Nasu dengaku with garlic bok choy and roasted cashews

This was a fair smash.  I would roast the eggplant longer - I had large eggplants and they needed more time in the oven.  Aside from that 10/10 would cook again and the cashews elicited some beautiful GASPS


MISO ROASTED EGGPLANT:

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium sized black eggplants
• generous pinch of sea salt flakes
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons cooking sake
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar
• 1 tablespoon Shiaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
• 80g white miso paste
• white and black sesame seeds, finely sliced chives, micro herb –  to garnish

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C (convection)/180C (fan-forced).
2. Wash the eggplants and pat dry. Cut the eggplants in half, length wise.
3. Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern in the flesh of the eggplant as shown in the pictures.
4. Place the eggplants cut side up in a shallow rimmed baking tray.
5. Sprinkle with salt and gently rub the salt over the flesh.
6. Rest for 30 minutes.
7. Using a paper towel, pat the flesh of the eggplant and blot the water droplets that have formed on the surface. Brush off any salt flakes that remain.
8. Place mirin, sake, Shiaoxing wine, sugar, sesame oil, ginger and miso paste in a small heavy bottomed saucepan on medium. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
9. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the miso sauce over the cut side of the eggplants.
10. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes until starting to brown and tender.
11. Remove from the oven. Brush more miso sauce to glaze the eggplants. Scatter chives and micro herbs. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot with coconut rice and radish pickles.

How to cook bok choy

1. We want to keep our baby bok choy somewhat intact, so the first thing we want to do is either halve or quarter each stalk (depending on the size of the bok choy) and wash under cold running water.
2. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the oil. Swirl to coat the entire surface of the pan. As soon as the oil is hot, add the garlic and the shallots, and sautè for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.
3. Add the bok choy, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Toss and cover. Cook for approximately 2 minutes before uncovering, tossing, and covering. Continue to cook the bok choy until white parts reach desired doneness (I have found that this varies from person to person as some people prefer crunchier bok choy, while others prefer a more well-done stir-fry).
4. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, if using, and drizzle with additional sesame oil, if desired.                                             Step 1: Preparing the Cashews
5. • 1 cup raw cashews
   • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
   • 1 tbsp sriracha hot sauce
   • 1 tbsp agave (or sweetener of choice)
   • 1 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari)
   • 2 tsp raw hemp seeds, optional
   • 2 tsp raw sesame seeds, optional

   Method 

   To start, preheat the oven to 350ºF (175°C).

   To prepare the cashews, in a medium-sized bowl, mix together the sesame oil, sriracha, agave and soy sauce.

   Next, add the hemp, sesame seeds, and cashews to the bowl and thoroughly mix to combine.

   Step 2: Roasting the Cashews

   • 1 tsp lime zest, optional
   • finishing salt (such as fleur de sel), optional

   Method 

   To roast the cashews, pour onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast the cashews for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure they do not burn. The cashews on the outside will likely start to color first, so be sure to carefully stir the nuts so that they cook and color evenly.

   Once done, carefully slide the parchment from the baking tray and add the lime zest, if using. As soon as the nuts are just cool enough to handle, taste for seasoning, adding a touch of salt, if needed.

   Serve the cashews on their own as bar nuts, or use them in salads, such as this Asian Kale & Coconut Salad.

   The cashews will keep for several days, if stored in an airtight container.

The best fucking bolognese ever

I'm not even sure I can talk about how great this bolognese was.  I didn't have any mushrooms so used two cups of TVP.  I CAN'T WAIT TO MAKE IT WITH MUSHROOMS, maybe some porcini as well?  It is INTENSELY rich, I mean WHO BAKES A BOLOGNESE FOR 90 MINUTES these freaking goldens that's who.

