Chanterelle Tikka Masala

If you want a meaty vegetarian Tikka masala, chanterelle is the way to go.

Finding yellow trumpets in the forest tells you that it is fall and cooler season is on its way. I do not know about you, but I find it satisfying to go foraging. It does not have to be much, just enough to make a few dishes and to preserve and maybe dry some for later use. Chanterelle mushrooms grow wild in forests, you can find the yellow trumpets on the ground around conifers and broadleaf trees, and they thrive in cool, damp climates.

Chanterelle have a very meaty texture and rich flavor, which makes them a satisfying alternative to meat-based dishes. They contain all the essential amino acids and have a high vitamin A content, so they are an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans

When I make indian food I allow myself to cheat a bit, I use ready-made pastes to make it easier for me.

This time I tried out a brand found in Norway, Masala magic because I found that they have a date and tamarind chutney. When I lived in Hong kong and pregnant with my youngest son I craved Butter chicken from Jo jo’s Indian and I would alway get complimentary papadams with date and tamarind chutney, mint sauce and raita. This is the only place I have been served this sweet and tart condiment. These papadams are baked in the oven and not fried, it is the first time I tried that. I guess you can use other types of brands, just remember to taste as you go.

You need:

600 g chanterelle
100 g cashews
50 g salted cashews
3 tablespoons Tikka masala paste
1 dl sour cream
1-2 dl cream
Fresh coriander

Prepare rice, I used plain basmati rice, but if you want spiced rice there are many nice recipes out there on the web. At the bottom of this page I have posted a recipe from Masala magic called Matar Polaw/rice with peas 

Cut or shred the mushrooms, saute them and the raw nuts with tikka masala paste for 3-4 minutes, untill the nuts are nice and toasty
Add the sour cream and mix well.
Lastly add the cream and cook until everything is cooked through and the sauce is thick and creamy.

Sprinkle chopped fresh coriander and the salted cashew nuts and serve.

Matar Polaw

4 tablespoons ghee or 8 tablespoon oil
1 bay leaf
3 cm cinnamon stick
1 black cardamom pods
1 teaspoon ground cumin
100 gr onions
200 g of frozen peas
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 dl basmati rice
8 dl water

Rinse the rice a few times untill the water is clear and soak it in double amount of water.

Open the cardamom pods and finely chop the onion

Heat up the ghee / oil in a pot, add spices and onions. Saute the onion until it changes color.

Add the water the rice has been soaked in and boil. Add peas, salt, garam masala and rice. Cook the rice on medium heat untill it boils and turn the heat down to low heat put the lid on and leave it for 5-8 minutes.

 

 

Vegetable fritters

I was craving for some zucchini fritters but I was out of zucchini and didn’t feel like going out fighting the elements, it was pouring outside, only 5 C and windy. But that didn’t matter I had some vegetable in the fridge, onions, carrots and broccoli. In a way saved, because then I could make veggie fritters instead.

Vegetable fritters are easy to make and a perfect way to sneak in some veggies in your and the children’s diet.

The ingredients you need

1 lb shredded/chopped vegetables, I used brocoli, onion, carrots
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1-2 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 eggs, beaten
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil

I did not add any extra salt in these fritters since there is a lot of salt in the feta cheese already

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients, mix and pepper, to taste.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Scoop tablespoons of batter for each fritter, flattening with the back of the spoon, and cook until it is nicely golden brown, for about 2 minutes.

Flip and cook the other side untill that side is nice and golden.

Serve immediately with a nice dip or sauce if you want them nice and crispy, but these are nice cold also.

I served mine with tzatziki, for recipe click HERE

Pulled mushroom burger.

Yummy burgers for a  meat free Monday, sautéed pulled oyster mushrooms, served on a bun with a lettuce slaw.  A burger for barbecue lovers that you can make on the stove and enjoy all year round.

A wonderful take on comfort food.  This take on a pulled classic burger, with shredded, meaty mushrooms are coated in barbecue sauce, and sandwiched in a soft bun, topped with a slaw. This pulled mushroom burger is a sweet and tangy mess, you can’t believe it is meat free.

Makes about 4 burgers , depending on bun size

1 onion, chopped
1 kg oyster mushrooms
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
BBQ sauce
4 Burger buns

Lettuce slaw

2 baby romaine lettuce
2 apples
1 english cucumber
2-3 dl sour cream
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

To make the bbq mushrooms, saute onion over medium heat with vegetable oil for 2 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and saute until limp. Then add in spices and stir to combine, cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Then add bbq sauce and stir, heat over medium low heat for another 2-3 minutes untill the bqq sauce and mushrooms are heated through.. The bbq sauce should be nicely coating the mushrooms, sticky without runny sauce, and still moist and sauced.

To make the lettuce slaw, thinly cut the romaine lettuce, shred the apples and cucumber. Mix this with the sour cream, garlic powder and mustard, salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the burgers with a good layer of pulled bbq mushrooms and then lettuce slaw on top.

In the picture below, I made them without bbq sauce and only seasoned it with salt and pepper, this way you can really taste the mushrooms.

