(vegan)
I've been making variations of this sauce for years and love it on salad or steamed veges or as a dipping sauces for summer rolls or even vege sticks. It's based on the ubiquitous peanut sauce of Sydney Thai restaurants. Innocently ignorant I rocked up in Thailand in 2004, with visions of bathing in the stuff...only to find that it is NOT Thai at all. More Indonesian really. Or an invention of Westernised 'Asian' food.
Who cares? It's fucking good -
Ingredients:
a splash of sesame oil
1 chilli, finely chopped (more or less according to taste)
2 cm cubed nob of fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 onion (optional)
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 heaped tablespoons of peanut butter*
a splash of kecap manis (if you like it sweet)
200ml coconut milk (optional, according to taste and waistline...can use water to thin the sauce)
* I like crunchy peanut butter and would even go so far as to add extra crushed nut. It's up to you really, whether you use crunchy or not, but I think the nuts add texture. Smooth is better for a dipping sauce. Or if you want something lighter, just use crushed nuts.
1. Chop garlic, chilli and onions very finely and grate the ginger.
2. Fry these in sesame oil til softened but not brown.
3. Add the peanut butter and stir until combined
4. Gradually add the soy sauce, combining it with the peanut mixture
5. Add in the coconut milk (the first time you make it, put a little then test and repeat this til you get it to the richness that YOU like)
Stand aside while you cook rice, steam veges etc. Or make a salad with boiled eggs and pour over that for Gado Gado salad. Or make summer rolls.
Tip: I like to squeeze lemon juice over my steamed veges or salad as the acid contrasts really well with the sweetness / heat of the sauce.
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Warm Herby Potato and Haloumi Salad
To make vegan, lose the haloumi.
Serves 4
Ingredients (my measurements aren’t exact. If you need stricter instructions…sorry):
• 20 baby new potatoes
• 1 large red capsicum
• About 200g of green beans or peas or both
• A punnet of Cherry Tomatoes
• A big bunch Baby or English Spinach
• Haloumi (1-2 packets, depending on your guests’ hunger and love of cheese)
For the sauce:
• Big splash of olive oil
• 2 lemons (or 1 large, really juicy one)
• 2 cloves garlic (or 3 if they are small)
• Half a white onion
• A handful of mint
• A child’s handful of thyme
• A handful of Italian / flat leaf parsley
• Pepper and Salt
1. Chop the potatoes in half or quarts (large bite size chunks) and boil in saucepan of salted water til cooked, but not mushy! When cooked, drain and place in a bowl to cool a little, but not completely – they should be warm on serving, not hot or cold.
2. Meanwhile chop the onion and garlic very finely.
3. Fry onion and garlic slowly in a generous amount of olive oil til softened but not brown.
4. Squeeze lemons and pour in lemon juice, add salt & pepper
5. Remove sauce from heat and add chopped herbs, stirring and leaving to stand in the frypan.
6. Chop capsicum into large slices – just the four sides, thus removing the core but leaving the pieces big. Grill capsicum on a high heat til charred.
7. Leave til sufficiently cool to peel off charred skin.
8. Slice into thin strips then add to bowl with potatoes.
9. Chop green beans into 3-5cm lengths. If you like them crunchy, chuck them straight into the bowl. If not, steam them for a minute or two then add. Add peas too if you are using peas. Add baby spinach leaves.
10. Stir sauce through potato salad mix, leaving a little to drizzle on top.
11. Place portions on plates before or during frying haloumi as the cheese is best just after it has been cooked. Scatter potato salad with chopped cheery tomatoes.
12. To fry the haloumi, bring a non-stick pan to a reasonably high heat, chop the cheese into slices (about 7mm thick) and fry until brown.
