Madhu Knits and Cooks

Recipe, knitting, and sewing project notes

Tag: Cooking — Vegan Recipes

  • Mark Bittman’s Savory Oats with Soy Sauce + Scallions – Not as Crazy as It Sounds!

    My husband is not a fan of the sweet steel cut oats I make on occasion.  Whether it's brown sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, cardamon, or honey, he's never been a fan.  And when my first attempt at steel cut upma, a savory Indian dish adapted to this Western grain staple, didn't turn out as expected, I kind of just resigned myself to being the only oatmeal eater in the house.

    When I came across Mark Bittman's seemingly crazy recipe for savory oats with scallions and soy sauce, I thought this may the solution to my husband's oatmeal aversion.  It was a simple way to dress up oatmeal with ingredients we otherwise use all the time in our dinner time meals.  So what wouldn't there be to love?

    Mark Bittman Savory Oatmeal

    Unfortunately, it seems that some people just aren't a fan of oatmeal.  It doesn't matter if it's less watery or more watery, sweet or savory, it seems my husband just doesn't like oatmeal.  

    For my benefit though, I found yet another way to prepare this healthy and satisfying grain.  I basically just used a package of takeout Chinese soy sauce with some scallions, and viola, a pretty tasty meal.  I encourage those oatmeal-lovers out there to try it!

  • Pati Jinich’s Arroz Rojo – an Oven-Free Method to Perfect Mexican Red Rice

    My go-to Mexican rice recipe of late has been Cook's Illustrated Mexican Rice.  The recipe produces unfailing delicious Mexican red rice – flavorful and great texture.  However, it creates a preparation challenge for me in that it requires cooking the rice in the oven after toasting the rice and adding the seasonings on the stovetop. 

    That oven step adds more complexity in that you need to not only pre-heat an oven and cook it longer than it would take on the stovetop, but also it takes up your oven when you may need to preparing other items like vegetables or enchiladas.  So I'd love to find a stovetop-only good Mexican Rice recipe, but unfortunately my prior experiences trying to find such a recipe have failed.

    Enter Pati Jinich, my new favorite Mexican cuisine TV chef (sorry Rick Bayless!).  Pati has such amazing energy and pride for her food in her show, and I've made some of her great recipes in the past.  On a whim, I tried her Arroz Rojo recipe from her Pati's Mexican Table book to complement some drunken beans and homemade tortillas one weeknight.

    Pati Jinich - Mexican Rice Served

    The rice was fantastic – incredibly flavorful from the pureed onion, garlic, chile, and parsley (I may have subbed cilantro though), and nice texture from the added corn, carrot, and peas.  And the stove-top only prep made it a perfect side dish that didn't take up too much time (or oven space or time) from other dishes.

    To start, saute the rinsed and drained rice with oil until slightly translucent.

    Pati Jinich - Mexican Rice Toasting

    Pati Jinich - Mexican Rice Toasted

    Then add the pureed tomatoes, onion, garlic and salt mixture.

    Pati Jinich - Mexican Rice Tomato Sauce

    Pati Jinich - Mexican Rice Tomato Sauce Cooking

    Cook down for a few minutes, and then add the broth and vegetables.  Cover when it reaches a boil, and simmer until cooked to your taste.

    Pati Jinich - Mexican Rice Cooking

    Then let the rice sit covered for five minutes off heat, then fluff and serve.  Yum!

  • Weeknight Black Beans – Simple Protein-Packed Side Dish

    To complement some weeknight cheese enchiladas recently, I wanted to make a simple protein-heavy side dish.  Looking in my cabinets, the most obvious candidate became an aging can of black beans.  

    I didn't want to default to my favorite refried black bean side as I wanted the texture of whole, creamy beans.  So I decided to quickly improvise a recipe, using a few online sources including All Recipes, Spicy Spoonful, and the New York Times.  

    Weeknight Black Beans - Cooking on Pot

    The recipe I put together turned out pretty well, and it was definitely an easy side that can be replicated during any quick weeknight meal.  I think the critical step was something that I've used in the refried black beans recipe – a splash of citrus juice, whether lemon or lime at the end.  The citrus definitely brightens up the beans, and makes them almost good enough to eat on their own.

