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LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND MEDICINE BE THY FOOD

My wish for you is to Live Better, Strive Harder, Be Bolder, Dream Bigger, Climb Higher and Seek Greater.
My vision is to help people create food that is delicious, easy to make and high in nutrition,
so that food once more becomes a vehicle to fuel your body, mind and soul.

Happy New Year!

By , January 1, 2019

planttotable_home

 

Dear Friends of Tasha. Kitchen,

Happy New Year!

My wish for you is to Live Better, Strive Harder, Be Bolder, Dream Bigger, Climb Higher and Seek Greater.

These too are wishes for myself and in the pursuit of this at the end of the year I took some time out to self reflect on all I have learnt over the last year.

In 2018, I completed my certificate in Plant Based Nutrition with Cornell and have used this and some great books (e.g. how not to die – Gene Stone and Michel Greger), articles and blogs to learn more about the hard science behind food and disease.  Many of you may have seen my blog evolve over that time, from broad based healthy food to more of a plant-based blog. This is a reflection of my learning and has caused me to sit back and think about what my own philosophy is and what the blog should centre around.

After much study, contemplation and a recommitment to both my followers, and myself I am pleased to announce a new blog coming soon. The blog will be dedicated to Vegetarian, Vegan and Raw recipes with a focus on Plants and Whole Foods to maximise the nutritional content. There will also be a new section where I will share scientific research, so you can learn with me.

The blog will be called PlantToTable.com and exists today but with a redirect to Tasha.Kitchen until it is ready for launch in early 2019. Tasha.Kitchen will resume this Saturday and an announcement will be made when the new blog is ready.

I hope that this news allows you to forgive my absence and I look forward to continuing our journey together.

Yours faithfully,

Tasha x

Delhi Green Beans with Ginger and Green Chillies (Sem Ki Sabzi)  (Vegan, DF, GF)

By , November 17, 2018

Green Beans and Ginger

This dish is from the north of India and is normally served with lentils, rice and yogurt.

My grandma had a special dish for everyone, cheese rolls for my brother, rice porridge for me and green beans for my cousin Sabrina. I actually think Sabrina is the only person I know, as well as my grandmother who loved these green beans. They would eat them together, laugh and talk. It was something special to see.

This is my first attempt at a green bean recipe and there will be a few more to come until I get the right one. This recipe is from Madhur Jaffrey’s Vegetarian India, it is vibrant, spicy, tasty and takes no time at all.

Ingredients

  • 1 LB green beans, topped and tailed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp. oil
  • ½ tsp. asafoetida (optional)
  • ½ tsp. whole cumin seeds
  • 1 green chillies, chopped
  • 2 tsp. ginger, chopped
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. coriander, powder

Method

  • Plunge the beans into boiling water 3-5 minutes and then drain, leaving them al dente
  • Put the oil in a medium frying pan, set on a low heat, add the asafoetida, add the cumin
  • Take the pan off the heat and add the ginger and chillies
  • Put back on the heat, add beans, salt, coriander powder and 2 tbsp. water
  • Cook for another 5 minutes
  • Eat with rice and roti

Cauliflower Steak (Vegan, DF, GF)

By , November 10, 2018

Cauliflower steak

Let’s break the myth that you need meat to build muscle. The gorilla can lift up to 10 times its body weight!

I made this dish on the request of my meat and potatoes concierge. As I would leave the building early in the morning I would go by the front desk and drop off a plant based treat, vegan cheesecake, vegan meatballs, vegan samosa, vegan chocolate truffles and after a few months I finally got a request for a cauliflower steak. This was a man who said that he had to eat meat with every meal.

You must learn a new way to think, before you can master a new way to live.

I love the humble cauliflower, the texture is meaty enough to satisfy and it takes well to assertive flavours. This is a basic version, but you could add a pesto, salsa or chimichurri. I served this with some Baba Ganoush underneath for a texture and flavour contrast.

