Spicy Glasnoodle Salad

Salads are always great and can't never get enough of it, either just a green salad or a salad loaded with vegetables and grains - Yammy. 

That spice are doing good things to your body - depending of the spices or ingredients - why not eating it much more. Today I was in the mood for such a light dinner - shortly prepared to have a lazy evening. One reason I made a fast dinner - was that I wanted to watch Dirty Dancing on the TV. Quite an old movie - but hey old movies are always the best. 

But getting back to the dish. If you love asian food as much as I do, you will hopefully like this. 

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Spicy Glasnoodle Salad

2 Persons
10 min

Ingredients:
1/2 Pack Glasnoodles, prepaired according the packed
4-6 Garlic gloves, sliced
4-6 Chilis, diced in rings
1 small rec onion, quartered und cut in slices
1/4 cucumber, peeled and deseeded 
1 Tomato
1/2 cup fresh coriander, rughly chopped

Dressing:
3 Tbsp. white sojsauce
1 Tbsp. Agavenectar
juice from one lemon or lime
salt

Preparation:
Cut or slice the Cucumber into Julienne strips.Wash, remove the stalk approach and quarter. Slice. Then prepare the other ingredients and set them aside

Cook and drain the glassnoodles and give into a bowl. 

For the Dressing wisk everything well together and give with the other left Ingredients to the glassnoodle-bowl and mix all well.

And voilà ready to eat. 

Miso Gratin

I really had some hard working weeks behind me and finally having weekend all I wanted is to relax with doing nothing.

But the thing about being the only person at home - I have to feed myself....... 
Sometimes I really wish to come home and dinner is already done and all I could do is sitting at the table and eat. 

Anyway, I'm used to it. 

There is one good thing about that "being alone" - I can cook what ever I am in the mood for - no asking "What would you like to eat today?".... ;)

For dinner I wanted to made an asian dish - and I really love asian food! Looking into my refrigerator the opend Misobox and Tofu just smiled at me - hmm, vegetable I do have some left to be done - so why not making a Gratin. 

Wondering about an asian Gratin - well I did so too, but I just went on trying what will come out - and the result was just great! Creamy with the misoflavor. Quite stomachfilling - but too good to stop...

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Miso Gratin

6 Servings

Ingredients:
50 g Rice miso
200 g chopped onion
200 g pumpkins (if now more getable use yellow pepper)
1 eggplant
1 Zucchini
1 leek
250 g firm tofu or silkentofu 
1 Tbsp. Sesam oil
1- 2 Tbsp. Sake
dried chives
salt and peper
average amount of Bread crumbs
average amount of Parsely

Preparation:
Cut onions, pumpkin, zucchini, eggplant, leek into 1 cm squares. 
Puree the Tofu in a food processor. Set aside

Preheat the oven up to 250 degrees. 

In a preheated pan with the sesam oil saute onions, pumpkin, eggplant, zucchini, leek.

Add the the pureed Tofu and mix. Add Sake, rice miso and mix well. Stir in the dried chives. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat. 

Take oven-usuable serving-dishes and place the mixture on it, sprinkle with bread crumbs and give in the preheated for about 15 min. 

When done take out and sprinkle with minced Parsely, finish and serve hot. 

Filottartelettes with asian vegetable filling

During the weekends I spend more time in the kitchen than else where. During the week simply no time with a full time job and being late at home. 

Well this does not mean that I simple delete the thinking what next I could try / prepare on week ends, but I have to plan well and mostly I want to prepare too much stuff to eat as a single person. 

But today on my free afternoon I just couldn't resist the kitchen, cause I tried something on Sunday and it was more or less a failure and I wanted to retry it - changed a little bit. 

The second result just came out perfect and now ready to post. 

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Filo-Tartelettes with asian vegetable filling

4 Portions
45 min
baking: 20-25 min

Ingredients:

DOUGH 
1 tbsp.  sesame seeds 
50 g vegan margarine 
4 vegan sheets filo or strudel 

FILLING 
200 g of frozen edamame
salt 
200 g shiitake mushrooms 
250 g Mini-Pak Choi 
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 red chilli, deseedes and finely chopped
2 tbsp oil 
1 bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
150 g silken tofu, crumbled
60 g vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast or soyflour, to replace 2 eggs)
50 g pickled ginger, drained, chopped
6 Tbsp. saltless soysauce

Preparation:
Preheat over up to 180°C.