Also replaced agar agar with a tablespoon of tomato paste.  Honestly, this was magical.  I'm in love and the world is so weird.....and so great.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 celery stalks, finely diced
• 2 ounces raw walnuts (just under half a cup)
• 3 cups raw mushrooms, halved (about 10-12 cremini)
• 3/4 cup TVP mince (dry)
• Herbs: 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme , 1/4 teaspoon dried sage, 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon white miso
• 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon agar agar
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup oat milk (or other non-dairy)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Once the oil is hot, add the carrots, onions, and celery. Saute for 10 minutes, until softened.
3. Meanwhile, place the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse into coarse pieces. Add the mushrooms and continue to pulse until the consistency of the mixture resembles the photo above.
4. Once the vegetables on the stove are soft, add the dry TVP and mix well. Cook for 3 minutes to allow the TVP to toast and absorb the oil.
5. Add another two tablespoons of oil to the pan along with the walnut/mushroom mix. Turn the heat up to medium-high and brown for 5 minutes.
6. Add the oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and garlic to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until the spice are fragrant, then add the red wine. Reduce for 5 minutes.
7. Stir in the miso, soy, sweet and smoked paprikas, and agar agar. Add the canned tomatoes along with 1/2 a can of water, the balsamic vinegar, and bay leaves. Once the mixture boils, transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook, uncovered, for 60 minutes. Stir well and return to he oven for a further 30 minutes.
8. Add the nutritional yeast followed by the oat milk. Taste and season generously with black pepper and salt to taste. Serve with freshly cooked plant-based pasta.

Zucchini potato gratin

My first time making a potato bake in a Le Creuset pan!  To this I added caramelised onions as a bottom layer, and the cheese sauce was the peerless Hurry Up Alfredo (https://veganyumyum.com/2009/09/hurry-up-alfredo-vyy-cookbook/index.html).  Grated some Vegusto on top.  Layered everything up and baked it and look, I don't want to give away the responses of my diners but there may have been tears of gratitude. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes (3-4), cut into thin 1/16-inch slices
• 1 lb zucchini or summer squash (3-5), cut into 1/8-inch slices
• 1 1/2 cups cashews*
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2-4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 cup vegan mozzarella

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425 ºF.
2. Lightly oil a large cast iron skillet or shallow casserole dish (~10 to 12-inches) with olive oil. Arrange the sliced potatoes and zucchini in concentric circles.
3. In a blender combine the cashews (see note if not using high powered blender), water, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth and creamy, pausing to scrape down sides as necessary.
4. Stir in the herbs to the cream sauce then pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top, then cover the baking dish.
5. Bake covered for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Remove the cover and bake an additional 10 minutes to brown the top. If needed move the dish to under the broiler at the end for additional browning. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve warm.

NOTES

*If not using a high-powered blender then soak the cashews to soften them. Either soak in cold water for 2 hours or boiling hot water for 30 minutes, then drain before using.

Greek green beans

Goodness it's been a while.  I'm now in pandemic lockdown so have had a LOT of time for cooking.  My heart is happy.  Here's a recipe for Fasolakia I have made twice now, to rave reviews.  Serve with garlicky tahini. x

Method

• Place a pot over high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Coarsely chop the onion and add to the pot.
• Mince the garlic and add it to the pot along with the sugar. Sauté until the onion softens.
• Peel the potatoes, cut them into pieces and add them to the pot.
• Add the tomato paste and wine. Mix until the alcohol evaporates.
• Add the lemon zest, chopped tomatoes, water and bouillon cube.
• Chop the edges off of the green beans, add them to the pot and mix.
• Cover pot with lid, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 40-50 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat and add the mint, parsley, the green part of the spring onions finely chopped, salt, pepper and 80 g of olive oil. Mix and serve.
• Serve with feta cheese drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano along with slices of bread.

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 100 g olive oil
• 1 clove(s) of garlic
• 1 teaspoon(s) granulated sugar
• 500 g potatoes
• 1 heaping tablespoon(s) tomato paste
• 50 g white wine
• lemon zest, of 1 lemon
• 400 g canned tomatoes
• 300 g water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 kilo green beans, fresh or forzen
• 1/3 bunch mint
• 2 spring onions
• 1/3 bunch parsley
• salt
• pepper