Goat Cheese Olive Balls

It's not as if I need an excuse to spend time in the kitchen, but a little inspiration from others is always welcome. Mansi is hosting the next Monthly Mingle, an event started by Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey. Mansi is inviting readers to submit bite sized Appetizers & Hors'Doeuvres. I immediately thought of goat cheese.

Goat Cheese Olive Balls

250 grams of soft goat cheese
1/4 cup of finely chopped kalamata olives
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 teaspooon of very finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons of freshly cracked mixed peppercorns for coating

In a small bowl, mash together the goat cheese, olives, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt and black pepper. Roll into 1 inch balls. Sprinkle with a bit of the mixed peppercorns, rolling the ball around on the palm of your hand to coat. Chill for 30 minutes. Serve with thin crackers or simply consume as is.

Makes 16 - 20 spicy balls.

Chilled Mango and Yogurt Rice

Mango rice dishes in countless variations are everywhere to be found on the tables of South Indian households. This version is my favourite (so far), stirred together with plenty of yogurt and served chilled to go with any hot spicy meal or as a light outdoor lunch with fresh vegetables. Choose mangoes that are just ripe and not too soft.

Chilled mango and yogurt rice

Rice:

3 cups water
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 cups plain whole-fat yogurt
1 large green mango, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Dressing:

1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1-2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced

Garnish:

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into fine 1-inch strips
cayenne

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, rinse the rice under cold running water. Toss in the rice when the pan is boiling, reduce the heat to low, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for exactly 15 minutes without disturbing, then remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool for at least 20 minutes.

Combine the rice in a large serving bowl with the yogurt, mango, cilantro, mint, salt, pepper and cayenne and gently mix to avoid breaking the grains. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or cayenne as desired.

To make the dressing, heat the ghee or olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the mustard seeds and ginger and fry until the mustard seeds turn gray and start to splutter. Pour over the rice and fold to mix. Chill.

Serve cold or warmed up slightly in room temperature, sprinkled with cayenne and strips of jalapeño. Serves 8.

Oseng Oseng Tempe

Like pasta for most people, tempeh is becoming for me one of those ready-to-cook ingredients that I like to keep on hand just for those occasions when I have nothing particular planned and need to throw together a fast and easy meal. But while it shares with pasta a versatility that can pair it with all kinds of sauces and seasonings, the traditional Indonesian fermented soybean product has the advantage of being rich in proteins.

These crispy but chewy nutty little tempeh wafers in a tangy tomato glaze — an Indonesian recipe that comes from my valued copy of Celia Brooks-Brown's World Vegetarian Classics — take hardly any more time and effort than making a pot of macaroni and cheese, and are irresistibly delicious. Serve with some carbohydrates in the form of rice and some vegetables and you have a simple, tasty and complete meal.

Of course, as I like to remind my readers, the benefits of tempeh or any soy product can only be realized by finding brands that properly ferment the otherwise harmful soybeans — one of the most indigestible of all legumes because of their very high content of enzyme inhibitors and phytic acids which actually block the absorption of essential minerals and cause potential intestinal problems. Unfortunately, this rules out almost all tofu and soy milk products — in Western countries, these are almost universally manufactured through modern non-fermentation production methods that remove only some of the inhibitors and hardly any of the phytates, and denature the very proteins that are supposed to be of benefit in the first place. Tempeh, however, is more often than not produced through fermentation, but buyers should also look for a brand that properly inoculates the soy with Rhizopus culture and that is neither pasteurized nor pre-cooked. For Canadian readers, the tempeh from the Noble Bean is an excellent product — those of you who live in London, Ontario can find it at Grains, Beans and Things.

Oseng oseng tempe

sesame oil for frying
1 12-ounce package tempeh, cut into very narrow 2-inch slices
6 shallots, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
3 teaspoons tamari sauce
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
juice of 1 lime

Heat 1-2 inch of sesame oil in a large wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. As soon as it is hot but not smoking, toss in the tempeh slices and sauté until a light golden colour on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the shallots and continue to fry, stirring frequently, for another 10 minutes or until both the tempeh and shallots are brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Place the tempeh and shallots in another bowl, and mix in the sauce to coat.

