Quinoa Kitchari - Passionately Keren

How to Make Kitchari – and a Quinoa Kitchari recipe

If you’ve never heard kitchari before, then you’re in for a treat. This beautiful recipe is a request from my equally beautiful friend Jess who wanted me to create a kitchari recipe, and I’m so glad she did. Because, this recipe goes straight to my number 1 favourite for winter! A protein pack grain-free quinoa kitchari that will warm your body and nourish your soul. Enjoy it friend, this is comfort in a bowl.

What is Kitchari

Kitchari /ˈkɪtʃ(ə)riː/

If you’ve never heard of kitchari before, it’s an Indian-vegan-equivalent of a chicken soup. ou eat it when you have a cold, or a digestive issue, or a stomach ache, or a hangover. It’s considered to be very soothing to the body and easily digestible. At its simplest and most traditional, kitchari is made with a mixture yellow moong dal, ghee (clarified butter) and Indian spices. It is minimally seasoned and is often used by mothers to feed their young children (or infant, when pureed).

Kitchari is also popular Ayurvedic medicine and is believed to have detoxifying, restorative properties as a cleanse. As for me, I think it a perfect dish for winter, or whenever you feel like some tasty and comforting, but also good for you.

Quinoa Kitchari - Passionately Keren

How to make kitchari

Making kitchari is fairly straight forward. You just need these key ingredients:

  1. A mixture of grains and legumes – such as yellow mungbeans or moong dal, split peas, rice (either white or brown)
  2. Coconut oil – coconut oil makes the perfect plantbased replacement for ghee (and tastes better too!).
  3. Spices – the key spices are cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ginger, and turmeric, however I highly recommend adding fenugreek if you can source it, the rest is optional.

Adding quinoa to kichari

This is my little twist to the traditional kitchari recipe. Technically a seed, I think adding quinoa to the bean mixture makes the dish a little more wholesome. You can add it to your rice and legumes mixture or use it to replace the rice. It adds a lovely nutty taste to the kitchari and is pack full of protein.

P.S. If you make this, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or find me on Instagram or Facebook. Don’t forget to tag me @passionatelykeren so I won’t miss your post.

Keren x

Quinoa Kitchari

A comforting and delicious grain-free kitchari that you will absolutely love

  • 1 large onion
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 massel stock cube
  • 1/2 cup yellow mungbeans
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1/2 cup split red lentils
  • 6 cups water

Spices

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 knob of ginger (minced)
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp fenugreek
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetables

  • 2 cups of chopped vegetables. (I use carrots and cauliflower)
  1. 1. The night before – rinse mungbean, quinoa, and lentils and soak them. Make sure you use a large bowl filled with with water.


    2. The following day – drain the soaked beans and seeds and rinse under running water. Set aside.


    3. Heat coconut oil over medium heat, in a cast iron pot (or any heavy-bottomed pot). Add onion, garlic, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek and ground coriander. Cook for a few minutes until seeds begin to pop.  Add the rinsed beans, and stir to coat. 

    4. Add stock cube and water. then bring to boiling over medium heat. 

    5. Cover and reduce to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the chopped veggies and cook until they become soft, about 20 minutes. 
Stir the pot every now and then to prevent it sticking on to the bottom.

    6. Season with salt and pepper.

    7. Adjust the consistency to your liking by add more water for a soupier consistency, and increasing the cooking time for a thicker, creamier soup.

    8. Serve with fresh coriander.


If you like your spices like I do, you can add some freshly sautéed spices for bolder flavours. In a separate saucepan, sauté 1 tsp of mustard seeds in a bit of coconut oil until they pop. Then add 1/2 tsp of cumin seed. Stir together to release the flavours. Stir the sautéed spices into the cooked kitchari mixture just before serving.

Penne with ‘Meaty’ Vegan Ragu

Penne with ‘Meaty’ Vegan Ragu with Gino’s Gourmet Groceries

I love my pasta. I love how something so simple as boiled dried dough, made out of flour and water, can bring such comfort and delight.

