Green chutney

This is a different take on the ubiquitous green chutney that shows up as a sad accompaniment to those boring papad crackers at like every Indian restaurant. I know you've seen them. Crispy round things served with red and green sauce? They are the chips and salsa of the Indian restaurant world.

My green chutney includes cilantro, cucumbers, peanut flour and sesame oil, so I call it cilantro cucumber chutney. It can be stored up to 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container. I think it's great with roasted potatoes. I used peanut flour because I found dehydrated peanut butter at the grocery store, and wanted to try the peanut flour in smoothies. It tastes like peanut butter, and it makes cleaning the blender easier. However, peanut flour can be easily replaced with about 2 tbsp of whole peanuts, or plain, unsweetened, peanut butter can be used. Have you seen peanut flour, or used it? Thoughts?

Cilantro cucumber chutney
Yield: 3/4 cup, can be stored in fridge for up to 1 week. 

Ingredients:
1 bunch cilantro, as fresh as possible
4" piece cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
1 whole jalapeno, cut into segments, remove seeds if you want a mild chutney
1/2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled
juice of 1/2 of a large lemon
2 tbsp peanut flour (dehydrated peanut butter?)
1 tbsp peanut oil
1-2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 - 1 tsp salt

Special tools: cutting board, vegetable peeler, colander, and blender.

Directions:
Step 1: Wash and drain the cilantro. Trim off any dead looking parts. If you use the freshest cilantro you can find (use same day you buy) it should be fine. Add the cilantro to the blender. Trim the cucumber, peel it, and remove the seeds. Place it in the blender.

Step 2: Trim the jalapeño and peel the ginger. Cut both into large segments, and add them to the blender. For a spicier chutney, leave the jalapeño seeds intact.

Step 3: To the blender, add the lemon juice, peanut flour, peanut and sesame oils, and salt. Add in a few tbsp of water if needed. Blend until well combined (about 2 minutes).

Yellow split pea ginger scallion dumplings

These dumplings are pretty amazing. They are filled with a creamy gingery channa dhal, or yellow split pea, filling. They make a lot of work for a weeknight meal, but they are really fun to assemble and cook. The dumpling wrappers hold up really well, so if you are scared of tearing them or overhandling them, fear not. Since we are using lentils, we are definitely breaking out the pressure cooker (PC)! Now get excited and break out the PC!

Yellow split pea ginger scallion dumplings
The inspiration for these came from Heidi Swanson's 101Cookbooks' Golden Potstickers recipe
Yield: Approx. 50 dumplings, 1 and 1/2 tsp filling per dumpling; 5 servings, 10 dumplings each

Ingredients: 
1 cup dried yellow split peas or channa dhal
enough water to cook them in a PC
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2" piece of fresh ginger, minced fine
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 medium scallions or green onions
1 package gyoza or potsticker wrappers
water

Special tools: pressure cooker or large pot to cook lentils, a potato masher, cutting boards, a wide skillet with a lid, 2 jelly roll pans lightly dusted with flour.

Step 1. In the pressure cooker fry pan, combine the yellow split peas and enough water to cover the yellow split peas by about 3/4" of water. Stir to combine. Close the cooker and bring to low-pressure (first red ring). Once low pressure is reached, cook 11-13 minutes. Use the natural release method to release pressure.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, just cook the yellow split peas according to package directions, and let cool off enough before handling. This step can be done 1-2 days before prepping the dumplings to make the preparation faster.

Step 2. Open the PC fry pan and inspect the peas. They should be cooked but still retain most of their shape, and there should only be a small amount of water in the bottom of the pan after you lift away the first few layers of peas. If there is water up and over the peas, the water should be drained off. Return the peas to the PC fry pan, and mash the yellow split peas with a potato masher. This step can also be done in a food processor, but it is easy enough to do in the fry pan.

Step 3. Add the cumin, salt, and ground ginger to the pan and stir to combine.

Step 4. Add the cilantro, green onions, and minced fresh ginger to the pan and stir to combine. Once well combined, taste the mixture for salt. Since these will be served with a salty dipping sauce, don't worry if they taste undersalted.

Step 5. Clear some space on the counter and wipe away any crumbs. Once the counter is dry, dust lightly with flour and lay out 6 gyoza wrappers on the floured surface. Place a small work bowl filled with water nearby.

Step 6. Spoon 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of filling just slightly off the center of the middle of the gyoza wrapper. You can do this step to all of the wrappers at once.

Step 7. Now, working one a time, moisten half the circle and fold it over to make a half moon. The gyoza will want to stick. Once it comes together form small pleats where the ends meet, and push the dumpling down just slightly to give it a thick base for which it will be pan fried. Once the dumpling is assembled, place it on the floured pan until ready to cook.

