Vegan pho.

CHEF'S NOTE: 

Rather than char the onion and ginger on a flame, I just put them in the pot and dry roasted them along with all the other aromatics.  I also added shiitake mushrooms to the broth.  Next time I'd use more soy sauce and Massel (vego) chicken stock.  DELICIOUS MONDAY FARE.


Vegetarian Phở (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
Serves 2
Broth
1 large onion, peeled and halved
2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and halved lengthwise
3-inch cinnamon stick, preferably Vietnamese cassia-cinnamon
1 star anise
2 cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4 cups unsalted vegetable stock
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
Noodles
1/2 pound dried flat rice noodles (known as bánh phở; use 1/16", 1/8", or 1/4" width depending on availability and preference)
Toppings (optional)
Protein such as fried or baked tofu, bean curd skin, or seitan
Mushrooms
Vegetables such as bok choy, napa cabbage, or broccoli
Garnishes
1/2 onion, very thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 chile pepper (Thai bird, serrano, or jalapeño), sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Large handful of herbs: cilantro, Thai basil, culantro/saw-leaf herb
Hoisin sauce, sriracha (optional)
For the broth
Char onion and ginger over an open flame (holding with tongs) or directly under a broiler until slightly blackened, about 5 minutes on each side. Rinse with water.
In a large pot, dry roast cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and coriander over medium-low heat, stirring to prevent burning. When spices are aromatic, add vegetable stock, soy sauce, carrots, and charred onion and ginger.
Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain and keep hot until ready to serve.
For the noodles
While broth is simmering, place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand for 20-30 minutes or until tender but still chewy. Drain. (If soaking does not soften the noodles enough, blanch them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds.)
For the toppings (optional)
While broth is simmering, prepare toppings as desired – slice and cook tofu, lightly steam or blanch vegetables, etc. Toppings should be unseasoned or only lightly seasoned so as not to interfere with the flavor of the broth.
To serve
Divide noodles between two bowls. Arrange toppings over noodles. Ladle about 2 cups of broth into each bowl. Serve with garnishes on the side, which diners should add to taste.

Cauliflower and mushroom risotto with broccoli slaw.

CHEF'S NOTE: The risotto is from Vegangela and was so rich and creamy.  The slaw is from my darling Carla - I salted the dressing (surprise).  As she says, just taste it until it feels right.


Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 450g mushrooms, chopped (I used just oyster, but any mix would be great)
• 1 head cauliflower, grated (either by hand or food processor)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup onion, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 6 Tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegan margarine
• pepper, to taste
• truffle oil

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet and cook the mushrooms until tender; set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions and garlic for a few minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
3. Add the cauliflower and wine, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the wine has evaporated.
4. Add the broth, reduce the heat and cover, letting it cook a few minutes. You’ll want the cauliflower to be “al dente” with a little texture so it isn’t just mush.
5. Meanwhile, pulse together the pine nuts, nutritional yeast, and salt until it forms a powdery consistency.
6. Remove the cauliflower from the heat and stir in the nut mixture until well combined. Stir in the margarine and season with pepper, to taste.
7. Stir in the mushrooms and drizzle some truffle oil on top before serving.

Serves 4-6 sides


BROCCOLI SLAW:

ingredients
2 heads of broccoli, roughly chopped
1/2 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries, (you guessed it) roughly chopped
1/2 small red onion, (to mix it up) finely chopped

buttermilk dressing
1/2 cup soy cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1-2 tablespoons rice milk

method
1. Make buttermilk dressing by whisking together the cream cheese and vinegars.  Whisk in the first tablespoon of milk and taste to see (depending on what kind of milk you use you may only need 1 tablespoon). Dressing should be tangy and creamy. Whisk in another tablespoon of milk if need be or a little bit more apple cider vinegar. This dressing needs a bit of playing around with. Thin out with a little water if you need to.

2. Drizzle the dressing in the big salad bowl full of deliciousness. Toss to dress. This keeps for quite a few days. 

Raw pad thai.

CHEF'S NOTE: This is from the lovely Vegangela - http://www.vegangela.com.  And it was SO FREAKING GOOD.

