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.
The pioppino mushroom is not only known for its delicious and earthy taste and great texture but also pack a series nutritional punch, providing a great source of vitamin D and boasting beneficial bacteria great for improving digestion and overall health. These mushrooms have a valuable amount of bioactive metabolites. These metabolites include agrocybenine with anti fungal properties, Cylindan which has anti-cancer properties and indole derivatives which are responsible for hunting down free radicals. The Pioppino mushroom is also known for slowing down the effects of osteoporosis. MIND BLOWN!
I found these at the farmers market and since I had never seen them before I thought I pick some up. I asked the lady what to do with them and she said just chop the whole thing up including the stalk and saute them with some shallots. So that is exactly what I did. I served these with some ancient grain gluten free pasta and topped with a little vegan parmesan.
‘Bellissimo’ said Mr. B and I agreed.
Ingredients
150g of gluten free pasta
400g Pioppini Mushrooms
½ cup shallots, sliced
10g vegan butter
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
Vegan parmesan (optional)
Method
Clean and cut the mushrooms. I cut 2cm off the bottom and chop the stalks into rounds and slice the heads
Warm the oil in a skillet and add the onions, cook until starting to brown
Add the mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes on high heat
Whilst cooking the mushrooms, cook the pasta
Drain the pasta and add to the mushrooms, add the butter, salt and pepper
Mix well and serve hot with optional vegan parmesan
My mum used to serve Peking Duck as an intermediary course at her amazing dinner parties. I remember our not so large living room being filled with conversation and laughter as I would go around serve the canapes and my brother would help top up the drinks. My mum was really in her element in those situations, entertaining and listening out for the comments and compliments on the food. I don’t think I have ever seen her happier.
Of course, as many of you know, I try and replicate this nostalgia through my own dinner parties with just an eye to my own plant-based interpretations.
‘Food has no soul, you as a cook must bring soul to the recipe’
Peking Duck also featured heavily in our celebrations, as we would always congregate at our local Chinese restaurant to celebrate birthdays and special occasions. This is a theme for Indian families, and I have never worked out why, apart from perhaps the ability to accommodate large parties and the willingness to supply chopped up chilis to us in abundance.
My brother loves this dish so much that it is also his comfort food at home and so this recipe is dedicated to him. It is my way of showing him that I care, taking his favourite dish and making it heart healthy so he can eat it at will and see it as a healthy snack versus an unhealthy treat. Dev, this recipe is from my heart to yours, in recognition of our memories and the nostalgia we share.
Ingredients
2 cans of jackfruit
3 tsp. tamari
3 tbsp. maple syrup
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
3 spring onions, finely sliced
½ cucumber, cut into strips
8-10 Chinese pancakes
150ml hoisin sauce
Method
Heat the grill on high
Drain the jackfruit and pat dry
Combine the tamari, maple syrup, coriander, pepper and sesame oil
Coat the jackfruit in the mixture and place under the grill
Grill for 10 minutes, turning 2/3 times until crispy
Warm the pancakes, serve with the cucumber, spring onion and hoisin sauce
‘People need to understand the different between wants and needs, I want abs, but I need tacos’
…. with this recipe you can have both!
My American husband likes Brussel Sprouts and Tacos, two popular ingredients in the USA, but not two that you normally see together. Given our plant-based diet at home however, I am always trying to find new and innovative recipes and nearly always have these two ingredients in the fridge.
This is a great recipe for brussel sprouts if you want them on their own or as a side. I love them in a taco as they are a little crunchy from the char, a little sweet from the honey balsamic and a little spicy from the red pepper flakes.
Ingredients
5 Ibs. brussel sprouts
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. honey
Pinch red chilli flakes
Corn Tortillas
Method
Preheat oven to 425c
Line a baking tray
Trim the brussel sprouts and cut the bottom off. Cut in half.
In a large bowl, toss in the olive oil, salt and pepper
Roast until a little charred
Mix the balsamic, honey and a pinch of red pepper
Warm the tortillas, place some of the sprouts on and drizzle the honey balsamic on top
‘I love sleep as it is a time machine to breakfast’
As Mr B and I have taken on new roles at our companies this year, we have a little less time in the mornings and evenings and so I have been trying to think up some new recipes for a grab and go breakfast and for easy 20 minute or less dinners.
Mr B loves Quinoa. He will eat it on its on made with stock, as part of a protein dense salad or as a sweet dessert, so when I found quinoa flour, I had to buy it and see what interesting goodies I could create. This was the first and has become a permanent breakfast in the Brunetti household. Its sweet from the banana and maple syrup, I use vegan dark chocolate chips which add a nice melty surprise and a little bitterness. It’s gluten free and protein dense and so works perfectly. Make it as bread to slice or muffins to grab.
