Simple Microwave Meals In 10 Minutes Or Less

Becoming a great chef is easier than you might think. When cooking, it's fine to experiment with different things, so that you can discover your strengths and weaknesses. The following advice is exactly what you need to become a better cook and increase your repertoire of dishes. Use the following advice and you can greatly improve your skills in the kitchen.

bake tart or pie crusts longer that you think they should be baked. Go past the usual pale tan color and take them to a caramel gold. The golden color is a sign that the sugars in the crust have finally caramelized.

Apples spoil quickly if stored incorrectly. Apples need to be kept loosely in plastic bags while in your refrigerator or basement because they rot in dry, warm air. One bad apple will quickly ruin the other apples.

Dried and frozen ingredients should never be used over fresh ingredients if you want to get the most out of your cooking. Fresh ingredients are often inexpensive, and can help bring a lot of flavor out of your dish.

Do you find it tough to know the right amount of grilling time for different cuts of meat? The best way to be sure that your meat has cooked fully is to test it with a digital meat thermometer near the center of the thickest part of the meat. If you are grilling a thicker piece of meat (over 1.5 inches), close your grill while cooking to save some time.

Burgers will often stick to a grill. Once they are stuck it can be very difficult to get them off of the grill and have them still maintain their shape. Brushing vegetable oil on the grill will help keep your food from sticking.

Optimize your efforts when making your own chicken stock. Plan to make a big pot of stock so you can freeze and store it. Good homemade chicken stock is a wonderful base in soups, stews, casseroles and more. First, cool the stock and then stick it in the freezer.

If serving salad, keep the dressing on the side, rather than pouring it on the salad. Some people enjoy lots of dressing when eating salads so it is important that each person add their own dressing. Offering a variety of dressing for their salad is the best way to make sure that all guests are happy.

It is vital for cooks to have their supplies organized when cooking. If they are not properly organized, you will wind up rummaging around to find what you need. Try to keep things with similar purposes in proximity to one another. For instance, put all your spices together in one cabinet.

Every six months to one year, replace spices that have grown dull. The flavor of spices diminishes if they sit around for too long. If you do not think you will use all of the spice within six months, split it with a friend.

After purchasing fruits that are not quite ripe, store them in a plastic bag that is perforated with holes. As fruits ripen, they produce a gas called ethylene. Bags with holes will prevent already-ripened fruit from rotting, since the ethylene gas can escape; on the other hand, under-ripened fruit benefits from a bag without holes, since the gas that causes ripening is retained.

Try out the tips from this article for improved cooking experiences. Try each of these tips to see if they work for you. Practicing the concepts put forth here will help you become a better cook. Improve your cooking skills significantly in under a week by adding these tips to your arsenal of kitchen tricks.

There are many ways to help you take advantage of easy cooking ideas but you have to select the best service that can provide assistance to you. By clicking here, you can get more information on how to cook foods in no time without sacrificing its taste.

Becoming a great chef is easier than you might think. When cooking, it's fine to experiment with different things, so that you can discover your strengths and weaknesses. The following advice is exactly what you need to become a better cook and increase your repertoire of dishes. Use the following advice and you can greatly improve your skills in the kitchen.

bake tart or pie crusts longer that you think they should be baked. Go past the usual pale tan color and take them to a caramel gold. The golden color is a sign that the sugars in the crust have finally caramelized.

Apples spoil quickly if stored incorrectly. Apples need to be kept loosely in plastic bags while in your refrigerator or basement because they rot in dry, warm air. One bad apple will quickly ruin the other apples.

Dried and frozen ingredients should never be used over fresh ingredients if you want to get the most out of your cooking. Fresh ingredients are often inexpensive, and can help bring a lot of flavor out of your dish.

Do you find it tough to know the right amount of grilling time for different cuts of meat? The best way to be sure that your meat has cooked fully is to test it with a digital meat thermometer near the center of the thickest part of the meat. If you are grilling a thicker piece of meat (over 1.5 inches), close your grill while cooking to save some time.

