Lentil Kofte (GF option available)
Ingredients:
3 glasses of water (add more if needed)
1.5 cups fine bulgur wheat (you can use quinoa to make the recipe GF)
1 cup of red lentils
1 onion head
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of spring (or green) onions
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of tomato paste (feel free to use a mix of pepper and tomato paste)
Salt to taste
Cumin to taste
Chili pepper to taste
Black pepper to taste
Lettuce or arugula leaves
Instructions:
To make lentil meatballs, the lentils are washed and placed in a suitable pot, and 3 glasses of water are added. The lentils are boiled until they become soft.
When the water is removed, the fine bulgur wheat is thrown into the pot and left for half an hour with the lid of the pot closed.
In a separate pan, fry the finely chopped onion in olive oil until it turns slightly pink. Add tomato paste, fry for another 1-2 minutes and take it off the stove.
The lentils, which are rested for half an hour, are added to the fried onions with tomato paste, and when it reaches a temperature that will not burn the hand, it is kneaded well.
Salt and spices are added to the meatball mortar that is thoroughly mixed and kneaded again.
Finally, finely chopped parsley and finely chopped green onions are added. The ingredients are mixed well.
After the meatball mortar has cooled down a bit, all the ingredients are kneaded by hand and egg-sized pieces are broken off.
The meatballs are shaped and arranged on lettuce or arugula leaves.
Lentil Kofte (GF option available)
Ingredients:
3 glasses of water (add more if needed)
1.5 cups fine bulgur wheat (you can use quinoa to make the recipe GF)
1 cup of red lentils
1 onion head
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of spring (or green) onions
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of tomato paste (feel free to use a mix of pepper and tomato paste)
Salt to taste
Cumin to taste
Chili pepper to taste
Black pepper to taste
Lettuce or arugula leaves
Instructions:
To make lentil meatballs, the lentils are washed and placed in a suitable pot, and 3 glasses of water are added. The lentils are boiled until they become soft.
When the water is removed, the fine bulgur wheat is thrown into the pot and left for half an hour with the lid of the pot closed.
In a separate pan, fry the finely chopped onion in olive oil until it turns slightly pink. Add tomato paste, fry for another 1-2 minutes and take it off the stove.
The lentils, which are rested for half an hour, are added to the fried onions with tomato paste, and when it reaches a temperature that will not burn the hand, it is kneaded well.
Salt and spices are added to the meatball mortar that is thoroughly mixed and kneaded again.
Finally, finely chopped parsley and finely chopped green onions are added. The ingredients are mixed well.
After the meatball mortar has cooled down a bit, all the ingredients are kneaded by hand and egg-sized pieces are broken off.
The meatballs are shaped and arranged on lettuce or arugula leaves.
Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmades)
Ersoy, D. (2013, May 14). Yaprak Sarmasi. Nefis Yemek Tarifleri. https://www.nefisyemektarifleri.com/yaprak-sarmasi-2/
Ingredients:
5-6 cups of water
500 grams of grape leaves
1 lemon
Olive oil to taste
Filling:
2 medium onions
1.5 cups of rice
1 tomato
2 tablespoons of oil
Parsley to taste
Black pepper to taste
Allspice to taste
Mint to taste
Salt to taste
Instructions:
First, the brine leaves are kept in hot water for 2-3 minutes, washed and filtered.
Onions are diced and cooked in olive oil on the stove.
Wash the rice and add it to the pot.
Grate the tomato and add it to the pot with the spices. The rice will cook a little bit in the tomato juice, but will not be fully cooked. This is done so that it is not overcooked later once in the grape leaves.
Start rolling the grapes by placing 1 tbsp of filling into the wide part of the lighter side of the leaf wrap by closing it from both sides like a roll.
Place a few unrolled leaves in the bottom of the pot. After that, stack your rolled leaves in the pot.
Add olive oil and lemon slices on top of the leaves. Add about 5-6 cups of hot water to the pot and cook over low heat.
Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Thank you Emma Chapman-Lin for the suggestion and Jennifer Fu for all your help making it in the kitchen!
Zhu, M. (2020, August 25). Chinese Scallion Pancakes. Omnivore’s Cookbook. https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-scallion-pancakes/
Yield: 6 pancakes
Ingredients:
Dough:
2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup cool water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (50 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup peanut oil (or your favorite oil like olive oil, melted coconut oil, melted butter, or melted chicken fat etc.)
