Here is an easy Japanese style dinner that’s filling and satisfying.

I cook my sticky rice in the traditional Japanese way: in a rice cooker!  : ) if you don’t have a rice cooker it will take longer.

I am focusing on the tofu sandwich filled with miso, it’s very simple having just 2 ingredients but very very delicious.

You will get 8 sandwiches from a big block of tofu, serve it with rice (sprinkled with seaweed and sesame seed) and grilled vegetables.

Recipe after the jump!

ingredients for the tofu sandwiches:

1 packet of firm tofu

white miso paste (please don’t use other kinds, they are too strong for this recipe!)

Put the whole block on a plate, cover with another plate, put something heavy on top (I use a small saucepan filled with water) and leave it for 30 minutes to 1 hour to expell water, try to put something under the plate so that the excess water will drain in the sink or somewhere else.

On a board cut the tofu in half lenghtwise, then each half in half again so you will have 4 blocks of tofu.

Slice each of the blocks in 4 (half and then half each piece), so you will have in total 16 slices.

Lay all the slices on kitchen paper to dry further, turn the heat on a cast iron griddle pan.

Spread some miso paste (about 1 teaspoon) on 6 slices and cover up with another slice of tofu.

Lay the sandwiches carefully in the hot pan and turn after about 5 minutes, keeping the heat low.

Once cooked on both sides they are ready, so I suggest you prepare your veg before cooking the tofu and keep them hot.

Also have the rice ready to serve, that’s the beauty of a rice cooker that keeps the rice nice and fluffy until you need it!

A very easy dessert with few ingredients, this tart should make the whole family happy. It is vegan if you use vegan puff pastry.

This tart can cook in the oven while you’re having lunch and will be ready to eat at the end of the meal, it is very good while still warm, you can serve it with ice cream or whipped cream (vegan or dairy).

I was quite happy with this one I made because I used the blackberries we gathered this summer (that I froze) and an apple from my apple tree, plus a blackberry sauce I made as well!

If you don’t have any blackberry jam, you can use any other jam you like, it works very well with thinly sliced quince cheese or apricot jam.

recipe after the jump!

I had half a packet of ready rolled puff pastry so I used that, if you have the whole packet and want to use it all, just double the doses and do 2 tarts, it will be much easier to cut in portions and will look prettier with some crust on each slice!

Ingredients for 4 people

half a packet of ready rolled puff pastry  (the rectangular one)

2 small apples (any kind you like)

half a cup of blackberries

blackberry jam (or any other you have/like), thinned with some water, you want a sauce-like jam

caster sugar

(vegan) cream or ice cream to serve

Roll out the pastry on the baking tray and leave it for 20 minutes so it warms up before you put the ingredients.

Turn the oven on at 200º.

Spread the sauce-jam on the pastry leaving about 2-3 cm of the edge clear.

Scatter the blackberries over the jam.

Cut the apples in quarters, peel and de-seed, then cut each slice in half lengthwise and cut in small slices over the tart, spread out the apples and sprinkle the sugar on top.

With a sharp knife, cut along the edges as if you were cutting out a picture from a frame, you want to separate the edges of the pastry so they will be free to rise in the oven, don’t try to cut too deep or pull it apart.

I don’t think it needs any kind of wash on the pastry, so just put in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes until the edges are risen and golden.

Dust with icing sugar  and cut in 4 portions, serve with cream or ice cream.

One recipe for two very easy and delicious winter salads: on the left there’s grated beetroot (the white and pink kind), apple and carrot with vegan mayo, on the right the same veg and apple, all grated but a slightly healthier dressing of olive oil, almonds, juice of one clementine and a teaspoon of lemon juice.

Do I have to write a recipe? it’s too simple! just remember to season with salt and pepper and enjoy! I have to say I prefer the mayo version, but the colours are so nice I think it is worth doing the healthier version as well.

After the jump a close up of the two salads on their own…

Can you see how lovely that grated beetroot is! I can’t believe it’s stripey!

Easy as can be recipe, with just a few ingredients. I have slightly changed the recipe from the book “food combining for vegetarians” by Jackie Le Tissier, it’s now out of print.

These crackers are wheat free, so from a food combining point of view they are perfect for cheese or any kind of protein-based thing you like. At the moment I feel I am eating bread 3 times a day and a change is very welcome.

Oh, and almonds are good for you!

The recipe can be halved and veganized if you use margarine and soy milk.

The crackers keep really well for days in a plastic container.

