Gluten Free Peanut Butter Granola

How are you holding up so far this week? I am looking forward to soaking up some sun later on our balcony, reading my book and to enjoy spending some quality time with my family: no home office, home schooling or blogging! Just us hanging out, playing board games, eating etc. And we have a mutual agreement that we will always have breakfast together in the weekend, which is always nice and enjoyable. Talking about breakfast, one of my favourites is granola, especially when I am hungry and don’t want to spend too much time cooking in the morning. I always make my own granola, it is cheaper than shop bought ones and I know exactly what’s in it, adding different flavour each time as I wish. So today, I will share my favourite way to make granola, this Peanut Butter Granola is definitely one of my favourites; again see this recipe as a guideline and don’t worry too much if you have not had all the ingredients stated (see notes for variations), just throw in any other nuts and seeds you have in hand or any other nut butter if you are allergic to peanut. I hope you enjoy this recipe and I would love to see your creation if you made it! If you did, please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or leave a comment below!

By the way, just in case you are wondering what I am reading at the moment: I am half way through Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman, which is really amazing, a memoir about Feldman growing up in an ultra-orthodox Hasidic community in Williamsburg in New York. I am astonished by how much struggles she had growing up being a female in that kind of strictly regulated society, in every single aspect of her life, I couldn’t even dare to imagine! Anyway, don’t want to spoil it further, I highly recommend this book if you are looking for one that will touch you heart, and it has made into a Netflix series too. Oh and there are few food descriptions in the book which I thoroughly enjoy reading and it always makes me hungry!! 

Notes:

1. If you are allergic or don’t like peanut butter, use almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter instead. But try not to omit it as it helps the granola to stick together as clusters.

2. Adjust the amount of coconut sugar (again you can replace it with unrefined brown sugar) if you like it sweeter, I found 2 tablespoons makes it not too sweet which I prefer.

3. Olive oil can be replaced with coconut oil if you want it to be coconut-y.

4. If you want to add dried fruit, add them after the granola has cooled down completely.

Ingredients:

Makes 1 large jar

For the dry ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten free oats (or normal oat flakes if not gluten free)
• 1/2 cup cashew nut, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp. ground flaxseed
• 2tbsp. Chia seeds
• 2 tbsp. coconut sugar

For the wet ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. peanut butter (I use one that is 100% peanut)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup (or other syrup)
• 1/2 vanilla extract (optional)
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven at 160 degrees Celsius.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Combine all wet ingredients in a smaller bowl mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and make sure everything is well coated.

Transfer the mixture in one layer on to a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes (stir half way through baking) or until golden brown and crispy.

Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Sweet Potato Onigirazu – with Sriracha Mayo or Kimchi

Onigirazu is a popular snack, originally from Japan, but has gained quite a reputation in the western world as well; a ‘rice sandwich’ with various fillings, wrapped in nori seaweed. It is actually quite easy to make (and great fun to make with your kids too), it can be filled with all sorts of fillings, whatever you have in hand or if you are adventurous, create your own filling to make a special lunch or snack for your loved ones. I often make them as a light meal when we go on a trip, usually one and a half Onigirazu for each person, it will keep you satisfied for quite a while, and the bonus is: no messy fingers when eating it, it really makes great portable, on the go meal!

The star ingredient here is the baked sweet potato, the additional breadcrumb coating gives the potato a slight crispy texture, it makes a lovely contrast to the pillowy rice. I also opt for a mixture of brown rice and white sushi rice as it gives a slightly chewy texture. I have to say, the sriracha mayo is a must, the combination of the flavours is heavenly (this is the reason why one of the most popular posts on my blog is this sweet potato tempura with sriracha mayo recipe), so please give it a go and I promise you that you will love it and even get addicted to it 🙂 If you made it and like it, please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or leave a comment below! Would love to hear from you!

Stay home and stay safe!

Ingredients:

makes 6 Onigirazu

• 1 sweet potato, cut into 1/2 cm thick slices
• Olive oil (for coating)
• 1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs (I use corn pannier, you can use Panko if not gluten free)
• 6 cups cooked sushi rice (I use 1/3 brown rice, 2/3 white sushi rice)(3 cups dry)
• 6 pieces Nori seaweed
• Black and white sesame seeds (optional)

Additional filling:

Option 1 – with Sriracha mayo:

• cucumber slices
• Sriracha Mayo
• lettuce
• Sun-dried tomato paste (recipe below or shop bought)

Option 2 – with kimchi:

• kimchi
• cucumber slices
• lettuce

For the sun-dried tomato paste: makes about 1 cup

• 280g sun-dried tomato in oil (for a jar)
• 1 tbsp. toasted sunflower seeds (or almond or pine nut)
• 1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
• a small pinch of coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• A squeeze of lemon juice (or to taste)
• 50ml olive oil from the jar (or other olive oil)
• 1.5 tsp. Nutritional yeast (optional but recommended)

For the sriracha mayo:

• 3 tbsp. Mayonnaise (I use vegan one)
• 2 tbsp. Sriracha (plus more if you like it really spicy)
• A squeeze of lime or lemon juice

Notes:

1. The photo below shows you how to position the Nori seaweed and the first layer of rice, Sriracha mayo and sweet potato. So after that you can add other filling such as lettuce or cucumber (or both) and when you finished with the filling, just add another layer of rice before you close the ‘parcel’ (follow the instructions in ‘method’).

