Daikon hash browns

I'm still not sure why, but my mother bought us daikon radish recently and I had no idea what to do with it. At first, we shredded it and put it in a salad. It wasn't that good. I found this amazing recipe and had to buy more daikon to make it again! It's the unique combination of mild-flavoured radish and ginger that makes these hash browns irresistible.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 1 daikon (600g), peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger (10g), grated
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 organic egg
• 1/3 cup (60g) potato starch
• 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose, gluten-free flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper, to taste
• Olive oil, for shallow-frying

 

Instructions

1. Place daikon in a large saucepan covered with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered for about 25 minutes or until tender; drain and cool.
2. Coarsely grate daikon into a medium bowl. Place in a nut bag and squeeze out excess moisture.
3. Place daikon back in the bowl and add onion, ginger, parsley and egg. Stir in potato starch, flour, pepper and salt.
4. Fill a cast iron skillet with enough oil to come up 5mm on the side and heat on medium high . Working in batches, drop tablespoons of mixture into the oil. Flatten mixture with back of a spoon or spatula.
5. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden. Drain on absorbent paper and serve.

 

Vegan Corn Chowder

FashionableFoods.com refers to this recipe as a summer chowder but I bet it's just as delightful in the winter.

Use frozen, organic, non-GMO corn if you can't find it on the cob.

 

Ingredients

• 6 ears organic sweet corn, removed from the cob. Reserve cobs for the stock (or about 4 cups of frozen corn)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil, warmed
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 cups coconut milk (I used canned milk, but author suggests unsweetened, refrigerated milk in a carton)
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 small carrots, grated
• 1 cup potatoes, diced
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475º.
2. On a baking sheet, toss the corn kernels with warmed coconut oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the corn for 15-20 minutes or until the corn begins to caramelize a bit.
3. In a large pot, add 4 cups of the coconut milk and 1 cup of the vegetable broth. Add cobs. Bring the stock to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for at least 20 minutes.
4. In a soup pot, melt remaining coconut oil over high heat and add in the onion and pepper. Sauté the vegetables for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add in the carrots and potatoes and cook for 1 minute longer; season the mixture with salt and pepper.
5. Discard the corn cobs from the stock and pour the stock in with the vegetables. Add in the remaining 2 cups of coconut milk, 1 cup of vegetable broth, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
6. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.

 

Crispy Tofu Tacos and Spicy Cilantro Sauce

Ever since I bought a tortilla press, we've had a lot of "taco nights". No one is complaining because homemade corn tortillas are ridiculously good. This week, we made tofu tacos with extra firm silken tofu which was a very happy accident and a welcome change. Tonight's meal was superb. A special shout out to Maegan for all of her help in the kitchen!

Ingredients

• 1 package extra firm silken tofu (or firm tofu if you prefer) 
• 1/2 tablespoon Sriracha (use a full TB if you like it very spicy)
• 1 tablespoon honey (or vegan sweetener of choice)
• 1 cup organic corn meal (you can use less but 1 cup will coat nicely)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Recommended filling: avocado, green onion, red peppers, corn.  

Instructions 

1. Cut the tofu into 3/4 inch cubes

2. In a bowl, combine the Sriracha and sweetener and gently toss the tofu in the mixture.

3. In another bowl, combine the semolina, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss   

    the tofu in this dry mixture until it is well coated.

4. In a cast iron pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and allow the pieces to 

    crisp up on all sides.

5. Build your tacos with *tortillas, sauce and choice of toppings. 

*To make the tortillas, follow these "how-to" instructions but make sure you follow the recipe for your particular brand of masa harina. Bob's Red Mill masa harina is widely available but not organic. Apparently it's GMO-free. Gold Mine makes an organic masa harina with white, yellow or blue corn. While the taste and texture of the tortillas are amazing, the product is mostly sold in specialty stores and doesn't include the recipe for tortillas on the bag! (The recipe is for tamales. Oops. I didn't realize and couldn't figure out why my "tortillas" were disgusting). For Gold Mine, mix 2 cups masa harina, 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1.5 cups hot water.

