Trattoria Pasta Salad with White Beans

Another delicious salad from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction.

SERVES 6 • ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(

Calories: 290

Calories from fat: 45

Total fat: 5 g

Saturated fat: 0 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 52 g

Fiber: 8 g

Sugars: 6 g

Protein: 10 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 480 mg

Vitamin A: 15%

Vitamin C: 35%

Calcium: 8%

Iron: 15%

Option: ½ cup of

toasted walnuts adds

65 calories, 6 grams

of fat, 0.5 grams of

saturated fat, and

1 gram of fiber.

⅙ RECIPE):

F

reunions—this salad is where it’s at! No mayo required. The Sun-dried

Tomato-Walnut Dressing gives up plenty of flavor, beans keep you stuffed,

and arugula gives you that trattoria feel. So tell Aunt Gertrude she’s fired,

but could she get you some freshly ground black pepper before she

leaves? You can use jarred roasted red peppers or one red bell pepper

you roast yourself.

8 ounces shell-shaped brown rice pasta

1 (15-ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups arugula

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

½ cup chopped roasted red pepper

¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped in half

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 recipe

First, cook the pasta al dente in salted water according to the package

directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water, then place in the

fridge to cool completely.

Once the pasta has cooled, toss all the ingredients together in a large

mixing bowl. Keep chilled until ready to eat.

orget that tired old pasta salad Aunt Gertrude brings to the familySun-dried Tomato-Walnut Dressing (recipe follows)

TIP

If it works out for your personal food plan for the day, throw ½ cup

of toasted walnut halves into the mix.

* I added a sprinkling of Italian herb mix which went lovely

Sun-dried Tomato-Walnut Dressing

SERVES 6 • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

 

I

usually packed in lots of oil. This dressing depends on walnuts instead of

oil, and loose sun-dried tomatoes that are only packed in, well, air!

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (bought in dried form, not packed

in oil) (I've found a brand that comes in a jar and are moist but are not in oil)

3 tablespoons walnuts

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

¾ cup water

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¾ teaspoon salt

A few pinches of freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

First, rehydrate the tomatoes. Place them in a bowl and submerge in warm

water. Let them soak for about 15 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts. Preheat a small, heavy-bottomed pan over

medium heat. Toss in the walnuts and toast them, stirring often, for about 7

minutes. They should be varying shades oftoasty brown, and smell

walnutty. Transfer immediately to a food processor.

Pulse the walnuts and fennel seeds to chop finely. Add the remaining

ingredients, except for the marjoram, and puree until relatively smooth. Add

the marjoram and pulse a few times to get it integrated. Keep the dressing

refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days until ready to use.love the zesty flavor of sun-dried tomatoes but don’t love that they are



Catalan Couscous Salad with Pears

I was never much into salads, in particular because I don't fancy oily dressings, and secondly, I just never considered them filling enough for a main meal, except perhaps ones like the popular Indonesian Gado Gado. However, Isa Chandra Moskowitz has some fantastic recipes for salads as a meal in themselves in her highly recommanded book "Appetite for Reduction." Her salads are filling and bursting with flavours, with intersting dressings. She often makes the dressings with finely blended nuts to give a creamy silky texture rather than oil which is suprisingly effective, and healthier.

SERVES 4 •  TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(¼ RECIPE):

Calories: 45

Calories from fat: 25

Total fat: 2.5 g

Saturated fat: 0 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 4 g

Fiber: 1 g

Sugars: 2 g

Protein: 2 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 470 mg

Vitamin A: 20%

Vitamin C: 60%

Calcium: 2%

Iron: 2%

I

peppers and toasted nuts, this salad translation is divine tossed with whole

wheat couscous and crisp, tart pears. Baby spinach adds some green and

completes the scene. Toast the almonds for the dressing and the salad at

the same time.

⅓ cup slivered almonds

2 cup cooked whole wheat couscous, cooled

4 cups baby spinach

1 thinly sliced Anjou pear (or any ripe pear)

1 recipe

 

Romesco Dressing

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES

Y

almonds give this dressing; you can really taste them with every luscious

bite.

ou can’t really go wrong with toasted almonds. I love the backdrop the

3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted (see toasting

directions, page 47)

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

¼ cup roasted red pepper from ajar, or 1 roasted red bell pepper,

seeded and peeled (page 200)

½ cup water

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon agave

¾ teaspoon salt

A few pinches of freshly ground black pepper

Pulse the almonds and shallot in a food processor, just to get them

chopped up. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until relatively

smooth. Taste for seasoning. Keep refrigerated and chilled in a tightly

sealed container until ready to use, for up to 5 days.

