Chocolate cupcakes

This recipe makes a few more than 12 cupcakes, about 20-30 depending on the size you make.

2 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons apple sauce
2 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix flour, sifted cocoa and baking soda, salt, and sugar.
Add apple sauce, water, vanilla essence and vinegar. Mix well.
Bake in cupcake cases at 190'C for about 25 minutes, or until cooked (cakes spring back when poked).
Ice with chocolate icing.

***For chocolate cherry cupcakes, instead of adding apple sauce, add a jar of sour cherry jam. When iced, top with a fresh cherry for decoration.***

Icing

This is a nice, plain vanilla icing that can be coloured to make things fun! It makes about 3 cups, which is a fair bit, but can keep in the fridge (airtight container) just give it a few secs in the microwave and another beat before you use it. It's medium consistency and can be used for piping decorations.
This recipe is from Wilton.com, though I've modified the method to make it easier, and it's easily modified to other purposes (see below). They have great ideas for piping decorations here.

1/2 cup solid copha (vegetable shortening)
1/2 cup canola margarine (or any all vegetable margarine)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 cups icing sugar (sifted helps)
2 tablespoons soy milk

Melt the copha and margarine in a small saucepan and add vanilla essence.
Add the icing sugar in small amounts while beating on medium with electric beaters.
Add soy milk and beat until fluffy.
Keep covered with a damp cloth when you're not using it to make sure it doesn't dry out.

If you want to make it thinner, add soy milk, about a teaspoon (or less) at a time until you get it to the right consistency. You'll probably want it a bit thinner for icing cakes.

Because this icing contains margarine, it's not pure white. For a pure white icing, use copha instead of the margarine and add a little butter essence. This will make it a stiff consistency. Again, it can be thinned down with soy milk. However, because it's all copha, it can tend to get lumps in, which you really don't want if you are trying to pipe decorations in particular! Try adding a little glucose syrup, and keep beating it with electric beaters every now and then.

To make chocolate icing, add about 6 tablespoons of sifted cocoa (depending on taste), and then more soy milk if it needs thinning down again.

Vanilla cupcakes

Nice, easy, plain cupcakes that taste great and are lots of fun! (and as with any plain cake, can be modified by adding other yummy things to the recipe if you want).

1 1/4 cups self raising flour
1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bi carb soda
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup canola margarine (or any all vegetable margarine)
75 ml orange juice
75 ml water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon butter essence (if you don't have it just substitute it for vanilla)

Preheat oven to 160'C.
Cream sugar and margarine until smooth.
Add sifted flour, self raising flour and bi card soda to creamed sugar and margarine.
Mix well.
Add the orange juice, water and vanilla and butter essences and mix well.
Spoon evenly into 12 cake cases.
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until cakes spring back when poked.
Leave to cool and then ice!

Vanilla ice-cream

This is a really easy recipe from Jacqui that was published in 'The Bean' magazine's Christmas Issue (which has some great articles and more recipes to check out!)

4 small bananas, peeled, chopped and frozen
1/2 cup soy or thick nut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon of tahini
1 tablespoon of honey

Blend ingredients and freeze.
Then serve and enjoy!!!

If you really love ice-cream, check out this website for homemade vegan ice-cream:
A vegan ice-cream paradise

Rice Pilaf

This is a great and easy fasting recipe from Janet

1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 1/2 cups rice (basmati)
4 cups water
3 teaspoons mild curry powder
2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder
1 red capsicum, sliced thinly
1 zucchini, sliced thinly

Cook the onion, garlic and curry powder in oil, add rice and stir until coated with curry mixture.
Combine water and vegetable stock and add.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add capsicum and zucchini slices, then cover and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

***If it's a fish day, a pouch of lemon pepper tuna can be added***
***Or try some pine nuts for another yummy addition!***

More recipes from Mary

Ghreyba- North African butter cookies. This recipe is fasting. Samn is vegetable ghee or vegetable oil.

Khak- this recipe is not a fasting one. Samn balady is butter, or ghee.

Mary's Felafel

Here through popular demand...

325g dried, peeled broad beans (try a middle eastern shop if you're having trouble finding them)
2 onions, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup green coriander, chopped
1/4 cup green dill, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mixed spices
pinch of bi-carb soda
oil for frying

Soak beans overnight in cold water (make sure they are covered at all times).
Mince beans in food processor or blender.
Add remaining ingredients (except oil) and blend until just mixed.
Leave to set for at least an hour.
Shape patties to about 4cm in diameter and deep fry in hot oil until golden.
Serve hot, with tahini sauce, salad and Lebanese bread.
Makes approx. 24-30 felafel.