Burgers will often stick to a grill. Once they are stuck it can be very difficult to get them off of the grill and have them still maintain their shape. Brushing vegetable oil on the grill will help keep your food from sticking.

Optimize your efforts when making your own chicken stock. Plan to make a big pot of stock so you can freeze and store it. Good homemade chicken stock is a wonderful base in soups, stews, casseroles and more. First, cool the stock and then stick it in the freezer.

If serving salad, keep the dressing on the side, rather than pouring it on the salad. Some people enjoy lots of dressing when eating salads so it is important that each person add their own dressing. Offering a variety of dressing for their salad is the best way to make sure that all guests are happy.

It is vital for cooks to have their supplies organized when cooking. If they are not properly organized, you will wind up rummaging around to find what you need. Try to keep things with similar purposes in proximity to one another. For instance, put all your spices together in one cabinet.

Every six months to one year, replace spices that have grown dull. The flavor of spices diminishes if they sit around for too long. If you do not think you will use all of the spice within six months, split it with a friend.

After purchasing fruits that are not quite ripe, store them in a plastic bag that is perforated with holes. As fruits ripen, they produce a gas called ethylene. Bags with holes will prevent already-ripened fruit from rotting, since the ethylene gas can escape; on the other hand, under-ripened fruit benefits from a bag without holes, since the gas that causes ripening is retained.

Try out the tips from this article for improved cooking experiences. Try each of these tips to see if they work for you. Practicing the concepts put forth here will help you become a better cook. Improve your cooking skills significantly in under a week by adding these tips to your arsenal of kitchen tricks.

There are many ways to help you take advantage of easy cooking ideas but you have to select the best service that can provide assistance to you. By clicking here, you can get more information on how to cook foods in no time without sacrificing its taste.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Enjoy Excellent Meals with Restaurant Vouchers In London (bonner david)

Everyone likes to fancy a pleasant meal out from time to time. However, ingestion call at restaurants typically will get terribly costly. One among the ways that to continue enjoying meals at some nice places is to use restaurant vouchers. After you use eating house vouchers you'll save wide amounts of cash and still explore varied restaurants and cuisines. With simply to a small degree effort, vouchers are often the perfect answer to several evenings out.

The first factor you ought to perceive once victimization eating house vouchers is wherever to seek out them. There are a unit many places and once you get into the habit of assembling them, you may have a spread of selections that you just will use for whenever you would like to possess a meal out. Newspapers, native periodicals and magazines area unit nice sources for vouchers. There also are fliers and advertisements that start off often to the house. The web is differently to seek out restaurant vouchers. Several eating house websites and review sites have obtainable vouchers for native eateries.

Stay organized once victimization restaurant vouchers. A good plan is to stay them organized by form of preparation. After you area unit within the mood for a selected form of food you'll see that restaurants you have got vouchers for and choose between them. A victimization restaurant voucher is additionally a good thanks to explore varied restaurants round the space within which you reside. You'll attempt a replacement place and not pay lots of cash if you are doing not adore it. You'll even notice a replacement place that you just will become a daily patron of.

If you have got a eating house you're interest in, you'll forever contact them to ascertain if they need any obtainable restaurant vouchers and wherever to seek out them. As a result of the eating house business is therefore competitive, several area unit willing at hand out vouchers so as to garner new people. There's no damage in asking and you will simply get a good deal.

Using restaurant vouchers could be a good way to avoid wasting some cash and revel in a decent meal. For families this can be associate degree particularly helpful thanks to have a family dinner whereas not breaking the bank. Singles on a good budget may also depart from time to time and have extra money for once dinner to travel to a club or bar nonetheless still have an honest meal. There's no reason to prevent going bent on eat once on a budget. With the employment of vouchers you'll still fancy smart meals out whereas saving cash.

Your 12 months of artful dining

Your Topnosh dining card treats you and your guests to 12 months' half price and 2-4-1 dining at an ever-growing list of restaurants, bistros, gastro pubs and other eateries throughout UK and Ireland.
Even better, your delicious Topnosh discounts don't limit you to using special menus or vouchers.

