Seitan burger

 

This recipe makes a well-flavoured, chewy burger, which holds together well. Unlike many veg~an burgers, it can happily be cooked on a barbecue, pan fried or even cooked over a camp fire. Because of this, it’s also very good to take with you to cook elsewhere and saves your hosts from the bother of trying to provide a veg~an offering. Annie's burger seasoning does raise the flavour beyond the ordinary, but if you don’t have any, or don’t want to make it, use a few of the herbs and spices from the blend, to season the burgers. The recipe is at the bottom of this post.   

Most veg~an burgers – even seitan burgers – contain beans, but for two burgers, you won’t require a whole can, and cooking them from scratch is another complete step. I also find that the burgers aren’t as firm, when made with beans, so instead I use bulgur wheat or couscous. You have to use the really fine bulgur for this – if yours is a bit coarse, use the couscous. You can make seitan without beans or grains, but I find it really too chewy.

 

Another of the advantages of this recipe is that it’s really quite quick to make – fast enough that you can make a couple to take along for a last-minute invitation to a barbecue or beach party.

 

Makes 2 burgers

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup couscous or fine bulgur wheat

1 tsp yeast extract/miso

 1/2 cup boiling water

 2 tsp Annie's burger seasoning (see below)

 3 tsp nutritional yeast

 1/2 tbsp soya sauce

 1 tsp tomato purée

 1 tsp vinegar

 2 tsp olive oil OR thin tahini

 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

 1/4 tsp salt

 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

 

For 4 burgers 

 

1/2 cup couscous or fine bulgur wheat

2 tsp yeast extract/miso1 cup boiling water

 4 tsp Annie's burger seasoning (see below)

 6 tsp nutritional yeast

 1 tbsp soya sauce

 2 tsp tomato purée

 2 tsp vinegar

 4 tsp olive oil OR thin tahini

 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

 1/2 tsp salt

 1 cup vital wheat gluten

 

Method:

• Put the couscous or bulgur into a bowl and add the miso/yeast extract.
• Pour over the boiling water, mix well, cover and leave it for ten minutes or so until all the water is absorbed.
• Add the burger spice and combine well.
• Now stir in the nutritional yeast.   
• Mix in the water, soya sauce, tomato paste, vinegar, olive oil/tahini, salt and pepper. Ensure that everything is thoroughly mixed, because it’s harder to do once you’ve added the VWG.
• Now dump in the vital wheat gluten and mix as well as you can with a knife or spatula.
• Finish off combining the ingredients, using your hands, until it becomes a rough dough.
• Knead the dough against the side of the mixing bowl until you have a cohesive lump of dough.
• Put the dough onto a board and flatten it out with your hands.    Cut into half (or quarters) and shape each half/quarter like a hamburger patty.
• Add water to your pressure cooker – this shouldn’t cover the trivet – 1/4 cup should be about right, with a modern pressure cooker.
• Grease the trivet or steam basket, or – better – cover it with a piece of baking parchment.
• Put in the burgers. If you’re cooking 4 and they won’t fit in a single layers, separate them with some more paper.
• Bring the cooker up to pressure and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce pressure naturally. Take out the burgers and put them on something like a rack, so that they don’t end up sitting in water, when they’ve cooled. You can fry or barbecue them once the surface moisture has evaporated.

These burgers can be fried or grilled in just the same way as those made from meat, and eaten in a bun. Don’t overcook them – the outside can become a bit tough. Or they can simply be fried and served with vegetables. They will keep for two or three days, loosely wrapped, so can be made in advance if you want to.

 

Notes: 

• Substitute 2 tsp mixed, Italian or fines herbes for Annie’s burger spice.
• Add chilli flakes or Dijon mustard if you would like a bit more zing.
• The olive oil or tahini are to add a bit of fat.  You could use deodorised coconut oil, if you wanted to experiment.  Or go the whole hog (!) and add vegan suet.   
• Instead of the couscous, use 1/2 cup of cooked orange kumara (sweet potato), cooked in the jacket and then skinned and mashed.    These kumara easily break down into a purée.      Don’t use the red-skinned – they don’t cook down into the right sort of ‛mush’. How much, you ask in irritation, is a half cup of cooked kumara? Just guess – it’s not super critical and you can always add a drop more water – or VWG if it’s too wet. This is when scales come into their own – but not on a small boat in a bouncy anchorage.  The kumara is intended to keep the burgers more moist. ‛Ordinary’, aka Irish potatoes, are too dry. 

