Mint symbol

Pol sambol is one of the traditional side dishes I devoured with gusto on a trip to Sri Lanka. This version combines coconut with fresh mint to add a flavour hit to a wrap, curry or just sprinkled on steamed rice. If you don’t have mint, other green herbs such as coriander, Vietnamese mint or even basil (alone or in combination), work equally as well. 

I like to make this sambol as a dry-ish mix that’s easy to sprinkle. But if you’re having trouble blending the ingredients or prefer a wet sambol gradually add a little water to make a paste or sauce.

Mint sambol

1 cup fresh mint leaves (or coriander, basil or a mix of green herbs)
1 small onion, or 2 small shallots
4 cloves garlic
2/3 cup shredded (or desiccated) coconut
1 green chili (optional)
Lime juice (juice of ½ – 1 limes)
Sea salt

Blend the above ingredients, except the lime juice and salt. Taste while gradually adding lime and salt. It just needs a little of each.

This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, dairy and gluten free. 

Roasted pumpkin and tomato soup

 

Recipe: Roasted pumpkin and tomato soup

This soup has been in high rotation this winter and each time I love it just a little more! It was inspired by Stephanie Alexander’s latest cookbook Home. I’ve simplified the method but roasting the vegetables is non-negotiable, as it’s what gives this soup its rich umami flavour.

 

Roasted pumpkin and tomato soup

1 kg pumpkin, peeled and cut into 6 cm chunks
1 small potato, peeled and halved (optional, to thicken the soup)
1 onion, peeled and thickly sliced
4 medium-large ripe tomatoes, halved
6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1.5 litres vegetable stock (I prefer homemade or Marigold bouillon powder)
1 – 2 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 cup olive oil
Sprig of rosemary (optional)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat the oven to 220c (200c fan-forced).

Cut the pumpkin, potato and onion as directed above. Toss in a bowl with olive oil, herbs, garlic and a pinch of salt. When covered in oil, lay out in a single layer in your baking dish. Ideally use a large baking dish big enough to fit all the vegetables without overcrowding, that’s safe to use on the stove top, if it’s not big enough, use two.

Roast vegetables for 40 minutes, give the tray a shake and stir halfway through this time. It’s ok for the vegetable to get crisp and a little scorched (but not burnt) as this deepens the flavour.

Remove from the oven and throw away the rosemary stem. Take out the tomatoes and discard the skins. Do the same with the garlic. Both should be easy to slip off when cooked. Add these along with the rest of the vegetables to a large pot.

Place the baking dish, with the delicious stuck-on goodies, on the stove top on medium heat.  Add a cup or two of your stock and stir with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Once the bits have come away from the pan, pour the deglazing liquid into your pot with the vegetable. Add the remaining stock and whizz with a hand blender until smooth. Alternatively you can use a blender or food processer.

Put the pot on the heat and bring to a simmer. Taste before adding salt and pepper. If using a commercial stock it mightn’t need much. If the soup is thicker than you’d like add more stock. If a bit thin, just simmer on a low heat til you have your desired consistency.

 

Lemony bliss balls

 Lemons (especially super juicy and fragrant Meyers) make an amazing guest star in this take on the traditional nut/fruit ball.  The recipe is super easy to make if you have a food processor and are the perfect healthy snack.

 

Lemony bliss balls

1 cup raw cashews (or your favourite type of nut)
10 – 12 Medjool dates, pitted (if dry, soak in warm water for an hour first and pat dry)
2 – 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
Zest of 1 lemon, unsprayed/organic
½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
½ tsp sea salt
1/3 cup desiccated or shredded coconut to roll balls in

Pulse all ingredients except the coconut, in a food processor or blender until the nuts are well chopped. Check the mixture’s consistency, it needs to stick together to form a ball. If too crumbly try adding another date or two, or a bit more juice, water or a dash of coconut milk.

Add the desiccated coconut to a small dish. With clean damp hands, form into balls (I used a heaped teaspoon per ball) and roll in shredded coconut.

