Pad Thai Noodle Salad with Tofu & Mango

Pad Thai Noodle Salad with Tofu & Mango

On the whole, I don’t consider myself much of a salad person, which really isn’t fair as the only salads I really don’t like are the leafy kind: chuck in a grain, pulse, or carb, and I’m on board big time!

I don’t know exactly what inspired the recipe below. I think a few things I’ve eaten over the years converged; walking through the shops, I started grabbing things, and then came home and just started cooking... and, rather quickly, it was born!

As a side, this will serve 4 - 6, otherwise as a main it will serve 2 - 4, depending on how hungry everyone is. The recipe can be scaled up very easily, it’ll just be a matter of finding a large enough bowl!

Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge overnight and eaten for lunch the next day, but the noodles will start to get a bit mushy after that, so keep that in mind if preparing a larger amount.

Prepare in advance 

Dressing

In a medium Pyrex measuring cup, or small glass bowl, combine:

• 1 medium red onion, roughly cubed (slice 1cm lengthways, turn, and then slice 1cm the opposite way)
• 1 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped*
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, peeled and finely chopped*
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced*
• Juice of two limes
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons mirin
• 1 teaspoon black vinegar (leave out if you don’t have on hand)
• 1 teaspoon each of toasted sesame oil and a neutral-tasting oil (such as canola)
• A few cracks each of Salt and black pepper 

Stir well to combine (and break up the onion), then put in the fridge to for 1 - 2 hours.

Tofu*

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Slice a 450g block of tofu into approx. 1cm cubes.

Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silpat, and then pour over 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of neutral-tasting oil (such as canola) and a few cracks each of Salt and black pepper. Stir everything together, then spread out the cubes to make sure none of them are touching before placing in the oven.

Bake the tofu for approximately 30 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed up slightly. Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before using in salad.

Just before serving

Noodles

Set a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Do not salt the water.

While you’re waiting for the water to boil, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl (fill up about halfway with cool water and then add about a tray of ice cubes); store in the fridge or freezer until the water boils to keep it cool.

When the water has boiled, add 2 x 200g packets of pad Thai (thick rice) noodles. Stir and cook for 6 minutes. Drain and add to the ice bath, stirring to ensure the cool water is distributed around the noodles. I like to get my hands in and stir; this is both easier than using tongs, and also means I can feel all around the noodles to make sure they’re completely cool.

Leave the noodles in the ice bath until ready to assemble the salad.

Assembly

In the serving bowl, combine the following:

• 1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
• Half a punnet cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1 large mango, diced*
• Cooled tofu and noodles 

Finely chop 1/2 a bunch of coriander, and stir through the dressing (if serving the chilli separately, remove 1/4 at this point and stir through the chilli, then serve separately*).

Pour the dressing over the salad, and stir through. Taste one of the noodles, and add a little more salt, soy sauce, lime juice or rice vinegar to taste.

Then serve and enjoy!

Some * notes:

• to make things easier, you can use a pre-seasoned tofu (such as the Soyco brand), or use a pre-made plant based meat, just make sure you briefly grill or sauté first and allow to cool.
• even though the acid in the dressing will cook and mellow the garlic and onion, it won’t do that for the chilli, so be careful when adding it! If you’re unsure (especially if serving for guests), leave it out when you’re first making the dressing; before dressing the salad, set aside about 1/4 cup and stir some chilli through that and serve separately, so guests can add if it they like. I also just say “1 red chilli”; choose your preferred variety depending on how much heat you like. I find the long red Thai chillis (the 15cm long ones) are perfect, but select according to your tastes.
• I say to chop the ginger and garlic rather than grate it or mince it; they will be mellowed by the acid in the dressing, so chopping them ensures they still have a nice bite, rather than just dissolving into the dressing.
• If mango isn’t in season, you could try other fruits, but the mango adds a beautiful sweetness that helps lift the dressing without needing to add any sugar, so probably just wait until it is; this is a perfect hot summer lunch or dinner!

Ultimate Pub Gravy

I adore pub food. The sheer comfort, the absolute unpretentiousness of it...  delightful. Sadly, we don't have The Snug in Brisbane (and sadly, it's awesome vegan-friendly St Kilda location has also closed), so mostly, I do with making Pub Lunches at some.

This is my go-to gravy; it's a one-pot wonder that takes about 15 minutes to come together and is both Hangover Approved and worthy of guests. The perfect addition to your homemade pub lunch!

Feel free to leave out the mushrooms, sub in a different veg, switch up the stock and spices... it's incredibly forgiving, so use this as a base for your own dream gravy.



Ultimate Pub Gravy

In a large frying pan, combine:

1 brown onion, diced
2-4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2-3 sliced mushrooms (or equivalent to volume to onions if presliced (a good handful))
Few good cracks of salt
Generous tablespoon each of butter and olive oil

 Sauté until onions are mostly transcluent then add:

1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbl nooch
1 stock cube/1 tbl stock power (omit if using stock later)

Cook, stirring almost constantly, until toasty then add:

1/4 cup white flour

Cook, still stirring, until flour is beginning to brown then add:

1/4 cup red wine OR beer
2 cups (approx) of water OR stock (if not using stock cube/powder)

 
 
Stir thoroughly until mix is cloudy. Wait for mix to bubble then lower heat slightly, continuing to stir, until mix is desired thickness (keep in mind it will thicken as it cools; add more stock or water if it becomes too thick). Season with pepper, and additional salt if required.

