Aubergine, mango and soba noodle salad

A belated post from early Summer...

We went for dumplings on blågardsplads the other day - at a place we discovered either before or after a hospital appointment (silver linings). A place (think it’s called gao) that I love - they have two different kinds of vegetarian dumplings (mushroom pan fried and spinach steamed), both equally delicious; plus a long list of veggie sides that are all simple but perfect... sage loved them too. Anyway, while there remembered about the great fruit and veg shops also on blågards, checked them out too, and discovered a box of Pakistani mangoes! The delicate south Asian mangoes are way superior to the thick-skinned African ones you usually find in supermarkets - the one thing that could convince me to go to India in monsoon season... I had just been thinking maybe it was the season, but couldn’t think where was the right shop to find them...

I made this salad first about this time last year, when sage was tiny. I remember feeling proud i’d managed to cook something proper, especially because it was from a cookbook Seb gave me for my birthday (ie a few days after sage was born). Aside from eating them straight up, this seemed like a suitably special way to use some of our fine box of mangoes. This time, sage ate it too (and liked it! Although think he preferred the vegan sausages we ate with it (didn’t have any tofu)).

120 ml rice vinegar  (or apple cider vinegar)
40 g sugar
½ tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1 lime, grated zest and juice
300 ml sunflower oil
2 aubergines, cut into 2 cm dice
300g soba noodles
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 large mango, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
40g basil, chopped
40g coriander, chopped

In a saucepan, gently heat the vinegar, sugar and salt, just until the sugar dissolves, for up to a minute. Remove from the heat and add the garlic, chilli and sesame oil. Set aside to cool, then add the lime zest and juice.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large pan and shallow-fry the aubergine in three or four batches. Once golden-brown, transfer to a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt and leave to drain.

Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling, salted water, stirring occasionally, for five to eight minutes - the noodles should retain a bite - then drain and rinse under cold water. Shake off the excess water and place on kitchen towel to dry.

In a mixing bowl, toss the noodles with the dressing, aubergine, onion, mango and half the herbs. You can leave it aside for an hour or two. When ready to serve, add the rest of the herbs, mix and pile on a plate or in a bowl.

Massaman curry (from tinned paste)

Sascha bought this little tin of curry paste when he stayed with us (and S demanded he make us dinner when we got home from work / before going to basketball). The remainder of the tin had been in the fridge ever since - I wasn't sure how long it'd last but guessed it needed using up before too much longer. Last night I got home before S and decided it was time for curry. I filled it with a pretty random selection of stuff from the corners of fridge, freezer and cupboards. Which actually worked out really well.

The paste is good, and tinning means it has no unidentifiable ingredients. In case I want to try and recreate it / find it again, it is labelled Massaman curry paste, and the ingredients list is: garlic, sugar, soybean oil, dried red chillies, tamarind juice, shallot, salt, lemongrass, spices (coriander seeds, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, lesser galanga, cloves), kaffir lime, galangal, citric acid (E330).

1/2 tin Massaman curry paste (see above)
1 tin coconut milk
1/4 butternut squash, deseeded and chopped into ~2 cm chunks
2 medium potatoes, washed and chopped into ~1 cm chunks
~1/4 cup okara (optional - chucked it in because it needed eating)
~1/2 cup frozen chickpeas
1/2 block super firm tofu
~1/2 cup frozen peas
~2 tbsp crushed toasted peanuts
~2 tbsp chopped coriander

Heat a deep frying pan with a lid. Put the curry paste and half the coconut milk in and stir-fry for ~ 3 min. Add the potato and squash. Cover and simmer for ~15-20 min, until the potato is almost cooked, adding the okara after about 5 min if using. Add the chickpeas and tofu and heat for another 5 min or so, then add the frozen peas and heat for 2-3 min, until they are cooked. Take off the heat and stir in the toasted peanuts. Serve with rice, and with coriander sprinkled on top.

Green tofu spread

I made this spread / dip with the rest of my fresh tofu, recipe from the same page (adjusted a little).

8 oz fresh tofu (or silken)
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
~2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 clove garlic
1 spring onion, roughly chopped
~3 tbsp chopped coriander
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt+pepper

Put all ingredients in a blender cup and blend until smooth. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if needed.


I put two spring onions in and thought it a bit much, although the onioniness wears off gradually, perhaps tomorrow it will be perfect. It is lovely and creamy and delicately green, kind of a minty green (might be nice with mint instead of coriander, incidentally).

Making tofu (or soymilk)

I eat loads of the stuff, and I reckon our fridge always contains at least five different kinds (right now: silken soft, silken firm, firm, extra firm, dry 5-spiced). But I'd never really even thought about making my own. I bought a bag of dried soybeans the other day (for miso attempt), and with lots left over it seemed like time to give tofu making a try. It is a bit more straightforward and much quicker than miso, thought it might be fun. Basically followed this recipe (and this one a little bit).