• 2 medium zucchinis
• 2 large carrots
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts or radish sprouts (spicy) (optional)
• 1/2 cup crushed peanuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro (optional)
• Sauce
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup almond butter (or cashew butter, or a blend of both)
• 2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tamari (select a wheat free version for gluten-free diets)
• 2 tbsp agave (or maple syrup)
• 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger root, grated

Instructions

1. Use a spiralizer (or mandolin or vegetable peeler) to create noodles from the carrot and zucchini. Place them in a large mixing bowl and top with the other vegetables.
2. Whisk sauce ingredients in a bowl. The sauce will be thick, but will thin out after it’s mixed with the vegetables.
3. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss.

Pumpkin, spinach and ricotta lasagna.

 CHEF'S NOTE: 

Another one of Carla's from EAVP.  I love her so much.  We salted the shit out of the bechamel, for taste.  Just salt everything til it fits.  Then eat it.

pumpkin sauce (first layer)

2 cups of pureed pumpkin (I roasted 1/4 pumpkin in its skin)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Pinch white pepper and cayenne
1/4 cup of stock

Whizz in a food processor until smooth.

grilled zucchini, spinach and ricotta layer

1 medium zucchini
half a bunch of silverbeet or english spinach, wilted, rinsed and wrung of water
1 recipe of tofu ricotta

Slice the zucchini .5 cm thick length ways, rub with olive oil and salt and either grill or bake in a hot oven until brown-ish.

bechamel sauce (top layer)

There are many many different ways to make bechamel sauce. The authentic French way takes a million years, I don't have a million years. I combine equal amounts fat and flour (so oil or marg) usually about 1/4 of a cup of each and heat for about a minute. Then stir in about 3/4 litre of milk slowly, once it starts to boil, reduce to a simmer and this is when it should start to really thicken. You may need to add more milk or flour after a few minutes. Voila! I'm sure if you really wanted to make an authentic one or have never made white sauce before, please look it up on the web!

layering

Smooth pumpkin mixture on the bottom and add a layer of lasagne noodles. I layered the spinach first, then tofu ricotta then grilled zucchinis, another layer of noodles and finally bechamel and a sprinkling of Cheezly.

Bake in the oven at 200 for about 40 minutes or until the top browns (all the ingredients are already cooked so its just a marination/browning process).

Mushroom quiche with chili almond asparagus.

HELLO!  Another Tuesday night in watching mindless television.  Hoping Michael will win Big Brother.  That I even care terrifies me.

In terms of the quiche, I simply cooked the mushrooms as follows:

Ingredients:

• 4 T. olive oil, divided
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 12 ounces crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil (I used 1T dried thyme)
• 1 1/2 t. salt, divided. 
•  
• In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 T. of the olive oil, adding the onions once hot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are just softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 8 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly caramelized. Add the remaining olive oil, white wine, garlic, fresh basil, 1/2 t. salt and red pepper flakes and cook until the mushrooms have absorbed the liquid and the garlic smells fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Set aside.  
• The rest of the recipe should run as per Carla's tart:
• http://www.easyasveganpie.net/2010/10/i-had-3-week-old-head-of-organic.html
•  
• 
  Chili Almond Asparagus
  Serves two to four as a side
  1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds, roughly crushed and divided
  1 Tbs Powdered Soup Stock (I used Massel Chicken)
  2 tsp Red Chili Flakes
  1 lb Asparagus Spears, trimmed
  2 Carrots, peeled
  2 tsp Peanut Oil (or any kind you like)
  1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil (or any other kind)
  Fresh Zest and juice of 1 Lemon
  Preheat oven to 450º F.
  Roughly crush the almonds so that most are ground fairly fine, but there are some larger pieces of almonds left in the mix. Mix together 1/2 of the ground almonds, the soup stock powder, and the chili flakes.
  Trim the carrots to the same length, roughly, as the asparagus spears. Half the carrots lengthwise, then quarter them, and continue cutting each piece lengthwise until you have lots of long, flexible, thin strips of carrots.
   

Mujadarah with roast beetroot and Dijon dressing.

CHEF'S NOTE: Mujadarah with caramelised onions is such an easy and delicious dish.

I fry up an onion, add 1tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp allspice, then add 1 cup brown lentils, 3 - 4 cups stock...simmer for ten minutes then add 1 cup long grain rice.  Cook til absorbed.

While this is happening, caramelise the hell out some onions - I slice four or five, cover them in a buttload of olive oil, and fry on medium low for over and hour til they are brown and delicious.


Top the lentils and rice with fresh parsley and the onion mix.

A tahini dressing is always good on the side with this too.


Tonight I also roasted some beetroots as a side dish.  Will serve them with walnuts and the dressing below.  I used red wine vinegar instead of white.  LOVELY.

