The Recipe Room

This Philippines-inspired Pinoy style seitan curry is a vegetarian variation of  Ginataang Manok, which is chicken cooked in coconut milk.

I’ve substituted the chicken with seitan and added a few more spices to maximise the flavour.  If you have a wheat allergy, or just don’t like seitan for some reason, you can substitute tofu for the seitan.  I’ve tried this, and while I didn’t like the result as much as with the seitan, it was still a very good dish.

Just remember to press the tofu for 15 or 20 minutes before using it. Otherwise, it won’t absorb all the wonderful aromas of the spices.  I’d also recommend using a nice and firm tofu. If not, the results could be a bit mushy.

If you do use seitan, I strongly recommend making it yourself. It’s much cheaper and more satisfying  than buying it at a shop, and you can add appropriate spices directly to the dough to complement your recipe.  You can find my basic seitan recipe here.

This asparagus in tofu Hollandaise sauce uses soft tofu instead of double cream and is therefore considerably less fattening than the traditional version.  The tender asparagus drizzled with the rich and creamy sauce make a great starter for any meal and can even be used as a tasty, if somewhat messy, hors d’oeuvre at a party. (Also try these steamed spring vegetables with pine nuts.)

Asparagus is a very healthy vegetable which is high in antioxidants, potassium and vitamin C and is also very useful for cleansing your system. So go ahead and eat as much as you like without feeling guilty!

What you’re going to need:

For the sauce:

• 2 large egg yolks
• 250g soft silken tofu
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or buttery spread, or canola oil

For the asparagus:

• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1⁄8 teaspoon white pepper
• 450g asparagus, ends trimmed off

What you have to do:

1. First, prepare the sauce:  Blend the egg yolks, tofu, lemon juice, and xanthan gum in an electric blender for a few minutes, until they get light and fluffy.
2. Pour the mixture into the top of a double saucepan that sits over, but does not touch, simmering, not boiling, water.
3. Add the butter, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, adding 1 tablespoon or more of hot water until it easily pours from a spoon.
4. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the salt, mustard, cayenne, and pepper. Keep warm over simmering water while cooking the asparagus, up to about 30 minutes.  (If it starts to separate or thicken too much, add a teaspoon of boiling water and whisk briskly until it easily pours from a spoon.)
5. While the sauce is simmering in the double saucepan, prepare the asparagus.  Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 to 6 minutes, depending on their size.
6. Remove from the water, drain, and pat dry with kitchen towels. Drizzle the sauce over the top of the asparagus and serve immediately.

Preparation Time:  5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves:  4

Difficulty: Medium

Pizza is a standard classic in my home, especially spinach, fresh tomato and blue cheese pizza. This tomato and basil pie recipe is a sort of variation on the traditional pizza, using pastry rather than leavened pizza dough.  The ingredients are simple but the taste is wonderful.  Basil, cheese and tomatoes work so well together that you just don’t need anything else, as the Italians have obviously known for years.  If you’re in a rush or just too tired to make the pastry yourself, go ahead and use any store-bought variety.

What you’re going to need:

For the crust:

• 160g sifted white flour
• 1/4tsp fine salt
• 110g butter, chilled and diced
• 60ml ice water

For the filling:

• 100g fresh mozzarella, sliced as thinly as possible
• 175g Parmesan cheese
• 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 5 medium tomatoes, washed and sliced 5mm thick
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper

What you have to do:

To make the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
2. Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Cut into the butter using a pastry knife and add to the bowl. Do NOT use your hands.
4. Stir in the ice water using a spoon, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture forms into a ball.
5. Wrap the ball in plastic and chill for 4 hours.
6. Roll out the ball into a flat crust about 30 cm in diameter.
7. Press the crust firmly into the bottom and sides of a 26 cm pie dish.
8. Using a fork, make some holes in the bottom of the crust.
9. Cover the crust with parchment paper and fill with dry beans.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven, leaving the heat on.
12. Remove and discard the beans and parchment paper.

To make the filling:

1. Varnish the crust with a little olive oil or butter.
2. Cover the bottom with the the fresh Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over with half of the fresh basil.
3. Lay the tomato slices and Mozzarella on top of the Parmesan and sprinkle on the rest of the fresh basil.
4. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper and olive oil.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.  If the cheese exudes a lot of liquid during baking, remove from the oven and drain the excess liquid in order to keep the crust from getting soggy.

Preparation Time:  1 hour + 4 hours setting

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Serves:  6

Difficulty:  Medium

This rich, creamy potato and leek soup is a classic French dish which can be served either hot or cold.  When served cold, the French call it vichyssoise, which certainly sounds a lot better than cold leek soup!  In any case, it’s equally delicious either way, even if the whipped cream, butter and milk probably do make it somewhat fattening.  If you’re on a diet, you can substitute the whipped cream for evaporated skim milk and either eliminate the butter or replace it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

It’s very important to make sure you don’t boil the soup after adding the cream, as this will cause it to curdle.  The same precaution needs to be taken when reheating.  This rule applies of course to any recipe with cream or milk.  For a vegan-friendly version, I imagine you can substitute the cream, butter and milk for soy or rice versions of the same, although I’ve never tried this, so I can’t guarantee the results.

What you’re going to need:

• 3 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 medium-sized leeks, washed thoroughly and thinly sliced (do not use the tough, dark green part)
• 1 litre vegetable broth
• 300ml cold water
• 125ml whipping cream (add up to an  extra 125ml of milk if you like your soup thin)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• chopped chives to garnish

What you have to do:       

1. Combine the potatoes, leeks, vegetable broth, and water in a large heavy pot or saucepan.
2. Cover the pot and bring to the boil over medium-high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Without draining off the broth, mash the vegetables in the pan with a vegetable (potato) masher until they are fairly smooth. (If they do not mash easily, the soup has not cooked long enough. In this case, let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes longer.)
5. Add the cream, butter, salt, and pepper.
6. Heat the soup just to the boiling point, but don’t let it boil.
7. Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with the chopped chives.

Note: If you want a bit of spice in your soup, try this pumpkin soup with curry and Garam Masala.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Serves:  4

Difficulty: Easy