Category Archives: Asian

Mushroom & Tofu Noodle Bowl with a rich miso dressing

I felt like creating a bowl and using up what I had available.  As always, it’s all about the sauce! Feel free to substitute anything; I like a mix of cooked and raw items.  This one uses wholemeal linguine, rocket, shredded red cabbage, quick pickled red onions and then cooked mushrooms and grilled marinated tofu.


Mushroom & Tofu Miso Bowl
 
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Tofu, mushroom, rocket and red cabbage top off noodles with a creamy deeply umami miso dressing.
Author:
Recipe type: Bowl
Serves: -
Ingredients
  • Handful of rocket
  • Handful of finely shredded cabbage
  • Wholemeal linguine
  • Steamed broccoli
  • Marinated tofu, grilled
  • Quick pickled onions (finely shredded, tossed with white wine vinegar for 15 mins)
  • SAUCE: (makes enough for 8-10 servings)
  • ¾ cup soy milk
  • 2 tablespoons miso paste
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed / grated
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 tablespoon bottled teriyaki sauce
  • 1 tablespoon caramelised onion relish
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Prepare the other bowl ingredients (or substitute with your own options).
  2. Sauté the mushrooms whole in a large skillet with a lid until they are tender, using a dash of soy sauce or tamari to flavour.
  3. Marinate the tofu in soy sauce, vegetable stock and a little tomato paste for 30 mins, then cook on both sides in a medium pan, turning twice. I used a grill pan to get the stripes. You can also use a sandwich press.
  4. Whilst the pasta and broccoli are cooking, put all the sauce ingredients into blender and blend until very smooth and creamy.
  5. Arrange items in the bowl, top with the broccoli, tofu and mushrooms.
  6. Serve with the sauce to pour over.

 

“Macro Rice” with red cabbage & edamame

Another lifetime ago when I lived and worked in London there was a Cranks Wholefood Cafe not too far away from my office and I used to love their “macro rice” which was basically brown rice, ginger, soy, and toasted sesame seeds.  So comforting and deliciously simple!  I had a sudden craving for it the other day and so decided to reinvent it with some additions.  It did not disappoint.  I served mine with a little cubed avocado.  It should be just a little warm or at room temperature, though it is probably nice on a summer’s day, chilled.


Macro Rice Warm Salad
 
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Warm brown rice with finely chopped red cabbage, red onion, parsley, ginger and toasted sesame seeds.
Author:
Recipe type: Salad, Rice,
Cuisine: Macrobiotic / Japanese
Serves: 2-4 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ cup raw short grain or medium grain brown rice, cooked (around 1.5 cups cooked)
  • 1 cup very finely chopped red cabbage
  • ½ cup finely chopped parsley
  • ½ cup cooked edamame beans
  • ⅓ cup very finely chopped red onion or spring onions
  • 1 cup finely chopped baby spinach
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2-3 tablespoons tamari / soy sauce
  • 1-2 tablespoons sushi seasoning (seasoned sushi vinegar)
  • 2-3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • Optional: top with a little dried chopped chillies / cubed avocado
Instructions
  1. When the rice is still hot (do not rinse, it should be a little stickly and still with some moisture) put it in to a large bowl and mix in the cabbage parsley, onion and ginger.
  2. Once it has cooled a little add the baby spinach and soy sauce to taste, then stir in the toasted sesame seeds and sushi seasoning. Leave to sit for 5 minutes and serve at room temperature.

 

Thai Noodle Salad

I can’t believe it has taken a decade to get this recipe up on my page. I first had this type of salad at the Open Air Cinema in Sydney  and loved it so much I actually wrote to the catering company to ask for the recipe!  It has been amended and simplified a lot over the years to make it easier and quicker to make. Use any noodles you like; it works well with brown rice vermicelli, or wholemeal spaghetti.