   

Annie’s burger spice blend    

 

 Makes about 3 tbsp

 4 tsp cumin seeds

 1/2 tsp thyme

 1 tsp garlic granules

 1 tsp basil

 1/2 tsp rosemary

 1/2 tsp cloves

 1/2 tsp oregano

 1/2 tsp ground ginger

 1/4 tsp cayenne

 1/4 nutmeg

 

Method:

•  Put all the ingredients into a grinder and pulverise until powdered.

Keep in a glass jar, out of the light and use within a maximum of 6 months. Dried herbs have a short shelf life.

 

You will find many more seitan recipes here.

  

Jeera Dal - Cumin-Spiced Lentils

Jeera means cumin, and dal means lentils and they are a pretty unbeatable combination.  This is a wonderfully simple dal, but full of flavour considering how few ingredients it has.  In fact the flavour comes from the tadka, which consists of cumin, garlic, asafoetida and chilli, sizzled in hot oil and poured over the dal.  For extra creaminess, add thick yoghurt.  The fact that a lot of vegan yoghurt is coconut based is only an asset.  

 The dal consists of red lentils (masoor dal), tomatoes and dried fenugreek leaves.  In my opinion, dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) are a gift of the bountiful gods.  If you don't have any, the dal will still be good, but a shadow of its potential.  If you keep them in an airtight container away from the light, they will last several months and are a curry ingredient that you should really try to have in stock.  However, it is the tadka that really makes this curry so wonderful. I like this dal served with a vegetable side such as cauliflower poriyal or courgette curry. 

Serves 2 Ingredients 3/4 cup split red lentils, masoor dal1/2 cup chopped tomato1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves1/4 tsp turmeric1/2 tsp salt2 cups water, or vegetable stock

For the spiced oil (Tadka) 1 tbsp oil3/4 tsp cumin seeds1 hot green chilli, finely chopped2 cloves garlic, finely choppedpinch asafoetida, hing, optional (omit if GF)1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 2 tbsp yoghurt

Method:    

• Add the lentils to a saucepan along with the chopped tomatoes, dried fenugreek leaves, turmeric, salt and the water or vegetable stock. 
• Partially cover the pan, and cook over medium to low heat until the lentils are cooked.  They have a tendency to froth up, so keep an eye on them for a few minutes after they've boiled and check the heat.  You might prefer them to retain some texture or want them completely to soften.  Both are good.  
• For extra creaminess, stir in the yogurt, cook for 1 minute, and then switch off the heat.
• To make the tadka, heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook until they have changed colour significantly.  This can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on your pan and stove.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Add the garlic and green chilli and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the garlic starts to turn golden.  Add the asafoetida, if using, and immediately switch off the heat. 
• Stir in the Kashmiri chilli powder. 
• Immediately pour the hot tadka over the dal. Lightly mix it in. You want some of the spiced oil to remain floating on top, which adds to the attractive appearance, but you also want the flavours to permeate the dal.  
• Garnish with more kasur methi, if you want, and a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. 

Serve immediately with rice, roti, or naan, alongside an Indian vegetable dish.

You will find many more recipes like this here, here and here.

  

Annie’s burger spice blend

I created this blend to go with the seitan burgers that I make, because seitan has no particular flavour of its own and takes kindly to added herbs and spices. However, I reckon it would add flavour to any sort of vegetarian burger and should go well in your favourite bean burger recipe. You might also add it to a bean stew that seems to be a bit bland. I would recommend using about 1 tsp per burger.

 

Makes about 3 tbsp

 

4 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp garlic granules

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 nutmeg

Method:

• Put all the ingredients into a grinder and pulverise until powdered.

Keep in a glass jar, out of the light and use within 6 months, maximum.

 

Variation:

• Substitute 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder for the cayenne.  This has a more mellow flavour and will make the burger more of a red colour.