 

Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce

This recipe is the result of being home disappointingly early but surprisingly tipsy to discover that there was nothing to eat. I quickly roasted the sweet potato I found tucked at the back of my cupboard but then realizing that there was no way it would sate our growing drunger, I quickly cooked up some pasta and decided to turn it into a sauce.

Worried I only only enjoyed it under the influence, I tried it a couple more times to confirm it is indeed a ridiculously quick and delicious meal you can throw together with minimal effort.

Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce
Preheat oven to 200C. In a pan (I use my cast iron), put:

1 brown onion, sliced
1 medium sweet potato, cut small
3 cloves garlic, crushed and/or roughly chopped
Good splash canola
Big pinches of salt and nooch

Bake for 30, and start boiling water for pasta.

After 30 mins, add a big splash of red wine, mix through, then mix through 2 heaped tablespoons of tomato paste. Thin with approx 1/2 cup stock (until it's just a little thinner than you want). Return to the oven (turn the oven off) while you cook pasta, for about 10 minutes. Stir sauce through cooked pasta. Season.

You can also stir the cooked pasta through the sauce and crumb the top the top and bake together. Simply mix together 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (I use Panko) with a teaspoon or so of oil, salt, pepper, nooch (optional), and freshly chopped parsley or oregano. Sprinkle over the top of the sauce and pasta then return to the oven for 15-20 minutes (until the top is golden brown).

30 Minute Ragù alla Bolognese

I adore lasagna. Creamy, meaty, savoury, delicious sauces held in sheets of silky pasta... is there anything better? I rarely eat it, though, cause "real" ragù alla Bolognese takes 2 to 3 hours to make, and while the Homecooker means I don't have to stand around and stir it myself, that's a long time to wait! Is it worth it? Yes. Can I be bothered 90% of the time? Heck no.

Anyway, the other day after a tough day at work, all I wanted was lasagna, but after spending all day in the kitchen, I didn't want to spend all night either. A conversation a few months ago with Matt on how he was tweaking Bryanna Clark Grogan's amazing ragù recipe to make it a bit quicker had given me a few ideas, so I thought I'd give it my own shot.

After a couple more attempts, I think I finally cracked it. While this doesn't have the depth or complexity of the traditional ragù (which I'll still be making for special occasions), the speed at which it can be made more than makes up for that, and means you can have lasagna assembled and ready to go in the oven in about 45 minutes (if you make the béchamel in between stirs of the ragù, you can probably get it in the oven in more like 35, and have your lasagna (all from scratch!) in just over an hour!).

A few notes before we start:

• Watch the salt! You'll be adding a lot of salty ingredients into the sauce from the beginning, so refrain from seasoning the sauce until the very end.
• This makes more than enough for a mini lasagna (I used an 8" baking dish), so you can have lasagna for dinner and used the leftover ragù for lunch or dinner the following night. If you're making lasagna for a crowd, I would double the recipe.
• To make wheat/gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, and double-check the ingredients in the TVP (some brands contain gluten).
• In order to speed up the process, you'll be cooking this on a much higher heat than you generally would, so don't leave it alone!

30 Minute Ragù alla Bolognese
Based on Bryanna Clark Grogan's Ragù alla Bolognese from Nonna's Italian Feast

1. To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon each olive oil and vegan butter and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.
2. Roughly dice 1 carrot, 1 red onion, 1 brown onion, 6 cloves garlic, and 2 stalks of celery and add this to the pan. Increase heat to medium-high and saute, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened.
3. Add 2 cups TVP mince, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 chicken-style broth cube (or 1 tablespoon chicken-style broth powder), and 400g tomato paste. Stir together, then allow to sit for a minute or two before stirring again. Continue until mix has nearly dried out and is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4. Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup dry red wine (you can use a dry white in a pinch) and reduce heat to medium. Stir until the wine has evaporated, then add 1/2-1 cup stock (homemade or store-bought), just enough to thin out of the ragù into an appropriately wet sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup soy milk (or other neutral-flavoured milk; don't use rice milk as it will add too much sweetness) and cook for a minute or two until it's combined. If sauce it too thin, reduce the sauce, stirring constantly, until it is the thickness you like. Season with salt and pepper; your sauce is done!

Either place on top of freshly cooked pasta and eat straight away, or use to assemble lasagna. If you're making lasagna, you can use Bryanna's delicious béchamel.

Enjoy!

Incidentally, if you don't own Nonna's Italian Kitchen, RUN DON'T WALK and get yourself a copy. It is a book that I go back to again and again for both recipes and inspiration.

Vegan Savoury Crepe/Omelette

I threw the original version of these together when morning when I needed to bring together an odd combination of leftovers and nearly-past-it vegetables I'd salvaged from the bottom of my fridge. Though I generally just guess the proportions when I make them these days, when I presented my vegan breakfast class at Laneway Learning last year, I realised I should probably have an actual recipe for people to follow, so here it is!