SPICY CILANTRO SAUCE 

The recipe above includes a yogourt-based cilantro sauce, so we made this mouthwatering spicy cilantro sauce instead. If you're willing to shake things up a bit, you won't miss the more traditional salsa or guacamole on your tacos. It only makes 3/4 of a cup so you might consider doubling it. 

Spicy Sichuan Style Green Beans

Scrumptious green beans by Kalynskitchen.com

Minor modifications were made due to personal preference.  I could eat these every night!

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into halves 
• 2 T gluten free tamari or soy sauce (low sodium is better if you don't like things too salty)
• 1 T rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 2 tsp. coconut sugar (or preferred sweetener)
• 1/4  red pepper flakes 
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper 
• 2 T minced garlic
• 2 T peeled and minced ginger root
• 1 T olive oil 
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Wash and trim green beans 
2. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sweetener, red pepper flakes and pepper.
3. Use a large frying pan with a tight-fitting lid.  When the pan is hot on high heat, add the beans and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes or until the beans start to get tender.
4. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the water is all evaporated.
5. Add the oil, minced garlic and ginger and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring several times so the garlic and ginger don't burn. 
6. Add the soy sauce mixture, let it come to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes more, until the sauce thickens and coats the beans. You want them tender-crisp.

Note: Recipe works well with sautéed kale too

Creamy Spanish Gazpacho

Gazpacho is my favourite food in the summer. I adore the chunky, spicy, salsa-like variety and object to fancy watermelon and "white" gazpacho soups. More recently, I have opened up to the idea of creamy gazpacho, and may have even become addicted to this more authentic style of cold, Spanish soup. I have even converted a few gazpacho-haters with a slightly modified version of this recipe.

Ingredients

• 5-6 ripe juicy tomatoes  
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 white onion (or 4 green onions for a milder onion taste)
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1 cucumber (about 6-7 inches long)
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or more if you like it tangy)  
• ¹⁄₂ tablespoon salt
• 1/2  cup virgin olive oil (or less if you prefer less fat)
• 1 piece gluten-free bread (or more if it is small)  
• handful of chopped cilantro 
• 1 ts of red pepper flakes 
• Optional: Garnish with chopped green onions, green and red peppers and cucumber

 

 Instructions

1. Remove stems from tomatoes and cut into 4-5 pieces each
2. Peel the garlic clove
3. Peel the onion and chop
4. Remove seeds from peppers and chop coarsely 
5. Peel cucumber and cut into several pieces
6. Place bread in a bowl with water in order to soak it. Once soaked, squeeze as much water out as possible, with your hands. Set aside.
7. In a high speed blender, add tomatoes, garlic, onion, pepper, cucumber, bread. Add remaining ingredients and blend at the highest speed and power.  Continue until the soup is creamy and there are no pieces left. 
8. Pour into a glass bowl, cover and let it chill overnight in the fridge.

Charoset (Passover)

My mother always made delicious Charoset on Passover. I didn't like it as a child and still don't eat it, other than what is required of me - a small, matzoh sandwich representing mortar the Israelites used to make bricks while they were slaves in Egypt. Now that the torch has been passed on to me, I feel pressure to make traditional foods "the right way". 

I've used the following recipe from Epicurious for the last few years.  Family members say they like it. Maybe they are just being polite, it's hard to say.   
 

I will keep making it this way until someone complains :) 

 

Ingredients

• 3 medium organic Gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced

• 1 1/2 cups walnut halves, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
  1/2 cup of sweet red wine such as Manischevitz

• 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon packed coconut sugar

Instructions

1. Use a food processor on pulse for a thicker "paste" consistency (no Vitamix, please). My family likes it this way. Alternatively, you can simply stir ingredients in a bowl for a chunkier texture. 
2. Add more cinnamon, sugar or wine to taste. 
3. Serve at room temperature.

