Moosewood Tofu Vegan Dumplings in Garlic/Miso Broth (vegan with gluten-free options)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Audioslave ~ Bring Em Back Alive
Tina Dico ~ Private Party
Airbourne ~ Rattle Your Bones
Dead Sara ~ Some Have It Bad
Paulo Nutini ~ Scream (Funk My Life Up)
Nerina Pallot ~ Alien
The Virginmarys ~ Bang Bang Bang
Debussy@ Reverie L 68
Julia Macinally ~ Sallianne
INXS ~ Listen Like Thieves
Bizet: Bel Officier (Carmen, le remendado la dancer)
Beth Hart ~ Better Man
Crowded House ~ When You Come
Halestorm ~ Don't Know How To Stop

I love a bargain and I have to say the recipe book that I found these recipes in was certainly that...1p! Yep! The book is quite ravaged and well used but a quick tidy up of the cover and pages and it was good to go. The cookbook in question is Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favourites. As a vegan/veggie cookbook junkie I have been aware of their abundance of  mostly veggie recipe based cookbooks. But I've always selected veggie/vegan cookbooks over theirs when buying a fresh and new book for my collection. I have to say that I may have been unwise in this because the recipes I found between the covers of this book have been plentiful. This is the first I've actually made from the long list I have written down for testing. 

I chose this one because it fitted the food style I am testing right now. Japanese or Chinese dumplings are intriguing to me. Now don't be daunted by the list of ingredients...every one is worth it and it's not really a rocket scientist recipe. Once you get started its quickly put together and when sat back at my dining table with the filling and wrappers I found myself reaching a Zen moment as I stuffed and rolled the dumplings together. My first experiences were not so calming! Believe me but perseverance is the key to these little beauties and one day you will find yourself sitting at your counter or table happily spooning in filling and playing with new shapes. Honestly...I promise. 

The Garlic/Miso Broth was suggested as a complementary dish to go with the dumplings and I was very interested with the cooking method. Quickly roasting garlic cloves and then blending with miso (I used white miso this time) and water and then heated up with low-sodium veggie stock...beautifully simple. I knew I had to try it and I wasn't feeling the dumpling dip love the day I made them. So a good, healing and nourishing broth seemed the way to go...

I made one adaption and that was the amount of shitakes used. I used 2 caps which is far less than the recipe asks for. But that is simply my issue with mushroom but you folks who love those darn fungi will just devour the correct amount I'm sure. I wanted a hint of the taste but not the texture. I used the dumpling cooking method of steaming for 10 minutes this time so I can warn you they will stick together and to the steamer tray which was an interesting moment. But next time I will try cooking them directly in the Garlic/Miso Broth. Also the amount of garlic I used was much less but this was because I read the recipe as 1 head of garlic and quickly grabbed a bulb and got peeling. However when I re-read the recipe later I see that Moosewood suggested 20 cloves. I only used 8...that was plenty for today but I will try it with the correct amount next time. Yep I am a garlic lover...

The results...well hell...they were so good. The dumplings were packed with flavours and textures and they were tender and still a little chewy which is just how I like them. The Broth was everything a good miso broth should be. So good that I would just sit and sip it as a hot beverage. The dumplings and broth combined with a scattering of a few fresh veggies made for a great lunch. Not wanting to repeat myself but the words nourishing and healing come back to my mind. 

And finally...the dumpling wrappers were made with wheat flour this time. Believe me when I say I wasn't overly happy with this and I found them dense and filling because of this fact. But I am still experimenting with vegan and gluten-free wonton/dumpling wrapper recipes and when I finally find one or create one that actually works...I will be shouting it out from the blog tops! I look forward to that day...so if you have a recipe you would like me to test...hit my email baby...rocketandroses@aol.com

Tomorrow I am taking a break for a week as I am heading out for a holiday with My Love and our good pal Ann. We are hoping to relax, breathe and heal the soul for a while. Something all three of us need badly. We are road-tripping down to the coast and I don't care if it rains the entire time...its a holiday for which I am extremely grateful. 

Moosewood Tofu Vegan Dumplings in Garlic/Miso Broth (vegan with gluten-free options)

Moosewood Garlic/Miso Broth              Makes 6 cups
(Recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favourite Cookbook)

1 large whole head of garlic (approx 20 cloves) see note above
1/4 cup miso (use miso of your choice)
3 cups of filtered water
3 cups of low-sodium veggie stock 

Pre-heat your oven to 200'C/400'F/GM6. Peel the garlic cloves and place onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Your garlic cloves need to be golden brown not dark brown.