These aren't exactly like an omelette in taste or texture, and also in that you wrap it around the fillings rather than folding them into the batter, but what else do you call it? Most importantly, it's super delicious. Even better, it's a great way of repurposing leftovers, can be throw together in about 10 minutes (great for lazy mornings and hangovers alike), and the batter will last in the fridge for up to a week (possibly even longer).

Leftovers from making tacos or nachos are great for fillings, otherwise any mix of veggies sauteed are equally great. You don't need to do anything too fancy. Cook the fillings beforehand and set aside covered so they stay warm.

Blend (in an upright blender or using an immersion blender):

300g firm silken tofu
200g soy milk
80g besan (chickpea) flour
30g cornstarch (cornflour)
20g olive oil
6g nutritional yeast flakes
Big pinch each of salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder

Heat a non-stick (or very well seasoned cast iron) over medium heat. Grease with the fat of your choosing, then ladle about 1/2 cup - 1 cup of the batter into the pan; use the back of the ladle of cup to evenly spread the batter over the pan. Place a lid on the pan: glass lids are useful because you can see when it's drying, otherwise check after a couple of minutes to see if the top of the crepe has dried out a bit. Once the top has dried out, flip the crepe over and cook briefly on the other side. Adjust the heat of the pan as necessary to make sure they don't burn.

Set cooked crepes onto plates, and cover half with the filling of choice. Fold the free half over the top, dust with paprika and serve!

I'm about halfway through my Barcelona post (I went again this year) so, once again, I'm posting a recipe to fill in the meantime! Hopefully that'll be up soon, or I'll just have to share more recipes!

Mum/Lyn's Quick Cinnamon Scrolls

This has been a very long week, and sadly last Monday we celebrated the life of Matt's mum, Lyn.

In honour of her, I thought it would be good to share a recipe she made often, and which Matt & I probably made a little too often! Lyn had many allergies during her life which means she ate mostly vegan for much of her life. This recipe is probably one of those accidentally vegan recipes that appeared during the war (if anyone recognises and knows where it's from, please let me know so I can add an attribution).

Because they're not yeasted, you can get these scrolls together in about half an hour, making them great for a quick winter afternoon treat, or a last-minute "was that today??" snack for a family gathering (guilty!).

Ingredients
Dough:
2 cup of self-raising flour (if you don't have self-raising flour, use 2 cups plain flour and 3 teaspoons baking powder and increase the pinch of salt to 1 teaspoon)
pinch of salt
90g non-dairy butter
2/3 cup non-dairy milk

Filling:
60g non-dairy butter
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water

Method
Preheat over to 210°C
1. Sift flour and salt in a bowl. Rub butter into flour with fingertips.
2. Make well in centre and add most of the milk. Mix lightly with flat backed knife: add more liquid if necessary.
3. Knead dough briefly on lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll out to 25 x 40cm rectangle approx.
4. Make icing: beat butter, sugar and cinnamon until light and fluffy. Spread to corners of dough.
5. Roll up dough from long side. Using a sharp knife slice dough into 3cm pieces.
6. Cook for 12 minutes. Drizzle with icing.

Eat them while they're hot (as if you'll be able to resist!), or microwave for about 30 seconds to reheat.

And, most importantly, remember to share them with those you love.

We both love and miss you, Lyn/Mum.

Easy Chocolate Mousse

There are millions of vegan chocolate mousses out there and they vary from the ridiculously easy to the stupidly overcomplicated (and, usually, with very little payoff). Similarly to brownies, there is a lot disagreement among what people expect from a mousse: some people want super fluffy (the texture I associate with that creepy brown paste served at fast food "restaurants"), others want something rich but still light, as though someone put chocolate in a cream gun. Other people don't care as long as it's chocolate.

This is an incredibly dense chocolate mousse; I'd love to say that a couple of spoonfuls is enough but yeah, that's a lie. My one big tip is: don't tell people what's in it until they've eaten it! And then they'll be amazed and you'll give them the recipe and they'll go home and make it and the deception will spread across the world...

HA.

The craziest thing about all that is that most people don't know what's in mousse anyway, but if you give the slightest hint that it's not "normal", they'll freak out. "You mean it doesn't contain BUTTER?!"

Anyway...

The easiest way to do this is using a stick blender, but you can always use an upright blender if you don't have one (but then go out and get one, seriously, why don't you have a stick blender). You can easily double the recipe, but keep an eye on the size of the container; the first time I made this, it ended up about half a centimetre below the top of the container, which made blending... very nerve-wracking.