Serve warm. Serves 4.

Cheese Wafers

The lovely Zlamushka has cooked up an idea for a new food event to encourage us to focus on some of those recipes we mean to try. Tried and tested features a different food blog each month, the challenge being to cook something from the archives of the chosen source. This month, we are invited to explore Cynthia's choice creations.

Even after narrowing my focus to Cynthia's vegetarian friendly recipes, I had a hard time deciding what to make. These Cheese Wafers I could not resist. A big thanks to Cynthia for promptly providing the recipe, along with helpful hints. It is absolutely essential that the cheese and butter are at room temperature. I made these on an unexpected afternoon off and in my haste, did not follow the instructions to a tee, which I should have in this instance. The result was a magnificent treat, but the mixture was a bit more crumbly than it should have been because my ingredients were somewhat cool. I've adapted the recipe ever so slightly to accommodate my kitchen.

Cheddar Cheese Wafers

1 cup of finely grated extra old cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of cayenne

In a medium bowl, mash together all of the ingredients with a fork until well blended.

Cynthia suggests you transfer the mixture to a pastry bag and pipe directly unto an ungreased baking sheet, roughly 3 - 4 inches in length. You can then lightly press the dough with a fork or leave as is.

Alternately, you can shape the dough into small balls or logs and flatten them.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for roughly 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 - 14.

No Croutons Required - the roundup

May's edition of No Croutons Required is now available for viewing. It's a tough choice, I know, but please check out the entries and vote for your favorite cheese salad. The winner will be announced at the end of the month, along with the theme for June. I will be hosting this time around.

Baked Vegetable Cutlets

Lord Krishna's Cuisine by Yamuna Devi was my earliest introduction to Indian cooking. I received it as a gift shortly after becoming a vegetarian and credit it with improving my eating habits and educating me about the treasures of the Indian cooking tradition. For the first few years, I mostly stuck to the rice and Dal chapters, but all that has changed since I have become more adventurous in the kitchen. Honestly, it's like a book you never want to end. Thankfully, it contains over 500 authentic recipes somewhat adapted for modern day cooks. The possibilities are endless indeed.

A few months ago, I was flipping through the Light Meals and Savories chapter and immediately inserted a post-it-note next to her recipe for Mixed Vegetable Cutlets. I finally had an opportunity to try these recently. Ms. Devi instructs the cook to shallow fry the cutlets, but I was a bit nervous that the mixture would fall apart. The dough was rather blob like, though I had not chilled it yet. I was also tired of being in the kitchen on that particular afternoon. The result was an improvised version including bread crumbs that I baked instead. Overall, a great success.

Serve with a sauce or chutney, such as Toasted Fresh Coconut and Tomato Chutney (recipe coming soon) for a very satisfying meal.

Baked Mixed Vegetable Cutlets (Sabji Tikki)

1 cup of roughly chopped cauliflower flowerets
1 cup of peeled potatoes, diced
1 cup of fresh or frozen peas (defrosted)
1 cup of green beans, chopped
1 cup of carrots, diced
1 small beet, diced
1 stalk of celery, chopped

3 hot green chilies, chopped
1 cup of cooked chickpeas
200 grams of paneer cheese, chopped into cubes
3 tablespoons of chopped cashews
3 tablespoons of chopped almonds
3 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
1 - 2 teaspoons of salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoons of coriander
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of garam masala
3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander
1/2 cup - 1 cup of bread crumbs

Steam the vegetables until just tender.

In a food processor, mince the chilies. Add the chickpeas, paneer, nuts, seeds and herbs, frozen peas (if using), ground spices, salt and pepper and process until well combined. Add a little water if necessary. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl.

Now add the steamed vegetables to the food processor and pulse until the vegetables are mashed. Transfer to the bowl containing the chickpea, paneer mixture and stir until well combined. Now add enough bread crumbs to form a dough that you can shape into small patties or cutlets.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub your hands with a bit of oil and shape the mixture into patties. Place each cutlet on the baking sheet. In a preheat 375 degree oven, bake the cutlets for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully flip each cutlet and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes. You can place the cutlets under the broiler for another couple of minutes if desired.

