Tamari and masala-spiced French lentils and amaranth

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Served with with roasted kale, cabbage and red onion this make a light lunch or a good savoury breakfast.

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/4 cup amaranth
3T French lentils
1 ‘sprig’ dried kombu, about 2″
1T tamari
1T cooking oil
1T garam masala
2T nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the vegetables
1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 scallion, minced
1 cup green cabbaged, shredded (I use coleslaw mix)
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green kale, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Start the amaranth and lentils, then make the vegetables. In a small pan with a lid, bring the water to a boil. Add the amaranth, lentils and kombu. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft, stirring occasionally.

While the amaranth cooks, make the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 450F. Toss the vegetables in the oil and sea salt. In a lightly oiled roasting pan, roast for 20-30 minutes turning occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture of the vegetables as a guide.

When the lentils are soft, remove the kombu. Add the tamari, cooking oil and masala to the amaranth and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Let stand 10 minutes to cool.

When the vegetables are done, season both the amaranth and the vegetables to taste. Plate the amaranth and lentils in a small even circle. Add the vegetables to the middle and enjoy!

Zucchini spaghetti with sun-dried tomato sauce and kalamata olives

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Zucchini noodles are a nice, light alternative to grain-based pasta.

This recipe requires a spiral slicer, a mandoline, or some very careful and precise knife work. Add a little spiral cut carrot, daikon, or beet for some additional texture and flavour.

Ingredients

3 small zucchini (about 2 cups sliced)
1/4t coarse sea salt
2-3T sun-dried tomatoes (the dehydrated kind, not jarred)
2T olive oil
1/2T fresh garlic, minced
1T fresh basil, minced
1 scallion, minced (2″ reserved for garnish)
1T kalamata olive, finely chopped
Coarse sea salt to taste

Optional: 1-2T nutritional yeast

Directions

Put the tomatoes in the bottom of a wie, shallow bowl. Trim the ends of the zucchini and spriral cut on a small, thin setting or appropriate blades (think spaghetti) and sprinkle with salt. Add the zucchini to a colander over the bowl to drain for 30 minutes and rehydrate the sun-dried tomato.

At the 30 minute market, puree the sun-dried tomatoes, the resulting zucchini water and the garlic until smooth. Add the olive oil slowly, continuing to puree in order to emulsify. Add the scallion, basil and nutritional yeast (if using) to the sauce, and stir to combine. If the sauce is too thin, add an additional tablespoon of sun-dried tomatoes. If it’s too thick, add cool water 1 teaspoon at a time. Let stand 10 minutes.

Remove the zucchini from the colander and pat dry, using a clean tea towel. Let the zucchini air dry while the sauce stands. Add the zucchini to a bowl. Toss the sauce with the zucchini until well coated. Plate, sprinkle with the chopped kalamata olives, garnish with scallions sliced on a diagonal, and serve

Thick crust potato, mushroom pizza with spinach, sauerkraut pesto

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Ingredients

For the dough
2 1/4 cups wheat bread flour
1 cup warm water (1)
1T yeast
1t sugar (2)
1/4t of coarse sea salt
1t garlic powder
2t corn meal

For the pesto sauce
1/2 cup loose unpasteurized sauerkraut
1T sauerkraut vinegar
1/2t dried oregano, rubbed
1T fresh garlic, minced
3T olive oil
2t white miso
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup packed spinach
2T fresh basil
1 scallion, minced
1T tapioca flour dissolved in 1T water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the toppings
2 medium yellow potatoes, spiral cut or shredded (about 1 1/2 cups or about 250g)
2T cooking oil
1/2t coarse sea salt (or to taste)
4 medium cremini or white mushrooms (about 75g)
1T nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Make the dough, and once it has risen, the potatoes, the pesto and toppings. Mix the flour and garlic powder. Mix the water, yeast and sugar together according to the temperature directions provided by your yeast.

When the yeast proofs, add the olive oil and sea salt and whisk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix thoroughly until the dough forms. Knead for 5-10 minutes. Let the dough rise for at least an hour in a lightly oiled bowl cover with a warm, wet tea towel, punching the dough down periodically.