    Full recipe details below!

    Weeknight Black Beans

    Ingredients:

     

    • 1 tbsp. olive oil
    • 1/2 – 1 small onion, diced (I originally used 1 small onion, but will likely use 1/2 in the future)
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/2 tsp. oregano, adjusted to your personal preferences
    • 1/2 tsp. cumin, adjusted to your personal preferences
    • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth (I use water plus a bit of bouillon)
    • 3/4 tsp. hot sauce such as Tapatio
    • 1 tsp. lemon or lime juice
    • salt to taste

    Directions:

    • In a medium pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat.  

    Weeknight Black Beans - Onions Cooking

    • When hot, add onion and saute for 3 – 4 minutes or until translucent.

    Weeknight Black Beans - Onions with Spices

    • Then add garlic, oregano, and cumin.  Cook for approx. 1 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
    • Add in black beans, water or broth, and hot sauce.
    • Cook down on medium-high heat for approx. 15 minutes or until the beans are cooked to your preference and the water has mostly evaporated.
    • Add citrus juice and salt to taste, and serve immediately.

  • Three Cup Tofu with Awesome New Pan-Fried Tofu Technique

    This post couples a new tofu cooking technique with a new recipe I've been wanting to try for some time.

    The good news is that the new tofu prep technique worked fantastically well.  The bad news is that the recipe I cobbled together from various Internet sources (Three Cup Tofu) fell short of expectations.  

    Three Cup Tofu Cooked

    The tofu prep technique was disarmingly simple and produced restaurant-quality textures.  I first learned of this approach from a friend who had me over for the most delicious tofu meal and nonchalantly described his approach as just tossing the tofu with cornstarch, pan-frying and then adding to the other ingredients you want.  

    Doubting it could be this simple, I turned to the internet to find a more "formal" approach because I assumed there was a lot more I needed to do.  Learning more though, it turns out my friend's directions were completely right!

    Using the Kitchn's approach, I started by pressing out excess water from my firm tofu block with a large can of tomatoes.  

    Pan Fried Tofu - Pressing out Liquid

    After about 30 minutes, I then cut the denser tofu into 3/4 – 1 inch cubes.

    Pan Fried Tofu - Pressed Tofu Cut

    Then sprinkled the tofu with salt and a heavy amount of cornstarch (approx. 3 tbsp), ultimately coating evenly.  The tofu started to look a bit gummy and sticky at this point.

    Pan Fried Tofu - Cornstarch Sprinkled on Tp

    Pan Fried Tofu with Cornstarch Rubbed In

    Then I warmed a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil on medium-high heat.  When hot, I added the tofu and tossed every few minutes until all sides were browned.

    Pan Fried Tofu - in Frying Pan

    Pan Fried Tofu - Starting to Brown

    Pan Fried Tofu - Browned and Cooling

    I then started preparations for my attempt at Three Cup Tofu, the modified Taiwanese version of the famed Three Cup Chicken.  I cobbled together a few internet recipes to come up with my approach, heavily relying on The Vegan Word and The Cooking of Joy for my version.  

    Unfortunately, what I ended up with was incredibly salty and heavy, and didn't feature the lightness of my favorite restaurant version.  I think I'll significantly reduce the amount of soy sauce in the next go-round and also add more basil.  It definitely was a tasty dish, just really had too much salt to be enjoyable.

    Three Cup Tofu – first attempt

    Ingredients

    • 1 package prepared tofu (see above)
    • 1.5 tbsp .vegetable oil
    • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
    • 2 tsp. sliced ginger
    • 1 scallion, diced
    • 2 tsp. sesame oil
    • 4 tbsp. Shaoxing cooking wine
    • 4 tbsp. soy sauce (1 tbsp. dark, 3 tbsp. light – will probably go to 2 tbsp. light next time)
    • 1/3 cup chopped basil

    Directions

    • Heat oil with 4 cloves garlic in a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat.