In a frying pan roast sesam until golden brown and place on a plate. 
In the same pan melt the vegan margine with the remaining heat. 

On a proper roof place a sheet of dough and spread some melted margarine on it, cover with another sheet of pastry and brush with margarine. Sprinkle with sesam seeds. Cover with another sheet and brush with margarine. Last sheet of dough and finish with margarine. 

Cut the stapled sheets lengthwise and crosswise in half, that 4 squares arises. Press dough in greased ramekins (12 cm diameter) with removable bottom that the dough triangles hang crosswise a little over. 
(If you don't have them, you can also take timbale forms, just butter them well!) 

For the filling provide edamame in boiling salted water and cook for 6 min., rinse and drain. Remove the seeds from the pods. Cut the stems of the shiitake mushrooms, cut the caps into 1 cm wide strips. 
Wash well the Pak Choi. Cut the green from the stems then cut the green crosswise into 2 cm wide strips, cut stems into 1 cm wide strips. 

Heat oil in a pan fry mushrooms until golden brown over high heat for 3 minutes. Add the pak choi stalks and fry for another 2 minutes. Add shallots, garlic and chilli and fry over medium heat for another 2 minutes. Add the pak choi leaves and let the coincide. Give in the edamame and season with salt, then turn off the heat. 

Place the chopped coriander in a mixing bowl and add the crumbled tofu and the parmesan and puree well, lightly add some salt. 

Distribute the vegetable filling into the tartlets and pour over the tofu-mixed-liquid. Put the tartlets in the preheated oven on the bottom rack and bake golden bown for about 20 - 25 minutes. 

Serve the tartlets with drained, chopped pickled ginger and soy sauce (separate). 

Bangkok Noodles

Since having my new vegetable noodle maker I'm really into preparing a lot of spiralized with it. I'm so happy about it. Before I just had a small handholder slicer and it was always so much work to get the vegetables sliced and there was always so much vegetable left I couldn't turn into noodles - really upsetting.. 

But this time is over. Lucky me!

For my todays lunch I turned back to my hand grater and own working hand to prepare the dish. I just thought that spiralized wouldn't look great or overloaded. 

If you're missing some carbohydrates in this dish, either serve some slices of whole grain bread or mix the vegetables with some asian noodles or glasnoodles. 

I kept them itself, getting the full vegetable power on foggy cool day. 

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Bangkok Noodles

(4 servings)

Ingredients:
noodles:
400 g Zucchini
140 g carrots
120 g red chabbage
100g snow peas
60 g bean sprouts
2 spring onions
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped almonds,
To garnish 1 chili

sauce:
50 g almond paste
70 g of water
120 g of lime juice
60 g Tamari
60 g of sesame oil
20 g maple syrup
2 cm ginger
4 cloves of garlic
Salt & pepper

Direction:
Cut zucchini, carrots, red chabbage, snow peas and spring onions into fine strips.
You may have to drain the strips in a colander. 

For the sauce - in a bowl mix all ingredients together, set aside. 
Lightly steam the vegetable in little oil till lightly soft but still crunchy, turn of heat and let lightly cool down. 

When lightly cooled down mix the vegetables with sauce, arrange on plates and garnish with chopped almonds and chili on top. 

Spicy glass-noodle salad

Wow how much times flies by - incredible. 
Yesterday - luckely was one of the few days with really good and almost hot weather. A perfect day to go out, at the end it came all different. My date cancelled and so it came I stayed at home. 

Instead of sitting at home and being sad about that, I made myself a enjoyable evening with good delicious dishes and the grill turned on. The only accompaniment where my cats chilling with me on the balcony and good glas of wine. 

While the seitansteak was on the grill I prepared this such very good glass noodle salad. Luckely I made some for more than one person - at the end I've eaten the whole big bowl. I couldn't resist. 

