Note:
I first encountered Japanese rice sweets (called “daifuku”) when I visited Japan in 2002. Daifuku is made from pounded rice and usually has a filling of ango (red beans). The sweets are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan which makes them a special treat for all us ‘dietary-requirements’ people.

Daifuku can be a bit tricky to find in Australia. If you go to your local Japanese food store, you will usually find them in the freezer or next to the counter but a fresh daifuku that hasn’t been frozen and shipped is worth its weight in gold. Beware of the not-so-nice imports from Taiwan which you’ll find in many Asian grocers… they are OK but nowhere near as good as the ones they make in Japan.

Recently a friend visited from Japan and brought a supply with her, which we’ve nearly finished. So I can’t wait to have a go at VeganYumYum’s recipe and make daifuku myself – http://veganyumyum.com/2009/03/daifuku/. Will keep you posted on how I go, it sounds like quite the cooking adventure.

Note:
I may have an addiction to beetroot at the moment. For my cousin’s birthday BBQ, I cooked up this Beetroot and Pumpkin Salad, based on the Roast Beetroot and Sweet Potato Salad I made last year (http://vegematarian.com.au/2011/06/29/roast-beetroot-and-sweet-potato/). I love mix and matching when it comes to recipes! This recipe looks like a lot of vegies but only makes a small bowl of salad.

Ingredients:
3 beetroot, cut into quarters (medium sized)
1 butternut pumpkin (or pumpkin of your choice), peeled and cut into large chunks
Olive oil
2 tablespoons of honey
1 handful of sunflower seeds
1 brown or red onion, sliced into rounds or semi-circles
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of balsamic or apple-cider vinegar
1 handful of beetroot leaves or lettucey/spinachey thing of your choice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Rinse outside of beetroot (there’s no need to peel them). Prepare beetroot and pumpkin.
3. Mix in a bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, honey and sunflower seeds (salt and pepper as well if you wish).
4. Place beetroot and pumpkin coated pieces on baking tray. Drizzle a bit more olive oil if tray not greased enough.
5. Roast beetroot and pumpkin for 30 minutes or so. They are ready when you can poke a fork through them. You may need to remove the pumpkin first and let the beetroot cook for a bit longer.
6. While the beetroot and pumpkin is cooking, make the caramelised onion — heat a splash of olive oil in a large frypan over low heat. Add the onions and cook very slowly for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking.
7. When onions are softened and tinged golden, add sugar and balsamic – this will start the caramelisation process. Cook onion over low heat for a further 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sticky and caramelised.
6. Remove beetroot and pumpkin from oven and serve on a bed of beetroot leaves or lettuce/spinach of your choice. Add onions and eat nom nom nom!

Note:
It is indeed true that the “simple things in life are often the best”. Yesterday I had this delicious Summer-flavoured spaghetti for lunch with vegetables from my garden and it rocked my socks! No need for cheese when you have fresh delicious ingredients. This feeds two people.

Ingredients:
4 handfuls of gluten-free spaghetti (I used San Remo Angel-Haired Spaghetti)
1 pinch of salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 handfuls of fresh basil
2 large ripe tomatoes
Olive oil
Pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat up water in a saucepan and add a teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
2. Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti and cook as per instructions on the packet.
3. While the spaghetti is cooking, mince the garlic and chop up some fresh tomatoes.
4. Drain the water from the spaghetti and add to bowl/s.
5. Stir in tomatoes and garlic. Tear up some fresh basil leaves and stir through.
6. Season with pepper and eat while it’s warm.

Kudos:
An original for Vegematarian.

Note:
Our new home is, to quote our friend, “Like a garden of Eden”. First came the peaches (see http://vegematarian.com.au/2011/12/18/millions-of-peaches/) and now the plums and nectarines have ripened. Oh the joy of eating fruit straight of a tree… it can’t be beat! We’ve had so many plums that we’ve been giving them away in bucket loads and this week I cooked up a bucket load to stew and freeze.

