where's the beef?

November 23, 2009: Amish apple dumplings

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:01:00 +0000

The apples in our latest vege box were floury and not much fun to eat in their natural state. I was still optimistic that we might enjoy them cooked, so I pulled out a recipe that I made (badly) once before - Amish apple dumplings from Kurma Dasa's Vegetarian World Food. It's an ingenious way to make individual apple pies - just roll out some shortcrust pastry, peel an apple per person, and wrap each apple in pastry. Amazing! Who'd've thunk it? The Amish, apparently.

If you can manage to roll thin, flexible pastry and draw the pastry together at the bottom (not the top) of the apple, they work tremendously - with enough baking, the pastry and apple are tender enough to be scooped up with a spoon. I found this pastry recipe to be wonderfully moist and flexible, and used less per apple than Kurma advises. The one aspect I still haven't perfected is the butterscotch sauce, which is supposed to be poured over the dumplings before they go into the oven. I found that most of it burned in the bottom of the pan during baking. (Ever tried burned sugar? Not tasty.) In future, I'd try brushing the dumplings with just a little sauce, several times during the baking process (think of it - butterscotch varnish!) or just rolling the dumplings in a little sugar and skipping the sauce altogether.

Amish apple dumplings
(based on Kurma Dasa's recipe in Vegetarian World Food)

3/4 cup plain flour
pinch of salt
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons milk
2 tesaspoons water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
3 apples

for the sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon water

In a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter in cubes and pulse the mixture until it resembles bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the milk, water and vinegar and process the mixture until it comes together as a moist dough. Turn the dough onto a clean surface, bring it together into a ball with your hands, wrap it in plastic, and store it in the fridge until you're ready for dessert.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel the apples. Divide the dough into thirds and on a clean, lightly floured surface, roll the three dough balls out to ~2mm thickness. Drop a dough sheet over each apple. Mould the pastry down around the apples until they're completely covered. (Pinch off some of the excess pastry and decorate the apple with it if you want.) Lightly grease a small baking tray and place the apples on it.

In a small saucepan, stir together the butter, sugar and water over medium heat. Bring them to the boil. Pour the sauce over the dumplings. (Next time I will try brushing the pastry with the sauce, and re-brushing several times during baking.)

Bake the dumplings for 40-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the apple yields easily to a knife.

November 23, 2009: Asparagus stir-fry

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:37:00 +0000

Putting in a standing order for a random box of fruit and vegies from Greeline has meant that every couple of weeks we scour the internet for ideas to help us use up cabbage, celery, cauliflower, or whatever else is flavour of the month. This week we had asparagus and spinach, and Cindy knew the perfect recipe.

This stir-fry is another great dish from Heidi at 101 Cookbooks. It's quick to make, relatively healthy and just ridiculously full of flavour. I used a heavy hand with the chilli flakes, meaning we had a strong chilli bite, which really complemented the ginger, basil and mint, all cut through by the acidic lime. We used vegetarian oyster sauce rather the hoisin, and it hit the mark perfectly, adding just the right amount of sweetness. It's probably not essential to use asparagus in this recipe - it would work just as well with beans or any other crisp green vegies, but the asparagus stalks had a very satisfying texture alongside the softness of the tofu and spinach.

Asparagus stir-fry
(via 101 Cookbooks)

This makes about 3 serves.

sesame oil
1 small handful fresh mint, chopped
1 small handful fresh basil, chopped
1 packet smoked tofu, cubed
4 shallots, sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (we used some from our jar, which worked just as well)
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
6 asparagus stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup cashews
a few handfuls of spinach leaves
zest and juice of one lime
2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
salt

Make sure everything is ready to go in the wok and that whatever accompaniment you're serving this with is basically ready before you start cooking - this takes no time at all to cook.

Stir-fry the tofu in some seseame oil for about 5 minutes, until it's started to go golden. Remove and set aside.

Load up the wok with some more sesame oil and, once it's hot, add the shallots, ginger, asparagus, chilli flakes and a generous pinch of salt.

After another minute or so of stir-frying, throw in the garlic, cashews and spinach. Stir-fry until the spinach starts to wilt (about a minute). At this point I realised that the cous-cous we were having on the side was still 8 minutes away from being cooked - our spinach ended up pretty wilted.

Return the tofu to the wok, along with the lime and oyster sauce and stir-fry for another 30 seconds or so. Kill the heat, stir the fresh herbs through and add more salt if required.

Voila, it's all over in about 6 minutes, and you've got yourself a deliciously healthy meal.

November 22, 2009: 'Honey'comb

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:59:00 +0000

Our recent Soulmama post generated some speculation about vegan honeycomb. What's commonly called honeycomb here in Australia bears only a passing resemblance to the wax-and-honey structures built by bees - this crunchy, airy, sugary confection is known elsewhere as sponge or cinder toffee, yellow man, puff candy, hokey pokey or sea foam. In fact, I was pretty sure that this stuff doesn't usually even require honey! Indeed, the first recipe I came across was completely vegan. I guess the milk chocolate that commercial honeycomb is typically covered is the major vegan impediment.

If I'd bothered to read further I would have realised that this Sunday, when Melbourne was pelted with a volume of rain it rarely sees, provided very nearly the worst conditions for honeycombin'. It seems that these ideally-rigid sugar sponges will happily soak up any available moisture in the air, rapidly reducing themselves to a sticky mess unless they're prepared and stored in the driest of conditions. Whoops. At least they still taste good. Especially when coated in comparatively bitter dark chocolate.

'Honey'comb
(based on a recipe contributed to All Recipes by Nicola)

1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or just use more golden syrup; I was all out)
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 heaped teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Paper-line and grease a small baking tray. Set aside a small cup of tap water.

Heat the golden syrup, agave nectar (if using) and sugar in a medium-large saucepan. Bring them to the boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes. You need to get the sugar to a toffee-making stage - test it by spilling a drop of the syrup into the water cup; it's ready when the sugar cools into a brittle toffee drop.

Take the sugar syrup off the heat. Add the bicarb soda and stir it all together vigorously - it will froth up a lot! Spread the mixture into the cake tin as quickly as you can, as it will harden rapidly. Allow the honeycomb to set completely at room temperature and store it in a dry place.

November 21, 2009: Natural Tucker Bakery

noreply@blogger.com (Michael) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:14:00 +0000

Our post on the delights of Funky Pies prompted a comment from Craig suggesting that there were more top-notch vegan pies to be had in the inner-north. Following his lead, I made my way to Natural Tucker Bakery on my way home from a wander through Banyule Flats (where I added Latham's Snipe to my bird list!) to check out how they measured up.