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Thai Noodle Salad

Thai Noodle Salad
 
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Crunchy salad with noodles; make it as hot or mild as you choose and add any toppings you like. If you're short on time feel free to use a bag of prepared coleslaw instead of individual vegetables
Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Thai / Vietnamese
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 pack noodles – for 4 people
  • 1 red / other capsicum - finely sliced
  • ½ small white cabbage - shredded
  • 2 large carrots - grated
  • 4 spring onions - finely sliced
  • Optional: celery / other capsicums / marinated tofu pieces etc.
  • 1 cucumber finely chopped
  • 1 bunch coriander - well washed & finely chopped
  • 1 bunch mint - well washed & finely chopped
  • Sauce
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1-2 coriander roots, well washed
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup soy milk
  • 2 limes - juiced (2-3 tablespoons), & zested (1-2 tsp)
  • 2 T Sweet chilli sauce
  • 2 T Peanut butter
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves
  • Toppings:
  • Toasted peanuts
  • Toasted coconut flakes
  • Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Cook the noodles, rinse in cold water and set aside
  2. Meanwhile finely shred, chop or grate the vegetables to desired textures and place in a large bowl
  3. Add the herbs – finely chopped, and mix well
  4. Blend all the ingredients for the sauce except the lime leaves. Snip into them with a sharp knife or scissors and place into the dressing to infuse for at least 30 mins (gets stronger the longer you leave it).
  5. Mix the noodles with the vegetables, top with the sauce and mix thoroughly
  6. Top with toppings as liked

 

Poke Bowls

poke bowl

Poke Bowls
 
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I have used rice and quinoa but you can use any variety and mix of grains you like.
Author:
Recipe type: Bowl
Cuisine: Hawaiian / Japanese
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 rice cups brown rice, 1 rice cup quinoa
  • Use any vegetables you like, a variety of cooked and raw. In this example I used
  • purple cauliflower, grilled in a sandwich press
  • broccoli, steamed,
  • 1 large red capsicum, sliced and pan-fried still slightly carameiised
  • Bunch of spring onions
  • 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted,
  • ¼ white cabbage, finely shredded on a mandolin
  • 1 large red onion, sliced and steeped in red wine vinegar for 30 mins
  • ⅓ cup sunflower and pumpkin seed
  • ½ cucumber, sliced
  • 1 large avocado, cubed
  • 1 bag frozen edamame beans, defrosted
  • Slices of marinated tofu, cooked on the grill
  • Pickled sushi ginger
  • Sauce:
  • ½ cup sushi seasoning (we like the Obento brand),
  • ½ cup soy sauce,
  • 1 tsp crushed garlic (or paste from a jar)
  • 1 tsp finely grated ginger (or paste from a jar)
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 tablespoons date paste
  • Couple drops of toasted sesame oil (makes a huge difference)
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons chilli (paste, semi dried or flakes - up to you!)
Instructions
  1. Put the rice and quinoa into your rice cooker and fill level of water to 3.5 cups. If you've no pressure cooker or if you're short on time use precooked bags of rice / quinoa or grab some you've already made from your freezer and defrost (good tip!) Otherwise cook in your favourite way.
  2. Prepare your vegetables:
  3. Pickle the red onion
  4. Steam the broccoli, or microwave
  5. Finely slice the cabbage
  6. Stir fry the sliced capsicum, then dry toast the seeds in same pan
  7. Slice the spring onions
  8. Defrost / microwave edamame / peas
  9. Dice the avocado
  10. Grill the tofu
  11. Mix in a jug all the sauce ingredients, adjust to your liking
  12. When rice is cooked let everyone assemble their own bowls, top with the sauce.

 

Simple Suppers: Teriyaki Stir Fry


Simple Suppers: Teriyaki Stir Fry
 
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Author:
Serves: 5-7
Ingredients
  • SAUCE:
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 T tahini
  • 1 tsp dried ginger
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 8 dates
  • Blend together (makes more than you need)
  • ____________________________________
  • 850g pack stir fry veg bag
  • 200g edamame beans
  • 3-400g bag of sliced mushrooms
  • TO SERVE:
  • Cashews / Fresh coriander / Chilli
Instructions
  1. Put your noodles (or rice) on to cook.
  2. Blend the sauce ingredients together in blender and set aside
  3. When you are 10 mins from your starch being ready, heat a large deeo frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add the edamame beans, mushrooms and veggies to the hot pan and stir regularly until tender and water evaporated. Pour over as much of the sauce as you want, and serve with the hot noodles or rice. Top with your chosen garnishes.