Store between layers of baking paper, in an airtight container and keep in the fridge. I’ve seen fruit and nut ball recipes that suggest they keep for up to 3 months but in my house they’ve never lasted this long!

 

Variations

No lemons – try orange juice (and zest if unsprayed)

No dates – try dried figs, may need to be soaked first

No coconut – use sesame or crushed hemp seeds

This first published my professional website, now archiving recipes on blogger

Jerusalem artichoke soup

I used to avoid buying these odd-looking tubers because I didn’t know what to do with them. But they are a versatile winter vegetable that can be roasted, blended or, if particularly fresh, thinly sliced and eaten raw.

Neither an artichoke nor from the Middle East, this vegetable has a distinctive, though relatively mild flavour that is perfect for a winter soup. Despite being a low-starch vegetable, when blended the soup has a luscious creamy consistency.

Naturally creamy, vegan Jerusalem artichoke soup recipe.


All new recipes are on my naturopathy website, check out the resources section for my recipe archive.

Tomato and quinoa soup

Quinoa is a versatile grain (that's really a seed). It’s light enough to add body and protein to a soup without making it stodgy. A little goes a long way, so only add more if you’d prefer a stew rather than soup.

This seedy-grain comes in different colours, but they all taste pretty much the same. Always rinse quinoa well before using.

Tomato & quinoa soup recipe.

All new recipes are on my naturopathy website, check out the resources section for my recipe archive.

artichoke bruschetta

I've been making this topping a lot this summer. 

Take a jar* of artichoke hearts, drain well. In a small food processor, chop the artichokes with a couple of cloves of crushed garlic, the juice of half to one lemon (to taste), a tablespoon or two of some good olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Whiz til blended but before it gets too smooth. You want a bit of texture.

If there's some fresh parsley at hand, finely chop and stir that through or any other herb you take a fancy to.

Dollop on freshly toasted bread. Sure you can first rub it while hot with some olive oil and a clove of garlic, it smells great but it's not entirely necessary.

* A jar or a can? I've made it with both. The more expensive ones in a jar have a better texture than canned artichokes, which tend to be softer/over cooked. However, any port in a storm. Do the best with what you have. It still tastes good as a puree.

Evolution of the truffle

At this time of year I often make truffles. Something luscious, vegan and packed full of kilojoules is the perfect way to celebrate the solstice.

Over the years the truffles have evolved from a coconut cream based chocolate ball, to an infused coconut oil one. 

The problem with truffles is they’re often frustrating and time consuming to make. The mix needs to be firm but not so cold it shatters, nor so warm it melts just looking at it. Let’s face it – late at night on the solstice eve, constantly walking between the workbench and fridge to rechill the mix between every half dozen truffles gets a tad tiresome. In humid December weather, sitting in a tepid bath with an icy drink (and smouldering companion) would be way more fun.

A couple of months ago I promised to take a sweet to a friends place for dinner. I dithered. I dathered. Until finally I only had a couple of hours to concoct something. The ‘something’ became a cubed version of truffles, simple cut into mouth-sized bites. 

If time permits you can still go down the sensory truffle path and infuse the oil with orange peel, spices or something else equally delicious (chilli anyone?). But the version I ended up creating with walnuts and liqueur worked fine. Lets put it this way; there were no complaints or leftovers.

Because how I conceptualised this recipe and what actually went into it are slightly different - I'm giving two different ingredients lists. I know some of you actually like qualities and others (like me) have a 'look and adapt' approach. Lets keep everyone happy!

The truffle that became a square

Freeform ingredients list

Base
2 parts good quality chocolate

1 part coconut oil (plain or infused)

Pinch of sea salt

Texture and flavour

A handful of walnuts, broken into smallish pieces - and/or nut paste

A generous handful of something fruity with an edge e.g. dried cherries, freeze dried raspberries or orange zest

OR a couple of tsp of a good quality liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Frangelico if you want to extend the nut thing use hazel instead of walnuts. (Note: too much grog might stop it from setting)

A quantified list of ingredients

200 gm 80% good quality chocolate
100 gm coconut oil
100 gm almond butter (make sure it's pure, check the ingredients especially if its a big brand)
3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp Grand Marnier

Method

If you’re going to infuse the coconut oil, start this a day or two before. Otherwise the chocolate slice takes a few minutes to put together, plus another hour to chill.

