Mapo Tofu

July 27, 2020 / reciperoadau / Leave a comment

Our new is favourite cookbook is “Hong Kong Food City” by Tony Tan. We purchased it on a whim from a bookstore while on holiday in the beautiful little town of Kiama, about 2 hours south of Sydney. If there’s anything better than finding a gem of a book while on holiday, it’s making delicious food that demands to be made again and again. So far we’ve made 4 dishes from this book and would make any of them again. But first there are many more recipes we want to try.

Today we’re bringing you the best dish from the book so far, Mapo Tofu. This has long been one of our favourite dishes to order when eating out, so being able to create a beautiful version at home is exciting and much simpler than we had thought. We love the silkiness of the tofu, the zing of the Sichuan pepper, and the depth of flavour in the sauce. It’s spicy, but not so hot that you you’ll be crying.

The traditional Mapo Tofu recipe uses beef mince, but if you want to make the dish vegetarian, you can substitute some finely diced mushrooms, and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock. Both versions work really well.

A note on a few ingredients you may be unfamiliar with: Doubanjiang or Chilli bean paste from Sichuan can be hard to find, but the Lee Kum Kee brand works fine and is available in supermarkets. Fermented black beans can be found at Asian grocers. Sichuan preserved vegetable is made from the stems of mustard greens. We found it labelled as “preserved mustard greens” in our local supermarket.

This is a really simple dish to make, but we would recommend that you spend some time measuring out all your ingredients at the start. Once your wok is hot you’ll be adding all the ingredients very quickly and you don’t want to be measuring everything out at this point.

Serves 2 people as a main dish with some fluffy jasmine rice, or 4 people with the addition of another dish such as some simple stir fried green vegetables with oyster sauce.

Ingredients:

50g minced beef (or finely diced mushrooms)
500g soft bean curd (or tofu), cut into 3cm cubes
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Chilli bean paste(Doubanjiang)
2 tsp fermented black beans
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp chilli oil
250ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 baby leek, finely sliced
1 tsp roasted ground Sichuan pepper
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
30g Sichuan preserved vegetable, rinsed and finely chopped
1 tsp potato or corn flour, mixed with 2 Tbsp water
Spring onions, finely sliced, to serve

Marinade:

½ tsp light soy sauce
½ tsp Shaoxing rice wine
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar

Place the beef or mushrooms in a bowl and add the marinade ingredients. Mix well and set aside.
Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer. Gently place the bean curd in the pan and cook until warmed through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
Heat a wok over high heat, add the oil and then the beef or mushrooms. Stir fry for 20 seconds, then add the garlic.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the chilli bean paste, fermented black beans, soy sauce, sugar and chilli oil. Stir fry for another 30 seconds.
Pour in the stock, add the bean curd and stir gently so as not to break the bean curd cubes. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the leek, Sichuan pepper, chilli flakes (if using), Sichuan preserved vegetable and potato flour mixture. Stir and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with spring onions. Serve with steamed rice.

Lamb Harira

June 29, 2020June 27, 2020 / reciperoadau / 2 Comments

Today we’re bringing you one of our all time favourite recipes! This is our version of the Moroccan dish Harira, a soup or stew usually served at special occasions. The great thing about this stew is that it’s easy to make, extremely delicious and you feel virtuous eating it, as it’s packed full of vegetables and herbs. There are many versions of this recipe, and so many options for which ingredients you could include. We’ve used lamb shanks as they are easy to source and add a nice depth of flavour to the stew, but you could use any kind of meat which benefits from a few hours of slow cooking. Similarly, we used freekeh as our grain because that’s what we had in the cupboard, but buckwheat, lentils or chickpeas would all work just as well. We’ve used winter vegetables which are in season, but use whatever you have available or the vegetables you like most.

We love making this in the morning and leaving the pot to simmer away all day, giving the flavour time to develop and filling our home with the fragrant aroma. The dish tastes even better the next day, so make more than you need and you’ll be rewarded with delicious leftovers for the rest of the week.