Casalare: Gluten Free Vegie Penne Pasta

Before I became a vegan, one of my favourite pasta sauces to make was ‘ragu’, a meat-based Italian sauce, which is rich, thick, delicious and full of flavours. It was, in more ways than one, awesome.

Spiral Foods: Organic Garlic & Basil Sugo

When I eat food, it invokes all sorts of feelings and emotions inside of me. Not all the time, of course, because sometimes eating is just the mere act of ‘re-fuelling’ oneself. The meal can take many forms, but all share the same mundane, unremarkable purpose, to stop that feeling of hunger in its tracks.

But other times, more often than not, I eat to feel things (as opposed to stop feeling things, like the sensation of hunger). I eat to make myself feel joyful, gratified, indulged, pacified, inspired, delighted, happy, and alive.

Penne with Meaty Vegan Ragu

I wanted to re-create that feeling I used to get whenever I had a good ragu back in the old meat-eating days, only this time with a vegan ragu. And so I went to my kitchen laboratory and started experimenting I chose mushroom and tempe as my plant-based proteins of choice and, boy, did they rise up to the challenge. I also added some shredded kale leaves to give the dish another layer of texture and flavour, and to boost its nutritional content, and because I just love kale in general.

The result is a thick and rich ragu that tastes so ‘meaty’ and delicious that you’ll forget it contains no meat at all. I hope you will give it a go!

Penne with ‘Meaty’ Vegan Ragu

A deliciously rich, protein-packed vegan ragu that’s nourishing, satisfying and oh so comforting.

  • 250 g tempeh (diced to about 1cm cubes)
  • Leaves from three stalks of kale (chopped or shredded (optional))
  • 1/3 cup basil leaves
  • 3 large brown mushrooms (chopped)
  • 1 large red onion
  • 4 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 700 g jar of pasta sauce*
  • 250 g gluten free penne pasta*
  1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook red onion for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until softened slightly.
  2. Add the minced garlic and diced tempeh and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned.
  3. Add the chopped mushroom, cook, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the pasta sauce, bring to boil, then add the chopped kale into the pot and stir until kale is cooked, about 1 minute.
  5. Stir in fresh basil. Remove from heat and set aside.
  6. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to the packet instruction until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
  7. Mix sauce with pasta, adding the reserved cooking liquid to coat pasta with sauce. Serve with Vegan Parmesan.

*I use Spiral Foods: Organic Garlic & Basil Sugo; and Casalare: Gluten Free Vegie Penne Pasta, both from Gino’s Groceries.

This recipe is sponsored by Gino’s Gourmet Groceries, an online store that partners with the best independent producers who share their values of doing things the right way. They supply real, honest food, with no artificial ingredients and no nasties, at a fair price. I must say that the pasta sauce and the gluten-free vegan penne I got from them were some of the best I’ve ever tasted.

And because the team at Gino’s Gourmet Groceries are awesome, they’re giving you, my lovely readers, a 25% discount on our next purchase with them. Just use the code “PASSIONATELY25” during checkout.

P.S. If you make this, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or find me on Instagram and share your creation. Don’t forget to tag me @passionatelykeren so I won’t miss your post.

Keren x

Brown Rice, Kale and Bean Salad

Brown Rice, Kale and Bean Salad

Brown Rice, Kale and Bean Salad

If I have to pick my favourite grain, it’ll be rice every time. It’s delicious, nutritious and most importantly, it’s filling. This is especially important when making a plantbased salad, especially when you want something substantial that can keep you going for a few hours. This Brown Rice, Kale and Bean Salad is one of my favourites salads to make because, not only is it easy to make, it’s also a great make-ahead dish for dinner party, lunch boxes or picnic. Unlike most salads, this salad stays fresh for about three days in the fridge. In fact, it tastes better the day after you make it.