First toast the almonds. Preheat a small, heavy-bottomed pan over

medium heat. Toss in the almonds and toast them, stirring often, for about

5 minutes. They should be varying shades of toasty brown and smell nutty

and delicious.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the couscous, spinach, and pears.

Add the dressing and toss to coat. Divide among four plates and top with

the toasted almonds.

nspired by Romesco sauce, the classic Catalan sauce of roasted redRomesco Dressing (recipe follows)

Avocado Pesto Pasta

Whenever I make pesto, I always add avocado. Avocado makes such a fantastic, quick and creamy sauce. This recipe is super quick, you can have it ready in about 15 minutes but at the same time it provides a filling meal. Try using another nut like almonds if you don't have any pine-nuts, although you will probably have to grind them up first before adding the other ingredients as they are not as soft. Usually when I make this recipe I don't bother with measurements but here is the recipe I got the original idea from.

serves 6

• 1 pound dried linguini
• 1 bunch basil leaves (about 2½ ounces)
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ of a lemon)
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (optional)

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to package directions. While pasta cooks, in a food processor, blend basil, pine nuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Drain pasta. In a large serving bowl, toss pesto with hot, freshly cooked pasta and garnish each serving with a basil leaf. For an extra touch of color and flavor, top pasta with sundried tomatoes.

   
   

   Notes: 
   
   
   A delicious variation is to make this with pistachios instead of pine nuts! Definitely worth the extra effort of shelling them 

   - When making this myself I leave out the oil - the avocado and pine nuts have enough oil and you can instead add a little water if needed 

   - I will usualy use 1 small avocado or 1/2 avocado with 1/4 cup pine nuts for one person and about 1/2 lemon 

   - will still use a bunch of basil. So my own version may come out more lemony and creamy but it is something that is very easy to adjust to individual tastes. 

Blueberry Cake

Baking Vegan desserts have often been a bit of a hit or miss in my past attempts. I don't like using a lot of oil, and sometimes egg-substitutes do not seem to work as they should. However one thing that I have found works really well to produce a soft, moist vegan dessert is using applesauce. This delicious cake is moist, and soft, just like a blueberry muffin but in cake form. Not the healthiest, but it is great for a morning tea snack every once in a while. The recipe is from Wild Vegan - by Angela Stafford 

120g (4oz) vegan margarine

1/2 cup unrefined sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened applesauce or stewed apple

220g (8oz) self-raising flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup frozen blueberries (frozen blueberries keeps them from getting squashed during mixing 

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350 F, Gas Mark 4) and grease and line a 19cm (7 inch) round cake tin. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the margarine and sugar with an electric mixer until it is very light in colour. 

3. Add the vanilla and apple and mix well. 

4. Slowly add the flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients, stirring gently by hand. 

5. Lastly, stir in the blueberries. Note the mixture will be thick. 

6. Pour into the cake tin, making sure there is an even coverage. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested. Leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. 

Tofu and Sweet Potato over Cajun Quinoa

The textures of sweet potato and tofu complement each quite nicely and a blend of spices makes this dish a warm and filling meal. Don't leave out the parsely and hot sauce (i used tobasco) when making the quinoa because it really compliments the dish.

The recipe is from Vegandad's blog site and can be found herehttp://vegandad.blogspot.com/2008/12/tofu-and-sweet-potatoes-over-cajun.html

hmm...comparing our photos mine turned out looking quite differnt didn't it :P maybe its because I added broccoli (and didnt drown my quinoa in the sauce). I used fresh parsely and I also used fresh lemon tyme, but everything else i kept the same.  He does not specify how many servings the recipe makes but i quartered it, and i think it would make about 4 big servings or 6 small.

Mini Tofu Quiches

I never liked quiches before I was vegan but I decided to give a vegan quiche a go even though I was doubtful because tofu when cooked in certain ways comes out remarkably similar to egg. I came up with this recipe after searching many other recipes and not being able to find the perfect quiche for the ingredients I had on hand.
They turned out great, and are tasty hot or cold. I also like the fact they have no crust because I can never be bothered to make the crust and is one reason I rarely make any type of pie/flan/quiche.



makes about 12 mini quiches

Blend in food processor until very smooth:

1 12 ounce pack regular/firm tofu (not the silken kind)
1 teaspoon tahini
1 teaspoon cornstartch
enough soymilk (about 1/4) to give smooth consistency. Add the soymilk slowly, you want to texture to be like a thick cream cheese, not watery.