Mr B was a little upset that I was cooking for another man, so I made him some vegan truffles and he forgot all about it…

Ingredients

  • 1 cauliflower
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
  • ¼ cup oil

Method

  • Preheat the oven
  • Remove the outer green leaves from the head of cauliflower
  • Use a large knife and cut the cauliflower half lengthwise and into half again
  • In a bowl mix the oil and spices
  • Brush the cauliflower with the mixture on both sides
  • Bake covered with foil until steamed and starting to soften
  • Uncover and let brown for the remaining time
  • If you have a BBQ, sear for grill marks and a little char

 

King Trumpet Yakitori (Vegan, DF, GF)

By , November 3, 2018

Yakatori

A little advice from a mushroom;

  • Be down to earth
  • Sprout new ideas
  • Keep a low profile
  • Know when to show up
  • Stay well-rounded
  • Start from the ground up
  • Be a fun-guy

This is a beautiful recipe for a BBQ. It is meaty and sticky and sweet and sumptuous.

Mushrooms are always said to be a great meat substitute but I don’t see it as a substitute but a star in it’s own right. I use a variety of mushrooms in my recipes due to the medicinal benefits; Trumpet versus the others is good for something you want to give more structure to, which is why it works so well on this recipe.

Be careful with the reduction, as it can get hot due to the melted sugar. If it toughens up just reheat.

Ingredients

  • 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup mirin
  • 1/3 cup sake
  • 1/3 cup tamari
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • trumpet mushrooms
  • 1 tsp. coconut oil
  • Salt

Method

  • Soak 6-10 bamboo skewers for at least 15 minutes
  • Prepare grill/BBQ for medium heat
  • Thread the mushrooms onto the prepared skewers and brush with oil and salt
  • Grill until golden brown
  • Heat the mirin, sake, tamari and sugar until slightly reduced
  • Brush on the mushrooms and grill again, flip and brush again
  • Serve with spring onions on top

Processed with MOLDIV

 

Mini Pistachio Baklavas (Vegan)

By , October 27, 2018

Mini Baklava

This is one of those desserts…. one bite and addictive!

‘I don’t often eat Baklava, but when I do, I eat the whole tray…’

Here is an easy, peasy, lemon squeezy recipe for you to try out at home. It is such a beautiful taste and the smell of toasted pistachios is an added bonus. I used creamed honey from the farmers market as it is a little mellower, but any high quality honey will work.

This is a little healthier than your normal Baklava as it doesn’t have multiple layers of syrup. It is also easy to serve with cocktails as a canapé. I’d suggest adding a little rose water to some prosecco would be a good pairing, bringing out the fragrance and smells of a souk in both.

Ingredients

  • 15 mini tart shells
  • 3 tbsp. vegan butter
  • 1 cup raw unsalted pistachios
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • ½ tsp. cardamom
  • Pinch salt

Method

  • Bake the tart shells
  • Melt the butter in a medium pan, add pistachios and stir for c. 2 minutes until they start to have a nutty aroma
  • Add the honey, cardamom and salt
  • Take off the heat and mix
  • Use two spoons to scoop the filling into the shells
  • Cool before serving and make sure you don’t get any sugar on your skin as it will be super hot (I may be talking from experience…)

Vegan Smoked Salmon (Vegan, DF, GF)

By , October 20, 2018

Smoked salmon bagel

‘I didn’t change, I just started to look at things differently’.

Mr B and I popped into Orchard Grocer, a vegan Deli one day a few months ago. I was curious to see how they had become so popular so quickly, with reported long lines for their smoked salmon bagel. It is said that the bagel married lox in New York, so there is a high bar for this classic dish here.

I have to say, I was skeptical that a carrot could replace salmon and so took Mr B as the ultimate taster, given his New York roots and his love of this combination. The Deli did not disappoint and in fact the bagel was so good, Mr B asked me to recreate it so it could become his new go to at home.

The reason Mr B likes this, is because it has tones of the real thing due to the nori and tamari but is lighter and has a preferred texture. I like to serve it to Mr B on a Sunday morning in an everything bagel, or if he is getting on a train, I make it in a plain bagel and then add the everything seasoning to the vegan cream cheese. I also use it in wraps, bowls and in salads to add some depth and flavor.