Almond and poppy seed crackers

200 gr ground almonds

4 tsp poppy seeds

1 tsp baking powder

25 gr melted butter (or margarine, the one sold in blocks)

2-3 tablespoons of milk (soy or cow’s)

pinch of salt

Switch the oven on at 190º. Cover a large oven tray with greaseproof paper (no need to grease it).

Combine almonds, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt in bowl, mix and add the butter/margarine, then 2 tablespoons of milk.

Mix with a fork and if it’s a bit dry and won’t hold together, add another tablespoon of milk.

Roll out quite thin and cut circles with a cookie cutter, lift them on the tray with a spatula.

If you find that the dough sticks too much, add some ground almonds on the surface before rolling out.

They won’t swell during cooking so they can be laid pretty close to each other.

Bake for around 10 minutes (but check after 8-9) and take them out when they start browning around the edges.

Leave in the tray for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Well, we have LOADS of jerusalem artichokes!

jerusalem artichokes just lifted

I really like jerusalem artichokes, but they are almost impossible to find in supermarkets, even though you might get a few in a vegetable box delivery (if you have one, that is).

The plant is a relative of the sunflower, and in summer the shoot up really high and produce cute little bright yellow flowers.

The first part of the name comes from a transcription of the Italian word “girasole” (sunflower), misunderstood by someone for “Jerusalem”.

They are extremely easy to grow, probably easier than potatoes, you don’t have to do anything at all, just plant them and wait!

The variety I’ve chosen is called “fuseaux”, and it’s less knobbly than usual, which makes it easier to peel.

Jerusalem artichokes taste delicious, a little bit like artichoke hearts, hence the second part of their English name.

They are called “topinambur” in Italy, are little known in the northern part, and almost unknown in the south.

peeling

They tend to brown rather quickly, so you need to act fast!

After peeling, cut them in small slices or pieces, heat up some olive oil in a pan (you could use butter or margarine), toss them in the pan, stir a bit and add some salt.

in the pan and out of focus...

Cook them at a low heat until they begin to turn golden, then turn the heat up a little and let them colour a bit more.

You want gold and not black, otherwise the flavour won’t be good!

This is my favourite way of cooking j. artichokes, because you get the softness and creaminess but also the crunchy caramelized bit, which taste unbelievable and sticks to your back teeth!

You can use them in pasta, or rice (just add them to cooked pasta or rice), or as a side dish. You can make a lovely soup or a fantastic risotto, just try them and you’ll fall in love!

spaghetti with jerusalem artichokes

Now, given the situation in the house (very messy at the moment and has been for 2 weeks) is only right for me to conjure a version of the nicest summer dessert: the Eton mess.

The main differences here are the raspberries in place of the strawberries (well, I only had raspberries in the garden!) and creme fraiche instead of whipped cream, I find it lighter in taste and hopefully on the waist as well, also I added a banana, just to bulk it up and add a different texture.

Ideally you should use a nice glass instead of a mug!

Quantities depend on your taste, you know better what you like most, but once assembled must be eaten straight away or the meringues will melt.

For 2 mugs I used a bowl of raspberries, one banana, 2 meringues and about half a tub of creme fraiche.

Before you start, wash the fruit, put in a bowl with a teaspoon of sugar and squash it a bit (don’t puree it please, we like the bigger pieces), leave it to marinade for 15 minutes.

Have your glasses ready and put alternate layers of meringue, creme fraiche, sliced banana, and raspberries until you fill up the glass and finish with some crumbed meringue.

Eat straight away!

It’s hot (sometimes even here in the UK) and we always hear and read the “drink more water” message.

Even for me drinking water all day is sometimes rather boring, so I tried to add a little flavour and the result is very nice and refreshing.

Get a jug, put in a few slices of (organic) cucumber and lemon and add your water. Wait a couple of hours before drinking.

Couldn’t be simpler, and both lemon and cucumber are supposed to have all sorts of good effects on your body.

You can refill with water another 3 times and it will still be good, after that I would discard the old veg and put new ones in.

Insalata di riso is a typical summer dish in Italy, it’s eaten cold and usually made with whatever you happen to have in the house at that moment. The meat eater’s version usually contains tuna or frankfurthers, but this vegan version is WAY better!

The essential ingredients are tomatoes and basil, which is supposed to wilt so it can give off its lovely flavour.

I have added cubed smoked tofu, but you can add whatever you feel like, if you eat cheese, mozzarella is a good choice, but add it when the rice is almost cool (do I need to say that mozzarella is not vegan?)

The rice must be a short grain “easy cook” type, NOT risotto rice or basmaty, don’t even try or disaster will inevitably happen.

