Singapore “Carrot Cake” or Chai tao kway with Homemade Ketjap Manis

Those that know me know I love to try new things. I’m quite adventurous when it comes to food. A few incidents occurred this past week that propelled me to make this tasty vegetarian recipe. I had ordered three Culinaria books to round my collection, and the first one was on South East Asia. Reading the first section about Singapore and Malaysia, and the various ethnicities that make up that region got me hungry. Particularly the Chinese old fashioned coffee shops , a fading tradition, where they serve for breakfast a egg jam made of eggs, sugar, pandan, and condensed milk, and such things as this ‘carrot cake” which is a cake made up rice flour, and shredded Daikon Radish, eggs, and a thick sweet soy sauce called ketjap manis ( which is Indonesian in origin). Lo and behold the next day I received 3 perfect looking Daikon Radishes in my Organic Vegetable Box. I knew I had to make this recipe. The Chinese words for Daikon (chhài-thâu)and

Carrot (âng-chhài-thâu) are similar and this is why its called ‘Carrot Cake” or Chai tao kway. The dish varies over regions and can served white or dark with the dark so based ketjap manis. Some people even add dried shrimp to it. Be warned, this breakfast dish takes while. A cake is made by steaming shredded wok fried Daikon and rice flour for and hour and then letting it cool for a minimum if eight hours.

Then more slicing,dicing, and frying and there you have it. The pasty white cake getting soft and sticking to wok, didn’t look appealing at all at first. And the smell of Daikon sautéing reminded me of sauerkraut. But in that final stage of adding the eggs, garlic,  Ketjap manis, Siracha, and scallions, my nose became alive and I could see this would be a good dish. That extra of cilantro and Sambal Olek just took it over the top. I could eat this for lunch or dinner. For a vegetarian dish, its very tasty and filling. You can find the recipe here from Epicurious. Note I couldn’t find Ketjap manis so I made my own using a combination of various ones on the internet. I used brown rather than white sugar, so the result is more subtle in sweetness). Some people add molasses or brown sugar as well.

Homemade Ketjap Manis (Indonesian Ketchup)

2 ½ cups Brown Sugar

½ cup water

2 ¾ cups Dark Soy Sauce

3 whole garlic cloves

3-4 Star Anise Pods

1 tsp ground ginger.

In a heavy bottom saucepan combine sugar and water and bring to boil until syrup starts to form and it starts to caramelize.Carefully reduce heat and add the soy sauce and other ingredients. Reduce heat carefully and simmer for 15 minutes until reduced and thickened. Let cool. Can be kept for a while in the refrigerator for a few months tightly covered.

Warm Roasted Veg and Bean Salad with Israeli Couscous and Toasted Sesame Seeds

With being sick for the past two weeks, not working out as a consequence, the abundance of Stir It 28 food, and Chicago Restaurant Week, my body is screaming mercy!!! This Monday I managed my first work out without collapsing. I had brought some leftovers from the event Sunday for lunch, but after that workout my body craved salad. Then for dinner I wasn’t that hungry, but Certain Someone wanted something quick, like sausages. I honestly couldn’t stomach the though of eating meat, which I love, but couldn’t handle that day. So I looked in the refrigerator and saw some leftover cooked red beans, sliced red peppers, onions, green bell peppers, fresh asparagus, parsley, and zucchini. I had also purchased some of that large luscious looking Israeli Couscous earlier. Marie, Proud Italian Cook, had gifted me some lemon infused olive oil, which I love. So an idea for a salad started to form while Certain Someone’s sausages were cooking away. Maybe it was subliminal with the many Meatless Monday tweets I see, or all the talk about Lenten sacrifices. But I listen to my body and felt quite satisfied with the wonderful salad I put together. I even brought some for lunch the following day.

If you don’t know, John Hopkins School of Public Health has out together a wonderful program to promote your personal good health and the health of the planet. By pledging to give up meat and its by products on Mondays, the ‘start’ of the week, we reduce our changes of diseases linked to obesity as well as help the planet.

Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Our goal is to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.

We provide the information and recipes you need to start each week with healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives.

Presidents Wilson, Truman and Roosevelt galvanized the nation with voluntary meatless days during both world wars.

By reviving this American tradition we can help address the challenges we face today. We can improve our health, reduce our carbon footprint and lead the world in the race to mitigate climate change.

I doubt I can get Certain Someone on board with Meatless Mondays, but maybe ease him into this. But , I , for one will start. Being a good cooks, I know that one can eat some exciting creative foods adhering to the vegan rule. Its just one day!