Step 8. In a wide and deep skillet (if you can use one with a lid), heat up some neutral oil like peanut or canola over medium-low heat. Once the pan is hot, add the dumplings in a single layer letting their chunky bottoms line the pan. Don't overcrowd the pan. Let them sit for a about 5-6 minutes inspecting the sides right where they meet the base. The dumplings should not stick. With a small spatula or chopstick, lightly lift them up. The base should be golden and enticing. If they are not let them cook 1 minute or longer.

Step 9. Once they are golden, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water to the pan, and immediately close the pan letting them steam for 3-4 minutes. Serve them with some dipping sauce (see below). I guarantee they will be devoured.

These may be frozen and reheated. If freezing, place the prepped, but uncooked, dumplings in a single layer in the freezer. For example, place the dumplings in a single layer on a jelly roll pan and freeze until frozen through. Remove the frozen dumplings from the pan into a zip top ziplock bag. Date and label them.

If preparing frozen dumplings, these may be cooked just like in Step 8 and 9.

Soy-sesame dipping sauce
Yield: enough for 4 persons

This can be assembled minutes before serving. The sambal oelek is optional, and is not very spicy.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
splash toasted sesame oil
scallions and sesame seeds
1/2 tsp sambal oelek (optional)

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients together. Serve along with the dumplings or potstickers. Yum! Yum!

The creamy soup series: carrot ginger soup

I've been making creamy soups about once a week. The idea is that they store really well, and make excellent light lunches with bread or some salad. Creamy is really a misnomer - I've hardly used any cream in the soups, but the end result after blending is always silky smooth. I don't promise that these will be fast to prepare, but the end result is really worth the effort.

Do you need any special tools? Making pureed, smooth, soups does require the use of some special tools, but if you are reading this, you are in luck because I am a lazy cook.  For the creamy consistency of this soup, a blender or immersion blender is recommended. Since carrots don't have any fibrous materials, blending is super easy. I sometimes employ a pressure cooker, and would highly advocate purchasing one because of its use in speeding up everything else in your repertoire.

Soup is soup.

For this souper Saturday, you see, I could simply not help myself - I adapted Jack Bishop's Gingered Carrot Soup from his wonderful cooking through the seasons cookbook: A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. I adapted it by modifying it for preparation in a pressure cooker (PC). If you don't have a PC, stovetop directions follow the "Directions" below.

Creamy carrot ginger soup
Adapted from Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen (circa 2004)
Yield: 4 generous 1 and 1/2 cup servings, maybe slightly more

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced. Cut up only the white and very light green parts
1 tablespoon ginger, grated over a microplane, or very finely minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup or more dry white wine or vegetable broth
1 and 1/4 pounds carrots, washed, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 cups vegetable broth
1-2 cups milk (can sub soy or almond)

Directions:
Step 1: Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in the pressure cooker fry pan over medium heat. Once hot, add in the leek and saute for a few minutes. Add in the fresh ginger and ground ginger, stir, and then add in the white wine until it reduces slightly. Let it bubble up nicely, and once most of the wine is cooked off, scrape any stuck on brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step 2: Add in the carrots to the pan. Pour 1 cup of vegetable broth in and note the liquid capacity. If under, go ahead and add the remaining broth ensuring that you don't go over the max liquid capacity line. You will add the remainder of the broth after cooking while blending the soup. Close the PC and bring to high pressure (second red ring) and cook 4 minutes. Use the natural release method. This method is simply moving the PC off the heat and letting the pressure escape naturally.

Step 3: Once the PC is ready (no more pressure is indicated), carefully scoop the cooked carrots and leeks, batch by batch, into the blender. You may want to have a large mixing bowl handy to store the "blended" from the "needs to be blended." Add broth and the liquid from the PC into the blender. Do not fill the blender more than half way full. This is also where I learned an important tip from Chef Bishop. Don't fill the blender along with its contents (liquids) more than half way full. Put the blender lid on, and slightly vent the removal cap (the removal cap is usually in the center of the blender lid). Put a dish towel over the blender lid, including the vented lid,  protecting your hand and any surfaces from any accidental splatters. Blend until silky smooth, about 3-4 minutes on high blend setting.

Step 4: Once everything is blended, gradually add milk until you get the creamy consistency you desire. Taste for salt, and heat up and serve immediately. This soup will get slightly spicier with rest. It is so good!

Regular/Stovetop:
If you don't have a PC, you may follow Step 1 by omitting the PC, but using a large pot. During Step 2, add the carrots to the pot, along with all of the (2 cups worth) vegetable broth. Simmer everything for about 20-25 minutes until everything is soft. Allow the liquid to cool off before blending (let it sit there for about 20 minutes) and then proceed with the recipe from Step 3.