Assemble your ingredients and find an appropriate tin or container. Ideally use a square or rectangular baking tin (nothing with sloping sides or alas, you’ll just have to eat all the trimmings!)  Aim for a size appropriate to the mass of ingredients so that the chocolate concoction comes up to about 3-5 cm high (depending on how small our large you want your squares). Metal is ideal, you don’t need to grease, though you can line with baking paper if desired.

Blitz or chop the chocolate so they’re in even sized pieces. In a double boiler gently heat until half the chocolate is melted.

If your coconut oil is solid, melt over a low heat – it takes a very short time so don’t take your eye off it. I usually let it half melt then turn the heat off.

Combine the chocolate, nut paste (optional) and oil (hopefully they’re still semi solid rather than a liquid but it still works, though the nuts or fruit might drop to the bottom). Mix through the nuts, fruit and/or flavouring of choice.

Refrigerate for about an hour until fully solid (use the freezer if in a hurry). It's a good idea to allow it to come up to room temperature before cutting, to avoid snaps and shards. If necessary, run a warm knife around the edges and cut into bite-sized cubes. Of course if you painstakingly lined the tin, you just have to pull the slab out and cut.

You can pretty up the cubes of chocolatey goodness with a sprinkling of cocoa, icing sugar or rose petals but really, these taste so good they don’t need they don’t need it.

vegan Chiang Mai

With Happy Cow listing 68 vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Chiang Mai (compared to a mere 25 in Melbourne), do you need any more reasons to Northern Thailand? 

Chiang Mai is home to over 300 Buddhist temples, hundreds of eateries and a haven for travellers in Asia who don't want shrimp paste in their curry. As we spent 9 days in Chiang Mai, it was a relief that vegan choices beyond the standard curries and Pad Thai abound. Every meal ranged from good to spectacular, including breakfast in our hotel (which, let’s face it, in the best of places can get a bit samey after a few days). The kitchen was always happy to make a vegan hot breakfast to order for the Significant Eater, usually rice or noodle based, supplementing the dazzling array of tropical fruit, salad, sticky rice in banana leaves and amazing juices and iced teas. Vegetarian choices also included eggs cooked to order (my favourite being a Thai omelette with fresh herbs and chilli), pancakes and savoury rice porridge.

We ate most of our meals in the Old City but two of my three top vegan picks are beyond the moat. Keep in mind getting around is easy. For a mere 20 baht (less than a dollar) you can jump in a shared ‘taxi’ (converted ute/pick up truck) or 50 baht for a tuk tuk. For a day trip we found a mid-priced car and driver for 1500 baht (about $50).

Best of the omni cafes

Chiang Mai does casual dinning well. Want breakfast, coffee, a beer, late lunch or a three course dinner? These two laid back gems mightn’t look like anything special but warranted return visits. Both offered free wifi, good vegan choices and a relaxed atmosphere.

1. Peppermint cafe 1/1 Soi 5 Rachadamnoen Rd

The menu is a blend of Thai and Western food, including a fusion of both. If you want your salad ‘Thai style’ with extra spice, you will get a fiery hit. One of their specialties is pizza and they didn’t flinch at whipping up a vegan one (the SE said it was the best vegan pizza he’d ever eaten).

2. Nature’sWay Moon Muang Soi 4

The signs proudly state they don't use MSG. Food is fresh and sometimes organically grown. The vegetarian tom yum soup and noodles were free of fishy additives. I loved their big noodles with tofu and vegetables. Friendly staff, who remember your face and welcome you back. 

Note: my affection for these cafes was probably heightened by cuddles from neighbourhood cats that stopped by for a smooch.

Top three vego eateries in Chiang Mai

Sadly we only sampled a handful of the dozens of vegetarian restaurants but these three stood out for the diversity and sheer yumminess of the food. 