Ingredients:

1 cup freekeh
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
4 lamb shanks
salt and pepper
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
400g can diced tomatoes
2 litres stock or water
1 sweet potato, diced
½ butternut pumpkin, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 bunch of kale
1 handful of coriander leaves, chopped
1 handful of parsley leave, chopped
1 handful of mint leaves, chopped

Soak the freekeh or buckwheat overnight, or cook according to the directions on the packet.
Place a large pot over medium high heat and melt the coconut oil. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper then brown them on all sides. Remove the shanks and set aside.
Add the onion and celery to the pot and fry for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent.
Add the garlic and spices, and continue to cook for a minute or two, until fragrant.
Add the chopped tomatoes and stock, give it a good stir, and then return the shanks to the pot.
Bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently for at least two hours, or until the lamb is falling from the bone.
Once the lamb is cooked, remove from the soup. When the shanks are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and roughly shred. Return the meat to the soup and discard the bones.
Add the freekeh and sweet potato to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the pumpkin and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Finally, add the zucchini and kale and simmer for 10 more minutes.
Adjust the seasoning and add the coriander, parsley and mint.
Serve in a warm bowl with a slice of lemon, and some fresh crusty bread, if you like.

Korean Soybean Paste Stew with beef and mushrooms

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 / reciperoadau / Leave a comment

It’s winter here in Australia and we’re craving hearty, warming dishes like soups, stews and curries. We love eating out at Korean restaurants, and there are so many to choose from in Sydney now. We rarely cook Korean at home though, so we decided to try making this fairly simple stew. You need to visit a specialty Asian grocer to find a few ingredients, but they will last for ages and will hopefully inspire you to cook more Korean food in the future.

A few notes about this recipe – we added the beef stock to give the soup more body, a traditional recipe would just use the rice washed water, which we found a little bland. You can remove the chillies if you don’t like the dish very spicy. We used a mixture of enoki, shiitake and oyster mushrooms here but feel free to add whatever kind of mushrooms you enjoy.

Serves 2 people as a main dish, or can serve up to 4 people with the addition of Korean side dishes (Banchan).

Seasoning sauce:

1 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp green onion, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp sesame oil
a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Stew:

200g sirloin steak, thinly sliced
2 cups medium grain rice
500ml beef stock
75g Korean soybean paste
250g firm tofu
100g mushrooms
1 tsp Korean red pepper powder
30g green onion, sliced
1 green chilli, sliced
1 red chilli, sliced
Sesame seeds, to garnish
Green onion, finely sliced, to garnish

Prepare the seasoning sauce ingredients and mix together. Add the sliced beef and leave to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Wash the rice in water and drain, reserving 500ml of the rice washed water. Put the rice on to cook in a rice cooker or according to the instructions on the packet.
Drain the tofu and cut into 2cm cubes.
Preheat a heavy pot or large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the beef and seasoning sauce and stir fry for two minutes.
Add the beef stock and the rice washed water and bring the liquid to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, and keep the stew simmering gently.
Place the soybean paste in a fine metal sieve and lower into the simmering stew. Allow the paste to dissolve into the stew for 10 minutes and then remove the sieve and any remaining solids.
Add the tofu, mushrooms and red pepper powder and continue to simmer for another two minutes.
Add the green onion and chillies and cook for another minute. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
Serve the stew in bowls and garnish with sesame seeds and finely sliced green onion. Serve with a bowl of rice and side dishes of your choice, if you like.

Chicken Teriyaki with Miso Roasted Eggplant, Spinach and Rice

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019 / reciperoadau / Leave a comment

chicken teriyaki, miso roasted eggplant, spinach and rice

This recipe brings together three of our favourite Japanese dishes into one little bowl of goodness. We serve this as an easy weeknight dinner and take leftovers to work the next day, or you could bulk the meal up with some edamame, sashimi or tempura to create a Japanese dinner party for friends.

We have adapted these recipes from Adam Liaw’s wonderful books The Zen Kitchen and Asian After Work. This recipe serves 4 people.

Teriyaki Sauce:

125ml soy sauce
100ml mirin
100ml sake
40g caster sugar

Mix together all ingredients in a saucepan and place over a low heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, then set aside until cool. You will have enough sauce for many meals, store in a bottle or jar in the cupboard until ready to use.

