D.K's Grilled Sesame Asparagus

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's Film Reviews ~ Stephen Mangan

Well as the good and the great have sung...what a difference a day makes! R & R HQ was only on the virtual market for four hours yesterday and we now have two viewings booked for this weekend. Yikes...I'll admit it..it's a little overwhelming and fantastically scary. Both of us thought this weekend would be a 'breather' weekend after the full on situation we have been in for the last few weeks. But no..fate had other plans for us and the reality of the potential possibility of being moved in six weeks, if one of these people want to buy our house, is daunting.  No pleasing some people, eh? lol.Having slept on this news I am much more settled but my dreams were a moving disaster loop. *deep breaths* Anyway...

Asparagus...for years I never really saw the fascination with it personally. But as I've never eaten butter, hollandaise sauce or ham my chances to try when out dining had been non-existent. ML loved it back in the day when it wasn't death-food and was eaten with the above accompaniments. I did have an extremely bad offering at a dinner party and I think my lovely host wasn't aware of the woody end and that was the parts I got in my serving of the dish. Then I was talked into trying Isa's brunch asparagus one Sunday...and it wasn't too bad but I still wasn't hooked like ML was. I also made a Fennel & Asparagus Soup which we both enjoyed and I decided to keep trying different ways to eat it. However since ML needed to eat a Salicylate Free diet it felt just plain wrong to bring it into the HQ.  

During my ventures back into Donna Klein's A Chinese Vegan Kitchen this week I found myself edgy with need to make an asparagus side dish. And with ML's blessing we picked up some locally grown asparagus and I got cooking. The only changes I made was using slightly less marinate than Klein instructs but that is because I have oil issues...even aromatic sesame oil...it's still oil! lol. And I used a griddle pan to cook mine as you can see by the beautiful scorch marks on my asparagus. The smell as they roasted on the griddle was intoxicating and made my tummy ache. When they were finished cooking and as I set up the plate for testing and for the photographs I couldn't wait to try one...wow!..was the actual word that escaped my lips as I bit into my chosen stalk. It was tender-crisp and therefore perfectly cooked for me. The taste was a savoury addicts nirvana and yes they were a little glossy but I found I really didn't care. I adored this dish and enjoyed it for lunch later in the day. If asparagus is cooked like this...then I am a huge fan. Yum! Great recipe Ms Klein...

D.K's Grilled Sesame Asparagus

Grilled Sesame Asparagus           Makes 4 servings..(or 2 Ahem!)
(Recipe from The Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein)

1 1/4 lb med-thick asparagus, tough ends removed
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari (I used Braggs)
1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil (I used 3/4 tbsp)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds 

Prepare a medium charcoal or gas grill. Or preheat a boiler or place a stove top grilling pan with grids over medium heat. 

In a shallow container large enough to hold the asparagus in a single layer, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Add the asparagus and turn to thoroughly coat. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature, turning a few times. 

Remove the asparagus from the marinade, reserving the marinade. If grilling, arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a vegetable grid. If broiling, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet with sides. Position the charcoal grill rack or oven rack 6-8 inches from the heat source. If using a stove top grill pan, arrange the asparagus in a single layer in the pan; cook in two batches to avoid overcrowding. 

Grill or broil asparagus until nicely browned but not charred, turning frequently, 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the reserved marinade. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Klein's Cooking Tip:

To make Roasted Sesame Asparagus, preheat the oven to 425F/220C/GM7. Marinate the asparagus as directed in the recipe. Transfer the asparagus to a baking sheet with sides and place in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the asparagus are browned and tender. turning once or twice. Serve as otherwise directed. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Friday is great and your weekend filled with laughter...or peace...lol 

~Red~

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Donna Klein and hers alone.  But I send out thanks for such a great cookbook. ~R~ 
  
  

