Do-ahead · Grains · Holiday Food · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Feta-stuffed cannellini bean nut roast

November 18, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

Revamp the nut roast with this Middle-Eastern inspired version. It’s packed with flavor and has an irresistible herby, cheesy filling. A great vegetarian alternative to turkey!

Recipe by Esther Clark

Serves 6

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the tin and for drizzling
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 leeks , halved and sliced
400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
100g pistachios, finely chopped
50g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
80g parmesan, grated
100g cooked quinoa
3 tbsp za’atar
50g fresh breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
50g plain flour
½ small bunch of parsley , finely chopped
1 tbsp toasted mixed seeds
For the stuffing
100g feta, crumbled
2 tbsp mascarpone
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
1 tbsp finely chopped dill , plus a few fronds to serve
1 lemon, zested
For the broccoli
300g purple sprouting broccoli
½ tbsp coriander seeds , crushed
1 tbsp rose harissa

Oil the base and sides of a roughly 18cm loaf tin and line with baking parchment. Heat 1½ tbsp oil in a frying pan, tip in the celery and leek, and fry for 10 mins, or until both are softened and translucent.

Roughly mash the cannellini beans in a large bowl. Stir through the fried celery and leek, pistachios, sundried tomatoes, parmesan, quinoa, za’atar, breadcrumbs, eggs, flour and parsley. Season well.

For the stuffing, roughly mash the feta with a fork, then stir in the mascarpone, chives, dill and lemon zest. Season.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Sprinkle the mixed seeds over the bottom of your lined loaf tin. Pat half the bean and nut mixture into the tin and use a spoon to press out a channel along the middle, roughly 2cm wide. Spoon the feta mixture into the channel, then pat down the remaining bean and nut mixture over the top and around the sides. Cover in foil and bake for 50 mins or up to 1 hr until firm to the touch.

Toss the broccoli in a baking tray with the coriander seeds, harissa and remaining 1½ tbsp oil. Season and roast on the lower shelf of the oven for the last 20 mins of the cooking time, or until crisp at the edges.

Serve the nut roast on a platter alongside the broccoli. Drizzle with olive oil and top with the dill fronds.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Salad · Vegan

Kale and Quinoa Salad With Tofu and Miso

July 18, 2021July 18, 2021 Belinda

Recipe by Corinne Trang for the New York Times

A hearty base of kale, quinoa and crisp tofu give this easy salad enough bite to serve as a meal. Curly kale provides heft and holds up nicely to the sweet, sour and spicy dressing. Use your hands to massage the vinaigrette into the kale, and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes to tenderize the sturdy greens. Finish the dish with a drizzle of sriracha and honey, but use a light touch: The point is to balance the heat and sweetness levels without overwhelming the delicate miso vinaigrette. If you like, double the dressing and refrigerate it for future use; it makes a fantastic dip for grilled chicken or pork, or a glaze to brush on salmon before broiling.

½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1.5 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp mirin
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
6 tbsp grapeseed oil
½ teaspoon sriracha, plus more for drizzling
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned or grated
1 small bunch curly kale, ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 4 packed cups)
1 (14-oz) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Honey or maple syrup, for serving

In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with 3/4 cup water or stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and cook over medium-low until the water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff it with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, miso, mirin, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil and 1/2 teaspoon sriracha. Stir in the ginger.
Add the kale, massage it with the dressing and set aside to marinate. Spoon the cooked quinoa onto the kale and toss to coat.
In a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil over medium. When the oil shimmers, cook the tofu, turning occasionally, until crisp on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil, then scatter it over the kale salad. Drizzle lightly with sriracha and honey and serve immediately.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Soup · Vegan

30-Minute Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chowder

March 2, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe from “Simply Quinoa”
I am really enjoying the food blog, “Simply Quinoa” as it has a lot of interesting and easy recipes, and mainly plant-based, which I lean strongly toward these days for health reasons.
This is a super creamy soup made with roasted garlic, hummus and quinoa.

Screen Shot 2020-03-02 at 5.48.16 AM

Serves 4
1/2 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 2 hours
1 head cauliflower
1 small potato
1 garlic bulb
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water (I use more broth) + more as needed
2 tsp white miso paste
2 tsp nutritional yeast optional
Salt + pepper to taste
Additional garlic if desired

Add cashews to a bowl, cover with hot water and let soak for at least 2 hours.
While cashews are soaking, preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Chop cauliflower into florets, and peel and chop the potatoes. Arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the top off the garlic bulb so that some of the cloves are slightly exposed. Drizzle with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap bulb in tin foil and place on sheet with vegetables.
Roast for 25-30 minutes until the cauliflower is starting to brown and the potatoes are soft (they don’t have to be totally soft because we’ll be blending them later). Check the garlic after 15 minutes to make sure it isn’t burning.