(makes approx 1 lb of fresh, silken-style tofu)

1 1/2 cups dried soybeans
4 1/2 cups water (and more later)
coagulant: 3 tbsp cider vinegar, 4 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) or 2 tsp nigari (I used vinegar)

Put the beans and water in a large pan or bowl, cover and leave to soak for 8 hours or overnight.

Grind the soaked beans together with their water until as fine as possible in a blender or food processor.

Boil five cups of water in a large pan. Add the ground beans. Reduce heat to medium and keep just below the boil for 8 minutes. A layer of foam will form on top.

Line a colander with cheesecloth  and put it over a bowl. Strain the mixture, reserving the liquid (soymilk). Squeeze the cloth bundle to extract as much milk as possible. Undo the bundle and set aside the contents - this is okara. Rinse out the cheesecloth.

Mix the coagulant with 1 cup of water in a small bowl.

Rinse out the pan, then add the strained soymilk and heat gently, stirring continuously, until it reaches 65-68C (150-155F) - I judged this as cool enough to put a finger in but too hot to be comfortable. Take off the heat.

Add half the coagulant mixture to the pan and stir like a whirlpool six times. Hold the spoon in the middle and wait until the swirling stops. Add the remaining coagulant and stir in a figure of eight six times. It should start to coagulate. Cover and leave for 15 min.

Line a colander with cheesecloth and put it over a bowl. Transfer the soymilk with a ladle into the colander. Fold the cloth on top, then put a plate and a weight (large tin or jar) on top. Let stand for 15 min to press out excess water. Put it in the fridge to chill and firm up slightly for one hour. Discard flowthrough. Fill a large bowl with cold water then transfer the cloth-wrapped package to it and remove the cloth. Let water run gently for 10 min or so.

Eat immediately (I had some for lunch as this salad) or store covered in cold water for up to three days.


This was good. Very soft and creamy, quite lovely. Worked really well in the salad. I kept about half for something else tbd. It didn't keep shape well when cut - more creamy than shapely or crumbly - so perhaps best for dips, puddings etc. Most comparable with silken tofu.

Notes: If I ever get into doing this frequently I might try drying and grinding the okara so it can be stored for later use. I baked cornbread with the (undried) okara produced from this batch (2 cups). I think the creamy rather than choppable consistency was probably due to guessing temperature before adding coagulant - was probably not hot enough. I might finally invest in a thermometer one day soon.

Coconut and banana polenta, lemongrass tofu, peanut sauce

Our vegetable supplies are getting low - the first CSA since before Christmas is due tomorrow. This was a low-veg-supply dinner that was really rather good (and very quick!).

For the tofu:
1 block super firm tofu
~4 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp sesame oil
~2-3 tbsp chopped lemongrass
salt+pepper

For the polenta:
(pretty similar to this recipe; note I haven't completely settled on the right amount of liquid vs polenta)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup polenta
1 tsp salt
~2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 banana, peeled and diced

For the peanut sauce:
1-2 tbsp peanut butter
juice of 1 lime
~2 tbsp soy sauce

Cut the tofu into cuboids ~ 6 x 2 x 2 cm and dry. Heat the oils in a frying pan and plonk the pieces of tofu in it. Cook each side for a few minutes, flipping along the long axis using a fork. When nicely browned on all sides add the lemongrass and stir-fry for a few more minutes until the lemongrass is lightly browned and crispy. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut milk and the water in a small saucepan. Mix the polenta and salt in a bowl. When the liquid is boiling whisk in the polenta mixture a little at a time. It will probably become thick and seem cooked almost immediately. Stir in the coriander and banana, cover, cook for a minute and then turn off the heat and let it sit and steam a little.

To make the peanut sauce mix peanut butter, lime juice and soy sauce and taste to check balance. Add some chilli sauce, maple syrup or finely chopped fresh ginger if you like.

Serve the tofu over the top of the polenta, with peanut sauce over the top or on the side.


All very simple and good, making the best of the contents of fridge, freezer and storecupboard.

Aromatic coconut and udon soup

S has rediscovered udon noodles in a big way - currently, they are (almost, besides gorgonzola pasta) his favourite thing. Times have changed from when he bought a packet and they lay unused for almost a year... Last night I was heading home before him and asked for dinner suggestions. He said udon (naturally), and followed up with coconut (inspired, I think, by a soup we had at the Thai place at the end of our road the other night). I started thinking about all the lovely aromatics we had squirreled in the freezer (lemongrass, galangal, ginger...) and the tin of coconut milk I had left over from my abandoned kefir experiments, and realised it was a brilliant idea!