 

 

Spicy Orange Noodles with Mushrooms, Kale & Edamame


Spicy Orange Noodles with Mushrooms, Kale & Edamame
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • SAUCE:
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon orange / mandarin zest
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed / chopped
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup / brown rice syrup
  • 1 teaspoon semi dried chilli / chilli flakes - adjust to suit
  • ¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
  • ½ cup soy milk
  • OTHER THINGS:
  • 350g wholewheat noodles or spaghetti
  • 1 cup podded edamame beans
  • ½ bunch kale, destemmed, finely shredded
  • 375g punnet sliced mushrooms
  • To serve: spring onions, finely chopped
Instructions
  1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for the noodles.
  2. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
  3. Prepare the beans, mushrooms and and kale.
  4. Put the shredded kale in to a large bowl and pour boiling water over it.
  5. Heat a large deep frying pan or wok and add the mushrooms.
  6. Once liquid is released add the kale and stir around.
  7. Once noodles are almost ready add the beans to the frying pan or wok and heat through. Cook for a few minutes until the kale is tender and most of liquid evaporated.
  8. Serve up the noodles into individual bowls, top with the vegeables and drizzle over the sauce.
  9. Sprinkle over the spring onions.

 

Lemongrass & Chilli-Lime Stir Fry


Lemongrass & Chilli-Lime Stir Fry
 
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Aromatic stir fry with Thai flavours and green vegetables. Serve with noodles or rice.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Thai
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 green chillies
  • 1 stick lemongrass
  • 2 zucchini
  • 1 green capsicum
  • 200g button / smallish mushrooms
  • 200g snow peas
  • 1 pack marinated tofu pieces
  • ½ cup salt reduced soy sauce
  • ½ cup apple juice
  • Juice and zest of a lime
  • 1 tablespoon of tahini
  • To Serve: Rice or Noodles, freshly chopped coriander
Instructions
  1. Put on your rice or noodles to cook.
  2. Peel the garlic, chop and deseed the chillies, peel and slice a finger-length piece of lemongrass and put them in a food processor or mini-chopper and pulse until finely chopped.
  3. Prep the veggies: slice the zucchini into thick half-moons, quarter the button mushrooms, slice the capsicum, and de-vein and slice the snow peas lengthwise.
  4. Rinse the tofu in a sieve with boiling water to remove oily marinade then cut into bite size pieces.
  5. If you are having noodles, check if they are ready, then drain and set aside.
  6. Heat a large wok or deep frying pan with a lid and add the lemongrass, chilli and garlic paste with a tablespoon of water and stir around for a couple of minutes. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, tofu and capsicum; mix well and put on the lid. Whisk together the apple juice, soy sauce, lime juice and zest and tahini.
  7. Add as much of the sauce as you like to the vegetables along with the snow peas and cook until they are bright green and still crisp. Add more if the sauce evaporates too much.
  8. Add the noodles to the pan or serve on top in individual bowls with the rice.
  9. Serve scattered with the chopped coriander leaves.

 

Mushroom Nasi Goreng

I’ve always loved this spicy Indonesian rice dish but until now I just couldn’t seem to infuse the flavours into the rice without using oil.  Finally I seem to have found a solution!  Hope you love this as much as my family did.


Mushroom Nasi Goreng
 
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Brown rice scented with garlic, ginger, citrus and chilli with plenty of mushrooms and finely shredded cabbage.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indonesian
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 4 cups cooked long grain brown rice
  • - SAUCE:
  • 3 cloves garlic, micro-planed / finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons lemon and or lime juice
  • 2cm piece ginger, finely chopped - a heaped tablespoon
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon chopped chillies - from a jar (add more if you like it really spicy!)
  • 1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
  • 4 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
  • VEGETABLES:
  • ¼ green cabbage, cored and finely chopped
  • 400g grams diced mushrooms - about 3-4 cups
  • 2 medium carrots, finely diced
  • 1 cup frozen / canned sweetcorn
  • To serve:
  • Toasted peanuts
  • Chopped fresh coriander
  • Limes - quartered
Instructions
  1. Put on your rice to cook if not already available. (This may delay your serving time).
  2. Finely chop, crush or microplane the garlic, place in a small bowl and pour over the lemon and or lime juice and stir. Soak the garlic in the lemon juice for 5 mins.
  3. Add all other sauce ingredients then mix well and allow to sit whilst you prep the vegetables.
  4. Sauté the onion, cabbage, mushrooms and carrots in a large deep frying pan with a lid. Once softened - about 5-7 mins - add the paste, stir thoroughly and keep stirring for a few minutes to , thoroughly distributing the sauce through the veg.
  5. Add the cooked rice and mix well, then add a cup of water and the sweetcorn. Stir well and allow to heat through.
  6. Put on the lid, turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 5-7 mins until the carrots are tender and the sauce is absorbed into the rice.
  7. Turn off the heat and allow to sit whilst you get ready to serve.
  8. Serve each bowl with a quarter of lime, and scatter with coriander, peanuts and hot sauce.