The salad has it all: garlic, onion and chillis give it the fiery taste and make it a healthy food that contains natural antibiotics.

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Spicy glass-noodle salad

2 Servings

Ingredients:
½ pack glass noodles, cooked and chilled pack glass noodles according to package Note 
4-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
4-6 chilies, sliced ​​into thin rings 
1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced 
¼ cucumber, peeled and deseeded  
1 medium tomato 
½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped 

Dressing: 
3 tbsp light soy sauce 
1 tbsp agave syrup 
Juice of one lime or lemon 
Salt as desired 

Preparation 
Cook glass noodles according to package direction and chill them with cold water when cooked. 

Cut the cucumber into very fine julienne strips. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stem end and quarter them. Cut into thin slices. 

Drain the noodles well and add to the salad bowl. Add all other ingredients. 

For the dressing: stir all in a cup and mix well. well to. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Then pour over the glass noodle salad.


Tip: If it is too spicy, dry bread will or a few sips of beer!

Mango-Chili-Tofu Stir-fry

Hello everyone. Well I'm still here, but have been a little bit lazy with posting - sorry. 

I was just too absorbed with work again and making my fotobook from the holiday in Croatia. 
Anyhow that's no excuse for my lack-out of posting. 

Lately I was going to visit a friend of mine in another town called Luzern. A beautiful city at a lake and with a famous very old wooden Bridge. 

Walking trough the city I saw a small organic store with fresh products all made by hand and 100% organic. (Dips, food, handcreams, sesambutter and so on). At the store I bought chili garlic sauce, a small tin of sesambutter, vegetable dip etc. 

The owner was very kind and friendly and she gave me a hint how about to use the stuff. Then she said that she uses to make a Chili-Chicken-Stir fry with the chili garlic sauce.

AND so was born this dish - just changed the chicken and added the mango for the sweet side. 

JUST GREAT I have to say. Thanx Luzern!

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Mango-Chili-Tofu Stir-fry

4 Servings

Ingredients:
1/3 cup mango pieces
2 tsp. chili garlic sauce
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. oil
dried chilipepper (or flakes)
500 g firm Tofu, well pressed and cut into triangles
1 red sweet pepper, cut into strips
black sesam

Side: cooked rice

Preparation:
For the sauce mix in a small bowl the chili garlic-sauce, ginger and garlic, set aside

In a large wok or very larg nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chilipeppers and cook and stir for 10 seconds.

Add pressed Tofu and cook while stirring for 3-4 minutes. Then take the tofu out and add sweet pepper strips, cook till they are soft. Give back the tofu and add the sauce, stirring to coat all and heat through. 

Serve sprinkled with black sesam and rice.

Morel & Potato-Hash

A few days ago I came home late in the evening and was so lazy to cook a big dish. Having a glaze in my cupboard and refrigerator I saw some morels. It has been a while since I ate mushrooms the last time and so I grabbed them together with the potato from the refrigerator. 

I wasn't really sure what really I wanted to make with them, but the resultat - again a just trown-together was exellent!! Together with a salad bowl I had a full meal.

Probably the next time I will make a ragout - mushrooms cook in a vegetable and tomato-redwine sauce. Side dish some noodles. Something like a "Zürcher Geschnetzeltes" (Meal with a cream-meat-mushroom-sauce and noodles), a traditional common meal in Switzerland.

Let's experience ;)

Anyway hope you got a idea what to cook if you're in a hurry, tired and lazy to cook. 

Enjoy!

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Morel and Potato-Hash

serves 3

Ingredients:
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
seitan, medium dice (amount about your choice. I had about 200g) 
2-3 small yellow potatoes, unpeeled, medium dice 
2 cups morels, halved lengthwise
2 cups water 
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp dried basil 
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 
2 tbl tamari
1 tbl agave syrup
1/2 tsp liquid smoke or some red wine
1 cup thin asian beans, roughly chopped

Direction:
Saute the seitan, potatoes and morels in a large skillet for 5-7 minutes until the potato start to get tender. Add the water and garlic and cook until the water has evaporated. Season with basil, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, tamari, agave and liquid smoke. 