Then saute:

1 garlic clove minced
1/2 onion finely chopped
1/2 - 1 red capsicum finally chopped (depending on size)
1/2 cup very finely floretted broccoli
a good sprinkling of seasoning eg. herb salt/stock

when the vegetables are soft add:

Finely chopped sundried tomatos (about 4-5 you want just enough to give flavour but not overtake)
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 table spoon fresh chopped basil

Stir for a few minutes more then add the tofu mixture and mix to combine. Drop into a well greased cupcake pan and press a slice of fresh tomato on top.
Cook about 30-40 min in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius or until the top is begining to brown and the tomato is  starting to shirvele.

Thai Red Curry and Lentil Soup

This interesting mix of cuisines produces a soup which is wonderfully fragrant, spicy and very moorish. The red lentils melt into the soup and produce a lovely richness. The recipe is one I got from my mother, and I'm not sure where exactly she got it but she said it was from a Donna Hay book.





Serves 4-6

2 tsp peanut oil

1 T Red Thai Curry paste (you can add more if the one you are using is not very spicy but remember the nature and heat of the soup itself will intensify the heat of the chili)

4 cups vegetable stock

2 cups coconut cream

4 Kaffir lime leaves (scrunch these a bit to release the flavour before adding but try not to rip them as it will be hard to remove them later)

1 cup red lentils

100g button mushrooms, quartered (optional)

400g can baby corn, drained (or 100g fresh)

80g snow peas or green beans, halved and cut into 2 cm lengths

1 T sugar


1. Fry the curry paste in the oil for 2 min.
2. Add the vegie stock, coconut cream, Kaffir lime leaves and lentils. Bring to the boil then simmer until lentils are cooked - about 20 min.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, simmering for 3 min or until vegetables are tender.

Cornbread

This cornbread recipe turns out good each time I've made it. I often omit the oil and it's still quite soft and spongy the next day :) The recipe is from the Post Punk Kitchen http://www.theppk.com/2007/10/vegan-cornbread/

It is not a sweet bread, but a bread to be savored with soup or smothered with guacamole. You can of course adjust the sugar/salt to your liking or add other flavourings like green onion, corn, chili powder etc. For best results, use old-fashioned cornmeal.

Makes 12-16 squares

2 cups cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups soymilk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350, line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or spray the bottom lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, wisk together the soymilk and the vinegar and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt).
Add the oil and maple syrup to the soymilk mixture. Wisk with a wire wisk or a fork until it is foamy and bubbly, about 2 minutes.

Pour the wet ingredient into the dry and mix together using a large wooden spoon or a firm spatula. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Slice into squares and serve warm or store in an airtight container.

Vegan Feijoada (Brazillian Style Black Bean and Smoked Tofu Stew)

This is a very delicious and hearty stew full of flavours and different textures. The recipe is from Veggie Belly http://www.veggiebelly.com/2010/10/brazilian-style-black-bean-smoked-tofu-stew-vegan-feijoada.html and is great served with cornbread.You can find a great vegan cornbread recipe under polenta/cornbread lable on my this site http://veganreciperesource.blogspot.com/search/label/Polenta/cornmeal

Serves 2

For the smoked tofu
4 oz smoked tofu (I used Soyboy brand), cut into small cubes (about ½ cup when cubed) (OR use regular tofu and just add a few drops of liquid smoke to the stew)
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the stew
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped finely
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon paprika (I like to use smoked paprika)
1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
One 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans)
3 cups water
Salt

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the tofu cubes and cook on medium-high heat till the tofu is browned and crispy – about 6 minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil. Add onion, carrot and bell pepper. Sauté on medium heat till the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add cumin, paprika, and oregano. Stir for about 20 seconds.

Add the black beans, water and salt. Bring the stew to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or till most the liquid has evaporated. Mash some of the black beans using the back of a wooden spoon. Add the reserved tofu and cook another 5 minutes.

Top with your choice of chopped tomatoes, red onion, parsley, cilantro, orange zest, sour cream or grated cheese. Serve with cornbread. 