When the dough is ready, roll it out on a floured board into a large 12″ circle. Let the dough rise for a 5 minutes or so while you make the toppings and the pesto. Preheat the oven to 500F (or 450F if that’s as high as your oven will go). The heat is important to the rising of the dough, to cooking the potatoes, and to activating the tapioca.

To make the pesto, puree the sauerkraut, its vinegar, the oregano, garlic, nutritional yeast, miso, and oil until smooth. Mince the basil, scallion, and spinach. Combine the greens with the sauerkraut in a bowl. Whisk the tapioca flour and water, and then add to the greens, stirring to combine thoroughly. Season to taste.

Using a mandoline, spiralizer, or box grater, slice or shred the potatoes quite finely. Stem and slice the mushrooms very thinly (about 1/8″). The toppings should be very thinly sliced to ensure they’ll cook thoroughly and evenly. Toss the potatoes and mushrooms in the oil and salt.

When the sauce and toppings are is ready, sprinkle either a large pizza stone (preferred) or a lightly oiled round pizza pan about 12″ with the corn meal. Add the dough. Top with the pesto, leaving slightly less than an inch around the sides. Add the toppings evenly. Bake the pizza on the middle rack for 15 – 20 minutes. Broil for another 5 minutes, or until the dough is starting to brown lightly. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture as a guide.

Remove from the oven, add the nutritional yeast, and season to taste. Let stand 5 minutes to cool, slice, and serve.

  1. Follow the directions for your yeast.
  2. I use a cane sugar refined without the use of animal bone charcoal.

Strawberry, vanilla, and white miso frozen dessert with chopped walnuts.

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

A flavorful but light dessert or rich breakfast.

Ingredients

For the bananas
2 medium frozen bananas (about 1.5 cups)
1T sweet white miso
2t white pickling vinegar
1/4t vanilla extract
1-2T maple syrup (or to taste)

Optional: 1t maca powder

For the strawberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2T maple syrup
1/2T lemon juice

For garnish
1t chopped walnuts

Directions

Puree the banana first and its ingredients first, including the maca if you’ll be using it. Let the flavours mingle for about 3-5 minutes in the freezer. Puree the strawberries with their ingredients. Spoon the bananas out into an appropriate dish. Swirl about 1/3 of the strawberry mix with the bananas and top with the strawberries. Garnish with walnuts and serve.

Note: If you’re not accustomed to white vinegar or white miso, start with smaller amounts and add more to your taste, or try apple cider vinegar instead. The flavours will mellow after a few minutes.

Handmade spinach and tofu tortellini in a light tomato broth, seasoned with sesame and white miso, mushroom stock and kalamata olives.

/0 Comments/in , , /by

his is a rich but light soup, great for winter, but good all year round. With a little practice and technique, tortellini are not as time-consuming as they look.

Ingredients

For the filling
1/2t coarse sea salt
2t lemon juice
1T olive oil
2T sesame seed butter (I use a fair trade brand)
1T white miso
1T fresh garlic, minced
100g extra firm tofu
1 cup loose spinach
1t milled flax seed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the pasta
1 cup semolina flour
1/3 cup cool water
1t olive oil
A pinch of sea salt

For the tomato broth
1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 scallions, minced (2″ – 3″ green reserved for garnish)
1/2t dried basil, rubbed
1/4t dried oregano, rubbed
1/4t dried tarragon, rubbed
1/4t black pepper, preferably freshly ground
1/4t red Thai chili paste (or a pinch of cayenne pepper)
1T fresh garlic, minced
1T lemon juice
2 cups passata (or tomato puree)
2 cups mushroom stock
1 cup baby arugula
2T kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1T nutritional yeast (for garnish)

Directions

Start the filling first, then the pasta, then the broth. Press your tofu if you feel it needs it. In a small bowl, whisk the sea salt, lemon juice, white miso, garlic, olive oil and sesame seed butter. Add the mixture with the tofu to a food processor and chop finely. Add the spinach and mince, but be careful not to liquefy the spinach. Add the nutritional yeast and flax seed and stir to combine. You can also mince the spinach by hand. Wrap with plastic, set it aside for the flavors to mix, and start the pasta.