1 star anise
~2 tbsp chopped lemongrass
2 inch piece galangal, peeled and sliced
2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped into matchsticks
2 dried red chillies
1-2 lime leaves (optional)
good handful of fresh coriander, chopped (stalky parts and leafy parts separated)
1 tin coconut milk
~1-2 tbsp light soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
water
hot chilli sauce
2 (single serving) packets of udon
1 small onion, peeled and sliced lengthways into bitesize pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
1/2 a pack of extra firm tofu, drained and chopped into ~2 x 2 x 1 cm chunks
3 large-ish button mushrooms, trimmed and chopped into sixths lengthwise
3 smallish tomatoes, cut into sixths (or use cherry tomatoes)

Put the star anise, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, dried chillies, lime leaves (if using) and the stalky bits of coriander into a saucepan and add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and lime juice. Add ~1-2 cups of water and bring gently to a simmer. Taste for saltiness, acid, thickness/intensity of coconut milk, and add more soy sauce, lime juice or boiling water accordingly. Put in the udon, onion, carrots and tofu and bring back up to a simmer. Turn off and let sit for 10 minutes or so before checking the flavour balance again. Adjust as before, also add a few drops of hot sauce if you think it needs to be spicier. A few minutes before serving, add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and the leafy parts of the coriander. Bring back up to simmering point, check all the vegetables and the udon are cooked, turn off the heat and serve the soup. Avoid eating the star anise, the big pieces of galangal, and the dried chillies.


Really good. Quick (veg preparation the most time consuming step), and super easy / minimal washing up - just one board, one knife and one big pan (besides bowls and spoon+forks). Most of the stuff is either always in the storecupboard or basic veg and herbs. Veg could be varied (brassicas nice); as could noodles / it could be served with rice on the side instead. Lovely, warming, filling, aromatic and comforting for a cold, cold, end-of-year day.

Quick fried tofu with spring onions and sesame

This is like a speeded-up version of this delicious beast. Taking advantage of TJ's super firm tofu (no need to drain, doesn't fall apart easily so can be stir fried), simplifying and using a bit less heat.

2 tbsp veg oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 pack super firm tofu (shrink wrapped), chopped into large chunks
~5 spring onions, chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
generous grinding of black pepper and salt

Heat oils and then add the tofu. Stir fry, tossing regularly, for a few minutes, then add spring onions. Stir fry a little longer then add sesame seeds, chilli, pepper and salt. Keep frying until the tofu is lightly browned and the spring onions are wilted and crispy in places. We ate this with soba noodles and a quick peanut-tamarind sauce (peanut butter, tamarind paste, lime juice, soy sauce, mirin).

Brown rice with sweet potato, spinach and miso-tahini sauce

This is yet another variation on something I make really often - some grain, some steamed veg (most often something green (e.g. broccoli, spinach, leeks, edamame) and something orange (e.g. carrots)), some tofu, some sauce, some herb and some seeds. It really hits the spot; I especially crave it after an aerial evening; it's quick, super simple, flexible and good.

Lindsey's photo

I have discovered ornamental sweet potatoes (thanks to M from LUrC). They were planted all around where I work and now the frost has killed the plants and they have been removed, but some tubers are still there (+some are crazy spiral shapes). I tried a few and they are tender and sweet. But I am not sure whether I should eat more - perhaps they use bad pesticides on them. Anyway, interesting - I'd never noticed them before but they are everywhere.

1 cup brown rice (used TJs brown rice, black barley and radish seed mix)
2 medium sweet potatoes, trimmed and chopped into chunks
1/8 of a large kabocha squash, chopped into chunks
generous handful of spinach, washed and torn into pieces if leaves are large
2 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp tahini
1/2 clove garlic, crushed to paste
2 in piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 tbsp mirin
1-2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1/3 block firm tofu, diced fairly small
fresh coriander, chopped
sesame seeds (black or white)

Put the rice on to cook with 2 cups of water - should take 20-30 min. Meanwhile, prep the sweet potatoes and squash and put on to steam - should take 10-15 min. When the squash is done take it out of the steamer and put the spinach in - will steam in 2-3 min - take out and refresh in cold water to stop cooking before squeezing all liquid out. While you're waiting for stuff to cook you can make the sauce: mix miso, tahini, garlic, ginger, mirin and vinegar in a small bowl, taste for balance. Also prep the tofu and coriander and toast the seeds (if you like). To eat, dump your chosen proportions of everything in a bowl, mix and enjoy.


Everything I love at the moment seems to involve some combination of miso, sesame and ginger. This is no exception.

