Green Vegetables, Miso and Sweet Sesame Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the sauce
3 tbsp [45 ml] tahini
1 tbsp [15 ml] white miso
2½ tbsp [37 ml] water
1 small garlic clove
½ tsp [2.5 ml] Japanese soy sauce
½ tbsp [7.5 ml] honey
½ tbsp [7.5 ml] rice vinegar
1½ tbsp [22 ml] mirin
Pinch of salt
For the salad
4 oz [115 g] firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1 tsp [5 ml] peanut oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups [750 ml] broccoli, cut into florets (with long stalks)
¾ cup [180 ml] green beans, halved lengthwise
2 cups [500 ml] snow peas
1 tbsp [15 ml] peanut oil
½ cup [125 ml] fresh cilantro leaves
3 tbsp [45 ml] toasted black and white sesame seeds
Method
To make the sauce: whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. The sauce should be smooth and thick with a pourable consistency, so adjust the amount of water as necessary. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Reserve.
Heat 1 tsp [5 ml] vegetable oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Fry the tofu until golden on all sides. Season with salt and pepper and let cool.
Bring a medium pan of unsalted water to the boil. Blanch the green beans 3 to 5 minutes, or until just tender but still crunchy. Lift into a colander (keep the water boiling) and refresh under running cold water; drain and dry well with a tea towel. In the same boiling water, blanch the snow peas for 2 minutes; refresh, drain and dry. Repeat the process with the broccoli, blanching it for 2 minutes.
Mix all the vegetables and the tofu together with the oil in a large bowl. Pour enough dressing to coat all the vegetables and tofu generously. Stir in the cilantro leaves and sesame seeds and serve.
Note: Instead of tofu, you can use grilled shrimp or chicken.
Recipe Credit: Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi, Plenty
Thai Soba Noodle Bowl
Serves 4 as a meal
Ingredients
1 14-oz [400 g] package extra-firm tofu
2 tbsp [30 ml] low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp [10 ml] toasted sesame oil
2 Thai chiles, seeded and finely chopped
3 stalks fresh lemongrass, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 large shallot
¼ cup [60 ml] fresh ginger, chopped
½ cup [125 ml] water
1 tbsp [15 ml] vegetable oil
2½ cups [625 ml] coconut milk (about a can and a half)
1 tbsp [15 ml] brown sugar
1 tbsp [15 ml] low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp [45 ml] fish sauce
Zest of 2 limes, very finely grated
1 cup [250 ml] water
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
2 cups [500 ml] roughly chopped shiitake mushrooms (or any other mushroom you like)
9 oz [255 g] uncooked soba noodles
Fresh coriander, to serve
Method
Wrap the tofu in a few paper towels and set it on a plate to drain with another plate on top. Leave it for an hour or up to six. Preheat the oven to 400°F [200°C]. Cut the tofu in ¾-inch [2-cm] cubes, spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with the soy sauce and sesame oil and bake for 25 minutes, shaking the tofu around once in a while so it’s golden and crispy all over.
In a blender or a food processor, combine the chiles, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, shallot and water and puree until smooth.
In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the lemongrass puree and cook over high heat, stirring, until most of the water has evaporated and the mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and whisk in the coconut milk, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime zest and a cup of water. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
While the broth simmers, cook the soba noodles. Once cooked, drain and reserve. Add the mushrooms to the broth, along with the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and more chile if you like it even hotter, and simmer again for 5 minutes.
To serve, divide the noodles and tofu between your serving bowls, and ladle the broth on top. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Recipe Credit: Adapted from Harold Dieterle, via Food & Wine Magazine and Sprouted Kitchen.
Vegetarian Vietnamese Pancakes
Serves 4-5
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups [330 ml] rice or pastry flour
1 egg
½ tsp [2.5 ml] salt
1 tsp [5 ml] turmeric
1¾ cups [430 ml] canned coconut milk
Vegetable oil
For the sauce
2½ tbsp [38 ml] lime juice
1½ tbsp [23 ml] toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp [15 ml] brown sugar
1 tbsp [15 ml] rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp [15 ml] sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
2 tsp [10 ml] grated fresh ginger
1 fresh red Thai chile, finely chopped
½ tsp [2.5 ml] salt
For the filling
1 large carrot, julienned
½ daikon radish, julienned
4 green onions, sliced
1 fresh red Thai chile, finely chopped
1 cup [250 ml] snow peas, sliced thinly on the diagonal
½ cup [125 ml] loosely packed Thai basil leaves
¼ cup [60 ml] loosely packed mint leaves
1 cup [250 ml] bean sprouts, thoroughly washed
1 cup [250 ml] enoki mushrooms
Method
Whisk the rice (or pastry) flour, salt and turmeric in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the coconut milk. Slowly add the coconut milk mixture to the dry ingredients, whisking well to avoid lumps. You want to get a thinnish pancake batter with the consistency of light cream. Add more coconut milk or water to get there, if necessary. Set aside to rest.