Middle Eastern Chickpeas with Couscous

Recipe  adapted from Woman's Day Magazine, May 14, 2002, page 170

Serving Size : 4 

1 tbsp water
1 medium yellow squash cut in half lengthwise then crosswise in 1/2-in.-thick slices
1 zucchini cut in half lengthwise then crosswise in 1/2-in.-thick slices
29 ounces diced tomatoes with onion and garlic -- (canned) OR use diced tomatos plus add one onion and 2 cloves garlic at the beginning
19 ounces chickpeas -- rinsed
20 pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup raisins (note, i actually used currents here and thought they went well)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander -- (optional)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 5/8 ounces boxed couscous with toasted pine nuts -- (5.6 ounces)

 or you can also try it with rice or some other grain.

1. Heat water in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic if using. Add yellow squash and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

2. Add remaining ingredients except couscous; stir to mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover skillet and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors.

3. Uncover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes longer until liquid is reduced slightly.

4. Meanwhile prepare couscous and toast some pinenuts if you want to add them.

5. Serve chickpea mixture over couscous

Raw Avocado Lime Pudding

You wont believe how amazing avocado pudding can be! Other flavours easily mask the avocado taste, but the avocado itself produces such a rich creamy smooth texture, its a real treat. Try this slightly sweet, slightly tart pudding for a quick but filling breakfast, as a easy snack during the day or as a delicious and healthy dessert! I found the recipe on this website http://wholefoodeater.wordpress.com/2010/04/02/raw-key-lime-pudding/ though of course I would not recommend using honey.


The recipe is so easy:

- one avocado
- one bannana
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- 1 tablespoon of agave syrup (you could also try rice syrup or maple syrup perhaps)

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth and creamy. Chill in refrigerator for a little while. You can decorate the top with fruit or I like to sprinkle on some coconut.

Breakfast Bars

These  cereal bars are very addictive and much nicer than any packaged store broaught bars. They make a great snack of breakfast to munch on the run. The recipe comes from "THe Everything Vegan Cookbook" by Jolinda Hackett and Lorena Novak Bull, RD.

3 cups breakfast cereal, any kind (i used rice bubbles)

1 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup tahini

1 cup maple syrup ( i used rice syrup as the cheaper option)

1/2 t vanilla

2 cups muesli

1/2 cup flax meal or wheat germ

1/2 cup diced dried fruit or raisins

1. Place creal in a sealable bag and crush partially with a rolling pin but you can skip this step if you are usuing smaller cereal. Set aside.

2. Combine peanut butter, tahini, and maple syrup in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring well to combine.

3. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool a bit so that the cereal wont go soggy and then mix in the cereal, muesli, flax meal or wheat germ and dreid fruit or raisins.

4. Press firmly into a baking/casorol dish and chill for about 45 min before cutting into bars.

* After making this a few times I have found sometimes the bars come out dryer and more crumbly than others and don't hold together and I think it may depend on the brand of peanut butter you use and how dry or oily it is and also perhaps on the tahini. So you may want to add just a little  extra peanut butter to reach desired moistness. The moistness/dryness of the bar will also depend on the cereal you use. The first time I used rice bubbles and later I used the larger sultana bran and found that rice bubbles are better. 

Tofu in Blackbean Sauce with Rice Noodles

Here is a recipe from the book "Vegetarian 30 minute Thai cookbook" by Sarah Beattie. The dish goes particularly well with the wide flat rice noodles that are commonly used for pad thai. You can add an extra crunch by scattering a tablespoon of chopped peanuts or cashews over the top before serving if you like. 

Serves 4-6

2 T vegetable oil 

250g/9oz/ 1 1/2 cups cubed firm beancurd(tofu) 

3 medium onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 t grated root ginger

1 fresh chilli, crushed and finely chopped

1 t shredded lemongrass (if you are using the leaf rather than the stalk it's easiest to do this with a pair of clean scissors - i used the leaves because I have lemongrass in my garden and its easier to get to than the stalk) 

3 medium carrots,sliced

125g/4oz/1cup mangetout (snow peas) (I used broccoli instead)

140g/5oz/ 3/4 cup blackbean sauce

90ml/ 3fl oz/ 1/3 cup water

1. heat the oil. Pat the beancurd dry and fry in batches in the oil until nicely browned. Drain. (I like to heat under the grill with no oil for a oil-free version.)

2. Fry the onions, garlic, ginger, chilli and lemongrass for 1 min. Stir in the carrots and cook for a further minute.

3. Add the mangetout and cook for a further minute. 

4. Add back the fried beancurd. Stir in the blackbean sauce and water. Allow to simmer briefly, then serve. 

(if you are serving with noodles you can add them to the pan at this point and fry for a further 2 minutes or so.)