2. Make the Onigirazu when the rice is still slightly warm, as the warmth can help the nori cling onto the rice and form a snuggle ‘parcel’. Use a few grain of rice as ‘glue’ to make the nori corners stuck together. Have all the fillings ready in order to make the wrapping process more streamlined.

3. Tips for cooking brown rice, soak brown rice in hot water (no longer boiling) for 30 minutes for a quick soak before cooking it. Once soaked, you can cook it with the white sushi rice together in the rice cooker or on stove top.

4. Other suggestions for filling would be: tuna, smoked salmon, fried chicken, avocado, tofu, egg, mushroom etc. the list goes on…

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius. Place the breadcrumbs in a small plate, brush sweet potato slices with olive oil, then dip the potato slices into the breadcrumbs and coat them evenly. Shake off any excess. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the potato is crispy and cooked through. Remove from oven and cool.

Make the sriracha mayo by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and set aside.

To make the sun-dried tomato paste: add all ingredients into a food processor, blend until it forms a smooth paste, transfer to a glass jar and set aside (the rest can be kept in the fridge for 1-2 weeks).

To make the onigirazu with Sriracha mayo:

Place a piece of nori on a plate (or a clean wooden board) like the photo above, with one corner pointing at you. Add about half a cup of rice and flatten it in the middle. Spread sriracha mayo, then sweet potato, cucumber slice (or lettuce) and sun-dried tomato paste. Add another half a cup of rice on top and then fold the top and bottom corner together, and then fold the right hand corner in, add a few grains of rice on top of the left hand corner and finally bring it over to the right and gently stick the two corners together. Put both of your hands on top of the ‘parcel’ and gently give it a little ‘hug’ with your palms, the warmth of your palms and from the rice will keep the ‘parcel’ snuggle, turn the ‘parcel’ over and then transfer it to another plate. Carry on with the remaining ingredients according to your choice (see filling options above).

Just before serving, cut the onigirazu in half with a slightly dampen sharp knife (to prevent the rice from sticking to the knife). Sprinkle sesame seeds on top (if use). It is best to be eaten on the same day.

Smoky Lentil Stew – with Two Different Toppings

How are you all holding up? We are doing fine on our side but I think my family and I are still adjusting to this new way of life. It can be tiring mentally as there are still so much uncertainty about what is going to happen in the near future, for all of us and for the entire world. I am just trying to cope by cooking and baking a lot in order to take my mind off the unthinkable. I am grateful that we can still get fresh produce in the markets and with a few pantry ingredients, I can make something comforting and nourishing for the family.

Today, I am sharing a very simple recipe which is absolutely delicious, you can turn this dish into several variations to suit different tastes. If you make a big pot, it will last you for a few meals (in fact, it tastes even better the next day). And of course you can freeze some for whenever you crave for some comfort food.

Notes:

1. The ingredient list seems daunting, but most of them are pantry ingredients so I am sure you will definitely have most of the items already. In case you don’t have certain ones, just omit them or use other similar herb or spice when possible. Relax and don’t get too hung up with the exact amount of the ingredient.

2. This lentil stew itself is vegan, so it makes a wonderful base for anyone with different diet restrictions. There are more serving suggestions than the two I have here and the following will make great topping or side: fried egg, some steamed leafy greens, small pasta shapes like Orecchiette, rice; use this stew as a side for steak, fish, roasted vegetables etc..

Ingredients:

Serves 5-6

• 150g (scant 1 cup) green lentil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 -2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 small fennel bulb (150g)
• 600g patato, diced (I used baby potato)
• A large handful of baby spinach (or kale) (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. tomato puree
• 1/4 cup (60ml) white wine (optional)
• 1L. Vegetable stock
• 1 tsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1 tsp. Worcester sauce
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Toppings:

1. Smoky sausage, diced

2. Herby mushroom with Thyme (vegan)

• 10 button mushroom, sliced
• 1 tsp. of dry thyme
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for frying

In a casserole or heavy bottom sauce pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté onion with a pinch of salt on medium heat until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Add carrot, fennel, bay leaf, tomato puree and smoked paprika, sauté for another two minutes. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan. Add the potato and lentils. Fry for another minute, or until everything is well combined. Pour in the vegetable stock. Bring everything to boil and turn the heat down, simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until the potato is tender and lentil is cooked through.