Royal tofu with king oyster mushrooms

I vegetarianized this recipe from royal chicken cooked in yogurt from Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking to royal tofu with king oyster mushrooms (royal theme, get it!). If the yogurt is simmered down, or cooked too long, it will separate. Lower fat yogurts separate a bit more than full fat yogurt. Add the yogurt sauce at the very end, almost as a finishing touch. Give it a quick stir to heat up, then turn the heat off and serve immediately. Serve with some red lentil dhal, rice, and papads. Lekker!

If you use chicken instead of tofu, it can be prepared almost the exact same way; cook the chicken first, and follow the directions here. Although I guarantee that prepping tofu is cleaner, and has much less of an ick factor when cutting and managing. Ew. Raw uncooked meats are *so* gross.

I'm following an online photography class that the hubs showed me from Reddit; I got a new camera, and I'm learning how to use it and become familiar with it. I know some of these pictures on the past few posts have been blurry, but you wouldn't believe me if I told you that I took over 107 images (of mushrooms! of this dish! insanity! of brownies!) and they all managed to be blurry. Boohoo. So, I'm learning.

The full album of the new First Aid Kit is now on the free version of Spotify. See I give you music recs, beer drinking recs (with this dish a cold, crisp, and bland pils - Stella - would be good), and good recipes.

Royal tofu with king oyster mushrooms
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed.
2 tbsp peanut oil for pan frying tofu
4 king oyster mushrooms quartered, or 2 cups regular white button mushrooms, sliced
(Note: measure out whole mushrooms then slice)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 cup red onion slices, plus about ¼ cup more finely diced onion for garnish
1 bay leaf
4 whole cardamom pods (remove, when you serve)
2 cinnamon sticks (or ½ tsp cinnamon)
few cloves
¼ cup raisins
2 tbsp slivered almonds

For yogurt sauce:
1 cup yogurt
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic slivered
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro and chopped green onions
salt to taste

Directions:

1. Press the tofu and set aside. Meanwhile add about ½ tbsp of oil to a cast iron pan or non-stick skillet (medium-high heat) and saute the mushrooms. Remove from the pan once done.
2. Make the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt with ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, cayenne powder, cilantro, and green onions. Adjust for salt and spices.
3. Add enough peanut oil (2 tbsp or less) to the cast iron or non-stick pan and heat over medium-high. Cut the tofu into cubes, and lightly salt. Once the pan is hot, add the tofu to the pan being careful not to crowd the pan. Don’t touch the tofu for at least 5-7 minutes. Let it sit there until it begins to get golden on the brown. Even then, try not to touch it. Give the pan a few shakes, once the tofu becomes unstuck, it’s ready to flip. Be patient. Continue adding tofu to the pan, and cooking it the same way. You’ll end up with perfect pan-fried golden tofu. Remove from pan once done.
4. To the same pan, add in mustard seeds. They should pop fast. Then add in onion slices, bay leaf, a few cloves, whole cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks.
5. Toss in a handful of raisins and almonds. Once the raisins begin to plump (it should be very fast), add in tofu and mushrooms, and follow it up with the yogurt sauce. Stir it around enough to heat everything through, then turn off and serve immediately. Garnish with extra cilantro and finely diced onion.

Peanutty noodles

I was trying to make pad thai tonight when I realized I was completely out of tamarind paste. Since my only options for obtaining this crucial ingredient are the ethnic stores in town (which all are closed after 6 pm) I came up with this erroneous pad-thai inspired noodle dish. S and K, this recipe is largely from you guys, since you shared a similar recipe with me a few years back.

Sauteed tofu and these distelzwam mushrooms lend a meaty bite; this dish is 75% veggies and 25% noodles. Distelzwam are king trumpet mushrooms found in the oyster family of mushrooms. They are the largest types of oyster mushrooms. I bought them from the Mushroom Guy at the Heverlee market. This dish tastes like stir fried veggies in a peanut-sauce all mixed up with noodles, and served piping hot. While not authentic, it certainly made it on our list of faves.

Press the tofu first. Then cut up all the veggies, it should take you about 20-30 minutes depending on how fast you can cut up everything. Have all the veggies cut up before you get started. This pairs excellently with a cold spicy saison (such as St. Feuillien Saison).