Things didn't start well - at 11:30am there were no hot pies available (I'm not sure if they'd already sold them all or if they hadn't got around to heating them up yet), so I grabbed a couple to take home. The pies come in four varieties: curry, tofu-topped, chilli and vegetable and, at $4.95 each, these fall somewhere in between La Panella and Funky Pie price range. I went for one curry and one tofu-topped (which was Craig's specific recommendation). In their uncooked state the pastry doesn't look all that impressive - it actually looks like vegan pastry, whereas La Panella and particularly Funky Pies produce awesome pastry that happens to be vegan.

After twenty minutes in the oven, the pastry puffed up a little, but it was still a long way short of the flaky goodness I was hoping for. The tofu-topped pie is an intriguing invention, with a thin layer of some sort of tofu-based product forming the lid. I'm not really sure what to make of it - it's better than the pastry, but a little odd nonetheless. The filling is a chunky mix of vegies and lentils that does its job well without blowing your mind. The curry pie has a fairly similar filling, with a very mild curry flavour adding a bit of punch.

Neither of these really measured up to my expectations, which have been inflated by a series of awesome vegan pies. I think I'm basically looking for something to replace meat pies in my diet, so pies like these that are full of chunky vegetables, while no doubt healthier, are never going to tick all my boxes.

Address: 809 Nicholson Street, Carlton North
Ph: 9387 3930
Price: Pies - $4.95
Website: http://www.naturaltuckerbakery.com.au/

November 15, 2009: Mango-coconut spliced icecream

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:23:00 +0000

This week was the optimal time to kick off a new season of icecream making. The weather was warm, a mango was ripening dangerously in the fruit bowl, and I wanted to make a light-ish dessert for our Sunday night guests. David Lebovitz’s Perfect Scoop index indicated that mango sorbet was the go, though I only had enough mango for a half-batch. David didn’t leave me hangin’, noting at the end of the recipe that it goes brilliantly swirled through his toasted coconut icecream. Sold! I stocked up on the required ingredients and only then felt the first pang of uncertainty when I read the recipe method properly.

There’s no coconut in the custard. I mean, there is coconut in the custard during the process, but it’s just supposed to infuse everything with its flavour and get strained out. I was skeptical, even when the coconut came out of the oven so fragrant, and an hour later when the coconut-custard mix tasted so golden-sweet. The flavour did dull down when it was diluted with more cream, but there was no denying that toasty tropical aftertaste. The infusion actually worked! (I’ll never doubt you again, David Lebovitz.)

A pastry chef by training and eternal connoisseur of all things sweet, David doesn’t do short cuts – his recipes involve an irritating number of saucepans and bowls and ice-baths. The rich custards of egg yolks, whole milk and cream seem distinctly French, and defy veganisation. But the superb results cannot be denied.

The mango sorbet on the other hand, is both vegan-friendly and lazy cook-friendly – everything just gets pureed together in a food processor. I didn’t even churn it, simply layering the mango between fluffy cream clouds. The sorbet was probably a little icier than it needed to be, but it made a refreshing contrast to the much heavier coconut custard.

Mango-coconut spliced icecream
(based on David Lebovitz's recipes for toasted coconut icecream and mango sorbet in The Perfect Scoop)

toasted coconut custard
1 cup dried shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup milk
2 cups cream
3/4 cup castor sugar
generous pinch salt
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla

mango sorbet swirl
1 large ripe mango
1/3 cup castor sugar
1/3 cup water
juice of one lime
2 teaspoons Cointreau
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 175ºC. Spread the coconut on a baking tray and bake it for 5-8 minutes, stirring it at least twice, until it's fragrant and golden brown.

In a medium saucepan over gentle heat, stir together the milk, half of the cream, the sugar and salt, until the sugar has dissolved. Stir through the shredded coconut. Remove the mixture from the heat, cover it and allow it to infuse for an hour.

Reheat the coconut cream, then strain out the coconut - press down firmly on the coconut to extract as much liquid as possible. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Whisk in a little of the warm coconut-infused cream, then pour it all back into the saucepan. Whisk the eggs through the cream mixture, returning this saucepan to medium heat and stirring until the custard thickens.

Pour the remaining cream into a large bowl and strain the custard into the bowl. Stir them together well, adding the bourbon vanilla along the way. Chill the mixture thoroughly.

Cut the mango flesh away from the pit and place it in a food processor. Add the remaining sorbet ingredients to the food processor and puree the lot until it's smooth.

Churn the toasted coconut custard in an icecream maker until fluffy (mine took 20 minutes). Layer the toasted coconut and mango mixtures in a container before freezing the icecream for at least 4 hours.

November 15, 2009: Sushi III

noreply@blogger.com (Michael) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:00 +0000

With the weather hotting up again and a handful of friends joining us for dinner, it seemed like it was time to bring out the Veganomicon sushi recipe again. We varied our toppings a little this time, in the process un-veganising things with the addition of Kewpie mayonnaise, which accompanied our standard spicy tofu, adding a slight twist on the always delicious recipe.

Cindy decided that Pandan 'chicken' would be a reasonable substitute for the KFC-style sushi rolls that used to be her favourite carriage on the sushi-train, so we baked up a batch and sliced them into sushi-size chunks. They were chunky, meaty and spicy - and no doubt far from authentic. Tasty though, very tasty.

Finally, something veg-tastic: marinated mushies, courtesy of Big Oven. This is super-simple: just chop up some mushrooms and soak them in a mix of rice vinegar, sake (we used dry sherry instead), a couple of shallots, some sugar, soy sauce and a dash of salt. Leave to soak for a few hours, stirring occasionally and you've got yourself a delicious Japanese-style mushroom mix. Combined with some sesame steamed spinach and some slices of avocado, this was an innovation that we'll no doubt return to.

Sushi has yet to let us down and, judging by the number of sushi rolls slammed down by our small group, it's a recipe that everyone enjoys. I thought we'd be eating sushi all week, but these were so successful that the leftovers were pretty limited. Ah well, we'll just have to make some more.

November 14, 2009: Soulmama II

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:58:00 +0000

It is testament to the vast array of veg-friendly eating in Melbourne (and probably to our northside bias) that it's taken us more than three years to revisit the popular St Kilda vegetarian restaurant, Soulmama. Our only other visit occurred during our first month living in Melbourne and there seem to have been few changes since then. The setting is lovely, especially on a sunny day such as this one - the restaurant is located on the second floor of the St Kilda baths, with much of the seating in the large, well lit space overlooking St Kilda Beach and Port Phillip Bay.