To make the sauce: whisk together all the ingredients, adjusting the amount of chile to your liking. Reserve.
To make the filling: Delicately mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Reserve.
When ready to make the pancakes, heat a large nonstick frying pan (about 9” [23 cm] in diameter) on medium heat. Add a little bit of vegetable oil. Pour in about one-quarter of the batter and swirl around to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the underside is golden brown, turn the pancake over and cook the other side. Remove from the pan and keep warm while you make the other pancakes.
To serve, place a warm pancake on each serving plate and pile vegetables and herbs over one half of it. Drizzle the vegetables with some sauce and fold one half of it. Spoon more sauce on top and serve, with any remaining sauce on the side.
Note: If desired, add a protein, such as sauteed shrimp or tofu, or grilled chicken, to the vegetable filling.
Recipe Credit: Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi, Plenty
Cauliflower and Cashew Curry
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
4 oz [115 g] firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1 tsp [5 ml] vegetable oil
1 cup [250 ml] coconut milk
2 tbsp [30 ml] curry powder
½ tsp [2.5 ml] sea salt
½ large red onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
½ cup [125 ml] water
1 cup [250 ml] snow peas, whole, or green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
1½ cups [375 ml] cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
1/3 cup [80 ml] cashews, toasted
A handful of cilantro, loosely chopped
Cooked basmati rice, for serving
Method
Heat the vegetable oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu cubes for a couple of minutes, stirring, until golden and crisp on all sides. Remove from the heat and reserve.
Bring half of the coconut milk to a simmer in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the curry powder and salt, working out any clumps. Stir in the chopped red onion and garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and the water, and then the tofu. Cook down the liquid for a couple minutes before adding the snow peas and cauliflower. Cover and simmer for just about 2-3 minutes, or just until the cauliflower and beans lose their raw edge and cook through a bit. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cashews. Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt and curry powder) if needed.
Top with fresh cilantro and serve in bowls with hot basmati rice.
Recipe Credit: Adapted from Heidi Swanson, 101 Cookbooks
Crisp Rice Omelet
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 tbsp [15 ml] peanut oil
1 tsp [5 ml] sesame oil
1 cup [250 ml] cooked long-grain rice (jasmine or basmati)
3 green onions, sliced thinly
1 long red chili, seeded, sliced thinly
5.25 oz [150 g] thin asparagus, sliced in ¾-in lengths, or snowpeas, sliced thinly
4 eggs
1 tsp [5 ml] finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp [5 ml] soy sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
1 handful bean sprouts, thoroughly rinsed
Fresh coriander leaves
Soy sauce
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Heat a 8-inch [20-cm] non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the peanut and sesame oil and rice and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the rice is slightly crisp. Add ¾ of the green onions, all of the asparagus (or snowpeas) and the red chili and cook for 2 minutes more.
Lower the heat to low. Crack the eggs in a bowl and beat lightly with the grated ginger, soy sauce, a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies in the pan and cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Finish cooking the omelette in the oven for 3 minutes or until the omelette has set.
Mix the bean sprouts, some fresh coriander leaves and the remaining sliced green onions in a bowl. To serve, put the bean sprout “salad” over the warm omelet, drizzle with soy sauce and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe Credit: Inspired by Donna Hay, Off the Shelf
Roasted Beet, Mint and Feta Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 medium beetroot, peeled
2 tbsp [30 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt
¼ cup [60 ml] balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp [30 ml] wholegrain mustard
1 cup [250 ml] shredded fresh mint
5 oz [150 g] baby salad leaves
6½ oz [200 g] feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp [15 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F [190°C]. On a large baking sheet, set a large sheet of aluminum foil and place the beets over one half of the aluminum sheet. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and coarse sea salt. Fold the aluminum sheet in half and fold the three open edges to enclose the beets “en papillote”. Roast the beets for 45 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a pointy knife. Let the beets rest for 5 minutes, then cut each beet in quarters. In a large bowl, toss the beets with the balsamic vinegar and wholegrain mustard and set aside to cool completely.
To make the salad, place the mint, salad leaves, crumbled feta and olive oil in a bowl and toss to combine. To serve, divide the salad on serving plates, and top with the marinated beets. Drizzle with a bit of the balsamic vinegar-mustard mixture. Serve with grilled bread slices.
Recipe Credit: Adapted from Donna Hay, Flavors.
Quick and Easy Vegetarian Weeknight Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
1½ tsp [7.5 ml] vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
Fine-grain sea salt
2 zucchini, cut into ½-in [1-cm] pieces
2 tsp [10 ml] red Thai curry paste
2/3 cup [160 ml] coconut milk
8 oz [225 g] firm tofu, cut into ½-in [1-cm] cubes
2 cups [500 ml] chopped cauliflower
12 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-in [2.5-cm] pieces
½ cup [125 ml] vegetable broth
Method
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and a big pinch of salt. Sauté until the onion starts to become translucent at the edges, a couple of minutes. Stir in the zucchini and cook for 1 minute more.
