Cookbook reviews + giveaways: Sweet, Savory & Free and The One Peaceful World Cookbook

I recently reviewed two digital cookbooks kindly sent to me by BenBella Books. I am pleased to share them with you today and give you a chance to win a digital copy of each, or a print copy if you live in the US or Canada.

Tweet

M&S-style nutty super wholefood salad

I mentioned in my last post that my favourite Marks and Spencer salad is their nutty super wholefood salad. Featuring green beans, peas, broccoli, carrots, black-eyed beans and quinoa plus peanuts, almonds and pistachios, it is absolutely packed with delicious ingredients. A dollop of hummous and a soy and ginger dressing finish the everything off.

Whilst I have no qualms about buying prepared salads on occasion, it's obviously nice to make them at home when possible. It saves money, for one, but it also allows you to customise ingredients and portions - and make up a batch to cover lunches for several days if you're so inclined. With salads like this one, it's also a good way to use up leftover grains or vegetables.

There are a few takes on this M&S salad online already, some following it extremely closely and others using it as a springboard for inspiration. My version is somewhere in between. Like the M&S original, my salad featured green beans, peas, broccoli, quinoa, almonds, hummous and a soy and ginger dressing. I omitted the carrots, black-eyed beans, peanuts and pistachios, but added butter beans, pecans and brown basmati rice (a half-half mix with the quinoa because I had some already cooked). In truth, small beans (black-eyed or otherwise) are probably better suited to this than butter beans, but you can use whatever you have to hand.

Tweet

Smoky paprika risotto with chickpeas (and giveaway winner)

I was recently pleased to pick up some liquid smoke in the supermarket. I haven't cooked with it since we moved to the UK and have missed the option of smoky, South American style dishes. Mr Bite was less pleased as he is not a big fan of liquid smoke flavoured meals. However, sometimes I exercise the cook's prerogative and serve them to him anyway...

It is perhaps not very surprising that where I loved this dish, he just tolerated it. I am posting it anyway because I am confident that in this instance, his lukewarm attitude stems from his dislike of the ingredients. If you are kind, you probably won't give this to someone who isn't a big fan of liquid smoke or chickpeas. For everyone else - I am certain it will be enjoyable!

Tweet

Baby stuffed peppers with fragrant rice

I think of stuffed peppers as a quintessential vegetarian dish, although I am sure many omnivores have a favourite version of them too. They are such an easy and effective meal, with so many possible variations.

I have posted a stuffed pepper recipe previously, so today's post is less about the stuffing and more about the peppers themselves. I saw these baby peppers at my local markets last weekend, and promptly fell in love. In fact, I loved them so much that the image below has become my Facebook cover photo!

What the Facebook version doesn't show is just how small these really are. The following picture includes my thumb for scale and highlights that these really are baby-sized vegetables.

Tweet

Celebrations and food

Can you believe that it's been a year since my sister's cupcake-filled 21st birthday? No, me neither.

Somehow, though, it is.

This year, my sister's birthday fell the day before her last university exam. Not her last exam for this semester, or even last exam for this year, but the very last exam for her degree. She is officially (or unofficially, I suppose, seeing as exams need to be marked) finished with university - at least for the time being. We celebrated her birthday a day late, and it felt like an occasion for lots of celebration.

Tweet

Christmas food ideas 2012: Brown rice mango sushi

It is possible that this food idea will be better suited to those of you in southern hemisphere climates than northern hemisphere ones. Sushi for Christmas is a bit of an outlandish idea in its own right. If it is snowing outside, adding fresh mango to the mix may seem bizarre as well as impractical.

If you are somewhere cold, this may be one occasion when tinned mango could stand in. Otherwise, a pumpkin and tahini filling was a serious alternate contender for this, and I am pretty sure pumpkin will be easy to come by if it's winter where you are. (If anyone does try pumpkin and tahini, please let me know how it goes!)

In the form I made it, this easy dish has mango, carrot and tofu as the sushi fillings. I used brown rice instead of sushi rice and the result was a meal (or snack) I could happily eat every day. It's not traditional Christmas fare, but mango and Christmas go together in an Australian kind of way, and this would be perfect for any pre-Christmas events when finger food is required.

I actually used pre-flavoured tofu for this. I rarely buy those packets (on account of the cost), but when they're on sale I tend to stock up. This was a Thai flavoured block, which paired perfectly with the mango. If you were using plain tofu, a simple marinade of soy sauce, fresh grated ginger and chilli would work well. That had been my plan prior to finding the flavoured tofu, and I would stir-fry the tofu ahead of time so it can be cooled before the sushi rolling stage.