Warm Roasted Veg and Bean Salad with Israeli Couscous and Toasted Sesame Seeds

*please note you make many variations on this salad based on your preferences. So use this guide.

1 cup Israeli Couscous

1 cube vegetable bouillon

1 bunch Asparagus Spears chopped

1 half red pepper sliced

1 half green bell pepper sliced

1 zucchini sliced

1 /2 white onion sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Dried Italian Seasoning

1 cup cooked red kidney beans (I made mine from scratch but you can use canned, drained and rinsed)

1 bunch parsley chopped

½ cup lemon infused olive oil

½ cup Balsamic Vinegar

3 tbsp sesame seeds

In a small pot with lid add ¼ cup boiling water and vegetable bouillon. Dissolve cube. Add Couscous and cover with lid for several minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with a rim with parchment paper. Add the vegetables and toss with the olive oil on the sheet. Season with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Bake at 450 F for 10-15 min until they start to brown and are tender. Remove and set aside.

In a large bowl, add chopped parsley, Couscous, red kidney beans, vegetables, and the remaining ½ cups each of lemon infused olive oil and Balsamic vinegar. Toss all ingredients and set aside.

In a dry skillet lightly toast the sesame seeds, and add some to salad ad on top as garnish.

 Serve at room temperature.

Warm BBQ Crispy Tofu Buckwheat Soba & Arugula Salad

When I tweeted that I was developing a recipe for tofu, they all laughed and threatened to de-friend me. I have tried to like tofu, and seem to like it better when I order it elsewhere. Still not a favorite, but I have had some good tofu in my life. A package of tofu accidentally fell into my organic delivery box and I didn't want to waste it. I perused the Internet and found an interesting recipe for BBQ tofu here. I gleaned more from the comments about technique. See I don't like that slimy soft factor so much in my tofu. But I love a fried tofu puff. One commenter suggested baking the tofu slices first in an oven for more firmness and crispness. So that's what I did. I have created another recipe all together than the one referenced and have taken it further by tossing the crispy BBQ Tofu nuggets with Buckwheat Soba and fresh Arugula in a spicy vinaigrette. I know fried anything isn't the healthiest, but sometimes its OK especially balanced out with other healthy things. If you are looking for a meat alternative these chunks make a good tasty substitute. Use your own homemade BBQ or some stir bought. I used a Ginger Teriyaki sauce for mine. I also chose Peanut oil both the nutty flavor, its really one of the best oils for frying , and great with Asian cuisines.
This is a very filling and spicy salad that will win over those that may be skeptical about Tofu.

Warm BBQ Crispy Tofu Buckwheat Soba and Arugula Salad
Serves 4
Crispy BBQ Tofu
1 14 oz package Extra Firm Tofu
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 eggs beaten
1 .5 cups Rice Flour
1/2 cup Peanut Oil(* great oil for high smoking points )
1/2 cup of BBQ sauce of your choice

Salad Fixings
4 serving bundles of Buckwheat Soba( 1 per person) boiled according to instructions
1 bunch Fresh Arugula washed and dried
Thin sliced White Onion to taste
Salad Dressing
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Chili Oil
1/4 cup Peanut Oil
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Ginger Powder


Slice your Tofu into squares. On a Parchment lined baking sheet brushed with a little oil, bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Tofu will start to brown slightly. Remove from oven and let cool. Save sheet as you use again.
Place Rice Flour in a zip lock bag. Dip each Tofu slice in egg mixture and then place in bag. Shake the tofu pieces until evenly coated with Rice Flour.
In a large fry pan heat the Peanut Oil. Place the Tofu Slices and fry o each side until Golden and crispy. Remove from heat and place back on Parchment lined Baking sheet from earlier. Brush each piece with the BBQ sauce of your choice. Bake at 375 until sauce starts to bubble and caramelize. Turn each piece mid way. Remove from oven.

Boil Soba according to instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Mix dressing ingredients and toss into Soba . Add Arugula and thin sliced Onions.
Arrange each serving dish with several pieces on Tofu on top of the Soba and Arugula.

Little Stalk of Horrors...Brussel Sprout Stalks and An Easy Recipe

Just having a little fun with The Great Hallow Tweet and some vegetables. I saw the theatrical version of Little Shop of Horrors in the late 80's in London on a high school class trip. I always loved Audrey 2 saying "Feed Me". I think Brussel Sprouts are unappreciated. Don't let the scary stalk scare you. Nicely browned almost crispy sprouts like these rock. I find the traditional boiling method turns them bitter, and that's why so many hate them.Soon your loved ones will be saying Feed Me if you cook them up this way. It may start out looking like a trick, but it makes a nice treat.

Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts

Wash and halve Brussel Sprouts. Take a tablespoons of vegetable or olive . Add Brussel Sprouts flat side down to pan. Heat on Medium to high heat for a few minutes. Don't turn them until after a few minutes to make sure they are brown and crispy. Turn and let them cook a bit more. Add about 1/4 cup of water, cover and let them cook and soften. Remove lid and let cook until water is evaporated. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Beet and Apple Slaw

The trick to a successful BBQ, this season, is plenty of condiments, salads, and other treats to break up all that protein. For a healthy tasty salad, that will rival your traditional Cole Slaw, try this Beet and Apple Slaw. People don't appreciate the true flavor and versatility of the beetroot , because we mask it by pickling. But grated raw beet packs a healthy punch. Beetroot has been known to fight High Blood pressure, cancer, cholesterol, and constipation. I cant think of a more perfect side dish to go with any BBQ.

Beet and Apple Slaw
serves 6
1 large beetroot
2-3 apples
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
3/4 cups raisins or currents
1 tbsp minced ginger
* you may want wear plastic gloves when handling the beet as it can stain your hands

With a vegetable peeler , peel the beet and chop into manageable quarters. Take a grater and grate the entire beet into a glass bowl. Peel , core, and dice apples. Add to the bowl of grated beets. Toss in sugar, mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar,raisins, and ginger. Mix well. Serve at room temperature or chilled

Pumpkin and Coconut 'Samosas'...WTSIM #20

I'm going to use the term Samosa here figuratively. But Samosas are what inspired me to make this for my first ever entry into Waiter There Is Something In My... The theme is Gourds.

Let me give you a little background into my entering...

Jeanne over at Cook Sister, is this months host and event founder, and I have had the immense pleasure of meeting both here and her husband while they are in Chicago. Certain Someone and I invited them over for the famous Harold's fried Chicken. I was quite impressed as they finished of their entire orders!Lets just say she's eating her way through Chicago.Later in the week I met up with her for a quick lunch at Macy's( formerly the historic Marshall Fields) for a quick lunch at Rick Bayless' Frontera Express. While ordering we noticed Marcus Samuelsson has a upscale burger stand next to Frontera. It seems every foreigner I mention Marcus to is not really that familiar. He seems to be more famous here! Go figure. Anyway while chomping and talking away , guess who walks by! Marcus. I could have swooned. Jeanne saw him go behind the counter so it was him for sure.What a treat. I really enjoyed meeting Jeanne and was amazed at what we had in common. She is a treasure. Excuse the photo but I look like porker. It was the Harold's.

So with Certain Someone gone this week, and a little unexpected lull from a hectic work week, I concocted this savory , somewhat spicy pumpkin "samosa". I know samosas are traditionally triangular and fried , but I decided to use convenient puff pastry. Rather than potatoes, I used pumpkin as my gourd cooked down with curry, coconut milk, red lentils, and spinach.After I came up with the idea, I did a quick google search and saw some recipes along the same idea. Also I remember seeing this combo and found it intriguing.The filling I made was abundant and I have a lot leftover as only a few teaspoons are needed. I imagine I can eat it up with rice as leftovers.Or serve alongside some chicken later on. It will not go to waste. So without much ado...

Pumpkin and Coconut Samosas

1 sheet frozen puff pastry makes 6 or 2 sheets makes 12

4 cups peeled /cubed pumpkin or 1/2 a small one

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon curry( add more if that is your taste)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 whole chopped onion

Sea salt * I have a special French sea salt blend with curry , mint, cumin, and chilies added so I adjusted based on this.

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup red lentils

1 cup fresh spinach

1 can coconut milk

Take frozen puff pastry out to thaw. While thawing cook your filling .In a large skillet heat vegetable oil.On medium heat, add mustard seeds and cook until they pop. Add onion and brown stirring occasionally. Add pumpkin, and all dry spices except sugar. Cook until pumpkin and onion start to get tender and slightly caramelize. Stir occasionally. Add coconut milk and sugar. Turn down heat and let mixture simmer. Toss in spinach after 10 minutes. The pumpkin should be tender. Cook until spinach wilts.Take a immersion blender and slightly break up the pumpkin to a mashed consistency leaving some chunks and spinach leaves intact. Throw in the lentils and let simmer another 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unroll the puff pastry and cut 1 sheet into 6 even squares. Fill each square with a bit of filling and seal edges. Bake for 10 -15 minutes or until golden.

