I am going back to my phase of vegan cuisine. Once in a while I just want to eat plants only, it makes me happy. I usually do have an 85% plant based diet, but I want to be 100% plant based for a couple of months. I am leaving fro France next Monday and looking forward to discovering some new products while I am there.

I was browsing through my vegan cookbooks and one of my favorite is called “Great Chefs Cook Vegan” and I found an inspiring recipe from Jason Cunnigham from which I had made quite a bit of changes to the original recipe, but kept the essence of the dish.

I found those delicious green tea brown rice noodles that are very easy to prepare, you don’t have to cook them, just soak them in hot water for a bit and the trick is done. You could easily substitute the noodles by brown rice if you prefer, but I love the chewiness of brown rice noodles, so for me no substitution is needed.

I discovered this particular red seaweed called dulse (or sea lettuce). It is very nutritious, has high protein content and contains lots of fibers and mineral (like most seaweeds). When saute in a pan, it gets crunchy and tends to develop a bacon-like flavor and quite tasty. I like to use it as a topping on tofu or salads or vegetables.

Ingredients for 4

For the tofu and eggplant

• 2 packages extra firm tofu (about 8oz), cut into 1/2 thick slices
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 thick slices (same size as tofu)
• salt
• 1/2 cup reduced salt soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tbs grated ginger

For Coconut emulsion

• 1 tbs sunflower oil
• 1/4 cup onion, finely minced
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 lemongrass stalk (end only), finely minced
• 1 tsp red curry powder or madras curry
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• salt

For the mushrooms, romanesco and noodles

• 200 g brown rice noodles
• 1 tbs sunflower oil
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 1 romanesco
• 1.5 cups wild mixed mushrooms (shiitake, enoki, etc…)
• 2 tbs mirin
• salt

Preparation

For the eggplant and tofu

Drain tofu and pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess water. Sprinkle salt on eggplant slices and let sit for one hour until it releases water. Rinse and pat dry.

In a mixing bowl combine say sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and ginger and mix well.

In a deep tray, place tofu and eggplant. Take 3/4 of the above marinade and pour over tofu and eggplant. Coat well and marinate for about one hour.

For the coconut curry émulsion

Heat oil in a small pot and saute onions. Add garlic, ginger and lemongrass and cook 3 minutes at medium heat. Add curry powder and stir for about 3 more minutes. make sure not to burn the curry. Add broth and cook until the mixture has reduced. Add coconut milk, simmer for about 5 min, then remove from heat.

Blend mixture in a blender until smooth texture. Strain the sauce and return to stove with low heat. Add salt and keep warm.

To make the crispy dulse, saute in a pan with olive oil until crunchy. Make sure not to burn it or it will get bitter.

For the noodles

Soak noodles in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Toss with left marinade from tofu.

For the mushrooms and romanesco

In a pan saute shallot in vegetable oil, add mushrooms and romanesco. Add 2 tbs mirin and simmer with lid until the water evaporates and romanesco cooked all the way through but still firm.

I had a lot of fun this weekend, playing in my kitchen. I love to spend time trying out new recipes and exploring new ideas. Unfortunately it does not happen as often as I’d like due to lack of time, and trying to accommodate everyone in the house.

Here is one way to prepare quinoa as a dessert, a little change from the savory preparations. You could eat this for breakfast as well, or anytime, you have a little sweet craving, but do not want to add up the calories. It’s a light dessert with lots of flavors, and the combination of the coconut and rum gives it an exotic flair, it brings me back to the island vacations, with the sun and the beach.

You don’t need to use a lot of quinoa in each mold, since it expands and absorbs liquid, a few tbs are enough. I found in my kitchen cabinet a baking emulsion I had bought a while ago at Chef Warehouse. It’s basically some strong coconut extract bakers use in their pastries, I thought to add some additional coconut flavor, and it enhanced the flavor to 60%, so if you can find this type of emulsion, it’s worth buying it, you could use it in any sweet preparation you use coconut.

Ingredients for 4 flans

For the flans

• 110 g cooked quinoa
• 3 eggs
• coconut sugar to your taste
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp coconut emulsion

For the mango salad

• 1 mango not too ripe, diced finely
• 1 tbs brown rum
• 1 tbs mint
• coconut sugar or stevia (or any sugar of your choice) to taste

Preparation

For the flans

Beat eggs and coconut sugar with an egg beater, beat for 5-10 minutes until obtained a smooth texture. Add the rest of the ingredients, and keep beating.

