Greek-style stuffed tomatoes

May 18, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

Serves 4

1/2 cup/ 100g wholegrain rice
1lb 5oz/600g medium-large tomatoes
½ red onion, finely chopped
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 small zucchini (about 100g), finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp shredded mint leaves
2 oregano sprigs, leaves chopped

Preheat the oven to 325F/160°C.
Put the rice in a pan, cover with water, bring to the boil over a medium-high heat and simmer for 18 minutes, then drain. Meanwhile, cut the tops off the tomatoes, then use a teaspoon to scoop out the insides into a pitcher, leaving the shells intact. Arrange the shells in a small/medium baking dish in which they sit snugly.

Fry the onion in 2 tbsp oil in a pan over a low-medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, turn the heat up slightly and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the garlic and tomato purée, cook for a minute, then stir in the reserved tomato pulp and the par-cooked rice. Simmer, stirring often, for a few minutes, until the mixture has the consistency of a loose risotto. Remove from the heat, stir in the herbs and season.

Spoon the rice mixture into the tomatoes, filling them generously. Replace the tomato tops, drizzle with the remaining 3 tbsp oil and bake for 1 hour, until very tender and the rice is cooked through.
Serve with a green salad, if liked.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Beet Slaw with Pistachios and Raisins

May 17, 2022May 17, 2022 Belinda

Joshua McFadden always dresses his salads with the acidic components first so the produce can absorb some of those flavors before being coated with oil. I love the pistachio butter that coats the plate and eventually turns into a creamy dressing when the juices from the beet slaw emerge.

Serves 4
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup golden raisins
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/4 pounds beets, peeled and julienned. (Use a mix of colors if you can)
4 chopped scallions (optional)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup lightly packed mint leaves
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
2 oz pistachios, roasted
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 1/4 cup max, of extra-virgin olive oil

Pistachio Butter
1 cup (about 5oz) pistachios, lightly toasted
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the garlic, raisins, and vinegar in a large bowl and let sit for 1 hour.
Peel and cut the beets into fine julienne slices. (Yes, your hands will get stained, but the color fades quickly.)
Remove the garlic from the raisins and discard.
Add the beets, scallions, lemon juice, most of the parsley and mint (save the rest for finishing), and chili flakes.
Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and lots of black pepper and toss. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and then taste—the slaw should be tart, spicy, peppery, and sweet. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, then add up to 1/4 cup olive oil. Toss and taste again.

To make pistachio butter:
Process the pistachios in a food processor to get them as fine as possible. With the motor running, pour in the water, vinegar, and salt and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Again with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and adjust with more salt or vinegar. Store in the fridge for up to 10 days.
To serve, spread a layer of pistachio butter onto each plate and top with the slaw. Finish with the reserved fresh herbs, scattered pistachios and a drizzle of olive oil.

Asian flavors · Curry · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Soup · Vegan

Brothy Thai Curry With Silken Tofu and Herbs

February 8, 2022February 8, 2022 Belinda

Recipe by Kelly Marshall for The New York Times.

A jarred red curry paste is the central flavor of this wonderfully restorative and nourishing broth. Coconut milk lends a subtle creaminess, and the cherry tomatoes become bright little jammy bursts. You can use fresh tomatoes when in season, but canned tomatoes do just as well. Ladle the piping hot broth over seasoned tofu pieces and fresh herbs: The delicate silken tofu used here will absorb big flavors from the surrounding liquid.

Serves 6

2 (14-ounce) packages silken tofu, drained
2 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed
2 shallots, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed and grated
3 tablespoons red curry paste
1 (14-ounce) can cherry tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes
1 quart vegetable stock
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
Salt
¼ cup soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups mixed fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil and dill
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges, for squeezing

Pat the tofu blocks dry with a clean kitchen or paper towel. Cut each block into 3 slices.
Heat a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high. Add the oil and shallots, and stir until softened, 2 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste, stir, and cook until fragrant and the paste turns deep red, 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the tomato juices thicken slightly, 4 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable stock, stir, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer to slightly reduce the liquid, 10 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk, season to taste with salt and remove from the heat.
While the broth is simmering, divide the soft tofu into 6 bowls.
Break each slice into 4 or 5 pieces. Season each bowl of tofu with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and a few cracks of black pepper, and top with about ¼ cup of the fresh herb mix.
Ladle the hot broth and tomatoes over the bowls of silken tofu.
Top with sliced scallions and serve hot, with lime wedges for squeezing.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegan

Roasted beetroot falafels with tahini sauce

February 2, 2022September 23, 2022 Belinda

A delicious beet-inspired falafel recipe. Baked or broiled to maintain a wonderful, healthy, gluten-free, vegan falafel.

Makes 10

2 beetroots (just under tennis ball size)
2 large garlic cloves
250g (2 cups) cooked chickpeas
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
Tahini Sauce (to serve)

Ahead of time: Slice the rough neck/top off the beetroots and discard. Chop the remaining beetroot into cubes (1.5cm/half an inch cubed in size). Bake in the oven on a baking tray for about 45 minutes on a high heat. When done, take out and leave to cool until you are ready to make the falafels. This can be done ahead of time, or the night before when you are using the oven for something else.