 

You will find many more recipes like this here.  

 

 

Spinach and rice 'casserole'

I love spinach and there are many ways to cook it. This is as very simple recipe and if you are one of these terribly organised people, you can even cook the rice well in advance, in which case it will go together very quickly.  It isn't really a casserole, but that's the nearest I could get to describing it.

 

There’s no real point in specifying a weight of spinach – you tend to get what you’re given and take it. Suffice it to say that there has to be enough to feed two people. If you’re unused to cooking spinach, be warned: a big bunch that will hardly stuff into the shopping bag becomes only a few cupfuls when it’s cooked.

 

The base of this recipe, one of Rose Elliot's,  was taken from a French dish, cooked in a tian, which is a shallow, pottery or terracotta dish.  It's not one I make very often, because it uses eggs and I try not to eat too many of those.  However, it is very good, nutritious and not too filling, and also looks very attractive.  The original calls for breadcrumbs, but wherever I can, I use sesame seeds instead, which saves the business of grating crumbs, and they are far, far tastier!  If you have neither an oven, nor a tian, I suggest making it in the frying pan.

 

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup brown rice

1 cup salted water

2 tbsp sesame seeds 

bunch of spinach

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup grated cheese*

2 eggs

nutmeg

cracked black pepper

 

Method:

• Cook the rice in salted water in the usual fashion.
• In a small, dry, frying pan, toast the sesame seeds, until they are lightly browned.  Be careful - they can burn very easily and become bitter. Set aside.
• Wash the spinach and then roughly chop it. 
• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the spinach and cook it for about 3 minutes. Keep it moving so that it gets coated in oil and the stuff at the top of the pan can cook, too.
• Lower the heat and insert a flame tamer, if necessary. Add the cooked rice, diced garlic and the grated cheese. Mix well.
• Beat the eggs. and stir in with the other ingredients. Season generously with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Smooth the top over and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. 
• Cover and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes. Take off the cooker and leave to stand for 3 or 4 minutes before serving, just in case it has ‘caught’.

Some lightly cooked carrots go well with this.

 

Note:

• If you have an oven, finish it off in there, once you've mixed everything together and added the sesame seeds.  That way you will brown it; however it may be wise to put the toasted sesame seeds on top, just before serving.
• *If you eat eggs, but don't eat dairy products, use vegan cheese or mix 2 tbsp nutritional yeast in with the eggs. 

Variations:

• Use silver beet/Swiss chard instead of spinach.

 

Edited 17/9/26

You will find many more rice recipes here

Vegan cream

Blender altert

 

While most vegetarians happily eat dairy products, there is definitely a spectrum between an easy-going vegetarian (happy to eat caged eggs and factory-farmed milk products), and a full-on vegan (no honey or wool).  Personally, I'm towards the vegan end of the spectrum and left to my own devices, I won't eat any by-product of cows.  When I'm with other people I sometimes eat cheese, just because it's easier than causing a fuss.  I would also eat cheese from the Mahoe Dairy in the Bay of Islands, because I've been to their farm and seen how well the cows are treated.  But even if it were readily available in my local supermarket, I would still only eat it occasionally.

 

Apparently, soya cream and various alternatives are readily available in some parts of the world, but not in Northland and I suspect not in many places where a small-income veg~an may end up voyaging.  That being so, the only alternative to dairy, is to make a substitute.  Fortunately, the homework has been done for me and I can simply copy the recipe for you!

 

Makes a generous 1/4 cup

 

Ingredients

 

1/4 cup cashew nuts

1/4 cup water + more if necessary

 

Method:

• Put the cashew nuts into the blender and grind to a fine powder.  To avoid inadvertently making cashew nut butter, it's better to do this in short bursts.
• Now add the water and blend again to a thick cream. 
• Empty the contents into a small jug or bowl.  

Note:

• The trouble with blending small quantities, is that as much seems to remain in the blender as pours out. Check the consistency of the cream in the jug.  It will be pretty thick and if that's how you want it, you'll just have to patiently scrape out the rest of the cream.  However, if you want it a bit thinner, add a little water to the jug, close it up and give it a good shake, to clean it out.  Add that to the jug.  Keep on adding a little water, and cleaning the blender until you get the consistency you want.