Couscous Aromatique

I love this recipe because of the special way you steam the coucous over the vegetables which influes the coucous with lots of flavour! Also its one of those recipies where you dont have to dice the vegetables up finaly because they are steamed for a long time. Very delicious way to eat lots of vegetables with a Moroccan twist :) It is from the book "Vegetarian Cooking: A complete guide to ingredients and techniques, with over 300 delicious steb-by-step recipes" by Roz Denny and Christine Ingram.

Serves four to six

450g/1lb couscous grains

60ml/ 4 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, cut in chunks

2 carrots, cut in thick slices

4 baby turnips, halved

8 small new potatoes, halved

1 green pepper, cut in chunks

115g/4oz green beans, halved

1 small fennel bulb, sliced thickly ( i have never actually used the fennel bulbs it tastes fine without it but not sure how much of a difference it makes)

2.5cm/1in cube fresh root ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

5ml/1 tsp ground tumeric

15ml/1 tbsp ground coriander

5ml/1 tsp cumin seeds

5 ml/1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

45ml/3 tbsp red lentils

1x400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes

1 litre/ 13/4 pints/4 1/2 cups stock

60ml/4 tbsp raisins

salt and ground black pepper

rind and juice of 1 lemon

harissa paste, to serve (optional)

 1. Cover the couscous with cold water and soak for 10 minutes. Draina nd spread out on a tray for 20 minutes, stirring it occasionally with your fingers.

2. Meanwhile, in a large suacepan, heat the oil and fry the vegetabes for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

3. Add the grated ginger, garlic and spices, stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the lentils, tomatoes, stock and raisins, and add seasoning.

4. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. By this time, the couscous should be ready for steaming. Place in a steamer and fit this on top of the stew.

5. Cover and steam gently for about 20 minutes. The grains should be swollen and soft. Fork through and season well. Spoon into a serving dish.

6. Add the lemon rind and juice to the stew and chekc the seasoing. If liked add harissa paste to taste - but its quite hot. Spoon the couscous onto a plate and ladle the stew on top.

Nile River Soup

 This soup is from a highly recommanded site which has many authentic recipes from all aroudn the world, the International Vegetarian Union  http://www.ivu.org

This recipe is very quick to make, perfect for when you don't have many ingredients or you wnat something to warm yourself up on a winter night. The blending of the soup gives it a differnt texture and flavour from other lentil soups.

From roussea

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 2 t ground ginger (I used minced fresh ginger)
• 2 t ground cumin
• 2 t ground coriander
• 4 c water or vegetable stock
• 2 slices of lemon (1/4 inch thick or so)
• 1/2 cup canned (or fresh) tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cayenne or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 T finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

Heat oil in heavy pot on medium high heat.
Saute onion and garlic until softened.
Stir in lentils, ginger, cumin and coriander and coat with onion/garlic mixture.
Add lemon slices, stock, tomatoes, cayenne, salt and pepper
(you can add salt and pepper later, but like to put it in now).

Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for about 45 minutes (it may only take 30 minutes) or until lentils are tender.
If you like your soup thin, add more stock.
Take the pot off the burner, discard lemon slices, and puree soup in blender or food processor.
Season if you have not already added the salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with coriander (cilantro leaves).
Alternatively, you can add the cilantro before you put the soup in the food processor.
Serves 4.

Garam Masala Tofu Stir-fry

This is one of my own recipes that I came up with, based on a recipe my mother makes. I love the idea of the Indian spice mix Garam Masala with the tofu, its an unexpected mixture that is surprisingly tasty and different, however if you haven’t tasted Garam masala before, you might not like this recipe – its quite strong as garam masla is usually used quite sparingly. Because it is my own recipe the measurements are quite approximate and you may need to adjust to taste.

Serves 2 (approx)

Ingredients

1 t garam masala spice * (see note)

3 T (Australian so 1 T = 4 teaspoons) soy sauce

½ pound of tofu

Mix the soy sauce and garam masala and then toss through tofu. Marinate for 30 min or so.

Other ingredients:

1 onion, sliced

1 garlic, sliced thinly

1 t ginger

1 stick cinnamon

1 red chili, sliced or chopped

1 large carrot, sliced

2 stalks celery – cut in large sections diagonally

1 red capsicum chopped

1zucchini julienne

1 t cornflower

(You can off course substitute for whatever vegetables you have on hand that would taste good in a stir fry. My mother usually puts shitake mushrooms in her version of this recipe.)