    Three Cup Tofu - Seasonings

    • When garlic starts to cook, add ginger and scallion.  Saute for 15 – 30 seconds or until fragrant

    Three Cup Tofu - Seasonings on Pan

    • Add the tofu, and then the remaining sauce ingredients.  Cook the mixture down on medium-high heat for approx. 10 minutes.

    Three Cup Tofu - Cooking on Pan

    • Add chopped basil, stir the mixture, and turn off the heat.  Serve immediately.

     

  • Hot Bread Kitchen’s Nan-e Barbari – a Simple Iranian Bread

    I've had my eye on the Hot Bread Kitchen Nan-e Barbari recipe for some time, but interestingly not because of my frequent visits to the Hot Bread Kitchen stand at one of our local farmers markets.  Instead, it was a delightfully pictured Nan-e Barbari email that King Arthur Flour sent out that initially attracted me to this bread.  

    Nan e Barberi - Baked

    While my pictures won't do justice to the KAF images, it was a solid bread to construct on a recent weekend day.  The bread requires only two relatively short rises, and is out of the oven in 15 minutes.  It also is a good way to use up the jar of nigella seeds in my cupboard that I otherwise don't really know what to do with.

    The flavor and texture are also great out of the oven, with the crusty exterior and baked seasonings making up for the lack of flavor in the bread itself.  As the bread aged over the week, it got harder and harder to eat – just mushy, dense, and bland.  

    I'd recommend this bread as a subtle complement to a spicy soup or Middle Eastern meal – but just out of the oven, consumed day of, or the pizza form that KAF recommends.  Otherwise, I think a longer rise bread with more yeast flavor would be a better accompaniment to main courses.

    To the recipe itself – combine the ingredients and knead into a smooth ball.

    Nan e Barbari - Ingredients Placed in Bowl

    Nan e Barberi - Dough Together

    Cover and let rise for an hour or until almost doubled in size.

    Nan e Barberi - Dough Rising

    Nan e Barberi - Dough Post Rising

    If you followed the recipe proportions, you divide this ball into two and shape the balls into logs.  I halved the recipe, so just had to shape one log to then rest and rise for approx. 30 minutes.

    Nan e Barberi - Dough Logs Resting

    Nan e Barberi - Dough Log Risen

    As the log(s) is rising, you prepared a simple sugar glaze to brush on the final dough.

    Nan e Barberi - Topping Cooking

    Nan e Barberi - Topping Cooling

    Then shape the logs, spread on the glaze, and add the sesame and nigella seeds.  Bake for approx. 15 minutes (my pizza stone wasn't clean, so I used a baking sheet), and serve as soon as the bread slightly cools!

    Nan e Barberi - Log Shaped

    Nan e Barberi - Shaped with Toppings

  • Closing in on a Great Scallion Pancake Recipe

    Several years ago, I conducted my first and last effort to make scallion pancakes at home.  While my recipe write-up was pretty enthusiastic, the key flaw I identified – lack of flavor – dissuaded me from attempting this snack again.  

    Then, several weeks ago, after successfully attempting many of Serious Eats Chinese recipes, I decided to give their scallion pancake recipe a go.  The Serious Eats recipe was definitely leaps and bounds better than the original recipe I tried years ago, but I will need to more properly follow the recipe frying oil and salt directions to get the result to restaurant-unhealthy perfection.

    The Serious Eats dough starts much as the Ming Tsai recipe I tried years ago does – creating a hot water dough with all-purpose flour and boiling water.  After combining the dough into a cohesive ball, leave for 30 minutes to rest.

    SE Scallion Pancakes - Dough Coming Together

    SE Scallion Pancakes - Dough Resting

    Then comes the rolling of the dough segments – this recipe creates 4 relatively large pancakes.

    SE Scallion Pancakes - Rolled Dough

    Unlike the Ming Tsai recipe, you coat this dough with just pure sesame oil before adding the scallions.  A sesame oil v. a sesame / canola mixture definitely adds more flavor to the final result, so it's a great improvement on my original attempt.