D.K's Yunnan-Style Fava Beans with Chilies, Garlic, and Star Anise (vegan & gluten free)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Dave Gahan ~ Deeper & Deeper
Foo Fighters ~ My Hero
Bonnie Raitt ~ I Believe I'm In Love With You
Dead Boots ~ On The Rocks
Paul Weller ~ Time Passes
Glen Campbell ~ Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)
Zucchero ~ Feels Like A Woman
Thunder ~ Only One
Bon Jovi ~ In These Arms
Def Leppard ~ Bringing On The Heartbreak
Garbage ~ Dog New Tricks
Foo Fighters ~ Stranger Things Have Happened
Jackson Browne ~ Take It Easy
Garbage ~ Dumb

As I stated yesterday I am still working my way through Donna Klein's The Chinese Vegan Kitchen for the second time. And I have been experimenting with a few side dishes and today's recipe was chosen because I am always trying to find new ways of cooking broad bean's as they are known in England. I have a love/hate relationship with them...I hate the need to peel each and every one and the smell they kick out as they are cooking...but I love the taste. One of my favourite hummus's is a broad bean based one. I decided to be pro-active for this recipe and I sat with my measured amount and peeled the skins whilst catching up with a tv show ML and I have been watching on Netflix...Alphas...heard of it? But despite this move to make the process easier...I still lost the will to live after the first cupful...lol. However finally...FINALLY..all skins were removed and the beans were safely stashed in a tightly sealed box in my fridge until the next morning. I lost count of how many times I had to wash my hands to get rid of the that smell. Ewwww! I'm really selling them to you, aren't I? lol

In all honesty that was the hard part of making this dish because the rest of the kitchen work was simply chopping garlic and fresh chillies. During its cooking time in the hot wok the bean smell is minimised by the garlic and Star Anise so that really helped. I have no idea what I was expecting from this dish but what I ended up with was a little bit of a shock. Shock is maybe too strong a word but I definitely looked down at my wok and had serious...Huh! moment. I knew the addition of a cornstarch mix at the end of cooking would thicken up the sauce but the end result almost resembled mushy peas. Which I happen to like thankfully..lol. I was planning to serve mine with brown rice and steamed veggies but after seeing the results I really wasn't sure what to do with it. So I waited and thought...

...and still had nothing. I decided to simply just taste test them and I still could not decide if I liked them. The beans were beautifully cooked, the sauce comforting in its texture...definite heat from the combination of the chilli and Star Anise and although I'm usually a fan of Star Anise I felt it overpowered the dish. I confess I didn't get past the taste testing of this side dish but I will try it again in the future with a fraction of the Star Anise. It's definitely a spicy side dish and I will also try it again using edamame beans as D.K suggests. I think I will enjoy it better with the added freshness of the soy beans. I didn't dislike this side dish...I would just need to make a little change to it, for me to enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. But who knows..you may love it as D.K intended for us too. If you try it...please drop me a line at rocketandroses@aol.com and let me know what you thought...

D.K's Yunnan-Style Fava Beans with Chilies, Garlic & Star Anise

Yunnan-Style Fava Beans with Chilies, Garlic, and Star Anise   Serves 6
(Recipe from The Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein)

2 cups shelled fava beans (broad beans) or 2 cups of shelled edamame 
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 - 2 fresh red chilli peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
1/2 tsp star anise pieces
1 cup low sodium veggie broth
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch blended with 2 tbsp water 

If using fava beans: In a medium stockpot filled with boiling water, cook the fava beans 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse immediately under cold running water to stop the cooking. To remove the outer skins, pinch each bean on the side opposite where it was attached to the pod; the bean should easily slip from the skin. Remove and discard the outer skins. Set the beans aside. 

In a wok or large non-stick skillet with a lid, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the chillies and garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the fava beans and star anise and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the broth and salt and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 15 minutes for fava beans and about 7 for edamame, stirring occasionally. Stir in the sesame oil and add the cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring, until liquid is thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve over brown rice for a heartier meal. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have the glorious sunshine I do today...