The sturdiness and toughness of kale leaves makes kale perfect for this salad. They hold their shape and keep their crunchiness and freshness in the salad mix even after three days in the fridge. You don’t even need to shred them finely, just chop the leaves and then ‘massage’ the leaves in olive oil for about 2 minutes. If you don’t know what that means, you’re essentially scrunching the leaves with your hands to break down the cell walls which, in turn, softens the leaves to make them more enjoyable and easier to eat. It also helps release the sugars within the leaves to make them less bitter. You know you’ve done enough when the kale feels softer and tastes somewhat sweeter than before.

This salad is also a great way to use up cooked brown rice. I cook rice regularly and so I always have leftover rice. This salad is a perfect way to transform a day or a two day old rice into a delicious lunch or dinner meal. I hope you give this salad a try!

Brown Rice, Kale and Bean Salad

A deliciously simple salad that’s full of protein and fibre. It is satisfying, easy to make and can be made a day ahead. Perfect for parties, potlucks, picnics and to fill up lunch boxes.

  • Kale bean salad
  • 2 stalks of kale
  • 1 cup of black beans
  • 1 red onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 avocado (diced)
  • 1 to mato (diced)
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  1. Wash and rinse kale, tear the leaves off the centre leaves and the stem and then tear or chop to bite size pieces. Place into a bowl, add oil and a pinch of salt. Massage for about 2 minutes until kale softens and turns to a bright colour.
  2. Combine the massaged kale, red onion, brown rice, and beans. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin and garlic powder until thick, about 45 seconds.
  4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Gently toss, taste, adjust seasoning if needed and then top with diced avocado (I usually add the avocado last so it doesn’t get mushed when I mix the salad dressing). Let it sit to marinate for at least an hour if you can or leave overnight in the fridge for the flavours to develop.

I always have cooked rice in the fridge I didn’t have to cook the rice. However, you can also buy instant brown rice at the shop that takes minutes to cook in the microwave.

What’s your favourite way to use up leftover rice? 

P.S. If you make this, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or find me on Instagram and share your creation. Don’t forget to tag me @passionatelykeren so I won’t miss your post.

Keren x


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Turmeric Stir Fried Brown Rice

Healthy Turmeric Stir Fried Brown Rice

Today I will share with you one of my favourite things to make (next to these tasty things). *Drumroll*….. please be upstanding for the Healthy Turmeric Stir Fried Brown Rice!

Healthy Turmeric Stir Fried Brown Rice

Everyone has a favourite recipe. It’s that dish that you love, that everybody else loves, that always works, no matter how crazy you get with the ingredients or how lazy you may get with the steps. It’s the recipe that you can almost make blindfolded.

For me, that go-to recipe is fried rice!

Boy, do I love making fried rice. It’s such a simple and delicious dish with endless possibilities! I love loading mine with veggies and tofu and, lately, turmeric. The turmeric adds such a nice spicy and earthy flavour to the rice. At home, back in Indonesia, my mum used to make me a similar dish so it always reminds me of her whenever I prepare this dish. And I make this almost every week.

Healthy Turmeric Stir Fried Brown Rice

Here’s the recipe video followed by the full recipe. Some professional chefs and seasoned cooks might express scorn for adding my aromatics (onions and garlic) after the tofu and not before, and how I haven’t set aside the tofu pieces after browning them. Sorry. I’m occasionally lazy, and in my opinion, there isn’t a significant difference in taste. Furthermore, it saves me an extra few minutes and a dish which, at 6 pm after a long day at work, makes all the difference in the world.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1NWaWpxGX0[/embedyt]

You can get really creative with this dish. I use brown rice with broccoli and carrots but you can use different veggie combinations or a different type of rice. One time I even used cooked barley and it worked well, too. You can also use tempeh instead of tofu, seitan, mushroom, chickpeas, or all the above. Trust me, I’ve tried almost every possibility under the sun.