 Makes about 4 cups    

                                                                           

Creamy Vegan Chanterelle Soup

If you love mushrooms, this creamy and earthy soup is for you.

I make soup often in the winter and rarely find recipes that are worthy of posting. I adore this one and have made it a few times. The recipe works well with some modifications such as gluten-free flour, vegan butter, vegetable broth instead of chicken and a mix of mushrooms. Fresh chanterelles aren't always available so I re-hydrate one package of dried chanterelles and use whatever fresh mushrooms I can find.

Ingredients

• 1 pound chanterelle mushrooms, sliced (about 5 cups of fresh mushrooms. You can also use a mix of available mushrooms - fresh and dried)
• 6 cups low-sodium homemade or store bought vegetable broth
• 6-7 tablespoons vegan butter, divided (e.g., Earth Balance)
• 1 1/2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup), plus a couple of minced green onions for garnish
• 3 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour
• 1 cup dry sherry or white wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 thyme sprigs, plus 1/2 teaspoon picked thyme leaves (or substitute dried thyme if that's all you have)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Optional: TB cornstarch mixed with small amount of cold water

 

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, add veggie stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and keep warm.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of vegan butter in another medium saucepan over medium heat (olive oil could be used if you prefer). Add shallots and garlic and cook for about 8 minutes. Stir constantly until very soft but not browned.
3. Add mushrooms to saucepan with garlic and onions, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. You want excess liquid to evaporate and mushrooms to sizzle.  
4. Add flour and stir for about 30 seconds. Add sherry or white wine, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of saucepan until it is thick and syrupy, about 1 minute.
5. Combine contents of two saucepans: Add veggie broth to the saucepan containing onions, garlic, mushrooms, flour and wine. Add bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Discard bay leaves and thyme and transfer soup to a high speed blender and pulse for about a minute. On full speed, add 4 TB of butter – one at a time until soup is completely smooth.
7. Depending on the flour and mushrooms you have used, you might want to add a slurry of cornstarch to thicken the soup a bit. 
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper or extra dried thyme
9. Ladle soup into bowls and add green onions for garnish. If you are not serving soup immediately, the original instructions suggest that you heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat until lightly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons water and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Ladle soup into bowls, add garnish and serve immediately.

Note: I've cut out some steps and tried to clarify the original instructions but feel free to follow all the steps listed by the author, J. Kenji López-Alt.

Cabbage slaw

This cabbage slaw recipe is intended for fish tacos but I'm sure it can be made into a vegetarian dish. While cabbage and creamy coleslaw aren't my thing, I really enjoy this tangy slaw as a side salad.

Ingredients

• 4 cups shredded cabbage

• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro (or more if you like)

• 2 green onions, minced

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 3 tbsp distilled white vinegar

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tsp coconut sugar or sweetener of choice

 

Instructions 

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Let it marinate for a few hours before serving. It's even better the next day!

Almond flour banana muffins

These are great as a quick breakfast or healthy snack. The author, For the Love of Basil, recommends slathering the muffin with peanut butter. I prefer a few chocolate chips :)

Ingredients

• 2 ripe medium bananas
• ½ cup almond flour (I use homemade)
• ½ cup rolled gluten-free oats
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed
• ¼ cup almond butter
• 1 organic egg
• 2 tablespoons honey or liquid sweetener of choice
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Optional: vegan chocolate or carob chips

 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Add flax and oats to food processor or blender until it reaches the consistency of flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until it is completely mixed (Note: original recipe throws all ingredients in at once).
3. Grease your muffin tin (e.g., coconut oil) or use silicone liners. Equally divide the batter among the cups- it should make about 12 muffins.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops of the muffins start to brown a little.

Baby bum spray

I've tried a combination of recipes and this one seems to work best for us. Most recipes include boiled water, soap, oils and disinfectant.