1.      Either fry the tofu till crisp or grill the tofu (no need for oil if grilling). Reserve the soysauce mixture.

2.      Meanwhile either fry in a bit of oil or water simmer the onion until almost soft, then add the garlic, ginger, chili and cinnamon stick with a bit more water. Simmer for a few minutes.

3.      Add the chopped vegetables and stir fry until almost done – about 5-10 minutes depending what method you are using and your stove heat.

4.      Mix 1 teaspoon of cornflower into the reserved soysauce or into a little water. Add the tofu and the cornflower mixture to the pan with the vegetables. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until thickened.

5.      Remove the cinnamon stick and serve over jasmine rice.

What is Garam Masala?

Translated garam means “hot” and masala means “spices. The spice mix is common in the North Indian cuisine and is thought to create heat in the body in a different way from chilies. It gets bitterly cold in the winter in Northern Italy and whereas chillies cool the body by promoting perspiration, garam masala creates heat within, keeping it warm, and is why this spice is often preferred over using chilies in those parts of India.

There are a variety of garam masala available and you should try a few before deciding on one you like because a good garam masla is crucial to the flavor of a prepared dish.  

If you want to try making garam masala yourself here is a recipe I found from India’s Vegetarian cooking – by Monisha Bharadwaj, a highly recommended cookbook, it’s worth checking out just for beautiful the photos not only of recipes but all over India.

This makes enough for one curry for 4 people:

10 black peppercorns

1 t cumin seeds

Small stick of cinnamon

Seeds from 2-3 cardamom pods

3 cloves

Dry roast all the spices in a small saucepan for a couple of minutes until a delicious fragrance wafts up. Put the spices in a mortar and bash to a fine powder, or blitz in a coffee mill. Use at once.

Tofu Kebabs with Couscous

This recipe is one of my favourites, passed on to my from my mother. It smells delicious as the kebabs are grilling and tastes just as good. I like to make extra and eat more the next day as its very quick to grill them and prepare the couscous.
The only think you have to be really careful of is testing how hot the chili is before adding it to the blender because not only does the chili seem 10x stronger once pureed but the pineapple also brings out the heat mroe I think, and a few times I've made this almost too hot to eat (and I love chili).

serves 2-4 (depending on how much tofu you put on each skewer)

60mls lemon juice
60mls olive oil or 40ml pineapple juice and 20ml olive oil
60mls soy sauce
1 T tomato puree (not the paste) (This is Australian tablespoon so = 4 teaspoons)
1 green chilli, (seeded, chopped depending on heat)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp garam masala
pinch of fresh tyme

Combine all ingredients in good processor.

Marinate tofu for at least an hour or overnight.

Thread tofu onto skewers with vegetables and pineapple then grill.

Meanwhile heat remaining marinade and pour over cooked kebabs. Serve with couscous. (For extra flavour cook the couscous with vegie salt/stock.)

Egyptian Style Lentil Soup

This recipe is from Donna Klein's The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen." Apparently it has been a source of nourishment in Egypt since the beginning of history. I think you need to use a good quality vegetable broth for this, and she does not specify what type of lentils to use, but I used brown lentils. 

* this soup tastes great on its own, without the added lemon or the red onion, so its up to you to decide if you want the lemony taste or want to bother roasting the onion 

makes 6 servings

1 small red onion (about 4 ounces) sliced into very thin rings

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium yellow onions (about 6 ounces each) coarsely chopped

5 ounces (about 2 1/2 small) carrots, coarsely chopped

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

4 cups vegetal broth (use the recipe posted above, or low sodium canned) 

4 cups of water 

1/2 cups of lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 small dried hot red chili pepper, left whole, or cayenne pepper to taste (optional) 

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

juice of 1/2 large lemon (about 2 tablespoons) 

lemon wedges (optional) 

 Prehead the oven to 425F (220C). Place the red onion in a pan and toss with 2 T oil. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 15 min or until  soften and fragrant. (For your health, i don't recommand using foil - use a lid instead) Remove from the oven an dlet stand, covered, until ready to use.

Meanwhile, in a large stockpot, heat the remaining oil over medium-low heat. Add the yellow onions, carrots, celery, garlic, cumin, and fennel seeds and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the broth, water, lentils and chili if using, season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce the heat partially cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Uncover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally or until the lentils are very tender and the broth is slightly thickened. Remove and discard the chilie. Stir in the reserved red onion and the lemon juice. Season with additional salt and pepper as necessary. Serve hot, passing hte lemon wedges separately if desired.