For the dressing:

• 3 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tblsp white wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• sea salt and ground black pepper

Chewy oatmeal raisin cookies.

CHEF'S NOTE: Thursday afternoon.  Bored four-year-old.  We made these and they were ENORMOUS.  Everything has gone quiet since they came out of the oven.  I'm guessing that's a good sign.

From http://veganyumyum.com/.

Giant Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

1 Cup vegan margarine, softened
1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Egg replacer for 2 eggs
1 1/4 Cups Flour
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Cups Oats (rolled)
1 1/2 Cups Raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add egg replacer eggs and beat until well blended. In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to margarine mixture until well blended. Stir in oats, raisins, and nuts (if using). On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or a nonstick cookie sheet) drop the dough by 1/4 cupfuls and pat down slightly. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Let stand for 3 minutes before removing from baking sheet.

Makes 2 dozen giant cookies

Variations:
For smaller cookies, drop the dough by tablespoons onto the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Makes 5 dozen.

A Wednesday Thai feast.

So we thought a Thai feast would be in order for a planning meeting regarding an overseas trip.  HELL YES.  Bought excellent dumplings at the Asian supermarket on Sydney road and made everything else from scratch.  Our guests even knocked back dessert (chocolate Coyo ice-cream with strawberries and desiccated coconut).  That's the sign of a good dinner.  I think.  Or maybe they just hated our cooking so much they wanted to go home and puke.


Also - CHEF'S NOTES.  We added pumpkin and broccoli to the curry, as well as topping it with bean shoots and fried shallots (funions!).  We also cooked the curry for a lot longer (to let the vegetables soften, we thought the eggplant was a bit undercooked). 

And with the mushroom stir-fry - we simply used mixed Asian mushrooms.  They are in season at the moment and SO GRAND.


Okay, I'm done.  Go be Thai.


DUMPLING DIPPING SAUCE:

(via taste.com.au)

Ingredients
1 small red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp sesame oil
5 tbs (100ml) light soy sauce
2 tbs Chinese rice wine (shaohsing)*
2 tsp brown sugar


Whisk together.  DONE.


*Dry sherry will substitute.


RED CURRY:

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• PASTE:
• 3 shallots OR 1 small cooking onion, diced
• 1 stalk lemongrass (see instructions below) OR 2 Tbsp. ready-bought lemongrass (available frozen at most Asian stores)
• 1-3 red chillies (depending on desired spiciness) or 1-3 teaspoons Thai red chilli sauce
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal, peeled and sliced (may be substituted with ginger)
• ¼ tsp. white pepper (may be substituted with black pepper)
• 2 Tbsp. chilli powder
• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, ground with pestle & mortar (or a coffee-grinder)
• 3 Tbsp. regular (light) soy sauce or tamari
• 1 kaffir lime leaf
• ½ tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. dried turmeric (or 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh turmeric, sliced)
• OTHER:
• 10-15 cherry tomatoes, or 3-4 regular tomatoes, sliced
• 3-4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 small Japanese eggplant, sliced into bite-size pieces (do not peel, as there are vitamins in the skin)
• 1 sweet red pepper, or 1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• optional: 1 small sweet potato (or yam), peeled and cut into cubes
• ½ cup fresh Thai holy basil leaves OR sweet basil
• 1 package wheat gluten “chicken” or “beef”, OR 1 package firm tofu cut into bite-size cubes
• 1 to 2 cans coconut milk (depending on how mild you like your curry, or how much sauce you prefer)

Preparation:

1. For complete instructions on how to buy and cook with lemongrass, see: All About Lemongrass: Your Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking with Lemongrass.
2. To make the paste, place all paste ingredients in a food processor.
3. Add ½ can of the coconut milk and process into a paste.
4. Place paste, wheat gluten or tofu, remaining 1/2 can coconut milk, and limes leaves in a casserole dish.
5. Stir well until paste is thoroughly mixed with the other ingredients.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Then remove from oven and add vegetables. Stir well. (Note: if you prefer more sauce, or if you find the curry tastes too spicy, add 1/2 can more coconut milk.)
7. After another 10 minutes, remove from oven. Check to make sure vegetables are cooked to your liking.
8. Do a taste test for salt and spice. If not salty enough, add up to 2 Tbsp. more soy sauce (or season with sea salt). If not spicy enough, add another red chilli, sliced finely, OR 1-2 tsp. Thai chilli sauce. If too salty, add up to 2 Tbsp. lime juice. If too spicy, add a little more coconut milk (yogurt will work too if you are non-vegan) and stir well.
9. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves (these can be roughly chopped if too large), and serve with plenty of Thai fragrant rice (white or brown) for a nutritionally complete and satisfying meal.

