Dolmades

With grapes on the vine and leaves to spare, it's time to make dolmades!  There are several types with different filling.  I like a nice savoury eggplant and rice filling to make the perfect doma. Start by roasting an eggplant (aubergine).  I like to score it, salt it and drizzle on olive oil.  While it's roasting, plunge the grape leaves in boiling water.  Continue to cook them until they're tender.  Also, prepare a bit of rice to add to the filling.  I like to use brown jasmine rice.  It imparts a nice texture and a subtle, delightful flavour.

When the eggplant is mushy and browned, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.  When it's cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and combine it with a bit of rice.  I use nearly equal portions of each.  Then, mix in a bit of turmeric, onion powder, lemon juice and salt.

Place a spoon of the filling mixture onto a grape leaf and roll it up - kinda like a little burrito.  Garnish with dill and drizzle with olive oil.

Matcha Rice with Mango

Someone showed me a few recipes that utilized tea in unique ways - in savoury dishes as well as sweet.  I was inspired to make this quick and easy sweet dessert. Pairing matcha and jasmine rice allows the fragrance of both components build on each other.

Simply prepare a couple cups of jasmine rice, adding about a teaspoon of matcha powder, a half-teaspoon of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of sugar.

When the rice is done, allow it to cool slightly - it should be pleasantly warm, but not hot.  Top with sliced mango and garnish with lime.  This very fragrant dish is the perfect light conclusion to any heavy meal.

Thai Curry From Scratch

This is probably my favorite food. Well, I don't really keep favourites, but this is top ten. A properly spiced thai dish is a pinnacle of human sensation. Thai food isn't always sharply 'hot,' rather contains the primal elements of good taste: sweet, savoury, slight acidity, umami and pungency. The fragrance of the cuisine cannot be overlooked or understated. Jasmine rice, citrus, ginger and richly flavoured vegetables/herbs create an unmatched aroma.

Here I plate an inverted arrangement of curry and cashews, beset with jasmine and black rice.

First, start sauteing the extra-firm tofu on low heat with coconut oil.  Turn every 5 minutes until tofu is chewy.

Home crown chili makes this fresh - as well as kaffir lime leaves from my tree and fresh pulled shallots.  I added a bit of salt and peanuts and bashed them in the mortar.

Bash the end of a lemongrass stalk and chuck into a pan with a can of full-fat coconut oil.  Add the bashed curry paste and lime juice or tamarind paste to pan as well.  Simmer the coconut milk mixture until slightly thickened and add in fresh veg.  I like sliced carrots, peppers, diced tomato and green onions.  Dice the tofu and add in.

Plate and serve with rice, cashews, thai basil and fresh grated coconut (unsweetened).

Vegan Karelian Pastry

I've found a great new Youtube channel!   http://www.youtube.com/frenchguycookingIf you want to expand your taste in French food and international cuisine, this is a great channel!

Recently, French Guy made a video about Karelian, a Finnish rye pastry:  http://youtu.be/MzOtBft2vRY  Watch the video and Subscribe!

First, make a rice pudding: half cup of rice and a litre of almond milk; a bit of sugar and salt. I also added vanilla and almond extract for a bit of extra flavour.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the dough. Two cups of rye flour, one cup of all-purpose flour, a bit of salt and a cup of water. So simple! Work the ingredients into a dough, roll flat (half centimeter thickness). Cut out circles, and roll out extra thin.

Then, place a bit of rice pudding in the middle of the pastry.  Fold in two of the sides and begin pinching the sides.  It should cause the pastry to form an oval shape.

Place the pastry on parchment and bake at 500F until golden brown (~10 minutes). When it's done, remove from the oven and brush with vegan-butter spread.

French Guy added a twist by adding fruit and seeds. I liked it! I thought, "what else can I do?" So I made a savoury karelian pastry: sauteed oninon and chopped pecan. Such flavour!

Give it a try! It's sure to delight. Remember to subscribe to French Guy Cooking!

Mango and Sweet Coconut Jasmine Rice

A variation on a favourite of mine, sticky rice with mango.

It a fairly simple dish, and one I used to eat often when I lived on an island.  It's sweet, savoury, creamy and satisfying.  To make this, I prepared jasmine rice and added: coconut milk, toasted coconut flakes, coconut sugar, salt and Thai basil.  I used only coconut milk, instead of water, to cook the rice and it was a bit too rich.  It would probably be better 50:50 water and rice.  Also, I used coconut sugar to give it a rich caramel flavour; again, a bit too rich.  Plain white sugar would be perfect.

While the rice is cooking, chunk the mango.

When the rice is finished cooking, allow it to cool slightly and serve with the mango chunks.  Garnish with Thai basil.  It's a delightful licoricey complement to the tropical flavours.

Curried Brussels Sprouts with Ginger Coconut Rice

A quick and easy way to make sprouts delicious.

First, halve the sprouts and remove the scruffy outer leaves.  Then, mix coconut milk, curry powder and salt.  This imparts a spicy richness to the dish.  Pour the mix over the Brussles sprouts and arrange on a baking tray.  Make it easy to tidy up by lining the tray with parchment paper.  I like to put these cabbage-wannabes in a cold oven and preheat to 400F - this cooks them quickly and browns the sprouts.

Serve with ginger coconut rice.  Simply add ginger, unsweetened coconut flake and a smidgen of coconut milk to rice and prepare as normal.

Gluten Free Stir-Fry

Often the stri-fry premix seasonings contain gluten or wheat ingredients.  Mixing the spices individually and using tamari (gluten free soy sauce), gluten can be eliminated from this delicious dish.  Deep frying tofu and marinating it overnight allows it to have a pleasant texture and full taste (which is a rare trait for tofu).

Classic flavours compose the seasoning: sesame, soy, onion, garlic, turmeric, chili and ginger.  Mixing Jasmine and black Forbidden rice yield a uniquely hued rice side-dish.

Dolmas

I harvested the grape leaves from my vines. The filling contains:

• turmeric rice
• sautéed tofu with onions
• olive oil
• truffle salt

Served with grilled green beans and fresh cherry tomatoes.