Ingredients
5 cups of quinoa flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
3 medium bananas, mashed
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 large egg
½ cup almond milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips
Method
Preheat the oven to 350f
Prepare a muffin tin with silicon or paper liners
Combine the quinoa flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and combine
In a separate bowl, combine the mashed bananas, coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, vanilla and almond milk, whisk to combine
Add the dry ingredients to the wet slowly, mix as you go
At the end fold in the chocolate chips
Pour into the muffin cups and bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, c. 30 minutes
‘Nature alone is an antique, and the oldest art a mushroom’ – Thomas Carlyle
I love this dish so much that whilst I am writing this, I am making another batch
It made my life so much easier this week as I started to commute and needed a nourishing, light meal that took 10 minutes to make when I got home
The first day I ate the broth on its own, the second I added some soba noodles as I heated it up, the third I added some tofu, the fourth some pea shoots and the fifth some pre-cooked barley and some coconut milk. The base itself has about 10 calories, a portion of soba noodles has 70 calories, so this is a low-calorie meal, whatever you do to it
Dried mushrooms can be much cheaper than real mushrooms but they retain the taste and nutrients including protein, enzymes, B vitamins (niacin) and vitamin D2
Ingredients
½ cup dried mushrooms
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
8 cups water
Method
Place all ingredients in a deep pot, bring to the boil and then down to a simmer for 30 minutes
You are looking for a deeply concentrated flavour, so if at 30 minutes you don’t have that keep going or adjust the seasoning
If you have an instant pop, you can do the same thing and it will take 10 minutes
Eat as a nourishing broth
Add soba noodles and make a ramen
Add tofu and vegetables and make a protein dense soup
‘Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors and let every new year find you a better man’ – Benjamin Franklin
Every year people makes lists of resolutions, drink less, eat less, do more exercise. These are really just generalities that you think will make your life better and in some circumstances relieve the guilt of the past season. We all do it and it seems to make sense at the time, but how long do we stick to our resolutions?
I have found, for me at least that making small changes on a day to day basis works better, with a little room for error, so that I don’t get into a guilt cycle and give up. Every day I start a fresh and think about what I can do better today.
For me like a lot of people, I have a deep and complex relationship with food. It has been my friend and enemy, it comforts me when I am far from home, it teaches me about my ancestry and it gives me a canvas for creativity. I am not going to give up eating and sometimes I am going to want something that does not serve me well, like a slice of pizza with my Italian husband or a truffle parmesan potato chip or two. So how do I balance the two.
I make it easy for myself to eat healthily 90% of the time and I don’t punish myself for the rest. I batch cook at the weekend and then my fast food is healthy food. I buy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and I prepare them in batches as grab and go, lining up the pairings, for example peeling carrots and setting them next to the hummus, or placing mixed cut fruits in little pots next to my almond yogurt as a quick grab and go in the morning.
This recipe is an easy batch recipe. You cut and bake the butternut squash and eggplant, which you can make it bulk and use for other things also. You then add it all together bake it, creating 6-8 portions to be eaten or frozen. It tastes wonderful as a side or main, lunch or dinner and each ingredient can be repurposed in many different ways.
Take a few hours at the weekend to make your week easier and your food healthier. Now thats a resolution that anyone can keep. Happy Healthy 2019.
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash
1 large jar passata/homemade or shop bought
2 large eggplants/aubergines
100g gluten free breadcrumbs
50g vegan parmesan
salt, pepper, olive oil, chilli flakes
Method
Preheat the oven to 350f
Peel the squash, remove the seeds and cut into 1 cm long segments
Toss the squash in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until soft
As the squash is roasting, half peel the eggplant (alternate stripes) and slice into 1cm discs
Cover in olive oil, salt and pepper and lightly fry to brown on each side. Set aside on kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil
Warm the passata and add any additional flavouring you might like. I used a garlic basil tomato sauce and added a few chilli flakes (this saves a lot of time). Reference the Rowley Leigh recipe for the original recipe.
Mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan and set aside till ready to assemble
In an ovenproof dish, spoon a little sauce on the bottom and place half the squash segments down. Add some more sauce over the top and add half the eggplant segments, add more sauce and add the rest of the squash segments, more sauce, the other half of the eggplant segments and the rest of the sauce. Cover with the mixed breadcrumbs and cheese and bake for 30 minutes. I baked it covered with foil to make sure the breadcrumbs didn’t burn
Best eaten fresh and hot, but works well as leftovers too
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.
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
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
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
