Dan Dan noodles

hey, it's been a while - I've still been cooking lots, just relying on old favourites and never loving a new one enough to add it to this esteemed collection.  BUT THAT ALL CHANGED LAST NIGHT, thank you dear Hetty McKinnon!

Only thing I changed was using 100gm shiitake along with 200g button mushrooms and a splash of soy in the mushrooms, because...well.  Cooked them a little longer too.

That's all, I love you, life is great here thanks. x

Recipe: here

Ingredients

Noodles:

Vegetable or peanut oil

2 stalks celery, finely diced

300g swiss brown or button mushrooms, finely diced

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

150g Chinese broccoli (gai larn), trimmed at the base or cut into 5cm pieces

450g fresh noodles, such as hokkien or rice noodles, or egg noodles (for non-vegan version)

1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Handful of coriander leaves

3-2 spring onions, finely chopped

Sea salt

White pepper

Szechuan or regular chilli oil, to serve

Dan dan sauce:

20g fresh ginger, about 5cm, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

2 Tbsp Szechuan or regular chilli oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1/3 cup (80ml) tahini, or peanut butter as a substitute

3 tsp sugar

Pinch sea salt

Method

1. 1.In a small bowl, add the ingredients for the sauce and whisk to combine.
2. 2.Bring a big pot of salted water to the boil. Add the noodles and cook according to packet instructions until al dente, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
3. 3.In a large pan or wok over medium-high heat, drizzle about one tablespoon of oil, add the celery and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic, season with a big pinch of sea salt, a small pinch of white pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are golden and starting to caramelise. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. 4.Heat the same wok/pan, and when hot, add small drizzle of oil and toss in the Chinese broccoli. Toss for 1 minute or so, until the broccoli is bright green. Remove from pan immediately so they don't discolour.
5. 5.Place the noodles in a large bowl and add the mushroom mixture and sauce. Toss to combine, making sure the noodles are well coated. To serve, top with the Chinese broccoli, and scatter with sesame seeds, coriander and spring onions. If you like it spicy, drizzle with more chilli oil.

Pumpkin mac n cheese

 

New contender for best cheese sauce ever - it even fronts up against my all-time classic favourite Hurry-Up Alfredo!

Most amazing thing was that I didn't change ANYTHING.  Maybe the spoonful of miso was 'heaped' but that's it.  Fuck.  I'm awed.

Served it with roasted kale chips and cashew parmesan.  Lockdown life.  Onwards. x

(via https://rainbowplantlife.com/)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small sugar pumpkin (aka “pie pumpkin”), or 1 small butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds or 1 kg)*
• Olive oil or avocado oil, for roasting
• 1/2 cup (~60g) raw cashews, soaked in cool water overnight or for 1 hour in boiling water**
• 1/2 cup (40g) nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder (optional but adds a nice sharp tangy flavor)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (can substitute ground, but the flavor is much better with fresh)
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon mellow white or yellow miso paste
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour or cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup (240mL) canned “lite” coconut milk***
• 10 ounces (280g) of rigatoni pasta, medium-sized macaroni shells, or pasta of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS

• To cook the pumpkin or butternut squash in the oven, use a very sharp knife to slice the pumpkin or butternut squash in half, then scoop out the seeds and stringy bits using a spoon. If the vegetable is too thick or hard to cut, pop it in the microwave for 60-90 seconds to soften. For roasting, follow step 2; for steaming, follow step 3.
• To roast the pumpkin or butternut squash in the oven, preheat the oven to 425°F (or 218°C). Drizzle the pumpkin or squash halves with a bit of olive oil or avocado and season with salt and pepper. Place the halves, flesh side down, on a parchment paper-lined or aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until completely tender and lightly browned (pumpkin should take about 30 minutes; butternut squash closer to 40 minutes). Once the pumpkin or squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and discard the skin.
• To steam the pumpkin or butternut squash in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, pour 1 cup of water into the inner cooking pot and lower a compatible steamer rack or the trivet that comes with the Instant Pot into the inner pot. Place the pumpkin or squash halves in the basket or on top of the trivet, close the lid, and pressure cook at high pressure for 12-14 minutes. Once the timer is up, perform a quick pressure release by manually releasing the steam valve. Once the pumpkin or squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and discard the skin.
• While the squash is cooking, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook the pasta according to the box directions until al dente and drain in a colander.
• Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the roasted or steamed pumpkin or butternut squash flesh. Reserve the rest for another use, such as a curry, soup, or side dish.
• In a high-powered blender, add the 1 1/2 cups of the pumpkin or squash flesh. Add in the soaked and drained cashews, nutritional yeast, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, nutmeg, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, black pepper to taste, miso paste, tapioca flour or cornstarch, lemon juice, and lite coconut milk. Blend until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly, adding more salt as needed, more miso paste for more umami, or more lemon juice for more acidity.
• Return the cooked and drained pasta back to the saucepan and add the cheese sauce. Heat over medium heat until the sauce is well combined with the pasta and warmed through. Season the mac and cheese to taste.

White miso and tofu ramen with chilli garlic asparagus.

A beautiful, creamy, comforting, salty broth that warmed us on a wintry night. I used a bit less than the 1litre of milk just to keep it richer.  Also marinated the tofu all day before pan-frying, because flavour.  x 

White miso and tofu ramen with chilli garlic asparagus

You’ll need a blender to make this. You can buy podded and frozen edamame beans in big supermarkets; any leftover miso-tahini paste is great in a salad dressing.

Prep 10 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4

For the noodles
4 tbsp dried shiitake mushrooms
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
150g white miso paste, or 6 tbsp (I like Clearspring)
1 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp konbu powder (optional)
1 litre soy milk (Bon Soy is particularly good)
Salt
250g soba noodles (again, I use Clearspring)

For the tofu and asparagus
Rapeseed oil
250g fine asparagus
100g edamame beans, defrosted
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
½ tsp chilli flakes
⅓ tsp salt
½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
280g extra-firm tofu, cut into 0.5cm-thick slices
1 tbsp soy sauce

Put the shiitake in a heatproof bowl, cover with 200ml just-boiled water and leave to soak for five minutes. In a blender, blitz the mushrooms and their soaking liquid with the onion, garlic, ginger, miso, tahini, oil, soy sauce and konbu powder.

Heat a nonstick frying pan on a medium heat and, when hot, scrape the paste out of the blender and into the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the milk, little by little, until it’s all mixed in – make sure it doesn’t boil, or it may curdle – then add salt, if need be, and take off the heat.

Next, cook the noodles to the packet instructions, drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over a high flame. When it’s smoking hot, throw in the asparagus and edamame, leave for a minute, then turn and leave for a minute more, so both char a little. Add the garlic, chilli, salt and lemon juice to the pan, stir for a minute, then transfer to a bowl.

In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of oil, if need be, then fry the tofu for a minute on each side, until golden and crisp (when it’s ready, you’ll be able to turn the slices easily with a spatula). Add the soy sauce for the last minute, then transfer to the asparagus bowl.

To assemble, divide the noodles between four bowls. Reheat the miso soup, if you need to, and share among the bowls. Lay some tofu slices to one side of each bowl, share out the asparagus and edamame beans evenly, and serve hot.

Bibimbap!

 

Made this mince to have with san choy bow for lunch and it was fucking great.  That's all. x

UPDATE: Definitely double the mince/sauce ingredients!

Vegan Bibimbap with Bulgogi Mince ★★★★★1 review

Bibimbap means “mixed rice” in Korean and is a dish traditionally made from leftover vegetables, rice, and protein with the addition of Gochujang paste - a Korean fermented red chilli paste.