The menu style is a little odd, given the classy-casual atmosphere this restaurant is going for. While table service abounds, main meals are 'medium' or 'large' and selected by queuing up at a buffet. Since this meal was both our lunch and dinner Michael decided to live large ($19.50), selecting five dishes from the display:

seasonal vegies and cauliflower in mushroom oyster sauce
beans and greens salad
eggplant, tempeh and noodle salad
tofu in Japanese Amai sauce
carrot and cauliflower hotpot

While he enjoyed them all, the tofu impressed him the most. I wondered, though, whether there was anything here that we couldn't cook at home.

Not having fond memories of the hot-box approach, I looked to the small list of made-to-order entrees, picking out the rice balls ($9.50) and gyoza ($9.50). The rice balls arrived first, hot and crisp out of the fryer, rich with a cheese-and-basil pesto flavour. I particularly liked the creamy mustard dipping sauce on the side (the other appeared to be stock standard sweet chilli).

The gyoza charmed me as soon as they arrived. Presented elegantly, the skins were perfectly seared on one side and steamed all over. If I hadn't been eating them at a vegetarian restaurant, the filling's resemblance to pork mince might have had me nervous - as it was, I simply relished some fine tofu preparation.

I couldn't resist a peek at the dessert menu and cajoled Michael into sharing a jaffa honeycomb truffle ($9.50). I'm not sure exactly what we expected, but it probably wasn't this - a ridiculously dense and sweet segment of orange-scented chocolate, eerily posed like the black monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey, flecked with small crunches of honeycomb. (As an aside - this dessert was marked vegan and though I'm not certain, it's plausible that this is honey-free honeycomb... I certainly couldn't detect its flavour.) This is truly for the most die-hard dessert-lovers out there - we couldn't finish it and even yours 'chocoholic' truly wouldn't order it again.

My first reaction to the Soulmama experience is that it's overpriced, but on further reflection that's difficult to justify. The $20 mains, while not sophisticated, are generously portioned; the entrees and fresh and well executed. And the seaview setting is surely worth a few dollars. Regardless of our irregular patronage, Soulmama seems to be serving up something the St Kilda set likes with the restaurant booked out in the hours following our visit.

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You can read about our previous visit to Soulmama here.

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Other bloggers who've visited Soulmama: Vegan Foodie Adventures, Foodie Wanderings, The Daily Veg, Gaztronomy, Off the Spork, Vegan Family vs Omni World, This is Vegan Melbourne and Veggie Friendly

November 4 and 13, 2009: Funky Pies

noreply@blogger.com (Michael) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:30:00 +0000

I've been hearing good things about Sydney's Funky Pies for some time, with murmering that they outshine other vegan pies on the market. For a month or two they were near-mythical objects, with Radical Grocery selling out of a batch in no time and our quest to get some from their World Vegan Day stall also coming up empty. I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever get to try them. And then bam: they're everywhere. The East Brunswick Club added to them to the menu, and Radical Grocery ordered in a massive batch. It was time to try them out.

Rather than forgo Philly cheese steaks or parmas, Cindy and I grabbed a handful from Anikee and took them home to prepare ourselves. We picked up two varieties: the Funky Chunky and the No Wurry Curry, kicking off our pie-tasting with the shitake-based chunky variety.

Awful name aside, this is one impressive pie. Large shitake chunks that have the texture of faux-meat (are they actually some sort of combo of soy protein and mushies? It's hard to imagine getting such meaty chunks just from mushrooms) and the gravy-tastic taste that you expect from a good pie. The pastry is top-notch as well, taking these pies straight to the top of my pie ranking table.

A week or so later and it was time to try our second batch - the No Wurry Curry pies. These are filled with a lentil, chickpea and coconut curry, which is nicely spiced but a tad on the dry side - the impressive pastry needs a more liquidy gravy inside to satisfy my pie cravings.

At $5.95 each to take home and bake, these aren't cheap pies (well above La Panella and Ykillamoocow), but the Funky Chunky pie is well worth the expense, with better pastry and a more delicious filling than any of the other options. The curry pie was a bit of a letdown in comparison, but I've heard good things about the Spicy Thai Pie so we won't settle on just the one variety just yet.

Radical Grocery is the best place to get them in Melbourne, although their stock tends to get bought up quite quickly. Funky Pies are also now available for $12 with chips and salad at the EBC, for those of you who'd rather someone else prepared your meat-pie fix for you.

November 10, 2009: East Brunswick Club VII

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:46:00 +0000

I suppose I could pass off these photos as dessert following the EBC Philly Cheese Steak in my last post. I had no chance of fitting such a thing in on that night; actually we revisited this vegan-friendly pub a mere five days later, but with good reason! This time Michael and I were accompanying a larger crowd, all of us wanting to squeeze in some time with Liz before she moves further south to the Apple Isle.

Tuesday at the EBC is $12 parma night, and Michael and I didn't deliberate long before agreeing that we'd both order the discount option. The size of the cheap parmas is also discounted on the $18 variety but we didn't mind a bit - there's still plenty of food on the plate and, I couldn't help noticing, just that little more room for dessert (or beer, I guess, if that's your preference).

With Kristy at the table, I wasn't the only one preferring dessert over beer. The night's sweet options were 'peanut butter chzcake' and 'cherry vanilla' (both vegan, both $8) and we happily ordered one of each to split. We were even happier to discover that the 'cherry vanilla' dessert wasn't just fruit doused it vanilla essence, as we'd joked, but another dairy-free cheesecake-style slice.

These chzcakes do a stellar impression of the real thing, perfectly smooth and creamy without any untoward soy flavour. The cherry one was a little bland (especially considering how much it impressed us a year ago) but Kristy and I, united in our love of chocolate-peanut butter desserts, had no such complaint about the peanut butter chzcake. It's a super-rich slab of salty-sweet heaven, best shared with a fellow connoisseur.

Managing to sample the full dessert menu had me feeling pretty smart, and I soon discovered the table's collective cleverness extended to pub trivia too! Our impromptu EBC Tuesday Trivia team earned a repectable 2nd place and a cheeky bottle o' red.

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You also can read about our previous visits to the EBC: one, two, three, four, five, six.

November 5, 2009: East Brunswick Club VI

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:43:00 +0000

The East Brunswick Club's vegan Philly Cheese Steak has been an elusive and tantalising beast. It has been on and off and on and off the specials board, and been unavailable on $10 Mondays and Mexi Wednesdays. Now the EBC seems to have revised its menus. In the face of rising food costs, Monday meals have risen to $12, Mexi Wednesdays might be no more, and the Philly Cheese Steak has earned a more permanent place on the standard menu.