In an appropriately sized, microwave-safe container (pick depth over width; an 8 cup pyrex is a good size), blend until completely smooth:

300g silken tofu (I use Morinaga tetrapack tofu which says it's 298g)
150g chocolate coconut or soy milk (if you don't have chocolate milk, you can just use plain)
50g liquid sweetener (I used golden syrup; using liquid sweetener means you don't have to worry about granulated sweetener dissolving)
5g vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Add 300g good quality dark chocolate (I use Callebaut). Microwave for 1 minute on high, stir well, then microwave for 30 second intervals (stirring well each time) until the chocolate is almost completely melted (chocolate will melt at around 36 degrees, so it really doesn't need to be that warm to melt properly; 1-1:30min should be enough). Stir until the mixture is a uniform colour. Blend with the stick blender for a couple of seconds (this will pull air into it and give it that sort-of Aero texture), then cling wrap and place in the fridge OR distribute to smaller serving glasses, cling wrap them and then refridgerate. Small servings should set in one to two hours to set, but overnight/overday is best to be totally sure (and a must if you're just going to do it in the one container and then eat it with a spoon, which is what I do).

If you're feeling particularly decadent, use it to ice a chocolate cake. And then thank me.

And you're done! Seriously, that's it.

I will be back soon with seriously belated travel-related posts, or maybe another recipe so I can just keep on delaying actually finishing the travel posts... we shall see!

Creamy Potato & Leek Casserole

To be perfectly honest, I've never really had an interest in casseroles (making them, at least): I've always been very stove-top based (maybe because my interest in cooking started with Japanese and Chinese cooking?). So I'm not entirely sure why I'm suddenly taken with them. Maybe roasting potatoes is a gateway to all manner of oven cooking?

Regardless, I had a leek that was desperately in need of use the other day and, of course, my trusty "reduced!" baby red potatoes, and decided, rather than bother with making a soup (as was my original thought), I'd fashion it into a casserole. If it's possible, this is even easier than a soup, though of course it is more dry (and quite a bit more rich!).

Creamy Potato & Leek Casserole
Preheat oven to 220C.

Cut 1kg roasting potatoes into 1-2cm cubes/chunks and place them on the bottom of a baking dish. Over the top of this, evenly distribute:

4 cloves of garlic, crushed and sliced (not minced)
leaves stripped from 4 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary (if using rosemary, roughly chop the leaves)
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
1 leek, greens trimmed, halved, washed and thinly sliced (if you're new to leeks, here's a quick guide on how to prepare them)

Don't mix the vegetables together. Over the top of this, pour 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, spreading it evenly. Measure out 1/4 cup vegan butter or margarine (I use Nuttelex olive); scoop little pieces and place them across the top of the vegetables (they will melt into the mix in the oven). (Alternatively, melt together the oil and margarine and pour this mix over the vegetables).

Give the dish a good sprinkling of salt and a few good cracks of pepper, then place in the oven for 30 minutes.

While it's cooking, use either a blender or a stick blender to make the cream. If using a stick blender (much easier for clean up), place all ingredients in a tall container (one is usually included in the pack with stick blenders, otherwise improvise!). Regardless of the method, combine:

1/2 cup vegetable stock (I used homemade stock, which is quite rich and concentrated, so if using stock cubes or powder, consider using slightly greater ratio of cube/powder to water than you may otherwise)
1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
295-300g silken tofu (I use Morinaga silken tofu, which comes in (debatably) 297g packs)
1tsp salt
A hearty pinch each of white pepper and nutritional yeast flakes 

Blend until completely smooth. DON'T TASTE IT, especially if you're an omnivore; just trust me that it will taste good in the casserole!

When the 30 minutes is up, remove the casserole from the oven and pour the cream over the top. Mix everything together so the cream is spread evenly through the whole mix. Return the casserole to the oven for a further 25 minutes. Allow the casserole to rest for 5-10 minutes once it's out of the oven, then enjoy!

Perfect Roast Potatoes and Decadent Casserole

In an effort to save money, I've made an effort to go to Woolworths close to a nearby university as it always has vegetables "reduced to clear" (apparently students don't eat vegetables?). Anyway, it's working out really well for me; mushrooms, corn, greens, tomatoes... I haven't paid full price for a vegetable in weeks.

As luck would have it, the other week one of the clearance vegetables was baby red potatoes. With no idea of what I'd do with them, I bought them, and arrived at home determined to roast them. But, as crazy as it sounds, I'd never really roasted a potato (pretty much every other vegetable, but never potatoes). After a cursory look at a few websites, I decided to just throw myself into it and see how it turned out (they were ridiculous cheap, after all!)

The result was (not to sound full of myself but) the most delicious roast potatoes I've ever eaten. Looking at the recipe below, I'm sure you're thinking "Yeah, well with THAT much fat, how could it not be delicious". And you know what; it is. Ridiculously delicious. It's also obscenely easy.

Perfect Roast Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 220C.

Halve or quarter 1kg baby red or other roasting potatoes into approximately 2-3cm cubes. Place them into a large casserole dish; they should completely cover the bottom in a single layer and have very little to no space between them.

In a microwave safe bowl (or, if you don't have a microwave, a small saucepan) add 1/2 cup non-dairy buttery spread (I used Nuttelex Olive), 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 6 cloves crushed garlic, and 5-6 sprigs of roughly chopped fresh rosemary or oregano (or a mix). Microwave this for 30 seconds until the spread has melted; microwave slightly longer if needed (if in a saucepan, warm the mix over a medium heat until the spread has melted, removing the saucepan from the heat at the first sign of bubbles). Add a few splashes (about 1-2tsp) roasted sesame oil and mix again.