Combine the flour and sea salt. Combine the oil and water. Combine the wet with the dry, and stir by hand until a dough forms. Keep kneading until you have a smooth, lightly rubbery dough and then knead another minute or two. The dough may seem too dry initially. Just keep kneading. Cover with a warm wet tea towel and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Around the 20 minute mark, start the broth. In a large pan with a lid, bring the cooking oil to heat with the sea salt on medium high. Add the scallions, green herbs, chili and pepper and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for one minute. Add the lemon juice and deglaze the pan. Add the passata and the mushroom stock, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently while you make the pasta.

Roll the dough out on a floured board to a large rectangle, 1/8″ thick. Trim the side for any unevenness and ball up the leftover dough. If you can do smaller squares with a little less filling, that’s a little nicer, but it’s more difficult and more time-consuming. So, for a quick version, cut the dough in 1.5 inch squares. If they’re not perfect squares — even them out a little with your rolling pin individually when you go to fill them. Season the filling to taste, and then fill each square with about 1/2T to 2t filling.

When it comes to filling the tortellini, practice makes perfect. Fill each square by making an oblong cylinder of filling that aligns with two points (as if the square were a diamond) rather than a little round dollop in the middle. You’re going to pinch the tortellini in a triangle, starting with the top.

As if the tortellini were a napkin, hold it up by the two points of the diamond perpendicular to the filing. Pinch the top two points firmly. With the top securely pinched, pack the filling a little to one side and seam up the other side carefully. Now, pack the filling to the seamed side with a finger and seam up. You should have something that looks like a triangle. Take the two bottom ends of the triangle, wrap around your little finger and pinch so that the tortellini forms a little circle — like a ring.

Repeat the process until you’ve used all of your dough or all of your filling. Roll out any extra pasta scraps if you can. You’ll probably find you can add a little filling until you get used to the amount to use.

Once you’ve rolled out tortellini, bring the water to a boil. Add them carefully to the water and boil until they float (should be 3-5 minutes). Don’t overcook, since you’re going to simmer them a little in the soup. Drain them carefully in a colander, reserving 2T of the pasta water, and rinse with cool water.

Add the tortellini and the pasta water to the soup and let them simmer for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the arugula and olive,and gently stir to combine. Let stand 2 minutes too cool and let the arugula wilt. Season to taste. Spoon out the tortellini with the soup in shallow dishes. Sprinkle the tortellini with nutritional yeast, garnish with scallions and serve.

Pistachio, ginger, and coffee frozen dessert

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

A rich breakfast or a light dessert. You can substitute a couple tablespoons of brewed coffee for the espresso, but the flavor won’t be as rich.

Ingredients

3 medium frozen bananas (about 2 – 2 1/2 cups)
1t fresh ginger, grated
1T and 1t chopped pistachios, separated, the 1t reserved for garnish
1/4t vanilla extract
A half shot of espresso (short)
Sweeten with stevia, maple syrup or agave nectar to taste

Optional: 1t maca powder

Directions

Puree everything except the 1t pistachios reserved. Add the maca if you’ll be using it. Sweeten to taste. Spoon out to an appropriate glass. Garnish with 1t chopped pistachios and serve.

Red lentil, potato, and spinach dal with roasted tempeh and Brussels sprouts

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A warm, rich dal with some added color and flavor.