At $17, and notably absent from the cheap Monday menu, you'd want this burger to impress. It does! Silky-tender mock duck pieces get sauteed with capsicum and onions in a light and lightly spicy sauce, then stuffed into a roll with some pleasant-but-unnecessary vegan mozzarella. I'd be as, if not more, happy if the cheeze was replaced with some leafy greens but it'd be a token stab at nutrition in what's a fundamentally junky pub meal.

On this Thursday night, the EBC was typically popular and the food took a little while to arrive. However it was well worth the wait, with our meals arriving at the same time, with a smile and crispy hot (an improvement on some past performances). The chips were probably the best batch I've had here. The food's neither refined nor nutritious but if that was what we were after, we wouldn't have headed down to the pub!

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Kristy and Toby have both written about the EBC's Philly Cheese Steak over at kblog.

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You also can read about our previous visits to the EBC: one, two, three, four, five.

November 3, 2009: Apple and walnut pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:15:00 +0000

During the first week or so of Michael's convalescence, I went into comfort food overdrive. A stray egg in the fridge turned into pancakes for breakfast on a weekday and then when there weren't any stray eggs I realised that I could still make pancakes from the pantry, thanks to Vegan Brunch.

My first rendition was cobbled together from memories of my mum's Sunday pikelets. They were always based on self-raising flour, eggs, milk, and a little sugar. Sometimes she subbed half the white flour with wholemeal, and occasionally she added grated apple. If you've not tried grated apple before, I highly recommend it - I love the extra moisture and tangy flavour it adds. Used in tandem with the wholemeal flour you end up with a healthier tasting pancake, but not a stodgy one. Since I was in a pantry-clearing mood, I threw a handful of walnuts into the mix too.

I lacked the intuition to whip up vegan pancakes on the fly, but of course Isa had me sorted. In Vegan Brunch, she recounts her first efforts to create them at the age of 17. The accompanying recipe for 'perfect pancakes' is clearly tried and true, having been published in Vegan with a Vengeance prior to this cookbook. While I was all anxious for an egg substitute, Isa doesn't seem to replace it directly - the liquids involved are oil, water, soy milk and a smidge of maple syrup. These pancakes were flatter and less cakey than my more traditional ones, but no less delicious.

As far as toppings go, I'm always keen on fruit and sometimes a little syrup - we had both on hand. On the second occasion I scavenged what pie filling remained, remodelling it into a rather fetching cashew cream dollop and orange compote.

Apple and walnut pancakes - traditional
(inspired by my mum's Sunday pikelets)

Sift together 1/2 cup plain flour, 1/2 cup wholemeal flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Stir through a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. Add a small peeled and grated apple, and 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts. Lightly beat one egg in 1 cup of milk, then beat this liquid into the dry ingredients. Fry third-cups of the batter in a hot frypan, greased with a little butter. Only flip the pancakes once, when bubbles have risen to the batter's surface and it has started to dry out. If you want to keep a lot of pancakes warm for serving, set the oven to its lowest temperature, line a tray with baking paper, and store the fried pancakes in the oven.

Apple and walnut pancakes - vegan
(adapted from Perfect Pancakes in Vegan Brunch)

Sift together 1/2 cup plain flour, 3/4 cup wholemeal flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, a pinch of salt and a shake of ground cinnamon. Add a small peeled and grated apple, and 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts. Gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons of canola oil, 1/3 cup water, 1 cup soy milk and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Fry third-cups of the batter in a hot frypan, greased with a little vegetable oil. Only flip the pancakes once, when bubbles have risen to the batter's surface and it has started to dry out. If you want to keep a lot of pancakes warm for serving, set the oven to its lowest temperature, line a tray with baking paper, and store the fried pancakes in the oven.

November 2, 2009: Creamy spring pasta bake

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:14:00 +0000

Diets probably don't come much more different than those of siblings Bec and James. While Bec is vegan, James has a salicylate intolerance. This natural preservative pervades the plant kingdom, meaning that the meat, dairy and eggs that Bec eschews are some of the least risky foods for James to eat.

Catering to both Bec and James is just the kind of challenge our potluckin' crew loves. Cooking vegan for a crowd has boosted our confidence and creativity in the kitchen, and we gobble up a good theme. Salicylate-free Vegan looked like being our most extreme theme yet. Bec and James helpfully supplied a spreadsheet of do's and don'ts - while vegetables are a fifty-fifty mix, the permissable fruit list had only two items, and most herbs, spices and condiments are out. James also hinted at some foods he's like to rediscover - mayonnaise, jam, and pasta sauce (the poor guy lives in a tomato-free world).

Pasta sauce! That was something I thought I could do. Thinking of the great cashew cream sauces we've discovered this year, I started my shopping list and moved on to flavourings. Garlic and onion? Done. Then some other veges - fennel, celery and asparagus suit the season. While I would have dearly loved to add some lemon juice or mustard to the mix, such acidic accents are very clearly on James' blacklist.

So I set about roasting and sauteeing veges, blending up a sauce and cooking some pasta. While all the elements tasted good, the final mix was pretty ugly and a bit gluggy. It looked a bit more enticing when at the last minute I decided to transfer it to a baking dish, sprinkle it with rice crumbs (our bread had some suspicious 3-digit additives), and bake it 'til the top was a little golden and crispy.

Creamy spring pasta bake

1. Saute and/or bake some veges with sunflower oil and salt. I:

slow cooked 2 onions (sliced into rings) until caramelised, about 45 minutes;
sauteed 4 chopped sticks of celery and one very large sliced fennel bulb until tender, about 20 minutes;
baked two chopped bunches of asparagus and 4 cloves of garlic until tender, about 15 and 25 minutes respectively.

2. Blend up a creamy sauce in a food processor.

Start by grinding 2 1/2 cups cashews to powder.
Add a 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained.
Add 1/2 cup of Nuttelex, and salt to taste.
Finish with the baked garlic cloves and 1/4 cup water. (Maybe up to 1/2 cup water to reduce glugginess.)

3. Cook 500g of pasta.

4. Stir it all together in a big pot, adding the chopped leaves of the celery (or some parsley - it's allowed!). If you're happy and hungry, go ahead and eat! Otherwise, transfer it all to a baking dish, sprinkle over some rice crumbs, and bake until the top goes crispy and golden, about 20 minutes.

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Pip has a run-down of all the contributed dishes over at The Fairest Feed.
Steph has posted D's recipes from the night at Vegan About Town.

November 9-December 24, 2009: Support Streetsmart

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:13:00 +0000

Streetsmart supplies grants to small, grassroots organisations that are combatting homelessness. In the six weeks leading up to Christmas, you can help Streetsmart help these organisations help the homeless (phew!) while dining out at some of Melbourne's great restaurants.

Where?