• 4oz water - boiled 
• 1 TB olive oil 
• 1 TB coconut oil (warmed)
• 4-5 drops of tea tree oil 
• 5-10 drops of essential oils 
• 1/2 - 1 TB liquid castile soap (you don't want it too "soapy")

Adding the water last, combine all ingredients--- swirl, don't shake (it will foam). Place into a 4oz spray bottle.  Spray directly onto skin or on a wipe.  Mixture can also be used on sticky hands when you are on-the-go.

Check out this website for additional recipes:
http://www.zany-zebra.com/cloth-wipe-solution.shtml

Satay Sauce

My toddler will eat kale and green beans if smothered in this sauce. He HATES green beans.

The original recipe is intended to be a satay dipping sauce but I think it can be used in a variety of ways. It only takes a few minutes to make and I always have the ingredients on hand.

Makes 3.5 cups and lasts a while in the refrigerator.

 Ingredients

• 3/4 of a 13.5-ounce (400 ml) can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk (original recipe calls for the whole can but the coconut flavour is too overpowering for my taste)
• 2 teaspoons of Thai red curry paste
• ¾ cup unsweetened natural creamy peanut butter (or more, to taste)
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ¾ cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 1 TBS Sriracha sauce
• optional: tsp of freshly grated ginger 

 

Instructions

1. Gently boil all of the ingredients in a pot, whisking constantly.
2. Let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes over low heat. 
3. Take the pot off the heat, let the sauce cool down to room temperature and serve (e.g., with fried tofu). OR store the sauce in a mason jar and heat it up in a pan, along with vegetables, rice, tofu etc. The sauce will thicken considerably in the refrigerator - add some water to thin it out if desired.

Thai Chili Sauce

I have always liked sweet & spicy thai chili sauce but never considered making my own until recently. My mother-in-law brought over a dish that she usually serves with store-bought thai sauce, which she forgot at home.

I made it in under 20 minutes.  Doing it yourself allows you to modify the sugar content, control the spice and you can be sure that the ingredients are fresh.

This recipe works well with coconut sugar - you can easily get away with less than one cup. You can also try a slurry of gluten-free flour or tapioca flour as a thickener instead of cornstarch if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons hot chili pepper flakes                               
• 2 teaspoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (mixed with about 1 TB of cold water)         

Directions

1. In a saucepan over high heat, bring water and vinegar to a boil. Stir in sugar, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, and ketchup.  Simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in cornstarch. Remove saucepan from stove to cool. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

Protein bars (easy, no-bake)

So 2015 was not a stellar year for this blog, with a baby and little to no help in the kitchen...

Our lovely Ana went on to pursue a graduate degree but we are so grateful to Heather who recently joined us! For our first experiment together, we made these easy no-bake protein bars from one of my favourite sites. They came out beautifully, thanks to Heather. The only substitution was a homemade "chocolate" drizzle (carob) instead of using store-bought chips.

Ingredients:

    • 1.5 cups gluten-free rolled oats, blended into a flour
    • 1/2 cup unsweetened/unflavoured vegan protein powder (I use Manitoba Harvest hemp protein)
    • 1/2 cup rice crisp cereal (I used puffed rice since that's all I had)
    • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
    • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or butter of choice)
    • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I prefer alcohol-free)
    • 3 tablespoons mini dark chocolate chips (or make your carob chips)
    • 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with a piece of parchment paper. 
2. In large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: oat flour, protein powder, rice crisp, and salt. 
3. Add the nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir well and add a bit of non-dairy milk if it's too dry. Press the mixture into the pan and roll it out with a pastry / or pasta roller until smooth. Put it into the freezer. 
4. Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a small pot over low heat. When half of the chips have melted, remove from heat and stir until smooth. OR make your own melted "chocolate" by mixing these ingredients in a small pot on the stove. Leave it on a very low heat until your bars are ready (no need to freeze in a container. You're not making chips).
5. After freezing the bars for about 5-10 minutes, remove them from freezer and slice into 12 bars. Drizzle with the melted chocolate and freeze again until set.

They are delicious straight out of the freezer.