Soba Noodle Broth.

Chef's note - I used bok choy in this, and added 2 tbsp of mirin, as well as 3/4 tbsp sugar.    I also sauteed the vegetables slightly before adding the stock.

The more ginger you use, the better it is.  Serve with hot chili sauce and tamari on the table so people may add accoutrements as they see fit.

Ingredients

• Around 4 Oz packet of Buckwheat Soba Noodles, cooked as per packet instructions
• 3-4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 1 liter of water or vegetable stock
• 1 cup snow peas, cut into thin strips
• 1 large carrot, cut into thin strips
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3-4 spring onions, sliced
• Less than 1 inch piece of ginger, cut into julienne strips
• 2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or as per taste)
• Few cilantro sprigs for garnish
• Salt if needed, to taste

Method

1

Once the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse it lightly with cold water. set aside.

2

Meanwhile, combine the water/stock, mushrooms, snow peas, carrot, garlic,onions and ginger in a saucepan. bring it to a boil and then simmer in low heat for few more minutes until vegetables are tender.

3

Add the soy sauce and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

4

Divide the noodles among soup bowls.

5

Ladle the hot liquid on top of the noodles

and Serve Hot garnished with cilantro. You can add few tbsp of mirin or sake  along the soy sauce if using.

Kickass never-fail roasted Japanese mushrooms.

1/8 cup olive oil 1/8 cup sesame oil 4-5 tablespoons tamari 2 glugs and 1 splash of white wine

Stir vigorously as the ingredients tend to separate. Set aside. Take a pound of fresh, whole Shiitake mushrooms. Cut the stems from the caps. Place gills facing up. Do not slice mushrooms. (The stems can be dried and used for a soup base or discarded.) Pour the above sauce onto the mushrooms and stir, making sure the gills become saturated with the sauce. In a 350° F oven, bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

Watermelon with lime and maple syrup.

Ingredients

1 watermelon, chilled and sliced

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Zest from one lime

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup mint, chopped

Cooking Directions

Place the watermelon slices on a decorative platter. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, zest and maple syrup. Drizzle over the slices of watermelon. Sprinkle the mint over the slices of dressed watermelon and serve immediately.

Lentil Shepherd's Pie.

Recipe: Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Mash

ingredients:

• 1 cup lentils, green or French, rinsed
• 2 lbs potatoes or sweet potato (I used 3 large potatoes and 1 sweet potato)
• 2 Tablespoons Nuttelex
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspooon apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup
• 5 drops Tabasco sauce
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• Salt and pepper

method:

1. Place lentils in a medium pot and cover with an inch of cold water. Add a pinch of salt, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes until cooked. It is okay if they are not completely cooked, they will cook further later. Drain.
2. While lentils are cooking, peel and roughly chop potatoes. Place in a pot and cover with cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender.
3. Drain potatoes and mash. Add Nuttelex and soy milk and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a medium pot and add chopped onion. Sautée for a few minutes until soft. Add cumin, thyme, cooked lentils, vinegar, ketchup, tabasco sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
5. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring lentils to a simmer. Cook for another five minutes or so, stirring often, to let the flavors come together.

assembly:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place seasoned lentils in the bottom of a medium baking dish. Spread to cover the bottom. Top with corn kernels. Add mashed potatoes on top and spread evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes until heated through. Serve hot.

CHEF'S* NOTE:

I cooked the lentils for much longer than 20 minutes...added more water/stock, a little tamari (as I like things very salty), another tbsp of tomato sauce for sweetness, and about 1 1/2 tbsp of tomato paste.  Kept adding water until everything was soft and mixed together.  Also added mushrooms to this recipe - they're 'meat for vegetarians', according to that offensively jaunty commercial.

*That's right, on this blog I refer to myself as 'chef'.  What's it to you?

Japanese feast from last Monday's Q and A night.

Vegan okonomiyaki

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vegie stock powder
• 1 tablespoon miso paste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup water (or more)
• 1/4 savoy or red cabbage, chopped
• 1/2 brown onion, diced
• 5 spring onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1/4 carrot, diced finely
• vegan mayonnaise and tonkatsu sauce

Method

1. Mix up batter by putting the flour, baking powder, stock, soy sauce and miso in a large mixing bowl. Add water until a pancake-like batter consistency has been reached.
2. Add the vegetable fillings (cabbage, brown onion, garlic and carrot, but you could use any vegetables) and mix through the batter.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan and spoon batter into the pan. Cook on both sides until slightly golden (about 2 minutes both sides).
4. Serve with tonkatsu sauce or tomato sauce and mayo with chopped spring onions sprinkled on top and cucumber on the side.
5. This recipe makes enough for 4 savory pancakes. Double the recipe and use 1/2 small cabbage to feed 4 people dinner.

Vegan okonomiyaki sauce

Makes about 1/2 cup

What You Need:

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

What You Do:

1. In a small saucepan, mix together all ingredients until smooth. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Turn heat down to low and simmer for a minute and a half and serve warm.

Teriyaki tempeh

1 pack of tempeh, about 8 oz
1 T oil

1/4 c honey (or brown sugar if you're vegan)

1/4 c soy sauce (gf)

1/4 c rice vinegar

1 chopped up hot chili, or 1/2 t chili flakes

2 T sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4" piece of ginger, skinned and grated

Cut up the tempeh into thin strips, then cut in half. Heat up the oil in a large pan, and toss in the tempeh. Cook about ten minutes, flipping each slice after a few minutes when the first side is browned. Stir together the sauce ingredients, and pour over the tempeh. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Serve over brown rice. 

PLUS:

Broccoli salad with sesame dressing.

I blanched two heads of broccoli and ran them under cold water.  Toasted some slivered almonds under the grill.  Tossed these with the dressing, then added some diced avocado right at the end.  IT WAS VERY GOOD ACTUALLY.

DRESSING.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp ground white sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl.
2. Add ground sesame seeds and sesame oil in the dressing and stir together.

Spring Vegetable Soup.

SPRING VEGETABLE SOUP (from Sunday Life, 11/09/11)

25g Nuttelex
1 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks (white part and 5 cm green part only, cut into 1cm slices)
1 bulb fennel, finely diced
3 potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
sea salt and black pepper
1 litre Massel chicken stock
1 bunch asparagus, sliced into small discs (leave tips intact)
1 cup fresh shelled green peas (I used frozen)
dollop vegan pesto


Place butter, oil, leek, fennel, potato, garlic and 1/2 tsp salt in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook, covered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened and potatoes are just cooked.  Add chicken stock and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add asparagus and peas, and simmer for five minutes longer or until vegetables are just tender.

Season to taste, then serve with a dollop of fresh pesto.