KYLIE KWONG'S STIR-FRIED MUSHROOMS:



Ingredients:

Serve as part of a banquet for 4

3 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon malt vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil
5 cm × 2 cm knob (20 g) ginger, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
250 g king brown mushrooms, cut into 5 mm thick slices
6 Braised Chinese Mushrooms, halved on the diagonal
2 small sticks celery, cut into 5 mm thick slices on the diagonal
3 tablespoons shao hsing wine or dry sherry
Method

Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat peanut oil in a hot wok until the surface seems to shimmer slightly.

Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 10 seconds.

Add all of the mushrooms and stir-fry for 2½ minutes or until lightly golden and

just tender.

Add celery and cook for 10 seconds. Add wine or sherry and cook for 1 minute.

Add soy sauce mixture and stir-fry for 30 seconds, tossing to coat everything in the sauce.

Serve immediately.

Home-made vegan Oreos.

 

CHEF'S NOTE: 

These turned out very big for me - almost like 'melting moments', or brownies with a filling!  I'd press them down so they were flatter next time.  They were very rich and delicious...and so sweet they kept my feller's kids up til at least 11:30.  You have been warned.

 

Homemade Oreo Cookies

(Adapted by a delightful recipe on Smitten Kitchen)

Chocolate Waifers:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons corn starch (corn flour)
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks)  margarine (at room temperature)
• ¼ cup soy buttermilk, (soy milk combined with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar)

Filling:

• ¼ cup margarine
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 375°F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, corn starch, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar.
3. In a separate bowl combine the margarine and the soy buttermilk. Mix well.
4. Add the margarine mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the dough begins sticking together, forming a ball.
5. Roll the cookie dough into 1″ balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Leave about two inches between cookie balls. Dip the bottom of a glass in water and then sugar and use that sugary glass bottom to slightly flatten the cookie dough balls. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool cookies on a rack.
6. In between cookie batches, make your cream by combining margarine and shortening in a mixing bowl. Mix at low speed until well-combined and then gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla. Once all ingredients are well-incorporated, rev up your engines and mix on high for two to three minutes so that the filling gets nice and fluffy! Test your filling to make sure it’s smooth enough to spread. If not, you might want to add a teaspoon of soymilk at a time to get to a spreadable consistency.
7. Cookie Assembly. Spread one tablespoon or so of the filling on the flat side of one of the cookie wafers. Place the flat side of another cookie wafer on the filling to make a sandwich. Continue on until all the cookies are complete.

Carrot, broccoli and mungbean salad with tamari lime dressing.

CHEF'S NOTE: I make this a lot, and it keeps reasonably well so long as you don't drench it in dressing.  I never use the cucumber or spring onions - though I do like to add tamari almonds at the end, for deliciousness.

Ingredients

Serves: 8

• 3 cups grated carrots
• 2 cups broccoli coleslaw or finely julienned broccoli stalks
• 2 cups mung bean sprots
• 1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and julienned
• 2 cups (2 bunches) fresh coriander chopped finely
• 1 bunch of spring onions sliced finely
• 
  
• To make the dressing:
• just over 1/2 cup cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 Tbsp cold pressed sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp agave nectar
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp wheat-free tamari
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp fresh minced green chilli depending on the heat
• 3 - 4 tsp freshly minced garlic

Preparation method

Prep: 10 minutes

1.

Toss all of the vegetables together with the coriander.

2.

Place all of the dressing ingredients except the chilli and garlic in your blender and pulse a few times until well combined.

3.

Then stir in the garlic and chilli.

4.

Pour the dressing over the salad and season to taste.

5.

Garnish with sesame seeds or chopped raw nuts if desired. YUM

A Greek feast to welcome the boy home.

CHEF'S NOTE: I missed my feller when he went away so I decided to cook a big Greek feast for his return.  Two of these recipes were from Veganomicon - the baked beans and the lemony potatoes.  The sauteed silverbeet recipe was from Stephanie Alexander.

I used cannellini beans instead of lima beans and could have cooked them longer, though they were still delicious.