Pre heat oven at 365F. Divide quinoa in the four molds and pour coconut-egg mixture. Sprinkle with shredded coconut and bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. When the flans are cooked, remove from molds and let them cool. You can eat them lukewarm or cold. Serve with mango salad on the side.

For the mango salad

Mix all ingredients together and serve with flans

Spring is here and I am just excited about a new season coming. I love spring, except for the allergies due to pollen. Hopefully this year will be mild allergy season.

One of the simple things that make me happy in life is eating coconut ice cream. Since I have no coconut ice cream, I would be just happy eating anything “coconuty” today. Since I have a lot of ingredients made out of coconut in my kitchen, I thought to make something simple, yet light and delicious.

I like the fact that this cake doesn’t need anything special in the making process such as dividing the whites from the yolks and beating them separately, etc… all ingredients are mixed together and that’s it.

For those with some gluten intolerance, I made those gluten free, otherwise you can make those with regular flour, it can be with whole wheat flour, or any other flour you prefer. I don’t have any problem with gluten but I was out of whole wheat flour so I used gluten free flour. I was gluten free for about eight months, I wanted to see if I would feel any different, since everybody is telling you, you have to remove the evil gluten from your diet. I my case, there was absolutely no change in the way I felt, weight, health, or anything else, so I decided to go back to gluten.

These cakes are so light that after eating one of those, it feels like you didn’t eat anything.

You would think that for a coconut cake, the result would be a snow white cake. I love snow white cakes, but you just have to use white sugar. In this case, the raw coconut sugar being brown like a brown sugar, you end up having a brownish cake. Oh well “tant pis“, they’re delicious, so the color doesn’t really matter in the end.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 5.3 oz (or 150 g)  raw coconut sugar
• 4.5 oz (or 130 g) raw coconut oil
• half can coconut milk (I used the light one)
• 5.3 oz (or 150 g) shredded coconut (I used the reduced fat kind)
• 4.2 oz (or 120 g) gluten free flour
• 1tsp baking powder

Preparation

Pre heat oven at 375F. Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Divide the batter in eight paper cups (or regular greased molds) – Cook in a preheated for about 35 minutes. You can enjoy slightly warm or cold.

Hello 2015!

I cannot believe and still completely shocked to what happened to the country I grew up in, with the atrocious terrorist attack at Charlie Hebdo in Paris last week. And yes “La liberté est un droit d’expression et un droit universel”, freedom is a right of expression and a universal right. Of course, je suis Charlie.

First post of the year – The holidays have not been filled with rich and indulgent food since I have been sick, so lots of sleeping and little eating has been in the menu of 2014 holiday season.

I haven’t decided yet what the new year resolution will be. Let’s say stay healthy with mind and body which has always been a priority over the years, so let’s start the new year with a light and healthy recipe which will sooth both.

Rockfish looked good and fresh, so I went ahead with it. Rockfish is a generic word for a species called sebastes the most common species is generally found in deep water close to the shores of the Atlantic North West. Some other more uncommon species are found in the less deep waters of the pacific and Indian Ocean.

I like it’s texture and delicate flavor but tends to have a few bones. I don’t mind fish bones, as long as they are thick and easy to remove. I can eat bitter greens with everything, so you could replace dandelions with any other greens. I like bitterness in this combination because it’s a nice addition to the sweetness of the yams and coconut.

Ingredients for 4

For the fish

• 4 rockfish fillets, cut in 2 inches pieces
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped
• 1/2 can coconut milk
• salt and pepper

For the yams

• 2 large yams, peeled and cut lengthwise in fries shape (1 inch wide)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the greens

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bunch dandelions, chopped
• 4 cups baby kale or spinach, or any other greens
• chili flakes
• zest of one meyer lemon
• salt and pepper

Preparation

For the rockfish

Heat olive oil in a pan and brown onions. Add ginger and garlic until fragrant, then add curry. Mix well and cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for about 5-10 minutes until water evaporates. Remove from heat.

Add fish to the mixture and mix well. Adjust with salt and pepper.

In small individual containers, divide fish mixture, then add some coconut milk and mix well.

Cook in the oven for about 20 min at 370F.

For the yams

Peel the yams and cut lengthwise in 1 inch sticks. Drizzle with olive oil and coat each stick well. Cook in the oven at 380F until cooked all the way through for about 15 min, turning them around to cook evenly on all sides. Add salt and pepper.

For the greens

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add shallot and garlic and stir until fragrant (make sure not to overcook and burn the garlic). Add greens, chili and lemon zest and cook until greens are wilted. Adjust with salt and pepper.

