bankness (everything specialised costs a fortune here).

i was thinking about just making a white sauce and putting nutmeg in it or something....i have found a vegan moussaka recipe on the net which had no white-cheesy-saucy bit at all, but i think that would be lacking in tastyness...

i guess it doesn't have to be cheesy though, i could just make a white sauce?

man, i want moussaka so much. i haven't had it since i've been vegan, and i've suddenly got teh most enormous craving!

amanda

RebeccaDye
Oct 2nd, 2008, 09:05 PM
i was thinking about just making a white sauce and putting nutmeg in it or something....

I find a basic white sauce recipe with a couple of teaspoons of mustard is nice (also maybe add some tahini for a more creamy and nutty taste). Good luck!

flying plum
Oct 2nd, 2008, 09:12 PM
ooo, tahini! that's a great idea. i have some in the fridge. maybe i'll do a trial run this weekend (oh what a shame...i'll have to eat it all myself....)

harpy
Oct 2nd, 2008, 11:42 PM
I find a basic white sauce recipe with a couple of teaspoons of mustard is nice

That's what I was going to suggest. I think white sauce is actually quite authentic for moussaka - I've an idea they don't always include cheese in the topping.

Aradia
Oct 3rd, 2008, 07:50 AM
A veggie woman (one of those who eats fish!) made a mousaka on Come Dine With Me ... have a look on their website for the recipe (if was a Welsh week ... Swansea I think).

I've made it a few times and it's really nice ... I make extra of the lentil base as the amount given goes nowhere.

The white sauce is made from a roux base and has nutmeg, pepper, etc in it ... by the time you've got it mingling with all of the other flavours, it's not at all bland.

pat sommer
Oct 3rd, 2008, 09:52 AM
I agree, nutmeg and white pepper are good. Maybe that Balkany flavor would be coriander seed? And instead of yeast flakes what about a yeast paste (if there are any)
or some maggi liquid?

flying plum
Oct 3rd, 2008, 10:32 AM
ok...i shall do without cheese. coriander is not particularly balkany. in fact, it is very hard to find korianđar here, fresh or dried. in fact, many people don't even seem to know what it is, even when i say it in croatian! mainly, there is a lot of parsley and oregano, as well as some mint and basil. and lots and lots of paprika. so much, i'm not even kidding. and garlic. combined, my flatmate and i go through about three heads of garlic a week. ain't no vampires down our end of vukovarska!

oooo, i'm excited now. going to make this at teh weekend once i get a dish to make it in!

amanda

Est
Oct 3rd, 2008, 10:33 AM
Here's the Come Dine With Me recipe. It uses a small chicken placenta ;) in the sauce but according to VWAV this can be subbed for 3 tablespoons silken tofu or 4 tablespoons soya yoghurt. And the cheese could just be left out.

http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/occasions/dinner-parties/come-dine-with-me/vegetarian-moussaka-recipe_p_1.html

Hope your dinner goes well FP :)

flying plum
Oct 3rd, 2008, 12:16 PM
yes...bechamel does often have a beaten egg in it, but i think i will just miss it, or rather its substitutes, out entirely and make a white sauce with flour, marge and soya milk. and i will experiment and see if tahini is a good addition. i have an idea it might, but that might be because i am a tahini addict and eat it straight out the jar....

pat sommer
Oct 3rd, 2008, 01:03 PM
funny that your corner of Europe doesn't use ground coriander seed.... I am half German and so many breads there are coated in coriander and many Christmas baked goods too as well as roast dead animals and red cabbage.

I made a bechamel tonight for Brussel sprouts that came out a bit sweet since I threw in some coconut milk leftover from a curry recipe.

No end to variations!

flying plum
Oct 3rd, 2008, 02:12 PM
yes...it is strange. i have found ground coriander at great expense in the health food shop, but as a run-of-the-mill thing it is not usual. and fresh coriander is very rare. i might get some seeds and grow some...

amanda

Zero
Oct 3rd, 2008, 02:22 PM
ok...i shall do without cheese. coriander is not particularly balkany. in fact, it is very hard to find korianđar here, fresh or dried. in fact, many people don't even seem to know what it is, even when i say it in croatian!

When it comes to herbs, if I can't get them fresh I simply leave them out. In my opinion the dish tastes better if you don't add dried leaves to it.

There are a number of different ways to come up with a "cheesy" type sauce, but again if you are in doubt you can leave it out.

For creamy sauces I use non silken tofu, I find it blends better.

You could try this and just play around with it until you get the desired effect:

1 Cup of water
1 Cup of cashews
1/8 Teaspoon of salt
1 Teaspoon of onion powder
Sprinkle of garlic powder
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

If I make vegan lasagna I use this as a ricota substitute:

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 lb tofu (firm, not silken)
1 tsp. salt (optional)
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (adds a cheesy taste)
1 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. fresh basil
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

I love that sauce but of course you would have to leave out the nutritional yeast, and probably the spinach :)

RebeccaDye
Oct 3rd, 2008, 06:46 PM
maybe i'll do a trial run this weekend (oh what a shame...i'll have to eat it all myself....)

:D Let me know how it goes!

fiamma
Oct 3rd, 2008, 06:58 PM
My absolute fave sauce is dead easy to make - blend tomato pasta sauce (or chopped tinned tomatoes would probably work too, although I havent tried), tahini and miso. It gives quite a full-bodied sauce that tastes - IMHO - distinctly cheesy.

Stine
Oct 4th, 2008, 07:58 PM
A white sauce I normaly make is very simple, but sooo good. Just heat up one can of coconutmilk. Put in nutmeg and salt. And some flour to make it thicker. And thats it. Ive both used it on lasagna and mousakka. If anybody have a good recipe for mousakka I would like to have that, its a long time since I had that :)

flying plum
Oct 6th, 2008, 08:46 PM
this was tasty! apart from the potatoes being undercooked...i actually fished them out and re-boiled them in the end.

for the sauce i just used (a lot of) marge, flour and soya milk, seasoned with pepper and salt. tasted really good just like that. i put oregano in the moussaka itself. not the healthiest thing i've cooked recently for sure, but it was definately tasty!