You can check out a full list of participating restaurants, Australia-wide, at the Streetsmart website. We've been to a few of them before! Check out our reviews of Abla's, Anada, Birdman Eating, Cumulus Inc, Ezard, Gingerboy, Laksa Me, Misuzu's, Osk ar, Oyster Little Bourke, Red Spice Road, The Commoner, and The Town Hall Hotel.

How?
Leave a donation when you pay your bill at a participating restaurant. As the Streetsmart logo above hints, as little as $2 can make a difference! You can also make direct donations to Streetsmart through ourcommunity.com.au. Spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, your blog or by (gasp!) speaking directly, in person, to your friends, family and coworkers.

We plan to visit and review a few Streetsmart restaurants during the campaign. We hope you can find a way to pitch in too!

October 30, 2009: Lebanese lemonade

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:12:00 +0000

Initially we planned to order takeaway from Cafe Zum Zum on Friday night, and with this is mind I decided to make Lebanese lemonade. Never mind that we ended up eating pizza; this tangy drink perfectly cut through the greasy dough!

Liz deserves credit for introducing this rosewater-spiked version to me, first on her blog and then later ordering a jug for the table when we shared a meal at Mezza. I had assumed that such a heady concoction must be quite involved to make, but it really is just lemonade (lemon juice, sugar, water) with a capful of rosewater stirred through. And it is spectacular! I bought a second bag of lemons the next day for an encore batch, and it vanished as fast as the first jugful.

Lebanese lemonade
(taken from Cynna's blushing rose lemonade on Recipezaar)

5 1/3 cups water
1 cup castor sugar
1 1/3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used 7-8 smallish lemons)
2 teaspoons rose water (or to taste)
lots of ice

Stir together the water and sugar in a saucepan over low-medium heat, until the sugar is dissolved. If you have plenty of time, pop it in the fridge to cool down.

Transfer the sugar syrup to a serving jug. Stir in the lemon juice and rosewater. Chill again if there's time, otherwise just add lots of ice and serve!

October 30, 2009: Crust pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Michael) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:11:00 +0000

After the best part of a week looking after a useless invalid, Cindy was ready to forego the kitchen on Friday night and order in some takeaway. We still haven't settled on an option when the pizza cravings hit (a delivery one anyway, we've got plenty of options for great pizza otherwise), with my favourite (Umago) low on Cindy's rankings. Last time we had this interminable discussion on the blog, KittyMeow recommended Crust Pizza, so when Jetsetting Joyce flagged their new Smith Street store, we were ready to give them a try.

The menu is chock-full of vego options, from 'healthy' Heart Foundation pizzas to the weirder upper crust options (curry pizza? Really?). We went a fairly conventional route, ordering three of the standard vego pizzas ($20 each for large ones) - Wild Mushroom, Sweet Potato and Vegie Moussaka. The pizza bases are thin and light, and they have a light touch with the toppings - the sauces and cheese don't dominate the main ingredients.

The best of the bunch was the wild mushroom, with three kinds of mushrooms, asparagus spears, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Mushroom pizzas are always looked kindly upon in this house, and the addition of asparagus and pinenuts elevated this one from the usual fare.

The moussaka was a fantastic idea, with grilled eggplant, roasted potatoes, garlic, parmesan and bechamel sauce. It almost carried it off, but the potato slices were not as well cooked as they should have been, which lowered this one from outstanding down to adequate.

Finally, the sweet potato pizza, with roasted capsicum, cherry tomatoes, pinenuts, red onion and gorgonzola. With all those ingredients, you'd expect a flavour sensation, but this pizza really only came alive when you got a bit with gorgonzola in it. I may be a bit biased by my anti-tomato agenda, but on the whole this was the least impressive of the three.

At $20 a pop, Crust is a tiny bit pricier than some of the other places we've tried, but probably a tiny bit better as well. It's not a clear winner, but it's leading and will most likely be the place we call next time we want someone to bring pizza to us.

Address: 350 Smith Street, Collingwood (they're all over Melbourne)
Ph: 9095 0955 (again, this is the Collingwood store)
Price: Large vego pizzas - $20
Website: http://www.crust.com.au/

October 28, 2009: Agar agarrrrgh

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:29:00 +0000

In a bid to use some leftover wholemeal shortcrust and a few oranges, I set about making a tart. My vision was a wholesome, non-sweet crust filled with a sweet cashew cream, topped with orange segments set in an orange juice-agar agar jelly.

The crust was passable, though I'll try something different next time. The cashew cream was great and I'll share it with you in a future post. I even managed to segment the oranges rather nicely, thanks to this video tute. My undoing proved to be the orange juice-agar agar jelly. I used this recipe from the Vegetarian/Vegan Society of Queensland website. The agar agar gelled very effectively as I stirred it into the water over heat, then turned to hideous jellified strings when I added it to the orange juice. The remaining liquid juice didn't ever set, ultimately leeching into the crust and making for one soggy tart.

Can you offer me any agar agar advice? I wonder if the orange juice should have also been hot or warm as I stirred in the agar agar-water mixture. What have you made (succesfully or unsuccesfully) using agar agar?

October 28, 2009: Spicy tempeh and broccolini pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:27:00 +0000

A couple of weekends ago, Michael and I wandered down Nicholson St and ran into Maria's Pasta Shop. Vaguely remembering some positive blog reviews, we picked out some frozen pasta packages for future meals. The eggplant and roasted capsicum ravioli made its way into this slight adaptation of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's spicy tempeh and broccoli rabe with rotelle. While the recipe's rotelle isn't a filled pasta, I can highly recommend the complexity and comfort that ravioli add to this dish. In particular, Maria's pasta is the most enjoyable store-bought ravioli I've eaten - it actually tastes of roasted capsicum!

Otherwise the dish has an Italian sausage theme, featuring tempeh chunks cooked in a spicy tomato broth - they've a strong yet pleasant aftertaste of fennel seeds. I don't know that I've come across Isa's preferred broccoli rabe, and after some internet browsing came to the conclusion that broccolini would make an adequate, if different, substitute. And even though I overcooked those greens, this was one fine meal. Michael loved it, and ended up torn between eating seconds and saving leftovers for lunch (he managed to do both).

My one difficulty with this recipe was that it demanded the tempeh, greens and pasta be cooked in separate pots. It made for a messy, busy kitchen and I didn't schedule things well. Next round, I'll be experimenting with cooking the tempeh and green veges in a single pan while the pasta bubbles in the background.

(Vegans beware: The ravioli we used on this night isn't vegan, though I believe some of Maria's other products might be. I've appended the vegan or vegan-friendly tag because this recipe is likely to do brilliantly using any number of other pastas.)

