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Apologies for such a lengthy break between posts, it feels like ages since my last post was published and I'm also way behind in responding to reader comments as well as reading other blogs. After my family Christmas obligations ended, we spent a few days away camping in the bush which was relaxing as we spent our days swimming, playing with Ollie and watching the different native birds in the area. Instead of being rejuvenated by the camping experience, I picked up a bug just after we got home (the first illness I've had in over 2.5 years!) and have been feeling extremely worn out after dragging myself back to work last week. Now that my head is finally feeling clearer, it's time to get back on track with the first of a couple of posts I've been working on to sum up 2012 in my kitchen.
Favourite soup - Smoky cauliflower (and tofu bacon) soup. With or without tofu bacon this simple blended soup has become a household favourite. Red lentils are a sneaky ingredient to provide the soup with added protein and make it a more substantial bowl.
Favourite Mexican meal - Tofu adobe with refried beans. This has become our standard Mexican meal, when Mexican is requested this is what my fellows are after! We pile refried beans from Viva Vegan along with Tofu with adobe paste (from the Tofu Xpress recipe booklet) onto tortillas with some lettuce, tomato, cashew cream, guacamole and hot sauce. There's an art to how much filling you can load in the tortillas before they become a very messy eating experience.
Favourite meal that can be served anytime of the day - Mexican inspired tofu scramble. I've been making this scramble for such a long time and it never fails to satisfy our taste buds. It's loaded up with heaps of veggies and beans and pairs well with toast for an easy dinner or wrapped into tortillas for breakfast burritos.
Favourite fried food - Tofu “fish” fingers with tartare sauce. We adore Bryanna Clark Grogan's tofu "fish" recipe and have scoffed them down on a few occasions. I also tried a baked version with a polenta coating but they turned out rather dry so I recommend shallow or deep frying them for the the ultimate eating experience.
Favourite finger food - Gobi (cauliflower) pakoras are superb when paired with a coriander chutney from Vegan Eats World. I made these a few times by frying them in a wok and have been meaning to make them again in our relatively new deep fryer.
Favourite noodles - Steph from vegan about town's Char Kueh Teow recipe isn't actually restricted to our favourite noodle dish of 2012, it first appeared in my kitchen in 2011 and has been on semi-regular rotation since. It's a super tasty meal for minimal effort.
Favourite quick meal – Smoky Alfred with broccoli, asparagus, spinach or broad beans. I've been making this pasta dish for years (originally based on Hurry Up Alfredo in Vegan Yum Yum) and we never tire of it for a speedy weeknight meal. I change it up frequently by adding in some seasonal greens and enjoy it with tofu bacon on occasion too.
Favourite from around the world posts - Sri Lankan pan rolls. Although they took a couple of attempts to perfect, I've been very happy with my version of these deep fried snacks that we used to enjoy years ago. Stay tuned for another delicious Sri Lankan snack soon which I've been playing around with recently.
Favourite sweet - Sfoof (Semolina cake) and Chocolate chip cookies. As I rarely feel the urge to eat sweet things I'm leaving this one up to my fellows. Bryanna Clark Grogan's semolina cake with lemon or lime syrup from World Vegan Feast was the definite winner for the man last year, when he is craving a cake this is what he always asks me to make. The young man's choice is slightly more mundane, chocolate chip cookies are his fave which is fairly predictable coming from a teenage boy.
Number 1 household favourite - Calzones. The regularity of our calzone nights has dropped back from fortnightly to about once a month but they are still without a doubt the recipe I am requested to make if I ask the others what they feel like eating. I can't imagine them disappearing from meal rotations in the near future either!
So many delicLove the look of the cauliflower soup and the burrito especially!
ReplyDeleteThanks K, the soup will be back back on rotation when the weather cools down and the burrito is perfect all year round.
DeleteWelcome back Mel! I am so sorry you started 2013 unwell, and hope the camping break was at least enjoyable while you were there.
ReplyDeleteI've missed your posts and this round up has reminded me that I have some recipes of yours still to try - this is a great selection from 2012 and after you introduced me to smoky flavours I think I would love those Mexican wraps.
Thanks Kari! It's great to have more energy at last as I had forgotten how annoying it is getting over a lingering illness. I think the tofu and bean wraps would definitely suit your taste!
DeleteMerry christmas and happy 2013 to you, Mel! Your christmas camping trip sounds lovely - great photo of the willy wag tails! And that is a really good round-up of recipes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Theresa! Camping trips generally are pretty enjoyable and relaxing if you can find a quiet enough spot. These recipes are all ones that I make fairly regularly as everyone at home enjoys them.
DeleteI feel you on the being sick part! I've been fighting the flu for almost a week now. Fortunately, however, I don't think that I'll have to deal with its full-on effects. I hope that you feel better! All of these meals look so good. I especially can't wait to try the Sri Lankan pan rolls and the Smoky cauliflower soup. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I hope you are over the flu by now too Colynn! Hopefully with this start to the year we will be fit and healthy for the rest of it! Enjoy the pan rolls and soup if you get around to making them.
DeleteI'm salivating over the mexican tofu with refried beans! That's my idea of a perfect meal :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sandy, it's pretty much the perfect meal for my husband and I. My bean adverse son who isn't that crazy about Mexican food really loves them too.
Deletehappy new year Mel - I know the feeling of being sick and behind the eightball - but am glad to hear you are feeling better. Love your round up of the year - so many dishes I still would love to try that I am not sure which one would come first - probably the fish fingers
ReplyDeleteThanks Johanna, the fish fingers are lovely and a little bit indulgent when shallow fried but they've been such a hit I've made them a few times to keep people happy. They don't have an overly fishy flavour but that's fine with me as I was never a seafood fan anyway.
DeleteHappy new year, glad to see you're back! I was missing the posts!
ReplyDeleteI must have missed the cauliflower soup recipe first time around - glad you flagged that one up again, I'll definitely be making myself some of that. There was a restaurant I once went to years ago and I still dream about their cauliflower soup!
Thanks Joey, it's good to be back in the swing of things now! The cauliflower soup was definitely my favourite soup on the blog from last year and was requested for repeats a few times. I made a slightly different cauliflower soup the year before but I prefer this one now.
DeleteEverything looks amazing! I need to give all of those a go :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Cass! Hope you enjoy whatever you decide to give a shot!
DeleteOh, my goodness! What a lot of deliciousness! I think we have similar tastes, because I would love to see any of these go across my dining table. I need to just start on this list one by one!
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