Then I decided to follow the Japanese model and make a creative dairy-free topping using some popular ingredients usually only seen in Japan- sweet corn and mayonnaise. I guess I should have put potatoes on it as well- but I didn’t think of it, so I’ll leave that for next time. This time I used a base NOT usually seen in Japanese restaurants- a dairy-free, pine nut based basil pesto. Corn added interest and mayonnaise added the rich, creamy dimension usually added by cheese. I wasn’t sure how the DH would like mayonnaise on pizza, but happily, he seemed to really enjoy it. To my surprise, I really liked it too.

Peanut sauce is one of my favorite things, and I really loved it on pizza with grilled veggies and tofu, but the Japanese-inspired mayo pizza was yummy too. I can safely say that we’ll make both again… and I can’t wait! If you have a peanut allergy but can tolerate almonds, try substituting almond butter for the peanut butter and using your favorite oil to saute the tofu. It should be delicious!

I did not use a strictly vegan crust because I wanted to use a mild onion-garlic chebe base and the Chebe crust turns out best with eggs. I basted the Crust with paprika seasoned chili oil for the Thai-inspired pizza, and basil infused oil for the Japanese-inspired pizza. However, you could easily use a Gluten-Free vegan crust like this one and it would be wonderful. The thai style topping is already naturally vegan, but if you want to try a vegan Japanese-mayo topping, just use a vegan GF mayonnaise like Miso Mayo or Vegannaise.

For fun, check out these
Japanese Pizza Topping Flyers (non-veg)
Japanese Pizza Web Page

And only in japan would you get to see your pizza toppings dancing and talking as cute little animated figures before you crunch them up on your pizza:

Enjoy!

Dairy Free Pesto Mayo Japanese-style Pizza topping Recipe Sauces & Condiments  Vegetables  American  Japanese

Ingredients 1 GF Pizza Crust Recipe, baked for 5-10 minutes (5 for thin crust, 10 for thick crust) 1 GF, dairy free homemade basil pesto recipe: 1 cup fresh basil leaves, destemmed, and packed tightly 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted 1 tsp. rice wine or cider vinegar 1 tbsp. cup nutritional yeast flakes (optional) 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. water or more salt and pepper 1/2 of a small can corn dairy-free mayonnaise (your favorite- I used Smart Balance but recipe is easily vegan if you use GF vegan mayo like miso mayo or veganaise) Directions Preheat oven to 425. Combine ingredients for your basil pesto in a small food processor bowl or blender. Top GF Pizza Crust with basil pesto. Sprinkle with drained corn and dollop with small dabs of mayonnaise to taste. Bake GF pizza for crust’s suggested time or until mayonnaise is browned and golden. (10-20 minutes) Enjoy! Notes Small dabs of mayonnaise are probably better for this recipe, unless you really like mayonnaise…

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, inspired by pizzas seen in Japan. Please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1374 Added:  March 10, 2009 Last Modified:  March 10, 2009

Vegan Thai Peanut Tofu no-chicken Pizza Topping Recipe Sauces & Condiments  Tofu  Thai

Ingredients 1 recipe GF Pizza Crust Peanut Sauce: 1/2 cup natural peanut butter 1 tbsp or more fresh grated ginger 1 tsp. brown sugar 3 tbsp lemon juice 1tbsp. gf low sodium wheat-free tamari 1/2 cup to 1 cup water salt to taste smoked paprika (optional) 7 ounces tofu, pressed in towels for 30 minutes peanut oil salt 1/3 bunch broccoli, cleaned, florets cut in long spears sprinkle of sesame oil smoked paprika salt sprinkling of brown sugar several large leaves of chard a few drops of sesame oil salt Directions Combine peanut sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor, and reserve. Slice tofu into thin strips and saute in oil, salting lightly. When golden brown on both sides, remove from pan and slice tofu strip in half horizontally. Reserve. Sprinkle broccoli with sesame oil and rub so evenly distributed through florets. Season with smoked paprika, salt, and brown sugar. Grill (or roast in oven on high heat) until you have lovely grill marks on both sides. Reserve. Preheat oven to 425. Rinse and dry chard leaves, dribble a few drops of sesame oil and evenly distribute. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on them and place on a large cookie sheet. Roast chard leaves until done to your taste (can be dry and leaf-like or moist- depends on how you prefer!) Watch the oven carefully. When chard is done, remove and reserve. Heat peanut sauce on stove until it thickens lightly. Prepare pizza by spreading a layer of peanut sauce and topping with thinly sliced grilled broccoli, roasted chard, and fried tofu strips. Bake on 425 for 10-20 minutes, depending on your pizza crust and how crunchy you like the crust. Sauce should thicken more on the pizza. Enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, peanut sauce modified from Peanut Butter Planet recipe (for soba), compilation my own. Please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1373 Added:  March 9, 2009 Last Modified:  March 10, 2009