Peanutty noodles
Ingredients: listed in order of use
Serves: 4
1 package tofu, drained and pressed
liberal amounts of peanut oil (I probably used about ¼ cup total).
3 distelzwam mushrooms quartered, or 1 cup whole button mushrooms, quartered
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup sugar snaps or snow peas, kept whole
1 cup vegetable broth
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
½ cup peanut butter, natural style - don't use sweetened pb!
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp or more rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
red chili flakes to taste (1 tsp for spicy; 1/2 tsp for medium; 1/4 tsp for mild)
½ cup red onion, sliced fine
3 cups shredded napa or savoy cabbage, chopped fine
1 large bunch of green onions chopped (enough for about ½ cup, be liberal they melt into the dish)
8 oz rice noodles, cooked according to package directions.
cilantro for garnish

Directions:
Have all the stir-fry ingredients ready. I managed to use 4 burners, with my main saute pan ready for the veggies, a (new!) cast iron pan for the tofu, a large pot for the rice noodles, and a medium saucepan for the sauce. Stir-fry ingredients: red bell peppers, sugar snap peas, red onion slices, mushrooms, cabbage, green onions, and tofu.
Sauce ingredients: garlic, ginger, vegetable broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame seeds, red chili flakes, and liberal amounts of fresh green onions (to taste).

1. Heat up 2 tbsp of peanut oil in the cast iron over medium-high heat. Once hot add in tofu making sure to not crowd the pan. Don’t touch them for at least 5 minutes. They will start to become golden on the bottom. Even then, don’t touch. Just pick up the pan, give it a whirl to move the oil around, and set down to allow the tofu to cook.
2. In your saute pan (medium high heat) or wok (high heat). Add in about 1 to 2 tsps of peanut oil, once hot add in the mushroom and stir fry until they look seared and golden. Remove.
3. Add in peppers and stir fry until they look seared and golden. Add in sugar snaps. The sugar snaps will brighten, once they brighten remove everything. Remove them from the pan and shut the heat off.
4. Check the tofu, begin to flip them over when golden brown and crisp on the bottom; remove cooked pieces, replacing them with new ones. The cast iron should ensure that the tofu pieces don’t stick. Having a really nice quality pressed tofu is the key. My Belgian friends always complain about tofu because the commercially available tofu sucks (Alpro I’m calling you out). It’s too wet and spongey. The Thai/Korean markets have excellent pressed tofu, slightly tangy, and so perfectly pressed it looks like paneer. Remove the tofu to a plate once all the pieces are golden-brown. If there is any oil left in the pan, carefully pour it into the saute pan.
5. Start heating up the water for the rice noodles.
6. In the medium saucepan, add the veggie broth, ginger, garlic, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, red chili flakes, toasted sesame seeds, and chives. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens (should take 10-12 minutes).
7. Add rice noodles to the large pot of boiling water. Boil for about 2 minutes and shut the heat off. Add a tsp of oil to the water and let the noodles soften up; the oil should keep them from sticking.
8. Add oil to the saute pan or wok, if needed and turn the heat back on. Once hot, add the red onions and stir them around until they begin to wilt and look cooked, add in green onions and cabbage. Stir everything together for about 4-5 minutes. Add in the red bell peppers, snow peas, and mushrooms (to heat them back up).
9. Drain the rice noodles into a colander, and add them into the saute pan along with the sauce. Mix together carefully by folding the sauce through the noodles (this will also reduce the amount of splatters on your arms).
10. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

Red lentil dhal served over rice

As the holidays wind down it’s nice to have a hearty and healthy meal after days of gorging and drinking. I recently bought some Delhaize brand curry powder (no salt added) and found it fresh and delicious. I added it to these lentils along with some vegetable broth and this is the curried outcome.

This holiday we traveled by train to visit family. It was a nice relaxing way to get from one place to another. Earlier, Belgian rail strikes scared us into thinking that we’d have no trains for travel. After the strikes settled down tickets were purchased and rail travel resumed as normal. While I think car and air travel have their obvious advantages (e.g speed, setting your own schedule, convenience), it was especially wonderful to walk to the train station, sit down, read, and let the trains take us.

Happy Holidays!

Red lentil dhal served over rice
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked rice, prepared according to package directions
1 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
asafoetida (pinch)
few pods whole cardamom
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tbsp ginger, grated over a small hand grater
½ tsp cinnamon
red chili powder to taste; I used ¼ tsp
½ tsp garam masala
2 tsps curry powder
1 cup red lentils (masoor dhal), washed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth or water, plus 1 cup water extra

Directions:

1. As always, hard to find spices can be omitted - any store bought curry powder will do. Begin cooking rice. Put 1 cup long-grain rice in a pot and fill with 2 and ¾ cups water (or according to package directions).
2. Heat up about 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil in a medium size pot over medium-high heat. Add in mustard and cumin seeds. Once the mustard seeds begin to pop, add asafoetida and cardamom pods. Add onions and stir-fry lightly. Stir in ginger, cinnamon, red chili powder, and garam masala.
3. Stir these until fragrant. Add in red lentils along with 2 cups vegetable broth or water. Stir and bring to a simmer. Stir this frequently. When the lentils have been cooking for at least 10 minutes, stir in curry powder and adjust for salt.
4. Turn the heat to low and add in 1 cup of water. Simmer on low heat, partially covered, until the desired thickness is reached. Serve over rice. This last step should take about 20 minutes.