Give this a try and enjoy a meat freemeal.

Vegan adobo with jackfruit

 

Adobo is a popular filipino dish and most often made with chicken, you can use any type of meat for this dish. Filipino adobo is different than latino dishes with the same name, the difference is that the Filipino dish you boiled the meat in vinegar or in this case the fruits and vegetables.

Vegetable parmesan, a spin off of the eggplant parmesan, but with a few more colorful veggies.

 

Meat free and rainbow monday again, One a week I try to have a meat free day and since i am going to eat mostly vegetables I like to eat the colors of the rainbow, to get as much and varied nutrition as possible.

This dish is almost the same as a regular eggplant parmesan dish with a few other veggies.

2 1/4 lbs (about 2 large) eggplants
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 eggplant, normal sized
1 zucchini, normal sized

2 dl chopped carrots
2 dl chopped yellow bell pepper
2 dl chopped celery
2 dl chopped red onions

Tomato sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon)
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, tomatoes diced, reserve juices
1 dl finely chopped fresh basil
salt
Freshly ground black pepper

4 dl cups breadcrumbs
3 dl cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 dl flour
4 beaten eggs, more if needed
1/4 cup olive oil
3 dl cottage cheese
4 dl grated mozzarella

Slice the eggplants and zucchini into 0,5 cm thick rounds. Lay the slices out on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan.

Sprinkle both sides of the veggie rounds lightly with salt. Let them sit and release moisture for 1-2 hours.

For the sauce, sauté onion and garlic in a saucepan with a bit of olive oil on medium heat for about a minute, add the tomatoes and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, salt and pepper to taste and add  minced basil and remove from heat.

Sauté the vegetables in a pan with a little oil and set a side until you need it.

Put flour in one bowl, beaten eggs in another bowl and in the third combine breadcrumbs and half of the parmesan.

Pat dry the eggplant and zucchini slices with paper towels and coat the rounds in flour,  then beaten eggs, and lastly in the breadcrumb and parmesan mixture.

Fry the rounds in a pan with a little oil on medium heat until golden on both sides

Spread tomato sauce over the bottom of a large oven proof dish or in smaller individual ones. Place a third of the eggplant rounds in a single layer covering the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of the mixed vegetables and cottage cheese

Place another third of the veggie rounds over the cottage cheese, add more sauce over the rounds. Sprinkle with 3/4 of the mozzarella. Add the remaining eggplant and zucchini in a single layer on top of the cheese. Top with the remaining sauce and the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella

Bake in the middle of the oven in a pre heated oven 180 C for about 25 minutes .

Serve with extra parmesan and some nice bread.

Classic ratatouille with egg and cheese

Monday again and that means a meat free or leftover day, since there is no leftovers from yesterday I made meat free. Lately I have tried to use veggies with all the colors of the rainbow when cooking and Ratatouille is perfect for that, besides it is a dish I have not made for ages.

This colorful southern french classic, is packed with a lot of healthy goodness. Eat it by itself with some nice bread as a vegetarian stew or serve it as a side dish with the meat of your choise, I believe this dish pares well with chicken, beef and white fish.

Todays version is portioned in individual dishes with an egg and a little bit of cheese.

1 red onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 aubergines
1 zucchini
1 red or yellow peppers
4 ripe tomatoes
½ a bunch of fresh basil
olive oil
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 x 400 g tin tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ a lemon

4 eggs
cheese

Start by preparing your vegetables.

Peel and cut the onions into wedges, then peel and finely chop the garlic. Trim the aubergines and courgettes, de seed the peppers and chop into 2.5  cm chunks. Roughly chop the tomatoes.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over  medium heat. Fry each vegetable in batches and fry for around 5 minutes, or until golden and softened, but not cooked through. Set the veggies a side until needed.

Next saute onion, garlic  and thyme leaves with a drizzle of oil, if needed. Fry for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened and golden. Return the cooked vegetable to the pan and stir in the fresh and tinned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix well and cver the pan and simmer over a low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until reduced, sticky and sweet. Tear in the basil leaves, add the grated lemon zest and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

The stew is ready to be served or you can do as I did. I divided the stew in individual portions, use a ovenproof dish or something else, make a small well in the middle and crack an egg in it, sprinkle some cheese on top and bake in a preheated oven 200 C for 5-10 minutes, depending on how you like your egg.

 

Mung bean and coconut stew with centella

The past few weeks I have posted a couple of mung bean stews, one that I grew up with(see recipe HERE) and one with lechon leftovers(see recipe HERE), this time I am making an all vegan mung bean caserolle with coconut milk. In the traditional filipino dish you use malunggay leaves for this dish, but this time I had some centella leaves so I used that instead.

Centella is used as a leafy green in Sri Lankan cuisine. In Vietnam and Thailand, this leaf is used for preparing a drink or can be eaten in raw form in salads. These leaves are considered quite nutritious. The leaves has also been used as a medicinal herb in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, and it is also known as the Asiatic pennywort.