Variations:

• There are a couple of arguments against using cashews.  Firstly they are really quite expensive and secondly they appear to be produced in a way that badly exploits women, whose hands are often damaged by the caustic substances used in extracting the nuts.  I usually use blanched peanuts, which are a lot cheaper and don't appear to have any real downside.  The resulting cream doesn't taste quite as good, but as I never make desserts, it doesn't matter to me.  If you are using the cream to be eaten as is, you might possibly find it unacceptable.  
• Blanched almonds, also make a delicious cream.  You can blanch them yourself by pouring boiling water over almonds in a bowl and leaving them for a few minutes.  Once the skin has softened a little, it slips off easily.
• Hemp seeds also make a good cream, but it isn't as attractive due to the dark flecks in the seeds.
• Equally, Brazil nuts make a lovely cream, but again, the flecks of skin on most Brazil nuts spoils the appearance.
• I'm sure macadamia nuts would also make an excellent cream, but as they're shockingly expensive, I've never tried.                                  

 

You will find many more recipes for this type of thing here.

Seitan 'steak'

While this tastes nothing at all like steak, a quick glance in poor light might fool you for a minute or two.   However, the texture, although quite different from beef flesh, which many of us might find to be a relief, if anything, it has a chewiness that no other veg~an food offers.   As I hadn’t eaten a steak for about a quarter of a century before I discovered seitan, it’s hard for me really to compare it, but what I do know, is that it makes a very satisfactory substitute and can be used and served in a similar way to steak or beef, in stews, curries, etc.  It's also very good fried, with perhaps some celery seeds and cracked black pepper rubbed into it, before putting it in the frying pan.

 

I like to serve the steak with chips and a side salad or green vegetable.  And bread of course, for the chip butties (coming from Liverpool I make no apology for this!).  It's also good with a couple of fried mushrooms and a fried tomato, with a fried egg, or indeed, in any way you would normally serve steak. 

 

Makes 1 huge, 2 small

 

 Ingredients

 2 rounded tbsp couscous

 1 tsp Marmite/miso

 ½ cup boiling water

 2 tsp nutritional yeast

 1/4 tsp onion powder

 1/4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder*

 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

 1/4 tsp ground/cracked black pepper

 1/2 tsp mushroom stock powder OR 1/2 tsp mushroom powder + 1/4 tsp salt

celery seed

 cracked black pepper

salt

2 tsp tomato paste

1½ tsp soya sauce

 1 tsp olive oil OR 1 tbsp (vegan) ghee OR 1 tbsp tahini*

1 tsp vinegar

 rounded 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

Instructions:

• Put the couscous and Marmite/miso in a bowl; pour over the water and cover.    Set aside to cool completely.
• Add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, smoked paprika,black pepper, mushroom stock powder, one at a time to the couscous, mixing very thoroughly each time. 
• Add the celery seed and extra cracked black pepper, if you are using them. Alternatively, put to one side and rub them onto the finished steaks just before frying them.    Depending on how salty the stock powder is, you might want to add extra salt.
• Add the water, tomato paste, soya sauce, olive oil/ghee/tahini and vinegar, ensuring that everything is well blended.
• Then add the vital wheat gluten, mixing in with a knife or spatula and finish off mixing it by hand.    It doesn’t stick to your fingers and is easy to work.    I have found less is more, when it comes to kneading and just knead the dough until everything is mixed in and smooth.    However, try to makes sure you have used every last scrap of it - leftovers are difficult to remove if you let them dry.    if it’s not quite clean, ensure that you leave the bowl to soak.
• Now shape into one or two steaks.    I tend to make one big one and a smaller one for breakfast the next day.    Work quite quickly: if the dough dries out, it seems reluctant to stick back together again.
• Place your steaks on a lightly-greased trivet in your pressure cooker, with about half a cup of water.    The water shouldn’t cover the trivet.    You can put it on parchment paper instead of greasing the trivet, if you prefer.
• Bring up to pressure for 10 minutes and let the pressure reduce gradually.    Remove the steaks and place them to cool.     
• Heat olive oil in a frying pan and when it’s hot, add your steaks.    Fry on both sides.    They are already cooked, so this frying is to reheat them and add more flavour.   