Daring Bakers Go The Alternative Route with Lavash Crackers and Vegetarian Dips.

Hard to believe I have been a Daring Baker for one full year! Time sure flies by when your having a blast.For the first time ever the Daring Bakers turned this months hosting duties to our Alternative Daring Bakers. While I don't have vegetarian , Gluten free , non dairy, allergy, religious requirements or restrictions, I always tune into a few of these alternative bakers and marvel how they adapt the challenges to their needs. That is a science in itself and always yields great results. So my hats are off to this months hosts Natalie and Shel. Our challenge this month was to create Lavash Crackers and vegan toppings from
The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread, Peter Reinhart. I found this challenge stress free and pretty straight forward. It wasn't a complete success as I slightly over cooked parts of my dough. I used unbleached all purpose flour mixed with 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.I topped my dough like a patchwork quilt with sea salt mixed with cumin, chilies, and mint, smoked paprika,fried garlic, and sesame seeds. The smoked Paprika parts browned quickly. On a Indian kick from a recent trip to London, I made a spicy carrot and tamarind relish.Certain Someone wasn't crazy about the relish, it wasn't his thing but he said it grew on you as you it bite after bite. Be sure to check out our ever growing global group to see their many interpretations.


Glamahs Carrot and Tamarind Relish:
2 tablespoons oil
3 chilies chopped
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 cloves garlic chopped
4 large carrots grated
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Pulp of 2 tamarinds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon curry
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Sea Salt
Heat oil in a fry pan. Add mustard seeds until they start to pop. Add garlic, chilies and cook for a minute. Add tomatoes and carrots and continue to cook. Add brown sugar, remaining spices, red wine vinegar and simmer for approx 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.

RECIPE - Recipe Reference: The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread, by Peter Reinhart. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA. Copyright 2001. ISBN-10: 1-58008-268-8, ISBN-13: 978-158008-268-6.

Here's a simple formula for making snappy Armenian-style crackers, perfect for breadbaskets, company and kids...It is similar to the many other Middle Eastern and Northern African flatbreads known by different names, such as mankoush or mannaeesh (Lebanese), barbari (Iranian), khoubiz or khobz (Arabian), aiysh (Egyptian), kesret and mella (Tunisian), pide or pita (Turkish), and pideh (Armenian). The main difference between these breads is either how thick or thin the dough is rolled out, or the type of oven in which they are baked (or on which they are baked, as many of these breads are cooked on stones or red-hot pans with a convex surface)...The key to a crisp lavash,...is to roll out the dough paper-thin. The sheet can be cut into crackers in advance or snapped into shards after baking. The shards make a nice presentation when arranged in baskets.Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers*
1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)*
1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt* 1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast*
1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar*
1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil*
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature*
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings
1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.
2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bre … ong-Enough for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.or2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).
4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors. or
4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Tropic Kale Smoothie..Iron Man Meets Iron Chef

Chou over at balance ,

along with Julius and Lauren have come up with a great event. Iron Man Meets Iron Chef. Its a month long tests of physical and culinary feats. I'll pass on the physical but will rise to the culinary part.

So when Chou announced on Sunday the super food my mind started racing (if only my legs and body would follow suite). Kale prepared for breakfast is this week’s theme. I love Kale, but for breakfast! I immediately thought of a Kale frittata, or poached egg whites with kale. All good but I wanted to push the envelope. Breakfast = quick in my house on weekdays. So whats better than juice or a smoothie! In fact Kale has so much protein, anti oxidants, health promoting benefits that don’t cook off as much as other veggies. But raw, its packs a lot of punch. People eat it in salads and juices. Kales not just for soup. In reading up I saw a lot people make smoothies with some kale leaves and fruit. I picked Vitamin C packing fat burning citrus fruits to balance of the bitter kale. I even came up with a cute name Tropic Kale. Get It! And you know what, it looks weird, but tastes pretty good! Not to fruity and a little bite. I'm buzzing right now as I type. So all you athletes or lazy bums like me drink up!

Tropic Kale Smoothie
3 tablespoons lite coconut milk 25 cal
½ cup diced Papaya 27 cal
½ cup diced Pineapple 38 cal
¼ cup fresh orange juice 112 cal
½ cup raw Kale 17 cal
¼ cup tofu 65 cal

Throw it all in the blender with some ice and let it rip.

284 calories (a meal in one)

* I approximated based on calorie guides and amounts used. This is not exact.