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Zucchini

Vegan Rice Noodle Salad with Best Crispy Tofu

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I love noodles prepared in any way. No matter if pasta in Italy, Suppennudeln in Austria, Ramen in Japan, or Pad Thai in Thailand. And because I know that we are all starting to get a little sick of the fall vegetables I decided to share a more summery recipe to boost your mood with this weather.

To be honest, I am not a Pasta Salad lover, I definitely prefer warm pasta over cold one, which also is the reason that this is a “warm pasta salad”! Especially with Glass Noodles I find that they often happen to stick together which I am no fan of at all. This super delicious dish is made with whole bunch of different vegetables and a lot of nutrients! 

The pasta dish itself is made out of glass noodles, also called rice noodles, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, and brussel sprouts. This is what I usually have in the fridge on a daily basis and what most people have too. I love using these ingredients because I can just cook this meal from scratch without having to go to the shop, whenever I want. If you happen to have different vegetables in the fridge constantly such as celery or bean sprouts or whatever, you can just use those. This is what I love about this, it is super versatile because it is not a “traditional pad Thai recipe”.

When it comes to the sauce, let me tell you, it is super addicting! I do not only use this for the Pad Thai but also for dips, as bowl or salad dressing, or to coat in stir-fries. It is so good and tangy and just pairs so well with the rice noodles because they soak it all up and take on the flavor. To make it you have to add a few ingredients to the food processor which are peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, (vegan) fish sauce, ginger, scallions, and honey. Simply blend it all up and its done! Pretty simple-what?

This sounds pretty mouthwatering so far, don´t you think? But, I promise, we haven’t reached the best part of the dish so far: the crispy tofu. I know, the non-vegans out there are probably going to think, “oh no, not another one who is trying to convince me that Tofu is good! It is just plain and tastes like nothing!”. Yes, I get what you are saying and I have had that before too, but I tell you, try out this recipe and you will be convinced opposite! This way to prepare tofu is so delicious and super easy and quick too! Literally 10 minutes!

To make this incredibly tasty Tofu you first need to buy firm or extra firm tofu. Once you decide to make it, take it out of the package and take a few pieces of kitchen roll and lay them out on a flat surface. Add the tofu on top and place a few pieces of kitchen above it. Take a heav weight, this can be a book, a cutting board or whatever you have on hand, and put it on top. If you let that stand for about 5 minutes, the water will go out of the tofu and you will be left with some firmer and less moist tofu. If you do have a tofu press at home, you can skip this step and use it!

Next we need to cut it and coat it into small pieces, I like them to be like 1cm cubes but that is totally up to your preference. Coat them in some cornstarch. This will help the Tofu crisping up when in the pan. Now heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Sesame oil works best here because it has a really nice flavor which goes very well with this. Once hot, add in the tofu and you will be able to watch it get crispy on the outside. Stir it around and let it fry for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and really crispy. We are almost done, but now we have to add some flavor. This actually makes the tofu. While it is still in the hot pan, we add some sauce. I love to use a wok sauce but you can also go for soy sauce, stir-fry sauce, hoisin sauce or whatever you love. You can find these pre made sauces at any supermarket. Once added the sauce we let the tofu cook for another 2 minutes.

Now we can assemble the noodles, top with the tofu, some fresh scallions, peanuts and sriracha for that extra kick! I honestly love this dish as a quick lunch or light dinner. It gives me some summer vibes because of all the different colours and is super delicious. I hope that you will like it to and if you decide to recreate it be sure to tag me on Instagram with @uneptcuisiniere or with #unepetitecuisiniere! Also, it would mean a whole lot to me if you would leave a comment and rating under the blog post! Thank you very much and enjoy!

XX

Katie 

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Rice Noodle Salad with Best Crispy Tofu

A delicious Pad-Thai-ish recipe. Healthy and vegan and really delcious. It is amazing during hot summer days or for all of you who want to get some summer feels druing these days.

Course bowl, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine asian, thai
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 25 Minuten
Servings 3 servings
Calories 483 kcal

What you will need

For the Base:

  • 150 g Rice Noodles about 0.5cm thick
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 zucchini
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 bell pepper I like to use red one
  • 6 brussel sprouts

For the Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp fish sauce vegan
  • 2 tsp honey or brown sugar
  • 3 cm ginger
  • 2 scallions
  • 1.5 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 1 tbsp Water

For the Tofu:

  • 250 g firm Tofu
  • 2 tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

For the toppings:

  • crushed peanuts
  • fresh scallions
  • some hot sauce

How to

That is how it works:

  1. Bring a pot with water to a boil and cook the rice noodles according to package instructions.

  2. Lay down a piece of kitchen roll down on a flat surface. Add the tofu on top and another piece. Above lay something heavy such as a cutting board or a book and let it press for about 4-5 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile cut the vegetables into thin strips. The thinner the better, because they will be easier to eat with the noodles.

