meat free

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Meat Free Monday: Sticky Tofu with Sweet Sesame Sauce – Brave New Meal -Bad Manners

Brave New Meal by Bad Manners, Hachette Australia, RRP $45.00, Out Now

TOFU

12 ounces extra-firm tofu

2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

2 tablespoons Maggi Seasoning* (or substitute soy sauce)

2 tablespoons mirin or apple juice

1 teaspoon chili-garlic paste or Sriracha

SWEET SESAME SAUCE

1 tablespoon toasted

sesame oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

. cup rice vinegar

. cup pure maple syrup

. cup tamari or soy sauce

2 tablespoons Cornstarch

1 Wrap the tofu in a clean towel or some paper towels and set something heavy like a pan on top to wick away any moisture. Let it get squashed there for about 10 minutes.

2 While the tofu is pressing, in a small glass, combine the tamari, Maggi, mirin, and chili-garlic paste to make a marinade.

3 When the tofu has released a lot of its water or when 10 minutes has passed, chop it up into cubes about the size of a quarter, place ’em in a bowl, and drown those bitches with the marinade. Let that sit, mixing them around occasionally, for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

4 When you’re ready to get this shit goin’, make the sesame sauce: Grab a small glass and mix the sesame oil, garlic, vinegar, maple syrup, tamari, and cornstarch, making sure there’s no clumps. Set that aside. That’s that sauce in the photo that made you wanna cook this shit in the first place.

5 **To finish, place the white rice flour in a wide bowl and drain the marinating tofu. Throw the tofu in the rice flour and toss to coat all the lil tofu pieces in the flour.

6 Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the oil. Use a slotted spoon to get the coated tofu out the extra flour and into the hot pan. Toss the tofu around in the pan until all the pieces have a coating of oil. Cook the pieces on as many sides as possible for at least 1 minute or till light golden brown. When most of the tofu looks good, toss in the shallot and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir the teriyaki sauce around to make sure everything is incorporated, then pour it over the tofu in the hot pan.

7 You’re almost done, so don’t get lost in the sauce now. Cook, stirring frequently, to coat the tofu as the sauce thickens up, 1 to 2 minutes. When the sauce looks nice and thick and all the tofu is coated, remove from the heat.

8 Serve just like this or top it with some cilantro, green onions, or sesame seeds to really flex on the terrible takeout you usually settle for.

**TO FINISH

. cup white rice flour or cornstarch

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as peanut or safflower

1 shallot, diced

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Optional garnishes:

Chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, or sesame seeds

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INDIAN SPICED CHICKPEA BURGERS WITH CAULIFLOWER RAITA + MANGO CHUTNEY: Joe’s Family Food – Joe Wicks

Joe’s Family Food – Joe Wicks, Bluebird, Macmillan Australia

INDIAN SPICED CHICKPEA BURGERS WITH CAULIFLOWER RAITA + MANGO CHUTNEY

SERVES 4 – PREP 20MINS – COOK 10MINS

Ingredients

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 tsp shop-bought curry paste (korma works well)

grated zest of 1 lemon

10g coriander, stems finely

chopped and leaves roughly chopped

½ red onion, finely chopped

80g breadcrumbs

1 tbsp coconut oil

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER RAITA

300g cauliflower

150g natural yoghurt

juice of ½ lemon

10g mint leaves, finely chopped

salt and pepper

TO SERVE

4 burger buns, toasted

4 tbsp mango chutney

4 lettuce leaves

4 tbsp shop-bought crispy fried onions

To make the burger mixture, place the chickpeas, curry paste, lemon zest and fresh coriander in a food processor and blitz until the mixture comes together. If you don’t have a food processor you can mash the mixture with a fork instead.

Mix the red onion and breadcrumbs into the chickpeas and shape into 4 patties.

To make the raita, shave the raw cauliflower with a mandoline or sharp knife into thin slices and place in a bowl. Mix together the yoghurt in a bowl with the lemon juice and mint, season to taste with salt and pepper and fold into the cauliflower.

Heat the coconut oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add the burgers and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on both sides.

Assemble the burgers by spreading the base of the toasted buns with mango chutney, then topping with the lettuce followed by the chickpea patties. Pile the cauliflower raita on top of each burger and sprinkle with the crispy fried onions. Place the bun lids on top and squash down a little with the palm of your hand to serve.

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#MeatFreeMonday: Samosas – A Pinch of Nom – Kate Allinson & Kay Feathestone

When I first picked up this book and started flicking through the recipes to see what might catch my eye, I failed to notice “100 slimming home style recipes” noted on the front cover. The fact that these are calorie reduced meals did not detract me from exploring this book; the types of meals here are things I might make everyday – healthy home cooking choices. What a great book! I hope you find some, new favourites here too.

Pinch of Nom by Kate Allinson and Kay Featherstone is published by Bluebird, RRP $39.99 and is available in all good bookstores.

 

Samosas

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 15 mins | 151 KCAL per serving

 

“Yes, you read correctly: samosas! Making a simple swap from pastry to tortilla wrap instantly brings down the calories. Filled with fresh ingredient, you’ll be reaching for these time and time again for fakeaway nights (served with our Super Simple Chicken Curry on page 58), or just as a snack.” p. 224

V F GF (use GF wraps)

Makes 6

 

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm (½ in) dice

75g frozen peas

Low-calorie cooking spray

½ onion, diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp grated root ginger

Generous pinch of chilli powder

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp garam masala

30g spinach

Juice of ½ lemon

Sea salt

3 low-calorie tortilla wraps, cut in half

1 egg, beaten

Fresh coriander, to serve (optional)

Cook the diced potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then drain. Cook the peas in boiling salted water and drain.

