Deniz has always had an affinity for south east Asian peanut sauces, but has always been disappointed by the Massaman curries he’s ordered in Thai restaurants. They’ve typically been cloyingly sweet, not something he appreciates in main dishes. His disappointment became so frequent, that I eventually started encouraging him to order other curries so he could enjoy his meal. However, when we began making lesser known international dishes, we ran across an Indonesian Gado Gado recipe on recipetineats.com that looked promising. The peanut sauce was a delicious balance of peanutty goodness with a hint of sugar, spice, and heat. Below is our modification of the recipe to meet our particular tastes.

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Indonesian Gado Gado

A scruptious blend of peanutty goodness, south east Asian spices, and heat poured atop a warmed salad.

Ingredients

Gado Gado Sauce

• 1/3 c creamy peanut butter, we prefer low sugar
• 2 T peanuts, chopped
• 4 T red curry paste
• 1 T Kecap manis, also known as thick sweet soy sauce
• 1 t sambal oelak
• 1/2 c coconut milk, high fast
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t brown sugar
• 1/2 T lime juice
• 1/2 c water

Warm Salad Ingredients

• 1 c egg noodles, pre-cooked and detangled
• 1 handful baby spinach leaves, washed
• 1 c bean sprouts
• 1/2 block tofu, fried and cut in half and sliced (thick slices)
• 1/2 chayote, cut in half and sliced (thick slices)

Cold Salad Ingredients

• 2 eggs, boiled, cut in half, and then sliced
• 1 persian cucumber, cut into strips
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• 3 romaine lettuce leaves, roughly chopped

Notes

1.  Mix all Gado Gado Sauce ingredients in a medium sauce pan over low heat.  Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring so that it doesn’t burn.  
2. Hardboil and peel the eggs.  Put them in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes.  Drain, fill the pot with cold water and peel the shells immediately.  
3. Prepare the Warm Salad Ingredients and Cold Salad Ingredients per instructions in the ingredients list.
4. Fry all of the Warm Salad Ingredients together in a medium covered sauce pan with a few tablespoons of water until spinach is wilted and the rest of the ingredients are thoroughly warmed.
5. Place the Cold Salad Ingredients onto the serving plate.  Place the Warm Salad Ingredients on top.  Pour the cooked Gado Gado sauce on top.  

I love carrot cake. After being diagnosed with diabetes, it became a mission of mine to find a healthy recipe that also tastes great. This recipe uses whole wheat flour, applesauce to reduce oil, (reduced) honey instead of sugar, and sugar free white chocolate chips. It’s the perfect balance of fluffy muffin texture, fall spice, crunchy nuttiness, with the right amount of sweetness. And I found that cake pop sized balls of carrot cake are perfect to get maximum enjoyment without overindulging. Deniz and Kelin love the recipe and the muffin balls disappear quickly in our house. Despite the reduced sugar, we all find it perfect for dessert.

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
•  1 t baking soda
•  1 t ground cinnamon
•  1/4 t ground nutmeg
•  1/4 t ground ginger
•  1/2 t salt

Wet Ingredients:

•  2 T butter, melted, or olive oil
•  1/3 c honey or sugar
•  1 egg, lightly beaten
•  1 t pure vanilla extract
•  1 c unsweetened applesauce, if using sugar instead of honey, add 3 T applesauce

Add-ins:

• 1 c shredded carrots (about 2-3 medium carrots). You can also use shredded zucchini for a less sweet zucchini muffin alternative.
• 1/4 c no-sugar white chocolate chips (we like Lily’s White Chocolate Style Baking Chips that are Stevia sweetened)
• 3 T coconut flakes
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts, toasted

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the walnuts in a quart-sized ziplock bag and break into 1/5th sized chunks with a rolling pin. Place the crushed walnuts on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper. While the oven is preheating, toast the walnuts, approximately 5 minutes. Watch carefully to ensure the walnuts do not burn.
• Spray cake pop tray cups with cooking spray and brush so that the entire indentation has oil.
• In a large bowl whisk together the Dry Ingredients.
• Beat the egg lightly in a small bowl.
• Make a small well in the center of the Dry Ingredients and add the Wet Ingredients.
• Stir ingredients together until just combined and there are still some spots of flour remaining.
• Fold in the Add-Ins just until combined (don’t overmix or the balls will be dense).
• Distribute the batter evenly among the cake pop tray. I use a melon baller to scoop even amounts of batter and to reduce mess. Bake for 17 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake pop comes out clean.
• Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. These cake pops can be frozen. They can also keep covered at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Vietnamese Vermicelli Salad is Kelin’s new favorite dish, and one of my top 10, so of course we had to learn how to make it.  After a lot of trial and error, we finally perfected a vegetarian version that Kelin gave the thumbs up as restaurant-quality.  Pho Ca Dao is by far our favorite restaurant for this dish, so we used it as the model to create this recipe.   To save on time, we don’t make everything from scratch, but rather buy pre-prepared items at the Asian Grocery store where we can, like pre-prepared spring rolls, deep fried tofu, pickles, and sauces.  Sorry if you’re looking for full instructions, we don’t have those.

The noodles do take a long time to prepare because they have to air-dry after they’re cooked, so I’d recommend preparing the noodles in advance so that they’re ready to go when you’re preparing the meal.  The noodles have to air-dry so they don’t have a chewy texture.

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Vietnamese Vermicelli Salad with Deep-Fried Tofu and Spring Rolls (Bún Chay)

One of Kelin's favorites! Crispy eggrolls paired with meaty tofu and smooth noodles in a umami sauce. And minimal cooking required!

Servings 4

Ingredients

Bowl

• 8 oz Dried Vermicelli Noodles (Use the long wavy ones that wrap around, not the straight sticks which are stickier)
• 8 c water
• 5 large leaves Red lettuce chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 6 Vegetarian Spring Rolls frozen (we like the Costco ones)
• 1 c bean sprouts
• ½ c honey-roasted peanuts chopped
• 3 slabs Deep-Fried Tofu
• 1 t Stir-Fry Seasoning
• 1 t cooking oil
• 1 sprig Mint leaves taken off stem and roughly chopped (optional)
• 2 sprigs Basil leaves taken off stem and roughly chopped (optional)

Sauce

• 1/2 c Vietnamese Vegetarian Dipping Sauce
• 1/2 c Vietnamese Vegetarian Fish Sauce
• 2 pinches red chili flakes
• 2 T daikon and carrots , shredded

Instructions

• Soak the Vermicelli noodles for 15 minutes in very hot water.  Drain and rinse until water runs clear, to remove as much starch as possible.   While the Vermicelli noodles are soaking, boil the water in a large pot (at least 3 qt) on medium-high heat.
• Put the drained, soaked Vermicelli noodles into the pot of boiling water.  Bring back to a boil.  Boil the noodles for 3 minutes.  Drain the noodles, and rinse very well to remove starch so that noodles are not sticky.  We use a salad spinner, filling it with water, draining the noodles, and spinning it 3 times to get all the starch and water out.   Pat the noodles dry and leave to air-dry for at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare the vegetarian spring rolls per package directions.  Or if you’d like to do them like we do, air-fry them for 15 min on 400°F, flipping over half way.
• Add the stir-fry seasoning and cooking oil to the tofu and mix to coat evenly.  Grill the deep-fried tofu on a grill or pan at high heat until black marks appear, approximately 5 minutes.
• Prepare the rest of the ingredients as described in the ingredients list.
• Combine the Sauce ingredients in a bowl.  Separate into three small serving bowls.
• Place the ingredients in 3 extra large serving bowls in the following order: chopped lettuce, bean sprouts, chopped mint, chopped basil, cooked and dried vermicelli noodles, chopped peanuts, deep fried grilled tofu, and spring rolls.  Serve with Sauce.

Before I became vegetarian one of my favorite kebabs was Adana kebab. It got its name from the city of Adana in Turkey, and with its simple yet hard to achieve preparation what made this dish so tasty. Naturally we won’t be using tail fat, or mince the meat with a cleaver but we achieved a result that will satisfy any meat-eater or vegetarian out there.While some may disagree, It is important that it is served with bulgur pilaf and slices of onion rings sprinkled with sumac.

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Beyond Adana Kebab

After becoming a vegetarian one thing I missed the most was this Turkish Adana Kebab. But with the help of delicious Beyond Meat, we are now reunited!

Ingredients

Kebab Ingredients

• 4 Beyond Burger Patties about 1lbs
• 1 onion finely chopped in food processor
• 1 t pepper paste
• 1 T Aleppo paper
• ½ t paprika
• ¼ t black pepper
• ¼ t salt

Onion Rings

• Sliced onion
• sumac

Instructions

Preperation

• Mix all the kebab ingredients in a big bowl, knead until consistent. Let is rest for couple hours.
• If you have wide skewers put the mixture on there, squeezing lightly until they stick on the skewer. If you don't, you can either make long meatballs or use a butter knife to shape them (i.e. use the butter knife as skewer until the meat is shaped then pull the kebab meat out).
• Grill it until some dark grill lines are visible. If you are not using grates make sure they are cooked and hard enough. The idea is to not grill them too long so they are not dry, or not to undercook them so they are too soft (picture below shows an undercooked kebab)
• You can either use fresh onion rings or the grilled slices as the side. Either way, sprinkle some sumac on them.
• Complete the plate with bulgur pilaf.

Got this delicious recipe from anne on our Thanksgiving 2019 visit to Turkey.  So healthy and flavorful at the same time.  The slight sweetness of the carrot combined with the zing of the garlic and the coolness of the yogurt compliment each other so well.  Can be eaten by itself or used as a dip.  Either way, it’s delicious!

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Turkish Carrot Yogurt Dip (Yoğurtlu Havuç Meze)

This tasty dish can be eaten by itself or used as a dip. The slight sweetness of the carrot combined with the zing of the garlic and the coolness of the yogurt compliment each other so well. 

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 4 medium carrots shredded
• 1 T cooking oil
• 2 c yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves crushed into a paste
• salt

Instructions

• Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the shredded carrots and stir-fry for 4 minutes.  Add 2 Tbsp of water and cover the pan.  Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
• Remove the carrots from the pan and cool until room temperature.
• After cool, add the yogurt and garlic paste.  Salt to taste.

Gulevren taught us how to make this delicious salad during our Thanksgiving 2019 visit.  The sweetness and softness of the beet pairs so well with the freshness and bitterness of the arugula. The redness of the beets is also striking against the green salad.  It’s a match made in heaven!

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Turkish Beet Arugula Salad

The sweetness and softness of the beet pairs so well with the freshness and bitterness of the arugula. The redness of the beets is also striking against the green salad.  It's a match made in heaven!

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 T + 1 T + 1 T olive oil
• 2 beets shredded
• 1/2 T honey
• 1 + 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 c arugula chopped into loose strips
• 1 garlic clove crushed into a paste
• 1 T yogurt

Instructions

Instructions:

• Prepare the ingredients as described above
• Heat 1 T olive oil in a medium sized saute pan over medium high heat.  Add the chopped onion and saute until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.
• Add the shredded beets, another 1 T olive oil, and honey.  Continue to saute until beets are soft, approximately 5 minutes.  Mix in 1 t salt
• In a separate container, mix 1 T olive oil, yogurt, crushed garlic, and 1/2 t salt.
• Place arugula in a bowl.  Add cooked beets on top.  Pour the sauce on top of the beets.

This is a light and healthy Turkish Salad that Gülevren taught us.  In Taiwanese cuisine, green mung beans are always sweetened and used in dessert.  It was cool to discover a way to make them into a salad.  The diversity of vegetables in this refreshing dish makes it not only healthy, but also deep in flavor and textures.

Ingredients:

• 1 c green mung beans
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• ½ bunch parsley leaves, chopped
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 t apple cider vinegar
• ¼ c olive oil
• 2 dill pickles, diced
• salt to taste

Instructions:

Soak the mung beans in water overnight.  Boil with water in a medium pot over medium heat for 15-20 minutes (or 30-40 min if beans are not soaked overnight).  The cooked beans should be soft, but not mushy.  Cool the beans to room temperature.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients as described in the ingredients list.

Combine and mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Serve.

Gülevren also taught us to make this tart and creamy dill meze.  It’s refreshing to the pallet, especially with rich and/or hot dishes.  It’s full of flavorful and healthy veggies, a perfect Mediterranean dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 potato, cut in half
• 4 small carrots, shredded
• 2 zucchini, shredded
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 t salt, or to taste
• 1 c of thick yogurt
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 T mayo
• ½ c dill, minced
• 4 walnuts (8 walnut halves), chopped

Instructions:

Boil the potato halves in a pot of water until soft, approximately 15 minutes.  Drain and skin the boiled potato and allow it to cool to room temperature.  Shred the cooled potato

Prepare the remaining ingredients per the instructions in the ingredients list above.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat with the olive oil, and then add the carrots and zucchini.  Stir fry for approximately 10 minutes, until soft, but before juice is released.  Remove from the pan and cool to room temperature in a large bowl.

Add the potatoes, and the rest of the ingredients to the carrots and zucchini.  Stir to combine.

While visiting Turkey this year, we had the great honor of learning to cook from Deniz’ mom, ane Fatma Turkmen. She taught us how to make her mercimek kofte, lentil balls. The balls pack so much flavor, and are surprisingly easy to make. They’re the perfect snack size.  I loved them so much, I ate them in dinner-sized quantities.

Ingredients:

• 1 c red lentils
• 2 c water
• 1 c bulgur, fine (#1) ground

Wet Spices:

• 3/4 c olive oil
• 2 T pepper paste
• ½ T salt (or ½ bullion cube)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

Herbs:

• ½ small bunch of parsley, tough stems removed, diced, and pat dry
• 1 small bunch scallions, diced and pat dry
• 3 charliston peppers, diced and pat dry
• juice from 1½ small lemons (or pomegranate juice)
• 1 T pul biber (Aleppo pepper)

Instructions:

Cook the lentil in the water in a covered medium pot on medium high heat.  After 5 minutes, add the Wet Spices ingredients, and continue until the lentils are mushy (about another 5 minutes).

Add the bulgur, mix well, turn the heat off, and cover the pot again.  Let the pot sit for 15 minutes for the bulgur to absorb the water.  Fluff with a fork.

Transfer the mixture to a large plastic container.  Add the Herb ingredients.  Stir well and kneed with hands to evenly mix the ingredients.

Scoop about 1½ T of the mixture with your hands and pat/roll it into 2 inch rolls.  Repeat for the rest of the rest of the mixture.

We’ve been on a bit of a sandwich kick lately, and thought we’d try Peking VegPork in a sandwich instead of on top of rice.  The results were delicious.  Below is the recipe, adapted from Wei-Chuan’s Szechwan Style cookbook for our vegetarian diet and tastes.  The Peking VegPork goes over rice by itself well too.

Ingredients:

• 35 oz VegeFarm Vege Bacon Ham
• bunch of cilantro
• bunch of lettuce
• mayo for garnish (optional)
• 10 sub rolls
• 3 T sweet bean paste
• ½ T sugar

Marinade:

• 2 T water
• 2 T rice wine
• 1½ T soy sauce
• 4 t corn starch
• 2 t cooking oil

Instructions:

Combine the Marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.

Slice the Vege Bacon Ham into 1½ long thin strips.  Add the sliced ham to the Marinade.  Stir to coat evenly and allow to marinade for 20 minutes.

Heat 3 T of cooking oil in a wok or large saute pan on medium high heat.  Add the sweet bean paste and sugar and stir-fry for a minute.  Add the marinated vege bacon ham and stir-fry for 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat.

To assemble the sandwiches, toast the sub bread until it’s crispy on the outside.  Cut the sub in half, making sure not to cut all the way through.  Place the may on the sandwich (optional), then leaves of lettuce, followed by sprigs of cilantro, and then finally the Peking vegpork.

Found this quinoa salad recipe on Food Network and made minor modifications to fit our taste.  Has a lovely mildly tangy taste and fresh crunch texture.  It’s super healthy, with the protein-heavy quinoa and nutrient dense vegetables.  Makes fora great light side or snack.

Ingredients:

• 6 c water
• 2 c quinoa, rinsed
• 2 Japanese cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 c mint leaves, chopped
• 1 c extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 T salt
• 1 t black pepper

Instructions:

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa, stir, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, over medium heat for 12 minutes. Strain and rinse well with cold water, shaking the sieve well to remove all moisture.

When dry, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, onion, tomato, parsley, mint, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and toss well. Spoon onto endive spears, top with avocado, and serve.