Really, though, you can modify this dish to suit whatever you have to hand. It is more of a concept than a recipe. You may want to use cucumber instead of carrot (I don't like cucumber), put avocado in (I don't like that either), or even skip the tofu altogether. Sushi is flexible like that.

Brown rice mango sushi

Easy, festive, and perfect for summer (or for dreaming of summer)
Makes about 20 sushi pieces
Vegan

Print recipe

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice

2 cups water

2 tbsp mirin or rice vinegar

3 sheets nori

1 large mango, cut into thin slices (you can use tinned if necessary)

1 large carrot, cut into thin slices

200g marinated and cooked tofu, cut into thin slices

Method
Ahead of time, cook the brown rice in the 2 cups of water using the absorption method (cover, bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer for 15-20 minutes). Allow the rice to cool. Stir the mirin through the rice and refrigerate until needed.

Take one sheet of nori and spoon cooled rice into a strip, approximately 2 inches in from one end. Top the rice with sliced mango, carrot, and tofu. Roll in from the near end and use water to seal the other end after rolling.

Repeat for the other sheets of nori.

Allow the sushi to chill in the refrigerator before slicing with a sharp knife.

I am not sure if this will feature on our Christmas day, but it will definitely be appearing again either before Christmas, or as a staple of my summer lunches.

I am submitting this to Healthy Vegan Friday #21, hosted by Gabby, Shelby and Carrie.

Other 2012 Christmas food ideas: Chocolate, almond and goji berry truffle balls, and bejewelled couscous salad.
My 2011 Christmas food posts can be found here. 

How do you feel about non-traditional Christmas foods at Christmas time?

Tweet

Sushi salad, inspired by Giraffe

I must admit, I had fun naming this post. It may not be a title that makes sense at first glance. I am referring, you see, to Giraffe of the restaurant rather than animal variety.

Giraffe is an English restaurant chain that I had seen on many occasions but not eaten in until our latest trip. On looking into its origins, it seems that the first Giraffe store opened in Hampstead in 1998. By the end of 2011, the chain had grown to 45 restaurants and produced a Giraffe cookbook. They must be doing something right!

Our Giraffe visit was on our very last day in England, as we were exploring the town where Mr Bite spent his childhood years. I had always thought of him as growing up in a suburb of Birmingham, but in fact he lived in a separate town just outside of Birmingham. Solihull took me by surprise in this regard, and the town centre was as far removed from the hustle of Birmingham (which will get posted eventually...) as one could imagine. It was a beautiful town, well-equipped and scenic and with appealing architecture.

Solihull town centre

Giraffe was located in a fairly new shopping centre in the heart of the town. I was enticed by the soba noodle and edamame salad listed on their menu, and we agreed that the relaxed restaurant vibe was appropriate for our final lunch in England. The chain's motto is to provide "freshly cooked food for everyone served to the sound of great music — guaranteed to make you feel good!". The reference to music makes me feel badly for not noticing it while we were there, but I agree that the menu would be likely to have something for everyone. Main meal options include a range of burgers and focaccias, Mexican enchiladas  various meat and fish dishes, Asian-style noodles, risottos, and plenty  of salads.

Unfortunately, once we got inside the soba noodle salad had disappeared off the menu. This was a bit perplexing and it turns out that their menu had recently been updated, with the changes not yet made to the exterior version. The soba noodle salad had been replaced by a tabbouleh one, which looked nice but didn't appeal to me on the day.

Fortunately, my replacement order was good enough to make thoughts of noodles fade into the background. I asked for their 'California sushi rice salad with oak smoked salmon', but minus the salmon. I was delighted to have the waiter take time to ask if I was vegetarian, and if so, if I wanted something else instead of salmon (or to have the dish charged at a reduced cost). I opted to have edamame beans and it was a real pleasure to have the staff be so accommodating and genuinely happy to modify the dish for me.

The sushi salad came with mango and a wasabi lime dressing, plenty of broccoli, and sheets of seaweed underneath. It was wonderful. Mr Bite had a vegetarian focaccia that was reportedly good but not stellar, but I don't think I would have changed any aspect of my meal. The edamame beans, on the side, were a lovely addition and were flavoured with chilli and sea salt.

Over the weekend, I got around to creating my own version of sushi salad. It is only loosely based on the above dish - I added strawberries instead of mango, used different flavourings, and tweaked the vegetables. It was equally good. Sushi is such a versatile dish and salad versions of it are the same - easy to modify to taste and circumstance and convenience.