13. Place haloumi slices on top of salad, drizzle a bit more sauce on and garnish with sprigs of fresh mint and parsley.
Serves 4
Ingredients (my measurements aren’t exact. If you need stricter instructions…sorry):
• 20 baby new potatoes
• 1 large red capsicum
• About 200g of green beans or peas or both
• A punnet of Cherry Tomatoes
• A big bunch Baby or English Spinach
• Haloumi (1-2 packets, depending on your guests’ hunger and love of cheese)
For the sauce:
• Big splash of olive oil
• 2 lemons (or 1 large, really juicy one)
• 2 cloves garlic (or 3 if they are small)
• Half a white onion
• A handful of mint
• A child’s handful of thyme
• A handful of Italian / flat leaf parsley
• Pepper and Salt
1. Chop the potatoes in half or quarts (large bite size chunks) and boil in saucepan of salted water til cooked, but not mushy! When cooked, drain and place in a bowl to cool a little, but not completely – they should be warm on serving, not hot or cold.
2. Meanwhile chop the onion and garlic very finely.
3. Fry onion and garlic slowly in a generous amount of olive oil til softened but not brown.
4. Squeeze lemons and pour in lemon juice, add salt & pepper
5. Remove sauce from heat and add chopped herbs, stirring and leaving to stand in the frypan.
6. Chop capsicum into large slices – just the four sides, thus removing the core but leaving the pieces big. Grill capsicum on a high heat til charred.
7. Leave til sufficiently cool to peel off charred skin.
8. Slice into thin strips then add to bowl with potatoes.
9. Chop green beans into 3-5cm lengths. If you like them crunchy, chuck them straight into the bowl. If not, steam them for a minute or two then add. Add peas too if you are using peas. Add baby spinach leaves.
10. Stir sauce through potato salad mix, leaving a little to drizzle on top.
11. Place portions on plates before or during frying haloumi as the cheese is best just after it has been cooked. Scatter potato salad with chopped cheery tomatoes.
12. To fry the haloumi, bring a non-stick pan to a reasonably high heat, chop the cheese into slices (about 7mm thick) and fry until brown.
13. Place haloumi slices on top of salad, drizzle a bit more sauce on and garnish with sprigs of fresh mint and parsley.
vegetarian pets???
Hi,
I was browsing on couchsurfing groups (www.couchsurfing.com) and came across a discussion on vegetarian / vegan pets. The following websites were suggested so I thought I'd post them here! My brother has been bemoaning the fact that he wants a Pug but can't have meat in the house. Maybe there's hope yet!
http://ami.aminews.net/index.php?lang=fr )
http://veggiepets.com/acatalog/vegecat_vegan_cat_food.html
http://vegforlife.org/dogscats.htm
I was browsing on couchsurfing groups (www.couchsurfing.com) and came across a discussion on vegetarian / vegan pets. The following websites were suggested so I thought I'd post them here! My brother has been bemoaning the fact that he wants a Pug but can't have meat in the house. Maybe there's hope yet!
http://ami.aminews.net/index.php?lang=fr )
http://veggiepets.com/acatalog/vegecat_vegan_cat_food.html
http://vegforlife.org/dogscats.htm
Sydney Vege / Vegan Eats
Sydney doesn't(unfortunately) have a culture of strictly vege restaurants, however fortunately there are a lot of places with a reasonable selection of options on the menu - especially at Thai, Vietnamese or Indian restaurants.
In my opinion, the best suburbs are Newtown, Enmore and Erskineville. This is a cool area anyway, the student/alternative area with pubs, cafes, shops, markets sometimes etc. There are vegan restaurant here called Green Gourmet and Green Palace, both on King St (there is a vegan cupcake and ice cream shop next to Green Gourmet). There are also a million Thai places, the best being Suan I-San (King St). At least I think so! Doy Tao Thai, Thai Pothong, Thairiffic and Newtown Thai are also all good.
For cafes, nearly all will do soy milk. My faves, which also have vegan food, are Corelli's (King St), Martini (King St), Sofia's (Erskineville Rd) and Scrambled (Enmore Rd).
The best vege sushi is at Eat Me Sushi, on King St, opposite the Dendy Cinema.
A lot of pizza places in Newtown will do cheeseless if you ask, or gluten free bases if that's your thing.
There are also three nice and cheap African restaurants which are great. African Feeling Cafe (King St), African Express Eatery (Enmore Rd), Kathmandu (King St). All have delicious options.
Dolce & Gelato, on the corner of King & wilson St, has a whole freezer of dairy free gelatos. The chocolate sorbet is heaven. So's Lemon, Lime and Bitters. And fig. And Fatini, the manager is lovely.