Each restaurant simply chooses how and when the Topnosh discount will apply and how many times you may benefit. All you do is order whatever you like from their usual menu - for less.

Topnosh is a popular web page for restaurant vouchers
,vouchers restaurantsFor clients website contains lot of hot offers on every item to get the best discount restaurants offer, restaurant deals. You just register your e-mail ID on web page and get the whole details about London offers.

Everyone likes to fancy a pleasant meal out from time to time. However, ingestion call at restaurants typically will get terribly costly. One among the ways that to continue enjoying meals at some nice places is to use restaurant vouchers. After you use eating house vouchers you'll save wide amounts of cash and still explore varied restaurants and cuisines. With simply to a small degree effort, vouchers are often the perfect answer to several evenings out.

The first factor you ought to perceive once victimization eating house vouchers is wherever to seek out them. There are a unit many places and once you get into the habit of assembling them, you may have a spread of selections that you just will use for whenever you would like to possess a meal out. Newspapers, native periodicals and magazines area unit nice sources for vouchers. There also are fliers and advertisements that start off often to the house. The web is differently to seek out restaurant vouchers. Several eating house websites and review sites have obtainable vouchers for native eateries.

Stay organized once victimization restaurant vouchers. A good plan is to stay them organized by form of preparation. After you area unit within the mood for a selected form of food you'll see that restaurants you have got vouchers for and choose between them. A victimization restaurant voucher is additionally a good thanks to explore varied restaurants round the space within which you reside. You'll attempt a replacement place and not pay lots of cash if you are doing not adore it. You'll even notice a replacement place that you just will become a daily patron of.

If you have got a eating house you're interest in, you'll forever contact them to ascertain if they need any obtainable restaurant vouchers and wherever to seek out them. As a result of the eating house business is therefore competitive, several area unit willing at hand out vouchers so as to garner new people. There's no damage in asking and you will simply get a good deal.

Using restaurant vouchers could be a good way to avoid wasting some cash and revel in a decent meal. For families this can be associate degree particularly helpful thanks to have a family dinner whereas not breaking the bank. Singles on a good budget may also depart from time to time and have extra money for once dinner to travel to a club or bar nonetheless still have an honest meal. There's no reason to prevent going bent on eat once on a budget. With the employment of vouchers you'll still fancy smart meals out whereas saving cash.

Your 12 months of artful dining

Your Topnosh dining card treats you and your guests to 12 months' half price and 2-4-1 dining at an ever-growing list of restaurants, bistros, gastro pubs and other eateries throughout UK and Ireland.
Even better, your delicious Topnosh discounts don't limit you to using special menus or vouchers.

Each restaurant simply chooses how and when the Topnosh discount will apply and how many times you may benefit. All you do is order whatever you like from their usual menu - for less.

Topnosh is a popular web page for restaurant vouchers
,vouchers restaurantsFor clients website contains lot of hot offers on every item to get the best discount restaurants offer, restaurant deals. You just register your e-mail ID on web page and get the whole details about London offers.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

How Chefs All Over the World Create Meals For People With Diabetes (Andy Salazar)

It is believed that primarily due to lifestyle choices diabetes is on the rise and can be prevented with some care and some changes in the respective lifestyle.

Chefs all over the world while preparing meals for diabetics tend to take some measures in to count so that the people who have diabetes can also enjoy their meal properly.

Experts say that one should try to lose weight if he or she is borderline diabetic, as losing even 5 to 10% of the total weight would help in reducing the blood sugar level considerably apart from lowering blood pressure and cholesterol level in the system.

There should be certain changes that should be made to the daily eating habits so that a healthier lifestyle can be adopted. And not necessarily the changes have to be drastic but some minor adjustments like replacing white rice consumption with brown rice, instead of white bread, consume whole wheat or wholegrain bread etc.

Also, according to the chefs one should include lot of non starchy vegetables and fruits in the diet for daily consumption. One should also limit intake of concentrated sweets such as candies, chocolate bars, ice cream etc. Alcohol should be totally avoided and the consumption of soft drinks should also be stopped.

