busy week

I've had a busy week.... the most exciting thing i've eaten was frying up some vegan luncheon that had been moping in the fridge for a week with some leftover onion and a tomato. How Gour-met.
In the meantime here is a cute picture of our garden

and this is a spoiled photophobic kitty

food to follow

Salt and Pepper Tofu with Roast Parsnip Crisps and Plum Sauce (vegan)

So generally meals are based around whatever we have lying around in the fridge coupled with whatever vegies are in season in the garden or alternatively cheap at the vegetable place/supie. I've been craving parsnips over the last few days, it must be the whole torrential rain/impending winter thing. I made some roast parsnip soup which was far from exciting (although edible) and tasted overly "nutritious" - i won't share that recipe... although it improved having sat out on the bench for a few hours with some soy milk thrown in and the leftover plum sauce on top.

The plums were left over from a dessert after the schnitzel fest the other night. They're from a large can of Doris Plum... we finally knocked the last of them out this evening with soy icecream. Our fridge is looking chaotic at the moment.... and we have ants invading the freezer.... thousands of frozen ant bodies.... tiny explorers littering the sticky bit where some guavas leaked  (?) .... it's pretty sad....

Anyway; moving swiftly on..... someone once told me that parsnips are best when par boiled. it stops them going all horrid and woody. I dont know if this is true, but to date my parsnips are soft and crispy yet decidedly flaccid. So you should try it. Or something.

Salt and Pepper Tofu with Roast Parsnip Crisps and Plum Sauce

presentation isn't my thing... i reckon you could make it look nicer than this, even if you just wiped the plate :) ... send me a pic when u do 

Roast Parsnip Crisps:
You need: 

• Parsnips - peeled and washed. The littler ones are sweeter - life is easier if they're all about the same size
• Water
• Herbs and Seasoning 
• Oil 

 You do:

1. Put suitably sized pot of salted water onto boil (just enough water to cover)
2. Chop parsnips into longish thinnish pieces (i tend to chop off the bottom narrow bit and try and make the rest about the same size)
3. Boil in saucepan for 5 mins (it's worth saving the water for stock if you plan on making gravy/sauce/soup any time soon. Parsnip water is tasty)
4. Drain put in bowl or plonk on oven tray if you're trying to save dishes/water
5. Sprinkle over some oil, salt and pepper and throw on any herbs you may fancy. I used rosemary.
6. Toss parsnips in oils and herbs
7. Arrange in single layer on oven tray
8. Pop them into preheated oven at about 190degrees C 
9. Cook until tender and brown on outside turning regularly (total cooking time about 30mins-1hr depending on size) 

Salt and Pepper Tofu:

You need:

• Block of Tofu (i used firm tofu)
• Oil (rice bran or vege)
• 2 heaped tbspns Cornflour
• 2 heaped tbspns Wheatflour (you could substitute this for rice flour for the gluten free)
• approx 1/4-1/2 tspn salt  (to taste)
• approx 1/4-1/2 tsp ground black pepper (to taste) 

You do:

1. Wrap tofu block in clean tea towel and press under breadboard to squeeze most of water out but not enough to turn it into scrambled tofu. it's normal for it to split apart a little at the edges. 
2. Chop tofu into large rectangular blocks.(approx 1.5cm x 3cm - bigger blocks just hold together better)
3. Mix dry ingredients in bowl
4. Toss the tofu blocks in dry mix - making sure they're well coated
5. Heat up pan on med heat, add enough oil to liberally cover bottom of pan (or you could deep fry them if you wanted them crispier/oilier/tastier)
6. When hot, add the tofu, cook till brown and golden on all sides

Plum Sauce:
You need: 

• Splash of ricebran oil
• half a red onion sliced thinly
• Salt
• 8 canned doris plums (don't forget to get the pips out), drained (keep juice)
• 1 tablespoon cider (or malt) vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

You do:

1. Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat
2. Add the onions and a sprinkle of salt
3. Cook till clear (about 5 mins) stirring often
4. Add the plums, mush them in the pan a pit with the spoon
5. Add the vinegar
6. Taste; if it's too acidic add some of the plum juice saved earlier.... if it's not acidic enough.... add more vinegar. 
7. Cook till reduced and sticky. You could blend it smooth i guess... i couldnt be bothered and the blender was full of the bloody parsnip soup

Plating:
Put a bit of all three on the plate however you wish. We had ours as an entree so i made a wanky little stack and put a bit of rosemary on top (i need to start cooking other colours than brown and the colour that beetroots/plums are.... earthy maroon?)

Vegan Schnitzel

I've been using the same seitan/fake meat recipe for years... a combination of a friends recipe, one i found on the internet and adjustments for whatever i have floating around the fridge. The shape/kind of meat can be adjusted with the seasoning (in the dough and the broth) and the shape you cut it before cooking in broth. So this recipe can pretty much be used for 'meat on sticks' 'faux chicken nuggets' or whatevs, adjust as you see fit. One batch makes enough easily for 4 vegans to overeat and feel ill...
I know three processes can seem overwhelming but it's super easy. And delicious!!!!