Saute 5 minutes more until the potatoes are fully cooked through and most of the sauce from the tamari has been absorbed.

Toss with fresh sea beans and serve.

Steamed ricerolls with Leek-vishfilling

Lately I ordered again a package full of vegan food products from abord Germany. I love the shop, sometimes I've got a hard time to choose what I shall buy, so many opurtunities. They sell just everything you need to replace the non-vegan products. So great!

Usually I buy a lot of meat- and fishalternatives, vegan cheese, cream cheese and spreads, and ham and sometimes vegan gnocchis, spices and so on. 

You see a lot. Luckely the send the ordered stuff to switzerland, but since a few years I have a mailing adress in germany. A "only-package"-adresse. They store your package till you get them and it's really a great way to order, and less expensive (no costs for sending abord). And for me - living about 20 min from the border - no long driving to get the stuff.

For my todays recipe I used one of the ordered fishalternatives. 

The rolls tasted really good but maybe the next time I will pre-soak them in spices to get a even better taste of the fish. 

Of couse you can add more vegetables! 

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Leek-vish-ricerolls

30 min
4 persons

Ingredients:
12 round ricepapers (⌀ ca. 22 cm)
2 Leeks
4 Tbsp. vegan butter or oil
250 g vegan fishfilet
lemonjuice
salt, pepper

to garnish:
chilirings

Direction:
Soak the rice paper according to package specification and pat dry. 

Wash, clean and chop the leeks. Put some lof the green aside for garnish. Sauté the sliced ​​leek 2-3 minutes in 1-2 tablespoons butter. Set aside  and let it cool. Take out the fish, pat dry and cut into small cubes. Mix with the leeks and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. 

Put 1-2 tablespoons of filling in each case on the lower quarter of the rice paper, fold from sides and roll up. Give in the lightly oiled steamer (or pan) with the seamed side down. Close the steamer and cook for about 8 minutes. 

Easily brown the remaining butter. Remove from the heat and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. 


Arrange the rolls on a plate, drizzle with the butter and serve garnished with chilli rings and the leeks.

Options:
For dinner serve with asian rice or a big saladbowl.

Basmati-Coriander Rice with crunchy coconut-Tofufilet and spicy asian Wok-vegetables

Lately I saw a cookingchalenge on TV an the theme was asian dishes. AND I can't resist asian dishes, it satisaties me immediatly. 

I had a time  when I really loved to watch cookingshows - then a brake - just had enought watching how someone fry their meat or anything non vegan

While watching I made my notes about the ingredients (of course they didn't cook vegan) and how to cook the dish. As the dish really sounded good I wanted to veganize it. I had many options in mind about replacing the meat, but for me the best seamed to be tofu shortly simmered in coconutmilk and grated coconut to get the crunchy outside. 

The remaking the rice was no problem, but with the tofu it took me about 2 tries till I got the best result.

I even got another idea spinning around in my mind, how I could try to fry the tofu. So many variation are possible.

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Basmati-Coriander Rice with crunchy coconut-Tofufilet and spicy asian wok-vegetables

For 2 people

Ingredients:
150 g basmati rice 
200 g firm tofu 
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion
1/2 tsp Crema di Aglio
1/2 tsp Wokspice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
250 ml coconut milk
2 tsp whole cane sugar 
1 tsp grated coconut 

stir-fried vegetables
2 tablespoons sesame oil 
1/2 tsp Crema di Aglio
1 tsp Crema di Pepperonchino
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 carrot
1 bell pepper
1/2 zucchini
30 g bean sprouts

Direction:
Cook basmati rice according to package directions. Wash and finely chop cilantro. Depending on your taste wisk into the finished basmati rice.

Peel and finely chop onion. Cut tofu into cubes and fry in oil for about 4 minutes. Add  onion and Crema di Aglio and sauté for 2 minutes. Wisk in soy sauce, wokspice, whole cane sugar, coconut milk and  grated coconut, simmer briefly until the sauce is syrupy.

Wash vegetables and cut into thin strips. Heat the sesame oil in a wok or frying pan and cook vegetables and sprouts about 2 minutes until al dente. Add pepperonchino, garlic paste and soy sauce and sauté 2 more minutes and season to taste.