When I found out he was going to have a short lunch break today (due to a little Comcast errand, sigh), I decided to do what any loving wife with ties to Japan or India might do- make my DH a very special tiffin/ bento lunch so even if he couldn’t eat it at home, he could have a real meal back at work. I didn’t count on his enthusiasm- I handed him his bento (Japanese word for boxed lunch) and he immediately pulled the thing apart and started chomping. Good thing it was all packed up.

As for the contents of aforementioned tiffin..

For some reason, the corn stir fry made me think of South American corn-salsa dishes, despite the more exotic lemongrass and thai basil notes in the dish. I couldn’t help myself- I reached into the fridge, took out some corn tortillas from the fridge, and turned them into tasty quesadillas. I used some pre-grated cheese from Trader Joe’s and added some drunken goat cheese (flavored with wine, silly- the goats weren’t actually tipsy) and suddenly had a much more gourmet quesadilla. Layer one of the tiffin held corn quesadilla triangles.

In layer two, I put a generous helping of lemongrass corn stir-fry and then added a corner of avocado sprinkled with salt and a little cup with yogurt.

Finally, in layer three I placed some fresh nectarine and peach cubes (from the farmer’s market this weekend) and freshened them up with a little fresh key lime juice.

This lunch was a great way to use up “leftovers” in an entirely new way. Amazingly, Thai and South American flavors CAN go together beautifully in a tiffin… or in a bento, for that matter. (Depending on if you want to give it an Indian or Japanese twist.) And of course, every element in the tiffin was completely gluten-free.

Now that school season is looming- what do you like to pack in YOUR (or your child’s-or your partner’s) lunch box? I’d love to hear your Lunchbox menus in the comments!

PS I picked up this beautiful little tiffin box on our last trip to India. Isn’t it great? I am getting quite a collection of tiffin boxes- they’re the handiest things ever.

Fusion South American Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Corn Saute Main Course  Corn  Thai  South American

Ingredients 8 corn tortillas 1/3 bag of a Pre-grated low fat cheese like mozzarella 1 2 inch cube of a gourmet hard goat cheese, such as drunken goat cheese (with wine), cut into slivers or shredded 1/4 recipe of Lemongrass Corn Stir Fry (Recipe posted below) 1 Avocado 1 small heirloom tomato (optional), cubed kosher salt, for sprinkling 1/2 lime or a few key limes Low fat sour cream or plain low fat yogurt Directions Heat a cast iron pan on medium-high and place two corn tortillas so that as much surface as possible is touching the pan and lightly brown. Turn one over so that the remaining untoasted side is touching the pan surface and sprinkle some of your pre-shredded cheese on the browned top. Distribute a small amount of the gourmet goat cheese over the pre-shredded stuff and then cover it with the browned side of the second tortilla, leaving the untoasted side facing up. When the quesadilla is toasted on one side, carefully turn it over and brown the remaining side. (All four sides of the tortillas will have been lightly toasted.) Remove quesadilla from pan, and make the rest of the quesadillas, following the same method. Meanwhile cube your avocado and heirloom tomato and sprinkle with salt. Squirt with a little fresh lime juice and reserve. To serve, cut each quesadilla into four triangles. Plate with lemongrass corn stir fry as a topping, and add your fresh avocado tomato “salad” on the side, along with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  A fusion creation from my own brain. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1279 Added:  August 12, 2008 Last Modified:  August 12, 2008