INGREDIENTS

Bulgogi Mince:

• 2 cups TVP (DRY - learned this lesson the hard way lol) (no need to double this, I've adjusted in an edit)
• 8 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced 

Marinade:

• 350ml mushroom/vegetable stock (this is about 1 and 1/4 cups, double all for double recipe)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Red pepper sauce:

• 2 tablespoons Gochujang paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

To Serve:

• Carrot, Cucumber, Kimchi, 2 cups cooked rice, sesame seeds

 

METHOD

1. In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the bulgogi marinade.
2. In a pan on medium heat, add the mince, mushroom and marinade
3. Bring to a boil and then reduce down to a simmer for 6-8 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed by the mince & mushrooms
4. In the meantime, mix together the ingredients for the Red Pepper sauce until smooth
5. Assembly: start with a base of rice, then top with the vegetables, kimchi, mince and finally a drizzle of the sauce. Enjoy warm!

Caramelised Onion & Brussels Sprout Galette

 

MY FIRST GALETTE AND OH LORD IT WAS NOTHING SHORT OF PERFECT!

Ok so my vegan/personal tweaks to this recipe:

- Put a little Dijon at the base, then grated cheese (Bio shreds for me), then caramelised onions

- Make a batch of Hurry Up Alfredo, but only use half the amount of soy milk so it's a thicker sauce

- Once the brussels sprouts are cooked, mix the cheese sauce in with them before adding the mixture to the onions and cheese on the pastry.

- Fold pastry up and dust with salt and parmesan.  I added more grated cheese to the top too but it was super rich and I'm not sure it was needed.

- Cooked at 190 for about 40 minutes, turning halfway (personal oven negotiation).

*chef's kiss*

via: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/260984/caramelized-onion-brussels-sprout-galette/

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 cups thinly sliced onions
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 1 (14 ounce) package 2 7- to 8-ounce prepared pie crusts, thawed if frozen
• 1 ½ cups shredded Gruyère or sharp Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if they start to burn. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl.

• Step 2

  Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan. Add Brussels sprouts and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

• Step 3

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Step 4

  Stack pie crusts on top of each other so you have a double-thick crust. Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 13- to 14-inch circle. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese in the center, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around the edge. Top the cheese with the onions, then the Brussels sprouts and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Fold the edge of the dough over the filling, pleating as you go.

• Step 5

  Bake the galette until the crust is lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Sauteed broccoli.

 Look, I know 'sauteed broccoli' SOUNDS like a fairly boring recipe.  I get it.  I'm mostly sticking a pin in this because I am a fiend for broccoli and I'd never had it like this before and it was incredibly easy.  My method is to sautee the broccoli in garlic and oil first, then add water (and a bit of massel stock) for steaming.  Once it's done, bung that sauce on and it'll thicken and you will eat it and it will be good so ok. x

via https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/sauteed-asian-broccoli-30676

• 
  1 1/2 pounds broccoli
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

This recipe is a quick and easy way to add some Asian flavor to broccoli. Quickly steam the broccoli in a pan for a few minutes, and while it cooks mix up a simple sauce of soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add the sauce to the pan and stir until the broccoli is coated, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

by CHOW Test Kitchen

Instructions

1. 1Trim about 1 inch off the stem ends of the broccoli. Using a vegetable peeler, peel away the woody outer layer of the stalks. Halve the broccoli lengthwise through the stem and florets. Turn the pieces so that they are cut-side down, then cut them lengthwise through the stem and florets into 1/2-inch-wide pieces. Cut those pieces crosswise into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
2. 2Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the broccoli and stir to coat in the oil. Add 3 tablespoons of the water and cover with a tightfitting lid. Cook until the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
3. 3Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/4 cup water, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.
4. 4Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic to the frying pan, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. 5Remove the pan from the heat. Rewhisk the reserved sauce and add it to the pan. Stir until the sauce thickens and coats the broccoli, about 1 minute. Stir in the sesame seeds and serve immediately.