Spicy tempeh and broccolini pasta
(based on spicy tempeh and broccoli rabe with rotelle in Veganomicon)

600g tempeh, diced
1 cup stock
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons chilli flakes
2 teaspoons oregano
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 small bunches broccolini, chopped coarsely
500g pasta
salt and pepper

Place the tempeh in a large frypan over medium heat. Whisk together the stock, soy sauce, tomato paste, 2 of the garlic cloves, the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, and oregano. Pour the mixture over the tempeh, stir it through, and allow the tempeh to cook for 8-10 minutes. Isa recommends covering the frypan during this time, but I found that I had too much liquid left at the end - instead I'd suggest allowing some of the liquid to evaporate away by cooking the tempeh uncovered.

When most of the liquid is gone and the tempeh is tender, transfer the tempeh to a bowl and smush it briefly with a wooden spoon, so that it's half cubes and half mush. Give the frypan a quick clean and heat up about 2 tablespoons of oil in it. Drop the tempeh back in, stir-frying it for 4-5 minutes, until it begins to brown. Sprinkle over a teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar.

Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta until tender (time required will vary a lot amongst types).

In another frypan, heat the remaining oil and add the remaining garlic, cooking it for just a minute or two. Add the broccolini, toss them around to coat them in oil, and sprinkle over a little salt. Sprinkle over the remaining balsamic vinegar. Cook the broccolini for 5-8 minutes, until it's just tender and still bright green (I overcooked ours).

Drain the pasta and gently toss everything together in the dry pot. Season to taste and serve.

October 27, 2009: Baked mushrooms with herbed fetta

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:26:00 +0000

I dealt with October's calendar recipe only in the last few days of the month. While I knew I'd like these baked mushrooms - topped with cherry tomatoes and pine nuts and served with marinated fetta - I suspected they wouldn't well suit Michael's long-term tomato issues and newfound cutlery-operation challenges. This was pretty much the case, though we both enjoyed the meal more than I expected at the outset.

For the tomato-lovers amongst us, these are terrific. Cherry tomatoes get wedged into the large mushrooms and as they bake, the tomatoes' skins puncture while the flesh sweetens and almost melts. It nearly but not quite falls into the acceptable category of 'tomato sauce', with Michael compelled to set aside the last couple of tomatoes on his plate. At least he agreed that the marinated fetta was a winner - I used lemon thyme rather than the standard stuff and can highly recommend it. If I made these again, I'd use a little less fetta and crumble it over the tomatoes rather than serving it, uncooked, on the side. For the anti-tomato brigade, I'd be interested to try slotting in olives and whole garlic cloves instead. I'd probably add a splash of balsamic vinegar across the board, too.

Baked mushrooms with herbed fetta

150g fetta, diced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme leaves, plus 4 extra sprigs
1/3 cup olive oil
4 large field mushrooms
16 cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepper

Place the fetta cubes in a shallow dish. Sprinkle over the rosemary and thyme leaves, crack over some pepper, and pour over the olive oil. Allow the fetta to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Break off four pieces of baking paper, each roughly 30cm square. Put a mushroom at the centre of each one. Put four cherry tomatoes and a sprig of thyme on each mushroom. Sprinkle over some salt, pepper and a little of the oil from the fetta. Wrap the mushrooms up in the baking paper and bake them for 40 minutes. Unwrap the mushrooms and transfer them to plates, sprinkle over the pine nuts, and serve the fetta alongside.

October 26, 2009: Coconut cauliflower curry

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:25:00 +0000

It should be Michael writing about this lovely curry. Yes, it was me who spotted it on Another Outspoken Female's blog, bookmarked it, and made the immediate connection when cauliflower and broccoli turned up in our next fruit and veg box. But I was flying interstate a day later for work, and I pointed it out for curry-loving Michael's enjoyment while I was away. Things went awry when, over the weekend, a cycling accident dealt Michael two fractured elbows.

It could have been a lot worse, and we're grateful that it wasn't, but it means Michael won't be making curries (or doing very much at all) for some time. I booked the next flight home and took up tending duties where several very generous friends left off. Since then I've been caring for Michael as best I know how, and that means lots of cooking. (Don't expect too much restaurant blogging over the next few weeks!)

AOF's Sri Lankan inspired curry was the perfect place to start. Curry is probably Michael's favourite food group (or might come a close second to Weetbix), it made use of that vege delivery (I added some unsolicited green beans), and the tender bite-sized pieces are the easiest kind of food for Michael to feed himself at this stage. It's comfort food we both needed. The sizzling spice mix stimulated our appetites, but the coconut milk cooled it down and a finish of lemon juice kept things perky. It was great over brown rice, as AOF recommends, and we also enjoyed some of the leftovers with roti (messily torn and messily eaten, in Michael's case).

Coconut cauliflower curry
(based on a recipe developed by AOF on her blog Confessions of a Food Nazi)

1/2 cup cashews
2 cups water
3 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fenugreek
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon minced ginger
6 curry leaves
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1 onion, diced
1/2 large cauliflower, broken into florets
2 small heads broccoli, broken into florets
1 handful green beans, chopped into bite-size lengths
1 x 400mL can coconut milk
1 cup vegetable stock
salt
juice of half a lemon

In a medium sized saucepan, boil the cashews in the water for 20 minutes. Set them aside.

In a dry frypan, gently toast the coriander and cumin seeds, fenugreek and chilli flakes. Grind them with a mortar and pestle - I didn't get them down to a fine powder, but found that the coriander seeds needed a good bash to break up.

Heat the coconut oil in a large pot or wok over medium heat. Add the ground spices, garlic, turmeric and ginger, stirring as they cook and sizzle for a couple of minutes. Stir in the mustard seeds and curry leaves, then the onion, cauliflower, broccoli and beans - make sure the spices are coating everything. Pour over the coconut milk and stock, then drain the cashews and add them too. Stir everything until well mixed, then leave it on a gentle simmer for about half an hour. Give it the occasional stir for even cooking.

Add salt to taste, a generous squeeze of lemon, and serve.

October 22, 2009: Indya Bistro II

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:53:00 +0000

When Mike and Jo arranged to come over for a takeaway dinner and cards, Jo registered an interest in trying out Indya Bistro. Our first experience was certainly pleasant enough, and we'd received comments indicating that the menu has expanded since then. It has indeed - there've been a few alterations to the entrees (no more Mumbai fries!), while the number of main courses to choose from has almost doubled. If anything, it looks a little more like the typical Indian takeaway menu and a little less like a modern reinterpretation of Indian cuisine. Nevertheless, the unusual and irresistable gobi florets ($7) are still there - hooray!