Also, this salad needs white wine vinegar, and I mean the cheap stuff, absolutely not balsamic vinegar!

So, that’s the ingredients without the quantities, they are a matter of taste, and you will find your own way to your own perfect salad!

Short grain easy to cook rice (about 4-5 tablespoons per person)

Tomatoes, very ripe, as much as you like.

fresh basil leaves

red onions or scallions (as much as you are comfortable with, ask your partner!)

Cubed smoked tofu (or basil-flavoured)

White wine vinegar (about 2 tablespoons per person)

salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil to taste.

Boil water for the rice, rinse the rice under the tap until the water comes out clear.

Cut the tomatoes in small pieces, add a little salt and put in a colander to drain until the rice is ready.

In a bowl put the basil leaves, the onion and the tofu.

When the rice is ready put the tomatoes in the bowl with the basil, drain the rice and put it in the bowl, give a good stir and add the vinegar, oil and salt-pepper to taste.

Stir again and leave aside to cool.

If you like it, it can be stored in the fridge and served cool.

They are very very rich, both in taste and calories, so the only thing you could do is to cut them quite small (sort of 2-bites portion) and hope you won’t scoff too many…

These brownies are very pleasant to the eye as well with the marbling effect, and it’s a winning recipe for school fairs, charity bakes and office parties, but double up the ingredients!

and this is the uncut cake just out of the oven:

Ingredients for 1 square 20 cm tray

FOR THE CHEESECAKE MIX:

1 egg

225 gr full fat cream cheese

50 gr golden caster sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

FOR THE BROWNIE MIX:

115 gr 70% dark chocolate

115 gr unsalted butter

120 gr light brown (mascovado) sugar

2 eggs (beaten)

50 gr plain flour

Line you tray with foil (the shiny side down) and heat the oven at 160.

Melt chocolate and butter over a pan of boiling water (use a smaller pan) or in a microwave if you have one.

While the chocolate is melting, prepare the cheesecake: beat the egg in a bowl, add the sugar, cream cheese and vanilla, mix really well using a whisk if you can.

Once the chocolate and butter are melt, add the sugar, transfer into a bowl and the beaten eggs a little at a time, add all the flour and incorporate it gently.

Spread two thirds of the brownie mix in the tray, covering the base, then using a spoon drop blobs of the cheesecake mix, and fill the gaps with the rest of the brownie mix.

With a skewer of the handle of a spoon move the two colours into each other creating the marble effect.

Bake until set in the centre (takes about 30-35 minutes), mine are “well done”, they could have come out of the oven a bit earlier.

Let it cool in the tin, then cut in pieces.

recipe adapted from “the cookie and biscuit bible” by Catherine Atkinson.

Well, that’s the strong point about tofu, it’s plain and absorbs anything you throw at it!

For this recipe you must use very firm tofu or you might end up with scrambled tofu, I used an organic brand called “clear spot”, I ordered it through my vegetable box delivery, you can find it in whole foods shops, or you can use the cauldron one from normal supermarkets.

The result is a very substantial (I should use the word “meaty” but I won’t) savoury tofu, very very satisfying, and can be prepared ahead.

First cut the tofu in slices about 2 cm thick and dry them on some kitchen paper.

open the pack and cut in slices

prepare the marinade by mixing the ingredients listed below in a large bowl or plate:

1 tablespoon of mirin (Japanese wine)

3 tablespoons of soya sauce (possibly low salt)

1 teaspoon of agave syrup (or honey if you’re not vegan)

1 teaspoon of pomegranate molasses (if you don’t have it you can substitute with half a teaspoon lemon juice)

a few slices of  fresh ginger (if you like the heat of ginger, grate some and add)

When adding the ginger crush it lightly with a spoon (sort of stab it…!), and mix the whole thing.

Cut each slice in half horizontally and then each piece into two triangles, you’ll end up with 16 triangles if you had a small block of tofu like the one I used.

Heat a non-stick pan on the stove (please note it is essential for the pan to actually be non stick otherwise you’re gonna curse me) and put a few slices of tofu (no need for oil), don’t cram them too tight, you want some space to turn them over.

Press lightly each piece with a flexible spatula so the water will come out and evaporate. The aim here is to dry the slices and give them a sort of crust. Turn on the other side when they get golden, it takes a few minutes, that depends on your pan, keep an eye on it.

In the pan, some slices have been turned

When the slices are ready, put them in the marinade and start with the next batch.

Now you can eat it straight away, put it in a stir-fry, eat as a snack, or keep it covered in the fridge until you want to eat it, it’s still good the next day!

I put some on my soba noodles…