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 to 10 green onions, split down the middle and chopped (yield 1 cup)
Cooking:
Vegetable oil for pan frying
Dipping Sauce (Optional):
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar)
1 tablespoon of water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Instructions:
Make the dough:
OPTION 1 – USING YOUR HANDS: Combine the flour and salt in a big bowl. Stir to mix well. Slowly drizzle in the hot water while mixing it with a pair of chopsticks (or a fork), until the water is fully absorbed. Slowly drizzle in the cool water, continuing to stir until many dough flakes form. Press the dough together, and try to combine the wet dough with the dry flour. Drizzle in a little extra water if there is any dry flour remaining. Knead until a firm ball is formed, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
OPTION 2 – USING A MIXER: Combine the flour and salt in the mixer bowl with the dough hook attachment. Turn it to the mix setting and slowly drizzle in the hot water followed by the cool water. After a minute of mixing, drizzle in a little extra water if there is any dry flour remaining. Turn to setting 4 and knead until a ball of dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
Make the filling:
While the dough is resting, combine the flour, oil, and salt in a small bowl. Mix until a smooth paste is formed.
If making the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
Form the scallion pancakes:
When the dough is done resting, knead for another minute until it is smooth. Cut the dough into 6 even pieces, about 76 grams per piece. Form the dough into balls using your hands.
Work on one dough ball at a time, covering the rest with plastic wrap to prevent drying out. Roll each dough ball into a thin rectangle with a rolling pin, aiming for around 6×10” (15×25 cm). Lift and turn the dough regularly as you roll it to prevent sticking. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the dough and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon, leaving about 1” (2.5 cm) on top and the left end without the filling. Sprinkle 2 heaping tablespoons of green onions onto the paste, concentrating most of it towards one side of the length and one side of the width, creating a loose L shape.
Begin rolling the dough from the longer side of the dough where the green onions are concentrated, until you have one long tube. Lightly flatten the tube using your hand. Pinch the side with more green onion to seal it. Take the sealed side and gently pull and roll it towards the unsealed side, using your hand to smooth out the dough to push any large air bubbles out. Tuck the loose end under the rolled bun. Gently press down on the round disk with your hand to seal the pancake.
Set the formed pancake aside and cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until each pancake is ready.
Roll out the pancake:
Roll each prepared pancake into a circle, about 7-8” (17-20 cm) wide. Flip and move it as you do to prevent sticking. Don’t worry if air bubbles burst through or some green onions fall out.
If you plan to store the pancakes and cook them later, place each pancake onto a piece of parchment paper and stack them. Transfer the pancakes to a large ziplock bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, and seal the bag. You can freeze the pancakes for up to 3 months.
Cook the pancakes:
Heat a 9” (23 cm) cast iron pan (or a nonstick skillet) over medium-high heat and add enough oil to fully coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot, add a pancake. Use a pair of chopsticks (or a spatula) to swirl the pancake around to spread the oil and prevent sticking, for a few seconds. Cover the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Let the pancake cook, covered, for 1 minute. Remove the lid and flip the pancake, cover, and cook for another minute. Remove the lid. Use a spatula to press the pancake, to ensure even browning. Continue to cook, flipping regularly, until both sides are crisp and browned, about 3 minutes. Turn to medium-low heat if the pan gets too hot. Transfer the pancake to a cooling rack or a cutting board to cool. Repeat to cook all the pancakes you plan to serve.
Once the pancakes are slightly cooled enough to handle, cut into 6 pieces and transfer to a serving platter. Serve hot with the dipping sauce as an appetizer.
Cook frozen pancakes:
Let the frozen pancakes thaw for 10 minutes then proceed from step 8.
Store and reheat cooked pancakes:
Place the leftover pancakes in a ziplock bag by stacking them together. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a pancake to a pan and heat over medium heat, cook, flip occasionally until the pancakes turn warm throughout.
Gobi Manchurian
Thank you Anirudh for sending along this recipe!
Hebbars Kitchen. (2019, January 21). gobi manchurian recipe | how to make gobi manchurian dry recipe. https://hebbarskitchen.com/dry-gobi-manchurian-recipe/
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
for boiling:
▢ 20 florets gobi / cauliflower
▢ 4 cups of water
▢ 1 cup cold water
▢ ½ tsp salt
for batter:
▢ ¾ cup plain flour
▢ ½ cup water
▢ ¼ cup corn flour
▢ ½ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
▢ ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
▢ ¼ tsp salt
▢ oil for deep frying
for manchurian sauce:
▢ 2 clove garlic (finely chopped)
▢ 1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
▢ 1 green chilli (slit)
▢ ¼ onion (finely chopped)
▢ ¼ cup spring onion (chopped)
▢ ½ capsicum (cube)
▢ 2 tbsp tomato sauce
▢ 4 tsp oil
▢ 1 tsp chilli sauce
▢ 2 tsp vinegar
▢ 2 tsp soy sauce
▢ ¼ tsp pepper (crushed)
▢ ¼ tsp salt
for corn flour slurry:
▢ ¼ cup water
▢ 1 tsp corn flour
Instructions:
First, in a large kadai, heat 4 tsp oil and saute 2 garlic cloves,1 inch ginger and 1 green chilli on high flame.
