Konnyaku and vegetables with Japanese dressing

The other day I had a crazy craving for gomadofu, the 'tofu' made with sesame seeds. But I couldn't find it anywhere in Auckland! If anyone can help (or tell me how to make it at home!) please do!

Anyway, I ended up buying konnyaku, a Japanese starchy-jelly food made from Konjak yam plant.

It has nothing to do with gomadofu but perhaps the colour (a little) and to satisfy my goma (sesame) craving I thought of serving it with a sesame dressing.

You don't need to do anything with the konnyaku except taking it out of the packet and slice it! For the veggies i steamed some cauliflowers florets and carrots (separately) and cooked some spinach. The spinach were rolled in a nori seaweed sheet (like a sushi roll, but with spinach instead of rice). For the dressing, usually I make this miso dressing, but this time I tried to make Nami's miso dressing, from Just One Cookbook, mostly because I have never tried to put rice vinegar in my dressing and I wanted to have a go! Nami, the only thing that I didn't put in here is the miring (didn't have any at home!) and my sesame seeds were already ground. But yes, it was delicious! Thank you!

Now, do you know how to make gomadofu? :-)

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Gustoso: a dish by Alessandro

I have a special guest post today, a dish prepared by my 5 years old nephew Alessandro (pictured on the left, stirring risotto!). He named his creation 'Gustoso' and it looks yummy and also super healthy, even vegan and gluten free! Carrots, sun dried tomato, olive oil and rosemary. Bravo Alessandro! Un bacione dalla zia!

Alessandro making zucchini trifolate: zucchini, olive oil, salt and garlic

Photos by Emanuela Sias and Recipes by Alessandro Zecchini ©

Yogurt with quince topping - yogurt con sciroppo di mele cotogne

A simple dessert or a treat at any time of the day: use some plain thick yogurt, like greek yogurt, or yogurt from The Collective Dairy. For the topping I cooked some quince apples until mushy, then I put them into a muslin cloth over a bowl for a night to collect the juice. I measured the liquid and added half of its weight in sugar and boiled everything until I got a thick syrup. This can be kept in the fridge for a long time and spooned over the yogurt (or cakes or other desserts) when needed. So yummy!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Skiing (and not skiing) in New Zealand

 Well, the skiing holiday started off promising, driving towards the mountains and Methven and seeing some snow at the top.
But skiing in New Zealand is a bit of a gamble: the first day we managed, although there was only snow in the ski fields, and not lower into the village, or in the surroundings. The other two days the ski field were closed because of high winds! We ended up driving around and doing some hiking by the Rakaia River.

After Methven and a Christchurch break we tried our luck going towards Arthur's Pass National Park. Here some photos taken on the road.

On arrival we hiked to the Devil's Punchbowl (short hike) and then went back to the lodge as it was bitter cold and wet!

The day after we did ski, in Porters, while they were making snow. A real pity that the winter holidays are in July and not in August, so difficult to get snow in July!

My highlight? Seeing the Kea parrots, I love those birds!

And of course the stunning scenery of the South Island!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Crunchy Bean Sprout Winter Mediterranean Salad

I love beans and lentils, but I also love salads and raw food, my body feels like it needs them!

I usually mix cooked beans with raw salad vegetables, but when I remember I get some bean sprouts, and I particularly like this crunchy bean combo from Sproutman. I can just eat the sprouted beans as they are, with a drop of olive oil and lemon juice, 

These crunchy beans are quite filling and with the addition of a few more goodies with just one packet of the packet bean combo I made a salad for 4! It is winter here in New Zealand so there aren't many green leaves around a part from iceberg lettuce, quite bland for my taste, but ok to give 'volume'. No fresh tomatoes either, so I used some semi dried tomatoes, and added more Mediterranean flavors: salted capers, and mixed olives. A salad like this really fills you up, even without carbs or animal protein. The dressing was just extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, with a pinch of salt.

And now some photos from Nan's garden in Christchurch, to add to my Pinterest flower board!

I told Nan that most of her flowers could be eaten, but promised that I would not ;-).

 

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Vegan Goulash

Ingredients:

2 blocks of tofu, frozen for one day and then defrosted

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp hot paprika (or to taste)

2 carrots

4 large potatoes

1 green capsicum (bell pepper)

1 red capsicum (bell pepper)

2l l vegetable broth

Salt to taste

If you freeze the tofu and then defrost it it becomes porous and easy to cook in stew without breaking up. Also it will absorb flavors really well! Once the tofu is defrosted cut it in big cubes. Chop the onion and sauté with the olive oil. When the onion is translucent add the paprika, the sweet paprika will give flavour, and the hot one… heat, so use this according to taste. Then add the tofu cubes and stir well. Add the vegetables and the hot vegetable broth. Simmer until the carrots and potatoes are ready, but before the potatoes start to break up. Goulash is more like a soup than a stew. If you prefer a thicker stew just cook it for longer, stirring often and breaking up the potatoes. Add salt to taste (no necessary if the broth is salty enough).

 Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Raw, vegan, sugar free and gluten free chocolate truffles

Yes these are raw, vegan, sugar free and gluten free chocolate truffles, but what's more they are made using only 4 Fair Trade ingredients: Trade Aid Palestinian almonds, Trade Aid cinnamon, Trade Aid Madjoul dates, and Trade Aid baking cocoa,  plus one local ingredient, Hazelz hazelnut flour from Canterbury. There is no sugar, no dairy product, and no need for cooking. And although this is not a baking recipe I still like to propose it for The Big Fair Bake, although I may actually enter a proper baking recipe later on… time permitting :-).

I like using Fair Trade products because they are in line with the Slow Food principles of Good, Clean and Fair food. And with my philosophy. Furthermore the quality is really good! Take the Medjoul dates for example, they are so sweet and delicious, they can substitute sugar in many preparations. The baking cocoa is so good that you don't need to use it just for baking, it is perfect for puddings and hot chocolate too. The Palestinian almonds are different from my favourite Italian almonds, but they are quite unique, a bit spicy in fact. The cinnamon really aromatic, you need just a tiny bit, I like to say 'a hint' :-). And the hazelnut flour is what's keep everything together so nicely! 

Ingredients:

4 Trade Aid Madjoul dates

20 Trade Aid Palestinian almonds

50 ml water

1 hint (i.e. a tiny pinch) Trade Aid cinnamon

1 tbsp Trade Aid baking cocoa, plus more to dust

2 tbsp Hazelz hazelnut powder, plus more to dust

Makes 12 truffles

Remove the stone from the dates and break up in rough pieces. Place in a cup with the almonds and 50 ml of water. Wait for 30 minutes to let the fruit soften a little and then blend with an immersion blender. 

Add the cinnamon, cocoa and hazelnut powder and mix with a spoon. Shape into 12 balls and roll half in cocoa and half in hazelnut flour. The best way to do this is roll the truffles first in cocoa or hazelnut flour, and then pass them between the palms of your hands quickly a few times so that you will get an even coating, and not too much of it, just the right amount. No need to refrigerate, just let them dry a bit on a tray before piling them into a serving bowl or glass.

I like to enter this post for Sweet New Zealand #36, the blogging event open to every one blogging in NZ, and all the Kiwi bloggers living overseas! This month of July is hosted by Libby at Ditch the Carbs. Click here to enter! Libby, I hope that this is your kind of sweet treat!! 

Please Support Fair Trade!

 Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©