Pumpkin and tofu roasted with miso and thyme

At last I decided to butcher the squash (I think it was a red kabocha) I got from Drumlin the day I volunteered there way back in September. It was one of the first ones they harvested, and I was excited to eat it, but of course squashes keep well, so it had been sitting patiently in the pantry ever since. It was still in great condition when I finally got to it over the weekend. Some of it became soda bread - I had an old Delia recipe on my mind I wanted to veganise. Some I roasted with miso, tofu and thyme like this. I toasted the seeds with spices, and they came to L's birthday party with me and one of two soda bread rounds. And I still have half the squash left in the fridge!

1/4 of a large kabocha squash (about 9 oz, prepared weight)
2/3 of a pack of firm tofu, drained
2 tbsp white miso
~2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp mirin
1-2 tsp sesame oil
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp maple syrup
black pepper

Heat the oven to 400F. Wash and deseed the squash or pumpkin and cut into large chunks (don't bother peeling). Cut the drained tofu into similar sized chunks. Put both into a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients to make a smooth, viscous liquid. Pour the liquid over the chunks and mix well to coat all the chunks, with your hands or a big spoon. Transfer the mixture to a roasting tin (in a single layer), put in the oven and roast for ~45 min, until the squash is tender and all is nicely browned.


This was really delicious - the squash is tender, deep red, and very sweet and flavourful; I am really into baked / grilled tofu with sauces right now (had some good stuff at the LUrC potluck last night too).

Ginger-sesame-miso soup

We ate at Life Alive after sauna and it hit the spot - I had something ('The Fool') rich with mushrooms, kale, sesame, ginger and sprouted legumes (and udon); S had a similar beast but with miso broth. Yesterday we had planned a big dinner (East by Northeast), so I wanted something light but filling for lunch. As I biked back from aerials it was chilly but brightening, and miso soup shaped into my answer as I rode. I've made miso soup before and it's so simple it hardly warrants a recipe. But anyway, for this one I merged S's miso with my sesame-ginger and it was really fresh and delicious while still warm enough for a chilly Autumn day.

(makes enough for one person, for lunch)

3 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 inch piece of daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups boiling water
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2-3 savoy cabbage (or other cabbage, or kale) leaves, shredded
2 inch cube of firm tofu, chopped into ~1 cm dice
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2-3 tbsp good-quality white miso
~1 tbsp shredded fresh mint (or coriander)

Put the carrots and daikon in a small pan with the water and the ginger. Bring to the boil. Boil for a few minutes, until the carrots are just starting to get tender. Add the cabbage and tofu and bring back to the boil. Turn off the heat and mix in the sesame oil and miso. Pour or dollop into a bowl, top with the mint, and eat (add more water, more miso or more sesame oil to taste).


This is amazing - a week later it's still all I want to eat. I've got S into it too, and we have made various versions, all successful - one with shredded kale, sliced turnip, sweetcorn, peas and edamame; another with noodles as well to make it even more beefy. Yum. Only thing that didn't really work was eating some cold without broth - thought it'd just be like steamed veg with some miso flavour; it turned out to be a bit peely-wally.

Miso soup as a meal

This is very simple. But good. Use whatever vegetables you like, and just make sure to add them in an order that ensures they are all cooked at the same time. The tofu and udon make it bigger, heartier and into a full meal, but they are optional too. Use whatever kind of miso takes your fancy / fits with the vegetables you chose.

1 small onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thin half moons
1/2 a watermelon radish, peeled and cut into thin slices similar sized to the carrot
1 serving sized packet udon noodles
2 in block of tofu (any kind), diced
2 in piece of cabbage, thinly sliced
3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
5 mushrooms, sliced
light miso, 4 tbsp or more
water

Put the onion, carrot and radish in a large saucepan with about a litre of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for ~10 min, until the veg are nearly cooked but still a little crunchy. Add the noodles and tofu, bring back to the boil and cook for a few more minutes. Add the cabbage, spring onions and mushrooms, bring to the boil and simmer until all the ingredients are just cooked (a minute or so). Finally, take a ladleful of the liquid from the pan and mix it in a small bowl with the miso, then transfer this mixture back to the pan and stir until combined. Alternatively, you can mix the miso and liquid in your own bowl and then add a serving of soup and mix it up before eating.

Hedgehog cake (orange, carrot and pistachio cake with mocha-sunflower icing)

This is S's birthday cake. He mentioned carrot cake at some point, also mentioned cake in the shape of a hedgehog at some point, he likes nuts and coffee, and I'm still trying to find the perfect carrot-coffee-nut combination after he requested it a few years ago.

Cake recipe adapted from this one (my quantities are weird because I scaled it down to make two layers instead of three).