I also used a helluva lot more olive oil in the sauteed silverbeet, and squeezed some lemon juice and salt on the top at the end.  THIS WAS SO DELICIOUS AND BUTTERY I DON'T KNOW HOW.

With regard to the lemony potatoes...I'm surprised I didn't get a marriage proposal last night, they were that good.  Maybe he'll ask me today.

x

Veganomicon Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans

Minutes to Prepare: 35

Minutes to Cook: 60

Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 Pound dried lima beans
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 small carrot
1 (28-oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 T tomato paste
1 T agave nectar or maple syrup
1 T dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
Pinch ground nutmeg
Black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 T finely chopped fresh mint

Directions

1. Cook lima beans for 30 minutes, researve 1 cup of liquid and dissolve bouillon cube in it.
2. Sautee onion, garlic and carrot together
3. Add in tomatoes and other seasonings and cook for 10-12 minutes
4. In a lightly oiled casserole dish, place beans, sauce, parsley and thyme.
5. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
6. Remove lid and bake for 10-15 minutes to reduce the sauce and give the beans a dry finish
7. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving


Lemony Roasted Potatoes
(From the cookbook “Veganomicon- The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook” by Isa Chandra Moskiwitz & Terry Hope Romero)
2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (medium to small potatoes work best)
1/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley or dried oregano (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the potatoes, slice in half lengthwise, and slice each half into wedges no more then 3/4″ thick.

In a large, deep baking pan or casserole dish (at least 10 17-inches or bigger), combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vegetable broth, oregano, salt, and tomato paste. Add the peeled, sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and toss the potatoes to cover with the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil (or use lid of casserole dish), place in the oven, and bake for 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are almost done. Several times during the baking process, remove the pan from the oven, uncover, stir the potatoes, place the cover back, and return the pan to the oven.
Uncover the pan one last time, stir the potatoes again, and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15-20 minutes, until most of the sauce has evaporated and some of the potatoes have just started to brown on their edges. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and/or more dried oregano before serving.
serves 4-6

Silverbeet,Pine Nuts, and Currants
Adapted from Stephanie Alexander's 'The Cooks Companion'



Approx 12 stalks of silverbeet with the leaves
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used three)
1/2 cup of dried currants or raisins
80g pine nuts, toasted
Chopped parsley

• Separate the leaves from the stalks. Chop the stalks into small dices, roll the leaves up into a cylinder and slice so that they are shredded.
• Heat half the olive oil in a heavy based pan and add the onion, cook until soft and slightly browned.
• Add the chard stems and garlic and cook for at least 5 minutes or until the stalks are tender. 
• Add the leaves drizzled with the rest of the oil and place the lid on to steam until the leaves are soft.
• Add the pine nuts and currants and toss to combine.

Matt Preston's poached nashi pears.

CHEF'S NOTE: I love Matt Preston.  I considered dressing up like him in faux-skin cowdy boots and a white suit whilst making this, but decided against it at the last minute.

I am going to serve this to Calf tonight with Cocoluscious Mango ice-cream and lemon zest.

Ingredients:

• 6 nashi pears
• 500ml light red wine (use a cheap pinot)
• 500ml water
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 1 orange
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 cup caster sugar

Method:

1. 1Pick a saucepan that is wide enough to hold all six nashi pears cosily side by side.
2. 2Cut out a circle of baking paper a little smaller than the saucepan. Keep it handy. Pour red wine, water, cinnamon and sugar into a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Using a vegetable peeler, cut two long strips of orange zest and add to wine mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. 3Split the vanilla pod, scraping the seeds into the wine mixture and add the split pod. Peel nashi pears, leaving on stalks. Place into liquid.
4. 4Top up poaching liquid with water so the pears just float. Cover with the baking paper. Poach for an hour or until the pears get soft and almost jellylike. Remove from heat and leave pears to infuse in the poaching liquid for 10 minutes.
5. 5Remove pears and reserve liquid. Remove zest and cinnamon quill. Return saucepan to heat and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce to a syrup – will probably take about 10 minutes.
6. 6Serve pears at room temperature, drizzled with reduced syrup

Ottolenghi's incredible vegan laksa.

CHEF'S NOTE:

This was so good, we were both sniffing and simmering like crazy in front of last night's Q and A (and I usually simmer in front of that anyway). 

A few notes:

1. I used Massel (vegan) chicken stock instead of vegetable stock.  I prefer the saltiness of Massel chicken stock with coconut milk.