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is not mine and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Donna Klein and hers alone. I do send out thanks for a great cookbook. ~R~  

D.K's Stir Fried Noodles with Broccoli (vegan & gluten free)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

No Sinners ~ Boo Hoo Hoo Album 

Big news folks...R & R HQ is now officially on the market. I am one step closer to escaping Helltown. Woo! And on other news one of my all time favour rock bands, Thunder, are going back into the studio to record a new album...Woo-woo! Oh isn't that a cocktail? lol It is also one of my favourite people in the worlds birthday so Happy Birthday Ann and much love from all at R & R HQ...I hope your day is as splendid as you are. 

Broccoli and noodles...two of my favourite foods and what a happy woman I was when I originally found this recipe. I found it between the covers of Donna Klein's The Chinese Vegan Kitchen...I bought the book last year and took it away with me when we went to stay in Cornwall on holiday. There were many recipes I couldn't try because I couldn't find or source a bottle of veggie oyster sauce. And now I have..I am nestled back between those cookbook covers and making up for lost time. 

I had to make a couple of changes with the ingredients but the recipe below is Klein's recipe as she meant it to be made. My changes were using buckwheat noodles in place of the udon noodles...omitting rice wine vinegar and rice wine and using apple cyder vinegar in a smaller amount. I also used Braggs instead of soy sauce. These simple changes were simply a matter of my own personal needs...gluten-free and vinegar-free. Oddly I can have apple cyder vinegar...who knew..lol.  

It gave me the opportunity to break out my newly delivered belated birthday present. A transportable little set of cutlery. A stainless steel set of screw together chop sticks, fork and spoon. And the surprise was that the handle of the spoon and fork have a smiley little face...lol. I know little things...lol There is a photo after the recipe...I know you want to see them.

The noodles and broccoli were perfectly cooked and the sauce had a great savoury flavour and the chilli flakes gave it a perfect heat. I will be making this...many times...yum..

Stir Fried Noodles with Broccoli

Stir Fried Noodles with Broccoli    Serves 4
(Recipe from The Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein) 

12 oz Udon or Buckwheat noodles 
8 oz fresh broccoli florets, cut into bitesize pieces
2 tbsp peanut oil (I used 1/2 tbsp)
4 scallions, white and green parts, separated, thinly sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red chilli flakes, or to taste 
2 tbsp veggie oyster sauce or mushroom soy sauce
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry, sake or dry white wine
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

In a large stockpot, cook the noodles and noodles in boiling salted water according to the package instructions until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain well in a colander. 

In a wok or large non-stick skillet, heat the peanut-oil over medium-high heat. Add the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and red chilli pepper flakes, cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium and add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, sesame oil, salt and black pepper. Cook, tossing and stirring often, until heated through and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the scallion greens and toss well to combine. Serve at once. 

Enjoy! 

Smilely Happy Birthday cutlery...

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that your week has started well...and there has been plenty of laughter.

~Red~

NB: This recipe is not mine and therefore I take no credit for them whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Donna Klein and hers alone. But thank you for a great cookbook ~R~

D.K's Butternut Squash Soup with Star Anise and Ginger

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Sandi Thom ~ Let It Stay
Deana Carter ~ Did I Shave My Legs For This?
Marvin Gaye ~ You're All I Need To Get By
Foo Fighters ~ Virginia Moon
PCD ~ Feelin' Good
Deap Vally ~ New Material
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons ~ Winter
Buckcherry ~ Drink The Water
Mike Patton ~ Deep Down
Sammy Davis Jr ~ What Kind Of Fool Am I
Halestorm ~ The Children
Calvin Harris ~ Feel So Close
Martina McBride ~ Cry, Cry (Till The Sun Shines)
Dead Sara ~ Heart Shaped Box

Are you one of those people that struggle with the sweetness that often accompanies a butternut squash soup? You are? Me too. I find them on the whole too sweet and it ruins them for me. I am naturally a more savoury food person but this doesn't stop me from trying out new recipes. There are some I love Spiced Lentil & Butternut Soup/Stew but it's the heavy use of lentils and garam masala that make that soup for me. And I have tried many butternut soups...both home made and a couple of store bought varieties. I want to enjoy it...really...I do. And then today happened....