Ingredients:
Plums of your choosing (we’re growing blood plums)
Water
Sugar
Lemon juice
Cinnamon stick (optional, but delicious)

Instructions:
1. Wash the plums and remove the pips.
2. Add the plums to a large saucepan and turn up the heat.
3. Stir in a cinnamon stick (or a teaspoon or two of powdered cinnamon) and a few tablespoons of water and some lemon juice (depending on your personal taste). Plums release a lot of juice when cooked so you may find that a a few tablespoons of water is all you need.
4. Let the pan heat up and then turn it down to medium-heat.
5. Stir in some sugar, again depending on your personal taste. Some plums may not need sugar at all but blood plums become very tart when you cook them.
6. Turn the heat down low and simmer for at least 30 mins. You’ll need to check the pan every so often, give things a stir and add water if drying out.
7. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Kudos:
Thanks to my Mum, Nana and Dad for teaching me how to stew fruit. Yum!

Note:
I love pilaf and chucked this recipe together to accompany Red Lentil Dahl (http://vegematarian.com.au/2010/01/26/kirstys-dhal/), Cucumber and Mint Salad (http://vegematarian.com.au/2010/01/26/cucumber-and-mint-salad/) and some pappadums (http://vegematarian.com.au/2010/02/02/snacking-on-pappadums/).

Ingredients:
2 cups of basmati rice (I used a combination of red and white)
1 tablespoon of ghee or vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
6 green cardamom pods
1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick
8 cloves
1 teaspoon of fresh or powdered ginger
4 cups of water
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
1/4 cup of cashew nuts (or nuts of your choice)

Instructions:
1. Wash rice by rinsing in cold water. Drain.
2. In a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee.
3. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion is tender.
4. Add garlic, and saute for another minute.
5. Add cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Saute until aroma has been released and add the rice.
6. Saute until rice is translucent and begins to brown.
7. Add water, bay leaf and salt and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, for about 10 minutes.
9. Add cashews and sultanas. Cover tightly and let simmer for 5 minutes more.
10. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, covered.
11. Before serving, remove the bay cleaves, cloves and cinnamon stick.

Kudos:
An original for Vegematarian.

Note:
I was given a big Chinese cabbage (aka “wombok”) last week and wanted to cook it up but still retain its flavour. So I created this simple recipe and I then added the cabbage to a lunchtime bento box for friends.

Ingredients:
1 large Chinese cabbage (wombok)
2 tablespoons of tamari or wheat-free soy sauce
1 tablespoon of mirin
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of grated ginger

Instructions:
1. Wash cabbage and finely chop.
2. Wilt cabbage by steaming, or lightly stir-frying with 1/2 cup of water.
3. Mix tamari, mirin, sesame oil and grated ginger in a small bowl.
4. Pour over cabbage and serve warm or cool.
It’s that easy.

Kudos:
An original for Vegematarian.

Note:
I had a packet of tempeh in the fridge that needed using up so I decided to combine two of my favourite Vegematarian recipes —  Orange Glazed Tempeh (http://vegematarian.com.au/2011/09/04/orange-glazed-tempeh/) and Baked Ginger Tofu (http://vegematarian.com.au/2011/06/12/baked-ginger-tofu/). It was super yum!

Ingredients:
1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice (I used lemons as we have have plenty on our tree at the moment)
1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons of tamari (or wheat-free soy sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons of mirin
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons of maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
1 large packet of tempeh (or extra-firm tofu)
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 large handful of fresh coriander  or Vietnamese mint leaves (or herbs of your choice)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Squeeze the oranges/lemons and pour juice into a small bowl.
3. Grate the ginger and squeeze over the bowl to extract the juices (I just squeezed it in my hand). Discard the pulp.
4. Add the tamari, mirin, vinegar, maple syrup, ground coriander and garlic to the bowl. Combine and set aside.
5. Cut the tempeh into thin-ish, bite-sized pieces.
6. Add the tempeh to the bowl and marinate for at least 10 minutes.
7. Pour both the sesame and vegetable oil in a baking tray and spread evenly.
8. Add the tempeh to the tray and bake for 10-15 minutes. At about 5 minutes, flip the tempeh over and if it looks like it’s drying out, sprinkle a few teaspoons of water over the dish. Tempeh is ready when it is baked on each side and looks ‘glazed’ .
9. Serve the tempeh drizzled with any remaining sauce and a squeeze of lemon/orange/lime.