Sweet potato pineapple muffins

Sweet potato with pineapple and fresh ginger.

Sweet potato with dates. Look at that fine crumb. 

Prepared muffin pans with oat-brown sugar topping.

Filled to just about 1/2 inch from the top, leave enough room for them to rise.

Fresh baked muffins, mmm lekker. 

In keeping with my goal of testing recipes multiple times, these sweet-potato pineapple muffins have been baked 4 times. The recipe has been adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. The original recipe calls for 1/3 cup of candied ginger. Instead, I used 1/3 cup canned chopped pineapple, or dates. I add in 1 T of fresh grated ginger, along with 1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg.

Muffins are quick breads meaning that they don't need to leaven or rise. To bake muffins, mix together all of the dry ingredients in a bowl, and all of the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and with a large spoon (not a hand or stand mixer) combine the wet and dry together with swift quick strokes. Avoid overmixing. The batter is ready when all of the flour is incorporated into the wet, a good rule of thumb is that the batter looks slightly undermixed. Drop batter by the spoonfuls into a greased muffin pan.

In general I try to make healthier modifications, but I find the proportions of this recipe work out nicely, and they aren't too sweet with a 1/2 cup of brown sugar, or heavy with 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. Subbing in whole-wheat pastry flour is fine. The pineapple and sweet potato make a delicious moist end product.

Sweet potato pineapple muffins

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients listed in order of wet and dry:

Dry

1 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (can use whole wheat pastry flour)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Wet

3/4 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed (canned or cooked pumpkin would work too)

1/3 cup canned chopped pineapple, or dates, or candied ginger

1 tbsp fresh grated ginger (leave out if using candied ginger)

1/2 cup buttermilk (see note below)

1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus a tiny bit extra to grease muffin pan

2 eggs, beaten

a heaping 1/2 cup of brown sugar (yes I know it's a dry ingredient, but add it to the wet ingredients first)

Note: if you don't have buttermilk, yogurt thinned with water works, or add 1/4 tsp of vinegar to a 1/2 cup of milk. Stir the milk and vinegar together and let stand 10 minutes.

Directions:

Set oven to 375 ºF; grease a muffin pan or line them with muffin liners. 

1. Combine the dry ingredients from flour to nutmeg in a medium-size mixing bowl. Stir together to ensure that it is well mixed. Set aside.

2. Combine the wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Stir together to combine. A sturdy spoon is sufficient as muffins do not require a hand or stand electric mixer.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. You should add the dry ingredients all at once. Stir together, scraping down the flour from the sides of the bowl. The mixing is done when the flour is mostly all incorporated into the wet batter. Undermixing is fine, but don't leave any huge clumps of flour.

4. Drop batter by the spoonful into a prepared muffin pan. Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick or fork inserted comes out clean. 

For the oat-brown sugar topping:

2 tbsp butter, softened

2 tbsp oats or more

1 tbsp flour

1 tbsp brown sugar or regular sugar

small dribble of vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients. A fork works nicely to mash everything together. Distribute evenly over muffin batter once they are in the muffin pan. Seriously, I've been making this topping since my 9th grade home-ec class. 

Lemongrass tofu with soy-sesame sauce and sticky rice

I made this dish for a friend that is interested in preparing more dishes with tofu. It's a simple stir-fry so if you don't have lemongrass or ginger just leave them out. The soy-sesame sauce is fast to prepare. Sticky rice absorbs the sauce much better than long-grain jasmine or basmati, but this could be served over noodles too.

My secret to successful golden pan-fried tofu is pressing extra-firm tofu for as long as possible, 30 minutes or longer. To get started, first press the tofu. Unwrap it from the package, drain the water and set the tofu in a colander or drainer (either over a bowl, or the sink so the water can drain out). Place a plate over the tofu and stack cans of beans or other heavy objects on top. The weight will help expel the water from the tofu. Next, begin cooking the rice, and then prep and cut up the veggies. If you are fast vegetable chopper, you can also use the time the tofu is pressing to make the soy-sesame sauce, or prep it while the tofu is cooking. Fresh lemongrass and ginger are added towards the very end of cooking time.