Sushi salad

This makes 2 main-meal serves, but can easily be adapted

Vegan

Print recipe

Ingredients

1 cup sushi (short-grain) rice, rinsed in cold water 

1.5 – 2 cups water 

2 tbsp rice vinegar 

4 sheets dried seaweed (available in most supermarkets) 

1 bunch bok choi or pak choi, rinsed and chopped 

½ - 1 cup broccoli florets 

½ cup shelled edamame beans (available in Asian supermarkets) 

3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (or any other Asian sauce of choice) 

Pickled ginger and strawberries, to serve 

Method

In a medium saucepan, add the sushi rice to the water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 12 – 14 minutes or according to packet instructions. Allow to stand for 5 – 10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and mix in the rice vinegar. 

While the rice is cooling, steam your bok choi / pak choi and broccoli for 5 minutes, or until just cooked but still crisp. In a separate saucepan, cook the edamame beans in boiling water for 5 minutes. 

When the rice has cooled, line two large bowls with 2 sheets of seaweed each. Add half of the rice to each bowl along with half of the vegetables (bok choi / pak choi, broccoli, edamame beans) and half of the sauce. Top with pickled ginger and strawberries and serve.

Beautifully simple. Not quite as well-located as the version I ate in Solihull, but beautiful nonetheless!

For another take on sushi salad, check out Johanna's post on Green Gourmet Giraffe last week.
Are you a fan on this twist on regular sushi?

This post is part of my Vegan Month of Food contributions for October 2012. 

Tweet

Tofu bacon - finally!

For months now, I have been meaning to try tofu bacon. Mel of Veganise This presented a detailed summary of how to make it, and she has used it successfully in so many dishes that I'm convinced it would improve just about any meal.

Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe has also discussed her approach to tofu bacon, and between the two sets of posts and recipes, tofu bacon has been right at the top of my Must Make Soon list.

One of the things that put me off making it sooner is that Mel's version includes liquid smoke in the ingredient list. I have yet to source liquid smoke, and in the end I decided to sub in paprika rather than put the recipe off any longer. Johanna had used smoked paprika and smoked salt as substitutes, and plain paprika seemed to work well here (although it may not be giving quite the same flavours).

I cooked the tofu in large-ish strips in a non-stick pan before cutting them up smaller for serving, which seemed to work well. Thinner strips would probably be crispier and more 'bacon' like, and both Mel and Johanna used grill pans rather than non-stick pans, which gave beautiful grill lines.

As for the dish? I paired the tofu bacon with a variation of the purple fried rice I made in April. This led to a very colourful and very tasty dinner that was probably quite similar to the fried rice with edamame beans that Johanna served with her tofu bacon.

Whatever way you serve it, and whatever recipe you follow, I highly recommend this form of tofu preparation!

Purple fried rice with tofu bacon

Adapted from Mel's tofu bacon and Johanna's tofu bacon variation

Similar to (but better than!) my previous version of purple fried rice 

Serves 3 - 4

Print recipe

Ingredients

For the tofu bacon

350g firm tofu, drained and pressed

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp paprika

Spray oil, for cooking

For the fried rice

1 cup white rice, uncooked
1 onion, diced

3 purple carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 capsicum, diced

1/2 cup mushrooms, peeled and sliced

Method

Slice the tofu into long slices and press using your preferred tofu pressing method (mine is between tea towels under a pile of books).

While the tofu is pressing, combine the tofu marinade ingredients in a jug or dish and whisk to combine. Transfer the tofu strips to a shallow dish and cover with the marinade. Place in the regrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours (I only managed 4 hours), or longer (as per Mel's approach).

When the tofu is ready, heat a non-stick pan with oil or oil spray and cook the tofu strips until browned and slightly crispy. Set aside while you cook the rice; they will get crispier on standing. Cut into smaller squares before using.

Cook the rice according to packet instructions, until just cooked (I used white rice and cooked it on the stove top using the absorption method).

While the rice is cooking, stir fry the onion in a large non-stick pan until lightly browned (use oil to taste). Add the carrot, capsicum and mushroom and stir fry for a further 2 - 3 minutes. Add the tofu and rice and mix through. Keep over low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 5 or so minutes.

I think one of the other reasons I didn't prioritise making tofu bacon sooner is that I didn't think it could be that much better than the tofu preparation methods I already knew and liked.

I was wrong.

It really is better.

A lot better!

I don't know how it compares to traditional, meat bacon (which I've never actually eaten), but it was a huge hit with me and I enjoyed both the flavours (which were strong and smokey, despite my lack of liquid smoke) and the texture (which was crispy but not excessively so). Even Mr Bite paid it complements, and he is not a fan of all tofu preparation methods.

Definitely something to make again, with or without liquid smoke.

What is your favourite tofu preparation method?