Lemongrass Corn Stir Fry Side Dish  Vegetables  Thai

Ingredients 1 1/2 tbsp. peanut or other flavorful oil inner portion of 1 stalk lemongrass, chopped OR 2 tbsp. preserved chopped lemongrass 2 tsp. minced garlic 2 tsp. butter 1 medium onion, minced 3 cups corn kernels (about 3 ears of fresh corn) 3/4 cup gluten-free vegetarian broth (i use bullion) 2 tsp fresh lime zest 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice [pescatarian variation: add 1 tbsp. fish sauce] 1-2 tbsp. freshly julienned thai basil Directions Heat oil in wok on high and toss in the lemongrass. Let it sizzle and start to brown and then add your garlic, butter, and onion. Cook until they brown and then add your corn, and stir fry until brown. Add your vegetable broth and stir constantly until broth has reduced and been absorbed into the corn. Add your lime zest, lime juice, variation elements and heat. At the last minute stir in your fresh basil, taste, season with salt if necessary and serve. You can add a spicy flavor element if desired, like hot sauce or cayenne pepper.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Adapted from All You Can Eat! Chinese and Thai Cooking. Recipe ID:  1277 Added:  August 11, 2008 Last Modified:  August 12, 2008

Also, now that I’ve been exposed to the cake and coffee culture in Austria, I’ve been inspired to come up with gluten-free recipes for all kinds of Austrian cakes. You can expect experiments for Apple Strudel, a Gluten-free Sacher-style torte (Chocolate Cake), and more.

I’m torn between experiences of the past and present at the moment. I definitely want to share all of my past experiences with you, but now that I’m back home I have a lot of tasty plans for new dishes. So, I think I’ll alternate posts about our trip with posts about my latest culinary creations. Our first real meal home was basmati rice with southern fried tofu and roasted chili garlic broccoli. But after that, I started playing around with some new recipes. To use up leftover basmati rice, I came up with Spanish Rice Quesadillas with Refried Bean Recipe for a tasty and healthy breakfast. DH made a special request for dinner, asking for a “main dish salad with Asian flavors.” I adapted a sauce recipe from an unpretentious cookbook called “All You Can Eat Chinese and Thai Cooking” and came up with a mixture of lettuce, carrots, jicama, apple, and rice noodles for the base of the salad- enough carbs and vegetables to make us both happy. DH proclaimed it to be exactly what he wanted, and oddly enough, it turned out to be just what I wanted, too. In fact, it was so good I wanted to share it with you all right away. My next post will probably be the conclusion of my series on our Indian culinary experience, but for now, here’s a little taste of the activity in my kitchen lately. I plan on making a batch of DFIL’s Gluten-Free Norwegian Christmas Bread today, and still intend to share Adeena’s yummy recipe for Gluten-free Teff Dinner Rolls, so you can expect to see these recipes soon, too… Enjoy!

*note: as always, you can substitute any nut butter for the peanut butter in this recipe.

Spanish Rice Quesadillas with Refried Beans Main Course  Corn  Rice  Mexican

Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 2 or 3 cups cold long grained rice (white or brown) 1 whole white onion, diced 1 tbsp capers, diced 1-2 cloves garlic 2 tsp or more whole cumin seeds sprinkling of fajita seasoning corn tortillas canned vegetarian refried pinto beans 1 or 2 oz. skim mozarella or other white, lowfat cheese, sliced (optional) 1/2 fresh jicama, cubed 1/2 fresh avocado, cubed salt lime juice hot sauce if desired Directions Heat your olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat and add diced onion when hot. Sautee your diced onion and when it begins to look translucent, add your capers, garlic, and cumin seed. When seasonings are warm, add rice and sprinkle it with fajita spices and mix. If you have room, move your rice over and heat a dash of little peanut oil in a corner of the pan, adding your mashed refried beans to the oil and letting them heat. If you like, take two corn tortillas and heat them one side on the surface of the cast iron pan, moving the rice so that it is on top of the tortilla. When one side of the tortilla is lightly browned, turn over one tortilla, and layer cheese (if desired), the refried beans, some seasoned rice, and the other tortilla, with the browned side facing the filling. Let the cheese melt and turn over your quesadilla so both sides are browned. Prepare your jicama and avocado, sprinkle them with salt and squeeze some lime juice on them. Top your quesadilla with extra seasoned, mexican rice and the seasoned jicama and avocado. Add some hot sauce to the edges of your plate and enjoy. Notes This was a good way to use up the basmati rice DH wasn’t especially excited about…