Faux Schnitzel

Ingredients for meat-dough:

•  2 cups of gluten flour
• 1 1/4 cups of vege stock (note; sometimes you can find vegan chicken stock )
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons of vege oil
• seasoning as you wish (i used a teaspoon of cumin, few shakes of ground pepper, 1/2 tspn 'all purpose seasoning' (i have no idea what that is it was just on the herb shelf!?) couple of pinches of smoked paprika (be careful on the salt as the soy sauce/vege stock will provide a pretty big hit)

Method:

1. Put the gluten flour in a bowl
2. Mix all other ingredients in a different bowl/measuring jug

3. Add wet mix to dry mix all at once. Stir immediately forming dough

It should look something like this - weird brainy consistancy

4. Knead dough 20 times.... leave to rest for 15 mins
5. Knead dough 20 times again.... leave to rest for a further 15 mins
6. Slice dough into shape you want (bearing in mind there will be some expansion on cooking)

7. Ready to cook in broth!!!

Cooking Broth Ingredients

• 4-8 cups of water/vege stock (this depends on the slices you cut (big ones for schnitzel you need a bigger pot and more water. If you're making nuggets or cutlets you can use less. it doesnt really matter so long as the 'meat' is covered)
• 3 cloves garlic
• Seasoning; I use couple of sprigs of rosemary, 2 bayleaves, splash of whitlocks worcestershire sauce, any sad looking vegetables in the fridge (roughly chopped carrot/onion etc), splash of soy sauce, tbsp miso, tspn cumin, tspn coriander.... you could just use vege stock, some mixed herbs and garlic but i like adding a bit more flavour - you can put in *anything* you like to add flavour.

Method:

1. Put all ingredients in pot
2. Bring to boil
3. Taste broth and add whatever else you feel is missing
4. Add faux-meat cutlets

5. Simmer with lid on for 60min if using large pieces (as pictured) or 30-45min if smaller pieces.
6. I tend to cool the faux meat in the broth but you can use it immediately

Schnitzel Batter Ingredients

• 1 cup of plain flour
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup water
• splash of soymilk
• pepper/salt to taste
• breadcrumbs to coat

Method
1. I have a little confession.... I didnt measure the batter mixture, i just threw some flour, water, pepper into a bowl with a splash of soymilk until it was a thick consistancy - adjust the above amounts if needed. it should be thicker than pancake mixture but not as thick as cake mix.... ummmmm.... not that it matters.... you can make it however you want :)
2. dip meat in batter so all is covered
3. shake off the excess
4. dip in breadcrumbs

Final cooking method!!!
1. heat oil in pan to shallow fry (about 1/2-1cm) med heat
2. Place crumbed schnitzels in hot oil
3. fry till each side is golden (as pictured)

4. When cooked place on paper towel to soak up excess oil

5. Serve with apple sauce! (we had ours with rosemary 'butter' broccolli, mash spuds, and caramelised balsamic onions)

Potato Rostis

Made these for the first time last night.... stacked with slices of whole roast beetroot, balsamic caramalised onions, baked feta (for the non vegans) and a balsamic glaze drizzled on top. In hindsight probs shoulda put some wilted spinach in there for colour... but meh...

All the (complicated) online recipes i saw reccomended these as an ideal food for kids to cook/prep/eat... as i don't have children i cannot verify this - however the cat did try and appropriate one. bloody cats.

"hello, i am a potato, you should fry me"

Potato Rostis:

Ingredients:

• 4 average sized spuds
• 1 egg / or vegan egg substitute equal to one egg
• salt n pepper
• 1/2 cup-1 cup cheese (vege or vegan what evs. Also; homebrand mild cheddar uses non animal rennet. win)
• oil 

Process:

1. Peel the spuds and cut off the ick bits
2. Grate them - then dry them as much as you can using tea towels/paper towels. There was alot more water than i anticipated hiding in those little white starchy creatures so i'd suggest you use a tea towel or two)
3. Put dry grated spud in bowl, add egg (or substitute) and season to taste (salt salt salt salt)
4. Mix together 
5. Add cheese n mix again
6. Heat a pan with liberal amount of rice bran/vege oil on mediumish heat
7. You can make them any size you want but i went with small unthick ones (so theyd cook quicker and stack better).... spoon a bit into your palm... press in together into a flattish cake (squeezing out excess fluid you were too lazy to get out the first time) and bung in frying pan- turn when golden brown (approx 4 mins each side)
8. i'd do a tester one first to see if you have to alter the heat depending on thickness etc... you can make one massive one and just cook on low heat with a lid on.... alternatively you can par boil the spuds but that seems a bit extreme 

Serve with food. Makes approx 12-14 small rostis