Tag Archives: onions

Sweet Potato and Fennel Salad

I never know where a recipe will come from. Some days it is a trip to the market. Other days, it is just thinking about food and flavor. Sometimes, my job pushes me to think outside the box and come up with Amuse Bouche, the one bite wonder that represents the chef and the restaurant.

This little gem came from one of those days when I had enough left over ingredients from Sunday Brunch to create this amazing flavor packed salad. I hope you enjoy it.

Curried Sweet Potato & Fennel Salad

Ingredients

2 Sweet Potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 bulb fennel thinly sliced
1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Cilantro chopped
2 tbsp Mint chopped
3 tbsp Curry powder (or make your own)
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
Salt to taste
1-2 tsp Black Pepper

Process

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Toss in olive oil and lay out on a baking sheet. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft, but not mushy.

Cool down the sweet potatoes and set aside.

Julienne the fennel and red onion, as thin as you can. If you have a Japanese mandoline, they make fast work of this task. If not, use a very sharp knife to get as thin as you can.

Fine chop the cilantro and mint.

In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, fennel, red onion, cilantro, mint, curry powder, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Taste, adjust seasoning accordingly.

Serve for lunch with soups, or wraps. It makes a great snack too.

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Smokey Tofu and Veggies with “Magic” sauce

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The other night I came home from work and was really tired. Still, I had to get dinner on the table. We have pared down the cupboards from pre-packaged food, so there aren’t many options for dinner unless I cook.

I had one can of coconut milk left on the shelf. In the refrigerator there were some left-over diced veggies, smoked tofu, and rice. This dish was the perfect way to use up the food in my frig, without having to do a lot of work. I have a well stocked pantry, so I gathered up some spices, and went to work. And I came up with Smokey Tofu and Veggies, with Magic Coconut Sauce.

The Partner started eating, and about half way through she thoroughly relaxed, looked at me and said “you made magic sauce!” I started in with my general litany about how I just opened a can of coconut milk and added some spices. She didn’t let me get away with it. I don’t just make food, and she knows it, after all, she’s the one who named me Kitchen Shaman.

So, in all it’s glory, here is the recipe fo Magic Sauce that relaxes even the insides of your body.

Tools:

Saute Pan
Wok
Knife
Cutting board
Micro plane

Ingredients

1 tbsp Coriander
1 tbsp Cumin
1/2 tbsp Fennel Seed
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 Poblano pepper, diced
1 Zucchini, diced
1 Squash, diced
1 tbsp ginger paste
Smoked Tofu, cubed
1 can (15 oz) Coconut Milk
2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp amchur (mango) powder
Brown Basmati Rice

Process:

Dice up all the vegetables, and cube tofu. To make the ginger paste, grate about a quarter inch of ginger on the micro plane.

Heat up sauce pan. On low heat toast coriander, cumin and fennel seed.

Heat up wok. Add sunflower oil. When oil is hot, add peppers and onion. Saute until they start softening. Add zucchini, squash, ginger paste, and toasted spices. Saute until the squash start to soften, add the smoked tofu. Cook until the tofu is heated through.

While the veggies are cooking, open a can of coconut milk, stir it up and pour into same saute pan used for toasting spices. Add paprika, cayenne, and amchur powder. Bring to a boil, then simmer while the veggies are cooking.

Cook the basmati rice according to instructions. Place in pasta bowls. Layer in the coconut sauce. Add the veggies and smoked tofu. Serve with your favorite flatbreads, naan, tortillas, or steamed mushi buns.

This is a recipe that is versatile. Try out different veggies. The ones listed were the ones I had available in my frig. The spices, however, are fixed. You can try deviations, but I won’t guarantee the “magic” part of the recipe.

I really don’t know why the coconut became “magic” sauce. It was simple and easy to make. Maybe it’s all the love I put into the food I make, even when I am tired. Maybe it was the combination of spices. Whatever worked, I hope you can produce the same effect on your diners. Try this recipe out, and please let me know how it turns out.

Beware the heat! Tomatillo Sauce

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Sometimes I like to add a bit of heat to my dishes. If I’m making Sonoran Quinoa cakes, or Tofu Chili Tacos, this is a sauce I like to have ready on the side. It’s great with rice and beans, or mock chicken fajitas, and other delicious dishes you can think of. Just remember, it comes out hot, hot, hot!

Tools:

Sauce pan, blender.

Beware the heat! Tomatillo Sauce

Ingredients

8-10 tomatillos, husked
4-5 jalapenos
1/2 yellow onion, rough chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch Cilantro, stems removed & cleaned
1 tbsp Lime juice
Salt

Process

In a pot of boiling water place tomatillos, jalapenos, onions and garlic. Cover and boil on a low-medium heat until jalapenos are tender.

Drain and reserve liquid. Place all the ingredients in the blender with some of the reserved liquid. Puree until the sauce is smooth.

Heat up a saute pan and add the Tomatillo Sauce. Cook the sauce for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it turns a deeper green. This will intensify the heat of the chilis and the lime juice. If the sauce thickens too much, add a bit more liquid to thin it out.