Put rice on a plate, top with the tofu stew and stir-fry vegetables and garnish with grated coconut .

Tip: A quality feature of good coconut milk is that it is not liquid when you open the can , but the fat part has settled . For that is a sign that no emulsifiers were used - for me a must-have ! If you want to use it liquid, you can briefly heat the can in a water bath, then shake and the milk is liquid.

Green Tea Edamame with roasted Black Sesame salt /// Warm Edamame Salad /// Edamame Dip

I LOVE EDAMAME! Just that for the start... Mostly I eat them as a snack and they're something I always got ready in my refrigerator. When I don't have the time to prepare them myself I buy them already prepared with a little bag of salt. I guess I would cry when not having them...... strange but I'm so stick to them for ever.

Lately I've been to the asian store again I bought a kilo of them and now I wanted to share a few recipe to you.

To start with a snack, then goes on with a salad and then a dip.
I guess I don't have to mention that Edamame are good resurce of protein and vitamines. As every vegan person probably knows Edamame and eats it.

 

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Green Tea Edamame with Roasted Black Sesame Salt

 

Makes 450g

30 minutes or fewer

         

Ingredients:           

6 green tea bags

450 g frozen whole edamame

2 Tbs. roasted black sesame seeds

1 tsp. salt

 

1. Bring 1 liter water to a boil in large pot, and remove from heat. Add tea bags, and let steep 3 minutes. Remove tea bags, and bring liquid to a simmer over high heat. Add edamame, and cook 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Grind sesame seeds and salt in coffee grinder or mortar until coarsely ground. Toss with edamame.

Serve in big bowl.

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Or another way to use them: as a salad, Yummy too

 

 

Warm Edamame Salad

 

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 cups (12 oz) cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 16 oz package frozen shelled edamame, thawed

1 cup (4 oz) sugar snap peas, sliced in half

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha chile sauce

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
 

Direction:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms, stirring, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

 

Add remaining oil to pan. Cook the edamame, snap peas, and ginger, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender and edamame is bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the red pepper, chestnuts, Sriracha, and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; stir in the toasted sesame seeds and vinegar. Serve hot, or refrigerate and enjoy cold.

 

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Or used for a dip. Again so good!!

 

Edamame Dip

 



Ingredients:

one bag of frozen edamame
1/4 ripe avocado
1 clove of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon miso
1 teaspoon red chili paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
black sesame seeds for garnish

Direction:
Cook edamame in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 4-5 minutes. Drain reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Place the edamame, avocado, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, miso, chili paste, olive oil, salt and pepper and 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding some additional cooking liquid if too thick.

Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with raw veggies, rice crackers or pita chips.

 

 



Goma-Wakame-Salad

Goma means sesame and wakame (Undario pinnatifida) means "Young shoot" and is a kind of seaweed used in Japan classics or in the miso soup. Despite their bronze-green coloring, wakame is one of the family of brown algae.

It grows in deep sea and is seen only in the spring and in the autumn when the seaweed swims with her spear, wavy along the edges and up to one meter long leaves on the water surface. Among the Japanese cuisine for more than five centuries and originally served as  salt. Also as holy food, it was long revered and offered to the gods along with fish and rice balls as a victim. Today she it's the most common algae in Japan and is bred very rar and expensive to harvest is the wild. Wakame is very iodine - and calcium-rich and fresh in semi-transparent or dried available. In Japan traditionally served together with fish, fresh salad or vegetables.

 

For us the vegan people of course eaten just like that a salad or served with vegetables.

 

I eat the salad just like that a always a big bowl. Mostly every day, again one of food I never get enough of. The first time I had this salad I fell in love immediatly. Luckely I can find this salad already prepared at a lokal store, when ever I'm too lazy to make it on my own. And when I do buy it prepared I always grab at least 3 packets. So good!!

