more wasabi: Kale, Kumera and Tempeh with wasabi mayo

I'm trying to shop almost exclusively "in season" which means I am repeating a lot of ingredients here as they are what I can buy at Alfalfa House. Still it's nice to have options when you buy something in bulk, so here's my latest wasabi / sweet potato excursion.

Ingredients:

1 kumera / sweet potato

half a bunch or so of kale

2 carrots

1 packet tempeh (Alfalfa House sells amazing fresh tempeh, in a clear packet. If you live nearby GET SOME)

thumb-length nob of ginger, finely sliced julienne

3 large cloves garlic, finely sliced

2 spring onions, inc green parts

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 a lemon, juiced

1/2 lime, juiced (you could just use 1 lemon)

sesame oil for frying / roasting

water

wasabi mayo (which can easily be made by mixing wasabi paste and mayo - or vegan mayo - together to taste)

1. Cube the sweet potato and lay out on a sesame oiled baking tray. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and toss around the tray to coat a little with the oil. Roast in the oven on medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, cube the tempeh (about 1.5cm square) and fry in sesame oil, chilli flakes and soy sauce til crispy and just starting to burn.

3. Add the tempeh to the oven tray and turn the oven down, leaving the tray in the oven to keep it warm.

4. Rip the kale into pieces and cube the carrot small.

5. Fry the julienned ginger and garlic in sesame oil for a couple of minutes, then add 1 tbsp water, stopping them from browning.

6. Add the kale, carrot, lemon and lime juice (plus a little splash more soy) to the pan and stir fry, further cooking the garlic and ginger and softening the kale and carrot. (I like my carrot really crunchy so I actually didn't add it til a few minutes in).

7. Slice the spring onion

8. Place some kale & carrot on a plate, then top with tempeh and sweet potato. Garnish with spring onions and pop a dollop of wasabi mayo on the side.

Eat!

Wasabi Vege Tortilla Wrap

The other night I attempted to make a sweet potato cous cous salad for my favourite homo, Cameron. I went about my cous cous making the same way I always do but it rapidly turned into a globby, gooey, mashed-potato-porridge lump! I think the cous cous belonged to my subletter from months ago and had been in the cupboard some time...

Anywaaaay, I quickly turned to my fridge-full-of-tortilla (the accidental purchase that just keeps giving) and made the following.

NB: Cameron said it was too much wasabi for him. Pansy.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 tortilla wrap per person
• Half a sweet potato, cut into teeny tiny cubes (1cm square)
• 5-6 snow peas
• 6 asparagus spears
• a few button mushrooms
• 1 spring onion, chopped (inc green part)
• 1 large garlic clove (I also used a couple of cloves I had pre-roasted)
• 2 teaspoons whole egg mayo (I can't emphasise the importance of whole egg enough. Do NOT use that sugary Praise shit)
• 1 teaspoon wasabi (or less if your guest is a pansy)
• Salt & Pepper
• Sesame oil for roasting / frying

1. Spread the sweet potato out on an oiled (sesame or peanut is best but vege or canola will do) oven tray, sprinkle with salt & pepper and roast in a medium oven til soft and browning.

2. Meanwhile, slice the other veges.

3. Fry the mushrooms first, in a little sesame oil. Then add the chopped fresh garlic.

4. Mix together the mayo and wasabi (in a little bowl - or, if you hate washing up, smear them together directly onto the tortilla). You can also smear some slow roasted garlic onto the tortilla if you have some (and if you love garlic).

5. When the sweet potato is done, turn off the oven and chuck the snow peas, asparagus and spring onion into the mushroom pan and fry til just cooked but still crunchy (only a few minutes!)

6. Place the veges on the wasabi-mayo-ed tortilla, wrap and eat like a burrito or soft taco.