 

Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C/gas mark 6) and line a baking tray with some greaseproof paper or baking parchment.

 

Spray a pan with some low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until softened but not browned, then add the spices and cook for another minute. Stir in the cooked potato and mash it slightly with a fork or the back of a spoon before adding the uncooked spinach, lemon juice and peas. Add a pinch of salt and stir.

 

Brush the edges of the halved wraps with the beaten egg. Fold each half into a cone shape and seal the edge, leaving the top open to add the filling.

 

Divide the filling equally between the wraps, being careful not to over-fill them. If you do, you will not be able to seal them properly.

 

Brush the open end of the wraps with some more beaten egg, leave for 30–40 seconds, until it becomes tacky, then press the edges together firmly. You can use a fork to do this, but be careful not to rip the wrap. Arrange the samosas on the tray.

 

Brush each samosa with plenty of beaten egg, make sure the edges are sealed, then place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

 

Remove from the oven and serve warm. You can also allow to cool, wrap in baking parchment and freeze for another day.

 

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Ricotta Hotcakes with Banana & Stem Ginger Butter: Bread Street Kitchen – Gordon Ramsay

cover-bread-st-kitchenRecipes extracted from Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay and the Bread Street Kitchen Team (Hachette Australia). Available in hardcover nationally at $49.99 and in ebook at $19.99

 

Ricotta Hotcakes with Banana and Stem Ginger Butter

“These hotcakes really do sell like their proverbial cousins… made with ricotta to make them light and tasty, these delicious pancakes are never off the menu.” p.45

 

ricotta-hotcakes

Serves 4–6 (makes about 14 hotcakes)

For the hotcakes

  • 250g ricotta
  • 150ml whole milk
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 75g plain flour
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 30g butter, for frying

For the stem ginger butter

  • 60g butter, at room temperature
  • 2–3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 large balls of stem ginger in syrup (about 40g in total, drained weight), drained and finely chopped
  • 2 bananas, sliced on the diagonal, to serve

Tip

Use the batter when freshly made so that it doesn’t lose its fluffiness, otherwise it may deflate a bit on standing.

 

  1. First make the stem ginger butter. Put the butter, maple syrup and stem ginger into a small bowl and mix together using a spatula until smooth and combined. Cover and set aside while you make the hotcakes.
  2. Put the ricotta, milk and egg yolks into a mixing bowl and beat together just until combined using a balloon whisk. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, then gradually beat this into the egg yolk mixture until smooth and combined.
  3. In a separate large, grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Carefully fold half of the whisked whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining half until evenly combined but the mixture is still light and fluffy.
  4. Melt a knob of the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over a low–medium heat until foaming. Cook the hotcakes in batches over a medium heat (adjusting the heat if necessary so the butter doesn’t burn), using 2 tablespoons of batter per hotcake (you can cook two or three at once, but don’t overcrowd the pan). After spooning in the batter for each hotcake, gently spread each one with the back of the spoon to make a circle about 8–10cm diameter. Fry for 1–2 minutes until golden brown, then flip the hotcakes and repeat on the other side. Remove to a plate and keep warm while you cook the remaining hotcakes.
  5. Serve the warm hotcakes topped with dollops of the stem ginger butter and the banana slices.
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Sadhana Kitchen Super Bowl: The Naked Vegan – Maz Valcorza

naked-vegan-cvr

 “Images and recipes from The Naked Vegan by Maz Valcorza (Murdoch Books) RRP $39.99”

 

Sadhana Kitchen Super Bowl

SERVES 4

 

“This is one of our most popular dishes at Sadhana Kitchen because it’s so vibrant, beautiful and delicious. That it’s one of the healthiest things you could eat is just a happy bonus.”

 

baby English spinach leaves, to serve

1 batch Brazil nut cheddar cream cheese (page 79)

1 batch Tomato, paprika & zucchini hummus (page 125)

1 batch Sauerkraut (page 84)

1 batch Beetroot dip (page 122)

 

Zoodles

2 zucchini (courgettes), spiralised

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

pinch of Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt

 

Minted cucumber

2 large cucumbers, sliced

2 tablespoons finely chopped mint

1 tablespoon lemon juice

 

Lemony kale

140 g (5 oz/2 cups) shredded kale

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

 

Parsley tomatoes

250 g (9 oz) cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 tablespoon cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

 

Put the zoodles ingredients in a small mixing bowl and toss together. Toss the minted cucumber ingredients together in another bowl, and the lemony kale and parsley tomatoes in two separate bowls.

 

Line a large bowl or platter with some baby spinach leaves. Arrange the four different salads on top, along with the Brazil nut cheddar, hummus, sauerkraut and beetroot dip. Enjoy straightaway.

 

superbowl

 

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Tomato Ricotta Tart – Good Life Great Food – Judy Phillips

Cover Good Life Great Food

When I reviewed this book a few months ago I said when it is tomato season I will make the  Tomato and Ricotta Tart. Yesterday I made the tart and tartlets.

Simple, easy, colourful and fresh.  I think I prefer the tartlets – they are easier to hold and enjoy. I think you could also cut the pastry into rounds and cook base in muffin or jam tart type tray and have the perfect starter/cocktail food/ finger food.

Tomato and Ricotta Tarts

I used store bought puff pastry sheets,ricotta, sundried tomatoes, eggs, cream and a dash of cream fraiche to thicken the base, three types tomatoes and basil from our garden. Once pastry base is just warm (cold works too) plate up with tomatoes mixture.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.  Fresh, colourful, delicious.   ** Hint – cut tomatoes into bite size pieces and let sit for 10 minutes or so to allow some of the juices to drain off.

Tartlet