Place the baked garlic cloves in a blender with the miso and water and blend until smooth. Add this to a med sized saucepan with the veggie stock and gently heat through when ready to serve. Never allow it to boil. 

Moosewood Tofu Vegan Dumplings     Makes 48
(Recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favourites)

1oz dried shitake mushrooms (I used 2 caps)
2 cups boiling water
6 garlic cloves, micro-grated
1 tbsp fresh ginger root, micro-grated
1 tsp ground anise
1 cup peeled and grated carrots
2 cups fresh mushrooms, minced (I used Enoki)
1 cup Chinese cabbage, minced
1 tsp rapeseed/canola oil
4oz pressed tofu, crumbled
3 tbsp soy sauce/tamari or Braggs
2 spring onions, minced
1 tbsp Hoisin sauce (optional)
1 tsp chilli paste

1 packet of wonton or dumpling wrappers (GF if able)

Place the shitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover with the boiling water for at least 20 minutes. When the mushrooms have softened, drain them and finely mince the caps. You can save the strained water and use as a stock if you wish. 

Put the shitakes, garlic, ginger, anise, carrots, fresh mushrooms, cabbage and oil. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stirring frequently. Place the tofu, Hoisin sauce, chilli paste, spring onions and soy/tamari or Braggs and stir very well to evenly distribute the sauces in the tofu crumbs. Add this to the saucepan and stir in. Cook for a further 3 minutes and then remove from the heat. Set to one side. 

Set up your dumpling rolling station as follows. Small chopping board in front of you. Large baking sheet to one side and the saucepan with the stuffing on a trivet to the right. Small bowl of water and a smaller bowl of brown rice flour. And here goes....take one wrapper and using your finger, brush water around the outside edge of the wrapper. Place a heaped tsp of stuffing in the centre of the wrapper and then quickly bring the edges together. I played around and ended up with fours shapes. But the basic and most quickly done is simply bringing the two edges together and press them to seal, leaving you with half moon shaped dumplings. If this is your first time...I would go with that shape. Place the shaped dumplings onto the baking sheet but do not allow them to touch and when all are done cover with cling film and place into your fridge until ready to cook. You can freeze some very easily at this stage. Line a box with baking parchment and place a layer of dumplings (not touching) into the bottom. Repeat this until your box is full and then freeze and they will stay good for at least 4 months. 

Cook the dumplings in one of the following ways: 

Gently simmer the dumplings in water or broth for 5 minutes. 

Saute them in a skillet prepared with 1/2 tsp of oil for 2 minutes on each side. Pour in 1/4 cup of water, cover, and steam for 4 minutes. 

Steam the dumplings in a steamer basket or sieve over boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes. 

Gently heat the Garlic/Miso Broth and place 5 of the dumplings in a bowl and then pour over a ladle of the broth. Scatter over a few fresh veggies of your choice and serve while its still hot. 

Although the dumplings are also good served at room temperature with the following sauce:

2 tbsp soy sauce/tamari/Braggs 
2 tsps rice wine vinegar
1 minced spring onion      Simply whisk together folks

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a splendid week and I will be back with your all soon....right time to pack and hit the road. 

~Red~ 

NB: These recipes are not my own and therefore I take no credit for them whatsoever. They are the hard work and creation of the folks of The Moosewood Collective and theirs alone. I thank them for sharing such great recipes...~R~


  
 


 
   

SUMA: Rocket & Roses Brown Rice Mochi with a Sweet Miso Sauce (vegan and gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Lenny Kravitz ~ I Love The Rain
Aerosmith ~ Crazy
Willie Nelson ~ Always On My Mind
Scorpion Child ~ Keep Goin'
The Eagles ~ Take It Easy
Bach: Cello Suite #3 in C
The Union ~ Amazon
Clawfinger ~ The Truth
Bowie ~ Blue Jean
The Band Perry ~ You Lie
Deap Vally ~ End Of The World
Bryan Adams ~ I'll Always Be Right There
ABBA ~ Chiquitta
No Doubt ~ Hella Good

Mochi, mochi, mochi...where have you been all my life? Well, always there but I didn't know about it. What is mochi? Or mokee as I used to call it until I was educated in its pronunciation...mo-chi! Mochi is simply brown rice that has been steamed and then pounded into a paste. It's usually a short grain gelatinous rice but I used Clearsprings Brown Rice Mochi because I am a brown rice kinda gal. You can use it in sweet and savoury dishes and as I prefer savoury that's how I always intended to use mine. 