Also, saute ¼ onion and 2 tbsp spring onion on high flame.
Further add ½ capsicum and continue to saute till they slightly change colour.
Additionally, add 2 tbsp tomato sauce, 1 tsp chilli sauce, 2 tsp vinegar, 2 tsp soy sauce, ¼ tsp pepper and ¼ tsp salt.
Mix well and saute for a minute.
Add cornflour slurry.
Give a good mix until the gravy slightly thickens and turns translucent.
Additionally, add fried gobi.
Mix gently making sure the sauce has coated well uniformly.
Finally, transfer gobi manchurian to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped spring (or green) onions. Serve with fried rice.
Summer Rolls
Courtesy of Emma Chapman-Lin
Ingredients:
Pack(s) of Rice Paper
1 Cucumber
1 Carrot
1/2 pack of vermicelli rice noodles
Seasoning: These amounts do not increase evenly with the above ingredients when the recipe is multiplied
1/2 cup Sushi Vinegar
1/4 cup Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Several Pinches of Salt
1 tsp Sambal Oleck (optional)
1 tsp Lime juice (optional)
*This is a simplified version! You are welcome to experiment with more veggies and herbs :)
Instructions:
Thinly slice the cucumber and grate the carrot.
Cook vermicelli rice noodles by bringing a medium pot of water to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat, and add the noodles. Let the noodles soak until they're tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
Mix vermicelli with veggies and seasoning.
To make the summer rolls, dip rice paper in water for about 10 seconds. Afterwards, put the filling in the paper so that about 1 inch is free on all sides. Roll upwards to cover the filling and then fold on the sides.
Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi (GF option available)
Recipe by Bianca Zapatka. Thank you Claire Calderwood for bringing it to the Ladle Kitchen!
Zapatka, B. (2018, October 21). VEGAN SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI (VEGAN, EASY, RECIPE). https://biancazapatka.com/en/vegan-sweet-potato-gnocchi/#recipe
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Sweet Potato Gnocchi:
1 large sweet potato (about 600 g)
1 1/3 cup (gluten-free) flour* (170 g) (+more for dusting)
2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes or vegan parmesan cheese (optional)
2 tbsp vegan butter (to pan-fry)
1/2 tsp salt
Oven roasted tomatoes:
250 g cherry tomatoes
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves
salt & pepper to taste
Topping:
4 tbsp pine nuts
fresh herbs of choice
Instructions:
Prick the sweet potato a few times with a fork and microwave until soft, for 7-10 minutes. (Optionally, bake the sweet potato in the oven for about 50-60 minutes).
Peel the sweet potato, scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash until smooth. Add nutritional yeast/ parmesan + salt and mix until combined. Add the flour and knead gently but don’t over knead it or the dough will get sticky. Add more flour if needed but try to add as little as possible to get fluffy and soft gnocchi.
Transfer the dough to a floured working surface, form it into a flat ball and cut into quarters. Take a piece and form a long rope, rolling it along your floured surface. Cut the rope into 3/4-inch (2 cm) pieces and either cook them this way or create the distinctive ridges.
To create the typical gnocchi ridges, place the gnocchi at the top of the fork tines and gently press down, rolling it across the fork with your thumb.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the gnocchi, and cook until the gnocchi float to the top of the water. Drain and optionally, toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
Now you can continue making the recipe to serve them immediately, or refrigerate the gnocchi to serve later, or freeze them for further meals.
Mediterranean Snow Peas (Vegetarian, can be made vegan)
G. Mediterranean Snow Peas. Allrecipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229695/mediterranean-snow-peas/
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
½ pound fresh snow peas, trimmed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon water, or more as needed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons butter (=1.125 teaspoons of [olive] oil)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Melt butter (or oil) in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in Italian seasoning and snow peas.
Add water; cook and stir until peas are bright green and tender, about 2 minutes.