 

 

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Goma-Wakame-Salad



Ingredients:
80% Wakame, soak dried in water or fresh for 20 min
some Agar-Agar,
20% Forest mushroom
sugar, salt
1/2 tsp. soysauce and rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. sesamoil
sesame ssed

wasabi or some fresh chopped chili

Direction:

Prepare a salad dressing of soy sauce, some sesame oil and rice vinegar and sugar, depending on the taste add some wasabi

Mix with wakame and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

 

I always let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two to allow the Wakame soak up the flavor of the sauce. Best if it stays over night, but that's my opinion. Just try it out which way you like it the most.

Chard and Tofu Wontons in Sambal Soy Sauce

I defently can't get enough of chinese food! Yesterday I was again in the mood for it. As still having chinese stuff in my fridge I wanted to empty it at least a little bit. What I wanted to cook was for sure, but the filling was not definite. But when the Wontonleaves were at roomtemperatur I knew it. Having fresh pakchoy from my garden - and as packchoy are just the peferct asian vegetable  the result ended up just great.

Today does not seems to be my best one. I passed more than three hours in the emergency - NO, got nothing to do with this meal I ate the day before.
- but when I woke up this morning I had less sense in my left arm and hard to control my hand or work with it, beside less strenght. It feels like it's paralyse, I already relazide it when I woke up during the night. They couldn't tell me what it is. I may have been laying on my arm during the night it fall asleep (as it sometimes happens when lying on a nerve). But Now -  evening - I still have problems with my hand. It won't be better the next day I should come over once again. Hopefully it WILL be better tomorrow!!!!!!!!! It's really scarry.....


But for now let's enjoy the great and tasty light asian meal. Eather alone, with your partner or just with friends :)

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Chard and Tofu Wontons in Sambal Soy Sauce

 

Serves 10

30 minutes or fewer

 

Sambal oelek is a very spicy, slightly sour Indonesian hot sauce made from whole ground chiles (with the seeds). 

      

Wontons

2 tsp. roasted sesame oil

1 medium carrot, finely chopped (½ cup)

4 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves

170 g baked soy-seasoned tofu, chopped

1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

⅛ tsp. ground white pepper

1 pkg. wonton wrappers

3 green onions, chopped, for garnish

¼ cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

 

Sambal Soy Sauce

6 Tbs. Chinese malt vinegar or 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar plus 1 Tbs. rice vinegar

6 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

2 Tbs. sambal oelek

4 tsp. agave nectar

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

 

1. To make Wontons: Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot, and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add chard, and cook 5 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer mixture to food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Add tofu, and pulse until combined. Transfer to bowl, and stir in soy sauce and white pepper.

2. Set 1 wonton wrapper on work surface. Spoon 1 tsp. tofu mixture in center of wrapper. Brush wrapper edges with water, and fold wrapper into triangle around filling. Press edges to seal, and place on lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

3. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Cook 10 Wontons at a time in boiling water 90 seconds. Remove from pot with slotted spoon, and place in bowl.

4. To make Sambal Soy Sauce: whisk all ingredients together in small bowl. Top Wontons with Sambal Soy Sauce, and garnish with green onions and cilantro.

 

Summer Samosas with Sweet and Spicy Mint Chutney

Today after an appointement in the City Basel I went to the Asia Shop for grabbing some stuff. It's been a while since the last time and I wasn't really sure what I needed or wanted to buy. Just passing through and see what I will find.

- I bought a pack of Instant soft Tofupowder - hmm, let's see, I'm curious..
- pack of frozen Wontonskin
- a pack ricepaper
- 1 kg frozen Edamame (yeah! I love them)
- of course ricenoodles
- bright misopaste
- I pack Okra's
- fermented Beancurd with Sesam - let's see how it taste...
- Teriyakisauce
- spicy Mint Chutney

My very small (unfortnatly) fridgepart in the refrigerator and it's overloaded now with the frozen stuff. I had to hold back things befor closing. The bad thing is that I have no electricitybug in my basement part :((
so no possiblities to buy an additional refrigerator or fridge.

Anyway, while going home by train I was thinking what I could make for dinner. I wanted to make something asian - gotten inspired by the shop - but what. Of course something with vegetables and then the idea came up with samosas but made with the  ricepaper instead of selfmade dought.  I once had them at a restaurant but I disliked the frying stuff and never ordered them again. But now I wanted to make my own ones without FRYING! Just made in the oven.