Ingredients

For the dal
2 cups water
2 cups vegetable stock
2 medium yellow potatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
2T vegetable ghee (or coconut or avocado oil, but not olive)
1/2t of coarse sea salt
1t dried cumin seeds
1/2t dried coriander seeds
1/2t dried mustard seeds
1t dried ground turmeric (or to taste)
3 scallions, minced (reserve about 6″ – 8″ of green for garnish)
2T fresh garlic, minced
1t fresh ginger, grated
1/2t red Thai chili (or green chili, 1/4t cayenne pepper, and so on)
1/4 cup tomato passata (or tomato puree)
A dash of liquid smoke
2 cups loose baby spinach greens
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the tempeh and sprouts
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 cups vegetable stock
A sprig of kombu (about 2″)
250g pasteurized tempeh
1 cup Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
1/4 cup tamari (or to taste)
2T cooking oil, divided
1/2T fresh garlic, minced
1/2t fresh ginger, minced
1T lemon juice
1T coconut sugar
2T nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: 1T minced cilantro for garnish, 1t dried curry leaves, 1/4t hing (if you can get them, add them with the other dried spices), 2T coconut milk (added with the passata) if you have 2T that you can spare.

Instructions

First start the tempeh, then start the dal. In a small pan with a lid, bring the stock, kombu and sea salt to a light boil. Add the tempeh, cover, reduce to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Toward the 30 minute mark, start the dal. In a large pan with a lid, bring the water to a light simmer. Add the lentils. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

At the 20 minute mark, add the stock and return the pan to a simmer on medium. Add the potatoes. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for another 20 – 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender and the lentils have mostly dissolved.

Toward the 40 minute mark, preheat the oven for 400F. Remove the tempeh from the stock and set aside to cool. Cut the tempeth into 3/4″ to 1″ cubes. Whisk the tamari, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, sugar and nutritional yeast with 1/2 cup of the stock until consistent. Cut the sprouts in half, length-wise. Toss the tempeh and the sprouts in the mixture until well coated.

Add the tempeh to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes on the middle rack. Spoon half of the marinade over the tempeh. Add the sprouts after 10 minutes. Spoon 1/4 cup marinade over the sprouts.

Bake on the middle rack until the tempeh and sprouts are a nice golden brown. Turn the sprouts and tempeh at least once, and add the remainder of the marinade at that point. The sprouts should be soft but not overcooked. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture of the tempeh and sprouts as your guide.

When the potatoes, lentils, tempeh and sprouts are all ready, bring the oil or ghee and sea salt to heat on high in a small frying pan. You can use already ground spices, but the flavor is never the same as freshly ground, and ensuring a correct balance means doing the conversion by weight.

If you have experience popping spices on the stove top, add the cumin, coriander and mustard seeds to the oil until they pop. Otherwise, grind the cumin, coriander, and mustard until powdered in a spice grinder.

Add the dry spices and saute for 1 minute or until they are nicely aromatic. Add the curry leaves and hing if you’ll be using them. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, and chili and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the dash of liquid smoke. Add the passata and deglaze the pan. Saute for another 3 minutes and remove from heat. Add the coconut milk if you’ll be using it.

Add the spice mixture to the dal. Stir to combine. Let stand 5 minutes for the flavours to mingle and the dal to cool. Add the baby spinach greens. Stir to combine. Let stand a minute for the greens to wilt. Season to taste and dish out the dal in a wide, narrow bowl.

For a dish like this, I’ll usually concentrate some of the potatoes in the center to add additional garnish on top. Season to taste and add the tempeh and sprouts in a loose stack in the middle (or however you prefer for the presentation). Garnish with the scallion greens sliced on an angle and cilantro if you’ll be using it.

Black lentils, potatoes, and kale with lemon cashew butter and sea vegetables

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Seasoned with scallions, purple dulse flakes, toasted nori, and black sesame seeds, this dish relies primarily on the salty flavour of the sea vegetables, the sweetness of the cashew butter and the rich combination of lentils, potatoes and greens for its flavour. One pan, one bowl, one plate, no refined oil, no added sugar, added salt optional (but recommended if you’re not trying to cut out salt!).

Ingredients

For the lentils, potatoes and kale
1 1/2 cups water, divided
1/4 cup black beluga lentils (green, brown, dupuy will also work, but not red)
1 ‘spring’ dried kombu (about 1/2″)
1 medium yellow potatoes, about 1/8lb or 3/4 cups in 1/2″ dice
1 scallion, minced (2″ – 3″ green reserved for garnish)
1/2T minced garlic
1 cup green kale, chopped
1t purple dulse flakes, 1/4t reserved
1t nori flakes, 1/4t reserved
1T nutritional yeast
1t black sesame seeds (white will do)
Sea salt, tamari, and/or black pepper to taste

For the cashew sauce
1T cashew butter
1T warm water
1T nutritional yeast
1/2T lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Start the lentils, add the potatoes and finish with the kale. In a medium pan with a lid, bring 1/2 cup water to a soft boil. Add the lentils and kombu, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Drain the lentils and rinse thoroughly.