When making my selection for my Suma Blogger Network basket of groceries I was practically giddy when I turned the page and found the Clearspring advert. The brown rice mochi was selected and the rest they say is foodie history.

Mochi is Japanese in origin and I wanted to keep this recipe simple and I wanted it to echo its Japanese roots. My mind was filled with ideas of fresh beautiful vegetables that were delicately steamed to keep their unique flavours. As I had never tried mochi before I wanted to make it a layer of flavour and texture in this dish rather than be mixed into it. I wanted to know I was eating mochi. The sauce would bring together the two elements...I wanted it to be packed with flavours and warmth. 

NB: For the vegetables I took some time to sit with them and prep them into individual shapes that brought out the individuality of each veggie. But this isn't necessary and you could simply prep them anyway you choose. They will all taste the same, eh? I find veggie prep quite relaxing so for me it was a pleasure. 

Mochi is an unusual texture...quite sticky...but I loved it. The flavour is mild but not bland. When combined with the steamed veggies and the warm, spicy and wholesome sauce it bursts into your mouth with flavour.  I really hope you give it a go...go on...its delicious. 

I had two recipes for my Suma Bloggers Network submission this time. So next month I will be back with a festive loaf...thanks to the lovely folks at Suma Wholefoods

Rocket & Roses Brown Rice Mochi with a Sweet Miso Sauce served over vegetables

Rocket & Roses Brown Rice Mochi with a Sweet Miso Sauce   Serves 4 as a starter
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

Vegetable Base:

Radish, Mooli, Courgette, Carrot, Swede, String Beans, Yellow & Red Bell Pepper, 
Spring Onion, Celery, Sugar Snap Peas (see notes above)

2 pieces of Clearspring Brown Rice Mochi, cut into 4 

Sweet Miso Sauce:

4 spring onions, trimmed and cut into half
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger pulp
juice of one lime
1 hot red chilli, de-seeded
3 tbsp sweet white miso 
4 tbsp boiling hot water
pinch of low sodium salt
scant drizzle of agave syrup
1 tsp Braggs/soy/tamari 

Heat a good sized wok over a med/high heat. Add some just boiled water to cover the base and then layer the vegetables starting with the hardest to cook. ie carrot, swede, spring onion, string beans, peppers, radish, mooli and sugar snap peas. Making sure the water is bubbling, place a smaller than the wok lid into the wok to hold down and cover just the veggies. Leave to cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies are cooked to your preference. Drain and place back into the wok with the lid to keep warm until serving. 

Place all the sauce ingredients into a small blender and blitz until smooth. Then add to a small pan and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to bubble for 5 minutes. Don't allow the sauce to reach a fast boil or it will lose some of its flavours. When ready to serve remove from the heat and cover. 

Heat a small skillet and add the mochi pieces to it. Heat the pieces for a few minutes and then flip them over and repeat. Be warned...keep them apart otherwise you will be prising them apart...often. 

Layer a mound of hot veggies onto a dish followed by a piece of mochi and then drizzle over some sauce. Serve immediately. 

Rocket & Roses Brown Rice Mochi with a Sweet Miso Sauce...gratuitous foodie close up

Enjoy! 

Thanks to Suma Wholefoods for providing such great ingredients. Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week is being kind to you...

~Red~ 

NB: This is my creation and I have no problem with you using it or sharing it. I simply ask that you give credit where its due as I always try to. Many thanks...Namaste. ~R~



  

Moroccan Table: Lablabi Soup, Marrakesh Tajine with Rocket & Roses Cous Cous Fava Beans (vegan)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Beth Hart ~ I'll Take Care Of You
Shakira ~ Loca
Slash/Joey Ramone ~ New York City
Soul Asylum ~ Somebody To Shove
Pearl Jam ~ The Fixer
Jack Savoretti ~ Knock Knock
The Eagles ~ Wasted Time
Creed ~ Beautiful
Skin ~ Nightsong
Hunter Valentine ~ Liar Liar
Royal Blood ~ Come On Over
Norah Jones ~ Seven Years
The Cars ~ Drive
Chopin: Prelude #15 in D Flat op 28/15 "Raindrops"

My Moroccan Table

I am finally getting my mojo back folks. Let me tell you that it is such a great relief to me. I'm not back in the kitchen every day just yet but I am creating a lot of future recipes and managing lots of 'plotting'. That being said...I did manage to throw together a small dinner party for a few friends last week. I was inspired to create a Moroccan feast and found three recipes inside the covers of World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible Cookbook that I reviewed earlier this year.