Miso Roasted Eggplant:

2 large eggplants, cut into cubes
2 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt

Miso Dressing:

3 Tbsp miso paste
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp sake
2 Tbsp water

Heat the oven to 220°C. Toss the eggplant with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast the eggplant for 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is beginning to brown. Mix together the miso dressing ingredients, and pour over the eggplant. Stir well to ensure the eggplant is evenly coated and then continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the dressing becomes less watery and the eggplant begins to caramelise. Remove from the oven and set aside.

miso roasted eggplant

Teriyaki Chicken:

1 small brown onion
6 chicken thigh fillets
2 tsp cornflour
2 tsp vegetable oil
½ cup Teriyaki Sauce

Finely slice the onion and set aside. Slice the chicken thighs into small wedges and toss in the cornflour. Heat the oil in a non-stick frypan over high heat, then add the onion. Cook until the onion begins to brown, then add the chicken. Continue frying until the chicken is browned on all sides, but not cooked through. Add the Teriyaki Sauce and toss the chicken and onion to coat. Cook until the sauce reduces to a glaze and the chicken is cooked to your liking, then set aside.

chicken teriyaki

Soy Spinach:

1 bunch of spinach
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Wash the spinach in cold water and leave to soak for around 10 minutes. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then using chopsticks or tongs, hold the root and stems of the spinach in the water. After 10 seconds push the leaves of the spinach plant into the water as well. Cook for one minute then remove and drain in cold water. Once the spinach is cold, squeeze out as much of the water as possible, remove the roots and slice the spinach into 5cm lengths. Pour over the soy sauce and set aside.

To serve:

Medium grain white rice
Bonito flakes
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
Toasted black and white sesame seeds

Add a little rice to each bowl, place some teriyaki chicken beside it, then some spinach, and finally some of the miso roasted eggplant. Sprinkle a pinch of the bonito flakes on the spinach, and scatter some sesame seeds and the spring onions across the chicken, eggplant and rice. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Chicken Asado

February 13, 2019 / reciperoadau / Leave a comment

Chicken Asado

On our recent trip to The Philippines, we spent a week visiting Patrick’s family. As everyone knows, nothing tastes better than your mother’s cooking! We were treated to homemade sinigang, adobo, caldareta and Mommy’s famous Chicken Asado. This recipe is our attempt to replicate the experience of eating your mother’s home cooking, but with modern plating. If you’ve never tried Filipino cuisine, this is a great place to begin. It’s an easy but tasty dish with no challenging ingredients. Let us know if you enjoy it!

This recipe serves 6 people. Serve with rice.

Ingredients:

100ml soy sauce
juice of ½ a lemon
6 whole chicken legs (Marylands)
2 medium potatoes
1 large carrot
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
85g liver spread or chicken paté
300g tomato passata
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup water
2 bay leaves
3 green chillies, whole
salt to taste
parsley and sorrel leaves, to garnish

Method:

For the marinade, combine soy sauce and lemon juice in a large bowl and add the chicken legs. Rub the marinade all over the chicken, then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight.
Cut half of the carrot into matchstick shaped batons approximately 3cm by ½cm. Slice the remaining carrot and the potatoes into ½cm thick slices. Using a 4cm cookie cutter, cut the sliced vegetables into rounds. Then, using a 2.5cm cookie cutter, punch a hole through the middle of the carrot circles, to create a carrot ring and a smaller circle.
In a pan, heat the oil and then shallow fry the potato and carrot until tender and brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the liquid. Fry the chicken in the same pan, browning both sides but not cooking all the way through. Remove and set aside. Once the chicken cools a little, french the bone by cutting through the meat around the bone 1 inch from the base of the leg. Remove the skin and flesh by pulling it from the bone. Clean the bone by scraping away any remaining meat with a knife.
Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté until slightly brown, then add the liver spread or paté and continue to sauté until this has browned as well.
Add the tomato passata, brown sugar, pepper, water and marinade. Mix together and add the chicken pieces back to the pan. Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is thick. Add the bay leaves and chillies and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the chicken from the sauce and set aside. Strain the sauce through a fine metal sieve into a large bowl, and use a stick blender to emulsify the sauce. Wipe out the pan and return the sauce, then return the pan to a medium heat, reducing the sauce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

To Serve:

Swirl 3 tablespoons of sauce in a circular pattern across each plate. Place a chicken leg on one side of the plate, and pour another tablespoon of sauce on top of the chicken. On the opposite side of the plate, arrange the potato and carrot circles and batons according to your preference. Finely chop some of the parsley and use it to garnish the chicken leg. Decorate the plate with some sorrel and parsley leaves. Sarap!