  4. In a small blender add all the ingredients for the sauce and blend until smooth.

  5. Cut up the tofu into 1cm sized chunks. Coat them in the corn starch. Heat up 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan. Once hot add teh tofu and let it fry for about 3-4 minutes. Then add the soy or stir-fry sauce and let it cook for another 2 minutes.

  6. Meanwhile heat up 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan. Once hot add the vegetables and stir-fry them.

  7. By now the noodles should be done cooking. Reserve a little of the cooking water, and drain the noodles. Add them into the pan with the vegetables and pour over the sauce. Add some of the reserved water, it will help everything to combine very well.

  8. Once mixed together seperate it onto the plates. Top it with the Tofu and some crushed peanuts, thinly sliced scallions and some more hot sauce if you like!

  9. Serve and enjoy!

Super Green 20-Minute Curry

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The temperatures are sinking and it’s getting colder outside. The time for cozy sweaters and comfortable evenings with hot chocolates is coming. Finally! Isn’t it one of the best times of a year? I do believe so (at least when you don’t have to go outside)! But also when it’s not warm outside you want to have something warm on the inside and you can best get this with a warm, comfortable dish. 

A big bowl of pasta, some good soup, a pot roast or even a curry. I love a good curry at this time of the year, especially when it’s spicy, it really gets me warm and makes me have a comfortable feeling. But I don’t only love curries in the winter to be honest, they are one of my favorite dishes of all. They are so flavorful, versatile and super nutritious. With a hearty side such as rice, quinoa or naan they make a perfect balanced meal.

Also, I really love the different colors you can have when making curries. It feels like eating the rainbow and they are all the same but different in flavors at the same time. You can make them spicy, mild or without any spice at all, you get basically add whichever vegetables you like, and eat it with whatever side you like. 

In this Curry I added three different greens as I think especially in this time of the year when comfort meals are in focus, it is hard to get all the veggies in an eat balanced meals. The great thing with veggies in curries is, that even if you don’t like the taste of a single vegetable a lot, it won’t matter that much since they are going to absorb a lot of the flavor of the curry paste. So you can be generous with the vegetables you add in. Just be careful, since they might have different cooking times. 

As a protein source I used chickpeas in this recipe because I decided to go for a vegan version. But again, it is very versatile. If you want a meaty version you can add in chicken, lamb, or beef, if you are craving fish, feel free to add salmon, mixed fish, or prawns or if you want to go for something plant based but don’t like chickpeas it don’t have them in hand, it works great with tofu too. Since the chickpeas are already pre cooked I add them at the end, but if you use something like chicken that is not cooked beforehand, make sure to add it before the vegetables so it will get completely cooked through. 

I like to serve mine with a side or rice but really any carb works. This curry is really great for meal prep too, I actually believe that it intensifies the flavor of you keep it in the fridge for one or more days. I also like this dish as a weeknight dinner because it is really simple and quick when you don’t feel like cooking after a long day. I hope that you will enjoy it and I would love to see it if you recreated to be sure to tag me with @uneptcuisiniere or with #unepetitecuisiniere on Instagram and leave a comment! 

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Super Green 20-Minute Curry

A great comforting dish for any weeknight dinner or as a perfect meal prep dish. Warming, nourishing and super delicious! The best part? – It only takes 20 minutes!

Course lunch, Main Course
Cuisine thai
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten
Servings 2 people
Calories 473 kcal

What you will need

  • 100 g rice
  • 200 ml water
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 50 g green curry paste you can use homemade or storebought ones, whichever you prefer or have on hand
  • 150 g Brussel Sprouts
  • 200 g Cauliflower
  • 1/2 Zucchini
  • 200 ml Light coconut milk
  • 100 ml water
  • 100 g canned chickpeas rinsed
  • 2 handful spinach
  • Cilantro for garnish

How to

That is how it works:

  1. In a pot add the rice along with 200ml of water and a generous amount of salt. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a very low simmer and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for about 12-15 minutes without lifting the cover.

  2. Meanwhile half the brusselsprouts, and cut both the zucchini and cauliflower into small chunks. In a non-stick pan heat up the oil. Once hot add the curry paste and gently stir until it is all combined with the oil. When adding the paste before the vegetables the flavors get even more intense.

  3. Next, add the veggies except the spinach. The zucchini has a slightly shorter cooking time, so if you do not want it to get extra soft then add it maybe 3-4 minutes later. If you do not mind or actually like it, as I do, just add it now with the brussel sprouts and cauliflower.

  4. Fry them for about 3 minutes then pour the coconut milk and the water on top. Stir until the curry paste from the veggies and the sauce is well combined. Let this simmer for about 8 minutes and then add in the precooked chickpeas and the spinach. The greens will wilt down so do not worry if they seem huge at first! Let it all simmer for another 5 minutes. Salt it if necessary, this depends on your curry paste.