I still have brick sheets that I brought back from France last May and need to use them, the expiration date is coming close, so here is a delightful fruity dessert that lightened up my Sunday. I treat myself as often as I can and today was one of those days.

Peaches in my opinion are a perfect match with apricots and mangoes. I remember my favorite chewing gum flavor when I was a child was “pêche-abricot“, since then they remained my favorite fruits.

I served this warm fruity brick with coconut ice cream, it’s a non dairy ice cream made with just coconut milk and no added sugar that is absolutely delicious, it’s low in calories and is a lovely addition to any fruit based dessert. Usually, I do not advertise for any brand, but this time, I decided to mention it, since I haven’t found anything similar in terms of flavor/calories ratio. I poured some coconut milk with rum, on top with toasted coconut chips and that made twice my day. I am not a calorie counting freak, but I like to keep dishes light without “killing” the flavor, which is a tough task, because everyone knows that fat is a flavor enhancer.

When I find my ice cream maker, I will make coconut ice cream until then, I will gladly eat this one. A warm crunchy brick filled with fruits and combined with a little cup of coconut ice cream is a real treat.

Ingredients for 4

For the bricks

• 8 brick sheets
• 1 mango, peeled, and sliced
• 2 peaches, peeled and sliced
• zest of one Meyer lemon
• 2 tsp coconut sugar
• a few pinches of lavender
• olive oil or melted butter for brushing

For the ice cream cup

• 4 scoops of coconut ice cream
• 1/2 pint light coconut milk
• stevia (to taste)
• 1-2 tsp rum (to taste)
• toasted coconut chips
• raw pistachios

Preparation

For the bricks

Mix cut mango and peaches together in a bowl. Add coconut milk, lemon zest and lavender. Let infuse for 15 min in the refrigerator.

In a large wooden board, lay flat one brick and place about 2-3 tbs of fruit mixture in the middle. Then fold over the sides as if you are wrapping a present. Proceed the same way using a second brick sheet but this time, doing it on the other side (turning the brick on the other side with the folded sides being underneath). Brush bricks with butter or oil (to your preference)

Proceed the same way with the other sheets until all mixture is used.

Preheat oven at 390F and place in a non stick tray brick. When top is golden brown, turn bricks the other side until golden and crunchy.

Serve warm.

For the ice cream cup

Mix coconut milk with rum and stevia.

Place one scoop of ice cream in a small cup. Pour some coconut milk on top. Sprinkle with pistachios and toasted coconut chips.

Since chia is all over the place, and that everyone is talking about it in the nutrition world as a miracle little seed, I decided to try it out too. I used to sprinkle it on top of yogurt or fruits, but I never cooked with it or never made anything out of it. At least now, I can have an opinion for myself. I love to try new things when they get that much press, I am thinking it cannot get all that bad.

Chia is supposedly very nutritious, lots of proteins, fibers and amino acids. It’s good for me because I do not eat many proteins, so I thought this would supplement my needs. The fun part in this, is to play with it and make something interesting and pleasurable to the palate. If I don’t like something, it could be the most nutritious thing on earth, I will not eat it. So if it’s good and nutritious, that’s a winner because one without the other one doesn’t work.

I have been reading about chia and how to prepare it. Since it’s a very absorbing little seeds that expands, it needs to be in contact with some liquid. I used coconut milk here, but any other dairy or non dairy milk will work (almond milk, rice milk, hemp milk, etc…). Yes, it did expand and those little seeds look like caviar with a transparent shell or some dark fish eggs.

I was a bit skeptical when I took the first bite, but then I liked it. I think the more you eat it the more you like it. I don’t know why but I feel good after I eat chia and I have no idea why.

Ingredients for 3-4

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1.5 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbs unsweetened shredded coconut
• agave nectar or stevia to taste
• 2 tbs raw pistachios
• 1 banana, sliced
• dark chocolate (optional for decoration)

Preparation

In a mixing container, mix all ingredients together, except the bananas. Mix well and let rest for about 30 min until it thickens. Place in individual cups and refrigerate for about 6 hours.

Place banana slices on top and sprinkle with some additional pistachios, shredded coconut and dark chocolate

Quel est le meilleur ami de la banane si ce n’est que le chocolat? What’s banana’s best friend other than chocolate? During my trip to France, I brought back some brick sheets. Here is some more info on those sheets. Like filo dough, they can be used in savory or sweet preparations.

Those rolls are ridiculously quick to prepare. No need to stress out if you have guests for dinner and no idea on the dessert choice. Kids will love it, and adults too. Melting chocolate on warm banana with a touch of coconut and crunchiness of pistachios is a always winning combination. Some flavors like banana and chocolate are made for each other, they’re like soul mate.