    SE Scallion Pancakes - with Sesame Oil

    Unlike the Ming Tsai recipe, this recipe also calls for rolling two layers of scallions / sesame oil for each pancake, which allows for more flaky layers in the final pancakes, more even distribution of the scallions, and the addition of far more scallions.  The Serious Eats recipe calls for 2 cups of thinly sliced scallions v. the Ming Tsai recipe of just 1/2 cup for the same amount of dough.

    SE Scallion Pancakes - Dough Formed in Circle

    SE Scallion Pancakes - with Scallions Flat

    And when the pancakes are ready, throw into a hot skillet with 1/4 cup hot oil to cook for a few minutes on each side.  We definitely skimped on the oil, which reduced the final flavor of the pancakes.  As a result, this maxim – do not skimp on the cooking oil!

    SE Scallion Pancakes - Ready for Skillet

    SE Scallion Pancake - Cooking in Skillet

    And time for the final maxim – season well with kosher salt!  We initially did not do this, which also resulted in a less flavorful pancake.

    SE Scallion Pancakes Cooked

    SE Scallion Pancakes - Close Up

    So basically, just follow the Serious Eats recipe as is and you'll have a great, flaky and flavorful result!

  • Weeknight Vegan Mapo Tofu – Quickly Becoming My Own Restaurant!

    As I progress as a home cook, I am increasingly excited and somewhat bewildered that I can truly make some of my restaurant favorites at home.  And in some cases, meal preparation is quicker than ordering delivery.  The latest dish that I am astounded I can make at home – and is better than delivery options (though not top-flight restaurants) – is Mapo Tofu.  

    I've again turned to my Sichuan vegan master friends at Serious Eats, and modified their recipe to both make it very easy to put together (maybe 30 minutes from start to finish) and address personal preferences.

    The first set of modifications I've made is to cut out all the mushroom elements, which includes removing steps 1 – 3 from the original Serious Eats recipe.  Instead, I've substituted 3/4 cup of water mixed with some vegetable bouillon to form the underlying sauce liquid.  I retained the step 3 instruction to combine the liquid with cornstarch, cooking wine, and soy sauce.

    The second time I made the recipe, I also skipped step 4 or the pre-seasoning the vegetable oil with Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chiles.  I think I overcooked it in my first attempt, so my husband detected a burnt spice flavor in the resulting dish.  Instead of attempting to cook it for less time the second time, I decided to just skip this step – which to my taste, didn't make a huge difference in end result.

    Mapo Tofu - Oil Heating with Spices

    So in my re-envisioning of the recipe, cooking step 1 really starts with cooking down the aromatics in oil before adding the sauce liquid.

    Mapo Tofu Spices Simmering

    The second time I made this recipe, I also just used extra scallions instead of also using chives, which also didn't really make a difference to me in the final result.

    Because the pot is quite hot, it's really just a matter of minutes from adding the aromatics to the cooking liquid to then the tofu, so make sure you are ready with all the components to throw in as needed.

    Mapo Tofu with Tofu

    Mapo Tofu Finished

    When ready, serve with rice.  This recipe prepares approx. 4 servings, and I think it'll become a monthly, if not biweekly, addition to my kitchen!

    Mapo Tofu Close Up

  • Simple Smashed Cucumbers – Sichuan-Style

    In a pinch for a delicious, low-calorie and light snack?  Look no further than the very simple Sichuan-Style Smashed Cucumber Salad recipe from our amazing vegan-friendly, Sichuan-focused friends at Serious Eats.  In making this recipe, I found an inventive way to really smash the heck out of cucumbers and realize that even if I didn't have a critical ingredient on-hand, it could be a fantastic appetizer or snack.

    First, to my "inventive" method for smashing cucumbers – it was actually my husband's great idea.  As I was pondering which kitchen tool to use to smash the cucumbers, he recommended using our round cast iron griddle.  We covered the cucumber with foil, and started smashing away with the heavy weight griddle.  We achieved a smashed cucumber that really couldn't be achieved with anything else in our kitchen, and with a great amount of control to prevent potential injuries (we were really smashing the heck out of that cucumber!).