I was flicking through my copy of Donna Klein's A Chinese Vegan Kitchen...yes, yes, yes...I admit..I am slightly obsessed with this cook book and I may probably end up cooking all the recipes from it...lol...but when a cook book is this good...why not, eh? lol. Anyway...I was flicking through and found this recipe using butternut as the main ingredient. I had one that needed using so I decided to give it go....

The recipe is very simple and only has minimal chopping...once you have cooked down the shallot/red onion, ginger and star anise its a simple all in recipe. Twenty minutes later you have a smooth soup that has a heady aroma. My sister was here when I was finishing the cooking process and she had a good portion..to test!..lol..and she really enjoyed it. And she dislikes butternut soup more than I do. Later for my lunch I tried a bowlful...oh savoury soup heaven!!! This soup has little or no sweetness...it is packed with savoury flavours and it is light in texture. It was a perfect combination for me...and I have finally found a fantastic butternut soup recipe. Woo! Once again Ms Klein delivers a great recipe...

Butternut Squash Soup with Star Anise and Ginger

Butternut Soup with Star Anise and Ginger    Serves 4
(Recipe from A Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein)

In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the shallots, ginger and star anise and cook, stirring, until shallot is just softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic is softened and not browned, 1 - 2 minutes. Add squash, stock, water, salt and pepper, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. 

Remove and discard the star anise. Blend the soup by your preferred method until smooth. Add back to the pot and reheat adding the sesame oil and soy sauce. Stirring occasionally. Serve warm and garnish with fresh coriander/cilantro...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Wednesday has been filled with laughter...

~Red~  

D.K's MIxed Vegetable Lo Mein

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Chely Wright ~ C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)
Thunder ~ Fired Up Live Monsters of Rock
Seal ~ I've Been Loving Too Long
Alanis Morrisette ~ All I Really Want
Beth Hart ~ Crashing Down
James Morrison ~ Wonderful World 
Maroon 5 ~ Goodnight Goodnight
Patti Smith ~ Ain't It Strange
Bob Marley ~ Roots, Rock, Reggae
Shelby Lynne ~ Gotta Get Back 
Halestorm ~ In Your Room
Fleetwood Mac ~ GypsyBuck
Buckcherry ~ I Want You 
Maroon 5 ~ Kiwi

Blimey what a weekend of highs and lows. I hope yours was more peaceful...my poor sister's house was flooded on Thursday night and sadly they lost everything in the downstairs rooms. So it's been rough for her and her family...and rough for us to watch...feeling powerless to help her. My part in helping her, was providing her with comforting foods and safe haven on our usual Saturday family day...and hugs...virtual...physical and every hug possible...and often. My lovely friends rallied with offers of help to clear the mud and water from the house and with the lend of Dehumidifiers and the gifts of rugs and carpets to lay down temporarily until its all dried out. It's been rough...but I think my sister has been humbled by the offers of help from family and friends. She's far from being out of trouble but shes at least at the start and she is a true fighter...

The highs came in the time spent with good friends on Friday...an impromptu coming together to eat food I'd cooked and thankfully they enjoyed it and the time spent together was lovely. Saturday was the ability to care for my sister and her little ones...just spending time and comforting them...and for ML time spent building Lego..lol. Then yesterday was Dev's birthday celebrations...and we joined her and the rest of the gang for an evening of fine dining at a new restaurant that had recently opened. Dev looked resplendent in her new dress and didn't look anywhere near her actual age...I will not say so don't ask! The restaurant was beautifully decorated and you felt you were sitting in pure luxury. And they tried to cater for Dev and I...I would be a liar if I said that I left with an empty stomach but for me it wasn't about the food...it was about the experience and opportunity to do something different. It was Dev's birthday wish and I was happy to join in...as we all were. It was fantastic evening and a touching speech by Bev rounded it off nicely. So thank you guys...

Today's recipe comes from Donna Klein's A Chinese Vegan Kitchen cookbook. Since taking it on holiday to Cornwall last month I have been obsessed with it. I was craving a really comforting bowl of noodles. I wanted good flavours and textures and in this dish I found both. I adapted it slightly because of the ingredients I had in and also I used chilli paste instead of chilli oil as I want to reduce my oil consumption again. I also used GF buckwheat noodles. The results were most definitely comfort food with a healthy kick of heat from the ginger and chilli paste. 