For the cake:
50g tahini
83ml sunflower oil
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
zest of 2 oranges, and 67ml juice (juice of approx 1 orange)
150g soft light brown sugar
2 tbsp ground linseed mixed with 5 tbsp boiling water
133g carrot, grated finely
67g chopped pistachios
117g plain flour
1 2/3 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/3 tsp grated nutmeg

For the icing:
(this made too much - half or two thirds this quantity would have been sufficient)
16 oz firm silken tofu, drained
1 tbsp veg oil
1 tbsp very strong coffee
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup smooth sunflower seed butter

To finish:
~1 cup slivered toasted almonds
3 raisins (1 big one for the nose and two smaller, equal-sized ones for the eyes)

Heat the oven to 360F / 180C. Grease two 8 inch round cake tins and line the bases. In a large bowl, whisk together tahini, pomegranate molasses, orange zest and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in linseed mixture, then stir in the grated carrot, pistachios and orange juice. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and spices with a fork. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and fold together until just combined. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in tins.

While the cake is baking, make the icing. Crumble the drained tofu into a blender jug, add the oil and coffee and blend until smooth. Add the icing sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and blend until smooth. Add the sunflower seed butter and blend until consistent. Transfer the icing into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for an hour, until thickened.

When the cakes are cool and the icing chilled, you can assemble the cake. For a normal cake, just layer it up and stop here.

I wanted to make a curved, bilaterally symmetrical hedgehog shape. I made 4 layers (plus a little bit more on top, using almost all of the two circular cakes. I took one of the circular base papers (cleaned of cake bits) and cut out a template for the bottom layer (approx egg shaped; long side length equal to diameter of circle), then cut this shape out of one of the cakes with a sharp knife (save the offcuts for the upper layers), cutting at an angle of ~45 degrees. I then trimmed about 1 cm around all the edges of the template and cut this shape out of the other cake (working at the edge). Stack them so you can see how it is looking. Trim another centimetre off the template and cut the shape out of a combination of offcuts. Repeat. Use remaining offcuts to create a rounded top. Hopefully the stacked shape will look OK, if not you can do some rearrangement / trimming.

Next, put the bottom layer on a plate. Cover it with icing then add the next layer, Repeat until all the layers are done, also using the icing to stick the pieces together where the layers comprise more than one piece. Once the pieces are all layered up, cover the outside with icing. Make sure to fill in all the cracks and to go right down to the plate; you can use the icing to correct minor irregularities in shape. Smooth it out when done. Starting about 1/4 of the way back from the pointed end, stick slivered almonds into the icing to make spines. Cover the entire back part of the cake with these. On the part without almonds, make striations with a fork to look a bit like fur. Finally, choose your raisins, squish them into shape, and press into position on the cake.


This looks really fun - the almonds and raisins are quite effective, as good as I might have hoped. The cake is delicious - bit of a faff with all the chopping and grating and zesting and juicing and so forth, but tasty enough to warrant it on a special occasion. They didn't rise much but they did hold together very well as I cut and layered them. Carrot cake should be dense anyway, so I don't think the lack of eggs mattered much.

The icing is very soft but does stay in position. I wondered if the seed (or nut) butter was a necessary addition or if it would have been just as good without. Same with the cocoa - I added it mainly for colour but it might have been brown enough without. It definitely doesn't taste of tofu at all. Does taste of sunflower butter though, and with that plus the cocoa once again I have managed to drown out the coffee flavour. Tastes fine in combination with the cake though: the flavours work together well. (note: I may have been eating the leftover icing out of the tub with a spoon like pudding, this was kind of good - it's fairly light)

Thai green curry with plantain, chickpeas and cauliflower

I have been ferreting through the freezer, trying to figure out why it is so full and disorganised (probably a clue is its bad design... at least, S pointed out, it being really full means it is more energy efficient!), and what treasures might be lurking at the back...

Among other things, I discovered galangal, lemongrass, and half a bag of frozen peas. And, possibly due to an exciting visit to Jitlada Thai in Hollywood, wondered if maybe I should make a Thai curry?

This recipe looked like the business. Amazingly, I actually had most of the key ingredients for the paste (or reasonable substitutions). I didn't have any of the recommended veg to go in it, but decided to freestyle with what I had - no way was I going out to buy food last night - it hit -12C and my fingers froze on the bike ride home in spite of double, super thick gloves.