Healthy Turmeric Stir Fried Brown Rice

Healthy Turmeric Stir Fried Brown Rice

  • 1 head of Broccoli (cut into florets)
  • 1 Red Onion (diced)
  • 5 garlic Cloves (sliced)
  • 200 g Firm Bean Curd (sliced)
  • 2 cups of cooked Brown Rice
  • 2 Carrots (sliced thinly)
  • 3 tablespoons of Coconut Oil
  • 1-2 teaspoon of Light soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
  • A sprinkle of Ground Pepper
  • 1 cup chopped fresh Coriander
  • 1-2 cups of chopped mushroom (optional)
  • A sprinkle Kala Namak  (optional)
  1. Heat oil in wok (preferably non-stick) over high heat, add sliced tofu, swirling to coat surfaces; add sliced bean curd.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to bean curd and then add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until brown.
  3. Add chopped red onion, stir, add garlic and then stir-fry until onions are soft and slightly brown, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add brown rice, broccoli and carrots, stir. Then add soysauce and stir for about 3 minutes to mix.
  5. Add chopped mushroom (optional) and, stir-fry for another 2 minutes more, taste.
  6. Adjust the flavour by adding more sauce or season to taste.
  7. Fold in chopped coriander to finish.
  8. Serve

Serve with slices of fresh chilli for spicy boost.

If you make this, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or find me on Instagram and share your creation. Don’t forget to tag me @passionatelykeren so I won’t miss your post.

Keren x

 

Healthy Turmeric Stir Fried Brown Rice

 

Perfect Roast Potatoes

How to make perfect roast potatoes

Today I will share with you some of my tips on how to make perfect roast potatoes. You know, the kind that have a deliciously crispy crust and are fabulously fluffy inside.

Let’s get to it.

Tip #1. Start with the right type of potatoes

To make perfect roast potatoes you need to use the right type of potatoes. There are two main types of potatoes:

Floury potatoes

These potatoes have a higher starch content and low moisture content which makes them perfect for roasting and chipping.

and…

Waxy potatoes

These potatoes are higher in moisture and lower in starch content. They’re good at keeping their shape when boiled and therefore are excellent for salads and soup.

You need the floury kinds.

Tips: You can also use the popular all-rounder which often have a medium starch content that sits somewhere in between the waxy and starchy potatoes, such as Desiree or Royal Blue potatoes.

Did you know that most of the potatoes in Australia are grown in South Australia?

Here’s a good website that lists the different varieties of potatoes. Contrary to what you see at the shops, there is much more variety of potatoes beyond ‘washed’ and ‘brushed’ potatoes.

For roasting, my favourite are Coliban, King Edward and Kestrel Potatoes.

Tip #2. Get them rough around the edges 

In order to get that lovely crispy skin which makes roast potatoes so delicious, you can do two things:

  1. Pre-boil the potatoes and cook them until the edges start to get rough, or
  2. Cook them in the oven and shake the pan to rough the surface once the potatoes are cooked.

The oil will gather in the cracks and crevices creating a crispy outer skin. Method number one produce crispier potatoes but it does involve another step (and an extra dirty dish). Number two is a tad simpler, but it takes a bit more time as the potatoes take longer to cook in the oven.

Tip #3. Do not skimp on the oil

If you do, you won’t get that lovely crispy skin you’re lusting after. For 1 kg of potatoes, I won’t use less than two tablespoons of oil. And for the oil, you can use oil you like. I normally use olive oil and coconut oil because I like the flavours.

Tip #4. Do not crowd your pan 

You want a single layer of potatoes on your pan, no more.

If your pan looks a bit overcrowded, use a second pan. You need enough space between each piece of potato to ensure perfect roasting and maximum crispiness.

Tip # 5. Be patient

To make the perfect roast potatoes you need to be patient. It takes time! Between 1.5 to 2 hours to be exact. Some things you just can’t rush!

Here’s my basic roast potato recipe, which makes deliciously crispy potatoes, every time.

