Monday morning mood, and mood for Asian dinner recipe

Ok, it's monday and like every mondays getting into work again is not always easy after the week end. But hey, there's nothing you can change about that. That's live.

As I'm not working - no job - I can't claim about the mondays, but I have the same mood, as I would work.......

tiered, could go back to bed, snorr!

I already chopped my vegetable for todays dinner and then I thought about a recipe with little cakes made from vegetable. And so I decided to make some of them.

Like many people, I love Asian grocery stores, wandering around the shelves crammed with exotic and unfamiliar foods, discovering new ingredients and flavours.

You could definitely try using just tofu or tempeh instead of the combination however I found this achieved a nice texture. Most of the ingredients should be available from any good supermarket or of course any Asian or International Foods Market. The recipe calls for a green curry paste so if using a store brought paste ensure you check the ingredients carefully as many will contain shrimp or fish. If you can’t find snake beans try peas or finely diced green capsicum (pepper).

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Thai Spiced Tempeh Tofu Cakes

 

Preparation Time: 35mins (+ 1 hour refrigeration time)

Makes about 15

200g tempeh

150g firm tofu

1 stalk of lemon grass (white part only), finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

½ tsp dried crushed chilli

½ cup fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves roughly chopped & roots finely diced
2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
2 tsp vegetarian green curry paste (If using a store brought paste check to ensure it does not contain fish and/or shrimp)
2 tsp grated palm sugar

¼ cup coconut cream

1 tsp white vegetarian miso paste

4 snake beans, thinly sliced (approx 1 cup) (or substitute with 1 cup of peas or finely diced green capsicum (pepper))

a little plain flour for dusting

Peanut oil for shallow frying

to serve

sweet chilli sauce and/or Japanese or vegan mayonnaise

 

In a food processor combine all the ingredients except the snake beans, flour and oil to form a sticky paste. Taste test a little of the mixture for flavour and seasoning, add more curry paste and/or a little salt if needed.

 

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and combine with the finely sliced snake beans.

Using wet hands, form about one large tablespoon of the mixture into a cake or patty. Place in a single layer in an air-tight container and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Once refrigerated until firm, very lightly dust the cakes on either side with a little plain flour.

 

Heat enough peanut oil in a good sized fry pan for shallow frying. Carefully fry the cakes in batches until golden on both sides and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Place on absorbent paper to drain off excess oil.

Serve tempeh tofu cakes as part of a main meal or with dipping sauces for great vegetarian party food.

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Seitan stir fry

 

 

300 g seitan (wheat gluten)

1 Tsp oil

1 large carrot

1 red pepper

1/2 Rod leek

100 g Broccoli (optional)

Sauce:

2 TBSP soy sauce

1 TBSP sugar

1 TBSP ketchup

1 TBSP vinegar

 

Seitan, cut into bite-sized pieces. Cut the carrots and pepper into thin strips, onion into rings. Seitan FRY Brown in oil. Then to take out the steamer and set aside on a plate. Mix all ingredients for the sauce. In the same frying pan before first sauté the carrots, then add peppers and later leeks. If the vegetables are almost through, seitan can add back and briefly heat up. Pour the sauce over and through short swing. Serve with rice or rice noodles.

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