While the lentil is cooking, prepare your selected toppings:

For the sausages:

Pan fry the sausages until gold brown and transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil. Set aside.

For the herby mushroom:

Warm a tbsp. of oil in a non-stick frying pan, add mushroom and let it cook undisturbed for a minute or two on medium heat. Then add salt, freshly ground pepper and dried thyme to the mushroom and sauté them until the moisture is released and mushroom is taking on a nice brown colour. Add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and let it sizzle and when evaporated, have a taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer the mushroom to a plate and set aside.

To serve: ladle the lentil into warm bowls and top with a chosen topping, drizzle some olive oil and ground pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.

 

 

 

Kimchi Fried Rice

I hope everyone is well! We are living in a very strange time right now and I know our lives have changed dramatically in the recent weeks, no schools, no child cares and parents have to work from home as well as looking after their children. Also many businesses have to be closed for at least a month (or maybe longer) and many people have lost their jobs. It is such a difficult time at so many levels for so many people around the world, but I know we have to remain positive, to be responsible to our community and do our parts to help to stop spreading the virus. Social distancing is the only way to combat the spread, I see it with my family in Hong Kong and Macau, the cases are falling in China because they have been isolated themselves from others since the pandemic started, healthcare professionals and virologists advise us to stay at home and limit social contacts, because it is the only way to stop it spreading. I don’t have to say more as I know everyone knows about this by now, if we all do our parts, I am sure we can get through this together, and hopefully soon.

Since we are social distancing ourselves from this week (in Germany), we have to try to stay focus and keep our everyday routine going as normal as possible, my husband is working from home now and my daughter is home too, therefore we need to set ourselves some structures so that we won’t be in each other’s way and we can be sure we will have some works done by the end of the day without getting on each other’s nerves! So far, it works very well and I am grateful we know each of our role within the family especially in this difficult time.

Since we all still have to eat and most people are still cooking at home, I will try to share recipes that are simple and don’t require much special ingredients. Ok I know not everyone has kimchi at home, but what about a veggie fried rice with Sriracha or chili paste? Or keep it non-spicy with just soy sauce, sesame oil and maple syrup? Fried rice is one of the most versatile dishes I know, so whatever you have in your fridge (bits of fresh veggies or frozen peas, meat, shrimps, egg etc.) can be added into this fried rice dish. Since I only go food shopping once or twice in the week now (as opposed to every day usually), and I happened to have some homemade kimchi, so I thought, why not share the recipe of one of my favourite dishes with you this week? Using just what I have in the fridge or cupboard?

I hope you like it and if you make it, please tag me on IG or leave a comment below, would really appreciate it!

Stay safe and healthy!

Notes:

1. I made my own vegan kimchi based on this recipe I found on this site, her recipe is easy to follow and it makes very delicious kimchi! You can skip this step of course and buy kimchi from Asian store. You should always taste the kimchi before you add it to the rice so you know how spicy and salty it is, therefore you can adjust the seasoning accordingly.

2. If you are to use Sriracha or Gochujang, I find it is better if you combine the kimchi juice and Gochujang well, before adding it to the rice, it will be much easier to combine it with the rice later.

3. Please don’t worry too much about the quantity of the veggies and kimchi, use this as a guideline and make your own favourite combo. Also you can absolutely use any veggies you like or use what you have to make this rice, there is no rule to this!

Ingredients:

serves 3-4

• 1 cup kimchi, homemade or shop bought, finely chopped (I made my own vegan kimchi, see notes)
• 1/4 cup kimchi juice
• 650g cooked rice (I use a mixed of white and brown)(best pre-cooked a day before or leftover rice)
• 1 small onion, finely sliced
• 200g broccoli (florets and stems), finely chopped
• 100g mushroom, finely chopped
• 1-2 tsp. Sriracha or Gochujang (optional depends on how spicy your kimchi is)
• Tamari (or soy sauce) to taste
• 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• Vegetable oil

Serving suggestions:

• A fried egg (if not vegan)
• Nori seaweed, crumbled by hand

Warm a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or non-stick pan, sauté onions for a minute or until it starts to turn translucent. Add broccoli and mushrooms and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly brown. Add chopped kimchi and fry for another 2 minutes.

Add rice, fry/mix for a couple of minutes until everything is well combined. Add kimchi juice and Gochujang (if use). Keep on frying until rice looks crispy and vegetables are cooked through. Add sesame oil and stir until everything is mixed and well combined. Add toasted sesame seeds, fry for one final minute. Have a taste and season with tamari if needed.

Divide into warm bowls and top with crumbled nori seaweed and more toasted sesame seeds, serve immediately.