It is best if one can cook with olive oil instead of ghee, butter and vegetable oil. Beans are believed to be great source of dietary fiber and should be made a part of daily diet. These are also believed to lower blood sugar levels to a great extent. Chefs believe that meals comprising fish is also a healthy dish which can be served to the diabetics.

You need to eat fish because it is a good source of omega 3fatty acids and help to keep your arteries clear. As much as you should avoid fatty foods and fatty meats, you can always go for lean meats like chicken breast etc. And if you cook it in slow cooker most of the nutrients can be retained and the flavor also turns out to be pretty good.

Nuts are considered to be good source of vitamin E and any meal which comprises of them is considered consumable and healthy. Fresh yogurt which is rich in protein is considered healthy and is believed to help you lose weight as well.

Another important kitchen ingredient which most of the time goes unnoticed but has immense benefits is cinnamon. It is believed that just by sprinkling cinnamon on the food and consuming it one can lower blood sugar level to a great extent.

It is advisable to totally avoid junk food, fried food and oily dishes as they don't have any positive impact on your body and only burden your system with unnecessary fat.

If you sometimes feel the urge to munch on something you can think about snacking on apples, cheese, homemade popcorn, plain biscuits etc. While eating you need to remember that moderation is the key and by choosing to eat healthy you are just helping yourself to lead a better life.

Reader, writer, reviewer for Being Grand Kitchen Table Talk, the food and beverages site with recipes and healthy eats for diabetics, and what women talk about around the kitchen table.

It is believed that primarily due to lifestyle choices diabetes is on the rise and can be prevented with some care and some changes in the respective lifestyle.

Chefs all over the world while preparing meals for diabetics tend to take some measures in to count so that the people who have diabetes can also enjoy their meal properly.

Experts say that one should try to lose weight if he or she is borderline diabetic, as losing even 5 to 10% of the total weight would help in reducing the blood sugar level considerably apart from lowering blood pressure and cholesterol level in the system.

There should be certain changes that should be made to the daily eating habits so that a healthier lifestyle can be adopted. And not necessarily the changes have to be drastic but some minor adjustments like replacing white rice consumption with brown rice, instead of white bread, consume whole wheat or wholegrain bread etc.

Also, according to the chefs one should include lot of non starchy vegetables and fruits in the diet for daily consumption. One should also limit intake of concentrated sweets such as candies, chocolate bars, ice cream etc. Alcohol should be totally avoided and the consumption of soft drinks should also be stopped.

It is best if one can cook with olive oil instead of ghee, butter and vegetable oil. Beans are believed to be great source of dietary fiber and should be made a part of daily diet. These are also believed to lower blood sugar levels to a great extent. Chefs believe that meals comprising fish is also a healthy dish which can be served to the diabetics.

You need to eat fish because it is a good source of omega 3fatty acids and help to keep your arteries clear. As much as you should avoid fatty foods and fatty meats, you can always go for lean meats like chicken breast etc. And if you cook it in slow cooker most of the nutrients can be retained and the flavor also turns out to be pretty good.

Nuts are considered to be good source of vitamin E and any meal which comprises of them is considered consumable and healthy. Fresh yogurt which is rich in protein is considered healthy and is believed to help you lose weight as well.

Another important kitchen ingredient which most of the time goes unnoticed but has immense benefits is cinnamon. It is believed that just by sprinkling cinnamon on the food and consuming it one can lower blood sugar level to a great extent.

It is advisable to totally avoid junk food, fried food and oily dishes as they don't have any positive impact on your body and only burden your system with unnecessary fat.

If you sometimes feel the urge to munch on something you can think about snacking on apples, cheese, homemade popcorn, plain biscuits etc. While eating you need to remember that moderation is the key and by choosing to eat healthy you are just helping yourself to lead a better life.