A little bit of Dijon mustard goes well with them.    Serve as you would a steak.    I like chips and salad, myself, or smashed potatoes and freeze-dried peas.

 

Notes:

• *Kashmiri chilli powder is mild, but has a bright red colour, which enhances the appearance of the steak.   If you are concerned about it being too hot, add more smoked paprika.
• Tahini adds an element of earthiness to the flavour.

Variation:

• When I make this steak, I usually make a large one and a small, thin one for breakfast the next day.  This is great in a roll or with good bread in a sandwich.

 

You will find many more recipeslike this here.

Minestrone soup

 

 

 

The name ‘Minestrone’ has become something of a catch-all for a tomato, vegetable and pasta soup. I don’t pretend that the following version is any more authentic than most, but it certainly is attractive and full of flavour.  Even if I weren't a vegetarian, my Minestrone would always contain beans and recipes which don't, seem very odd to me, because white beans are so often used in Italian peasant food, which is surely what this is.  Cannelini beans would be first choice, but if you can't buy them, any white beans will do.  Even borlotti beans would do, if you have those, also being popular in Italy. 

 

Non-vegetarian recipes call for bacon, but I've seen more than a few which are strictly vegetarian. Ideally, one would chop in a stick or two of celery, but I don't find this a good voyaging vegetable, because you buy so much at a time.  Even in a fridge, I suspect it doesn't last forever, so I suggest celery seed as an alternative: it's a shame that you can't just buy three or four sticks of celery at a time! This soup makes for a great and filling meal with chunks of freshly-baked bread.   

Use 1/3 seawater to 2/3 fresh, if the sea is clean, and leave out the salt.

 

Serves 4 to 6 as a starter, 2 for a main course

 

Ingredients

at least 2 tbsp olive oil
2medium onions or one large
2 garlic cloves
1 carrot

1 small potato 
1 stick celery OR 1 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp fennel seeds 3 cups water

2 tsp Annie's Mixed Herbs OR 1 tsp rosemary + 1 tsp thyme

1 tsp sweet paprika

2 cups water 

1/4 cup white beans, soaked in 1 cup boiling water for an hour 

about a packed cup full of shredded cabbage
a piece of Parmesan cheese rind

14 oz/400 g tin of crushed tomatoes

about 20 lengths of spaghetti

coarsely ground or cracked black pepper

optional Parmesan cheese or "Parmegan" cheese to serve

Method:

• Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker.
• Chop the onions and garlic and cook over a fairly high heat until they’re starting to brown. If you are using it, add 1 tsp salt.
• While this is happening, dice the carrot, potato and the celery. Add to the other vegetables, together with the celery seed (if using) and the fennel seed, and cook until they are aromatic - about 5 minutes.
• Add the dried herbs and paprika and toss the vegetables to ensure that they're mixed well. 
• Pour in the water, the beans their water, and bring to the boil. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. Reduce pressure gradually. 
• When you can safely remove the lid, add the cabbage to the pan. Return it to the flame. If you’re using the Parmesan cheese rind, cut this into small dice and add. 
• Empty the tomatoes into the pan and mix them in. 
• When the soup is boiling once more, lower the heat to a simmer, break the spaghetti into 25 mm (1 in) lengths and add this. Stir to separate the pieces of pasta.
• Gind in a generous amoun of pepper. Minestrone also responds well to ½ tsp of cracked black pepper. Taste after a couple of minutes to see if it needs more salt.
• Cook until the spaghetti has softened – you can bring it back up to pressure for 3 minutes if you wish.

Serve with chunks of bread and, if you have it, plenty of Parmesan cheese.

 

Notes:

• Don't be mean with the olive oil and use a nice, peppery one if you can get it.
• The rind from the Parmesan cheese adds a wonderful depth of flavour, which vegans will have to do without.  However, probably most small-income voyagers will have to do without it, too and indeed, even if you have lots of money, Parmesan cheese, complete with rind, is often difficult to source.  In the days when I ate Parmesan, I used to enjoy eating the piece of rind in the soup, but most people apparently take it out before serving.
• If you don't have crushed tomatoes, use whole ones and crush them yourself. 

