My mother was asking me for parsnip recipes. I've never been a big fan of parsnips, but I gave her this recipe. Then she said "I think I'll just steam them." Whatever! This is WAY tastier. Anyway, this recipe is very simple and can be used on any kinds of root veggies.
Roasted Roots
4 - 6 cups cubed root vegetables (parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes/yams, beets, celeriac, carrots, turnips)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 - 3 tbsp herbs, dry or fresh (oregano, rosemary, basil)
6 - 12 cloves garlic (whole)
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp grain mustard or mustard seeds
Mixed all ingredients together so that the cubed veggies are well coated. Place the mixture on a large baking tray on the top rack in the oven. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes (turning them at 20 minutes). Keep an eye on them because all ovens are different, sometimes it takes more time, sometimes less. I love beets and sweet potatoes so I tend to use lots of them, but potatoes are often quite cheap.
Showing posts with label basil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label basil. Show all posts
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday, November 9, 2009
Vietnamese Salad Rolls
I've been making these once a week or so, and I'm getting pretty good now! I've been experimenting with fillings and trying to figure out the most delicious combos. It is a lot of work, set aside at least an hour to make them, eat them and clean up, but use your time to make as many as possible, so you have them for lunch and dinner the next day! Trust me, it's worth the work! And it's super cheap for the amount of food you get. Don't be discouraged if you have trouble making them at first, just have fun and remember they'll be tasty no matter what they look like!
Tasty Salad Rolls
1 package rice paper rolls
1 package rice vermicelli (the thinner the better)
1/2 - 1 package extra firm tofu
Curry/masala/Indian spice powder
Chopped/roasted peanuts (optional)
Oil (olive or grapeseed)
A dipping sauce (sweet chili, peanut, vegetarian hoisin - just check the ingredients!)
Vegetables (for my version, get creative with your favourites!):
1 - 2 carrots, grated
Asparagus, steamed (1 stalk per roll)
1 cucumber, sliced
you can also try:
fresh cilantro & basil (very popular)
green onion (1 stalk per roll)
red pepper, thinly sliced
avocado, thinly sliced
mushrooms, thinly sliced
lettuce or spinach
Boil the vermicelli (2 - 3 minutes is usually plenty), drain and set aside so it has time to dry. Dice the tofu into very small cubes and fry with the curry powder and oil for about 5 - 8 minutes on medium low heat. Set it aside.
Boil a kettle or pot of water and pour it into a large salad bowl (I find it make the softening of the rice paper easier). Let it cool a little or add a bit of cold water to it so you don't burn yourself.
Prepare your other vegetables - slice cucumber, grate carrot, steam asparagus (3 - 5 minutes max, you want it to retain a bit of its crunch). Wash your green onions well if you're using them. Set them aside.
Now the fun part! Get out your rice paper sheets and soak them in the warm water for about 10 seconds, just to soften them. Make sure you hold on by the edge and not the middle. I tend to do two at a time, one right on top of the other, to prevent tearing, and they are so thin it doesn't affect the taste to have the wrap a bit sturdier, in fact it helps to keep it from falling apart!
Lay the softened rice paper flat on a plate and put your ingredients in - flat-sliced vegetables and lettuce are best on the bottom, with a little bit of vermicelli on top, then add a bit of the tofu, peanuts, grated carrots and a stalk of asparagus or green onion. Wrapping it up can be a bit tricky, but if you make your filling pile off to one side and leave so room around the outer edge, so you an fold it over on three sides and then roll it up. Make sense? Good luck! Like I said, it gets better with practice! Dip it in the dipping sauce and enjoy. Your tastebuds will thank me!
The problem I have with taking photos is that I'm usually so hungry I eat it before I remember to take pictures. I'm not the best photographer either, but you get the idea.
P.S. For the tofu, you don't have to use curry powder. If you find a nice vegan teriyaki or black bean sauce, I'm sure those would be tasty, too.
P.P.S. Leftover vermicelli and vegetables with sauce make for a delicious cold and refreshing salad! And hey, it's salvageable if the rice-paper doesn't cooperate.
Tasty Salad Rolls
1 package rice paper rolls
1 package rice vermicelli (the thinner the better)
1/2 - 1 package extra firm tofu
Curry/masala/Indian spice powder
Chopped/roasted peanuts (optional)
Oil (olive or grapeseed)
A dipping sauce (sweet chili, peanut, vegetarian hoisin - just check the ingredients!)
Vegetables (for my version, get creative with your favourites!):
1 - 2 carrots, grated
Asparagus, steamed (1 stalk per roll)
1 cucumber, sliced
you can also try:
fresh cilantro & basil (very popular)
green onion (1 stalk per roll)
red pepper, thinly sliced
avocado, thinly sliced
mushrooms, thinly sliced
lettuce or spinach
Boil the vermicelli (2 - 3 minutes is usually plenty), drain and set aside so it has time to dry. Dice the tofu into very small cubes and fry with the curry powder and oil for about 5 - 8 minutes on medium low heat. Set it aside.