I am a sucker for a chickpea soup and so the Lablabi Soup was a given..lol. The tajine was chosen because of its suggestion of vegetables but I had to make two changes. One of my dinner guests doesn't like dried raisins and I am not a fan of dried apricots so I had to omit them. I did add some pomegranate molasses to give that sweet fruit hit and I think it worked really well. The recipes suggested serving harissa with each dish and so I made a batch of the Tunisian Harissa. Holy hotness folks. The tip end of a teaspoon blew our heads off..so a smidge goes a very long way. So please be warned!! 

I wanted a grain dish to serve with the WFCVB recipes and I had a bag of Giant Cous Cous in my stocks. As I am 99% gluten-free now I hadn't even cracked open the bag but I was really craving a good cous cous side. I also had a tin of fava beans and decided to add them to the cous cous as it cooked. I then made a simple dressing using extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and freshly ground black pepper and whisked them until emulsified. Once the cous cous was cooked I added the dressing and replaced the lid to keep in the heat as the flavours combined. I served the tajine, cous cous and harissa with a large salad of baby leaves, cucumber (and blimey did we need those refreshing slices after the harissa!!!), yellow and orange pepper. 

Each course was an explosion of tastes and textures. The soup was creamy and comforting with an intense flavour. The tajine was full of flavour and just had that 'something' that makes a dish more special than others. It wasn't hot spicy but deeply intense with flavour. The cous cous was a comforting support to the heady delights of the tajine. I enjoyed every second of making these dishes and I know everybody enjoyed eating them too...it's good to be almost back. Now to the recipes...this weekend folks you get four of them...

NB: The Lablabi Soup, Marrakesh Tajine and Tunisian Harissa recipes are all from the World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible Cookbook published by Frances Lincoln Limited. 

First course: Lablabi Soup

Lablabi Soup   Serves 4

8 tbsp olive oil (I used half that amount)
10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
12oz/350g chickpeas, soaked overnight and then drained
1 large red onion, diced
3 carrots, diced 
6 celery stalks, diced
1 heaped tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander 
1 tsp paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon
handful of chopped coriander leaves to garnish
harissa to taste (recipe below)

Heat half of the oil in a saucepan/ when hot, add the garlic and saute until golden. Add the chickpeas and enough water to cover them by 1in/2.5cm. Bring to the boil, removing any foam that rises to the surface, and then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer until the the chickpeas are soft. (Or cook the garlic in the oil and then add two drained tins of chickpeas, cover by a good 2" of water and cook for 20 minutes ~R~)

Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a wok. When hot, add the chopped onion, carrots and celery, and saute until soft; it helps if you cover the wok and let the vegetables sweat. Towards the end of cooking, add the cumin, coriander and paprika. Stir the vegetables into the cooked chickpeas, followed by salt and black pepper to taste. Pour half the soup into a food processor and blend until smooth. Return it to unblended soup, adding more water if necessary, and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice.  Serve with coriander leaves to garnish. 

Main course: Marrakesh Tajine

Marrakesh Tajine   Serves 4

5 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 level tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 heaped tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground saffron or turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 aubergine, diced or cut into 1/2" half moons
4 small potatoes, cut into quarters
1 large sweet potato, chopped into large chunks
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and cut lengthwise into 2.5/1" strips
salt 
6 artichoke hearts (fresh or canned)
125g/4oz green beans
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
handful of flat-leap parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish
handful of coriander leaves, chopped, plus more to garnish
small handful of raisins 
small handful of dried apricots 
OR 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses 
85g/3oz stoned olives
harissa, to serve recipe below

Heat the oil in a large pan and, when hot, fry the onions until they start to soften. 

Add the spices, stirring to prevent sticking. Add the aubergine, potatoes, sweet potato and green and red peppers. Sprinkle with a little salt as this helps prevent the aubergine from absorbing all the oil. 