Caldo Verde – Portuguese Style Green Soup with Smoky Caramelised Onion and Pecan Nut

If you have been following my blog from the beginning, you would have come across one of my favourite and earliest recipes on the blog – Caldo Verde. It is Portuguese, means ‘green soup’ and usually served with smoky Chouriço/chorizo (you can find my recipe here). I grew up eating this soup and it became one of my favourite childhood dishes. Creamy velvety potato based soup dotted with freshly chopped kale, flavoured with smoky umami Chouriço slices, the golden fragrant paprika oil from the sausage saturates and infuses the soup in a magically delicious way, the overall taste is pretty unique and it always reminds me of home.

But today’s version of Caldo Verde is no ordinary one: there is no chouriço involves so it makes this soup vegan and gluten free. I thought of a way of recreate the smoky and umami taste that comes from the chouriço, which I thought in the beginning was impossible without using ready-made faux meat (shop-bought vegan chorizo normally contains gluten, therefore it is out of the question for me, and I don’t want to always rely on tofu as a meat substitute). But I think I cracked it, caramelising onions in good quality olive oil and smoked paprika is the key to mimic the smokiness of the sausage, pecan nut gives the soup a bit of a crunch to enhance the texture. Finally, tamari gives umami to the mixture which then ties all the flavours together. The taste is so very closed to the original version, really!! I am super happy with the result and I would love you to try it as I know you will like it as much as I do! And if you did, please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or leave a comment below! Happy cooking!

Notes:

1. You can mix the onion and nut mixture with the soup before serving instead of just as a topping. It taste amazing too as the mixture infuses the whole dish. But visually it is prettier to use it as a topping. So it is up to you!

2. It should be enough to serve 4 people, but if you are super hungry, I would suggest to serve the soup with some extra crusty bread, to make it a more substantial meal.

Ingredients:

served 4

For the soup:

• 500 potato, peeled and diced
• 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly sliced
• 1L vegetable stock
• 1/2 onions, finely chopped
• 150g fennel, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. dried onion
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. Aleppo chilli flakes (plus more if prefer more heat)
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

For the smoky onions and pecan nut: (makes plenty)

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten free)
• 1/2 cup (160g) pecan nuts, coarsely chopped
• 50ml olive oil + 1 tbsp.

Serving suggestion: Crusty bread

In a medium saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add onions, fennel and a small pinch of salt. Sauté in medium heat until the vegetable turns slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Add smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chilli flakes, bay leaf and freshly grounded black pepper, continue to sauté for another minute or until fragrant, be careful not to let the spices burnt.

Add the potatoes, fry for another minute. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to boil. Then cover, simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and can be easily smashed with a spatular or a spoon.

Add the chopped kale, simmer for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Have a taste, adjust seasoning if needed. Purée the soup with a handheld blender (or any other blender), set aside and keep warm.

While the soup is cooking, make the smoky onions. In a pan, warm 50ml of the olive oil. Add onions and let it cook on medium heat undisturbed for a minute, stir the onions and add the smoked paprika and garlic powder to the pan. Switching between let them fry undisturbed one minute and sauté them in another, until the onions are golden brown and smell amazing. Add the pecan nut and fry for another 30 seconds. Add the rest of the 1 tablespoon olive oil in the nut onion mixture. Remove from heat.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls and spoon the onion nut mixture on top, served with more freshly ground pepper if you fancy. Crusty bread would be amazing to mop up the soup!

 

Paneer Korma with Cauliflower and Chickpea, served with Cardamon Rice

Everyone loves a good curry! I make curry often and it is one of the staples in our kitchen. I usually cook Thai curry (massaman being my favourite, green curry or red curry with peanut butter) or just a simple one with mild curry powder, cumin, garam masala, tomato paste and coconut milk. But I do love a good Indian curry like Korma, Tikka Masala or Jalfrezi. I had one of these at least once a month when I was living in London -in case you don’t know, there are ridiculous amount of amazing Indian restaurants in London, in fact, there is one street (Brick Lane in East London) filled with only Indian restaurants, like little India. One can find different regional curry one can ever imagine – Although after I moved to Berlin, I seldom go out for curry as I still haven’t found an Indian restaurant that I really like.

I know your question will be: Why don’t you make your own? Well, to be honest, I found it hard to make my own curry spice blend for those curry dishes I was once familiar with. Usually it takes many different spices to make a really tasty and authentic blend, whether or not it will taste the same is another question. Therefore I am not sure I am ready to have all these special spices siting in my spice drawer without being used often enough. So now, whenever I crave for Indian curry, I will get ready made curry paste which normally tastes pretty authentic. Besides, no-one always has time and energy to make one’s own curry spice blend from scratch! So as long as they are made with only natural ingredients, I am all up for it!

