Category: Asian

San choy bow (vegetarian)

naturalhealthconsciouslivingLeave a comment

I have made this dish a couple of times now and am feeling it is ready to share with you, because I am really happy with the flavour! It is such a cracking little meal… light, healthy + a great share plate!

You can really add what veggies you like to the mince, I’ve used onion, carrot + kale in my recipe – but you could try mushrooms, cabbage, water chestnuts etc.

A perfect appetiser, or main meal.

serves 4 

ingredients

  • 1 1/4 tsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 2 + 1/2 tbsp organic tamari
  • 1 tsp chilli + garlic sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp rice bran oil
  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic finely diced
  • 400g plant based mince
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 3 pieces of kale shredded
  • 1 drop ginger essential oil *foodgrade
  • 1 baby cos lettuce washed + leaves separated
  • 2 spring onions sliced
  • bean shoots
  • fresh chilli
  • lime wedges
  • sour cream (vegetarian) 

Make the sauce first. Combine the cornflour + water in a small bowl to make a smooth paste. Add the tamari, chilli + garlic sauce, sesame oil + rice wine vinegar. Stir until combined + set aside.

Heat the rice bran oil over a medium heat in a deep frypan. Saute the onion + garlic until translucent. Add the mince, continue to fry + break up the mince. Cook for five minutes. 

Add the carrot to the frypan, stir through + cook until the carrots soften a little. Add the kale.

Lastly, add the sauce and ginger essential oil and stir through.

Serve the mince in lettuce leaves. Top with spring onions, bean shoots, fresh chilli/chilli sauce + dollops of sour cream … lime wedges on the side!

 

Char Kway Teow (Vegetarian)

naturalhealthconsciouslivingLeave a comment

I’ve been cooking up a lot of Asian dishes of late – I can’t seem to get enough… and timely, considering our impending trip to Indonesia.

Today, I share with you, one of the most epic noodle dishes in the world… from the streets of Malaysia. Big smoky flavours, with contrasting textures – cooked over a high heat, and whipped up in next to no time.

This is my most favourite Asian dish (Pad Thai a close second), and it simply has to be made with fresh rice noodles.

ingredients

sesame oil
chilli paste *I used homemade
1/2 brown onion sliced
1 garlic clove finely diced
1 tsp grated ginger
4 pieces kai lan * cut stems into batons + leaves into halves
250g fried tofu *sliced into bite sized pieces
1 free range egg
1 pack fresh flat rice noodles *available from Asian supermarkets
4 tbsp organic tamari
white pepper
fresh chives
fresh sliced red chilli

method

Heat a generous amount of sesame oil in a wok over a medium – high heat. Add chilli paste to taste. Fry for 30 or so seconds.

Throw in the onion and sauté, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry quickly.

Add the kai lan stems (reserve the leaves) and the fried tofu. Continue to fry for a couple of minutes. Push the vegetables to one side of the wok, and crack the egg on the other other side. Wait until the bottom of the egg is slightly cooked, then scramble. Incorporate into the vegetables.

Add the noodles, kai lan leaves a good sprinkle of white pepper, and the tamari and fry until the noodles have all become loose.

Serve in noodle bowls, scattering fresh chives + chilli all over.

Keema with peas + Kachumber Salad (Vegetarian)

naturalhealthconsciousliving1 Comment

A little spicy Indian inspired meal, this one. It’s probably not super traditional – but it’s my take on it!

Keema is ground or minced meat – with a curry flavour. Here, obviously my version is vegetarian – where I use a plant based mince. It can be made in one pan, in as little as 15 minutes.

You can get your Keema cooking, whilst you prepare the salad.

Perfect for four x

Keema

400g plant based mince
1 peeled brown onion
1 heaped tbsp ghee
1 inch long piece of ginger
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh peas

to serve

steamed white rice
natural yoghurt
fresh sliced chillies, or chilli flakes
fresh coriander leaves
lime wedges
gf flat breads

method

Place your onion, ginger and garlic cloves in a mini chopper. Pulse until very fine (this is so you don’t have large chunks of onion in your mince).

Heat the ghee in a deep based frypan over a medium – high heat. Add the onion mixture to the frypan. Sauté until translucent. Add your mince and cook until there is no moisture. Add the ground spices, stir and cook for a further minute. Add the water and stir. Turn down to low – medium heat, over and allow the mince to continue to cook until all the water is evaporated.

Add the peas and stir through.

Serve on steamed rice with a dollop of yoghurt, scatter with chilli and coriander leaves. Squeeze fresh lime on top.

KACHUMBER SALAD

Kachumber Salad

1 small cos lettuce
1/4 red onion sliced thinly
1 lebanese cucumber *cut into rounds
400g organic chickpeas *drained
3 tomatoes chopped
fresh coriander leaves
8 fresh mint leaves
1 lime juice
evoo
2 tsp toasted cumin seeds
sea salt
chill flakes

method

Wash + cut your lettuce into bit sized pieces. Add to a large bowl. Throw in the sliced onion, cucumber, chickpeas and tomatoes. Mix through.

Add the juice of a lime + a good drizzle of evoo. Season with sea salt and chilli flakes. Throw in the toasted cumin seeds.

Slice the mint finely and add to the salad. Add the coriander leaves. Mix through.

Serve alongside the keema, rice + flat bread.