Glass noodle salad (peanuts, sweetcorn and sprouts)

I was making tofu salad from my last batch of homemade tofu, we needed something else, this was quick and complementary. I have made versions of this many times and always get frustrated with how the dressing fails to coat the noodles and the other vegetables etc get all clumped down the bottom of the bowl. I was actually quite pleased with this one, so here it is. Think key things are: slightly undercook the noodles and drain them well; don't skimp on the sauce; make veg / additions small and/or clingy so they stay in among the noodles as much as poss.

4 bundles of glass noodles
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh lemongrass
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp light miso
2 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp mirin
2 tbsp peanuts
1/2 cup assorted little beansprouts (used lentils and alfalfa)
3/4 cup frozen sweetcorn, defrosted
1/4 cup coriander, chopped (or a mixture of coriander and mint)

Put the noodles in a pan of boiling water and simmer for about 5 min, until the bundles loosen and the noodles become bendy but not soft - make sure they are al dente. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking quickly.

While the noodles are cooking you can start preparing the other ingredients: toast and crush the peanuts, defrost sweetcorn, wash and chop coriander, ginger, lemongrass. Put ginger and lemongrass in a small bowl with the peanut butter, miso, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and mirin and whisk together with a fork. Check for consistency (should be runny but thick) and taste for sweet-sour-saltiness and modify.

Put the noodles in a serving bowl, add the peanut butter mixture and toss well with a spoon and fork so the noodles are all coated. Add the toasted crushed peanuts, sweetcorn, beansprouts and coriander (and/or mint), toss again and serve immediately.

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.

Raisin-oat-sunflower biscuits (gluten-free)

I haven't done any gluten-free baking for a while, but the oats we buy regularly from Trader Joe's are gluten free. On the back of the package is a recipe for gluten-free oat cookies that has been tempting me for a while. The opportunity presented itself with the harvest festival at the garden this afternoon (featuring my two regular GF test eaters). So here goes...

(I made half the quantity given below and it gave 15 large cookies)

1/4 cup fake butter (or 4 tbsp oil)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp ground linseed mixed with 5 1/2 tbsp boiling water
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup sunflower seed butter (or peanut butter)
3 cups GF oats
6 oz raisins (or mixed dried fruit)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Heat oven to 350F. Cream sugars and butter/oil in a large bowl. Add linseed mixture, vanilla, bicarb and cinnamon and mix well. Add sunflower seed butter and mix. Stir in oats, raisins and sunflower seeds. Place teaspoons of the batter on a lightly greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart (they will spread a little as they bake). Bake 10-12 minutes until light brown around the edges. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to cool a bit so they firm up a little and are easier to handle, then transfer the still-warm biscuits (careful, they are quite soft and bendy at this stage) to a cooling rack. They will become firm and crunchy as they cool.


I liked these a lot. Sweet and crunchy and tasty and you would never guess they were gluten free. They don't even have any flour in them at all! Also, a good way to eat up the sunflower seed butter, which I thought I would love straight up but weirdly like much less than peanut butter - it works perfectly in these. Big thumbs up from both A and H, and from lots of other non-gluten-free diet people too... and they were all eaten, which is always a good sign.

Note: I don't really like using marg if I can help it, and it seemed a bit superfluous in this recipe, so the second time I made these I used 4 tbsp of safflower oil and it worked just fine. Actually the batter was a lot less sticky than the first time I made them, although whether that was something to do with ambient temperature or a different sunflower butter brand or what I don't know. Anyway, they came out great again: definitely a hit. I am still wondering if you could skip out the oil/marg altogether and just use a little more nut/seed butter: will perhaps try this next time.

Peanut, sesame and chilli bread

I'd seen this recipe a while back and thought it sounded exciting.  Had pretty much all the ingredients in the house including me for once, so decided to make it today.

50g tahini
75g crunchy peanut butter
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fine salt
2 long red chillies, not too fiery, charred over a flame, deseeded and roughly chopped (used dried chilli flakes instead)
75g roasted peanuts
500g strong white flour, plus extra
1 tsp instant dry yeast
sesame seeds

If the peanuts aren't already roasted, roast them in a 400F oven for ~10 min.  Measure the tahini, peanut butter, cumin and salt into a bowl, add 100 ml hot water and mix.  Add the chillies (leave the charred bits on).  Stir in 200 ml cold water and the peanuts; add the flour and yeast, mix to a soft, sticky dough and leave for 30 minutes.  Give the dough a 10-second knead and leave for an hour.

Divide into three, shape into balls, leave for 15 minutes, then shape into sticks.  Pat each stick into an oval (use flour), folding it in upon itself a few times, then roll to 30cm in length.  Brush with water, roll in sesame seeds and leave to rise on a baking tray for 45 minutes.  Slash down the length with a sharp knife, and bake at 220C/425F for 30 minutes.