Just for your reference, I use this brand call ‘Fairtrade Original’ which is a company founded over 60 years ago, they work with local farmers (most of them are family runs) from around the world, such as Thailand, India, few countries in Africa, and Latin America etc. to help them develop and grow and make fair food and drink accessible to everyone. I really like their company vision, so I am happy to buy their product as much as possible to hopefully support a more sustainable future for farming.

**this post is not sponsored, I am just genuinely like their product and the ideology behind the company’s mission.

Ingredients:

served 4

For the curry:

• 250g cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
• 200g organic paneer, cubed (omit if vegan)
• 200g cooked chickpea (can chickpea is fine)
• 2 large handful of baby spinach
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, cut into small cubes
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• 1 pack ready made Indian korma paste (I use Fairtrade Original)
• 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
• 200ml vegetable stock (or water)
• 2 tsp. tamari
• coconut oil or rapeseed oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

For the cardamon rice: (makes plenty!)

• 350g uncooked basmati rice, washed and drained
• 650ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cardamon pods, lightly crushed
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• a pinch of black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp. of rapeseed oil (or butter)

Served with extra naan bread (optional)

First we prepare the rice: in a small sauce pan, heat the rapeseed oil (or butter) on high heat. Add drained rice and fry until rice are coated with the oil. Add the water carefully. stir until everything is well combined. Add cinnamon stick, cardamon and bay leaf. Bring to boil and then covered, simmer on medium low heat until all liquid is fully absorbed (about 15 minutes), remove from heat and let it sit, covered for another 10 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, heat 2 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan or casserole. Add the onion, celery, carrot and a pinch of salt. Sauté on medium heat until the onion and celery start to turn translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add cauliflower and chickpeas into the pan, fry for another minute. Add korma paste and mix everything well, ensure all vegetables are coated with the curry paste, let it cook for another minute until fragrant. It might start to get sticky at the bottom of the pan, if that happens, add a splash of water to deglaze the pan.

Pour in the coconut milk, the stock (or water) and tamari, bring everything to boil then turn the heat down to medium, let it simmer for about 15 minutes. If you would like to have a less ‘saucy’ curry, then make sure it is uncovered while simmering. Check on it every so often to make sure nothing is scorching with the pan.

Add paneer. Let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Have a taste, adjust seasoning if needed. When the sauce reduced to your liking, add baby spinach until wilted. Have a final taste. Remove from heat, add a squeeze of lemon juice to add freshness to the whole dish.

Serve the curry with rice on warm plates, with optional naan bread to mop up the sauce.

MaPo Tofu

Have you ever had MaPo tofu before? Traditionally, it is a spicy braised tofu dish with mince beef in a chilli bean sauce. It is one of the most popular dishes in many Asian countries and every country has its own version of it. I remember it was one of our family dinner staples when I was young. It is silky, saucy, spicy, an absolute umami bomb! Serving it with rice is a must as the rice will soak up all the deliciousness and every mouthful is a delight!

If you are a big tofu fan like I am, you will love this dish. Although this recipe is not as traditional as you might think because it consists of no meat, it is my own version which is more relevant to me right now. Since I adapted a mostly plant-based diet, I am always up for different ways to incorporate tofu into my cooking. So there you are, a vegan version of my childhood favourite Mapo tofu! I replaced beef with oyster mushrooms and pecan nuts to add some crunchy texture to the whole dish, I imagine it would be great also with walnut or almond if you don’t like pecan. As I always encourage you to not just stick to the recipe, but to adapt it in a way that makes most sense to you, and make it your own!

Notes:

1. I learned that from my mother, poach the soft tofu before braising helps keeping their shape intact, and helps warming up the tofu, therefore, I would recommend taking this extra step. Also be gentle when you work with silken tofu as it is extremely fragile.

2. Be sure to have everything ready before you start cooking as the whole dish comes together in just a few minutes. Make sure the rice are cooked and kept warm before you start cooking this dish.

3. If you a serious chilli fan, you can add chopped jalapeños before you add the shaoxing wine to give the whole dish an extra spicy kick.

4. I love the aroma and taste of sesame oil, therefore I include it into the final step. But it is entirely optional, you can even add chilli oil instead.

MaPo Tofu (Quick-braised tofu with mushrooms in spicy bean sauce)

Ingredients:

serves 2-3

• 250g silken tofu, diced
• 200g oyster mushroom, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (about a handful) pecan nut, roughly chopped
• 1 spring onion, separate the white and green part, finely sliced
• 1 knob of vegan butter (or regular butter)
• 2 tsp. shaoxing rice wine (or sake)
• 1 tbsp. spicy bean sauce (make sure it is gluten free if needed)
• 1/2 tsp. coconut sugar
• 1 tsp. tamari (or to taste)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 250ml vegetable stock
• 1 tsp. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 2 tsp. water
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• Jasmine rice for serving
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil for serving (optional)
• 1 jalapeño, sliced (optional)

Poach the diced tofu gently in simmering water for about 1 minute, remove from heat and let them sit in the water and set aside.