Stir in olive oil and lemon juice.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Vegan Tiramisu (GF available)
Berlin, B. Easy Homemade Vegan Tiramisu (No Cashews, No Tofu!). THE BANANA DIARIES. https://thebananadiaries.com/vegan-tiramisu/
Yield: 9
Ingredients:
Vegan Gluten Free Ladyfingers:
2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour or sifted gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour (if doing gluten-free, add in 1 tsp arrowroot powder)
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar or coconut sugar
3/4 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup (250 grams) dairy-free milk with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, room temperature*
1/2 cup (120 grams) unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
2 tbsp melted vegan butter or coconut oil, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Vegan Mascarpone:
2 13-ounce cans coconut cream, chilled in the fridge overnight
12 ounces vegan cream cheese
1 cup (180 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup brewed espresso
2/3 cup cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional: coconut whipped cream for decoration
Equipment:
6x9″ or 8x8″ baking pan
Baking sheet
Parchment Paper
Espresso machine
Hand mixer
Instructions:
Please read through all instructions before beginning.
Measure out the ingredients for the ladyfingers first
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the ladyfingers first. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold in dairy-free milk mixture, applesauce, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract until there are no streaks of dry ingredients and the batter is smooth. The batter will be slightly runny. Spread the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, using a rubber spatula to spread the batter to be about 9″x12″. Place the baking sheet into the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes. Then remove from the oven and set aside. Cool for 10 minutes, then slice the cake into 3″x1″ strips. You should yield 26 ladyfingers. Set the ladyfingers aside to cool completely. They’re even better if used the following day.*
Prepare the mascarpone. In a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the vegan cream cheese until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes Add in the sugar and vanilla extract, and continue creaming together until smooth. Then scoop in the coconut cream (fat only) and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
Assembly: brew the espresso and make sure you have a 6×9″ or 8×8″ baking pan. Remove the mascarpone from the fridge. Dip one ladyfinger into the espresso, and be careful not to soak it too much. Just make sure it’s entirely covered in the espresso. Remove the ladyfinger from the espresso and place in the dish. Repeat with half of the ladyfingers until the first layer is complete. You’ll have half for the second layer. Spoon half of the mascarpone on top of the first layer of lady fingers. Repeat for the second layer, dipping the ladyfingers into the espresso, topping with mascarpone.
Place the dish into the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Serve: when ready to serve, remove the tiramisu from the fridge. Pipe coconut whipped cream on top if desired, then dust with cacao or cocoa powder. Slice and serve! Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
*Allow the dairy free milk and apple cider vinegar mixture to sit for 5 minutes before using.
Vegan, Nut-free Baklava
This recipe was created by adapting recipes from Natasha Kravchuk on natashaskitchen.com, Yasemin Gursurer on yemek.com and Jane Manna on justapinch.com
Ingredients:
1 packet of phyllo (we get ours from Mideast Store on Agricola St.)
250g melted (vegan) butter
Sherbet (sugar water):
3 cups of water
2.5 cups of granulated sugar
Juice of ¼ lemon
Filling
250 gram sunflower seeds, chopped fine
50g of sesame seeds
Instructions:
Prepare sherbet by mixing sugar and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Then, add the lemon juice and mix until it thickens slightly.
Melt the butter and brush your tray with it. Lay one layer of phyllo and brush with butter. Repeat until you are halfway through the packet.
Spread the filling over the last phylo evenly.
Cut pastry into 1 1/2″ wide strips, then cut diagonally to form diamond shapes. Bake at 325˚F for 1 hour and 15 min or until the tops are golden brown
Remove from the oven and immediately spoon the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava (you’ll hear it sizzle). This will ensure that it stays crisp rather than soggy. Let baklava cool completely, uncovered and at room temperature
Vegan, Nut-free Cheesecake
A. NUT-FREE & DAIRY-FREE BAKED CHEESECAKE. Unconventional Baker. https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/nut-free-dairy-free-baked-cheesecake-recipe/
Yield: 6-inch cake
Ingredients:
Crust:
1½ cups raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seed butter
8 soft medjool dates, pitted
Filling:
1 cup dairy-free yogurt (ex: agave-sweetened yogurt)
¾ cup sunflower seed butter
8 tbsp agave (or maple syrup, coconut syrup, etc.)
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp psyllium husk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly oil a tall 6″ springform pan (base and sides) and set aside.
Process all crust ingredients in a food processor into a fine sticky crumble. Transfer into the oiled pan and press down to shape into a crust with your hands along the base and sides of the pan (don’t leave cracks in the crust, so that the filling doesn’t leak out anywhere while baking). Set aside.
Blend all filling ingredients into a smooth mixture in a power blender. Pour over the crust.
Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 mins until the top is nice and golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack completely (a few hours or overnight is best). The top will sink as it cools, which is normal. Remove from the pan, slice and enjoy. Store leftovers in the fridge.