Return the lentils and kombu to the pan, add the
potatoes and add enough of the 1 cup remaining water to cover. Bring the pan to a soft boil on medium-high.
Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just shy of fork tender and most of the water has been absorbed. If you have more than 1/4 cup or so water left in the pain, drain the lentils carefully. Remove the kombu. Add the kale, garlic, purple dulse, nori, and scallions. Stir to combine and simmer on low for another 5 minutes until the kale is lightly wilted.

When done, remove from heat and set aside for 5
minutes to cool. Toss with the nutritional yeast. Season to taste. Whisk the cashew butter with the water and lemon. until creamy. Add the nutritional yeast and stir till its absorbed and consistent. Season to taste. Plate the lentils, potatoes and kale. Spoon the cashew mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4t nori, 1/4t dulse, and black sesame seeds. Garnish with the scallion green sliced on an angle and serve.

Potato, cauliflower and cabbage roasted in coconut milk and curry spices with chick peas and baby spinach.

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A very simple, but a very delicious dish.

Ingredients

2 cups yellow potato in 1/2″ dice
1/2 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded cabbage (I used coleslaw mix)
4 cups cauliflower florets in 1″ – 2″ pieces
1 12oz can of coconut milk
3T curry powder (1)
1T fresh garlic, minced
1t fresh ginger, grated
1/2t coarse sea salt
1 cup cooked chick peas (2)
2 cups baby spinach greens
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven for 400F. In a shallow, wide baking dish with sides, layer the potatoes, then the onion, the cabbage, then the cauliflower florets on top. Mix the garlic, ginger, curry and coconut milk with the sea salt until combined. Pour the mixture evenly over the vegetables in the pan.

Bake on the middle rack for approximately 30 minutes, stir, and bake another 20 -30 minutes, stirring infrequently, until the potatoes are fork tender and the vegetables are lightly browned. Add the chick peas at the 40 minute market. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture as a guide.

When the vegetables are done, remove from the oven and toss with the baby spinach. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool and for the spinach to wilt. Season to taste and serve.

  1. Using powder keeps it simple, but that means the quality of the curry powder makes a big difference to this dish. Use a high quality powder.

  2. If you make the chick peas from scratch for this dish, about 1/2 scant cup will yield slightly more than 1 cup cooked, and that will be fine for this dish. I slow cook mine in larger batches with kombu so that I have them on hand.

Potato dumplings with tomato, beer and nori gravy, shaved, slow-roasted tofu and kale

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A lengthy but rewarding dish with multiple layers. The entire cook time is about 4 hours, but the individual constituents don’t require much prep. You can also serve this dish over roasted potatoes, french fries and other potato goodness. A table top convection oven or even a toaster oven will work for the tofu — you just need a consistent, dry heat.

Ingredients

For the tofu
250g tofu extra firm tofu, shaved (1)
1 cup mushroom stock
1/2t red Thai chili paste (or similar and/or to taste)
2T maple syrup
1T red miso
1T fresh garlic, minced
2T tamari
1/2t coarse sea salt
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: a dash of liquid smoke, and a tablespoon of minced anise if you just happen to have some lying around.

For the kale
1 cup kale, finely chopped
1/4t coarse salt
1/2T cooking oil
1T nutritional yeast
Sea salt to taste

For the dumplings
2 cups water
1 large yellow potato in 1/2″ dice (about 1 to 1 1/4 cups)
1 cup hard wheat flour
1/2t coarse sea salt
1/2T milled flax seeds
1 liter water with 1/2T coarse sea salt
1T olive oil
1T nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: add 1/2t garlic powder and/or 1/2t onion powder to the dumpling dough for more flavour.