Make the arrowroot slurry by combining the arrowroot powder and water in a small bowl, set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a wok or a non-stick pan. Add mushrooms and the white part of the chopped spring onion, add a few turns of freshly ground black pepper, fry in medium heat until they take on a nice brown colour and have released most of the moisture. Add the butter and let it melt among the veggies to add creaminess, then pour in the Shaoxing wine or sake to deglaze the pan, let it cook until the wine is evaporated. Add the pecan nuts and the spicy bean sauce, coconut sugar and tamari, stir until everything is combined well.

Add the veggies stock and bring it to a simmer, gently transfer the tofu with a slotted spoon and add them to the pan, be gentle otherwise the tofu will break. Let the whole thing simmer for another minute and then have a taste, adjust seasoning if needed. Add the arrowroot slurry to thicken the sauce, use your spatula to ‘push’ the sauce around and underneath the veggies instead of stirring everything as other stir-fry dishes, so the tofu dices remain intact. Remove from heat and transfer everything on a warm serving plate. Garnish with the rest of the spring onion, jalapeños and drizzle the toasted sesame oil if use.

Serve immediately on steamy hot jasmine rice.

 

Roasted Sumac Cauliflower Steak served with Herb Millet and Red Pepper Tapenade

Ok I know there are probably thousands of Cauliflower steak recipe on the internet already, but I am still very happy to join in and share my own creation with you. Every one of those recipes available online or in cookbook is unique in someway and my one is no different. I like to pan sear the cauliflower ‘steak’ first in the pan to get it nicely charred, then finish cooking it in the oven with some smoky spices. I know it is one extra step, but searing the cauliflower allows it to caramelise which brings out its natural sweetness; in addition to the smoked paprika, sumac and seasoning, then perfectly cooked to ‘al dente’ in the oven, this humble piece of vegetable is about to turn into something extraordinarily delicious. Serve the cauliflower steak with the creamy pepper tapenade, and the herby millet, you will definitely look at cauliflower in a whole new way, I promise you!

Notes:

1. To cut the cauliflower into ‘steak’, I first cut the whole thing in half and then cut as many ‘steak’ as I can from it (normally you can get about 3 steaks from a large head of cauliflower). Remember to cut them in the same thickness so they can be cooked at the same time. The rest of the cauliflower (which is not attached to the core) can be broken down into florets for roasting (I also keep the leaves and roast them with the florets, they are delicious!), or cauliflower rice, simple stir-fry, curry or as an addition to mash potatoes etc. Nothing will be wasted. I dropped down some recipe links for cauliflower below if you need some ideas!

2. Sunflower seed ‘cream’ is super versatile, can thicken and add extra creaminess to sauces or pesto. I have success using it for creamy mushroom sauce and in smoothie. It is a great substitute to nut ‘cream’ as it is much cheaper and more environmentally sustainable. I can imagine adding just a handful of soaked sunflower seeds instead of making the cream for the tapenade would work too if you don’t want to make extra ‘cream’ (but it won’t be as creamy as this one here), although I haven’t tried it myself.

3. It should make plenty of the tapenade, the leftover can be used as pesto for pasta, as marinade, a spread for toast or bread, wraps, add it to salad etc., so so delicious! My daughter is totally hooked and asked me if she could bring the leftover millet with the tapenade to school the next day!!

More cauliflower recipes from the blog:

Sweet and Sour Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps

Roasted Gochujang Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

Cauliflower Fritters with Curry Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

For the sunflower seeds ‘cream’:

• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, pre-soaked with warm water for 20 minutes
• 1/2 cup filtered water

For the tapenade:

• 1 jar (180g) roasted red pepper in oil
• 2 tbsp. oil from the jar (either from the pepper or the sun-dried tomato)
• 2 sun-dried tomatoes (from a jar in oil)
• 1 tbsp. sunflower seed cream
• 1/4 tsp. roasted garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional but recommended)
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. coconut sugar or brown sugar (optional)

For the cauliflower steak:

• 2 cauliflower steaks (see note)
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

For the spice marinade:

• 1 tsp. sumac
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

For the herb millet:

• 1 cup millet
• scant 2 cups water (or veggie broth)
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

Serving Suggestions: (optional but recommended)

• Toasted pine nuts
• Pomegranate seeds

To make the sunflower seed ‘cream’, combine ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Store in a glass jar and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Without washing the blender, add all tapenade ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Have a taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Combine the spice marinade ingredients into a small bowl, mix well and set aside.

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius.