Reader, writer, reviewer for Being Grand Kitchen Table Talk, the food and beverages site with recipes and healthy eats for diabetics, and what women talk about around the kitchen table.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Cornmeal-Crusted Tempeh with Orange Ginger Sauce- Vegan MOFO Day 18

I got the vegan table out of the library weeks ago and this is the one dish that I have made so far. I was a bit dissapointed with the tempeh, it tasted quite bitter from the polenta or maybe the gf flour and wasn't what I expected but the ginger orange sauce was awesome and really easy to make. I've made several orange based sauces in the past but this one is my fave. I will try it with other stir fry dishes and makes a great weeknight dinner sauce. Any other dishes I should try to make from the vegan table before I return it?

 

For Tempeh:

2 packages (225gr) tempeh

1/2 cup unbleached flour (I used a packet orgran gf flour)

1/2 cup coarse cornmeal (polenta)

1 t thyme

1 t basil

1 t oregano

1 t paprila

1/2 t salt

1/2 pepper

1 cup nondariy milk

2 T dijon mustard

1 T olive oil

2 cups cooked quinoa

For the Sauce:

1 red onion, cut lengthwise into thin crescents

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups fresh orange juice

1/4 cup tamari soy sauce

1/2 t red pepper flakes

2 T fresh ginger

2 T cornstarch or arrowroot mixtured into 2 tablespoon of water

1 mandarin orange or 1 can of 280 gram mandarins peeled and cut into quarter (I left this out)

To make the tempeh, cut tempeh into strips and steam for 10 minutes.

Mix flour, polenta, herbs, salt and pepper. In another bowl mix milk and mustard. Coat tempeh into milk mixture and then dry ingredientta. Cook tempeh in frypan over med-high heat until brown on both sides.

To make the sauce, mix all of the ingredients (except for orange segments, ginger and cornstarch mixture). Simmer for 15 minutes, add ginger and cornstarch mixture to thicken. Remove from heat, add orange segments.

Serve tempeh on quinoa with sauce. We added some spinach too. 

I got the vegan table out of the library weeks ago and this is the one dish that I have made so far. I was a bit dissapointed with the tempeh, it tasted quite bitter from the polenta or maybe the gf flour and wasn't what I expected but the ginger orange sauce was awesome and really easy to make. I've made several orange based sauces in the past but this one is my fave. I will try it with other stir fry dishes and makes a great weeknight dinner sauce. Any other dishes I should try to make from the vegan table before I return it?

 

For Tempeh:

2 packages (225gr) tempeh

1/2 cup unbleached flour (I used a packet orgran gf flour)

1/2 cup coarse cornmeal (polenta)

1 t thyme

1 t basil

1 t oregano

1 t paprila

1/2 t salt

1/2 pepper

1 cup nondariy milk

2 T dijon mustard

1 T olive oil

2 cups cooked quinoa

For the Sauce:

1 red onion, cut lengthwise into thin crescents

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups fresh orange juice

1/4 cup tamari soy sauce

1/2 t red pepper flakes

2 T fresh ginger

2 T cornstarch or arrowroot mixtured into 2 tablespoon of water

1 mandarin orange or 1 can of 280 gram mandarins peeled and cut into quarter (I left this out)

To make the tempeh, cut tempeh into strips and steam for 10 minutes.

Mix flour, polenta, herbs, salt and pepper. In another bowl mix milk and mustard. Coat tempeh into milk mixture and then dry ingredientta. Cook tempeh in frypan over med-high heat until brown on both sides.

To make the sauce, mix all of the ingredients (except for orange segments, ginger and cornstarch mixture). Simmer for 15 minutes, add ginger and cornstarch mixture to thicken. Remove from heat, add orange segments.

Serve tempeh on quinoa with sauce. We added some spinach too. 

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Creamy Corn-Crusted Tempeh Pot Pie - Vegan MOFO Day 14

Tempeh is a totally awesome ingredient to cook with.  I have used it to make the famous tempeh "bacon", my Cantonese style "steak" and Masterchef pressure test stroganoff.  

Last week, I made the Creamy Corn-Crusted Tempeh Pot Pie from Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan.  I made a few substitutions and omitted a few ingredients but it still tasted very yummy!  