Pour this mix over the potatoes; use a spoon to distribute the mix evenly (make sure the garlic cloves and herbs are spread out in the mix). Give a few cracks of black pepper and a good sprinkling of salt over the top.

 

Once the oven is preheated, place the casserole in the oven and roast for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir the mix again (give another crack of pepper and salt if desired), and then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes until cool enough to eat straight from the dish.

With some leftover of these potatoes, I started experimenting with using the leftover potatoes (and fat) in some fry-ups, but ended up returning to the trusted casserole for my final experiment. I had some leftover bread from a visit to Flour & Chocolate, so decided to use that up as well, along with some other vegetables from my clearance haul. The result is an extremely delicious, and very rich, casserole. Though it may seem small, this is certainly not the sort of dish that you need to go back for seconds of! I simply ate it from the bowl, but it could be nice served on some freshly toasted bread as a sort-of bruschetta/crostoni, or with some simply grilled vegetables (asparagus, charred greens, green beans, etc) as a side as a simply and casual yet impressive main.

Potato, Bread and Chickpea Casserole
Preheat the oven to 220C.

Halve of quarter 500g baby red or other roasting potato into approximately 2-3cm cubes. Place them in a large casserole dish. Cut up a stale bread roll approximately the size of a shoe (I used a ciabatta roll, approximately 20x5x3cm) and one mushroom into 1-2cm cubes and also add them to the dish. Quarter a handful of small (cherry, grape or similar) tomatoes (I used a "tomato medley", which included a mix of red, yellow, and streaked green tomatoes; the mix of colours looks great and the subtly different tastes add wonderful layer to the flavour, though any small tomatoes will do!) and add them to the dish. Finally, add 1.5 cups / 1 can / 420g cooked chickpeas and 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced (roughly break up the slices into individual strands/layers).

In a microwave safe bowl (or, if you don't have a microwave, a small saucepan) add 1/2 cup non-dairy buttery spread (I used Nuttelex Olive), 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 6 cloves crushed garlic, and 5-6 sprigs of roughly chopped fresh rosemary or oregano (or a mix). Microwave this for 30 seconds until the spread has melted; microwave slightly longer if needed (if in a saucepan, warm the mix over a medium heat until the spread has melted, removing the saucepan from the heat at the first sign of bubbles).
Add a few splashes (about 1-2tsp) roasted sesame oil and mix again.

Pour this mix over the casserole mix; use a spoon to distribute the mix evenly (make sure the garlic cloves and herbs are spread out in the mix). Give a couple of splashes of red wine, few cracks of black pepper and a good sprinkling of salt over the top. Once the oven is preheated, place the casserole in the oven and roast for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and scatter one or two handfuls of greens over the top (I used baby kale, which is quite large, but for baby spinach or other small greens, you may want to use a little more).

Stir greens into the mix until well-coated, give another few cracks of pepper and a sprinkle of salt, and then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes until cool enough to eat.

I have a few posts floating around that I'm just waiting for the inspiration to finish, so hopefully I'll see you again sooner rather than later!

Recipe: Quick & Filling Weeknight One-Pot Vegan Mexican-style Chilli (Aussie Friendly!)

So I've been ordering takeaway a lot lately. Now that I'm working in a commercial kitchen preparing food for everyone else, I'm finding that my "cooking for myself" mojo has gone right out the window. During the week I live on experimental potential menu items, and bite sized morsels of *anything* that I can slap on the grill, eat quickly and go about my day (how do they do it? how do gas-fired grills make EVERYTHING taste incredible?!)

Tonight, I was determined to ignore my intense desire to visit my local Indian restaurant (Taj Bengal in Ashgrove - it's incredible. The best Indian food in Brisbane I've come across), but I wanted something thick, hearty, smoky and delicious - like their famous spinach dhal. I wanted to eat as fast as possible and was looking through Isa Chandra Moskowitz' new book, Isa Does It, and saw an easy recipe for a thai lentil curry that reminded me of a sweet potato lentil chilli by Dreena Burton that I made a million times as new vegan. 

You know how it is when you're hungry - you start cooking and chopping to save time before you've even checked the pantry. It wasn't too far in to the process that I realised I had almost nothing I needed to make the/any curry, least of all curry paste or coconut milk (for curry, they're really non-negotiable ingredients)... So I turned this into a mexican chilli, and boy, it was delicious. Fast, easy, minimal mess, and it sure hit the hunger spot. It also reminded me of why I love cooking - the flavours you can achieve at home with minimal effort that you so rarely get when dining out. Sometimes you need a reminder that you can't make something awesome in just as much time as it takes to get in the car and pickup takeaway.

This is thick and "hearty" (gosh I hate that word - why does it always remind me of gross canned soup?) due to the addition of both black beans *and* tofu. I don't feel satisfied with a meal if I'm just eating one or the other - combine them for extraaaaa awessssomeeeneessssss!

Don't be put off by the list of ingredients - this recipe requires minimal effort, but a few spices to make it extra tasty. You're chopping a few things, and pouring/shaking/splashing a few other things in the saucepan. Easy.