Serve warm with some fresh chutney or sauce.

Makes 12 - 14 cutlets.

I'm sharing this with Abby of Eat the Right Stuff who is asking for vegetarian recipes to celebrate national vegetarian week, which runs from the 19th of this month to the 25th in the UK.

Fried Saganaki with Halloumi on a Greek Tomato Salad with Kalamata Olives

In only four short months of hosting our "No Croutons Required" recipe roundup, Holler and I seemed to have already established a tradition of submitting our own recipes to each other at the last possible moment when it's our co-founder's turn to host. Maybe it's the pressure of trying to come up with something extra special to please each other, or maybe it's … well, maybe it's just that the month just flies by so fast. Well, whatever, apparently it's my turn to be a bad blogger, but I think I've just managed to slide under the deadline for Holler's "Cheese Salad" challenge.

And what a challenge it was! It's not uncommon for me to dress a salad with a little parmesan or feta cheese, but I've never made a salad with cheese as the main feature or even in a prominent supporting role, so I had to give this one some thought (see Excuse #1). As it turns out, I have been thinking a lot lately about halloumi, a traditional salty Cypriot cheese made from sheep's, goat's and frequently cow's milk that Peter M from Kalofagas has been raving about lately. Known for its ability to hold its shape and firm texture when cooked and for the "squeaky" sound it makes when you chew it, I've been wanting to try it for a while now and it sounded like a fun cheese to create a "Cheese Salad" challenge around.

Once the decision to make halloumi the centrepiece of my salad had been made, it was only natural to make saganaki, an old Greek appetizer of fried or broiled cheese for which halloumi is a perfect choice, as Peter M and others I've come across have suggested. Nothing fancy here, as the idea was to surround the saganaki with a tidy, basic salad featuring simple, complementary Greek flavours like herbs, tomatoes, peppers and kalamata olives (and just one jalapeño to provide a little kick — I just can't resist).

It turned out that the real challenge was to find real halloumi cheese. The Greek bakery I always go to in town for the most perfect sheep's milk feta cheese, not to mention the plumpest and juiciest kalamata olives, had only just stopped selling halloumi right before I got there to do my shopping because, as they said, nobody ever bought it. What sort of Greeks do we have here in London! I was crestfallen, since there was no way I was going to buy the made-in-Canada supermarket knock-off that I was amazed to find under the suggestive name "halloum" without the "i" — it's made strictly from industrial cow's milk, and not packed in brine either, as the genuine article is supposed to be. Yes, I could have made the saganaki with Kefalograviera cheese, as it's usually done, but I had set all my hopes on using halloumi after Peter M's amazing write-ups. Just about on the point of giving up the cheese salad idea altogether though, I was lucky enough to find halloumi at a cheese shop in the local market that, even though it was packaged, was at least imported from Cyprus and packaged with brine, and listed sheep's and goat's milk ahead of the cow's. Those of you who live in a slightly more cosmopolitan city than London, Ontario probably ought to be able to find good authentic halloumi cheese at a local Greek shop, although you may have to ask for it.

Onward ho at all events, and I have to say with all honesty that fried halloumi is now among my favourite cheese snacks (thank you, Peter). After nibbling on the saganaki (the cook's prerogative, you know) it was just about all I could do to get it as far as the salad. But there it arrived for an astonishingly good Greek saganaki salad, and I'm not in the least ashamed to make this my entry for Holler's challenge if she'll still have me for being so tardy!

Fried saganaki with halloumi on a Greek tomato salad with kalamata olives

Dressing:

1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
juice from 1/2 lemon
scant 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
scant 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Salad:

1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
12 pitted kalamata olives

Saganaki:

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces across the narrow end
juice from 1/2 lemon
grated zest from 1/2 lemon
fresh ground black pepper

Whisk together the dressing and toss with the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat a large frying pan over just higher than medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Arrange the halloumi slices in the pan, trying to avoid touching, and fry until browned on the bottom. Use tongs to turn the cheese over and fry the other side until browned. While still in the pan, drizzle the lemon juice and scatter the lemon zest over the cheese, and finish with a good seasoning of fresh ground black pepper.

Remove from pan and add pieces of the halloumi over servings of the salad.