These rolls are quite large, so one would be sufficient for one person, or if your dinner was light, two rolls per person would work as well. As far as chocolate goes, you can use milk chocolate too, I personally prefer dark chocolate, its flavor is more intense and it contrasts quite well with the banana.

Ingredients for 6 rolls

• 6 bananas, not too ripe
• 2 tbs agave syrup
• 2 tbs coconut, shredded
• 12 tbs pistachios, chopped
• 6 tsp dark chocolate, broken in small pieces
• 6 brick sheets
• olive oil or butter for brushing

Preparation

Peel and slice the banana in 1 cm slices. Grill them on both sides in a skillet or grill pan. In a mixing container, combine banana, pistachios, agave syrup, coconut. Mix well.

Take one brick sheet and place 2 tbs of the mixture. Add chocolate on top and roll the sheet. Brush with olive oil or butter. Proceed the same way with the rest of the mixture.

Pre heat oven at 390F and bake rolls in the oven for about 15-20 min until they turn golden brown.

It’s seems like a long time since I prepared a savory dish with coconut or vanilla, but lately I have been thinking about vanilla and spices, so I guess I am ready to take a little vacation in the tropics. Anytime summer comes, I just want to pack my bags and go somewhere. My yearly trips to France are not really a vacation, it’s more like family time with everything that it implies. Going home to the city I grew up in is always a great pleasure, but does not make me feel I am on vacation. I think I want to go in a country where I don’t understand the language and feel completely “depaysée” (in a new world), discover new flavors, scents and feel new emotions.

My friend Laurent offered me a book called “La Bonne Cuisine Végétarienne de Babette“, a wonderful vegetarian book written by a French Créole chef, Babette De Rozières, where she presents recipes with a créole flair using tropical ingredients. Her cuisine if full of colors, sunny and vibrant like the islands. After I finished reading that book, I just wanted vanilla…everything needed to be vanilla.

Vanilla blends well with fish and poultry too, one aspect of vanilla is that it’s very delicate, and not strong nor overpowering, unless of course you use a lot of it. It’s better not to add too many other spices or flavors with vanilla, because it’s so delicate that strong spices will kill it subtle flavor.

You can substitute the spinach with some more exotic greens and use yams instead of the sweet potatoes. I used sweet potatoes and coconut, to complete the dish, and I really liked it. It’s fast to prepare as well, so nothing to complain about. Depending on the length of your vanilla beans and size of your shrimps, you might add more than two shrimps on the vanilla bean. My shrimps were quite large so only two fitted.

Ingredients for 4

For the shrimps marinade

• 12 shrimps
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 vanilla bean scraped
• 4 vanilla beans
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the spinach

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely sliced
• 1 lb baby spinach
• salt and pepper

For the potatoes

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 cm thick
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the sauce

• 1.5 tsp butter
• the rest of the marinade
• 1/2 tsp cider vinegar (optional)
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 2-3 tbs coconut milk

Preparation

Place two or three shrimps in the vanilla bean. Mix all the ingredients of the marinade and pour on top of the shrimps. Place in a container and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Coat potato slices with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and broil in the oven until tender in the middle and golden brown on the outside. Keep warm.

Heat olive oil in a large pot, add shallot, let it sweat, then spinach, salt and pepper and keep stirring at high heat until wilted.

Melt butter in a pan. Add shrimps (removing excess marinade) and let them cook at medium heat, add marinade, stir well. Remove shrimps. Deglaze with vinegar, add honey and coconut milk. Let the sauce reduce a little.

Place two slices of potatoes in a place,  top them with spinach, then shrimps. Spoon sauce on top and serve hot.

Yes, life is a coconut, after the hard work of breaking the shell, you get the good stuff – I am on a coconut craze lately, and I make everyone around me eat coconut. It’s delicious in anything sweet or savory, I just cannot get enough of it. In this recipe, you need some kind of sticky rice, a non sticky rice such as basmati would not work very well. When making the balls, it will fall apart, and you won’t be able to stuff them. Jasmine rice would be better, or if you like the real sticky rice, you can use it too.

I inspired myself from the Italian risotto balls called “supplì“, those delicious rice balls stuffed with mozzarella and fried. Of course, these are more exotic (for me they are, since I did not grow up with Asian flavors) and are perfect when you feel like something different. They should be about 1.5 inches in diameter, a little bigger than a walnut.