 

Sweet & Sour Tofu

I had a craving for this dish which I used to love as a child when we would very occasionally go to a Chinese restaurant.  Of course it wasn’t tofu back then, was probably chicken or pork but it was the way that sweet tangy sauce soaked into the rice that I loved so this satisfies that completely!  After trying a few recipes I found on the net, I combined the best of them plus a few variations to make this version.  We usually enjoy it with some steamed bok choi or broccoli on the side. You can also add other vegetables such as snow peas or bamboo shoots / beansprouts at the end if you like.


Sweet & Sour Tofu
 
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Cooking time may be extended depending on how long it takes to cook your rice. I use a rice cooker and ours takes around 30 minutes.
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 300g pack of firm tofu (we like to use smoked but plain is fine)
  • 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Juice from 1 400g can pineapple pieces
  • ½ cup water
  • Pineapple pieces from the can
  • 2 tablespoons brown unrefined sugar
  • 2 heaped teaspoons corn flour
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced / microplaned
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 large red capsicum cut into strips
  • 1 large green or yellow capsicum, cut into strips
  • 1 large red onion, sliced into strips
  • 1 small can water chestnuts, drained - optional
  • 4 tablespoons roasted cashews - optional
Instructions
  1. Put your brown ride on to cook
  2. Mix together the pineapple juice, vinegar, tomato ketchup, soy sauce and lime juice in a small bowl, whisk in the corn flour and water and mix thoroughly until smooth with no lumps. Put the tofu in to a shallow dish and pour the sauce over and leave to marinade.
  3. When then rice is almost ready heat a large non stick frying pan over a medium heat and saute the onion and peppers until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and stir around for 5 minutes, adding a tiny splash of water if any sticking is occurring. Put on the lid and allow to cook on a low heat for a further few minutes until peppers are tender.
  4. Add the tofu and sauce to the pan, along with the pineapple, water chestnuts and cashews. Stir consistently until the sauce thickens and becomes transparent. Add a splash more water as needed to create as much sauce as you'd like.
  5. Serve with the rice and accompanying vegetables as desired.

 

Cauliflower & Kale Dhal (pressure cooker)

cauliflower kale dhal

This was inspired by Fatfreevegan’s recipe for Dal Tadka, I wanted to include more veggies and tweaked the method and spices a little.

Cauliflower & Kale Dhal (pressure cooker)
 
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Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2 brown onions, chopped
  • 1 inch piece ginger, grated
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced, grated for finely chopped
  • 1 cup split red lentils
  • 3 cups water,
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder (optional)
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 3 cups small cauliflower florets
  • ½ bunch kale, de-stemmed & finely chopped
  • 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp chilli powder / to taste (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala / dhal spice mix / curry powder
Instructions
  1. Put rice on to cook if you are serving with rice.
  2. Heat the pressure cooker on brown function, add one of the onions, all the ginger and garlic and stir around for a minute, add a splash of water or stock if starts to stick.
  3. Add the lentils, water, stock powder if using, tomato, cauliflower, kale, cumin seeds, turmeric & salt and stir thoroughly.
  4. Lock down the lid and set to high pressure for 10 minutes.
  5. Whilst the dhal is cooking, heat a large frying pan and dry fry the onion with remaining spices for 5-10 minutes, over a medium heat. Use a lid to catch the steam and prevent them from sticking.
  6. Once the dhal is finished, release the steam and add the cooked onions and spices; stir well and serve.
  7. Great with mango chutney, freshly chopped coriander and a sprinkle of coconut if you wish.