Mixed Vegetable Lo Mein

Mixed Vegetable Lo Mein  Serves 4
(Recipe from A Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein)

1 tbsp peanut oil (I used canola oil)
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
3 large cloves garlic, grated
4 oz fresh shiitake, cremini, or white mushrooms, thinly sliced (I used Closed Cup)
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cups coarsely shredded bok choy (I used Chinese Leave/Napa)
4 oz snow peas/mangetout, trimmed
1/2 cup of low sodium veggie stock
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp plain rice vinegar
1 - 2 tsp Chinese Hot Oil (I used 1 tsp chilli paste)
1 tbsp dark toasted sesame oil
8 oz lo mein noodles or other thin chinese noodles, cooked to al dente, drained 
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce (I didn't feel the need for this addition)
1/4 cup of peanuts or cashews, toasted (optional) 

In a wok or large skillet heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, bell pepper,  and bok choy, cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add snow peas, stock, soy sauce and vinegar and hot oil and cook, stirring often until vegetables are crisp tender, approx 4 minutes. Add sesame oil and stir quickly to combine. Add noodles, cook, stirring constantly until heated through. Remove from the heat and add the dark soy sauce, tossing well to thoroughly coat all the noodles (they will darken) Serve at once, sprinkled with the nuts, if using. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Monday has been good to you....

~Red~ 

NB: As always many thanks to Donna Klein for being an inspiration and creating amazing recipes....Respect.  


 

D.K's Chinese Brown Rice Salad with Snow Peas (Mangetout) and Corn

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

VAST ~ Everything Passes By
The Stranglers ~ 86 Tears
Evanescence ~ Haunted
Chris Cornell ~ Disappearing One
Crosby/Armstrong ~ Now You Has Jazz
Whitesnake ~ Here I Go Again
Melissa Etheridge ~ Secret Agent
Thunder ~ Stand Up! (Live and Acoustic)
Slash ft Myles Kenneday ~ Starlight
Newton Faulkner ~ Gone In The Morning
Audioslave ~ Yesterday to Tomorrow
VAST ~ Until I Die
Chely Wright ~ Hang Out In Your Heart
Them Crooked Vultures ~ Spinning In Daffodils

Friday I made two new salads..one being the very awesome Edamame-Chickpea Power Salad with Avocado Dressing and the second being one from my recent holiday cookbook Donna Kleins A Chinese Vegan Kitchen. Now I chose this salad because I had recently picked up some purple mangetout or snow peas, depending on where you live, and I had never seen or heard of them before. I was a little excited..lol Sad, isn't it? lol. And this recipe seemed like a great fit for what I was looking for...

I found this salad to be fresh in it's flavours and texture. The dressing reduces to a very mellow flavour. I was a little concerned that it would be too acidic for my palate but was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed a good amount of this as a cold salad but then became curious what it would be like as a warm salad. Heating it very briefly so that the mangetout, celery and peppers still had some crunch but enough to heat the rice...I was really surprised by the change in this dish. It seemed to intensify the flavours and I devoured the results from the experiment. And it was a welcome warmth on this cold Sunday evening.

Chinese Brown Rice Salad with Snow Peas (Mangetout) and Corn

Chinese Brown Rice Salad with Snow Peas (Mangetout) and Corn  Serves 4 
(Original recipe from A Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein)

1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp toasted dark sesame oil
1 tsp sugar 
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups cooked brown rice, slightly warm or at room temp
4 oz snow peas/mangetout, trimmed and sliced diagonally
3 spring onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of cooked and cooled fresh or frozen yellow corn kernels
1/2 a medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro or flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds or slivered almonds

In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, canola oil, sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the remaining ingredients, tossing well to thoroughly combine, let stand for about 15 minutes at room temp to allow the flavours to blend. Toss again and serve at room temp. Salad came be refrigerated, covered up to 24 hours before returning to room temp and serving. 