Tweet

Rice balls with chickpeas

Thank you, very much, for your congratulations and kind words on my last post. It has been really exciting sharing the news and Mr Bite and I both enjoyed reading your comments. Thank you :-)

Today, we have a post that is far more normal in its focus. It's nonetheless a post that I have been looking forward to writing, because it is the result of a recipe idea that entered my mind and got stuck.

I think I've mentioned these sorts of experiences before. Sometimes, I know not why, recipe ideas waft to me and then captivate my imagination until I get around to making them. Today's recipe started out with one idea: rice balls. I have never eaten rice balls and can't think back to what might have started this train of thought. Nonetheless, the idea arrived and then continued on to include chickpeas and tahini.

Rice, chickpeas and tahini would be a bit lacking as an ingredient list, but I wasn't initially sure what else to add to round things out. Then I saw Lisa's post on cauliflower rice at Bake Bike Blog and my imagination flared up again. Rice balls with chickpeas and tahini, cauliflower, celery, lemon and parsley. Yes, that was it.

Yesterday, the ingredient list moved from imagination to creation. There is something so very fun about taking to the kitchen with no recipe, no formal plan, just one's ideas and some optimism about them turning out. Even if the resulting product doesn't turn out, it is a wonderful way to pass an hour or two.

I am pleased to say that in this instance, things did work out. There is definitely scope for tweaks (more on that below) but the product was enjoyable and one I expect I'll make again.

The flavours were reminiscent of falafel, as would be expected, but the overall experience was quite different to eating falafel. The rice gave a beautiful texture. The cauliflower and parsley made things lighter and fresher than traditional falafel balls, and contrasted well with the rice. The lemon and tahini flavours were just detectable and the balls survived being reheated in the microwave (I was worried they might go soggy).

What would be the tweaks I alluded to? My imaginary rice balls were crispy all the way through, whereas these were crispy on the outside but quite soft and slightly crumbly within. As it turns out, I quite enjoyed that, but it did mean that the texture was more like a veggie patty than the rice balls I was imagining. Adding more rice might help to keep the balls firmer, or of course they could be made as patties rather than balls.

Rice balls with chickpeas

Adapted from my imagination, with inspiration from Lisa's cauliflower rice

Makes 20 - 30 balls, depending on how large you make them

Vegan

Print recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup brown rice (uncooked)

~2 cups cauliflower florets

420g tin chickpeas, drained (~1 1/2 cups)

1 stick celery, chopped

1 tbsp unhulled tahini

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Black pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 180'C.

Cook rice according to packet instructions (I used the absorption method on the stove-top), until just cooked.

Meanwhile, process the cauliflower in a food processor until the mixture resembles rice - about 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas and process until just mashed and the ingredients are combined.

Transfer the cauliflower-chickpea mixture to a large bowl. Add the celery, tahini, lemon juice, basil and parsley and mix well to combine. Add the cooked rice and stir through.

Form rough balls using your hands or a spoon; mine were slightly smaller than golf balls. Place on baking trays lined with baking paper and sprinkle with black pepper. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until the balls are crisp on the outside.

Processed cauliflower and chickpeas

The mixture before being balled...

...and after

Nearly cooked

Finished

All in all, quite a satisfying way to spend an hour on a Saturday.

Have you had any imagination-driven recipes lately?

Or have you made rice balls previously - do you have any favourite varieties? 

Tweet

Spanish rice, for the wrong sausages

I've mentioned previously that I have a few quick and easy dinner options up my sleeve for the nights I get home late (or just feel lazy!). As we know, one is veggie burgers. Another is veggie sausages.

These sausages, to be precise:

These aren't something I would want to eat everyday, but they are dairy and egg free, high in protein (11g per sausage), a reasonable source of iron (15% of RDI per sausage), and very low in saturated fat. They also take about 2 minutes to cook. I can walk in the door at 7pm, put the oven on and some potatoes in the microwave, transfer the potatoes to the oven, have a shower, make some salad or steam some vegetables, cook the sausages, and have dinner done by 7.30pm.

Of course, if I was more organised, I would have made dinner the night before and just be re-heating leftovers. But there you are. Most of the time, I'm not!

The only problem with these sausages is that they look quite similar to two other products made by Sanitarium: the original veggie sausages (which are fine) and the hot dogs.

We discovered last week that we aren't a big fan of the hot dogs. I didn't intend to buy them, but somehow they ended up in our fridge instead of the BBQ sausages we usually select.

We tried them, but they just weren't the same. Unfortunately, after the initial trial, we still had half of the packet left. What to do?

Disguise them!