I don't think I should post the recipe as the author hasn't shared it on-line. It is like the Chilean version of shepherd pie but tastier. We both like the crispy but smooth corn topping a lot!  K doesn't like olives, so I skipped it (and the fresh basil leaves that we don't have).  I also used dried cherries instead of dark raisins (as I couldn't be bothered to go to the shops again).

  

yum

shaved Cheezly for extra awesomeness 

Tempeh is a totally awesome ingredient to cook with.  I have used it to make the famous tempeh "bacon", my Cantonese style "steak" and Masterchef pressure test stroganoff.  

Last week, I made the Creamy Corn-Crusted Tempeh Pot Pie from Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan.  I made a few substitutions and omitted a few ingredients but it still tasted very yummy!  

I don't think I should post the recipe as the author hasn't shared it on-line. It is like the Chilean version of shepherd pie but tastier. We both like the crispy but smooth corn topping a lot!  K doesn't like olives, so I skipped it (and the fresh basil leaves that we don't have).  I also used dried cherries instead of dark raisins (as I couldn't be bothered to go to the shops again).

  

yum

shaved Cheezly for extra awesomeness 

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Spabetties Seven Layer Tacos- Vegan MOFO Day 13

It was only a matter of time before I blogged about a recipe from a vegan mofo post as I have been

bookmarking so many new recipes,so many great ideas!

These are delicious, and I love the idea of quinoa in tacos so much more nutritious than my previous tacos. I loved the cashew cheese too. Really need to make cashew cheese more often.

Here is the recipe from xgfx blog, she also has her own blog here.

 Seven layer tacos Ok so technically six, since I omitted the olives.

The Layers:

1. jalapeno beans
2. salsa spiced quinoa
3. noocho cheese sauce
4. chopped lettuce and scallions
5. chopped tomatoes
6. cubed avocado
7. jalapeno soaked olives

Layer in hard corn taco shells, or in a serving dish as a seven layer dip. I have served these in small bowls as individual dips as well. No measurements for this – make as little or as much as you want, with layers as thick or thin as you want.
Base layer – canned pinto beans (drained) and chopped jalapeno:  2 cans beans and 2 seeded jalapenos, processed in food processor to a blend of chunky/creamy. I also fried this for a few minutes so it was warm and used chilli flakes.
Second layer – salsa spiced quinoa – quinoa cooked with dried and powdered “salsa flavors” added to the water: I used 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, I added 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons chili flakes, 1 teaspoon chili powder, bring to boil then simmer 25 minutes.
Third layer – noocho cheese sauce / dip. Recipe follows.
Fourth through seventh layers – layer the lettuce and scallions, then tomato, then avocado, then olives.


This noocho cheese has gained notoriety as well – it is a favorite in our house and many others. A perfect blend of spicy heat, a subtle buttery sweet from cashews, and the cheesy nutritional yeast – my cravings for this border on obsessive.

noocho cheese sauce

vegan, gluten free, dairy free
1 cup raw cashews, soaked
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce (we used less as we are wusses when it comes to heat)
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Begin with soaked cashews – process alone to an almost creamy consistency. Add lemon juice, Tabasco and a couple tablespoons of the water – continue processing until smooth. While processing, add garlic, nutritional yeast, paprika, chili and onion powders, stopping to scrape sides. Add water until desired consistency is reached – more water for sauce, less for dip.

It was only a matter of time before I blogged about a recipe from a vegan mofo post as I have been

bookmarking so many new recipes,so many great ideas!

These are delicious, and I love the idea of quinoa in tacos so much more nutritious than my previous tacos. I loved the cashew cheese too. Really need to make cashew cheese more often.

Here is the recipe from xgfx blog, she also has her own blog here.

 Seven layer tacos Ok so technically six, since I omitted the olives.