Traditional Asado

If you’re curious to try a more traditional Asado, or just can’t be bothered with fancy plating, simply change a few steps above.

At Step 2, slice all of the potatoes and carrots into 1/2 cm thick slices.

At Step 4, there’s no need to french the bone.

At the end of Step 8, return the chicken, potatoes and carrot to the pan, stir well and serve immediately with rice.

Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

May 30, 2018May 30, 2018 / reciperoadau / Leave a comment

If you’re one of the few people who is yet to discover Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty, you probably think vegetarian food is bland or boring. This book was a revelation for us when we bought a copy many years ago, and we’ve been fans of Ottolenghi ever since. These recipes are deceptive in their simplicity, in that Ottolenghi allows each featured ingredient to shine, but with a subtle complexity of flavor that enlivens the senses and encourages you to reach for a second helping. Try any of these recipes and you won’t be missing the meat.

Ian’s favourite vegetable is eggplant (aubergine), so the eggplant section in our copy of Plenty is well-thumbed and a little sticky, as all good cookbooks should be. Of all the eggplant recipes we know, this is the prettiest! Served with some chunky sourdough or pita bread, this makes a great entrée, or you could serve it as a side dish.

A note about Za’atar: This Middle Eastern term can refer to the herb thyme, or a blend of thyme, sesame, sumac and salt. We enjoy making our own blend and have listed the ingredients below, or you could simply substitute thyme leaves or buy a pre-made za’atar spice mix. If you make the spice mix, you will have much more than you need for this recipe, but it can be used to season anything from bread or potatoes to roasted or grilled chicken.

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
80ml olive oil
1 ½ tsp lemon thyme leaves, plus a few whole sprigs
1 pomegranate
1 tss za’atar spice mix
sea salt and black pepper

Sauce:

140ml buttermilk
100g Greek yoghurt
1 ½ Tbsp olive oil, plus a little drizzle to finish
1 garlic clove, crushed
Pinch of sea salt

Za’atar Spice Mix:

1 Tbsp dried thyme leaves, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle
2 tsp sumac
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
½ tsp salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6.
Cut the eggplants in half lengthways, cutting through the green stalk. Using a sharp knife, make a few incisions in the cut side of each eggplant without cutting through the skin on the other side. Repeat the incisions at a 45-degree angle to create a diamond shaped pattern.
Place the prepared eggplant halves cut-side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush them with the olive, continuing to brush until all of the oil has been absorbed. Sprinkle over the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper, and garnish with a few of the lemon thyme sprigs.
Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until the flesh is very soft and brown. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, prepare the pomegranate and sauce. Cut the pomegranate in half horizontally. Hold one half over a bowl with the cut side against your palm, and bash the skin of the pomegranate with a rolling pin or wooden spoon. The seeds should start falling out through your fingers, continue bashing more forcefully until all the seeds are in the bowl. Sift through the seeds to remove any pieces of white skin or membrane.
For the sauce, whisk together all the ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
To serve, spoon a generous amount of buttermilk sauce over the eggplant halves without covering the stalks (the stalks look pretty, but do not eat them!) Sprinkle za’atar and pomegranate seeds across the top and drizzle with some olive oil.

Popcorn Tacos

May 2, 2018May 2, 2018 / reciperoadau / 1 Comment

20180501_212942 One of our favourite cookbook authors is Anna Jones, whose vegetarian recipes are imaginative, tasty and versatile. We have cooked this recipe a few times, and it’s perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, or a relaxed dinner with friends. We love the way corn is used three ways in this recipe; the spiced popcorn, caramelised corn salsa and corn tortillas. The cayenne pepper adds a nice warm glow to the dish without overpowering the flavours, and the crunch factor of the popcorn makes these tacos extra special. It’s also a fun novelty to serve and always impresses our friends, eve though it’s so easy to make.

We have adapted this recipe from Anna Jones’ “A Modern Way To Eat”. It serves 2 hungry people as a main, or 4 people if you’re serving some appetisers as well.