When the aubergine starts to soften, add all the remaining vegetables and the tomato puree with just enough water barely to cover the vegetables. Add the parsley, coriander, raisins, apricots, (0r molasses) and olives. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until all the vegetables are really soft and the sauce is reduced until it is thick and rich, with the oil returning on the top. 

Garnish with lots of parsley and coriander, and serve with harissa and cous cous.

Side dish: Tunisian Harissa

Tunisian Harissa   Makes 1 very heaped cup of paste

1 red pepper
1 tbsp ground caraway seeds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2oz/60g dried red chillies, soaked in hot water
1oz/30g ground cumin
2fl oz/60ml olive oil
salt to taste

First grill the red pepper on all sides until blackened. Place in a bowl and cover with cling film for 10 minutes to make it easier to peel. Peel, deseed and dice the pepper. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in the fridge in and airtight container.

And be warned...extremely hot!!!

Finally my contribution to the Moroccan Table....

Side dish: Giant Cous, Cous with Fava Beans

 

Rocket & Roses Giant Cous Cous with Fava Beans    Serves 4
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1 packet of giant cous cous 
OR gluten free maize cous cous
1 tin of fava beans, rinsed and drained 

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper

Cook the cous cous to the packets instructions adding the drained beans towards the end of the cooking time to heat through. 

In a small bowl whisk the dressing until it has emulsified and then drizzle over the hot cous cous and stir well. Recover with the lid to keep warm until serving. Spoon into a serving bowl...

Enjoy!! 

I know these recipes use a lot more oil than I usually advocate but it is entirely your call on how much you use. I wouldn't serve these kind of dishes on a regular basis because of the oil factor so would class them as High Days & Holiday Dishes. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your weekend is a fantastic one folks....

~Red~ 

NB: The Lablabi Soup, Makkaresh Tajine and Tunisian Harissa recipes are not my creation. They are the hard work and creation of Chris and Carolyn Caldicott and theirs alone. I take no credit for them whatsoever but do send thanks for sharing such great recipes. The Giant Cous Cous and Fava Bean recipe is mine. I have no problem with you using the recipe or sharing it. I simply ask you give credit where its due as I always try to. Many thanks...Namaste. ~R~  
 

 
  

 

Apple, Pecan, Baby Spinach Salad with Maple & Balsamic Dressing

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

KT Tunstall ~ Another Place To Fall 
Joan Jett ~ Bad Time
Janiva Magness ~ Walkin' In The Sun
Sinatra ~ What Now My Love
Bach: Suite For Cello Soto #1 in G. Prelude
Zac Brown Band ~ Free/ Into The Mystic
Shelby Lynne ~ Go With It
Jones & Holland ~ End Of The Road
Tina Dico ~ Poetess' Play 
Bon Jovi ~ Born To Be My Baby
Sade ~ Smooth Operator
Thunder ~ You'll Still Need A Friend
The Eagles ~ I Love To Watch A Woman Dance
Foo Fighters ~ New Way Home

I've had a busy few days and finally I have sat down and the world has stopped spinning. Today I've had the pleasure of family time with my sister and her little ones. The cheeky little monkeys are growing up so fast and today little Noo looked very grown up with her sports outfit and her new hairdo...lol Fitness trainer in the making...or a ballerina...or mechanic...or warrior princess. She hasn't quite made up her mind yet. lol. She had a great time on my exercise bike today but even better time 'training' her sister, brother, Mummy and ML on it. "Just to make sure it works for you Auntie R...when you are well enough..." 

Yesterday we spoilt ourselves with an afternoon movie and went to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug...and I really loved it. It kept me entertained the entire time which is new because usually I find myself drifting off during the Tolkeinfests. But it was great to escape into the dark movie theatre... Right onto the very excellent salad recipe. 

Festive foods, that turn out to be so good...you know that you'll be eating them all year round. lol. That is exactly what happened with this salad. I chose the recipe just before Christmas from a recipe site and sadly again it's the work of the busy recipe creator...Anon. Grrrr! Anyway...lol. It intrigued me as I love the fresh crunch of an apple in a salad and I am always looking for new ways to eat green leafys so the baby spinach was another selection factor. I'm not usually one for dressing my salads because I have the whole 'oil' phobia but this dressing intrigued me because of the vinegar, oil and maple ratio. 