    Smashed Cucumbers - Initial Smashing

    Smashed Cucumbers - Well-Smashed Cucumbers

    After smashing the cucumber, you cut it into bite-size pieces, season with salt, and let drain in a colander set over a bowl for 10 minutes.

    Smashed Cucumbers - Draining

    Then add the drained cucumbers to a mixture of vinegar (I used the rice wine variety, but may use Chinkiang black vinegar next time), sesame oil, and garlic.  Or in my case, omit the garlic because I didn't have it on hand (who doesn't have garlic on-hand?  an outlier in my kitchen).  Enjoy immediately!

    Smashed Cucumbers - Served

  • Overwintered Broccoli Rabe Pasta – Seasonal Weeknight Dinner

    My first farmers market outing this spring, to the fantastic Sunday Jackson Heights Greenmarket in Queens, New York City, initially seemed to just feature an array of so-so post-winter options.  However, as I made my way toward through the market, I encountered some truly seasonal items, like asparagus, ramps, and something I hadn't noticed before (nor realized was super seasonal), overwintered broccoli rabe.

    I picked up that broccoli rabe, and went to the internet to figure out how to do more than just sauté it.  I ultimately settled on this simple Smitten Kitchen recipe for "Pasta with Garlicky Broccoli Rabe."  It couldn't be a simpler (and tasty) recipe to make, and I really can't wait to make it over and over again.

    I prepared the broccoli rabe by washing the stems thoroughly and then chopping them into one-inch segments.

    Broccoli Rabe Pasta - Washed Rabe

    At the same time, I brought a pot of water to boil and added 3/4 lb of pasta (not the full pound called for in the original recipe).  When approx. five minutes was left in the cooking time, I added the rabe to cook in the pot as well.

    Broccoli Rabe Pasta - Boiling Overwintered Rabe

    I then drained the pasta and greens, and added to it, a sautéed olive oil, garlic, red pepper, and kosher salt mixture.

    Broccoli Rabe Pasta - Cooking Sauce

    Broccoli Rabe Pasta - Cooked Herbed and Spices

    Broccoli Rabe Pasta - Cooked in Pot

    Then simply garnished with shaved parmesan and served!

    Broccoli Rabe Pasta - Served

    The pasta was definitely garlicky, had great flavor from the greens, and a nice amount of flavor from the cheese.  

    The two modifications that I will make moving forward are 1) to reduce the amount of salt by nearly half because 1 tsp. seemed to be way too much, and 2) to also reduce the amount of pasta to perhaps 1/2 lb or to increase the greens.  I really liked the flavor of the greens and would love for them to take a more prominent role in the dish!

  • Weeknight Chickpea Soup – Great Vegetarian Protein Meal

    As you can tell from my posts the past several months, this has been the winter of soups!  From lentil to white bean to cauliflower, I've been loving the varieties of soup I have been making.  Soups are really a great way to prepare a substantive meal for days, with the added bonus that you can clean up the kitchen while they simmer!

    The latest soup I made was a simple chickpea soup, modified from a New York Times recipe for Chickpea Stew with Orzo and Mustard Greens.  

    Chickpea Soup - Served

    I made the recipe a lot simpler by omitting the tomatoes, rosemary, and mustard greens, and substituting celery for fennel as it's what I had on hand.   With those simple changes, to the stovetop I went.

    I started by chopping and then sautéing a simple mirepoix of carrots, onions, and celery.

    Chickpea Soup - Cut Mirepoix

    Chickpea Soup - Cooking Mirepoix

    Then I simply added the broth, chickpeas, and orzo, and cooked for about 15 minutes or until the flavors blended together.

    Chickpea Soup - Cooking on Stovetop

    I then finished the soup with parsley, scallions, parmesan, and salt / pepper.  

    Chickpea Soups - Garnishments

    The result was a flavorful soup with some sharper herb notes from the fresh scallions and parsley.  

    My only hesitation about making the soup again is that I don't quite know how I feel about the stronger flavor from chickpeas in a soup, compared to white beans.  

    I will probably try this recipe at least one to two more times before making a final decision, but for those chickpea-lovers out there, enjoy!