I hope this dish gives you a glimpse into a reimagined classic and if not at least a new way to see the humble carrot

Ingredients

  • 3 carrots
  • 2 nori sheets
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 tbsp. Tamari
  • 1 tbsp. Liquid smoke (optional)
  • 1 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. dill
  • Sea salt to taste

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350f
  • Wash the carrots, add some salt and bake for 45 minutes or until soft.
  • Remove and once cooled slice into strips with a peeler or mandolin
  • Transfer into a container with the rest of the ingredients and let marinate at least overnight
  • For a classic new york bagel serve with vegan cream cheese, dill, red onion and capers

Processed with MOLDIV

Cardamom Ice-cream (Vegan, DF, GF)

By , October 14, 2018

Cardamom Ice-cream (Vegan, DF, GF)

Cinnamon Icecream

I love the simplicity and pureness of this recipe, filled with amazing ingredients straight from Mother Nature’s door!

I adapted this recipe from my plant lab raw desserts classic, bringing a little Indian Flair with the cardamom. If you don’t like cardamom, cinnamon works well or vanilla if you’d prefer a less dominant flavour profile

Did you know Cardamom has impressive medicinal properties and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. It has antioxidant and diuretic properties, which are said to stop the growth of tumours, lower blood pressure, prevent inflammation and act as an antibacterial.  Cinnamon has similar such properties, so you are good either way. Mr B doesn’t like Cardamom, so I tend to use cinnamon for him or during the holidays a little pumpkin spice (a US classic. I can not account for the medicinal properties I am afraid, just the smile invoked by the scent of the holidays)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup soaked cashews
  • ½ cup. Young coconut meat or coconut cream
  • ¼ cup coconut water
  • 1 tbsp. crushed cardamom seeds or cardamom powder
  • ¼ cup agave
  • 2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
  • Pinch of salt

Method

  • Blend all the ingredients together until smooth, except the coconut oil
  • Stream coconut oil in last
  • Process in an ice cream maker, or if you don’t have one (like me), place in a tub and freeze

Kale-Kopita  (Vegan)

By , October 6, 2018

Kale-Kopita  (Vegan)

Kale Kopita

This is a great recipe from the kitchen at Vedge in LA. It is a take on the classic spanakopita, (which means cheese filled) and uses tofu as the substitute.

As I talked to a few people about this recipe, it became clear that there is a version of this pie across the world including knishes, Bourikas, calzones, samosas and dim sum to name a few. This means I had some pretty tough tasters. The best comment I got back was from my Albanian taster who said this tasted like his mums back home. Score!! It was only then that I told him that there was no cheese only tofu. (I am not sure if he will mention that to his mum).

The key to a successful pie or layered pie isn’t whether you use tofu or cheese; it is about how you spice the filling. The onion, garlic, dill, salt and pepper all add to a delicious filling that you could stuff into anything, or quite frankly eat on its own. So make sure you are happy with the flavour and everything else will fall into place!

Mr B was a definite fan of this dish, given his love of all things Greek (apart from me, of course, he loves me despite of my non-Greekness)

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing the Phyllo
  • 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
  • 1 cup onions, finely chopped
  • 1 pound extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. pepper
  • 5 cups of tofu cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp. chopped dill
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • Half a pack of organic vegan Phyllo, thawed

Method

  • Preheat the oven
  • Brush a casserole dish with olive oil
  • Bring a pot of water to the boil, add salt
  • Blanch the kale for 5 minutes, drain
  • Heat the olive oil in a deep pot, add the onions, garlic and cook for a few minutes until brown
  • Add the crumbled tofu, salt and pepper. Stir until browned and the moisture is gone, c. 10 minutes
  • Combine the kale and tofu mixture in a large bowl. Add the tofu cream cheese, dill and lemon juice
  • Layer 3 sheets of Phyllo on the bottom of the dish. Add one third of the mixture, layer another 3 layers on top, add the next third, add Phyllo, the next third and finally top with the remaining Phyllo. Brush the top layer with olive oil and bake until golden brown, c. 15 minutes.
  • Cut the dish into portions before baking, this will make it easier to serve
  • Serve warm

Processed with MOLDIV

Korean Eggplant Tacos (GF, Vegan)

By , September 30, 2018

Eggplant tacos

This is a recipe from the kitchen of Verge in Philadelphia and is a super sexy dish. It has umami from the glaze with the mix of maple and tamari combining well and added depth from the gochujang

Because you are only using the inside of the eggplant it is a super light dish, silky and smooth, spicy and sweet

I love these flavors!