One Pot Vegan Mexican-Style Chilli

Shazam:
Preheat a 4 litre (/quart) or larger saucepan/stockpot over medium heat.
Add:
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
1 large red onion, diced
2 red capsicum (bell peppers), chopped
Approx 300g pre-seasoned extra firm/pressed tofu, cubed - I used teriyaki flavour (don't get too hung up on what flavour it is - it'll take on the other flavours of the dish)
1 teaspoon of salt.
Saute for approximately 10 minutes, until the onion is sweet and soft, and the tofu beginning to brown.

Add:
1 cup of red lentils, rinsed
2 cans of diced tomatoes (or approx 5 medium tomatoes, diced)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or two large cloves garlic - I realise they're not interchangeable, but I like the different flavour of garlic powder, and I didn't want garlic all over my hands tonight - that's not quick - or fun).
4 cups water
2 cubes vegetable stock (enough or 4 cups of water)
approx 500g sweet potato, sliced and diced into 1 and 1/2 cm wedges
approx 200g potato, prepared as per sweet potato
1 cup of fresh or frozen corn.
2 cups of frozen or canned blackbeans (I have black beans in the freezer at all times, if you're using canned - add them ten minutes or so later, after rinsing, so they don't end up as sludge).
1 to 1 and 1/2 tablespoons "mexican chilli" powder (I use "Masterfoods" brand. American chilli powders are far, far less spicy than Australian varieties, so add this to your taste)
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
3 medium size zucchini, sliced lengthwise and cut into half cm half-moons.
a dash of your favourite hot sauce (tabasco chipotle, if you have it!)

Increase heat to high simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so (scraping the bottom to ensure the lentils aren't sticking), until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through. Remove lid, taste for seasoning and spice intensity, then cook for an additional 5 minutes (replace the lid, on an angle, if the pot is splashing), to thicken the sauce.

Serve in deep bowls. No need for rice or a grain - this chilli should be thick, like a super-stew. Enjoy!

By the way - after being a little underwhelmed with the last few of Isa's books, I can't recommend "Isa Does It" enough. It's absolutely beautiful. The recipes are practical, fast, easy, informative and inspiring.  The book itself is packed full of photos, and beautifully laid out. Just add "Let Them Eat Vegan" by Dreena Burton, "Vegan Diner" by Julie Hasson, "Nonna's Italian Kitchen" by Bryanna Clark Grogan and "The Urban Vegan" by Dynise Balcavage, and you've got pretty much all your awesome vegan cooking bases covered.

Baking & Frying Tofu, Part 2 of: "Treat Me Right", The Tofu Story (with recipe!)

Welcome to Part 2 of our exploration of tofu and what to do with it. Hopefully you're been following along (come on guys, there's only one other part to read), but in case you haven't, the PREVIOUS episode concerned why people say they don't like tofu, the types of tofu and my tofu buying recommendations. If you haven't read it, you may want to give it a quick glance-over (or even a slow, considered read, followed by thoughtful comments and thanks) before starting here. Otherwise, if you've already read it or, like me, HATE reading instruction manuals, dive on in!

Without a doubt, one of the easiest things to do with tofu is to just season and bake it. Isn't that the easiest way to prepare anything?

Though you can technically bake any tofu, baking tofu is essentially "quick marinating" it: rather than leaving it in the fridge overnight or for a few days, you chuck it in the oven and all the molecules get all excited and jump around and... yeah, I'm not a scientist. Anyway, as such, it is best to use firm (or harder) tofu for baking tofu, as anything softer than that won't soak up (and hold) the marinade.

Rather than attempting my own recipe, I am deferring to Dreena Burton, whose Cumin Lime Tofu (from her third book, "eat, drink and be vegan" (which is actually my Mum's all-time favourite cookbook ever)) is one of my favourite dishes.

I will admit that I was very skeptical when I first read Dreena's recipe for this: "won't it taste like tofu? Won't it be soggy?"

Oh me of little faith.

It's essentially a matter of making the marinade in the baking dish, mixing it up, coating the tofu (which doesn't even have to be pressed!), and baking it. If you're still not quite accustomed to tofu (though the rather bold marinade does disguise it somewhat), use a good quality tofu to ensure that there's as little taste as possible (and what taste there is is delicious!). This is also a good one for making a large batch of and then storing the leftovers in the fridge for lunch or throwing in a stirfry or salad the next day.

The slices; covered in marinade; after the first 15 minutes; and DONE!

Cumin-Lime Tofu

This is another very simple tofu dish that yields bold, baked-in flavors. The lime juice, cumin, and touch of cayenne are in every bite, and the addition of pumpkin seeds adds just the right amount of crunch.

Makes 4 servings, about 24 squares.

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 -2 tbsp agave syrup
1 1/2 tbsp tamari
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 pkg (12 oz/350g) firm or extra firm tofu, cut in half lengthwise then sliced into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick squares, and patted to remove excess moisture 

2-3 tbsp raw or pre-roasted pumpkin seeds (or pistachios, lightly chopped)

Preheat oven to 375 F/190 C. In an 8 x 12 baking dish, combine all ingredients except tofu and pumpkin seeds stir to mix well. Add tofu and turn to coat each side.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, turn tofu slices, sprinkle on pumpkin seeds and return to oven to bake for another 13-15 minutes, until tofu has soaked up most of the marinade. Serve warm, pouring any remaining marinade/spices over tofu.