Variations:

• Ideally, this recipe would include green beans. I tend to eat soup in cold weather, when green beans are expensive and/or hard to come by.  But they certainly enhance the soup.
• Some recipes call for red kidney beans, but I find that they make the soup too dark,  By all means use them if that's what you fancy!
• Use black-eyed peas or chickpeas, if you have no white beans. The black-eyed peas won't need soaking first. Or you could use a can.
• Most recipes call for a bay leaf.  I can never taste them, myself, but feel free to add one, with the rest of the herbs, if you like them.   
• Replace the cabbage with kale or Swiss chard/silver beet.
• You could also use the leaves from a cauliflower, instead of cabbage.
• Broccoli florets, added at the end would go well, but not if you're intending to reheat the soup for another meal.
• Use another type of pasta, such as elbow pasta, or alphabet, but keep to small shapes so that you don't overwhelm the soup with it. 
• Add tomato purée for a richer flavour, especially if your canned tomatoes are a bit watery. 
• If you miss the bacon flavour from traditional Minestrone, use smoked paprika instead of the sweet.  
• A couple of mushrooms, sliced are also a pleasant addition.
• Add a tsp of mushroom stock powder for more flavour.
• Add chopped pepper to taste
• Use chopped tomatoes in purée for a thicker soup.
• Add 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
• Fresh tomatoes are also great, if they're available and have plenty of flavour, but in cold weather, canned will probably be a better choice.   

You will find many other recipes for soup here 

 

Edited 19/08/26

 

Tomatoes, stuffed with almonds and mushroom

 

I think the first time I cooked stuffed tomatoes was in Portugal.  The markets on the Algarve were overflowing with delicous fruit and vegetables.  They varied too much in shape and size ever to be acceptable to supermarkets, but they tasted sublime.  I would walk all around the market, ostensibly comparing prices, but in reality, just soaking up the wonderful scents and sights.  And as the food was entirely affordable, I could shop to my heart's content.  I always think that a tomato will taste good if, when you sniff the stalk cluster left on (and it should always still be on!), it has an almost peppery scent to it.  Most tomatoes I buy these days not only come without that little green star, but even when they do, have no scent and not much flavour.  I can understand why when voyaging people sell up and move ashore, they nearly always start growing their own fruit and vegetables in an attempt to recapture the glorious produce of good markets.  Some supermarkets sell 'beef' tomatoes and occasionally, these are fairly good.  But the huge, oval, rather flat tomatoes I would buy in Latin countries, starting to split at the top because they are so engorged with juices, are but a distant memory.  I used to buy them, cut the top off, stuff them and serve them for dinner the same evening.  The taste is just so wonderful.

 

However, we must make the best of what we have and recently, I bought some tomatoes from Jack, who brings a well-supplied market stall to Russell every week, and I picked up a bag of tomatoes (it's OK, he takes back the plastic bags and re-uses them!), which contained two lovely, large tomatoes.  They weren't the rich red of those in Portugal, nor bursting with luscious juices (considering it's August, mid-winter, they must have been grown in a poly-tunnel), but they brought back such wonderful memories that I had to stuff one for dinner.  It was good, but ...

 

I generally find stuffed vegetables unsatisfactory and am convinced that they contradict the laws of physics.  You remove all the flesh, cook it with other ingredients and then try to stuff the result back in the empty shell.  I always have heaps left over because even softened, you still have all the original vegetable to put back in plus all the extra ingredients!  The great thing about stuffed tomatoes, is that you don't use the tomato you take out (although you can use it in the accompanying dish), so that there is actually some room to take the stuffing.  This recipe is a genuine voyaging recipe and small-income to boot.  Good fresh tomatoes keep well at sea (and I doubt you could resist the temptation to eat them for long, anyway.  Almonds, although not exactly cheap, are often grown in the same sort of places where you get these great, big tomatoes, and can be replaced with something cheaper (see Variations).  You should get a week out of your mushrooms at sea, but can use dried if necessary.  The tomatoes can be cooked in a variety of ways, which you can find in the Notes.