Green Curry Paste:
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, sliced finely and minced OR 3 tbsp frozen or bottled lemongrass
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2+1/2 tbsp soy sauce, OR equal parts Thai Golden Mountain Sauce and soy sauce, leave out the dark soy
1-2 tsp brown sugar (to taste)
1-3 green chillies, minced (to taste) (used 1-2 tsp dried red chilli as we didn't have any green)
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, peeled and sliced
2 kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen), snipped into thin strips with scissors, OR substitute 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 loose cup chopped fresh coriander leaves and stems
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 tsp dark soy sauce, OR substitute 1 more tbsp regular soy sauce

Other:
2 kaffir lime leaves, OR substitute 1 bay leaf
1 tin coconut milk
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas OR 1 1/2 cup firm tofu drained and chopped into cubes OR a combination
1 black plantain, peeled and chopped into chunks
~3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
~10 mushrooms, roughly chopped into quarters
~1 cup of cauliflower chunks about an inch diameter
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped (optional)
2-3 tbsp oil for frying

To make the green curry paste, place all paste ingredients in a blender. Add a few tbsp of the coconut milk, enough to blend ingredients. Process well.

Place oil in deep frying pan. Turn heat on medium-high and add paste. Stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 minute), then add the coconut milk. Add tofu and / or chickpeas and stir to combine.

Add lime leaves (used bay) and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

Add plantain and carrots. (Note: if more sauce is desired, add up to 1 cup vegetable stock.) Cover and simmer another 5 min, then add the cauliflower. Simmer for 3-5 min more, until carrots are soft enough to pierce with a fork.

Finally, add mushrooms and frozen peas. Stir and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, or until peas are cooked but still bright green.

Do a taste test for salt and spice, and add more soy sauce, salt, lime juice or coconut milk accordingly.

Vegetables: The recommended combo was 1 cubed sweet potato (added when I did the plantain and carrot), 1 red pepper, chunked and a cup of sugarsnap peas (both added when I did the mushrooms) - alternative recommendations were: broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, french beans, aubergine, squash, and courgette.


All in all this was really successful: the curry paste worked out well and tasted good and quite authentic. The colour of the curry paste was a bit off (kind of greenish, but also brownish): wondered if I might have skimped a little on the coriander by measuring it before chopping - another time measure after chopping and will probably end up with more. The basil was the tired stuff off our windowsill - fresh holy basil would probably have been much better (and greener).

The plantain, chickpeas and cauliflower all tasted great in this format - was especially pleased with the plantain and chickpeas together. However, they are all brownish and so are the mushrooms and tofu, so that didn't help with the colour issues! So, another time it would be cool to try and get hold of some kaffir lime leaves and holy basil, and some more colourful veg, but I was really impressed with this recipe as a quick, storecupboard-based weeknight supper.

It probably took about an hour in total - could have sped this up by cutting the carrot thinner, and also by prepping the cauli / mushrooms / peas while the pot is on (I was tired and thought it best to prep everything at the beginning to avoid getting confused / stressed). We ate it with simple coconut basmati rice (toss through a few tsp of coconut oil when the rice is cooked and steaming).

Edit: I made this again (after another freezer-clearance effort): this time used holy basil and lime leaves, and green chillies, and made sure my herbs were well-packed. And the paste came out deep green and wonderfully aromatic - I could eat it on its own. I used only one chilli - perhaps use more next time, it wasn't very spicy. For content, I used chickpeas, carrot, tempeh, baby turnips (roots and greens), courgette, peas, radish greens... turns out this is a good way to use random things up / most of the necessary items can be stored in the freezer or pantry indefinitely - only really need the fresh holy basil and coriander.

Orange and orange blossom 'cream'

Saw this, here (I've been enjoying the ideas on that site), looked like an interesting variation on the chocolate tofu pudding I made before, had some silken tofu that needed eating and am slowly getting in the mood for cooking again as Autumn is slowly creeping into the air.

I didn't have lemons, but did have an orange, so tried out an orange version instead.

~12.3 oz extra-firm silken tofu (used soft silken)
2 tbsp fine or medium-ground cornmeal
pinch of salt
~1/3 cup honey
grated zest of 1 orange
3 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp orange blossom water

Drain and roughly slice the tofu, then drain for 10 minutes and dab dry as well as possible with kitchen paper.

Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend til smooth.

Pour into a bowl and chill for 2 hours to a day.


This was totally fine and tasty and filled the yogurt-shaped hole in my diet for a few days.  But it was nothing special, and the cornmeal was weird - I thought it might soak up the liquid and make everything thicker and firmer, but it remained grainy and I wasn't that into it.  Still, the orange / orange blossom / honey combo was good, and I think I managed to judge the quantity of orange blossom water correctly for once - I could taste it, but it wasn't overpoweringly perfume-y.