They were so good, better than made with the dought I think, but that's taste.

I served them a fresh summer green salad with cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Perfect for a hot evening.

 

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Summer Samosas with Sweet and Spicy Mint Chutney



makes 16

Ingredients:
8 round rice paper wrappers (for spring rolls) 22cm
You can also use 16 wrappers and double them up for extra strength

Filling
knob of ghee or coconut oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. minced ginger
¾ tsp. sea salt
½ cup unsalted unroasted cashews
¼ cup unsweetened dried coconutflakes
3 medium carrots
1 ½ / 250g cup green peas
1 cup chickpeas
2 cups / 75g firmly packed fresh baby spinach

Spices
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
½ Tbsp. mustard seeds
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. coriander
¼ tsp. cardamom
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
cayenne (to taste)

Direction:
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast cashews until lightly golden. Remove from heat, roughly chop, and set aside. In the same skillet lightly toast coconut until golden. Remove from heat and set aside.

Dice onion and carrots to about the size of the peas.

Heat a knob of oil in a frying pan. Add the cumin and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to “pop” add the onion and the remaining spices and minced ginger. Cook five minutes, then add the garlic. Cook a couple minutes, then add carrots. Stir to coat with spices, cook five minutes, add peas and chickpeas. Remove from heat and stir in spinach, coconut and cashews.

Pour a couple cups of water into a large flat-bottomed bowl or shallow dish. One at a time, place a rice paper wrap in the water and let soften, just until it becomes pliable (this step is important!) Remove from water and place rice paper on a clean, flat surface. Using a very sharp knife or a pizza cutter, slice the rice paper circle in half. On both halves, place a generous scoop of the filling. Fold the bottom corner about a third of the way up the round side of the half, followed by the top corner to meet the base of the fold you just made, creating a triangle. Fold the round edge up onto the top of the package to seal it, and flip it over. This is now the top of the samosa. Repeat steps with the remaining rice paper and filling. (If at the end the result is no triangle - it does not matter for the taste, just for your eyes)

Melt about a tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil in a small saucepan. Lightly brush the tops of the samosas with a tiny bit of oil (this will create a nice crisp crust). Sprinkle with coconut if desired.

Place samosas in a 200°C oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and flip over to crisp on the other side. Bake for another 10 minutes until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from oven and serve hot with the Sweet n’ Spicy Mint Chutney.

Green Salad with Ginger Miso Dressing

Another hot and sunny day, unfortunatly I couldn't enjoy the afternoon chilling in the garden. I met a friend at her new apartement and she got no balcony. So we had to sit inside passing by the great day. I found it really bad, but I couldn't change it... I couldn't live without a balcony or a garden. I love to be outside, seeing your plants and vegetable growing. That's pure pleasur for the heart.

Well her new apartement was all over new, with a great kitchen and a own washing station, but that's it. For me defently too small and a little bit cold. No colour on the wall, just plain white. Of the kitchen I was really jealous.

Well back at home I was really hungry and my body graves for a fresh salad. I harvest a salad from my garden and back in my kitchen I immediatly knew what kind of dressing I wanted for the salad - asian dressing. Spicy, fresh and a little bit sweet. Weeks before I saw a asian salad dressing in a magazine I searched for it and made it, as I have most the ingredients always at home. Together with some chopped and grated vegetable - perfect and I immediatly fell in love for the dressing.

You could add as well some chopped tofu dices to bump it up or more vegetable if you like.

Enjoy :)

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Green Salad with Ginger Miso Dressing



Ingredients:

Dressing:

1 Tablespoon orange zest

½ cup orange juice, (from 2 oranges, freshly squeezed is best)

2 Tablespoons miso

2 Tablespoons ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

½ cup avocado oil, (or olive oil)

1 Teaspoon sea salt

Salad:
Lettuce Salad or any other one you like
1 cucumber
1 red pepper
2 carrots
 

Direction:
Dressing:

Zest the orange and measure out 1 Tablespoon. Juice the oranges and add the juice with the rest of the ingredients to a blender.
 