I served this salad as my starter course on Christmas Day and it smelt so good whilst I was putting it together that, as I plated it up my stomach was rumbling. From the first mouthful I was in food heaven...the freshness of the greens and cucumber...the crunch of the apple...the soft crunch of the pecans...and pulling it all together was the beautiful dressing. There was a hint of sharpness from the vinegar, a tang from the oil but the maple blended through them both and gave a slight sweetness. This salad was so good...I loved every part of it. And although I chose it for the festive menu...I can feel the beautiful spring lunches in the crisp apples...where it will perfect to eat...the cooling summer lunches in the cucumber...the warming autumnal lunches in the maple dressing. It is most definitely an all rounder...

Apple, Pecan, Baby Spinach Salad with Maple & Balsamic Dressing

Apple, Pecan, Baby Spinach Salad with Maple & Balsamic Dressing    Serves 1

2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 small Gala apple, cored and chopped
1/3 cup diced cucumber 
1/4 cup pecans 
2 tbsp sunflowers seeds 
2-3 tbsp Maple-Balsamic Dressing 

Dressing:

3 1/2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp pure Maple Syrup
2 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil 

Makes 1/2 cup 

Place all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified. Place the salad into a bowl and pour over the dressing and toss well to coat. Then arrange on a plate or eat straight from the bowl..lol. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Saturday has been a great one...

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is not my own and therefore I take no credit for its creation. But thank you to whoever did...~R~  

  

Isa & Terry's Chestnut & Lentil Pate

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Soundgarden ~ Taree
The Union ~ Siren's Song
Orianthi ~ Fire
Jem ~ On Top Of The World
Deep Dish ~ Flashdance 
Beth Rowley ~ Sweet Hours
Beth Hart ~ I'll Take Care Of You
Missy Higgins ~ All In My Head
Auf Der Maur ~ I Need I Want I Will
Faith No More ~ Ricochet
The Dodge Brothers ~ Churchhouse Blues
Mike Patton ~ Che Notte!
Jackson Browne ~ The Naked Ride Home
Nerina Pallot ~ Geek Love 

Can't silence be deafening? I've just had the most splendid day with my little nieces. I was just starting to make veggie lasagna for lunch when they arrived and in minutes they were strapped into their aprons and 'helping'. We had so much fun...and they only ate about half of the fillings and sauce..lol. I was so happy when Noo decided to start munching on raw broccoli and then decided to try orange and yellow peppers. She even had a side salad of them with her pasta. Happy, happy Auntie! It was an all round great day and I only wish my poor sister was getting some more sleep because she looked shattered. But they are now all gone and the house is silent once more...till next Saturday. So today's recipe...

I really enjoy a good pate and actively collect new recipes and create my own all the time. They are so versatile and I use them for sandwich fillings, toast toppers, jacket potato fillers, dips and also served inside salad veggies as a canape. I was flicking through my copy of Veganomican and this recipe caught my eye because I had two packets of vacuum packed chestnuts that were just on their sell by date. I always like a great pate in a tub in the fridge over the festive period so I have as little as possible to make. After all of the rich festive foods I enjoy a simple slice of toast with a spread of pate.  I have made one adaption to Isa's and Terry's original recipe...I used 2 tbsp garlic infused oil & 2 tbsp rapeseed/canola oil instead of their 1/4 cup of grapeseed. I just prefer the mellow garlic flavouring...and to be honest I forgot to add the fresh garlic to the cooking lentils..lol

The hardest part of this recipe is being patient whilst the lentils cook...lol. Then it's simply a matter of throwing everything in the processor and letting it do its magic. 

The pate is deeply satisfying and surprisingly light. No one ingredient overpowers the others and the flavour is rounded by the wholesome lentils and chestnuts. I've enjoyed it used as a canape, on toast and with salad in a sandwich. All were delicious...

Chestnut & Lentil Pate in Mini Pepper Boats

Chestnut & Lentil Pate (Adapted) Makes 2 cups of pate
(Recipe from Veganomican/Moskowitz/Romero)

1lb whole cooked chestnuts
1/2 cup french/puy lentils, rinsed and drained
2 1/3 cups of water for cooking lentils 
1/2 cup water for processing 
2 tbsp garlic infused oil
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1/4 tsp low sodium salt
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

In a small saucepan add the lentils and water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are tender. Drain well and then place in a processor with the chestnuts and blend a little. Then add the 1/2 cup of water and process until smooth. Add the oils, salt and parsley and blend again until smooth. If the mixture seems too thick add a little more water. It should be thicker than the consistency of hummus, by not by much. 