When beetroot is ready…
Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until everything has broken down. It doesn’t need to be pureed completely, just broken down into tiny pieces so that when you compress, everything binds together.
If it seems a little too crumbly then I recommend adding a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil. Moisture depends on how much the chickpeas have been drained or how the moisture level of the baked beetroot.
Roll into balls (a little smaller than golf balls in size).
Press the balls down into mini patty shapes.
Place onto a broiler tray and broil on a medium/low heat for about 8 minutes on each side. (You can also bake these in the oven as an alternative to grilling).
Serve right away.

This is really good served with this tahini sauce

Tahini Sauce

100ml tahini
50ml spring or filtered water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander
1 clove garlic

Crush the garlic.
Blend all ingredients together with a hand blender.
If you prefer to mix with a spoon, it works best by mixing a little water at a time. It might take a little longer to come together by hand, say 30 seconds, but is well worth the effort.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Za’atar Spice and Green Tahini Sauce

February 1, 2022February 1, 2022 Belinda

This is a healthy vegan side dish bursting with Middle Eastern flavor. Easy and delicious!
Allow 90 minutes roasting time

1 whole large cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon za’atar spice (or try dukkah) ( or try a mix of coriander, cumin and optional sumac)
1 cup water
1 Batch TAHINI SAUCE (go to recipe below)
Garnish with fresh herbs – parsley, dill and or mint, sprinkle with optional Aleppo chili flakes, drizzle with this the green Tahini sauce!

Preheat oven to 425F.

Trim the cauliflower – either cutting off the stem (easier) or leaving it intact, trimming and slicing the bottom so it stands up straight.

Place it in an ovenproof skillet or dutch oven. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil all over the cauliflower, sprinkle with salt and za’atar spice. Pour one cup of water into the bottom of the pan.

Cover tightly with the lid or foil and bake for 45-60 minutes- or until tender all the way to the middle, when pierced with a knife. Smaller cauliflower heads may only take 45 minutes, larger can take up to 60.

Make the Everyday Tahini Sauce! Follow the link to the recipe.

Very carefully take the lid or foil off, minding the hot steam (it will burn!). Drizzle with a little more olive oil, place back in the oven for 30 minutes, perhaps rotating halfway through. At this point it should be deeply golden, but if not, continue roasting until it is… please no pale cauliflowers here!!!

Remove from the oven and sprinkle more za’atar if you like, fresh herbs, optional Aleppo chili flakes, and either drizzle the tahini sauce over the whole thing right in the pan, or cut it up, like a cake, into wedges and serve the tahini sauce on the side.

GREEN TAHNI SAUCE

1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 fat garlic cloves
3/4 cup fresh herbs (cilantro, Italian parsley, mint, dill or basil or a combo! See notes)
2–3 slices jalapeno (optional)
1/2- 1 teaspoon salt, start with 1/2 teaspoon add more to taste
½ cup tahini paste, stirred

Place all the ingredients (except the tahini paste) in a blender or food processor and blend until combined but not overly smooth. Add tahini paste. Blend until creamy, leaving some of the herbs intact.

Taste, and adjust salt, acid and heat. (Add salt, lemon, fresh chilies to taste).

If you want a “looser “sauce, add a little more water until the desired consistency.

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Vegan

Vegan Parmesan cheese

January 5, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is a wonderful alternative to Parmesan cheese and the hemp hearts amp up the protein, omega-3 and omega-6 fats, fiber, magnesium and iron.

Yields 1 cup

1/2 cup hemp hearts
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt, crushed
1/8 tsp granulated garlic
Zest of 1 medium lemon

Shake all the ingredients together in a sealed container such as a mason jar until well combined.
Use anywhere you would use parmesan cheese

Accompaniments · Asian flavors · Vegan

Extra crispy tofu

January 5, 2022March 21, 2022 Belinda

This method gives your tofu an incredible golden crust with just the right amount of crunch and it’s really easy to make.
A quick marinade, a toss in cornstarch, then 30 minutes in the oven gives you deliciously crispy tofu with a little sweet-and-savory flavor.

You can customize the marinade based on your preferences or mood. Feel free to add any seasonings you like, swap out the maple syrup for a little more sesame oil, use teriyaki sauce, or try BBQ sauce for a smoky, tangy tofu.
To get truly crispy baked tofu, you need to drain out as much moisture as possible. Drain and press the tofu before adding it to your marinade. After marinating, drain as much of the excess marinade from the tofu as you can.

Since tofu absorbs, work quickly to cover every side of each cube in marinade before you let them rest in the marinade. Every side should be covered so that the cornstarch can stick well.

16 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed to get out as much as liquid as possible. Then cube in 1″ cubes.
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp sesame oil
3-6 tbsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400° F

To get truly crispy baked tofu, you need to drain out as much moisture as possible. Drain and press the tofu under weights for about 30-45 mins before cubing it and adding it to your marinade. After marinating, drain as much of the excess marinade from the tofu as you can.
Add the tofu cubes, tamari, maple syrup, and sesame oil to large bowl. Mix until well combined. Let rest in bowl at least 5 minutes.
Drain the tofu.
Transfer ⅓ of the tofu cubes to a zippered freezer bag. Add 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch. Toss to coat.
Repeat with the remaining tofu and cornstarch, adding more cornstarch as needed.

Spray a baking sheet with plenty of cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. Place the tofu cubes on the baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes at 400°F.
Remove from oven and flip each tofu cube over. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven.
Serve hot next to a small bowl of marinade