When my cousin heard I was making this she said that I should add Jack fruit. Funny thing, because I have read that in Sri Lankan cuisine they use centella in a coconut curry with Jack fruit. I am unfortunately allergic to Jack fuit, so no Jack fruit in this dish, but a little curry paste would be tempting.

2 cups mung beans

1 tablespoon oil

1 finely chopp onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1-2 tsp chili flakes

1,2 l vegetable broth

1 can coconut milk

1-2  tbsp fish sauce

1 bunch centella

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Wash mung beans thoroughly and strain. Soak beans in water and stir, remove floating particles.

In a saucepan, sauté garlic, onion and ginger in a pot until soft and fragrant, add the chili flakes and give it a stir.

Add the broth, coconut milk and the rinsed mung beans and bring to a boil.

Turn the heat down and simmer, stir occasionally until beans are tender about 40-50 minutes.

Right before you serve add the centella leaves to let them wilt a little.

 

Bloody vegetarian burgers

Contrary to the title of this post, there is no meat or blood in this burger.

I was watching Diners, Drive-inns and Dives a while ago, that time it was at a vegetarian fast food place, they served a red beet root burger and the beets were cooked with spices used for pastrami. It looked really delicious, but I wanted a little bit more so I also made burgers based on a falafel recipe, with mushrooms. I also used canned chickpeas, but if you plan right it is better to use the dried ones that you soak over night.

I also used cheese on these burgers, if you use a non dairy cheese or drop it, Then these burger will be vegan:)

Makes at least 6 burgers

2-3 beets
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 teaspoon juniper berries
1 liter of water or enough water to cover the beetroot
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons salt
Boil the beets with the skin on. As soon as it boils, turn down the heat and let them simmer for about 45 minutes or until beets are tender

While you wait for the beets, you can start on the burgers.

 

1 can(400g)  chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 onion, chopped

250 g Mushrooms-chopped and sautéed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pinch of chili powder

3 tbsp fresh chopped coriander or parsley

1 teaspoon salt

some pepper

 

 

Burger buns

Cheese

Salad

Onions and pepper marmalade

or dressing you prefer.

 

Combine all the ingredients in a food possessor and blend to a coarse mixture, then shape into six patties.

Fry them in a pan with a little oil until they get a nice golden color

Peel the beets and cut into 1-1.5 cm thick slices and place them on top of the burger and add a slices of cheese on top of the beetroot. Melt the cheese in the pan with a lid on or put them in the oven like I did.

Toast the burger buns

Assemble burgers and enjoy 🙂

Do you like your burgers bloody?

Vegetarian taco

As a student I found myself out of funds quite often and Taco Bell helped fill my tummy while I was waiting for my account to fill up again. If I remember correctly the cheapest on the menu was the refried bean burito til $ 0.59 elle 0.69. This was a simple meal consisting of a tortilla, refried beans and salsa.

Sometimes I get nostalgic and I get a hankering for something from my student days tortillas, refried beans and salsa, these days I add a little extra but not much.

I called these vegetarian, but i think these are vegan, since no animal products were used in the making of them.

 

For these simple tacos you will need

Tortillas

Refried beans, for recipe look HERE 

Pico de gallo, for recipe look HERE

Guacamole, for recipe look HERE

Sliced red onions

Corn

Sour cream

Simple and clean flavors

If you want you can probably buy everything ready made to make it easier and less time consuming, but if you make it you know what is in  it and fresh tasting.

There is no right or wrong to what you put in tortillas, eat them with what you want and enjoy.

French onion soup

I can recall the first time I tried this soup. It was mid eighties and this was the rave of the bistro scene.

But alas the one I tried was weak vinegar tasting, the onions seemed cooked in the soup and not caramelized, the bread was just soggy with a few bits of melted cheese. It is safe to say that it took a while before I tried this soup again.

The next time I tried it was heaven sweet and a little sour, with soggy and crisp bread with tons of melting cheese and since then I have eaten and made this soup once in a while.

Ingredients for 4 persons

1 kg onions

2 tbs butter

2 tbs olive ol

1 liter of chickenstock

1 cup of white wine or juice of 1 lemon

A handfull of fresh thyme

1 tsp sugar

8 slices of stale bread

1-1,5 cups of grated cheese

salt and pepper

Cut the onions into 1/8 inch slices and caramelize it in a pan with butter and oliveoil.

When the onion is nicly caremelizes ad the stock, thyme and sugar. Let it cook for about 15 minutes and ad salt and pepper to taste.

With four of the bread pieces I made cheese topped crutons to give the soup a little crunch, pluss that the bread will not become to soggy right away.

If you do not have oven proof bowls you can just do the step I mentioned above the picture, put your bread slices in the oven with cheese and put them in your soup when finished.

If you have oven proof bowls or want to take a chance like me(I used a large teacup)

Put a breadpiece over your crutons and ad a handfull of cheese and put it in a preheated oven (225 C or 430 F) and bake until the cheese is meltetd and have a nice color.

Serve piping hot and garnish with a little fresh thyme