An unusual combination, but good.  Roasted peanuts are so darn tasty.  S's serving suggestion was with a thin spread of red miso, then a layer of sliced tomato, then a sprinkling of finely shredded basil.  Also good with strawberry jam (pb+j with built in pb).

Peanut and vegetable stew

We're running low on veggies, which is fine, as we're going to be away this weekend (Nuit Blanche!  Toronto! Niagara Falls!).  I was super tired this afternoon and took myself home around six to make this stew - kind of a mishmash of the veggies we had left / storecupboard stuff, but also kind of exactly what I felt like making and eating.

1 tbsp light olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large, not very hot green chilli, chopped
~1 in piece of ginger, chopped
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, ground
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds
1 tiny green pepper that fell off my pepper plant, chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
~5 large kale leaves, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tbsp sunflower seed butter
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup chickpeas
~1 tsp soy sauce
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large frying pan and add onion.  Cook until light gold, ~5min.  Add the chilli, ginger and garlic and fry for a minute or so.  Add the spices and toss for a minute or so.  Add carrots and green pepper.  Stir, then add the tinned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, some salt+pepper and half a cup of water.  Put the lid on and cook for about 15 min, until the carrots are just tender.  Meanwhile, take out approx 2 tbsp of liquid from the pan and mix in a small bowl with the peanut butter and sunflower seed butter.  Add in the frozen chickpeas and cook for another 5 min.  Add the frozen peas and cook another minute or so.  Add the kale and cook til wilted.  Add the parsley, turn off the heat, season with soy sauce and taste to check seasoning.  Let sit for five minutes before eating.  It's pretty filling, so fine to eat on its own.


That turned into a long ingredient list... belying its origins.  Was simple, hearty and comforting for an autumn evening.

Cold peanut noodle salad / chickpea avocado salad

Reinventing leftovers - to make something interesting.

We had some wonderful asparagus (from the farm shop on the way to Bboro) - really fresh and tender.  Even the shoots as big as my finger were super tender.  I just steamed them for 5-10min then we ate them with a little 'butter' and salt and pepper.  Soooo good - could have eaten them forever.

Cold peanut noodle salad

We had noodles and some leek flower with dried tofu left from yesterday's dinner so I decided to make it into a salad.

~500g cooked green ribbon noodles
1 cup mixed fried dry tofu and leek flowers

~1 1/2 tbsp coriander, chopped
~1 1/2 tbsp mint, chopped

For dressing:
2 tbsp unsalted peanut butter
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp umeboshi plum vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice

Put the dressing ingredients in bottom of medium bowl and mix well together - taste to check balance (the plum vinegar is quite sour and the miso quite salty).  Tear the noodles into manageable sized pieces and add.  Mix well together.  Add tofu / leek flower and herbs and mix.


Chickpea avocado salad

I prepped a whole load of chickpeas and blackeyed peas at the weekend - this is chickpeas, combined with some stuff out the fridge that needed using (incl a beautifully ripe avocado from TJs - I bought organic because it seemed to be cheaper that day - is it worth buying organic more often?)...

2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 small ripe avocado, roughly chopped
3/4 a small yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped

1 1/2 tbsp coriander, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp mint, chopped
good squeeze of lemon juice

olive oil
salt+pepper

Put all ingredients into a bowl, toss and serve.

Peanut butter and flax seed cookies (vegan and gluten-free)

Based on this recipe - added more flax seed and made them gluten free. These were to take to another garden work day - lots of the garden people seem to eat GF.

1 3/4 cups gram flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground flax seed
1 1/4 cup brown sugar (or a mixture of brown and white)
2/3 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy - I had smooth so used that)
1/2 cup fake butter
3 tbsp fake milk
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 tbsp whole golden flax seed

Put flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and mix with a fork.  In a separate, large bowl beat together the sugar, butter and peanut butter.  In a small bowl, mix together the flax powder, fake milk and vanilla essence.  Add the milk mix to the beaten peanut butter mix and beat.  Then add the flour mix and whole flax seeds and mix until well combined.  Separate out the dough into walnut-sized pieces and roll and flatten into flattened balls.  Put on a greased baking sheet (well spaced out) and bake at 375F for 10min.  Remove from the oven, allow to cool a little on the sheet and then lift off with a flat knife and cool.

Quite decadent, nice combination of sweet / salty / savoury.  They didn't seem to lose anything by being GF

Quick Vietnamese-inspired salad

Wanted to do something fresh and tasty with mint and coriander; always like Vietnamese sweet and crunchy tofu salads - tried something inspired by those, based on the contents of the fridge.

8oz silken tofu
half an avocado
1 tomato
1 small crispy Lebanese cucumber
1 carrot, grated
1 tbsp mint
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
2cm cube of root ginger, finely chopped

Chop the cucumber and tomato into matchsticks, and the avocado and tofu into nice-sized chunks.  Also chop the herbs.  Mix the peanut butter, lime juice, ginger and sweet chili in a medium bowl until well combined.  Then add all the other ingredients and toss together.  That's it - a quick and crunchy weeknight salad.