The Layers:

1. jalapeno beans
2. salsa spiced quinoa
3. noocho cheese sauce
4. chopped lettuce and scallions
5. chopped tomatoes
6. cubed avocado
7. jalapeno soaked olives

Layer in hard corn taco shells, or in a serving dish as a seven layer dip. I have served these in small bowls as individual dips as well. No measurements for this – make as little or as much as you want, with layers as thick or thin as you want.
Base layer – canned pinto beans (drained) and chopped jalapeno:  2 cans beans and 2 seeded jalapenos, processed in food processor to a blend of chunky/creamy. I also fried this for a few minutes so it was warm and used chilli flakes.
Second layer – salsa spiced quinoa – quinoa cooked with dried and powdered “salsa flavors” added to the water: I used 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, I added 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons chili flakes, 1 teaspoon chili powder, bring to boil then simmer 25 minutes.
Third layer – noocho cheese sauce / dip. Recipe follows.
Fourth through seventh layers – layer the lettuce and scallions, then tomato, then avocado, then olives.


This noocho cheese has gained notoriety as well – it is a favorite in our house and many others. A perfect blend of spicy heat, a subtle buttery sweet from cashews, and the cheesy nutritional yeast – my cravings for this border on obsessive.

noocho cheese sauce

vegan, gluten free, dairy free
1 cup raw cashews, soaked
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce (we used less as we are wusses when it comes to heat)
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Begin with soaked cashews – process alone to an almost creamy consistency. Add lemon juice, Tabasco and a couple tablespoons of the water – continue processing until smooth. While processing, add garlic, nutritional yeast, paprika, chili and onion powders, stopping to scrape sides. Add water until desired consistency is reached – more water for sauce, less for dip.

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Taiwanese Marinated Tofu - Vegan MOFO Day 10

When I first turned vegan, I ate a lot of Taiwanese marinated dried tofu from the packet.  They are almost like jerky and go very well with booze.  But most of them are full of preservatives and artificial flavour enhancers.   

When I was researching authentic Taiwanese vegetarian recipes to veganize and de-gultenize, I came across this amazing marinated dried tofu recipe. (in Chinese).  The original author didn't specify the quantities but I just estimated by the look of the photos with a bit of common sense.  

What you need are:

Oil (I used 4 tablespoons for the 1st time and 1/2 cup for the 2nd time)  

Dried tofu (I chopped up two blocks of Yenson Dry Tofu) 

Whole Star Anises (I used 10)

Szechuan pepper (I used 2 tablespoons)

Dried chilli pepper (I used 1 tablespoon chilli flakes)

Rock sugar  (I used around 1/2 cup)

Gluten-free soy sauce (I used 4 tablespoons for the 1st time and 1/2 cup for the 2nd time)

Instruction :

1) Brown the tofu with a little bit of oil (I didn't do it for the first time and the result wasn't very good) and set a side.

2) Add whole star Anises, Sichuan pepper, dried chilli pepper and oil in a cold wok or fry pan, cook in low heat until fragrant.  

3) Melt rock sugar (you might want to break them up first) to the wok/fry pan   

4) Add tofu and gluten-free soy sauce in and cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, stir occasionally  

5) Drain the marinade out and serve. You can keep the marinade and reuse for another time.

I didn't use much oil and gluten-free soy sauce and it wasn't good enough.

I nailed it the second time!

You can also add some peanuts (dry roasted in the wok/on the fry pan first) when you cook the tofu.

It is a great snack or dinner when paired with vegies and rice!

When I first turned vegan, I ate a lot of Taiwanese marinated dried tofu from the packet.  They are almost like jerky and go very well with booze.  But most of them are full of preservatives and artificial flavour enhancers.   

When I was researching authentic Taiwanese vegetarian recipes to veganize and de-gultenize, I came across this amazing marinated dried tofu recipe. (in Chinese).  The original author didn't specify the quantities but I just estimated by the look of the photos with a bit of common sense.  

What you need are:

Oil (I used 4 tablespoons for the 1st time and 1/2 cup for the 2nd time)  

Dried tofu (I chopped up two blocks of Yenson Dry Tofu) 

Whole Star Anises (I used 10)

Szechuan pepper (I used 2 tablespoons)

Dried chilli pepper (I used 1 tablespoon chilli flakes)

Rock sugar  (I used around 1/2 cup)

Gluten-free soy sauce (I used 4 tablespoons for the 1st time and 1/2 cup for the 2nd time)

Instruction :

1) Brown the tofu with a little bit of oil (I didn't do it for the first time and the result wasn't very good) and set a side.