Remove from heat and cool down. Pour into an airtight bottle and refrigerate.

Serve on tofu, seitan, or tempeh. Goes great with fish as well.

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Recipe Wednesday: Lentils and Vegetables

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The weather is turning cooler here in the land of sunny hot, and the cooking mind turns to comfort food: soups. How to make those tasty vegan soups rich and yummy, check out this recipe guaranteed to warm you on a cold day.

Tools:

Good cooking pot

Recipe Wednesday: Lentils and Vegetables

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp sunflower oil*
1/8 cup red peppers, diced
1/8 cup green peppers, diced
2 jalapeno, diced(0ptional)
1/8 cup carrots, diced
1/8 red onions, diced
1 tbsp (more or less) garlic, chopped
1 each zucchini and squash diced
1 cup lentils
4-5 cups water
1 tbsp turmeric
3-4 curry leaves (found in specialty markets, or Asian grocers)
S & P to taste

Process

Heat up the pan, add the sunflower oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, peppers, carrots and garlic, lower the heat to simmer, and “sweat” the vegetables until the onions start to turn translucent. Add a bit of salt to the veggies as they sweat.

Add the zucchini and squash, stir for a bit and let them cook, then add lentils. Add water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Add turmeric, curry leaves and salt and pepper. Cook until the lentils become soft (it’s ok if they get mushy, but you don’t want the squash and zucchini mushy), approximately 1 hour.

Serve hot with your favorite bread, or tortilla.

Notes

Sunflower oil gives a “buttery” flavor and consistency to a finished dish. It is one of my favorite oils of the moment. Give it a try I’m sure you’ll find the results pleasing.

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A Recipe a Day: Apple Poblano Chutney

Latest Culinary Feat

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We had guests over the weekend. I like to cook for people when they stay with me. However, these folks were busy with a conference, so they were in and out all weekend. I figured Sunday would be a good day to cook for them. (I did not know that they would be having dinner at the conference as well).

I planned to make Spring Rolls, and an orientalish fried brown rice. A light but filling “snack.” I had all the ingredients but one. Red Fresno (or red jalepeno) chilis. I live in Southern Arizona, I ought to be able to find a fresh red chili somewhere.

I went to 10 grocer outlets. TEN! I spent almost three hours on this hunt, and I could not find a red hot chili any where, no japones, fresnos, jalepenos, nothing. I was distraught. I finally found, to my culinary terror, a jar of red jalepenos. I purchased it praying that they were hot enough for the chili dipping sauce I was making for the Spring rolls. Sometimes a chef has to improvise.

I returned to my kitchen to slice, dice and create my culinary delights. The experiment to use water to close up the wraps worked for my partner’s vegan diet. The others received the standard egg wash.

This dish is a variation from the cookbook “Vegetarian”, edited by Nicola Graimes. This book is virtually a bible for vegetarian cooking.

Orientalish Brown Rice

Ingredients

1 cup Cooked Brown Rice
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup celery
2 tbsp Ginger, minced
2 tsp Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper

Process

Thinly slice carrots and celery on the bias (diagonal cuts). In a clean wok, add 2 tbsp of oil, let it get hot. Add the celery, carrots, ginger and garlic. Saute on a high heat until vegetables become tender, but still have a bite. (al dante). Mix in the rice, and salt and pepper. Serve with Spring rolls and dipping sauce.

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Spring Rolls

Ingredients

Spring Rolls

1/2 cup Carrots
1/2 cup Celery
1/2 cup Red onion
1/2 cup Zucchini
1/2 cup Yellow squash
1/2 cup Bean sprouts
3-4 Scallions
1/2 inch ginger finely shredded
4-5 Garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 tsp Cilantro finely minced
1/2 tsp Dry mustard
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1 pkg Rice Noodles, cooked
1 pkg egg roll wrappers

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup Rice vinager
1/2 cup Sugar
4-5 tbsp Water
1-2 Birds eye or Cayenne Chilis

Process

Spring Rolls

Slice all the vegetables. Keep separate. Preheat a wok on high, and add safflower oil. Let the oil get hot. Bring the heat to medium flame, and add the carrots, celery and onion. Saute until tender. Add zucchini, squash, garlic and ginger, saute until soft. Add bean sprouts and half the scallion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the cilantro at the last minute with a splash of rice vinager. Let cool.

Lay out the egg roll wraps. Add a bit of noodle and a bit of the veggie mixture. Roll the wraps like a burrito, so that both ends are sealed. Do this until you run out of mixture and noodles.

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pot. Make sure the temperature is near 400 degrees. Fry the Spring rolls until golden brown. A few at a time depending on what kind of pot you are using. Drain on paper towels.

Put the rice in a mound on the plate, cut the Spring Rolls in half on the bias. Place the Spring Rolls around the rice. Garnish with the left over scallions and cilantro. Serve with dipping sauce to hungry diners.

Dipping Sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves, bring to a light boil. Boil until mixture becomes a syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.

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