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the cauliflower steak and use your hand to distribute the oil all over, it will help the seasoning to stick. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Warm a tablespoon of olive oil in a large oven-proof cast iron pan (or other frying pan), add cauliflower steaks in the hot pan, let it pan-fried on medium heat undisturbed for 3 minutes or until the cauliflower has got slightly charred (you can help by pressing them down with a spatula from time to time). Then flip over on the other side and repeat with the same method. When the cauliflower turned nicely brown, remove from heat.

Brush the spice marinade evenly on the cauliflower, again on both sides and all over. Then transfer the pan to the oven (if your pan is not oven safe, then transfer the cauliflower onto a baking tray and proceed further), bake for another 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is cooked through.

While the cauliflower is baking, rinse the millet and add to the pot with water (or broth) and salt. Bring to boil and simmer on low for about 12 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and keep the lid on for another 10 minutes. Then remove the lid and use a fork to fluff up the millet and let it cool down a bit. Add the chopped mint.

To serve: Spoon herb millet on two warm plates and then put each cauliflower steak on top, add pepper tapenade on the side (or on top if you like), sprinkle with toasted pine nut and pomegranate seeds (if use) and more chopped mint. Serve immediately.

 

Quick-fried Noodles with King Oyster Mushroom and Spinach – Street Food Style

Sometimes I have massive craving for fried noodles, the one that I could get from street vendors back in Macau. I remember we often had a plate of smoky, straight-out-of the wok, burn-your-tongue-hot delicious noodles after movies or a night out. The sound of the blazing fire tuned in with the noises of the metal spatula clanged with the iron wok, the scene of the cook skilfully tossing the noodles with the wok like a circus performer, the relaxing atmosphere and the delicious smell that surrounded us on the street, the taste of my favourite noodles; all these beautiful segments of my childhood memory often reappear vividly whenever I crave for this noodle.

So when the craving strikes, I make my own street food hawker style noodles! The key to achieve the similar smoky taste to the street food one is to use a very hot wok, best will be a well seasoned iron one, but since I don’t have one, I use a non-stick wok instead. But still, cooking it on high heat is very important no matter which wok or equipment you use.  Make it a few times, I am sure you will master it in no time.

Notes:

1. This is one of the most versatile dishes I cook on a regular bases: you can basically use any noodles, fine Chinese egg noodles, udon, different width of rice noodles or even spaghetti will work great in this. You can add meat instead of mushroom, another green like kale, broccoli or Pak Choi will totally works here. Omit the egg and replace oyster sauce with miso paste to make it vegan. Serve it with some Chinese style chilli oil, just heavenly!

2. There is a trick you can get the mushroom turns nice and charred easily: once they are added in the pan, put some weight on top, for example a clean cast iron pan (bottom down) or I use a lid of a cooking pot (smaller than the pan of course), apply some pressure, push the mushrooms down so they have contact with the pan with maximum surface, they will char beautifully in this way.

Ingredients:

Serves 3-4

• 300g dried (wide) rice noodles
• 2 bunches of spinach, roughly torn into smaller pieces, stems and leaves
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten, season with salt and pepper
• 300g King Oyster Mushroom, hand-torn into bite-size pieces (or just simply sliced)
• 1 handful of toasted peanut, for garnish (optional)
• Vegetable oil

For the stir-fry sauce:

• 100ml oyster sauce (I use gluten-free one)
• 45ml tamari (or regular soy sauce if not gluten free)
• 1 tbsp. dark soy sauce (omit if gluten free)
• 2 tsp. brown rice vinegar
• 2 tsp. agave syrup (or brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil, plus more for frying

Prepare the stir-fry sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Have a taste and it should be salty, sweet and have a slight tang to it, adjust the taste to your liking. Set aside.

Cook the noodles according to package instructions but under cook them for 1 minute (you will finish cooking them in the wok with the veggies), drain and rinse under cold water, drain again and add some sesame oil on them to prevent them sticking together. Set aside.

Heat a non-stick wok or large frying pan on high heat with 2 tables of vegetable oil. When hot, add the king oyster mushroom, let them fried in the pan on medium high heat, undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, this way the mushroom will take on a nice brown colour and it enhances the overall flavour (see notes). Turn the mushroom, and again let them fried undisturbed for another 2-3 minutes.

When the mushrooms are nicely charred overall, add the spinach (you probably will need to do this in batches), fry until they just start to wilt. Add a tablespoon of the stir-fry sauce to the vegetables and stir to coat.

Add the noodles and a small splash of water, loosen the noodles with a spatula, pour in the rest of the stir-fry sauce. Stir them constantly until everything is coated with the sauce and the noodles are cooked through, you might need to add another tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan to add more toasty flavour. Have a taste, adjust seasoning as needed.

Push the noodles on one side and add a teaspoon of vegetable oil on the empty spot, add the beaten egg, scramble the egg until it starts to get lumpy, now push the noodles back onto the egg and give them a final mix. When you are happy with the taste, remove from heat. Serve the noodles on warm bowl and garnish with the crashed toasted peanuts if used. Serve immediately.

