June 3, 2013

June Potluck!!!

Last month was 'cozy' with a smaller attendance than usual; let's see if we can spread the word that vegan food is delicious to more this month. Please email this event to your friends as I can only email it to my personal friends. 


Are you ready for a sampling of summer salads?? This month's Seoul Vegan Potluck will be held June 15th at 1 PM on the beautiful new deck at Bless U. Don't worry, we won't be too hot because there is lovely shade tree and covered area.

This month's theme is Summer Salads. Pasta, veggie, quinoa, fruit, anything, chickpea, tofu~ the possibilities are endless! Please bring enough to share!

http://ohsheglows.com/categories/recipes-2/food-sides/sides-salads/

http://pinterest.com/farmermarketveg/vegan-salads/

http://www.food.com/recipes/salads-vegan


A few notes:

Remember if you come at 1, you will have a chance to sample all the goodies. Late arrivals may risk missing out on some good eats.

Try to label your dishes so that we know what we are eating, and who to ask about ingredients/preparation. You can just tape a small paper to the side the the dish and your name.

Please thank Bless U by purchasing a beverage or three! Please do not bring any beverages.

Directions: Go straight out of Itaewon Exit 1. Turn right at the fourth alley. Bless U is on the left on the second floor above My Chi Chi.



June 1, 2013

Crunchy, spicy Tofu bites

Last week I held a mini potluck for a few guests and made these, they went down amazingly so thank you Gemma !!
From Gemma Wardle and her blog
Ingredients
2 blocks of Tofu (squeezed, frozen, then defrosted)
4 tablespoons of Mexican seasoning (you can buy a giant bag at i-Herb for about $8)
2 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
200ml of soy milk
100g of flour
100g of nutritional yeast (i-Herb)
150g of  breadcrumbs (every Korean supermarket sells them 빵가루)
200ml of soy bean oil for frying
Directions
The tofu needs to be prepared in advance. Buy your blocks, pour away the water, and then put them on a plate. Top them with a board and put something heavy on top for a few hours. You may need to pour away the water every hour or so. Once they have been sufficiently dehydrated wrap them in cling film and put them in the freezer. They need to freeze at least overnight but you can leave them in there as long as you like. Take it out the day you want to use it and let it defrost. You will notice that the tofu has now become much firmer and spongier. Squeeze out as much extra water as you can. Then cut the blocks into chunks.
Mix together the Mexican seasoning, Worcestershire sauce , sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and a tablespoon or two of the soy milk until it makes a paste. Toss the tofu chunks in the sauce and leave to marinate for an hour or so in a container in the fridge.
Put the breadcrumbs and the nutritional yeast into a large bowl and mix. Place the flour in a second bowl and pour the remaining soy milk into a third bowl. First roll the tofu chunks in the flour, then dip them into the soy milk and finally roll them in the breadcrumb and yeast mixture making sure they are evenly coated. In a frying pan pour in enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, then keep on a low to medium heat. Cook the chunks in batches, cooking for a few minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Remove them from the pan when they are done and place on a piece of kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Repeat until all your tofu bites are cooked. Serve with with the dip of your choice and enjoy. Voilà a cheap and easy tofu-rific treat.

Foccacia Bread!

From Gemma Wardle and her blog


500g flour (I use the baksul one with bread on the front)
2 x 8g packets of yeast
2 teaspoons of salt
400ml of warm water
2 tablespoons of olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
Topping
10-15 cherry tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of thyme
Directions
Mix the flour, salt, and yeast together in a bowl. Add the water in stages and mix thoroughly with the flour. The dough may seem as though it’s very wet but that’s how it should be. Once all the water is in, you can add the olive oil. Knead the dough for about five minutes until it has become stretchy and elastic. You can either do this on an oiled board or in your hands. Do not add any more flour to the mix. I prefer to knead it in my hands, pulling and stretching it until is is about right. Put the dough in an oiled container, drizzle with olive oil, cover with cling-film, and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
After the dough has risen it should look like this







Knock the dough back down and move the dough to a second oiled container and leave to rise once again for about 30 minutes. Make the dimples in the bread by using your finger or knuckle.







Place your topping in the dimples if you’re using one. Drizzle with more olive oil, dust with salt, and bake in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the dough has baked through. You may wish to turn the dough around halfway through to produce a more even colour.
To make the topping, cut you garlic into slices and halve the cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and herbs then drizzle with the oil and balsamic vinegar. Then roast in the oven for 10 minutes. If you have some fresh herbs I would recommend using them, sadly mine all died thanks to the cold winter air.
When the bread is done. Sprinkle with more salt and oil and enjoy. Voilà easy and amazing home-made focaccia bread!