The Diwani Handi Delight has been renamed the mixed vegetable sabzi and goes for $3 less ($15). It still tastes great, with Mike deeming it his favourite of the night. This is high praise, since all of us agreed that the paneer and spinach delight ($15, a long-term Indian favourite amongst the group) was probably the best we'd ever tasted - it was terrifically creamy and probably dreadfully unhealthy! The new malai kofta ($15, another of our Indian meal yardsticks) was also lovely. We mopped those thick, delicately spiced sauces with basmati rice ($4), garlic naan ($4) and kashmiri naan ($4).

On paper, I wouldn't have expected to become an Indya Bistro regular - the vegetarian options aren't too different from the norm and cost a few dollars more than usual. But they're easily the tastiest in the neighbourhood! Next time we're in the mood for Indian takeaway, we'll almost certainly be ordering it from Indya Bistro.

____________

You can read about our previous visit to Indya Bistro here.

____________

Indya Bistro now have a website: www.indyabistro.com.au.

October 20, 2009: Kentucky fried tofu

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:26:00 +0000

One of my guiltiest pleasures before going vegetarian was KFC. I still get cravings for chicken fillet burgers that are completely out of proportion to the actual enjoyment I would derive from eating said burger. So naturally, when I saw this 'Kentucky style fried chicken' crumbing mix in an Asian supermarket, I had to give it a go... on tofu. Even if this did taste like KFC (it doesn't), Colonel Sanders' secret combination of eleven herbs and spices would hardly have been exposed - the ingredients list in its entirety reads "wheat flour, salt, spices, herbs, flavour enhancer".

And if this crumbing doesn't taste like KFC, it does at least taste good. It's spicier than the Colonel's original recipe, and I think the dominant flavour is cumin. At only a couple of dollars for a box (this will coat enough tofu to make us two or three meals) it's a fun alternative to our usual tofu preparations. However, with a large collection of dried herbs and spices already on hand, I'd like to start developing my own secret seasoned flour recipe rather than buying more.

To get into the pseudo-KFC groove, we accompanied the tofu with mashed potato and gravy, and popcorn cauliflower.

October 19, 2009: The Lomond Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Michael) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:25:00 +0000

Some of Cindy's workmates have recently kick-started a fortnightly pub-jaunt that we're periodically heading along for (see, for example, our trip to The Gem). This time around we all headed north to The Lomond in East Brunswick.

The Lomond has been positively reviewed by a couple of meat-eating bloggers, but one of them was of the slightly upmarket restaurant tucked away out the back and the other didn't sample anything meat-free. Our pub-club is less about table cloths and more about fried food and front-bars, so we opted for the casual vibe by the pool tables. The bar menu is pretty veg-friendly, with five meals to choose from. We eschewed the stir-fried vegies with couscous and harissa ($12) and the fattoush salad with warm chickpeas ($14), instead opting for dishes that were seemingly vegan (I must admit we didn't check though).

I ordered the spicy chickpea, potato and cashew hot pot with steamd rice ($15, see above). This was warm and filling, but not particularly flavoursome - it felt like something we could throw together at home without too much bother and was a little overpriced for what it was.

Cindy's croquettes were appropriately deep-fried (which is what you go to the pub for really isn't it?), and came with an ineresting coconut sauce on the side. Again though, they were a little bland, so despite their textural excellence, Cindy was not particularly impressed. It's worth noting that someone else at the table ordered the twice-baked goats cheese souffle, and it was deemed a great success, so maybe we just ordered poorly.

The front-bar at the Lomond has a very laid-back vibe (especially when there's some sort of lesbian pool competition going on, as there was on the Monday we visited), which is apparently a long way from the atmosphere in the restaurant. We had fun kicking back casually around the table but seemingly the food isn't a high priority in the bar (even our non-veg friends were a bit disappointed) so it might be worth braving the tablecloths if you're after a meal.

Address: 225 Nicholson Street, East Brunswick
Ph: 9380 1752
Licensed (obviously)
Price: Vegie bar mains, $12-$15
Website: www.myspace.com/thelomondhotel

October 18, 2009: The couscous experiment - phase III

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:24:00 +0000

For the third and final phase of the couscous experiment, I chose and adapted one of the recipes that was supplied with our promotional package of pearl couscous. Originally a "medley of mushroom and spinach with gourmet pearl couscous and bacon", I replaced the bacon with a vegetarian imitation, and the spinach with silverbeet.

In this recipe, the onions and mushrooms get sauteed before the couscous and stock are added. Once the stock has been absorbed, in goes the spinach/silverbeet and some grated parmesan, and on goes some grilled (faux) bacon. Based on our previous trials, it was pretty clear to me that product #3, the moghrabieh, was not going to come out of this well. Given the risotto-like nature of the recipe I decided to replace it with product #3a, arborio rice. Costing $2.49 for a 500g packet ($4.98/kg) at our local supermarket, it's at the cheaper and more accessible end of the products.

Let's kick off with the recipe, should you wish to try it at home.

____________

Experimental couscous risotto
(based on a recipe by Gabriel Gate in promotion of pearl couscous)

1 onion, finely chopped
400g mushrooms, chopped
2 cups couscous (or appropriate experimental substitute)
3 cups stock
3 cups chopped silverbeet
1/2 cup grated parmesan
4 slices faux bacon
olive oil
salt and pepper

Genlty saute the onions in some olive oil until they are soft and beginning to brown, 5-10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are tender. Add the couscous and stock; bring the mixture to the boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Cook, adding extra water when necessary, until the couscous is tender (time will vary dramatically between products).

While the couscous is cooking, grill the faux bacon until crispy. When the couscous is ready, stir through the silverbeet and cook for a further minute. Take the saucepan off the heat, seasoning with salt and pepper then stirring through the parmesan. Serve the couscous topped with the grilled faux bacon.

____________

Results

Product #1, the standard supermarket-sourced couscous, was of course the quickest to cook. The flavours of the mushroom and stock carried through nicely, but I didn't think it particularly suited the use of parmesan.

Product #2, the pearl couscous, should have been at a distinct advantage here since the recipe is intended for its use. Actually, it was our least favourite - the pearls have a smooth, slippery suface that just didn't meld with the cheese.

Product #3a, the arborio rice, took substantially longer to cook through than the pearl couscous. While the creamy texture was what we know and love from traditional risottos, this rendition was surprisingly bland.

Product #4, the quinoa, took the longest to cook but was the greatest pleasure to eat. Though its chewy hulls were a far cry from the texture of conventional risotto, it had the deepest, most satisfying flavour. Interestingly, we weren't at all troubled by its combination with the parmesan.