My little bundle of purple joy! lol

  
Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Sunday has been as glorious as mine...

~Red~

Many thanks to Donna Klein for creating such a great cook book...respect.

D.K's Sesame Broccoli Stem and Scallion/Spring Onion Salad

Rocket & Roses Holiday Play List:

Thunder ~ She's Like Ice
Prince ~ Kiss
Whitesnake ~ Give Me All Your Love
Stone Temple Pilot ~ Wicked Garden
Rascal Flatts ~ Feels Like Today
Jessie Ware ~ Wildest Moments (Acoustic)
KORN ~ Chaos Lives In Everything 
Caro Emerald ~ I Belong To You
Doris Day ~ Sentimental Journey
Siouxsie & The Banshees ~ The Killing Jar
Del Amitri ~ Driving With The Brakes On
K.D Lang ~ Simple
Sting ~ Desert Rose
VAST ~ One More Day

In England you can't buy bags of Broccoli slaw yet. I'm sure it'll happen eventually..say in about 10 years time. But I have been taking an interest in the many varied recipes for Broccoli slaws that have been blitzing the web. I am a self confessed broccoli addict and when I eat it I usually steam both the florets and the stem so very rarely have stems leftover to try and slaw them. But when making the recipe selections for this years holiday cookbook I saw this and thought the time is now...the cook book being Donna Klein's A Chinese Vegan Kitchen.

So I saved up four stems and then got grating. Now being away on holiday made this a longer job than normal...at home I would break out the processor and let that lovely do the work but here it was a rather sorry old hand held grater. I like to call it...going retro. So after losing two fingernails and skinning a knuckle I had a bowl of broccoli slaw. lol. (Don't worry they didn't make it into the finished salad..lol Eww!) After this gauntlet, the salad came together easily and before I knew it I was stood in the living area shaking my salad box again. (Holiday kitchen is basically a hole in a wall..) The salad starts off looking fresh but once the dressing is added it makes it..well...beige! lol. But what it lacks in appearance it makes up for in taste. It's not a salad I will make often but I certainly enjoyed it. 

Sesame Broccoli Stem and Scallion/Spring Onion Salad

Sesame Broccoli Stem and Scallion/Spring Onion Salad   Serves 4-6
(Recipe from The Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein)

12oz broccoli slaw
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp dark toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tbsp plain rice vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 scallions, mostly green parts, cut into very think 2" lengths
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (I used black sesame)

In a medium stock pot filled with boiling salted water blanch the broccoli slaw. Drain in a colander then rinse under cold running water until cooled. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and black pepper. Let stand a few minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve; whisk again. Add the broccoli slaw, scallions and sesame seeds, tossing well to thoroughly combine. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temp to allow the flavours to blend, tossing a few times. Serve at room temp. Alternatively cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours and serve chilled or return to room temp. 

Enjoy! 

And one final holiday snap.....I literally went to the end of England and nearly got blown off the edge...seriously...I kid you not! It was bloody freezing but worth it...

Lands End, England.

 
Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Saturday has been a great one. Mine will be spent packing up the car...visiting Stone Henge and then travelling to stay with family overnight before the last part of the journey home. 

~Red~ 

One final but huge thank you to Donna Klein for an interesting cook book and great recipes...respect as always.

D.K's Poached Tofu with Spicy Kumquat Sauce

Rocket & Roses Holiday Play List:

Metallica ~ Whisky In The Jar
Joan Jett ~ You Don't Own Me
Natalie Imbruglia ~ Everything Goes
Chris Cornell ~ All Night Thing
Bing Crosby ~ Temptation
Feist ~ I Feel It All
VAST ~ Lady Of My Dreams
Maroon 5 ~ Beautiful Goodbye
Lacuna Coil ~ The Secret...
Edith Piaf ~ L etranger
Bonnie Raitt & Bryan Adams ~ Rock Steady
Soul Asylum ~ Sometime To Return 
Buckcherry ~ Sorry
Halestorm ~ Nothing To Do With Love

Today is the last day of our holiday...one more night of falling asleep to the sound of waves and one more morning waking up to them. One more morning sat enjoying breakfast completely hypnotised by the beautiful and often dramatic beach scene. We've had some spectacular cloud formations and we will miss it all dreadfully. So today I've taken a day off of cooking and bought in some Thai Cakes to have with a simple stir fry of veggies. It's been a great week but as with all holidays it's over way to soon...we feel like we were just settling in and beginning to relax. I have been completely smitten with Cornwall...and I think I always will. 