2. We roasted half a butternut pumpkin and added it just before serving.

3. Instead of french beans we added choy sum (again, just before serving or else it goes brown), and instead of tofu puffs we just cut up some marinated tofu, along with tinned baby corn. Calf also put in some dried shiitake mushrooms early on in the piece, to give them time to soak up the soup.

4. We didn't use curry powder.  This laksa is perfect without it.

5. We topped it with fresh coriander, fresh mint, bean shoots (don't put them into boiling water first, I love Ottolenghi but this is clearly an idiotic instruction), fried shallots and cashew nuts.

YOU WILL LIKE THIS. x

100g peeled baby shallots
8 garlic cloves
25g peeled ginger, sliced
15g lemongrass (soft white stem only), sliced
2 tsp ground coriander
3 large dried red chillies
2 tbsp sambal oelek (or other savoury chilli paste)
4 tbsp vegetable oil
50g fresh coriander 
1¼ litres vegetable stock
3 branches laksa leaves (aka kesum leaves), or curry leaves, or both
2 tsp curry powder
1½ tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
400ml coconut milk
100g rice vermicelli noodles
300g bean sprouts
150g french beans, trimmed and halved
250g fried tofu puffs (optional)
4 limes, halved

Put the first seven ingredients in a small food processor bowl. Add half the oil, and the roots and stems of the fresh coriander, and process to a semi-smooth paste.

Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and fry the spice paste on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring all the time – you want to cook it slowly without burning. Add the stock, laksa branches, curry powder, salt, sugar and coconut milk, simmer gently for 30 minutes, then taste and add more salt if necessary.

Once the broth is done, steep the rice noodles in boiling water for three minutes and drain. Throw the bean sprouts into a pan of boiling water, drain at once and refresh. Cook the beans in boiling water for three minutes, drain and refresh.

Just before serving, remove and discard the laksa branches (the leaves can stay in the soup). Add the beans, noodles and half the sprouts, ladle into large bowls and top with the remaining sprouts, tofu puffs and shredded coriander leaves. Squeeze lime juice on top and throw one half of squeezed lime into each bowl.

Walnut crusted tofu cutlets.

CHEF'S NOTE - I put more tamari and salt in here for taste...basically, stick your finger in it and make sure it tastes delicious of its own accord before you put it on the tofu...salt, my friends, salt!

Ingredients

• Tofu marinade:
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 medium/large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained well
• Tahini spread:
• ¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 
  
• Coconut-walnut crust:
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoon dried, unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoon minced Italian parsley (or basil, dill, cilantro or another herb)
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin or chili powder, optional
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. To marinate the tofu, place 2 tablespoons of tamari, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of water and the garlic in a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish and stir well. Slice the tofu lengthwise to form 4 cutlets. Slice each cutlet in half diagonally to make 8 triangles. Place the cutlets in the casserole dish to marinate for 5 minutes, flipping occasionally.
3. Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake the cutlets in the marinade for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce: in a small bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of tamari and mix well. Depending upon the consistency of the tahini, you may need to add some more water for a smooth consistency. Set aside.
5. To make the crust: in another small bowl, combine the walnuts, coconut, parsley, ground cumin, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt and stir well.
6. Remove the tofu from the oven. Spread a thin layer of tahini sauce on each cutlet and top with the walnut crust. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown, before serving.
   
   

Zucchini, carrot and walnut loaf.

ingredients
2 cups of self raising flour
1 tsp of bicarb soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of roughly chopped walnuts
3 eggs lightly beaten (I used egg replacer, you could use a small mashed banana or half a cup of mashed tofu)
1/2 cup of oil (your choice)
1 cup of grated carrot
1 cup of grated zucchini (squeezed to the remove the juice)
1/2 cup of grated apple (squeezed to remove the juice)

method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a deep loaf pan. 

2. Sift flour and bicarb soda, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir in sugar and walnuts.

3. Combine egg replacement and oil in a jug. Mix egg mixture, carrot, apple and zucchini into flour mixture until well combined. Spoon mixture into prepared loaf pan. Smooth top. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool. Ice!

cream cheese icing
I read quite a few recipes on the web, which calls for a tub of toffutti cream cheese (I use the Kingland stuff where possible I think its much nicer) and 1 cup of icing sugar. I just added icing sugar until it was a consistency I liked (I think about 3 cups). It was a BUTTLOAD of icing and iced 3 cakes so beware!