I hope you will try them.

  

Perfect roast potatoes

Make deliciously crispy potatoes at home.

  • 1 kg Coliban potatoes (or any floury potatoes)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • Fresh herbs to flavour (optional)
  1. Cut potatoes into halves or quarters (depending on their size). I like keeping the skin on but feel free to peel them. Wash under running water to remove the starch and then drain.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Transfer potatoes into a large saucepan and then add enough water to cover them.
  3. Cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft but not mushy. Drain potatoes. Return to the pan and heat for a few minutes to evaporate any remaining water. Then shake the pan briskly to ‘rough up’ the surface of the potatoes.
  4. Pour olive oil into a roasting pan big enough to hold the potatoes in one layer. Add the potatoes to the pan and coat them in the oil.
  5. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Turn and then cook again for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy all over.
  6. You can also add one to two tablespoon of fresh herbs such as rosemary or oregano at the end of the baking period to give a nice boost of flavour to your roast potatoes.
  7. Serve immediately.

 

Vegan Adobo with Tempe and Brown Rice

Today I’m going to share with you one of my favourite comfort foods –Vegan Adobo with Tempe and Brown Rice. It’s delicious, comforting, easy to make and a perfect one-pot meal. This recipe was actually inspired by Maz Valcorza from Everyday Vegan. I was shooting and directing a video recipe for the one of their online recipe courses and one of the recipes was a vegan adobo.

Her version uses brown rice and Bok choi and it was so yum! I was inspired to make my own version of adobo and so here it is. This vegan adobo uses tempe and brown rice as the main ingredients, as well as mushrooms and broccoli for flavour, nutrition and texture!

It’s like an asian version of risotto!

Vegan Adobo with Tempe and Brown Rice

If you’ve never heard of adobo before, it is a Phillipino/ Spanish dish that usually involves cooking meat, seafood, or vegetables in a vinegar- soy sauce marinate.

It is usually made with meat but I have found that tempe (or tempeh) and mushroom make the perfect meat replacement without sacrificing that delicious savoury flavour and texture that we all love from meat.

The key ingredients in this dish are garlic, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, and coconut sugar (you can use normal or brown sugar too). You can use tofu instead of tempe or even your favourite legumes. I use broccoli for this recipe but feel free to use other greens. I’ve made this dish so many times using different greens, beans, etc and they always turn out good. Just make sure you don’t overcook it as they can turn out gluggy (kinda like risotto).

Lately, I’ve been switching between dark mushroom soy sauce to light soy sauce depending on what I feel like. You can tell the difference in colours (left – dark soy sauce, right – light). For some reason the dark soy sauce product more ‘sticky’ glaze. Both are equally delicious though.

Check out the how to video below and then the recipe on the bottom of the page.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTrcpj3en0U[/embedyt]

Vegan Adobo with Tempe and Brown Rice

Vegan Adobo with Tempe and Brown Rice

A delicious twist on the ever-so-popular Philipino dish, Adobo. Made vegan using tempe as the main protein, brown rice, mushroom and broccoli florets. Yum!

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 packet (250g of raw tempe, diced)
  • 5 garlic cloves (diced)
  • 1 red onion (diced)
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms (oyster or brown mushrooms are my favourite to use)
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce (dark soy sauce will give you a darker colour than light soy sauce)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 ½ cups brown rice
  1. Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook pieces until golden brown on both sides, then remove. Stir in the red onion and garlic; cook until they soften and brown, about 6 minutes.

  2. Pour in soy sauce, bay leaf, peppercorn, vegetable stock, and vinegar. Add the tempe and rice, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is about 30-40 minutes.

  3. Stir in broccoli florets and mushrooms, cover for 5 minutes until broccoli and mushroom is cooked through

Vegan Adobo with Tempe and Brown Rice

I absoloutely love a one pot meal. Especially since I often don’t have time to cook an elaborate meal for dinner (strange coming from a food blogger I know). What’s your favourite one-pot meal? Share it with me in the comments below and I’ll try to make veganised one-pot deliciousness :) ✎ ♥

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and tag me so I can see your creation.