Other good stir-fry veggies include cabbage, bean sprouts, and even cherry tomatoes. Feel free to add or remove items to use up what you have.

Lemongrass tofu with soy-sesame sauce and sticky rice

Serves: 4

Ingredients (listed in order of use)

1 package tofu, pressed and drained, and then cubed into 1" chunks

2 cups sticky rice (sushi rice), prepared with 1.5 times as much water as rice, or according to package directions

2 tbsp peanut oil

1 package mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered

1 red bell pepper, in strips

1 cup snow peas

2, 4" stalks of fresh lemongrass or enough to equal about 1 tbsp chopped (see note)

1 and 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped

Note: To prep the lemongrass, use a small pairing knife and cut the stalk in half length-wise. Remove the first or second layers, it'll reveal a purplish interior. Finely chop the lemongrass stocks starting from the root end. It will become tougher about 3" inches up from the root end. For the ginger, peel the skin away with a pairing knife or veg peeler, and finely chop.

For soy-sesame sauce:

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice-wine vinegar

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

3 spring onions chopped, chop the long part of the greens in 1" segments

1 clove garlic, minced fine

1/4 tsp or more red chili flakes

Directions:

1. Heat up a large stir-fry pan or wok over medium-low heat. Add in 1 tsp of sesame seeds and toast until the seeds become golden. Move them around the pan often, so they won't burn. Set aside.

2. Add 2 tbsp of peanut oil to the same pan and increase the heat to medium-high heat. Once hot, add in tofu chunks. Don't touch them or move them around. Let them sit for about 5-7 minutes until the bottom 1/4" of the tofu squares look like they are turning golden. The tofu will take 15-20 minutes to become lovely, golden, and crispy. Carefully, take a spatula and lift the tofu gently up. It's ready when it gives. The length of time will depend on your pan (non-stick vs iron). When the tofu is removed easily, flip it over so the other sides can cook.

3. While the tofu cooks, prepare the soy-sesame sauce. Add soy sauce, rice-wine vinegar, sesame oil to a bowl, and adjust for taste. Add in toasted sesame seeds, the white part of the spring onions, chopped garlic and red chili flakes. Stir everything together and set aside.

4. Remove the tofu from the pan and set it aside on a large plate. There should be enough oil (about 1 tsp) leftover in the pan, if not add in 1 tsp of peanut oil. Turn heat up to medium-high or high, and add in mushrooms. Cook 5-6 minutes stirring often, and then add in red peppers, cook 4 minutes, and then add in snow peas, and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the snow peas turn bright green.

5. Once all the veggies are cooked, add the cooked tofu to the pan, add the ginger and lemongrass, and remaining spring onion greens to the pan. Combine and stir together for 1 minute.

6. Place rice in a bowl, cover the rice with about 1 cup of the stir-fry, and top everything with 1 and 1/2 tbsp of soy-sesame sauce.  

Seitan Tikka Masala

This dish is similar to the tofu tikka masala kebabs, but uses seitan instead. While it comes together very quickly, let the seitan marinade for at least 30 minutes. Use the time it's resting to prep the salads and papads. Serve the seitan tikka over a salad garnished with lemon wedges and papads. The seitan looks kind of funny, but has a chewy meaty taste. I would recommend trying it. 

Tikka marinade/sauce

Naked seitan (looks like brown sponge chunks without the sauce) 

Dressed up seitan 

For the marinade/sauce:

½" piece of ginger, chopped fine (optional)
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
¼ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp coriander seeds and 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds toasted and ground together (omit fenugreek if you can’t find it)
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika (smoked paprika, if you have it)
3 tbsp yogurt (or heavy cream)

For the tikka:

1 package seitan rinsed and patted dry, cut into chunks

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips about 1" thick

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips about 1" thick

Olive oil or peanut oil for stir-frying

For the salad:

Any lettuce or salad mix greens will do. Can also serve with grated carrots, corn, tomatoes, onions, lettuce. Garnish with lemon wedges and papads.

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients for the marinade, taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Add in seitan to the marinade sauce, coat well, and let marinade for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to cook:

2. Cook bell peppers in 1 tsp of oil (e.g. olive oil or peanut oil) over high heat until they are sauteed and cooked. Stir frequently. Once done, remove from pan. Should take 4-5 minutes.

3. Turn heat down to medium and add 1 tsp of oil to the pan. Add in marinaded seitan along with the tikka sauce. Cook on each side 3-4 minutes. The bottom of the pan will start to dry up and will stick.