Basic stir-fry

It's been killer-hot for a while now, so we've got a little tired of only eating bread and salad and have been running through our repertoire of quick-hob-cook, simple dinners.  I used to do quick stir-fries like this often, don't know why I stopped, they're good:

(for 2 people)

2 portions of noodles or rice (any kind will do: have done with udon noodles or sorghum noodles recently - for a real quick-cook obviously noodles are quicker than rice)
1 1/2 tbsp veg oil plus 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 in piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
sesame seeds
firm tofu, ~1 cm dice
1 onion, finely sliced (or 3 spring onions, roughly chopped)
some combination of peppers, mushrooms, carrot, courgette, all finely sliced into matchsticks or so
spinach / chard, roughly chopped
beansprouts
fresh coriander, roughly chopped
soy sauce
sweet chilli sauce
lime juice

Really, anything goes on this one - all it takes is veggies and a pan.  First, get the rice or noodles cooking - keep an eye on them and drain when done - do this in parallel to prepping and cooking the veg.

Heat the oils together over a med-high heat, then add the garlic and ginger.  Stir fry a few minutes then add the onion and any harder veg like carrots; also add the sesame seeds.  Fry a few more min then add softer veg like courgette, pepper or mushrooms; also add tofu.  Next add the green stuff that cooks really quick - beansprouts, spinach, chard and stir fry for a few more minutes.  At the last moment you can stir fry in an egg if you like: clear a space in the pan and break the egg into it, then move the egg around against the hot pan as it cooks to break it up and mix it into the veg.  Turn off the heat and add the coriander, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and lime juice to taste (more can be added at the table).

Either serve the stir fry over the rice / noodles or mix the rice/noodles into the stir fry in the pan and re heat a little.

Breakfast scramble

We realised this morning that we hadn't had an out of the ordinary weekend breakfast any time recently.  So I volunteered to make us a tofu scramble.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 small courgette, sliced
4 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 spring onions, chopped
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
5 courgette flowers (male), bases and stamens removed, petals chopped 
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry
1/4 tsp turmeric
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
salt+pepper

Heat olive oil in a frying pan, then add the chopped onion and saute.  Add the garlic and saute a few minutes.  Then add the courgette and give it a few more minutes.  Next add mushrooms, spring onions, chilli, red pepper flakes and thyme and cook a few more minutes.  Then add the parsley, basil and courgette flowers and cook a little longer.  Crumble in the tofu and add turmeric, cook a few more minutes to heat through.  Finally, add balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and salt+pepper to taste.


This one was pretty good - S said it was the best tofu scramble he'd ever had (not that he's had all that many...).

BBQ food: watermelon salad, marinated tofu, stuffed courgettes

It was at last time to get our little barbeque dirty for the first time this season - A+R came round for a Sunday lunch grill.

I made a big, rocket-based salad, and we grilled some fruits and veggies pretty plainly: corn on the cob, long-sliced courgettes and plantains, fingerling potatoes (some with shredded, freshly-picked sage) in foil packets in the coals (these were excellent), pineapple, chocolate-stuffed bananas in foil in the coals...

I also, partly inspired by grilling at A's on Friday, decided to marinate some tofu and see how that went - I haven't tried barbequeing tofu before, envisaged it falling apart and through the holes into the fire, but it turned out really successful.  I just lobbed a whole load of things I thought would taste good together into the marinade - I feel like all sorts of variations / a simpler version would work well too.

The watermelon salad and stuffed courgettes are classics from my vegetarian days - S came back from Trado's with a big pot of good feta (a key ingredient for both). The stuffed courgettes are one of his specialities, and the watermelon salad is a favourite of his too (he has never really gone vegan, although he's been vegetarian for nearly 30 years).


Marinated Tofu

1 packet extra-firm tofu

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp white vermouth
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp mixed chili and red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Slice the tofu into pieces about 1 cm thick and press as dry as you can manage.  Make sure to use firm tofu as this will help negate any potential breaking up / falling in problems.  Arrange in a single layer in the smallest high-sided dish you can fit them in.  I also put in some mushrooms, stalk removed and gill side up.  Mix up the marinade in a small bowl, pour it evenly over all the tofu pieces and mushrooms, cover and leave for 1-2 hours minimum (will keep like this in the fridge for a day or two).

When ready to grill, just place on the hot bbq grill.  The grill will make pretty charred lines so if you want these to look good think about when and how you move the tofu pieces around.  Done when lightly browned / slightly charred.


Watermelon Salad

1/4 small watermelon
3/4 slab of feta (or ~6 finely chopped, salty black olives as a vegan substitute)
2 sprigs of basil
2 spring onions
olive oil
salt and pepper

Peel the watermelon and slice it thinly, then into bite-sized pieces.  Arrange in a bowl and crumble the feta over the top.  Slice the spring onions very finely and add to the bowl, followed by the torn basil leaves.  Dress with extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper.  This made enough for 4 people to have a bowlful each.