Boil a kettle or pot of water and pour it into a large salad bowl (I find it make the softening of the rice paper easier). Let it cool a little or add a bit of cold water to it so you don't burn yourself.
Prepare your other vegetables - slice cucumber, grate carrot, steam asparagus (3 - 5 minutes max, you want it to retain a bit of its crunch). Wash your green onions well if you're using them. Set them aside.
Now the fun part! Get out your rice paper sheets and soak them in the warm water for about 10 seconds, just to soften them. Make sure you hold on by the edge and not the middle. I tend to do two at a time, one right on top of the other, to prevent tearing, and they are so thin it doesn't affect the taste to have the wrap a bit sturdier, in fact it helps to keep it from falling apart!
Lay the softened rice paper flat on a plate and put your ingredients in - flat-sliced vegetables and lettuce are best on the bottom, with a little bit of vermicelli on top, then add a bit of the tofu, peanuts, grated carrots and a stalk of asparagus or green onion. Wrapping it up can be a bit tricky, but if you make your filling pile off to one side and leave so room around the outer edge, so you an fold it over on three sides and then roll it up. Make sense? Good luck! Like I said, it gets better with practice! Dip it in the dipping sauce and enjoy. Your tastebuds will thank me!
The problem I have with taking photos is that I'm usually so hungry I eat it before I remember to take pictures. I'm not the best photographer either, but you get the idea.
P.S. For the tofu, you don't have to use curry powder. If you find a nice vegan teriyaki or black bean sauce, I'm sure those would be tasty, too.
P.P.S. Leftover vermicelli and vegetables with sauce make for a delicious cold and refreshing salad! And hey, it's salvageable if the rice-paper doesn't cooperate.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Happy World Vegan Day!
Hope everyone's having a lovely day, eating lots of food and spending it with other vegans! I went to a picnic and made some new friends - I even bought a nice new cookbook.
Fruit and veggies are nice and plentiful here, so I set about re-creating my favourite Thai dish - the green papaya salad! Unfortunately I can't find green papayas anywhere (except my backyard, and they're a little TOO green right now). So I am substituting mango for today. But if you can find a green papaya, more power (and authentic Thai deliciousness) to you!
Thai Mango Salad
Dressing:
3 limes - juiced, with a 1/2 tsp of zest
1/4 cup sugar water*
1 -2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red chili, chopped fine (you can have 2 depending how spicy you like it)
5 - 10 Fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt (1/2 tsp or more depending on your taste)
Salad:
1 mango (or green papaya), julienned
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 tomato, sliced - or, 5 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 carrot, grated
Lettuce
Combine the ingredients to make the dressing and set aside. Combine all the salad ingredients except for the lettuce, and then pour the dressing on. Arrange on a bed of lettuce. If you have any leftovers, it's even better the next day!
*and by sugar water I mean 1 - 2 tbsp of raw sugar, dissolved in 1/4 cup of water on a low heat (takes maybe 5 minutes in a small pot or frying pan). It's not quite as sweet as syrup, but it does the trick.
Fruit and veggies are nice and plentiful here, so I set about re-creating my favourite Thai dish - the green papaya salad! Unfortunately I can't find green papayas anywhere (except my backyard, and they're a little TOO green right now). So I am substituting mango for today. But if you can find a green papaya, more power (and authentic Thai deliciousness) to you!
Thai Mango Salad
Dressing:
3 limes - juiced, with a 1/2 tsp of zest
1/4 cup sugar water*
1 -2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red chili, chopped fine (you can have 2 depending how spicy you like it)
5 - 10 Fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt (1/2 tsp or more depending on your taste)
Salad:
1 mango (or green papaya), julienned
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 tomato, sliced - or, 5 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 carrot, grated
Lettuce
Combine the ingredients to make the dressing and set aside. Combine all the salad ingredients except for the lettuce, and then pour the dressing on. Arrange on a bed of lettuce. If you have any leftovers, it's even better the next day!
*and by sugar water I mean 1 - 2 tbsp of raw sugar, dissolved in 1/4 cup of water on a low heat (takes maybe 5 minutes in a small pot or frying pan). It's not quite as sweet as syrup, but it does the trick.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Hummus
...or houmous, humous, hummous, houmus... anything but humus (which is something else entirely). Any way you spell it, it's delicious. I swear, I could live on hummus, and have been close to doing so on many occasions. It goes with everything - bread (any kind), crackers (any kind), chips, vegetables, on sandwiches or falafels. I even tried a samosa dipped in tamarind chutney and hummus - heavenly!
Hummus is always better (and cheaper) if you make it yourself. It lasts about a week in the fridge.