Keren x

⋙ Original post published in December 2016. Updated with video in September 2017 ⋘ 

Udon Noodle Stir Fry With Oyster Mushroom

I’ve realised that apart from my Superhero Fried Rice, I have not shared a single stir fry recipe on this blog. That comes as a shock to me, especially considering that I cook stir fry every week! Well, today we will change that.

This recipe makes enough for four servings, which is great for meal prep, or if you like to eat leftovers like I do. Feel free to use other types of mushrooms, add tofu, other veggies, etc. As long as you keep the proportion somewhat the same, you should be alright :)

Udon Noodle Stir Fry With Oyster Mushroom

Easy and hearty stir-fry made with chewy Udon noodles and delicious oyster mushroom

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 red onion (diced)
  • 5 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • 1 long red chilli (sliced)
  • 1 broccoli (cut into florets)
  • 2 carrots (sliced)
  • 400 g oyster mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup vegetarian oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 packet of udon noodles
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Ground pepper
  1. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add onion. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes or until softened. Add garlic and chilli. Stir-fry for another minute until garlic is fragrant.
  2. Add broccoli florets and carrot slices then add vegetarian oyster sauce and soy sauce. Stir-fry for two minutes until the vegetables are just tender.
  3. Add the Udon noodles and toss using tongs for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
  4. Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame oil.
  5. Add a pinch pepper, taste and adjust seasoning.
  6. Serve with chopped fresh chili.

If you make this, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or find me on Instagram and share your creation. Don’t forget to tag me @passionatelykeren so I won’t miss your post.

Keren x

Indonesian style Sheperd’s Pie (Pastel Tutup) – Vegan

Indonesian Style Sheperd's Pie (Pastel Tutup) – Vegan

A hearty meal with fragrant spices and delicious plantbased filling

Mashed potato:

  • 500 g potatoes
  • 3 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper to season

Filling:

  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 250 g pack firm bean curd (finely diced)
  • 2 carrots (finely diced)
  • 1 cup black fungus
  • 100 g dry rice noodles
  • 2 tsp peanut oil
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp five spice powder (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Vegan Bechamel Sauce

  • 3 tbsp <a href="https://www.passionatelykeren.com.au/glorious-butterless-butter/">vegan butter</a>
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 cups soy milk
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • Black pepper
  • Sea palt

To make the mashed potatoes mixture:

  1. Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Cook in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 20 minutes or tender but not falling apart. Drain. Mash potato with a potato masher or a large spoon until fluffy.

To make the filling:

  1. Soak rice and black fungus with hot water for 5 min until soft.
  2. Cut rice into short strand and chop up the fungus.
  3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan on medium high heat, cook chopped onion until soft and fragrant.
  4. Add in chopped beancurd, and carrots, stir for 2 minutes.
  5. Add stock cube and coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer until carrots turn soft, around 5 minutes.
  6. Add in black fungus, vermicelli, five spice powder, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
  7. Adjust the taste, bring to boil and then remove from heat and aside to cool for a few minutes.
  8. Pour filling on the pans and let cool slightly (about 5 minutes)
  9. Cover with mashed potato mixture (you can just spoon it on top or use a piping bag like I did).
  10. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is nicely brown. Serve with a good drizzle of vegan bechamel sauce.

To make the Bechamel Sauce

  1. Place oil and flour in a saucepan on medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Gradually pour in the soy milk and whisk to prevent lumps. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

If you make this, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or find me on Instagram and share your creation. Don’t forget to tag me @passionatelykeren so I won’t miss your post.

Keren x

Steamed Broccolini with Japanese Sesame Ginger Dressing

I thought I’d share with you a really easy dressing which you can use to make your greens taste wonderful.

