Tag: vegetarian
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Airfryer Roasted Cauliflower Soup
I love a nice creamy cauliflower soup and I often cook a plain version that pairs well with meat (see Creamy Cauliflower And Parmesan Soup With Soft Pork Belly). I was recently introduced to roasted cauliflower soup and this soup needs no support act. 🙂
Simply
Cut a whole head of cauliflower of medium size into flat pieces. Spray them with a tiny bit of olive oil and airfry for about 5 minutes.
A basic version of this soup would use 4 cups of vegetable stock, 1 diced onion, 1 garlic clove and some nutmeg and cracked black pepper. Bring the stock to the boil, add most of the cauliflower and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until the cauliflower is soft.
Use a stick mixer to blend the soup to a smooth consistency.
Serve hot, garnished with the reserved cauliflower pieces, spring onion and sesame seeds:
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more soups and vegetarian dishes:
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Dhanna Dal
Dhanna Dal is the inner core of a coriander seed. You can get them at your local Indian grocer.
They have a warm zingy nutty taste with citrus tones, are very morish and have a pleasant crunch. Dry-roasting them reduces the warm zingy taste and brings out the nutty flavour making it earthier and less lemony.
You can snack on them by themselves and they are traditionally used in India to aid digestion. They go great in curries and I dry-roast them before adding to Mukhwa (an Indian mix of fennel and other spices, served after dinner as a breath freshener and digestive).
Just when I thought I couldn’t love coriander more. 🙂
Enjoy,
PK
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PK’s Carrot Chips
These carrot and honey chips are a great alternative to potato fries. Even little fussy eaters will munch down on them. 🙂
#dinner #carrot #vegetarian #kidfriendlymeals
Simply
- Cut the sides of your carrots to give you nice rectangular blocks.
- Cut these down further to get the chip width you like.
- Cover an oven tray in baking paper and coat with some olive oil spray.
- Lay the chips out so they are not touching each other.
- Drizzle with more oil, some honey and some lemon juice.
- Cook on 180C (fan-forced oven) for 30 minutes.
Enjoy,
PK
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Porcini Mushrooms
As a recently born again mushroom addict I am making up for lost time. I am always on the look out for new varieties to try and Porcini are my current favourite. 🙂
I buy them dried from France as they don’t grow wild in Australia and they have resisted domestication. When you open the packet you are rewarded with a lovely nutty umami smell. They taste just as good and I use them as a flavour base in my stews, casseroles and soups.
Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free.
Fresh they look stunning and I would love to get my hands on some.
Try them in my PK’s Slow Cooked Beef Bourguignon.
Enjoy,
PK
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Lentils
Lentils have been with us from very early in agricultural history. There are many different types. They are a legume (just like peas and beans) that can be sprouted, fried, baked and cooked.
They are very nutritious, a great source of protein and are low GI. I think they are a great ingredient in their own right but they also make a great substitute for meat. Check out PK Makes Michelle Bridges’ Lentil Shepherds Pie.
Guess where most of them are grown. Wikipedia says Canada! Wow. 🙂
Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free.
Enjoy,
PK
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Bay Leaf Tree: Grow and Eat
The humble Bay Leaf tree is a must have in a kitchen garden. Once you try fresh or freshly dried bay leaves in your cooking you won’t go back to the store bought version. Like many herbs, they lose their fullest, layer rich aroma and taste as they wait in transport and store shelves.
I normally use one or two small leaves fresh from the tree. I haven’t found them to be overpowering like some websites suggest.
I use them whole in stews, casseroles, curries, the list goes on. I always remove them post cooking (bouquet garni bags make this easier). They give the liquid in said dishes a earthy almost bitter tang. By itself this might not sound tasty but it works with the other ingredients to make a dish tastier than the sum of its parts.
I also recently got into bay leaf tea. It is a refreshing change despite it being reminiscant of a cup of mild green tea. It is like drinking the Aussie bush. 🙂
Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free.
This particular cooking ingredient is in PK’s Essential Pantry Cupboard Contents.
Enjoy,
PK
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Whole Roasted Crickets
Entomophagy is the purposeful use of insects for food. Insects are not only very high in protein but this protein is very readily digested by our bodies.
I thought I would try insects for the first time and support an Aussie company at the same time. I am glad I did. In fact, Australia has some of the oldest traditions of eating insects as they are a nutritional bonanza. I might have to try ants next. 🙂
I bought some snack crickets (two different flavours, ‘chili and lime finger’ and ‘chili and garlic’) from the people at ediblebugshop.com.au. They are an insect farm in Sydney, Australia and export their product world wide.