4. Add the peppers back into the pan along with ¼ cup of water. Stir together. The sauce will thicken up in less than a minute. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Channa Masala

I love the smaller denser heartier black chickpeas or kala channa, but if you can't find them, regular chickpeas or garbanzo beans are fine. The term chickpeas and garbanzo beans can be used interchangeably, while black chickpeas are actually much smaller and darker. 

Since Indian foods tend to have longer ingredient lists with some hard to find spices (and who wants to buy a spice you'll use once?) try this: omit the things you don't have, and add the ones you do. Harder to find ingredients are marked as optional. This dish freezes well. Channa masala is usually served with rice or chappati (or naan), some yogurt, and salad. Try serving it on top of couscous. Couscous cooks in 5 minutes, and is a timesaver.

Channa Masala or Black Chickpeas Curry

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (optional)

1/2 tsp udad dhal, (optional)

pinch asafoetida (hing), (optional)

1/2 cup onions, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger, minced fine

1 small jalapeno, seeded, deveined and minced (optional)

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp paprika

2, 14 oz cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans or 1 and ½ cups black chickpeas or regular chickpeas prepared by soaking and cooking.

1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes (or 1-2 chopped tomatoes)

1 tsp fenugreek powder, if using seeds, toasted and ground (optional)

1/2 cup water

1 tsp garam masala (optional)

cilantro and green onions, optional for garnish

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat up oil in a large soup stockpot. Once hot add in cumin seeds, udad dhal, and hing. Fry until fragrant.
2. Add in onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno. Stir-fry.
3. Add in turmeric, cumin powder, and paprika. Stir everything together. 
4. Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, fenugreek powder, and water. Add more water if too thick. Stir everything together. 
5. Partially cover and bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes.
6. Stir in garam masala, taste to adjust for salt, and top with cilantro and green onions.

Vegetable Potsticker Dumplings 3 Ways

I'll admit it. I was jealous. You would be to if you looked at these fantastic delicious dumplings and pot stickers. I was jealous, but inspired. A few weekends back, I made batches of these and put them in the freezer. Below are 3 recipes for preparing vegetarian potsticker dumplings with ready-prepared wonton wrappers (square or circular). Although I use the word dumpling often, these are probably closer to potstickers, since they are first lightly pan fried in a skillet, and then steamed, hence potsticker dumplings.

Prepare the ingredients, and then lay out the fillings in bowls. Set out the wonton wrappers, a small bowl of water, and a freezer-safe tray or dish. Fill each wrapper with 1 tsp of stuffing, wet the borders on one side of the wrapper, and fold together. You can make nice pleats if you want; avoid over-stuffing as it'll make it difficult to stay closed. Freeze dumplings before transferring them to freezer safe storage bags. Don't forget to label them if you make multiple recipes.

When ready to cook (frozen or fresh) heat up 1 tbsp of peanut oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add in dumplings in a single layer, and cook 1-2 minutes (fresh), and 2-4 minutes (frozen) or until bottoms are golden. Add in ¼ cup of water, and steam the dumplings until the water evaporates, about 2 minutes. Carefully, remove the dumplings (or pot stickers) and serve immediately with some dipping sauce. I like to mix together 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tbsp green onions. Four to five dumplings make a nice appetizer.

Recipe 1: Chinese 5-spice potsticker dumplings

1 block of tempeh, steamed and crumbled

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

1 medium carrot, grated

1 cup napa cabbage, shredded

1, 1/2-inch piece of ginger, chopped fine

2 green onions, chopped fine

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped fine

½ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder

30 wonton wrappers

1. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add in tempeh and turn heat down to medium. Steam/boil for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Crumble into a fine texture once cool enough to handle.
2. In a large bowl combine carrot, cabbage, ginger, green onions, and cilantro. Stir to combine.
3. Heat the peanut oil over high heat in a wide skillet, add in garlic and tempeh and stir-fry 5 minutes. Once golden, add in carrot through cilantro mixture. Continue to cook 2 minutes and stir in Chinese 5-spice powder. Remove to a bowl to cool.

Recipe 2: Chinese dumplings with cabbage, mushrooms and leeks

Recipe adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. The recipe calls for 24 wonton wrappers, but when I made this it made closer to 50.

1 pound napa cabbage or 4 generous cups, shredded, or sliced very fine

salt

½ cup whole shiitake or oyster mushrooms, finely chopped (*see note below)

2 tbsp leeks or green onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

1, ½-piece ginger, chopped fine

1 tsp rice-wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

50 wonton wrappers

*Note: you can also use ¼ cup dried black Chinese mushrooms, and ¼ cup dried tree ear mushrooms, rehydrated, and chopped. If using these, omit shiitake, and use fresh mushrooms instead.