Adding in Kimchi Vegan Mayo also adds to the flavour and gives you a health kick too! Apart from the positive effects on weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, kimchi benefits that have been reported in scientific literature include; increased antioxidant status, protection from asthma, anti-aging, anti-cancer and protection from atherosclerosis. A good source if you want to read up on the benefits Kimchi is universityhealthnews.com and it gives you the links to the studies too

Kimchi is Grandma Food, passed down from generation to generation and if you have followed my blog for a while, you will know my rule, of whatever granny says, goes!

Ingredients

  • 4 Japanese Eggplants (or one large Italian eggplant), peeled and chopped into 1 by 4 inch pieces (salt and leave to drain to take some of the moisture out)
  • 1 tbsp. Gochujang
  • 2 tsp. tamari
  • 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. maple syrup/agave
  • 2 tbsp. sesame oil
  • ½ cup vegan kimchi, drained, chopped
  • 1 cup vegan mayo
  • 4-6 corn/masa tortilla
  • 4 chopped spring onions
  • Chopped lettuce

Method

  • Preheat the oven
  • Make the glaze by mixing the gochujang, tamari, vinegar and maple syrup
  • In another bowl toss the eggplants in the sesame oil
  • Heat a large sauce pan over high heat and cook the eggplant for 5 minutes until browned
  • Toss the crispy eggplant in the glaze and bake until the glaze is soaked up
  • Meanwhile fold the kimchi into the vegan mayo
  • Warm the tortilla for c. 2 minutes
  • Assemble the tacos by spreading some of the kimchi mayo down the centre of each tortilla, top with a large spoon full of the roasted eggplant, dress with the spring onions and lettuce
Processed with MOLDIV

Processed with MOLDIV

Sweet Potato Tikki  (GF, Vegan)

By , September 22, 2018

Sweet Potato Tikki  (GF, Vegan)

Sweet Potato Tikki

One of my dreams is to write a book of recipes that reflect my grandma’s food and mine together. I did think of just writing her recipes down, as that would take up a whole book in itself but with some of the allergies and dietary requirements that have occurred in our family over the last few years, I thought my adaptations might have some added value

As I look through my photos of my gran, and me we are holding hands in most of them, like an old married couple. So I take that as a message from here that she liked to do things hand in hand

If you have someone in your life that you think it a kindred spirit, make sure you take all the time you can to spend with them as when they are gone it feels like a piece of you is too! My way of getting that connection back is to cook and this is where this recipe came from, hand in hand

I love the combination of ingredients that go in a Tikki, which is an Indian Potato cake that my grandma used to make as an appetizer. I decided to adapt it to use sweet potatoes for the healthy benefits and by also adding some pumpkin seeds for protein and crunch

I love sweet potatoes not only for the vibrant colour and sweet taste but also as they are high in the antioxidant beta-carotene, which helps to keep the bodies defences up and is great for fighting off diseases like cancer. This means you are actually eating your medicine, cool, right. Garlic and Ginger are also great health foods, which my grandma knew and so added to near every single food we ate!

I’m lucky that Mr B likes food with strong flavours and so ate this up without hesitation!

Ingredients

  • 750g sweet potatoes
  • 1 tbsp. grated ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ chilli, chopped
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 100g chickpea flour
  • 1 tsp. cumin powder
  • 10g fresh coriander, chopped
  • 3 tbsp. sunflower seeds

Method

  • Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks. Boil for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain and mash roughly with a fork
  • Meanwhile grind the ginger, garlic, chilli and salt until smooth using a mortar and pestle
  • Heat up the oil and sauté the onion until softened, add the spice mix for a couple of minutes until fragrant
  • Add the mashed sweet potato, coriander, sunflower seeds and flour and combine well. Allow mixture to cool
  • Shape 10 round cakes with wet hands
  • Line the baking tray with parchment paper and brush with a little oil. Place the cakes on the tray, brush with more oil and bake in a preheated oven for c. 25 minutes
  • Serve with a blend of vegan mayonnaise, garlic and coriander

HandinhandBigmama