Today's recipe is another from my chosen holiday cookbook Donna Klein's A Chinese Vegan Kitchen. It was probably the first one I selected when making the list...because of the sauce. I had completely blanked on the fact it was poached tofu. I have been fascinated by Kumquats from being a kid. Never tried one...never seen one..until a recent visit to our supermarket. There in amongst the mango and papaya was bags of kumquats. I eyed them and bottled out of trying some. Then my cookbook arrived and I found the sauce recipe...kumquats were purchased and off we set off on our holiday road trip.

The sauce can be made and stored in the fridge for up to three days so I made it the first day I was here. And it was a simple effort of chopping the fruit and shallots etc. Then allowing it to reduce down. It smelt fantastic as it simmered away...

I had my tofu break thorough the next day and left it a couple of days before I had tofu again. I didn't wanna peak too soon..lol. I decided to have mine over some new noodles I found at our little health food shop and with some simple steamed side veggies. Then I re-read the recipe....

.....poached tofu slices...and my stomach flipped. It became apparent I still hadn't got over my tofu texture thing. But as the trooper I am I decided to make the recipe as D.K intended and then give the meal an honest and fair shot. Again the poaching of the tofu was a simple affair. 

The Sweet Potato & Buckwheat noodles were very fragile and having been bounced around the stock box were in more pieces than the makers had intended. But they cooked easily and were really tasty...I'll use them often. Low in GI's and Gluten Free...perfect. However...they really are meant to be cooked and eaten...left for a few hours and re-heated...not so great. But at least I know now...and therefore so do you! lol.

OK..I can't put it off any longer...the tofu. I enjoyed the smell of the poaching stock and I love to use Star Anise but cutting off a corner of one of the slices...oh heck...I tried...but instantly knew I couldn't eat it. The texture issue kicked in big time...I tried again with some of the sauce...but nope...wasn't happening for me. I was gutted. I scooped off the sauce onto my noodles and veggies but then realised I wasn't enjoying the sauce either. Yes it was spicy but it was also very sharp or tart. The aroma was beautiful but as a dish for me...it just didn't work. But as I always say that is just my personal preference....I hope you folks try it and enjoy it. I have posted the recipe because I believe to test a cookbook fairly you have to post the great, good and the not so good. I really wanted to enjoy this dish...

Poached Tofu with Spicy Kumquat Sauce

Poached Tofu with Spicy Kumquat Sauce  Serves 4 
(Recipe from A Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein)

Cooked noodles as per your personal requirements
Steamed veggies as per your personal requirements

Poaching:

2 cups low sodium veggie stock
2 cups water
1 scallion/spring onion, thinly sliced
1/2 star anise 
16 oz firm tofu, drained

In a medium saucepan bring the stock, water, scallion and star anise to a boil over high heat; add the tofu, reduce the heat, and simmer gently, uncovered, 10 minutes. 

Kumquat Sauce:

1/2 tbsp canola oil
6 fresh kumquats, unpeeled, seeded and chopped
1 fresh green or red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped or 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar or balsamic 
1 cup fresh orange juice
3/4 cup low sodium veggie stock 
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp toasted dark sesame oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small heavy bottom saucepan heat the canola oil over a med-low heat. Add the kumquats, chilli and shallot; cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is softened 4-5 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost completely evaporated. Add the juice, stock and sugar; bring to a simmer over med heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups. Stir in the sesame oil and season. Serve warm. 

To assemble: 

Remove the tofu from the broth mixture and cut into thin slices. Divide the slices evenly between the serving plates and top with equal portions of Kumquat Sauce. 

