The Recipe Room

What better way to start your day than with a protein-filled serving of delicious scrambled  tofu?!  It’s just as filling and flavourful as eggs, but without the fat or cholesterol.

You’ll notice that the recipe says to freeze the tofu and then thaw it before use.  This is a trick I learnt recently, and it adds a whole new dimension  to the tofu.  Due to the freezing process, the texture of the tofu changes; it becomes more crumbly and somewhat similar in appearance to minced beef.  This same method also works great for making vegetarian bolognese sauce or chilli, or anything that would typically call for minced beef.

This is my most basic version of the recipe, but tofu is so great at absorbing different flavours that I strongly encourage you to go ahead and try different variations of seasoning. Basically anything you might have used with scrambled eggs should work just fine.  You could also add some spinach or other veggies to the mix if you like.

I usually eat this for breakfast alongside toast smothered in apricot jam. But you can of course eat it at any time of the day you prefer!

If you like this idea, you will probably also like menemen – Turkish scrambled eggs.

Although these crispy potato wedges require several steps to prepare, the wonderfully crunchy end result makes it well worth the effort.  The white rice flour gives them an amazing texture when fried, while the cayenne pepper and other herbs provide a subtle spiciness that just can’t be beat.  They taste great on their own, but for best results, I recommend serving them with a freshly made sour cream and chive dip.

For another recipe with fried potatoes, I suggest these Aloo Bonda Snacks. They are an Indian fried potato ball – definitely worth a try!

What you’re going to need:

• 2 large potatoes cut in ½ cm wedges
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or ½ teaspoon dried)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 70g (½ cup) cornflour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 250g white rice flour
• Canola oil or peanut oil, for frying
• Additional salt to taste

What you have to do:

1. Place the potato wedges in a large microwave-safe bowl.
2. Whisk together the salt, onion powder, oregano, garlic powder, cayenne, and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Sprinkle the spices over the potatoes and toss until the potatoes are thoroughly coated.
4. Lay a sheet of crumpled non-stick baking  paper over the bowl, and cook on high power for 5 minutes, or until potatoes are almost, but not quite done. Let the potatoes cool slightly.
5. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the cornflour, baking soda, egg, and lemon juice, adding water if necessary until you reach a thin consistency.
6. Place the white rice flour in a second shallow bowl.
7. Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep heavy pot to 185°C.
8. Dip the potatoes in the rice flour, then in the egg mixture, and then again in the rice flour.
9. Immediately fry the potatoes in batches until they are browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
10. Add more salt to taste.  Serve the wedges immediately on their own or with your favourite dipping sauce.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves:  4

Difficulty: Medium

They’re cheesy, chewy and delicious, and you’re going to love them.  What more can I say?! Prefer fruit over vegetables? Try these crepes suzette with oranges.

What you’re going to need:

For the crepes:

• 2 eggs
• 300ml milk
• 100g flour

For the filling:

• 2tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium-sized courgettes, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and diced
• 25g butter
• 25g flour
• 300ml milk, heated with 1 bay leaf, 1/2tsp ground nutmeg and 3tbsp diced onion
• 2tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 200g Ricotta cheese
• 50g Parmesan cheese
• 300ml vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Butter to grease the  baking dish

What you have to do:

For the crepes:

1. Beat together the eggs and milk with an electric blender for 30 seconds.
2. Add the flour and continue mixing for about a minute or until the mixture is smooth and thick.
3. Let set for 30 minutes.
4. Heat a bit of butter or oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
5. Drop about two tablespoons of batter onto the frying pan and fry for 1 minute, flip over and fry 1 minute more.
6. Repeat with the rest of the batter.  You should end up with around 10 crepes.

For the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the courgette and garlic for a few minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.
3. Drain off any excess oil with kitchen towel and set aside.
4. Heat the butter in a saucepot over low heat, add the flour and stir well to form a smooth paste.
5. Add about a third of the hot milk mixture, stirring constantly until the sauce is nice and smooth.
6. Add the rest of the milk mixture while continuing to stir; keep at it until smooth.
7. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
8. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
9. Add the courgette and garlic to the sauce along with the ricotta and half the Parmesan.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
10. Fill the crepes with the filling, using a spoon.
11. Roll them up and lay them out on a buttered baking sheet/dish.
12. Pour the vegetable broth over the top and sprinkle on the rest of the Parmesan.
13. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes.
14. Serve hot.

Preparation Time:  30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves:  4-6

Difficulty: Hard

Perfect for when you need a quick and easy, but still tasty and healthy, meal for unexpected dinner guests. This Broccoli and Feta Rice dish is a family favourite that’s sure to please even the pickiest of palettes.  I came up with this one summer evening a few years back when we organized a spur of the moment dinner party with some friends we’d invited over for drinks, only to realise that purple sprouting broccoli, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese were quite literally the only things I had in the fridge!  After a quick inspection of the cupboards I found a bit of Basmati Rice and inspiration struck!  Not much more than 20 minutes later and we were happily stuffing our bellies with this tangy, cheesy delight.

Ever since that day, this has been my “go to” dish for any last-minute meal requirements.  As an alternative you can replace the cherry tomatoes with sun-dried tomatoes, preferably the kind that come in a jar with olive oil.  If you have the loose, dry kind, be sure to rehydrate them in hot water with a little olive oil before adding them to the mix.  Also bear in mind that sun-dried tomatoes are notoriously salty, and when combined with the salty feta cheese it can be a bit much, so don’t add any more salt until the end and always test it first!

What you’re going to need

• 1 medium head of broccoli, chopped, about 2 cups
• 1 200g package of feta cheese, chopped in cubes
• 1 pack cherry tomatoes (approx. 25 units)
• 2 cups uncooked basmati rice
• 3 cups water with 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste

What you have to do

1. Steam the broccoli for about 10 minutes, or until it is tender, but still a little al dente.  Set aside.
2. Cook the rice in the salted water with the bay leaf until it’s tender but not mushy (about 25 minutes).
3. Drain the rice and place it in a large serving bowl.
4. Add the broccoli and feta cheese to the rice, along with the herbs, salt and pepper.
5. Stir the mixture well, adding more salt and pepper as desired.
6. Serve warm or cold.

Preparation Time:  5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves:  4

Difficulty: Easy