For the gravy
2T cooking oil separated
1/4t of coarse sea salt
1 medium vidalia onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2t dried, ground cumin
1t dried, ground coriander
2T fresh garlic, minced
1t of black strap molasses
1T of lemon juice
1T of tamari
1/2 to 1 cup passata (or tomato puree)
1 1/2 cups of dark ale (2)
1 cup of vegetable stock
1T arrowroot whisked with 2T cold water
2T nutritional yeast
1T nori flakes
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
3-4″ scallion green for garnish

Optional: a little red Thai chili adds some nice flavor to the sauce as well.

Instructions

First, start the tofu, then the dumplings, then the sauce and then the kale.

Shave the tofu with a spiralizer or mandoline — or, use this as an opportunity to practice your knife skills (just be careful with your fingers). Whisk together the ingredients for the tofu’s marinade, except for the stock. Toss the tofu and marinade on the counter for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Add the tofu to a lightly oiled roasting pan or baking sheet with sides. Whisk the stock with the remaining marinade. Pour over the tofu. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180F and roast with the door slightly ajar, turning here and there, until the stock is absorbed, the pan is dry, and the tofu is brown and chewy — expect about 3 – 4 hours.

Bring 2 cups water to a boil and add the diced potatoes. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes until fork tender. Alternatively, you can steam the potatoes for a lighter texture. When done, drain and puree the potatoes unit smooth. Cover loosely, and refrigerate at least 2 hours to cool and dry.

While the potatoes setup, start the gravy. In a large frying pan with a lid, bring the oil to heat with the sea salt on medium high. Add the onions and saute for 3-5 minutes (until they’re start to soften and wilt). Add the cumin, coriander and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add the molasses and stir to combine. Spread the onions evenly across the bottom of the the pan. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes stirring frequently until the onions have caramelized.

When the onions are caramelized, add the lemon juice and tamari and deglaze the pan. Return the pan to medium high heat. For a thicker, more tomato tasting gravy, use the full cup of passata. For something more balanced, stick with 1/2 cup. Add the passata and stock to the pan. Stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beer, stir to combine and cook until the liquid reaches a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until until the sauce is thick and has reduced by half or so (expect at least 30 – 40 minutes).

As the gravy thickens, about 25 minutes into its reduction, start the kale. Toss the kale with the oil and add to the roasting pan with tofu. Increase the oven temperature to 400F. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until the kale is nicely wilted. Finish the tofu at this temperature, and remove either the kale or the tofu as necessary and set aside.

When the potatoes have setup, and the tofu is starting to brown nicely, pour off any condensed water and mix the potatoes with 1/2 cup flour, flax and 1/2t sea salt and mix well to form a soft but coherent dough. Add the garlic and onion powder if you’ll be using it. Add more flour in tablespoons as you need it — or, if you prefer a heavier dumpling, start with 3/4 cup and go from there.

Bring the water and 1/2T sea salt to a boil in a large pot. Pinch the dough in 1T sizes and roll into balls. When the dumplings are ready, drop them gently into the boiling water. Swirl the pan gently. Boil until the dumplings start to float (perhaps 3-5 minutes –but they’ll float when done). Drain the dumplings and in a large, shallow bowl, toss with 1T olive oil and 2T nutritional yeast.

When the kale, tofu and dumplings are ready, whisk the arrowroot and the water and add slowly to the gravy, stirring continuously, until thickened. Add the nutritional yeast and nori flakes and stir to combine. Let stand 5 minutes to cool. Season to taste.

To assemble, season the dumplings to taste and plate in an even layer on the dish. Pour the gravy over top. Layer the kale and tofu in sprinkles, garnish with scallion greens sliced on an angle and serve.

  1. The qualify of the tofu will make a big difference to the finished dish. If necessary, press your tofu beforehand.

  2. The quality of the beer is very important to this recipe. Pick a well-balanced one. I normally use dunkel for the malt flavour or dark ale for this kind of dish. Also, it’s uncommon, but some beers are still filtered using isinglass and other animal products. Be sure to check!