The crickets are roasted to crunchy perfection and have a lovely nutty taste before ending in a spicy zing.
You can use them in all sorts of things like salads, tacos, wraps, stews and casseroles. Straight from the jar is may favourite though.
Give them a try and you won’t regret it.
Enjoy,
PK
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PK’s Baked Cauliflower Slice
This simple cauliflower and cheese dish is irresistible to children and adults alike. I am always looking for kid friendly meals that require little effort to make. 🙂
Let’s face it, the gooey cheese (grilled to perfection on top) is the best bit, so if you are a vegetarian you could use dairy free cheese, omit the egg and chuck in some chia seeds. It will have a slightly different texture but will be oh so yummy.
You will be:
- Precooking the cauliflower
- Mixing all the ingredients
- Baking for 10 minutes
- Serving
You will need:
- Ingredients:
- 1/2 a cauliflower, broken/cut into puffed corn sized pieces
- 1 chicken egg
- 6 sprigs of Mediterranean herbs (I used thyme and tarragon), roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup panko crumbs (breadcrumbs will work too)
- 1/4 cup aged Italian cheese (I used provolone but Parmigiano-Reggiano would rock too), finely grated
- a very generous sprinkle (or two) of Garam Masala
- spray oil
- Equipment:
- a long sharp knife
- a chopping board
- a sauce pan or steamer
- a fork or whisk
- a mixing bowl
- an oven tray
- baking paper
Precooking the cauliflower
- I used my hands to twist off the cauliflower florets (aiming for puffed wheat sized chunks) and the knife to chop up the heart.
- Lightly boil or steam the chunks (aiming for a bit of crunch).
Mixing all the ingredients
- Preheat the fan forced oven to 200C.
- Whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix in the:
- cauliflower
- 6 sprigs of Mediterranean herbs
- 1/2 cup panko crumbs
- 1/4 cup aged Italian cheese
- Cover an oven tray with baking paper and spray it with a bit of olive oil.
- Spread the cauliflower mix over the tray.
- Sprinkle generously with garam masala.
- Spray again with the olive oil.
Baking for 10 minutes
- Bake for 10 minutes and check the colour.
- The cheese should be melted and slightly golden.
- If you want, use the grill or a chef’s torch.
Serving
Goes great with a nice juicy steak. 🙂
Enjoy,
PK
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Dairy Free Cheese: Cheddar Flavour
A friend of mine recently put me on to this tasty dairy free cheese from My Life. I am currently on a cow, goat and sheep’ milk cheese ‘tasting, cooking and of course blogging’ odyssey. So I was very interested in trying this product.
I used to only eat cheddar cheese growing up. So although my cheese tastes have changed a lot, I am not surprised I like this product. I did a taste test at my work where I told the tasters up front it was dairy free cheese. Everyone who tried it said they could tell the difference but that they liked it.
It is akin to a very mild, highly processed cheddar (the production method obviously involves molding it in to shape) that little to no texture. Again though it reminds me of the cheese I at growing up and my kids eat it now too.
I only have two more comments, one is price related the other is a cooking heads up. The first comment is that it is much more expensive than any comparable dairy product. Hopefully this comes down as competition and sales rise. The heads up comment is just a warning that it doesn’t melt at the same speed and in the same way as dairy cheese. You just need to experiment a bit to get it right and I have read it might just need higher temperatures.
Next for me is to try My Life’s Bio Cheese Original Flavour.
Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free.
Enjoy,
PK
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Vegan Fish Sauce
Look I get it, no one likes to be labelled but sometimes labels help educate. I am a certified Omnivore and have no intention of following the vegan code to its fullest.
I am however very supportive of the Vegan ethos. To this end I like reviewing Vegan alternatives to meat based ingredients.
Recently, I ordered some Vegan Fish Sauce and here is the saucy truth. 🙂
I would say that fish sauce is not just nice to have, it is required to build up the flavour of many Southeast Asian dishes. So I am very happy to report that (at least the brand I tried) does a very good job and it would be hard to pick in a blind tasting as the look and smell are on par.
However the vegan version is unashamedly saltier and is ever so slightly missing a metallic taste that only meat can give. The Anchovies based version also has a several more levels of subtle tastes in its journey over the taste buds.
Yet in conclusion, Whilst I think this is a required ingredient in the Vegan’s cupboard, I recommend you use less of it than the fish based version when converting recipes. It is much saltier.
Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free.
Enjoy,
PK
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