Hummus
1 can chickpeas*
3 cloves garlic
3 heaping tbsp tahini**
juice of 2 lemons***
1/3 cup olive oil
salt & pepper
paprika (optional)
You can use a a regular blender or a hand blender for this - I prefer the hand blender, honestly, but use whatever you have. Put the lemon juice, olive oil and garlic in a large bowl or blender and blend until the garlic is fine. Drain/rinse the chickpeas and add them, along with the tahini and salt & pepper. Continue blending until it has reached a desired consistency. You can add more tahini, garlic, lemon juice or olive oil to suit your taste. I like to sprinkle a little paprika on top when I serve it. Simple as that!
Hummusian Variations
If you've got a few extra ingredients lying around, you can make delicious variants of hummus. For example;
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: add 1 or 2 roasted red peppers, either from a jar or from your own oven****. Blend into the basic hummus recipe.
Olive & Sundried Tomato Hummus: add 15 - 20 black kalamata olives and 6 - 10 sundried tomato halves. Blend into the basic hummus recipe.
Dill & Lemon Hummus: add a tbsp of lemon zest (grated rind from one of the lemons) as well as the juice of an extra lemon (making 3 in total), and 2 tbsp (or more) or dill, fresh or dried. Blend into the basic hummus recipe.
Spicy Pepper Hummus: add a few drops of hot sauce (depending on how strong it is), throw in an extra clove of garlic and 3 - 4 pepperoncini peppers (cut the stems off first!) and/or 1 - 2 hot banana peppers. Blend into basic hummus recipe. Don't kiss anyone for a week!
Spinach & Basil Hummus: add some fresh or dried basil (6 - 8 leaves if fresh) and 2 handfuls of raw spinach. Blend well into basic hummus recipe.
~
*buying dried beans is always cheaper than the can, but you'd have to soak them for 8 - 10 hours and then boil them for 1 hour, so it depends on how much time you have.
**tahini is really worth buying. I promise to have more tahini recipes. It can be a bit pricey, but I assure you it's worth it, just find the best deal you can. If not, the hummus will be okay, just add more lemon juice and olive oil.
***you can use the lemon juice from a bottle/plastic lemon, but real lemons taste better. If you don't have a citrus juice squeezer, just squeeze the juice through your fingers so the seeds don't get through (make sure you've washed your hands, though!)
****roasting red peppers is easy! Just half them (stem to bottom), brush with oil and put them in the toaster oven (or regular oven) for 10 minutes on 400 degrees. Or just buy them in the jar if you like (sometimes they are cheaper like that, depending where you live).
Hummus is always better (and cheaper) if you make it yourself. It lasts about a week in the fridge.
Hummus
1 can chickpeas*
3 cloves garlic
3 heaping tbsp tahini**
juice of 2 lemons***
1/3 cup olive oil
salt & pepper
paprika (optional)
You can use a a regular blender or a hand blender for this - I prefer the hand blender, honestly, but use whatever you have. Put the lemon juice, olive oil and garlic in a large bowl or blender and blend until the garlic is fine. Drain/rinse the chickpeas and add them, along with the tahini and salt & pepper. Continue blending until it has reached a desired consistency. You can add more tahini, garlic, lemon juice or olive oil to suit your taste. I like to sprinkle a little paprika on top when I serve it. Simple as that!
Hummusian Variations
If you've got a few extra ingredients lying around, you can make delicious variants of hummus. For example;
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: add 1 or 2 roasted red peppers, either from a jar or from your own oven****. Blend into the basic hummus recipe.
Olive & Sundried Tomato Hummus: add 15 - 20 black kalamata olives and 6 - 10 sundried tomato halves. Blend into the basic hummus recipe.
Dill & Lemon Hummus: add a tbsp of lemon zest (grated rind from one of the lemons) as well as the juice of an extra lemon (making 3 in total), and 2 tbsp (or more) or dill, fresh or dried. Blend into the basic hummus recipe.
Spicy Pepper Hummus: add a few drops of hot sauce (depending on how strong it is), throw in an extra clove of garlic and 3 - 4 pepperoncini peppers (cut the stems off first!) and/or 1 - 2 hot banana peppers. Blend into basic hummus recipe. Don't kiss anyone for a week!
Spinach & Basil Hummus: add some fresh or dried basil (6 - 8 leaves if fresh) and 2 handfuls of raw spinach. Blend well into basic hummus recipe.
~
*buying dried beans is always cheaper than the can, but you'd have to soak them for 8 - 10 hours and then boil them for 1 hour, so it depends on how much time you have.
**tahini is really worth buying. I promise to have more tahini recipes. It can be a bit pricey, but I assure you it's worth it, just find the best deal you can. If not, the hummus will be okay, just add more lemon juice and olive oil.
***you can use the lemon juice from a bottle/plastic lemon, but real lemons taste better. If you don't have a citrus juice squeezer, just squeeze the juice through your fingers so the seeds don't get through (make sure you've washed your hands, though!)
****roasting red peppers is easy! Just half them (stem to bottom), brush with oil and put them in the toaster oven (or regular oven) for 10 minutes on 400 degrees. Or just buy them in the jar if you like (sometimes they are cheaper like that, depending where you live).
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