2) Add whole star Anises, Sichuan pepper, dried chilli pepper and oil in a cold wok or fry pan, cook in low heat until fragrant.  

3) Melt rock sugar (you might want to break them up first) to the wok/fry pan   

4) Add tofu and gluten-free soy sauce in and cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, stir occasionally  

5) Drain the marinade out and serve. You can keep the marinade and reuse for another time.

I didn't use much oil and gluten-free soy sauce and it wasn't good enough.

I nailed it the second time!

You can also add some peanuts (dry roasted in the wok/on the fry pan first) when you cook the tofu.

It is a great snack or dinner when paired with vegies and rice!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Shepherds Pie- Vegan Mofo Day 6

This is one of the first recipes I made in my early vegan days and one of the few savoury dishes that my omni family loves. I made a bit batch of it on the weekend so Toby and I could have one casserole dish and then gave the other one to my mother who just returned from holiday. She always does this generous thing of making us dishes such as lasagna when we have returned from overseas trips so we don't need to cook for our first few meals so I really wanted to repay the favour. It is a fair bit of work so I recommend making heaps so it lasts and is worth the effort.

Shepherds Pie from How it All Vegan (I recommend doubling it at least)

Filling:

1 small or medium onion, chopped
3 small carrots, chopped
1/2 cup spinach, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup cooked or canned green lentils, mashed
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt 1-3 teaspoons soy sauce (taste accordingly)

Topping: (I tend to make more as I love mashed potatoes)
3 medium potatoes, roughly chopped
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tbsp margarine or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pot of water, boil the chopped potatoes until they can be pierced easily with a fork. Toby tends to follow this method of mashed potatoes which does result in superior mashed potatoes, he just uses margarine and no buttermilk. In a medium saucepan, saute the onions, carrots, spinach, celery, and tomatoes in the oil. Once carrots are tender, add the mashed lentils, basil, salt soy sauce, and pepper. Stir and simmer without a lid until the liquid cooks off.

Meanwhile, mash potatoes. Pour the vegetable mixture into a lightly oiled pie plate and then layer the mashed potatoes over top. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.

 I loaned my copy of how it all vegan to someone but can't remember who. If you find a copy and it has a smiley face next to this recipe and a few others its mine so please email me so I know where it is!

This is one of the first recipes I made in my early vegan days and one of the few savoury dishes that my omni family loves. I made a bit batch of it on the weekend so Toby and I could have one casserole dish and then gave the other one to my mother who just returned from holiday. She always does this generous thing of making us dishes such as lasagna when we have returned from overseas trips so we don't need to cook for our first few meals so I really wanted to repay the favour. It is a fair bit of work so I recommend making heaps so it lasts and is worth the effort.

Shepherds Pie from How it All Vegan (I recommend doubling it at least)

Filling:

1 small or medium onion, chopped
3 small carrots, chopped
1/2 cup spinach, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup cooked or canned green lentils, mashed
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt 1-3 teaspoons soy sauce (taste accordingly)

Topping: (I tend to make more as I love mashed potatoes)
3 medium potatoes, roughly chopped
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tbsp margarine or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pot of water, boil the chopped potatoes until they can be pierced easily with a fork. Toby tends to follow this method of mashed potatoes which does result in superior mashed potatoes, he just uses margarine and no buttermilk. In a medium saucepan, saute the onions, carrots, spinach, celery, and tomatoes in the oil. Once carrots are tender, add the mashed lentils, basil, salt soy sauce, and pepper. Stir and simmer without a lid until the liquid cooks off.

Meanwhile, mash potatoes. Pour the vegetable mixture into a lightly oiled pie plate and then layer the mashed potatoes over top. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.

 I loaned my copy of how it all vegan to someone but can't remember who. If you find a copy and it has a smiley face next to this recipe and a few others its mine so please email me so I know where it is!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad