Tofu & Red Cabbage Dumplings

I had some red cabbage left over from the Kale Borsch that I made last week, and was wondering what I could do with it, when I suddenly remembered a dumpling recipe that I had used a few years ago. Traditional Chinese dumplings are made with napa cabbage and ground pork, but crumbled tofu works just as well. Using red cabbage adds some extra colour to the dish.

Tofu & Red Cabbage Dumplings

2 tablespoons & 2 tablespoons oil, seperated
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 scallions, chopped, green parts only
150g firm tofu, crumbled
1.5 cups red cabbage, shredded
2/3 cup white or brown mushroom caps, sliced
30 round (eggless) wonton wrappers
1/4 cup (60ml) water
Salt, to taste

In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and sauté the scallions for about 1 minute over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, scallions, and tofu. Turn to high heat and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and salt (if using) and continue to stir over high heat for another 2-3 minutes until the excess liquid has been absorbed. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and ginger and mix quickly. Trasfer to a dish to cool.

Put 1.5 teaspoons of the vegetable mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper and moisten the edges of the wrapper with water. Fold to make a moon shape, making a few pleats to seal:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in the saucepan and put in half of the dumplings. Cook both sides for ~2 minutes over medium heat until well browned; then repeat with the remaining dumplings and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Transfer to a dish and serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

Serve alongside tofu soup, a stir-fry or a rice/noodle dish.

Kale Borsch

Borsch is a classic Russian soup made from beets and red cabbage. The beets are boiled in the soup for a long time, allowing their deep red colour to "bleed out" into the soup, giving it its characteristic purple-red colour. The deep colour in beets comes from an antioxidant known as betalain, which has strong immune-enhancing and anti-carcinogenic properties; beets are also a good source of vitamin C, folate (vitamin B9), potassium and manganese.

This version of mine is made with kale, adding extra calcium and even more antioxidants into the mix.

Like all borsch, this verison should be served cold in the summer and hot in the winter.


4 green onions, chopped (green parts)
Handful of fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
6-7 cups broth
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
1.5 cups cooked or canned (= 1 can) beets, with juices
2 cups raw kale, chopped thinly
3 medium potatoes, peeled & sliced (optional)
Cilantro, as garnish (optional)
Salt, to taste

In a deep, wide pot, heat up the olive oil and lemon juice and add the green onions and dill, allowing to heat for ~30 seconds, then turn down to medium heat. Add 5.5 cups of the broth along with the beets, cabbage, and kale, turning back up to high heat until the soup boils. Simmer on medium-low heat, adding the remaining broth (and potatoes, if using), then turning back up until it boils a second time.

Once it boils the second time, simmer on medium-low heat, 20-25 minutes, covered, until the vegetables (and the cabbage in particular) is thoroughly cooked and soggy.

Turn the heat off and allow to cool down (or serving immediately if serving during the winter).

Serve with cilantro and/or salt, as desired.

Potato-Cabbage Casserole

Contrary to what our carbophobic, meat-crazed society would have you believe, potatoes are actually a good, healthy food.

For one thing, they are not nearly as calorie-dense as you might think. A whole, extra-large potato (here we are talking about something larger than what most people would eat in a single serving) only has around ~200 calories, which is nothing if you consider how filling such a serving would be. Furthermore, potatoes are packed with nutrients. Even a medium-sized potato is loaded with vitamin C, thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, pantothenic acid (vitamin B9), magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese.

And yeah, they're loaded with carbs - but so what? Carbs are important for human health; they're the primary source of fuel for our brains. Potatoes are also rich in fiber, which promotes digestive health and is beneficial for long term health.

There is, of course, a danger in eating a lot of potatoes that are fried, or that have been smothered in fattening dairy products. Nor should we eat only potatoes at the exclusion of other foods. But not only is occasionally enjoying potatoes not bad for you; it's actually good for you.

This is a recipe I invented myself; it's light, low-fat, high-fiber, and nutrient-dense. Served with cabbage (another healthy food) and a tomato sauce, this recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients and is therefore realtively easy and convenient to make.


Ingredients (for the casserole)

1.5lb potatoes (about 6 medium)
1-1.5 cups chopped green cabbage
3/4 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (equivalent to crumbs of 2 slices of bread)

Ingredients (for tomato sauce)

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 stalks green onions, chopped thinly (green parts only)
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cans whole tomatoes, with juices, each tomato cut in half
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup broth


Preheat oven to 400°F.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into flat slices, and boil them in water, until they are soft, about 15-20 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, put the cabbage and cauliflower into a shredder and shred lightly for 30 seconds (the vegetable pieces should be chunky but not too mushy).


In a large, deep pan, heat the tablespoon of olive oil and add the green onions, stirring for 30 seconds to a min, until slightly browned; add the oregano and 2 cans of tomatoes with their juices. Allow to simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced somewhat. (Make sure to check on / stop boiling the potatoes in the mean time, draining the water and setting them aside.)

In a deep casserole dish, pour out about a quarter (1/4) of the tomato sauce and lay 1/2 of the flat potato pieces on top, so that the potatoes are more or less covering the bottom.

Pour on top 1/2 of the shredded cabbage-cauliflower mixture (use a spoon to even out if necessary) and top with 1/2 of the bread crumbs. Top with the remaining 1/2 of the potato slices, followed by the remaning 1/2 of the shredded mixture and the final 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Pour the remainder of the mixture over top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top has just slightly browned.

Serve with a side of bean soup or lentil burger for some iron.

Costa Rican Cabbage Tortillas

The following recipe is from a cookbook called "The Tropical Vegan Kitchen" - a very underrated book, IMHO. The strike-outs and red parts reflect my bastardizations lovely adjustments to the recipe.

Ingredients:

8 corn whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup rinsed and drained black beans
1 medium tomato, seeded & finely chopped
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin seed  sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt & black pepper, to taste
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted & thinly sliced
Sliced hot banana or jalapen~o peppers
Medium salsa

~
Preheat oven to 200F (95C).

Arrange the tortillas on a large ungreased baking sheet (some overlap is okay). Heat in the oven until softened and warmed, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the cabbage, tomato, scallions, cilantro, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, cumin, sugar, salt/black pepper, and cayenne (if using) until well combined. Let stand at room temperature about 5-10 minutes to allow the flavours to blend; toss again.

In a large skillet, turn the heat up to high and lightly fry the tossed ingredients (along with the avocado and peppers) for 2-3 minutes, or until the cabbage is "cooked".

To serve, top the warm tortillas with equal amounts of the cabbage mixture (and a tablespoon or two of salsa).

Roll up and serve at once.

Makes 8 tortillas.