For parties, Turkish Homewares on King St does big banquets in a private room at $30 a head. You can request no meat dishes and you get big plates laden with salad, bread, dips, gozleme and other goodies.
In the centre of town, near the cathedral, down some steps, all hidden in the park is the wonderful Bodhi Vegan Yum Cha. sit outside among the trees and enjoys the brilliance of never having the check if something on the cart is vege or not!
I recommend Glebe, also nearish to Newtown, where there are lovely markets on Saturday mornings/afternoons with stalls and music (and good food.)
There's a great cafe called Badde Manors, which is vegetarian on Glebe Point Rd which is the main street and if you walk the whole length (at least an hour) you eventually get to harbour and a nice big park. At the 'city' end, where it meets Parramatta Rd, there is Victoria Park, very pretty and with a swimming
pool in the centre.
On Sunday mornings there are markets on Addison Rd, Marrickville. I got a great vegan coconut and cherry muffin there yesterday... It's a lovely place!
If you are disgustingly rich, and want haute cuisine, Buon Ricordo in Paddington is an old Sydney Italian institution which does a full A4 page of vegetarian dishes, virtually unheard of at this end of the market!
Happy Eating Vegos!
In my opinion, the best suburbs are Newtown, Enmore and Erskineville. This is a cool area anyway, the student/alternative area with pubs, cafes, shops, markets sometimes etc. There are vegan restaurant here called Green Gourmet and Green Palace, both on King St (there is a vegan cupcake and ice cream shop next to Green Gourmet). There are also a million Thai places, the best being Suan I-San (King St). At least I think so! Doy Tao Thai, Thai Pothong, Thairiffic and Newtown Thai are also all good.
For cafes, nearly all will do soy milk. My faves, which also have vegan food, are Corelli's (King St), Martini (King St), Sofia's (Erskineville Rd) and Scrambled (Enmore Rd).
The best vege sushi is at Eat Me Sushi, on King St, opposite the Dendy Cinema.
A lot of pizza places in Newtown will do cheeseless if you ask, or gluten free bases if that's your thing.
There are also three nice and cheap African restaurants which are great. African Feeling Cafe (King St), African Express Eatery (Enmore Rd), Kathmandu (King St). All have delicious options.
Dolce & Gelato, on the corner of King & wilson St, has a whole freezer of dairy free gelatos. The chocolate sorbet is heaven. So's Lemon, Lime and Bitters. And fig. And Fatini, the manager is lovely.
For parties, Turkish Homewares on King St does big banquets in a private room at $30 a head. You can request no meat dishes and you get big plates laden with salad, bread, dips, gozleme and other goodies.
In the centre of town, near the cathedral, down some steps, all hidden in the park is the wonderful Bodhi Vegan Yum Cha. sit outside among the trees and enjoys the brilliance of never having the check if something on the cart is vege or not!
I recommend Glebe, also nearish to Newtown, where there are lovely markets on Saturday mornings/afternoons with stalls and music (and good food.)
There's a great cafe called Badde Manors, which is vegetarian on Glebe Point Rd which is the main street and if you walk the whole length (at least an hour) you eventually get to harbour and a nice big park. At the 'city' end, where it meets Parramatta Rd, there is Victoria Park, very pretty and with a swimming
pool in the centre.
On Sunday mornings there are markets on Addison Rd, Marrickville. I got a great vegan coconut and cherry muffin there yesterday... It's a lovely place!
If you are disgustingly rich, and want haute cuisine, Buon Ricordo in Paddington is an old Sydney Italian institution which does a full A4 page of vegetarian dishes, virtually unheard of at this end of the market!
Happy Eating Vegos!
Welcome to Vegepalooza
I like to bake. Thought it was time I shared my skills with the world. Here I shall post:
- vegetarian recipes (those I find and those I invent)
- tricks with vegetarian specialties (tofu, vege sausages etc)
- recommendations for vegetarian products, restaurants, websites
- answers to any vegetarianism questions you may have
bring it.
- vegetarian recipes (those I find and those I invent)
- tricks with vegetarian specialties (tofu, vege sausages etc)
- recommendations for vegetarian products, restaurants, websites
- answers to any vegetarianism questions you may have
bring it.
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