  5. By now the rice should be done too. Fluff it up with a fork so it gets nice and soft. Seperate it onto the plates and add the curry too! Top it with a little cilantro and some crushed peanuts if wanted.

    Serve and enjoy!

Veal Stuffed Zucchini Cannelloni

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This dish basically is a lighter twist on stuffed cannelloni – just without the cannelloni. When I was in the kitchen creating this dish, I actually did not mean to recreate cannelloni or put a lighter twist in them. I just let myself experiment. After finishing cooking, when I ate this dish I realized that it actually looked like the typically Italian pasta. It tasted sooo good. Just all the flavors and textures worked really well together. The crunch of the zucchini, the texture of the ground meat, the softness of the melted cheese, and the intense flavor of the tomato sauce. 

It is a little work, to make this dish, so it is not the perfect dish to have as a quick dinner, but it is if you have some more time and want to cook it together with someone else on a date night or a family dinner. I really, really like this dish because it is family friendly, still sneaks in some vegetables and kind of is a lighter twist on a baked pasta dish.

I decided to use minced veal as a meat simply because I really like the flavor and it is pretty lean. If you prefer to use beef, turkey, pig, or even a vegetarian mince that would work too. I just think that the veal doesn’t overpower the other ingredients but still brings a nice flavor and texture. Also, it makes the dish a little bit more Italian because in Italy, veal is used very often. When frying it in the pan, don’t leave it in there for too long since it shouldn’t be completely cooked through as it would get dry in the oven. Also if you do not have an oven safe pan, you can use any other oven safe dish to bake the “cannelloni” in.

The Ricotta that is in the filling along with the meat gives this entire dish such a delicious richness and hearty flavor, which I realllllyyy like. Of course, you can use cream cheese or curd cheese instead but it won’t be the same. Ricotta just has this little something and this instant-Italian twist on every dish you use it in, so I would not substitute it with anything else. All the herbs that are packed into the Ricotta just give it a freshness and make it real good. Never skip the herbs & spices!

When baking the zucchini in the oven, the sauce will get more liquid since the zucchini will loose water. I personally like it because you can pour some more onto your plate but if you prefer to having it thick you can blanch the zucchini strips in simmering water for a few minutes and dry them with a paper towel. This is quite a lot of work because there are a lot of them, so I leave this step out and go for the thinner sauce. Especially when there is not too much time then I’d recommend not doing this extra step.

All in all, this is a pretty simple Italian inspired dish. It is a little bit of work but really fun to make and such a great way to lighten up stuffed cannelloni. I know that some Italians would come and beat me up now if I keep calling this “cannelloni” but it is really good. A dinner that all of your family is going to love!! If you do make it, be sure to share it with me on Instagram and tag me with @uneptcuisiniere or #unepetitecuisiniere. I’d love to see it! 

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Veal Stuffed Zucchini Cannelloni

A delicious lighter twist on the traditional italian classic. Made with ground veal and herbed ricotta, which is all packed into nourishing Zucchini and topped with fresh tomato sauce and molten cheese. Just good.

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Total Time 50 Minuten
Servings 4 people
Calories 370 kcal

What you will need

  • 2 Zucchini
  • 1.5 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 White Onion
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 400 g Ground Veal can substitute for any other meat
  • 200 g Ricotta
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 tbsp Minced Basil
  • 1 tbsp Minced Sage
  • 1 tbsp Minced Oregano
  • 400 ml Tomatoe Sauce
  • 50 g Parmesan Cheese Do not use pre-grated ones if possible since the quality is alway lower
  • 50 g Mozarella Cheese Buffalo is best

How to

That´s how it works:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. With a peeler, peel of strips of the Zucchini that are about 1-2mm thick. In a pan heat up the olive oil. Meanwhile finely mince the onion and garlic. Once hot add them to the oil and cook them for about 1 minute. Add the meat and generously salt and pepper. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, it does not have to be completely cooked through. 

  2. In a bowl mix the Ricotta with the egg yolk, the fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. On a flat surface lay out about three to four Zucchini strips* at a time, depending on how big they are, slightly overlaping. 

  3. Grate the parmesan cheese and chop of the mozarella into about 1.5 cm large pieces. 

  4. At the lower end of them spread one tablespoon of the Ricotta mixture and 1 tablespoon of the minced veal on top. Carefully roll them up and place them aside. Continue until there is no Zucchini and Meat left. 

  5. In an oven-safe dish or pan spread half of the tomato sauce. Carefully place the Cannelloni horizonatlly in it. Top them with the rest of the tomato sauce and the different cheeses.

  6. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, so the cheese has all molten and the Zucchini is cooked through. Serve with some fresh basil and enjoy!

Notes

*if you want the dish to be less watery, blanch the Zucchini strips in simmering water for about 1 minute here. Then transfer them into an ice bath and pat them dry. Continue to follow along the recipe. 

I do not think that this step is necessary because I like it to be saucy but this depends on your preference.