 

If you can buy really good tomatoes,  this recipe is great for entertaining, being easy to prepare and very attractive - but don't get distracted and overcook the tomatoes!! 

 

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

 

2 large, ripe tomatoes, at least 70mm/3in in diameter

1/2 cup almonds

1 tsp za'atar

1/2 to 1 tsp harissa

1/2 tsp garlic granules

2 mushrooms (50mm/2in dia) 

1/4 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper 

 

Method: 

• Cut the top off the tomatoes and set aside
• Depending  on how ripe the tomatoes are, scoop out the flesh and seeds into a bowl, with a spoon - or a knife and spoon if the core is very hard.  Leave a reasonable amount of flesh in the shell for taste and moisture.  
• Now put the almonds,  za'atar, harissa and garlic granules into a blender and pulse until the almonds are a coarse powder: better to have a few chunks of almonds remaining than to have almond butter!  Chop the mushrooms coarsely and then pop them in the blender, together with the salt and pepper, for a few seconds.  The end result is a crumbly paste.
• OR chop the almonds and mushrooms as finely as you can with your knife and mix them in a bowl with the rest of the ingredi ents.
• Now divide the mixture in two and spoon it into the tomatoes, pressing it down to fill the whole cavity.  Put the top back on.
• Light the cooker and put on a flame tamer.  Place a heavy-based pan on top and lower the tomatoes into it.  Put the lid on and as soon as you can smell that the tomatoes are starting to cook, lower the heat right down.  After 10 minutes or so, check them every couple minutes, so that you can take them out when they are cooked through, but before they collapse. 

Carefully lift out the tomatoes and put on hot plates.  Serve with rice, polenta, mashed potates, or whatever takes your fancy, really.  I like to serve them with rice and wild rice in a sort of pilaf: fry an onion in olive oil with rice, until it's soft, chop up the remaining tomato and add that, and then throw in the rice and stir it around, for a few moments before pouring in water, 2:1, to cook it in the usual way.

 

You might want to make some sort of sauce to go over it, if you want something more moist.  Or you can pour the sauce into the pan and cook the tomatoes in the sauce. 

 

Notes: 

• You can replace the garlic granules with 2 or 3 cloves of chopped garlic of you prefer, but the flavour of the granules spreads through the filling more effectively.
• Cooking: If you have an oven, the tomatoes can be baked in a dish, with or without extra sauce, on a medium setting, for about 20 minutes, if my memory serves. You can also cook them on a trivet in the pressure cooker, although this can be a bit fraught: if you overcook them even for a minute, they are likely to collapse on you.  If, however, the cooker is large enough to take a bowl contining the tomatoes (and you can lift it out again without burning yourself), this would be a good choice, with or without extra sauce.  You can cook them, again with or without extra sauce, in a good frying pan, as long as you have a domed lid which will fit over the tomatoes.

 

Variations:

• If you don't have za'atar, use thyme instead.
• Any other nut can be substituted for the almonds, from the lofty heights of pinenuts and macadamia, though hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts down to blanched peanuts.  I wouldn't recommend walnuts, however: in combination with the mushrooms, the stuffing would have to strong a flavour.

 

 

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Mushroom pilau

I'm sorry that I don't have a photo to go with this: I'll try to remember to take one next time that I make it.

This is a great meal to make if you want a straightforward Indian meal. It’s quick to make and full of flavour. Better still, it only needs one pan, but the flavour profile is quite complex with whole spices, golden onions, garlic, and mushrooms. If you like cinnamon, this is the recipe for you and the spice complements the earthiness of the mushrooms.  While mushrooms don't always keep that well, it is easy enough to cook underway and quite straightforward.

Because there are only a few mushrooms, I suggest making more rice than I would normally recommend for two servings. I’m sure the pilau would also happily take the addition of some cooked beans, particularly chickpeas, if you wanted to make it more filling. You could, of course, serve it alongside curried chickpeas or tarka dal, for example.