Spiced Popcorn:

olive oil
3 Tbsp popcorn kernels
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp honey

Caramelised Corn Salsa:

4 corn on the cob
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 red or green chilli, finely chopped
100ml natural yoghurt

To Serve:

2 avocados
juice of ½ a lime
8 small corn or wheat tortillas, or 4 large tortillas
100g feta cheese, drained and crumbled
a bunch of coriander, chopped

Method:

For the popcorn, place a pan on low heat and add a little oil and the popcorn kernels. Put the lid on and shake the pan every now and then to stop the kernels from burning. After a few minutes, the corn will start to pop. Continue shaking the pan every minute or so until the popping stops. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool while you mix together the popcorn spices and honey in a small pan. Warm and mix over a low heat. Toss the honey mixture with the popcorn until it is well coated. Set aside.
Cut the kernels from the corn cobs. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, and fry the kernels over a high heat until they become charred and caramelised. Add the salt and pepper, lime zest and juice, and the cayenne and chilli. Remove from the heat and stir in a tablespoon of the yoghurt. Set aside, covering with aluminium foil to keep the corn warm.
Remove the flesh from the avocados and place in a small bowl. Squeeze over the lime juice and mash together.
Warm your tortillas in a dry frying pan.
To serve, fill each tortilla with some avocado, corn kernels and a dollop of yoghurt. Top with some crumbled feta, a pinch of coriander and a scattering of popcorn. Fold up in your hand and enjoy!

Spinach crepes with goat’s curd and zucchini and pea salad.

February 21, 2018February 19, 2018 / reciperoadau / Leave a comment

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This week’s recipe would be a great dish for a lazy weekend brunch, or an easy midweek dinner. We have adapted these crepes from a recipe by Donna Hay, whose food is always easy but delicious, and who is a master of food styling. We love the freshness of the zucchini and pea salad, contrasted with the creaminess of the goat’s curd and the acidity of the lemon juice.

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchinis, shredded
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups watercress
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
sea salt and cracked black pepper
200g goat’s curd
lemon slices, to serve

spinach crepes:

1 cup spelt flour
3 eggs
2 cups (500ml) almond milk
3 cups (75g) baby spinach leaves
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

To make the spinach crepes, place the flour, eggs, milk, spinach, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl. Using a hand-held stick blender, blend until smooth. Heat some of the oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat, then add 80ml of the mixture, swirling to coat the base of the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until just set. Remove from the pan and set aside, keeping warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter.
Place the zucchini, peas, watercress, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to combine.
Divide the crepes between plates and top with the goat’s curd, salad and lemon slices. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper to serve.

Soba noodles with sesame tofu and crunchy cabbage.

January 31, 2018February 19, 2018 / reciperoadau / 1 Comment

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This week our recipe is an easy midweek dinner for two, but it’s still packed full of flavour! We adapted this recipe from the wonderful book A Modern Way To Eat by Anna Jones, which is full of great vegetarian recipes. You won’t miss the meat here, as there is so much interest in the textures and flavours of each component in this dish. We particularly like the quick pickled cabbage which also works well as a side dish for other meals. Best of all, this meal will be on the table in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 bunch broccolini
200g soba noodles
¼ small red cabbage, finely shredded
sea salt
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp maple syrup
olive oil
200g tofu (smoked tofu if you can find it), cut into 1cm strips
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
6 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
handful of toasted sesame seeds
small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Method:

Bring a pan of water to the boil, then add the broccolini. Cook just for a few minutes, until the broccolini is no longer raw but retains its crispness and colour.
Remove the broccolini with a slotted spoon, keeping the water on the heat. Set aside the broccolini and add the noodles to the pan. Cook according to the packet instructions, or until the noodles are soft with a little bit of bite. Drain, then refresh the noodles in cold water.
Place the cabbage in a mixing bowl with a large pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Mix well with your hands, scrunching the cabbage firmly. Set aside.
Set a non-stick frypan over a medium-high heat and add a splash of oil. Add the tofu and brown it evenly all over. Toss in the sesame seeds and stir to coat, then take the tofu out and set aside.
Return the frypan to the heat with another splash of oil. Add the spring onions and cook until softened. Add the remaining tablespoon of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, the sesame oil, soy sauce and lemon juice. Stir and allow to reduce until the mixture becomes a thick, sweet sauce.
Add the drained noodles to the frypan and toss to coat them with the sauce.
Divide the noodles between two bowls, and top each bowl with half the tofu and broccolini, a handful of cabbage, some of the chopped coriander and a scattering of toasted sesame seeds.