1. Set the cabbage in a colander over the sink. Salt the cabbage generously and let sit for about an hour. Squeeze excess water from cabbage. Rinse the cabbage lightly to get rid of the salt. Taste to make sure it isn't too salty.
2. Combine cabbage, mushrooms, leeks or green onions, garlic, ginger, and rice-wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
3. When ready to cook, add in ½ cup of water instead of ¼ cup of water and steam them for 7 minutes. Since the stuffing is raw, it'll cook the veggies down a bit.

Recipe 3: Spicy edamame potsticker dumplings

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light magazine. I have made these several times, and they are the simplest dumplings to prepare.

1 cup edamame, shelled (if frozen, cooked according to package directions)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp red chili flakes

½ tsp cumin

1 tsp sesame oil

salt and pepper to taste

20 wonton wrappers

1. Combine edamame, lemon juice, red chili flakes, and cumin in a food processor; process until smooth, do not over process. Stir in sesame oil, and taste. Adjust with salt and pepper. To make without a food processor, smash the beans when they are hot with potato masher, and then add in rest of ingredients and continue to smash.

Dipping sauce: Soy-rice-sesame dipping sauce

3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp toasted sesame oil or dark sesame oil

Optional: 1 tbsp green onions or 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Combine all ingredients together and stir in green onions or sesame seeds if using. Serve immediately. You can alter the proportions of any ingredient, or omit them. To make a spicier dipping sauce, add in ¼ tsp red chili flakes and 1 clove minced fresh garlic.

Tofu Tikka Masala Kebabs

Tofu Tikka Masala Kebabs

These tofu tikka masala kebabs can be cooked on the grill or on a large wide skillet on the stovetop (a flat skillet or a fancier grill pan will do). They smell delicious while cooking, so be prepared to share some if you’re the odd (but very creative) vegetarian that is grilling out among meat eaters.  These are fast to make, present well, and contain basic flavors of most Indian dishes (garlic, ginger, asafoetida, cumin, red chili, fenugreek, coriander).

Personally, I think tofu and paneer share similar textures and can replace each other in many dishes. If you love paneer, use that instead. They cook fast so choose quick cooking veggies (bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, squash) or alternate vegetable and tofu skewers.

Have the tofu and veggies cut to the same size so they will cook evenly. Ideally, you should marinate the tofu for at least 4 hours, but an hour will do. This is a simple spice mixture to prepare, but feel free to omit hard to find ingredients (e.g. asafoetida, fenugreek).

I’m not sure I understand what tikka is, or for that matter where it really came from. I’ve seen chicken tikka and paneer tikka at Indian restaurants, but most Indians do not cook this dish at home, unless we’re cooking Indian food for non-Indians. Indians tend to cook two kinds of Indian foods. The first is the daily meals that we’ll eat and share with other Indians, and the second is dressed-up fancy Indian food that is similar to what one finds at an Indian restaurant (we'll share this too). We don’t mean any ill-will but it’s just easier because, really, we eat with our hands. The best foods are the daily foods.  I guess these are fusion tofu tikka kebabs. Go ahead, give them a try.

Ingredients:
½” piece of ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds toasted and ground together (omit fenugreek if you can’t find it)
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
pinch asafoetida powder (omit if you can’t find it)
3 tbsp yogurt (or heavy cream)
1-2 tbsp peanut oil. During cooking time the oil helps to keep the kebabs from sticking.
1 block of extra-firm tofu, quick drained, and diced into 1” cubes
1 bell pepper (I used red to impart a tikka feel to the kebabs) cut into 1” chunks
1 cup grape tomatoes
lemon wedges to serve
dozen skewers (soaked if grilling) see note at bottom of post

Directions:

1. Quick drain the tofu. See this post (2nd paragraph down).
2. In a small mixing bowl combine ginger, garlic, spices, salt, asafoetida powder, and yogurt. Taste to adjust seasonings. Add more red chili powder if you want it spicier.
3. Add the cubed tofu, coat evenly and place in a shallow pan in the fridge.
4. Cut up veggies and store them in the fridge until ready to use.
5. When ready to cook, skewer the veggies and tofu.

When ready to cook, heat up half the oil (about 2 tsp) in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add in skewers and cook 2 minutes on each side. Add oil to the pan if you are cooking the skewers in batches. If grilling, grill skewers over medium-high heat and rotate a quarter turn every 2-3 minutes until golden. If skewers begin to stick on the grill, brush them with oil before rotating. 

Note: you can trim the skewers to fit in the pan, I had to trim mine.
Serve with rice, lemon slices, and yogurt, or top a salad with these skewers.