Serves 2

Ingredient

1 tbsp oil or ghee

1 bay leaf

2 cardamom bashed

1 cm/1/2 inch cinnamon stick

3 cloves

3/4 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 medium onion diced

1 clove garlic minced or 1/2 tsp garlic paste

6 mushrooms, sliced

3/4 cup basmati rice

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Method:

• Heat ghee in the pan and add the whole bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and cumin seeds. Sauté for a minute or two until fragrant.
• Now add the diced onions and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until the onion softens and turns golden.
• Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes until lightly golden.
• Now add the rice and fry for 2 minutes until toasty.
• Pour in the boiling water and stir in the turmeric, garam masala, salt and pepper. Mix well and bring the rice to boil on a medium heat. Place a lid on the pan and reduce the heat to low.
• Cook until all the water has been absorbed. Stir it up with your spoon and check the seasoning. Leave it with the lid on for a few minutes to dry out before serving.

Notes:

• Making a suggestion for how many mushrooms to add, is a bit fraught. Some button mushrooms are tiny, some enormous. I envisage some of about 50 mm diameter for this recipe.

Variation:

• If you are going to eat the pilau on its own, you can stir in some green leaves towards the end: silver beet/Swiss chard or spinach would go well, or even cabbage.

 

 

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Any Bean Curry

 

I thought I should include a ‛generic’ curry, which is fairly authentic and this recipe is for when you really want a good-tasting curry, but are feeling a bit lazy. Like so much of the Indian food in this blog, it was inspired by, and adapted from, one of Richa Hingle's delicious recipes. (I have to confess that I am less keen on her non-Indian creations.) As the title suggests, you can use any whole beans for this, adjusting the time in the pressure cooker accordingly. I think the smaller ones, such as lentils and mung beans tend to get a bit lost, although whole black gram keeps its shape more readily. Personally, I particularly like this curry with dried whole peas.

 

I recommend spooning all the spices into a small bowl or egg cup before starting, following the professional cooks’ principle of mise en place. It avoids everything starting to burn before you’re halfway through getting out spice containers, unscrewing them and spooning out what you need.

 

Serves 2

 

1/2 cup dried whole beans, soaked in 1 cup water, as usual

1 tbsp coconut or other oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green chilli, chopped (see Notes)

1-inch knob of ginger diced, or 1 tbsp ginger paste

3 cloves garlic, diced or 1 tbsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne

pinch of asafoetida

2 tsp garam masala

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp lemon juice (see Notes)

1/2 tsp salt, to taste

1 tbsp chopped coriander, for garnish

 

Method:

• Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over a medium heat. Add the onion and green chilli, and cook until translucent. 
• Add the ginger and garlic, mix well and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the cumin, turmeric, cayenne, asafoetida, and garam masala. Stir everything in and cook until it smells fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Mix well and partially cover, cooking until there is a nice, rich sauce. If it looks too dry, add a little more water.
• Now add the beans and their water. (Drain them, if you prefer and add a cup of fresh water). Put on the lid, and bring up to pressure. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your pressure cooker and the type of bean.  
• Reduce the pressure naturally and sample a couple of beans. They should be tender enough to mash easily. If not, bring them back to pressure and cook for a few more minutes and reduce pressure at room temperature. If you like slightly thicker sauce, mash some of the beans. If it seems too thick, add some more water, or perhaps some coconut milk.
• Taste, and adjust the flavours. Curry sometimes benefits from a bit more salt than you might normally use (and unless you have high blood pressure, it will do you no harm! Indeed, vegans should consume 1/2 tsp iodised salt per day.) You might want to add a little more garam masala or, my favourite methi – dried fenugreek leaves.
• Garnish with coriander, if you like it, and serve hot with brown basmati rice or flatbread.

Notes:

• If you don’t have a fresh, green chilli, use one pickled in brine. They’re rarely very hot, but you can remove the seeds if you find that yours are.
• If you don’t have any lemon juice, add some lemon in brine, but go easy on the salt.
• As this is a ‛generic’ curry, you might enjoy playing around with it, using coconut milk or methi, as suggested at the end of the recipe.
• You can also include some vegetables in this curry, to add to the nutrition, in which case, you might want to fry them with the onion. If you don’t want them overcooked, either cook separately and add to the curry after the beans are cooked, or cook the beans for less time, reduce pressure, add the vegetables and then bring back up to pressure for a couple of minutes.

 

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