Vegetarian Spanish rice with sausages

This may not be anything like real Spanish rice, but I couldn't come up with a better name

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice (3 cups cooked)
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 100g tomato paste (I used 1 50g sachet low-salt & 1 50g sachet with pizza herbs, because they were what I had to hand, but any variety would be fine)
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 sticks celery, diced
• 1 small red capsicum, diced
• 3 veggie sausages (or, in our case, hot dogs), chopped
• 1 tsp dried basil, or equivalent fresh
• 2 tsp oregano, or equivalent fresh
• Parsley and pepper, to serve
• Oil, for cooking vegetables, to taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare and cook the rice (or grain of choice) as per packet instructions.

2. While the rice is cooking, heat a large non-stick pan and saute the onions and garlic until just soft and starting to brown.

3. Add 1/4 cup of the stock and the carrot, celery and capsicum. Reduce heat and stir occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add another 1/4 cup of stock and simmer on low heat for 5 - 10 minutes.

4. Add the remaining 1/2 cup stock and the basil and oregano to the large non-stick pan and keep over low heat.

5. In a separate non-stick pan or on a grill (or even in the bottom of a saucepan), lightly cook the chopped veggie sausages. I did mine for about 1.5 minutes, until they were just crisp, but some sausages may need longer.

6. Add the sausages, cooked rice and tomato paste to the vegetable mixture, and mix through to combine. Keep over low heat for a further 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Serve sprinkled with fresh or dried parsley and pepper.

The verdict? Well, the hot dogs were still detectable. I didn't mind them in this format, but I think the dish would have been improved further by the sausages we usually buy. I think in future I'd also add chilli or paprika, as those flavourings would pair well with the dish.

What are your simple meals? Have you had accidental supermarket purchases that haven't quite worked out?

Tweet

Lemon risotto and vegan lemon cupcakes

Some weeks, life can seem unnecessarily complicated. I struggle to see the point of work, routines, day-to-day activities. Fewer things make me smile. More things make me sad.

I'm yet to hit on a fool proof solution for these weeks. I think sometimes you just have to ride through them and trust that the next week will be better.

I can, however, offer a solution to an excess of lemons. And if you're lucky, the results might even help improve your week.

Lemon Risotto

Adapted from here and here

Serves 3

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot
• 1 clove garlic
• Bok choi, finely chopped (about the amount in the picture to the left!)
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 capsicum, diced
• English spinach, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• ~1tsp lemon zest (from 1/2 - 1 lemon)
• ~1tbsp dried basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Saute the shallot and garlic in a non-stick pan until tender and browned, using oil to taste.
2. Add the carrot and capsicum and cook over medium heat until starting to soften; add the bok choi and reduce heat to low.
3. Meanwhile, bring ~1 cup of the vegetable stock to simmering point in a large saucepan and add the arborio rice. Cover and keep on low heat. When the stock is absorbed, add a further cup of stock to the rice and continue to simmer on low heat. When the second cup is absorbed, add the final cup of stock.
4. When all of the stock has been added, add the cooked vegetable mix (shallot, garlic, carrot, capsicum, bok choi) and the English spinach to the rice. Mix through.
5. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and basil. Mix through.
6. Continue to heat over low heat until the stock is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Optional: Sprinkle with cheese and/or pine nuts, to taste, just before serving.

I served ours with brocollini.

The verdict? I enjoyed this dish, both hot at dinner and cold for lunch the following day. However, I hesitated over posting the recipe because Mr Bite was not a fan at all! As he is also not a fan of quinoa, brown rice or nuts (amongst other things, bless him), I decided to interpret this as a person-specific difference rather than a broader reflection on the dish. 

I will say, though, that the rice is quite lemony, so if you aren't a big fan of lemons, or strong flavours, you may want to reduce the lemon juice and rind. 

Or skip to dessert.

Vegan lemon cupcakes

Adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

I don't own (yet...) the Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World book, but the Vanilla Cupcakes and Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting recipes are available online.

There are also a few sites offering suggestions for how to turn the vanilla versions into lemon. I assume the book also offers a specific lemon recipe, but haven't seen it.

I took the vanilla cupcake recipe and substituted 1/2 tsp vanilla extract + 2 tsp lemon juice for the 2 tsp vanilla, and took the frosting recipe and substituted 1/2 tsp vanilla extract + 1 tsp lemon juice + ~1/4 tsp lemon zest for the 1 1/2 tsp vanilla.

I also made a half batch of frosting, which was more than enough.

The verdict for these? No complaints. The cupcakes themselves have a subtle lemon flavour, whilst the frosting adds a more tangy kick. As with all vegan cupcakes I've made, they're fluffy and light and delightful to both make and eat.

Tweet