Stuffed Courgettes

2 medium sized courgettes
1 1/2 tbsp pine nuts (or sunflower seeds)
3/4 slab feta (or marinated tofu - I'd simplify the marinade above a little but use a similar method)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (optional)
olive oil
salt+pepper

Balance each courgette on a flat surface to see where it sits without rolling around.  The cut a window / lid along the length of the top (as you would when making a pumpkin lantern) and hollow out the insides.  Don't worry about getting every last bit out, just make sure there is a good cavity to fill and the sides and lid are still quite robust.

Mix up the remaining ingredients in a bowl along with about half the chopped-up courgette innards.  Then stuff the mixture into the cavity, making sure it is full to bursting before putting the lid back on.  Prepare a piece of tinfoil for each courgette, big enough to wrap it up securely.  Season the inside of the tinfoil with salt and pepper and olive oil, then place each prepared courgette in the middle of a piece of tinfoil and wrap up.

Cook directly in the hot coals - they are done when they give a little when poked (should take about 15 min).

baked tofu / miso asparagus

 Baked tofu from this recipe.

1 package firm tofu
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grated or finely minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons mirin or other white wine
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce.

Heat the oven to 375°F.  Cut the tofu into ~10 slices and put them in an oven dish.  Mix the other ingredients, and pour them over the tofu.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

Miso asparagus from this recipe.

1 large bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4 teaspoons white miso
4 teaspoons white wine
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Heat the oven to 375°F.  Mix all the ingredients except the asparagus together.  Spread the asparagus on a baking sheet and pour the marinade on top, mixing around a bit.  Put in the oven for about 35 min.


I stumbled on the asparagus recipe and it seemed like a great idea as S has been super into miso and to a lesser extent asparagus recently.  And the tofu one was just an afterthought as I had some tofu that needed eating and hadn't tried baking it before.  Actually, in the end I liked the tofu much better - didn't think the miso texture went all that well with the asparagus, but the tofu was dead tasty - the sweetness from the honey, saltiness from the soy and gentle fire from the ginger went really well.

Lentil curry with beetroot raita

This was what I felt like making when I got home through the rain.  I wasn't going to bother with the raita but then S wasn't home yet and I was waiting for things to cook and I thought yeah, why not.

250g large brown lentils
60g fresh ginger or galangal (used galangal), peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp garam masala
2 small red chillies
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp veg oil
1 medium onion, finely sliced
400g can chopped tinned tomatoes

For the raita:
200g soft silken tofu
4 tbsp beetroot, coarsely grated
coriander, chopped
juice of 1/4 lime

Bring the lentils to the boil in a pan of deep, unsalted water, then let them simmer for 20-25 minutes, until they are quite soft.

Put the galangal into the blender with the garlic, cumin seeds, ground coriander, garam masala, red chillies, ground turmeric and enough water to make a soft, but not runny, paste.

Peel and finely slice the onion.  Warm a tbsp or two of oil in a medium saucepan over a moderate heat.  Add the onion and let it colour, stirring occasionally.  Then add the paste and stir / cook til fragrant.  Then add the tinned tomatoes and a can of water, salt, and the drained, cooked lentils and leave to simmer for half an hour or so. The lentils should be soft but still retaining a little of their texture; the sauce thick.

To make the raita, blend the tofu until smooth and put in a small bowl with the other ingredients and gently fold the beetroot through the smooth tofu with a fork (don't over mix).


We ate it with brown rice, and it was good.  Homely and comforting and exciting all at once.  Glad to use some galangal at last.  And the tofu-beetroot raita turned out way better than I expected.

Sesame Tofu with Fried Lettuce

I came across this tofu recipe the other day and mentally filed it under simple, interesting and potentially tasty.  Tonight I felt like making it.

1 box firm tofu (about 16 oz)
~1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
a few drops hot sauce
2 tsp veg oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 head Romaine lettuce, rinsed and roughly chopped

Slice the tofu into 8 thin, square-ish slabs. Spread the sesame seeds on a plate, then press all sides of the tofu slabs into them to coat them.

Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan on medium heat.  Place the tofu slabs in a single layer in the pan and fry for 5-10 min on each side, until lightly browned.

Add the soy sauce and hot sauce, turn the tofu squares over, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Transfer the tofu squares to a plate (leave stray sesame seeds in the pan).

Add the veg oil and the garlic to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds, until golden.  Add the chopped lettuce and cook for few minutes until slightly wilted but still with some bite.


Excited to stumble across the Moosewood recipes - I heard of the place a while back but never thought about looking them up online.  We ate it with some cold soba noodles (with sesame, lime, spring onion and coriander).  So into fried lettuce right now.  I appreciated the lack of prep in this tofu recipe: just tofu straight out of the packet and sesame seeds/oil.  It was great - good balance of crispy edges, toasty sesame seeds and firm tofu texture in the middle.