Thai Salad

This is a fantastic tasting and filling noodle/salad dish that is from the January 2012 edition of Australian Women's Health.

makes 2 servings

- 110g extra-firm tofu drained and cut into 2cm cubes
- 110g buckwheat soba noodles
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 red capsicum, sliced into 3cm strips
- 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame, microwaved for 1 minute and cooled
- 2 tbs chopped coriander
- 2 tsp black seasme seeds ( i just toasted white ones)

Dressing

- 1 tbs creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbs rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbs reduced-salt soy sauce
- 2 tbs fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp brown sugar

1.combine all dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor or whisk together until smooth.

2. Toss 1 tablespoon dressing with tofu and set aside to marinate. Reseve rest of dressing.

3. Cook noodles according to package directions then drain and rinse.

4. In a large bowl, toss cooked noodles with remaining dressing.

5. Add carrot, red capsicum, edamame, coriander and mairnated tofu. Toss gently.

6. Sprinkle with seasame seeds. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.

"Honey" and Mustard Tofu Penne

This is a veganised version of a recipe from Women's fitness magazine.

serves 2

50g wholewheat penne pasta
140g tofu
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
50 mushrooms, sliced
3-5 cherry tomatos, halved
1/4 tablespoon light mayonnaise (soy)
1 tsp wholegrain mustart
1/4 tablespoon agave syrup

1. cook the penne pasta according to the instructions on the packet, then drain.

2. Meanwhile cook the tofu under a grill until cooked, turned halfway, then cut into bit-sized chunks.

3, heat oil in large frying pan, add onion and garlic, cook for 3 min or until onion softens. Add the celery, mushrooms and tomatos and cook for 5 min or until the mushrooms soften.

4. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard and agave syrup in a separate bowl. Then add the sauce to the pan, along with the penne and tofu. Stir well and serve.

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.