I was inspired to share this recipe after a recent visit to a lovely Japanese restaurant. They served it cold and it was delish!  I personally like my veggies warm (especially in winter) so I made a warm version and also added some ginger. It took only 10 minutes to prepare (even shorter if you steam the veggies in the microwave).

By the way, I just finished watching What The Health on Netflix. Such an eye-opening! I highly recommend this movie if you need some encouragement to eat more veggies.

I use broccolini in this one but you can use any greens you like. You can also double or triple the batch for the sauce for bigger servings of veggies.

Steamed Broccolini with Japanese Sesame Ginger Dressing

Delicious broccolini with a super simple dressing

  • 1 bunch of broccolini
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp shaved or grated fresh ginger
  1. Steam broccoli in a steamer for 7-10 minutes until cooked and the colour changed to bright green.
  2. Lightly toast sesame seeds on a small nonstick pan under medium heat for a few minutes until they just turn golden brown and fragrant. Careful not to overcook them.
  3. Mix sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger (if using).
  4. Drizzle the sauce over steaming hot broccoli and sprinkle with some sesame seeds. Serve.

Hope you like the recipe!

If you make this, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or find me on Instagram and share your creation. Don’t forget to tag me @passionatelykeren so I won’t miss your post.

Keren x

Air-Fried Vegan Polenta Chips (or you can use the oven)

Well hello! Fancy something tasty tonight? How about some Crispy Air-fried Vegan Polenta Chips?

You do watch Netflix while having dinner right?

Beside, these stuff are healthy. They’re made of corn. Full of fibre, beta-carotene and carbs. We love carbs.

They’re very easy to make and once you learn how make them, I guarantee you will be making them again, and again..

Most polenta chips uses parmesan and so for this vegan version I use my vegan parmesan, which you can replace with nutritional yeast.

I love making this using an air fryer. I use Philips Air Fryer which I can’t recommend enough. It’s easy to use and makes everything crispy and crunchy with very little oil. That said, you can also use the oven. In face, until I bought an air fryer, I’ve been using the oven to make this. The good thing with oven is that it’s has more space so you can cook more chips than the oven, but it also takes about twice as long. With the air fryer it cooks really quickly but I would need to make two batches. At the end it’s the same, but I personally like using the air fryer more because I don’t have to flip the chips halfway through, which I need to do with the oven.

Crispy, delicious, vegan polenta chips. Give it a go!

Air Fried Vegan Polenta Chips (or you can use the oven)

Crunchy, air-fried, healthier, polenta chips that are super easy to make, but just as addictive.

  • Coconut oil spray (I use <a href="http://thecocolife.com.au/">Cocolife</a> – you can use code "passionatelykeren" to get 15% off your online order)
  • 2 cups vegetable stock (or 1 stock cube and 2 cups of water)
  • 250 g polenta flour
  • 1/3 cup
  • vegan parmesan
  • or nutritional yeast
  • Sea salt
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  1. Spray a baking pan with oil spray and set aside.
  2. Heat stock saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to boil. Gradually add the polenta in a thin steady stream, stirring constantly until all the polenta is incorporated into the stock.
  3. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast.
  4. Pour the polenta onto the prepared pan and use the back of a large spoon to smooth the surface. Cover with non-stick baking paper and set aside to cool, then place in the fridge for four hours or overnight to set.
  5. Turn polenta onto chopping board. Cut lengthways into 2cm strips then each strip into fingers (about 6-8 cm).
  6. Arrange polenta pieces on the air fryer basket with space in between each pieces, spray with coconut oil. Bake at 200C for 20-25 minutes. Alternately you can use the oven.
  7. To cook polenta chips in the oven, arrange strips on an oiled baking pan, bake for 20 minutes at 190C and then turn the chips around and bake for a further 20 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle with rosemary is using and season with sea salt. Serve immediately.

If you make this, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @passionatelykeren so I won’t miss your post.

Cheers,

Keren x