Jackfruit and Shiitake Mushroom Stew Taiwanese Style

One of my absolute favourite dishes is Taiwanese braised pork with rice ‘Lu Rou Fan’, when we went to Taiwan a few years ago, I finally had the chance to taste the authentic version of the most popular dish in Taiwan, and it was the kind of taste that you won’t forget after you first tasted it, a powerful and complex flavour of umami with a hint of liquorice. If you have been following my blog for a while, you might remember I wrote two posts about our Taiwan trip, and in one of the posts I shared my version of the ‘Lu Rou Fan’ recipe at the end. I haven’t made it for a while to be honest, but the other day, I suddenly had a craving for it. But since I have been very much into vegan cooking lately, I immediately thought of veganising my favourite dish and to see how it turns out. I use jackfruit as the plant-based alternative to pork, I have cooked with jackfruit before and it is quite an interesting ingredient to work with, if you cook it right, its texture does resemble to meat’s, so I thought I would give it a try. It didn’t disappoint me, it was actually really delicious! And the bonus of cooking this plant-based version is the shorter cooking time (20-30 minutes) than the meat version (1.5-2 hrs), which also means a lot of energy will be saved!

I created this recipe based on my original ‘Lu Rou Fan’ recipe, only just veganised some of the ingredients. Therefore the flavour is very much like the one I always love and I hope you will like it too. If you made this dish and liked it (or the meat version one), please don’t forget to let me know by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram!

Notes:

1. When you drain the jackfruit, try to pick as many seeds (and shells) out as possible (unless you don’t mind biting into hard ‘shell’), it is just nicer to the whole eating experience if you have them removed beforehand ( it depends on the brand, some don’t have seed ‘shell’ so you have to just check it).

2. When rehydrate the dried shiitake mushroom, it is best to use a smaller bowl and add just enough hot water to cover the mushroom, so when the mushroom is fully rehydrated, the water will be full of umami and you will be using the water for the stew as well, so please don’t throw it away!

3. The quantity called for for the seasoning makes double the amount of what you need for this dish, but I prefer to have a bit more seasoning to spare than not enough, the leftover seasoning can be used for other dishes, such as stir fry or use it as marinade. it won’t be wasted! Just keep the leftover in a glass jar and it should be good in the fridge for at least 4 days.

4. I add soy nuggets (come in dried form) in to this dish as I like to add a bit more texture to the whole dish, it works really well indeed. But if you are not a fan of soy products, then leave it out.

5. You can use a mixture of different mushroom in this recipe if you can’t find fresh shiitake. King oyster, portobello, shemiji, chestnut mushroom etc should also work well in this recipe.

Ingredients:

(serves 2-4)

• 1 can (400g) young jackfruit, drain and pick out the seeds if needed (see notes)
• 150g fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water for at least 20 minutes
• 1 large handful of dried soy nuggets (optional) (see notes)
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 500ml water
• 1 tsp. arrow root powder (or corn starch)
• 2 tsp. water

For the spice bouquet: (I used a large tea bag to hold all the spices and twisted the top to stop them falling out)

• 1 star anise
• 4 cloves
• 1 tsp. Sichuan pepper corns
• 1 piece of dried mandarin peel (optional)

For the seasoning: (it makes double batch, see note)

• 30ml Shoaxing rice wine
• 60ml soy sauce (I used tamari)
• 30ml dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. vegan fish sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce (optional)
• 2.5 tbsp. coconut sugar (or brown sugar)

Serving suggestions:

• Steamed jasmine rice
• Baby spinach
• Toasted sesame seeds

In a small mixing bowl, combine all seasoning ingredients and mix until sugar is dissolved, set aside.

In another small bowl, make the arrowroot slurry by combining the arrowroot powder and the 2 tsp. of water. Set aside.

Warm a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a casserole or a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add onion and a pinch of salt, sauté until soft and opaque but not brown. Add jackfruit and brown them for a few minutes, they might start to stick on the bottom of the casserole but that’s ok, it deepens the flavour of the stew when the jackfruit gets some brown bits here and there. Deglaze the pan with the water from the dried shiitake and add 500ml of water in the pan. Add the spice bouquet and half of the seasoning. Followed by the fresh shiitake mushroom, rehydrated shiitake mushroom and the soy nuggets (if use).

Cover with a lid and then let it simmer on medium low for about 20 minutes. After then, remove the lid and discard the spice bouquet. Turn the heat up to medium and let it simmer without the lid, for another 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced about 1/3. Have a taste and add more seasoning if needed. Finally add the arrowroot powder slurry and stir until sauce is thicken but no lumps.

Remove from heat and serve on top of steamy hot jasmine rice and a handful of baby spinach, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.