Close up on the sauce...

Or serve over warm noodles and with steamed veggies...like I did. 

Enjoy!

So ML ventured down to the beach that we overlook and took some pretty spectacular shots for me so I knew what was down there. I opened them this morning and was blown away by them...so beautiful. And I had to share them...

Hayle Beach, Cornwall

This is the view I've had all week long...can't beat nature like this....

Hayle Beach, Cornwall

 
...sometimes there just aren't words...

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Friday has been a blast....

~Red~ 

Many thanks to Donna Klein for an amazing cook book...respect. 
  

 

D.K's Hunan-Style Tomato, Potato and Cauliflower Soup with Chilli Peppers

Rocket & Roses Holiday Play List:

Joan Jett ~ Cherry Bomb
Melissa Etheridge ~ If You Want To
Gorillaz ~ Dare
Moulin Rouge OST ~ Sparkling Diamonds
Lenny Kravitz ~ Always On The Run
Timothy B. Schmit ~ I Don't Mind
Sara Sant'Ambrogio ~ Polonaise Brillante Op 3
KORN ~ Let's Get The Party Started
Court Yard Hounds ~ Delight
Fun Lovin' Criminals ~ The Grave and The Constant
Bob Marley ~ Rock Steady
VAST ~ Thrown Away
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band ~ Blue on Black
The Band Perry ~ Quittin' You

Yesterday was all about taking some quiet time and resting and relaxing at the holiday apartment. ML ventured out and down the path to the beach but confirmed that the walk back up would have been impossible for me. Dang! Ah well...I kept myself busy making a new soup recipe from my chosen holiday cookbook Donna Klein's A Chinese Vegan Kitchen. Although it was bright and sunny outside it was blowing a gale and very chilly so taking my photos out on the balcony was fun lol. Not to mention the seagulls, magpies and jackdaws that have decided our roof is a great place to fly to meet for a squawk...sheesh when will they learn that I can admire them from a great distance but not close up..at least not that bloody close! Urgh. So after the kitchen duties were over I got settled on the sofa with a cup of mint tea, some brazil nuts, Eddie Izzard's Definite Article DVD with the sound of the waves in the background. I laughed so much...it hurt and there was tears but worth it...Izzard never fails...

There is never enough soup recipes in my opinion and this one is going to be made often. I chose it because it was cauliflower based and an opportunity to have some white potato. It was easy to make and the results were a hot but not Yikes hot soup with tender veggies. The cauliflower, tomato, potato and chilli peppers were a great combination and the stock was just perfectly spiced.

The bowl I used for the photo was a new addition and bought on Tuesday..we got it for a steal as the spoon had a chip in it. To be honest I only wanted the bowl and lid..and when I tried to use the spoon to eat my lunch...well...it didn't fit in my mouth. I have a small mouth! Stop it..I can hear you laughing...it's a medical fact thank you very much. Honestly!...lol Anyway..the spoon will just be dressing from now on. Oh hush...right I am going to the recipe...lol

Hunan-Style Tomato, Potato and Cauliflower Soup with Chilli Peppers

Hunan-Style Tomato, Potato and Cauliflower Soup with Chilli Peppers  Serves 4
(Recipe from A Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein)

1 tbsp peanut oil (I used 1/2 tbsp canola)
1-2 fresh red chilli peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1lb boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
1lb cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces 
2 med tomatoes, about six oz each, peeled and seeded and chopped
4 cups reduced sodium veggie stock
2 cups water 
1-2 tbsp of reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 scallions/spring onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 tbsp toasted dark sesame oil
1 tsp chilli paste or to taste
2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp of water

In a wok or large deep sided skillet heat the oil over a med-high heat. Add the chilli pepper, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, cauliflower and tomatoes and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add the stock, water, soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender but not mushy, 20-30 minutes. Add the scallions/spring onions, sesame oil, chilli paste and cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Serve warm....

Enjoy....

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Thursday is a good one...

~Red~ 

Many thanks once again to Donna Klein for a great cook book...respect.