Allow the veggies to cool slightly then add them to a high powered blender. Squeeze/spoon the garlic out of skin and add it to the blender as well.
Drain and rinse the cashews, adding them to the blender along with the hummus and quinoa. Pour in liquids, miso, nutritional yeast (if using) and additional salt and pepper, and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings (adding more garlic, salt, pepper, miso or other seasonings) as desired.

Serve warm topped with some of the roasted garlic garnish from the hummus, some chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Grains · Holiday Food · Nuts · Vegetable-related

Middle Eastern-spiced nut roast with three-potato topping

December 4, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is a nut roast recipe from Delicious Magazine like no other. A mouth-watering mix of nuts, quinoa, dried fruit, fresh herbs and halloumi are topped with, not one but, three types of potato. Drown it in gravy and dig in.
I would prefer this to turkey on any Holiday!

Screen Shot 2019-12-04 at 12.04.07 PM

SERVES 10

5 sweet potatoes
Oil to drizzle
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6oz (180g) pack cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
4 oz (100g) dried cranberries
2 oz (50g) dried apricots, chopped
2 tbsp za’atar spice mix
2 tbsp aleppo pepper, (or a good quality paprika if you don’t have any) plus extra to serve
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
9 oz (250g) cooked quinoa
4 oz (100g) shelled unsalted pistachios, toasted in a dry pan
3 oz (90g) pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Small bunch fresh dill, chopped, plus extra to serve
Small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
5 oz (125g) halloumi cheese, grated
1 purple sweet potato
1 maris piper (baking) potato

You’ll also need…
9″ (23cm) springform cake tin, greased, base lined with non-stick baking paper
Useful to have…
Mandoline

Heat the oven to 375F/180°C/160°C fan/gas 6.
Peel 4 of the sweet potatoes and slice into 1/4″ (1cm) rounds.
Spread evenly on a large roasting tray, drizzle with oil, season, then roast for 30 minutes.

Heat another drizzle of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the onion. Cook gently for 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the cumin, coriander and cinnamon and cook for a final 2 minutes, then put in a mixing bowl. Add the chestnuts, cranberries, apricots, za’atar, aleppo pepper, lemon zest and juice, quinoa, pistachios, pine nuts, pomegranate molasses, dill and parsley. Season generously, then stir in the eggs and grated halloumi until combined.

Layer half the roast sweet potato in the base of the prepared tin, then spoon half the spicy chestnut filling over the top. Repeat with the rest of the roast sweet potato and filling and press down firmly.
Peel the remaining sweet potato, purple sweet potato and maris piper potato, then slice thinly (about 3/4″ (2mm) thick) with a mandoline or sharp knife.
Toss with olive oil and salt, then layer tightly on top of the filling, overlapping the slices as you go and creating an attractive mix of colors.

Weigh the topping down with a casserole lid wrapped in baking paper and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender and crisp.
Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Remove and serve sprinkled with extra dill and aleppo pepper.
delicious. tips
Make the day ahead, keep covered in the fridge, then reheat until piping hot in
a low oven to serve.

*Aleppo pepper is not-too-hot chili flakes from the Middle East.If you can’t find it, use a good-quality paprika instead.

**Purple sweet potatoes have a rich flavor and creamy texture. If you can’t find them, use another regular sweet potato.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan

Red quinoa salad with mango, lime & ginger

June 1, 2019 Belinda

Screen Shot 2019-06-01 at 7.36.39 AM

1 cup red quinoa
1 cup snap peas, stem removed
1/2 cup cashews, (roasted, unsalted)
5 -6 scallions, rinsed and trimmed
2 mangoes, peeled
1–2 serrano chilies (or Thai bird chilies or jalapenos — whatever hot chilies you like best)
an inch-long (or slightly bigger) knob of ginger, peeled
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 limes, juiced

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, place the quinoa in a fine-meshed sieve and rinse under cold water. When the water comes to a boil, add the quinoa and simmer for 9 minutes.
Drain in a fine-meshed sieve and run under cold water until cool. Set aside to dry.
Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients:
Slice the snap peas on a bias and set aside.
Roughly chop the cashews.
Slice the scallions (white and light green portions) thinly.
Slice down around the pit of the mango to remove, then dice the flesh.
Remove the seeds from the chilies, then finely dice.
Grate the ginger on a box grater or finely dice with a knife or purée in a food processor. You need about a tablespoon (or more or less to taste) of minced ginger flesh/juice.
Place the drained and dried quinoa into a large mixing bowl.
Season all over with salt (I used one teaspoon kosher salt to start) and pepper to taste.
Add the snap peas, cashews, scallions, chilies, mangoes (or not if you have time to let the salad marinate in the fridge for a bit), minced ginger, olive oil and about two tablespoons of lime juice to the bowl.
Toss and taste. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
I added two more tablespoons of lime juice and a pinch more salt. Let the salad marinate in the fridge for an hour, if possible.
Fold in the mangoes just before serving.