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The couscous experiment - Conclusions

After trialling a few semi-comparable products on the market, we've not arrived at a single superior product. The Moroccan/North African couscous (product #1) is undeniably the cheapest and most convenient option, cooking up in just a few minutes. It absorbs flavours nicely but doesn't offer much to get your teeth into. By contrast, the new pearl couscous (product #2, which we received promotional packets of) has a bit more substance. It still cooks reliably in ten minutes, absorbs flavours well, and has a unique silky texture. It's great on its own and pretty good in soup, but we wouldn't recommend it as a novelty risotto ingredient. It's also at the pricier end of these items.

Products #3 and #3a, the moghrabieh and arborio rice, didn't really shine in these trials but I think they each have their place. Arborio is the traditional risotto queen, while some leftover moghrabieh soup hinted at what it can be at its best.

Quinoa (product #4) is probably the most nutritionally attractive of the bunch. It's pricey and takes some time to cook through, but the rewards can be great. With a nutty taste and chewy, bubbly texture it already has a lot of character of its own, yet it also pairs brilliantly with stock and the cheesy-risotto approach. I'd think twice, however, before adding it to another soup.

So while the new pearl couscous is probably worth a try, it doesn't completely outcompete the alternatives. It'll be a welcome addition to our rotation of starchy sides, though it probably won't reach the staple status that quinoa holds in our pantry.

____________

Take a look at the first and second installments of the couscous experiment.

October 17, 2009: Tinh Tam Chay

noreply@blogger.com (Michael) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:04:00 +0000

One of the things Cindy and I love most about blogging is the input we get from our readers - we've discovered some great places and great recipes thanks to suggestions from various enthusiastic contributors. So we were both very excited when an unsolicited email turned up letting us know about Tinh Tam Chay, a new 'vietgetarian' place in St Albans. We quickly rounded up a posse of interested veg-folk and arranged a road-trip into the wilds of the western suburbs.

It's a strange little place - tucked in amongst a fairly nondescript shopping strip, seemingly co-sharing its premises with a churros place. It was all a bit odd. Once you're inside though, you're in capable hands - the guy running it was incredibly welcoming, adding to our excitement about the meal ahead.

It's a mock-meat heavy menu, with classic Vietnamese dishes served up with faux-pork and chicken. We started things off with rice-paper and spring rolls. The rice-paper rolls were filled with a combination of tofu and fresh vegies and were a clean and crisp start to the meal. The spring rolls were less healthy and thus slightly more delicious, although their filling lacked the variety of the rice-paper wraps.

I steered away from mock-meat, ordering a tofu-based dish: Dau Hu Chien Xa O't (fried tofu with lemongrass, served with steamed rice - $8.50, see picture at top). It was an excellent choice - crispy skinned tofu with a hint of chilli and a bright lemongrass flavour. A smear of chilli paste and a splash of soy sauce and I was in heaven.

The rest of the table spread their orders around nicely, meaning we all got to sample a range of what was on offer. The star of the show was Kristy's Com Ga Chien Don (vegetarian crispy chicken, served with steamed rice, $8.50) which, from the bite that I had, wouldn't be out of place on the menu at one of the fancier mock-meat places in Melbourne.

Cindy's giant Bun Bi Supon Chay (rice vermicelli with vegetarian shredded grilled pork, $8.50) was a success as well, with a crispy 'pork' bits, generous serves of vegetables and nuts and a tasty sauce to pour over the whole thing.

Craig and Toby were adventurous enough to order the Banh Tam Bi (Vietnamese spaghetti with shredded grilled pork, $8.50), which came with an intriguing coconutty sauce and lots of crispy fried bits and pieces.

The only dish I didn't try was Steph's, both because we were at opposite ends of the table and because a noodle soup isn't the easiest sharing meal. Still, it earned high praise from Steph and looked great (it looks even better in Steph's photo).

The dessert menu is basically two smoothies ($3 each) - avocado...

... and jackfruit.

These got mixed reviews - I think the idea of a sweet avocado drink put a few people off, but Cindy was pretty happy with the results, while the jackfruit smoothie lacked the avocado's creaminess but provided a more tropical flavour.

So our night in St Albans was a great success - Tinh Tam Chay does wonderfully tasty food for fantastically cheap prices and with friendly and helpful service. The only downside: the constant stream of animal cruelty images being shown on the tv near the counter - I don't think images of slaughterhouses are really the best appetiser. It may be a while before we can muster the energy to trek out to St Albans again, but I'm sure we'll be back - make the effort, it's well worth it and probably a step above its competition.

Address: 13 Alfrieda Street, St Albans
Ph: 9366 3952
Price: Mains $8.50, entrees $6
Unlicensed

October 16, 2009: Leftover makeover - sweet'n'starchy snacks

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:57:00 +0000

I don't think I mentioned that one of the prizes I received at the annual lab culinary competition was the biggest sweet potato I have ever seen. Some of it was transformed into sweet potato and adobo pies, and plenty more was simply diced and roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper. I put the final half-kilo to work with some other leftovers - smoked tofu, silken tofu, mint, gow gee wrappers and puff pastry - to make some gently sweet, sweet potato snacks.

In one of her recent posts, Kathryn (of Limes & Lycopene) noted what a difference a long, slow saute makes in bringing out vegetables' sweeter side. She's right - it's the most important part of the silverbeet and celery gratin I recently devised, and it's the starting point here. You need to slowly, gently cook the onions until they're golden and caramelised, meanwhile baking the sweet potato chunks until they have a similarly caramel crust. Cinnamon and nutmeg enhance the sweetness, smoked tofu extends the flavour, while the silken stuff acts as a creamy binder. Inspired by those pumpkin ravioli, I added mint for a bit of lift.

The result was rather fine indeed. I packaged some up into puff pastry parcels, which were are doubly delicious with some pesto on the side. The rest became potsticker dumplings, dipped into a variant of the lemon agave sauce.

Sweet'n'starchy snack filling

500g sweet potato, peeled and finely diced
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 onion, finely chopped
120g silken tofu, mashed
120g smoked tofu, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped mint

Preheat an oven to 180°C, then get busy with all the chopping. Put the diced sweet potato on a baking tray, drizzle it lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake the sweet potatoes, tossing them occasionally, until they're soft and just start to caramelise, about 30 minutes.

While the sweet potato is baking, gently saute the onion in a frypan, with a little more oil and salt. Stir the onion around regularly until it's caramelised but not burned, about 15 minutes.

In medium-sized bowl, mash the silken tofu with a fork. Add the sweet potato and lightly mash it too, making sure it keeps some of its texture. Stir in the onion, smoked tofu, cinnamon, nutmeg and mint.

Use the mixture to fill pastries, dumplings, ravioli, cannelloni or anything else you can think of.