Kudos:
An original recipe for Vegematarian (but I’m sure it’s been done before!).

Note:
Our Canadian friend Laura recently reminded us of the wonder of banana pancakes.

I used my buckwheat pancake recipe – http://vegematarian.com.au/2010/09/19/buckwheat-pancakes/
And once the batter was mixed up, I added sliced bananas, cinnamon and LSA (crushed linseed, sunflower and almonds). The banana is so good once it goes all gooey and hot and you could eat these pancakes plain without any topping.

Kudos:
Thanks for making the trek to see us, Laura.

Note:
I loved roast potatoes. Such a simple dish but so delicious! Last night I roasted up some kipflers that have been recently dug out of my parent’s vegetable garden. I roasted them in olive oil and seasoned them with dried thyme (from our garden) and salt. I usually use rosemary so it was nice to add a different herb. Yum!

Kudos:
To backyard farmers everywhere. Hooray for fresh food without the pesticides, packaging and carbon footprint!

Note:
“Involtini di melanzano con la béhamel” is a classic summer recipe. My brother has made it for a few different events and now my parents have adopted it as well. It does use a tomato sauce so if you’re like me you might like to replace it with a roast red capsicum sauce which is super easy to make.

Ingredients:
3 medium-sized dark skinned eggplants, thinly sliced
sea salt, to taste
4 cups of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce  (www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/513/Tomato_sauce_(salsa_di_pomodoro))
OR 1 cup of roast capsicum sauce (http://vegematarian.com.au/2012/01/09/capsicum-sauce/)
fresh basil leaves for garnish

Ingredients for béchamel sauce: (click here to read recipe)-
4 tablespoons of dairy-free margarine
2 tablespoons of gluten-free flour
1 cup soy or rice milk
1 handful of soy cheese, grated (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Arrange the eggplant slices in a large bowl and cover with salted water. Leave for 30 minutes to eliminate the bitter moisture and prevent them from absorbing too much oil when frying.
3. Make the béchamel sauce - http://vegematarian.com.au/2010/11/02/bechamel-sauce/
4. Set béchamel sauce aside to cool.
5. Make the tomato sauce (www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/513/Tomato_sauce_(salsa_di_pomodoro)
OR
Make the roast capsicum sauce (http://vegematarian.com.au/2012/01/09/capsicum-sauce/).
> Ideally, the sauce should be smooth rather than ‘chunky’.
6. Drain the eggplant slices and pat dry with clean kitchen cloth.
7. Heat at least 2 cups of olive oil in a sauté pan (preferably with high sides) over medium-high heat and bringing to frying temperature.
8. Add a single layer of the slices and cook until golden on both sides, reducing the heat if oil begins to burn or the eggplants colour too quickly.
9. Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to a plate with absorbent towel (preferably made of post-consumer recycled paper) to drain off oil.
10. Repeat until all of the eggplant slices are cooked. If more olive oil is needed, add to an empty pan and bring to frying temperature before cooking a new batch.
11. Arrange the eggplant slices on a flat surface. Place a small amount (1-2 teaspoons) of the béchamel sauce on one end of each slice and roll the eggplant around it. Arrange the eggplant rolls tightly in a oven-proof serving dish. Spoon the tomato/capsicum sauce over the eggplant.
12. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.
13. Garnish with the fresh basil and serve warm or at room temperature.

Kudos:
Thank you to my family for introducing this delicious dish.