I made this the other night and had it in a wrap with sauteed broccoli, homemade salsa, and a tart cashew & pepita cream. It was super delicious. Otherwise, you can just have it on sandwiches, with a side of veggies for dinner, chopped up and fried up with other veggies for breakfast, etc etc. If you don't eat it all in one go, wait until it's cooled then put it in a container and store in the fridge for a day or two. It becomes a little tough in the fridge, but it's still super tasty.

Fried Tofu
The other very simple way of preparing tofu is to simply fry it. You also don't need to press it for this because the heat of the pan will dry out the tofu. If you have fresh tofu, it will often crisp up by itself, but I love to coat the slices in cornstarch (just put the slices in a bowl, add cornstarch, and toss to coat), which gives them a lovely, crispy coating.

The sliced tofu (use a larger bowl, srsly); with cornstarch; beginning to fry, and fried!

Simply cut the tofu up (I'd recommend quite thin slices, around half a centimetre), give it a bit of a dab to dry it slightly, heat up a little oil (enough to lightly grease the bottom of the pan, or add about 1mm if you've coated it with cornstarch, so the thin edges are cooked) in a frying pan, and then add in the slices. Fry until browned on one side and then flip. This is great to do before adding the tofu to curries or satays, because it holds its shape and adds something chewy and crispy to the mix. Or, just coat with teriyaki sauce and enjoy!

The Urban Vegan also has instructions for dry-frying tofu, which is completely oil- and added-fat-free (but does require pressing), which you can find here. I will discuss pressing in the next part of this series.

And the journey continues! But not for another week or so. See you then.

I'll tag all of these posts "thetofustory", so if you want to see all of them together, just click on that label.

Quick Breakfast Fry-Up of Ridiculous Tastiness

As much as I love recipe books, when it comes to cooking breakfast, I always just throw in whatever and hope it turns out delicious. While leftovers often get thrown into lunchboxes, dinner, or the bin, making a big breakfast fry-up is a great way of using them: that way, they're right at the front (so probably only from last night!), rather than languishing at the back before they're eventually discovered, unrecognisable, several months later.

The other day, there was a heap of hummus left over from a dip platter that we'd made and, rather than letting it languish (as I knew it would), I decided I'd use it in breakfast. If I do say so myself, it was DELICIOUS. The following day I made it again and it was (to my surprise) just as delicious. I don't know where the magic is in this dish but, believe me, it's in there.

I would highly recommend making up a big batch of seitan on the weekend and have it in the fridge to use over the week (or make up a really big batch and keep it in the freezer so you can use it over a couple of weeks), otherwise use a store-bought seitan that you like: you may have to add in a few herbs and spices, so adjust to taste. If you don't have hummus left over, whip up a quick batch and add the kochujang directly into it when making it, or make up a big batch and keep it in the fridge and use it bit-by-bit over the week.

To save washing up, you can make the sauce and serve the dish in the same bowl (which may also be the bowl that the hummus was originally served in!)

Quick Breakfast Fry-Up

What You'll Need

Utensils

Frying pan

Fork, for stirring (and eating)

Bowl (for making sauce and serving)

Ingredients

1/2-3/4 cup hummus (the best recipe for hummus ever is Dreena Burton's Creamy Hummus from "Vive le Vegan")

1/2-2 tablespoons kochujang (spicy Korean miso, also spelled "gochujang"; I used Sasakani Kobo's excellent kochujang, but you can also buy commercial kochujang at Asian supermarkets. Alternatively, you can use miso with a few pinches of chilli flakes or chilli powder).

Coconut oil, for frying

around 1/2 cup chopped seitan (my favourite recipe is Julie Hasson's Italian Sausage Cutlets from "Vegan Diner"; if you use that recipe, use one patty/sausage, chopped)

1 large portobello or flat mushroom, diced

1 tomato, diced

1/4 red capsicum, diced (optional)

1/4-1/2 cup greens of choice, roughly chopped

Now That You're Ready

1. Add enough water to the hummus to make it runny, like a thick sauce (add a little, then mix with a fork, then repeat until it's thin enough to drip). Add in about 1 tablespoon of kochujang (or miso and chilli flakes). Break up the lump with the fork then stir it in until it is dissolved in. Taste, and add more kochujang if you'd like it a little spicier (I always do). Set aside.

2. Add a good whack of coconut oil (around 2-3 tablespoons) to the frying pan and, when it becomes hot, add in the seitan. Fry for a minute or two. When it starts to brown on one side, flip it over and add in the diced mushrooms. Fry them together, shaking the pan to ensure they don't get stuck in the one spot until the mushrooms begin to soften and brown (the mushrooms will soak up a lot of the coconut oil, so the pan will be near dry). Tip them out of the pan and into the bowl with the sauce.