Place in a airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use. 

Gratuitous foodie close up shot...cute little boats, eh? lol

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your DAY has been a fantastic one....

~Red~   

NB: This is not my recipe so therefore I take no credit for it's creation. I merely adapted the very excellent recipe by Terry Hope Romero and Isa Chandra Moskowitz and send thanks to them for the great cookbooks. ~R~  

 

Erin's Shaved Brussels Sprout and Ginger Potstickers

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Black Eyed Peas ~ Pump It
Tina Dico ~ Magic
Thunder ~ Another Shot of Love (Live)
Marvin Gaye ~ Sexual Healing
Jamie Cullum ~ Can't We Be Friends
Buckcherry ~ Helpless
Cat Power ~ Lived In Bars
Michelle Branch ~ Goodbye To You
Colbie Cailat ~ Midnight Bottle 
Natalie Imbruglia ~ When You're Sleeping 
Stevie Nicks ~ Edge of Seventeen
The Thompson Twins ~ Love On Your Side
Chris Cornell ~ I Am The Highway (Live)
Dixie Chicks ~ Easy Silence 

What fun I had making these little babies...lol I have wanted to make dumplings/potstickers/whatever you call them...forever. I recently found a (new to me..) new Chinese supermarket in the city and was able to buy vegan wonton wrappers. They are not Gluten Free but it's a start...

I found this recipe posted randomly but the 'author' is credited as Erin Alderson. I knew just from reading the recipe title that I would love these so I was just left to see if I had the patience to make them. I was delighted to find out that not only did I have the patience but I also quite enjoyed it...I found the assembly as relaxing as chopping veggies. So major Zen time...lol. The filling is easy to make and relatively quick and the assembly is straight forward. Cooking them is a matter of moments also...but I did have a spectacular water onto oil moment which had me slamming on lids and ducking for cover....which lead to much laughter shared with my Mum. 

The results were a delight. I haven't enjoyed dumplings/potstickers as much as this since back in New York.  And if my memory serves me correctly these are much tastier. I have found the dumplings/potstickers I've had here in England...gloopy and tasteless. I cannot bear to eat the take out offerings and the restaurants I go to don't offer vegan dumpling/potsticker options. Now I know how easy it is to make them myself...I can't wait to get started creating my own fillings. These were 'just' a little chewy which I liked...the flavours of the fillings were sublime..citrus, herbs and heat from the ginger. Textures from the brussels filling with the tender/chewy wontons were for me a divine pleasure. 

Thank you Erin Alderson...if you are the creator of this recipe...thank you!  

Shaved Brussels Sprout and Ginger Potstickers

Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Ginger Potstickers   Makes 20 
(Recipe by Erin Alderson)

2 tsp sesame oil
1 small onion, minced
1 1/4 cup shaved Brussels Sprouts (Or finely chopped)
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp minced fresh coriander/cilantro 
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley 

20 vegan wonton wrappers 
1 tbsp sesame oil
Tamari, for topping 
Sesame Seeds, for topping

Heat the sesame oil in a skillet with a lid. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the Brussels Sprouts, lime juice and ginger, cooking until the brussels sprouts are bright in colour and just tender, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the coriander and parsley. 

Set up an assembly station with a small bowl of water, filling and the wrappers. Working with one wrapper at a time, place 1 tbsp filling in the middle, dip your finger in the water and run it along the entire edge of the wrapper. Fold both ends up and lightly pinch. Working with one side, pleat and pinch together so that once pleated, potsticker is closed. Repeat with remaining filling. 

If you want, you may now freeze any potstickers you may not use stop. Simply place on a tray so that no potsticker is touching each other and freeze. Once frozen you may then transfer to a container. When ready to eat, you can cook them from frozen - just allow for a little extra time. 

For cooking potstickers, heat a tbsp of sesame oil over a med-high heat. Place potstickers in pan so that no potsticker is touching. Cook for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes until the bottom is browned. Pour in 1/4 cup of water, place a tight fitting lid on the pan, and continue to cook for another 4 minutes or until the wrappers are tender. 

Serve with a drizzle of tamari and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Thursday is a great one...nearly the weekend folks! 

~Red~ the potsticker addict! lol