Now there are different ways to cook these balls, one way is to steam them, the other way is to bake them. You can chose the method that is more appealing to you. In my case, I rolled them in panko breadcrumbs mixed with shredded coconut and I baked them. If you steam them, no need to roll them in that mixture. I am not a fan of frying, and always bake instead of frying unless, I have been requested a very specific dish, for which I have no other choice. But if you are into frying, you can try it out.

For the stuffing, you can substitute the zucchini with shiitake mushrooms, and of course play with the stuffing if you are in the mood for playing.

For coconut milk quantities, or other liquid when I cook rice, my Cambodian childhood friend taught me to measure the rice/liquid ratio “à vue d’oeil” as we say in French (with naked eye). There needs to be 1 cm (about 0.40 inches) of liquid above the rice. In this case, the metric system makes a lot more sense (as in many other cases!). I will never get used to imperial system.

Ingredients for about 7-8 balls

For the rice

• 1/4 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup rice
• coconut milk
• 3 tbs shredded coconut, unsweetened (+ 2 tbs)
• 1 cup panko
• 1 egg beaten
• salt
• chili sauce for dipping

For the stuffing

• 1 shallot, chopped finely
• lemongrass (2 inches stem), cut finely
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 6 large shrimps, uncooked and cut very finely
• 1/2 zucchini, grated
• 1 tbs cilantro, finely chopped
• sichuan pepper
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• salt

 Preparation

For the rice

Heat olive oil in a pan, add onions and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add rice and transfer to a rice cooker or a pot. Add salt and coconut milk. Steam rice for about 15-20 minutes until cooked. Remove from stove and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

For the stuffing

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onion, lemongrass and ginger and cook for about 10 minutes at low heat. Add garlic and stir well. Add shrimps. Using your hands, squeeze water from zucchini and add to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes at medium heat. remove excess water if any. Add soy sauce, salt and pepper. stir well, then add cilantro. Mix everything well.

Using your hands, take a good amount of rice and place some of the stuffing in the middle, and form a ball.

Mix panko with shredded coconut.

Dip a ball in the beaten egg, then in the panko/coconut mixture.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F for about 15 minutes, until the balls turn golden brown. If you want to steam them, omit the panko mixture and steam in a bamboo steamer.

Serve with chili sauce.

I have always wanted to try to bake a vegan cake that tasted like a non-vegan cake, the great news is that this one tastes better than a non-vegan cake made with eggs and butter. This cake is so moist and flavorful that all my future banana cakes will be vegan. Sometimes you get stuck with some set ideas, such as an eggless cake cannot taste good. I am happy I decided to go against what I thought was right. I had a great weekend and these mini cakes contributed to it….and Prince too, since I went to see him perform in San Jose. What an incredible and talented artist! I knew he was talented but didn’t know he reached this level of musical genius. So Prince and these cakes made my weekend. I have to admit that my ears are still ringing from the sound of the concert, I think I lost some sense of hearing.

I have been very busy lately, and sadly not had much time to post any exciting recipe, nor time to experiment and develop new ideas. I have had a few requests for gluten-free or vegan meals lately, and I will be experimenting more gluten free and vegan desserts. In this particular cake, the ripe bananas mashed into a cream replaced the eggs and made these cakes amazingly moist. No need for eggs!Those mini cakes are perfect for breakfast with fresh fruits or as a little “encas” (snack) with tea or coffee in the afternoon. They’re so healthy and moist, pure velvet in your palate.

I added walnuts and dried apricots in the batter and I couldn’t have found a better ingredient combination for those ones. I used a little grape seed oil instead of vegan margarine, I think oil adds more moisture to the cake than margarine and will always be my first choice when baking vegan.

Ingredients for 5-6 people

Dry ingredients

• 4.23 oz (or 120 g) wholewheat flour
• 4.23 oz (or 120 g) brown rice flour
• 4.23 oz (or 120 g) brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• 3 tbs walnut, chopped
• 3 tbs dried unsweetened apricots, chopped

Wet ingredients

• 2 large ripe banana, mashed into a creamy texture
• 7 oz (or 200 g) coconut milk
• 2.82 oz (or 80 g) grape seed oil
• 1 tsp banana extract
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preparation

Mix all “dry” ingredients together in a mixing container. In another container, mix “wet” ingredients. Add wet ingredients to “dry” ingredients and mix well to obtain a smooth batter. Using individual silicon molds, divide batter in 6 molds or one large cake dish. Cook for about 45 min at 365F, you might need to decrease temperature if the top starts getting a little dark. The cakes are cooked when you slide a knife and the blade comes out “clean”. Let it cool and sprinkle some unsweetened coconut flakes on top. Eat warm or cold with coffee or tea.