1. Pun Pun 

Wander through the grounds of Suan Dok temple and look for the ‘monk chat’ sign. Pun Pun, an al fresco café, lies beyond. 

Pun Pun is run by a sustainable living community and showcases their own organic vegetables. The menu is large and varied. My soup, with nori and a beetroot sauce, was certainly not traditional Thai and defied culinary pigeonholing. Even the spring rolls offered a novel filling. This is a great daytime café (they have a new restaurant  further out at the base of the hills that stays open til 8pm), perfect for when you get bored of the usual suspects and want to explore new flavours. Check the website for opening hours (the first time I looked at the site it said ‘closed Wednesday’, the next time it didn’t mention it). Avoid if it’s raining, as there’s very little cover in a downpour.

2. Bodhi Zen 18/5 Ratchvithi Road, Sriphim, Chiang Mai (not far from Thapae Gate)

Did you hear about the Vietnamese monk who opened a vegetarian restaurant in Northern Thailand? Offering ‘world cuisine’, this is another excellent choice for when you want to eat something a little different. The rice balls and cabbage rolls were both spectacular. While the meal was amazing, it was a chaotic and slightly uncomfortable dinning experience (for many, many reasons). But the food is worth it. Really.

3. Radiance Restaurant (at The Spa Resort) 165 Moo 4 Tumbon Huaysai, Chiang Mai 

About 40 minutes from the Old City in the grounds of a health resort, Radiance is an upmarket restaurant on the rural fringe of Chiang Mai. The verdant setting is calm and indeed ‘radiant’. I pity those who pay a lot of money to stay here and choose the detox package. While the menu lists a wide range of delicious juices for those fasting, even reading the description of the dishes must drive them wild. Though not strictly a vego restaurant (they offer some fish and chicken) they also have  extensive raw food options (the lasagne was a work of art and the raw chocolate dessert is worth a trip to Thailand in itself). Despite not being a fan of mock meat, the 'duck' curry was one of the most emotionally satisfying meals of my holiday. It also serves booze, something many of vego eateries avoid. This place earns the accolade of gourmet, though expensive by local standards is still significantly cheaper than at home. Worth a detour.

Other food-worthy mentions

Coffee: While Chiang Mai professes to having a ‘coffee culture’, including its home grown answer to Starb*cks, the espressos I sampled were very ordinary. With one notable exception. Akha Ama's  beans are organic and sustainably grown in Northern Thailand. They’re serious about their product, have a good rig and train their baristas. I’m not kidding when I say this is possibly the best espresso I’ve ever drunk. They do a mean iced green tea, like no other (possibly with powdered green tea?)

I frequently visited their new café at La Fattoria, Rachadamnoen Rd (past the police station, near Wat Phrasingh).

Markets: There are a plethora of wet markets selling fresh produce, if you want to pick up a kilo mangosteens for less than a dollar. My favourite was San Pakoy, just across the river, perfect for an early morning walk. (Non-vegans might want to try breakfast from the many carts near the market or outside the night bazaar, for some real but undeniably meaty street food).

The Sunday Walking market along Rachadamnoen Rd offers a number of vegan goodies including noodles, barbecued corn and stuffed betel leaves. Don’t forget to take a break between grazing and stop for a foot massage.

Cooking: There are a truck-load of cooking schools in Chiang Mai but I'd heard grumbles that some use vegan-unfriendly curry pastes. We spent a delightful day in the country at Thai Farm Cooking School, on a small organic farm, where we cooked everything from scratched. As you cook your own dishes, there's no problems being in a mixed omni/veg*n class. We had a fun day, visited a local market, cooked a soup, curry, stir fry, noodles and sticky rice...and patted some nice cats.

Maps. The Nancy Chandler map is a Chiang Mai institution, now in it’s 19^th edition. It plots a pleasing amount of V’s for vegetarian, along with non-food things to do in town. Don’t forget to check online for updates (unlike us, who didn’t and went on a thwarted hunt for the cat sanctuary and wooden foot bridge). You can pick up your map from any of the bookstores in Chiang Mai selling English language books. 

Want more tips? Check out my entry on Chiang Mai in my travel blog.