3. Return the frypan to the stove and add in the tomatoes and (optional) capsicum. Cook them (shaking the pan occasionally) until they begin to soften, then add in the greens. Pour in about 1/4 cup of water into the pan: this will help the tomatoes dissolve a little and also steam the greens.

4. When the greens become bright green and the water is nearly dissolved, tip the sauce (with the seitan and mushrooms) back into the pan and lower the heat a little; you just want to warm up the sauce. As soon as it begins to bubble, it's ready: tip into the bowl and enjoy!

It ain't pretty, but it sure is tasty!

Quick & Easy, Rich Italian-Inspired Meal-Sauce Recipe (An 70s album, a 90s indie film & a hotdog)

After a long day in the sun, traversing the West End markets, hitting the pavements of the city in search of endless music stores (and finally coming upon what I sought - a brilliant, haunting 1978 album by Carly Simon, called "Boys in the Trees" - and at $5.98 at JB Hi Fi, who could complain), I came home, with the same feeling that I'd had when I set out: a desire to languish in the sun. But who could last in this heat and humidity? Certainly not me. I found my way to a spot right underneath the air conditioner.

This evening I really wanted pizza - but, that old chestnut many vegans are familiar with popped up: unless we're talking in strictly authentic terms (minimalist toppings, fresh ingredients, and heavenly, slow-risen base), no pizza is ever as good as what I can make at home.

With The Green Edge moving, and having a 30% off sale, I'd picked up one of the few vegan meats I enjoy - Redwood Chicken, and was longing for a way to combine it with some of the mushrooms I bought this morning at the markets, while using up some of the antipasti I had jarred and bottled in the fridge. I'm lucky that I have some great stand-by herbs in the garden outside, also.

Let's be honest, I felt like pizza (don't I always?), but I didn't feel like the long oven time, the flour everywhere, the rising, and the other fun that really is essential for good pizza. So I decided to make a saucier version of what I wanted in a pizza: something savoury, meaty, rich, saucy, oily, and lip-smacking. And I wanted it all in one skillet/frypan.

Here is what I made. Ultimately, you could have this over pasta (or even rice... if you're that way inclined). I think it's hearty and saucy enough that it's almost too delicious on its own. This is pretty free form - adapt to your tastes. Apologies, as always, for the complete lack of food styling/food photography skills. I'm just a dude, in many ways.

Rich Italian Inspired Meal-Sauce:

Heat some oil in a pan (I'm trying to be arguably virtuous and use coconut oil, but good quality olive would be more traditional).

Ingredients:

2 onions, diced

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

Salt

1 & 1/2 cups vegan protein (tempeh, seitan, vegan meat)

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Approx 800g good quality canned tomatoes

Scant 1/4 cup red wine

Approximately 3/4 cup chopped antipasti, depending on pungency (kalamata olives, grilled marinated eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, etc)

1 Tablespoon Chopped fresh basil and oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)

Method:

Sauté Onions, until translucent.

Add mushrooms, and saute until their liquid is released, and they are soft and lightly browned.

Sprinkle some salt, to taste.

Add protein (i.e. tempeh, seitan, or vegan meats such as: sausage, chicken, or pork) and brown.

Push the ingredients to the side of the pan, heat some more oil on the clear space.

Add garlic to the oil. Fry for 30 seconds.

Add tomatoes.

Add salt, to taste, and simmer for approximately 5 minutes.

Increase heat to high.

Add red wine (a sweeter variety is perfect), and cook to evaporate the alcohol off and to reduce and intensify the sauce for a couple of minutes.

Add chopped antipasti: I used kalamata olives, grilled marinated eggplant, and sun-dried tomatoes, in descending proportions.

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add chopped fresh basil and oregano (if you're using dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon and add at the beginning, when the tomatoes are first added).

Simmer five more minutes, or until sauce is at desired reduction and thickness. I like it quite thick, not liquid, but coating. Beware, the thicker it is - the more concentrated the flavour.

Season to taste, and serve. If you have creamy cashew cheese nearby, a dollop on top is lovely, alongside a couple of fresh basil leaves.

Enjoy, either alone, or with pasta, or bread.

Film:

I watched the film "To Die For" while I ate this - a 90s indie thriller by Gus Van Sant, starring Nicole Kidman (back when she had a personality and an ability to move her face to portray emotions), as what I can only describe as Lana Del Rey, before the fall of the American Dream. Also starring were a young Casey Affleck, a young Joaquin Phoenix (all the vegans!), and Matt Dillon. Worth a watch for the insight into some people's insanely ambitious drive towards success, and adoration being used to twist and manipulate, but far from excellent. It's sad that we're so accustomed to insanely soul-less young people these days (they do saturate our media culture, after all), that when we see similar stories now, they're far from shocking. Some of the pop stars of today could give Nicole Kidman's character a run for her money, on a daily basis.

Bonus:

Vegan with the lot, from 5 Dogs Gourmet Hotdogs in Fortitude Valley. The facon isn't to my tastes, but the bizarre combination of sauerkraut, jalapeno, cheese & olives with german ketchup and hot dog were a winner for me, all wrapped in a soft bun.