Blend on low, increasing to medium speed until dressing is completely emulsified.
 

The dressing will keep for at least a week in the fridge.
Salad:

Remove a few strips of peel from the cucumber and cut off the ends. Cut lengthwise into quarters

Cut Pepper - after desseding - lengthwise and chopp into small dices

Grate the carrots- either by hand or in your food processor.

Mix everything with the lettuce and pour the dressing over the salad.

Enjoy the asian inspired salad.
For a light meal serve with Eggplant-Tofu-Involtini or just a vegan tofu sausage and some roasted bread with a dip.

 

Notes

I used a light colored brown rice miso for this recipe. For a richer miso flavor you can use the dark variety.

Tomato & Basil tarts with a lemon "cream cheese" filling and a cold eggplant salad

International Workers' Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the international labour movement. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries and celebrated unofficially in many other countries.

 

I really like to have one more day off from work especially just in the middle of the week. The perfect break. The wheater forcast says it's going to be a nice day, well let's see..... As the last few days weren't really "spring"days, still cold and sometimes rainy. Hopefully we will have springtime this year!!! I really do love the spring when you can see everything growing in the garden, the birds singing in the morning - all that stuff.

 

After a short breakfast I made myself ready for doing some cooking. As most time I don't already really know what exactly to cook, but this time was different. I had some puff pastry I had to do before getting bad and I wanted to make those small tarts I really like. Only the filling would be different from the other times. I found the inspiration on the german web and I immediatly knew I wanted to try it. The result was great and so creamy and fresh!

Tomato & Basil Tarts with a Lemon "Cream Cheese" Filling

 

Servings: about 8 tarts

Ingredients
Lemon Cream Cheese Ingredients:

1 bulb garlic, (2 cloves used)
½ cup Vegan Cream Cheese
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown rice syrup or agave nectar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Remaining Ingredients:

4-6 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped
1 organic tomato, large dice, plus dash sea salt and pepper
1 package vegan puff pastry (2 sheets used)

Instructions
Thaw the puff pastry sheets before using according to the package.
Pre-heat oven to 375°.

To roast garlic, place garlic bulb, with top sliced off, in a heat proof ramekin with a dash of high heat oil. Roast about 30-35 minutes until cloves are soft.

To create lemon cream cheese filling, in a medium bowl, combine 2 cloves smashed roasted garlic, cream cheese, lemon juice, brown rice syrup, sea salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk until uniform. Set aside.

Turn oven up to 425°.

Finely chop the basil and set aside in a bowl. Place tomatoes in a separate bowl and season with sea salt and pepper.

Slice each sheet of puff pastry into 8 or 9 squares.

Fill each puff pastry square with 1 tablespoon cream cheese filling, a pinch of basil and piece tomato. Repeat for all squares. Fold corners to meet in middle.

Place on baking sheet and bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until tarts are golden.

When serving, garnish with fresh basil.

 

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Cold Eggplant Salad

 

Ingredients

450 g eggplants

SAUCE
1-1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1-2 tsp chili oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
1-1/2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
3 Tbsp finely chopped spring onions (scallions)
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp Chinese black vinegar (if you don't have take balsamic vinegar)

GARNISH
Handful of fresh coriander sprigs (optional)

Directions

Cut the aubergines into 2-inch squares. Do not peel them.
Next, set up a steamer or put a rack into a wok and fill it with 2 inches of water. Bring the water to the boil over a high heat. Put the aubergines onto a heatproof plate and carefully lower it into the steamer or onto the rack. Turn the heat to low and cover the wok tightly. Steam gently for 30-40 minutes or until the aubergines are very soft to the touch.

When they are cooked, remove from the wok, transfer to a platter and allow to cool thoroughly.

Now, make the sauce. Wipe the wok clean and reheat it. When it is hot, add the sesame and chili oils. When they are very hot and slightly smoking, add the garlic and stir-fry for 40 seconds.
Add the rest of the ingredients, mix thoroughly, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Remove the wok from the heat and allow the sauce to cool.

When you are ready to serve, pour the sauce evenly over the aubergines and toss well. Garnish with the coriander if using and serve at once at room temperature.