In the meantime, in a small bowl, mash the curry paste with a few tablespoons of the coconut milk. Add this to the pot and stir until the onions and zucchini are well coated. Stir in the remaining coconut milk. Bring it to a simmer, then add the tofu, cauliflower, and asparagus. Cover and cook just long enough for the tofu to heat through and the asparagus and cauliflower to lose its raw edge, a couple minutes. Uncover and add the broth. Stir and taste. Season with salt to taste.
Note: This curry is meant to be an easy, last minute weeknight dinner solution: use whatever vegetables you have leftover in the fridge and adjust the cooking times accordingly.
Recipe Credit: Heidi Swanson, Super Natural Every Day
Barley and Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 tbsp [15 ml] olive oil
1½ cups [375 ml] chopped onions
1½ cups [375 ml] chopped peeled carrots
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2½ tsp [7.5 ml] ground cumin
10 cups [2.4 L] (or more) vegetable broth
2/3 cup [160 ml] pearl barley
14½ oz [430 ml] can diced tomatoes in juice
2/3 cup [160 ml] dried red lentils
4 cups [1 L] (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard (about 1/2 large bunch)
Method
Heat oil in heavy large nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; sauté until onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Mix in cumin; stir 30 seconds. Add 10 cups broth and barley; bring to boil. Reduce heat; partially cover and simmer 40 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and lentils; cover and simmer until barley and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add chard to soup; cover and simmer until chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth, if desired.
Recipe Credit: Bon Appétit Magazine (via Epicurious.com)
Whole-Grain Rice, Baby Spinach, Walnuts and Cherry Salad
Serves 6
Ingredients
3½ cups [875 ml] red or brown rice, cooked, heated
4 handfuls baby spinach, stems trimmed
2/3 cup [160 ml] walnut halves, toasted
1½ cups [375 ml] sweet cherries, halved and pitted
½ cup [125 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup [60 ml] white wine vinegar
Fine-grain sea salt
Small basil leaves
Goat cheese, crumbled
Method
Combine the hot rice, spinach, and most of the walnuts in a large bowl. Toss until the spinach wilts a bit.
Make the cherry vinaigrette by combining one-third of the cherries, the olive oil, white wine vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon [2.5 ml] sea salt and blending until smooth. Add a generous splash of the dressing to the salad.
Tear the remaining cherries in half and stir most of them into the rice. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Turn the salad onto a platter and finish with the last of the cherries, walnuts, basil leaves and goat cheese. Serve immediately.
Recipe Credit: Heidi Swanson, Super Natural Every Day
Baked Herb & Pistachio Falafel Bites with Mint Yogurt & Cashew Dressing
Makes 24-30 falafels
Ingredients
Falafels
¼ cup [60 ml] fresh mint, coarsely chopped and packed
¼ cup [60 ml] fresh parsley, coarsely chopped and packed
7 oz [200 g] pistachio nuts, shelled
2 cups [500 ml] canned chickpeas, rinsed
2 cloves garlic
½ small onion
3 tbsp [45 ml] olive oil
1 tsp [5 ml] cumin
1 tbsp [15 ml] whole-wheat flour
1 tsp [5 ml] baking powder
½ tsp [2.5 ml] fine sea salt
Finely ground black pepper, to taste
Mint Yogurt
1 cup [250 ml] Greek-style yoghurt
2 tbsp [30 ml] fresh mint, finely chopped
1 lime, juice and zest
Cashew Dressing
6 tbsp [90 ml] cashew butter
6 tbsp [90 ml] canola or rapeseed oil
3 tbsp [45 ml] lemon juice
A pinch of salt
To serve
Small butter (or Boston) lettuce leaves
Method
To make the falafels: Preheat oven to 375°F [200°C]. In a food processor, pulse herbs 4-5 times until they are finely chopped. Add the pistachio nuts and pulse until well combined. Add the chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients and blend for about a minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Keep the texture of the falafel dough a little rough. With your hands, make 24 to 30 small round falafels. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for about 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to get an even brown color.
To make the mint yogurt: Stir yogurt, mint, lime juice and lime zest in a small bowl and stir until combined. Reserve in the fridge for 30 minutes to get a better and more intense mint flavor.
To make the cashew dressing: Whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl until combined.
To serve: Set butter lettuce leaves on a serving plate or tray. Spoon 1 tsp [5 ml] yogurt on each leaf and top with a falafel. Drizzle with cashew dressing, decorate with mint leaves and serve immediately. Serve with more mint yogurt and cashew dressing on the side. The falafels can also be served as a sandwich in pita breads with lettuce and tomato slices.
Recipe Credit: Adapted from Green Kitchen Stories