Rating:  8 Original Source:  The contents of my brain, do not replicate without my permission Recipe ID:  1166 Added:  January 2, 2008 Last Modified:  January 3, 2008

Cold Szechuan Sesame Noodle Salad Main Course  Rice  Chinese

Ingredients Mild Szechwan Peanut Sauce: 3 tbsp natural peanut butter 2 tbsp wheat free tamari (i prefer San-J low-sodium variety) 1 tbsp water 4 tsp. sugar 3 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp. sesame oil 1 clove garlic, chopped a few drops of hot sauce (optional) 8 oz. skinny rice noodles (thai or vietnamese variety) a few drops of sesame oil Mild Szechuan Peanut Sauce 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds or pine nuts 1 package firm tofu peanut oil salt 1/3 head of romaine lettuce 2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks 1/4 jicama, diced 1/2 apple, sliced (optional) salt, lime juice Directions Combine ingredients for sauce in food processor or blender and process until smooth. Prepare rice noodles by bringing water to boil, submerging your noodles, turning off the burner and letting them soak until soft. Rinse in cold water and drain, reserve. Cut tofu block in half and press between towel for at least 30 minutes. Slice tofu into strips, heat a small amount of oil (1 tbsp, more if desired) in a cast iron pan and fry strips, turning when golden on one side. When both sides are golden, sprinkle with salt and put on plate with paper towel to get off any excess oil. When cool, cut into thin strips slightly bigger than a matchstick. Prepare and clean lettuce, carrots, jicama, and apple. Lightly sprinkle jicama with salt and lime juice. Make salad by preparing a bed of dry, spun lettuce leaves and topping it with the cold noodles. You can add a few drops of sesame oil (baby droplets) to the noodles to loosen them if they’ve stuck together and distribute through your serving of noodles. mix with sesame seeds or pine nuts, and other prepared vegetables (and apple). Drizzle dressing and top with tofu strips. Enjoy!

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Sauce Adapted from All You Can Eat Chinese and Thai Cooking, otherwise original so do not replicate Recipe ID:  1167 Added:  January 2, 2008 Last Modified:  January 3, 2008

In the mood for coconut?
Try Coconut Carob Truffles
Karina’s Coconut Recipes
By the Bay’s Coconut Mashed Yams
Naomi’s Chocolate Mint Coconut Cream
Or my Ginger Coconut Peanut Sauce, perfect for grilled vegetables!

Share your favorite coconut or peanut recipes in the comments, or share your post URL’s…
I’ll add them to this yummy list!

Savory Tofu Peanut Sauce Stir Fry Recipe with Coconut Rice Recipe Main Course  Rice  Asian

Ingredients Coconut Rice: 2 cups (rice cooker measurement) short grained white rice 1/2 can lite coconut milk (or small regular coconut milk) Sauce: 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup natural peanut butter 1/8 cup San-J low sodium wheat free tamari 2 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp ketchup 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like the heat) 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water, reserved Stir Fry: 1/2 yellow onion, sliced into thick strips 1 portobello mushroom, including stem. Slice cap and dice stem. 1 1/2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks. 2-3 fresh garlic cloves, diced 1 pkg. firm organic tofu (a la Trader Joes), cut in half and pressed 2 more fresh garlic cloves kosher salt peanut oil (or your favorite oil) sherry or other flavorful cooking wine Directions Rinse your rice until the water is no longer cloudy. Shake off the water and then put your rice in your rice cooker. Pour half of a can of coconut milk into the rice cooker and add water until the liquid reaches the two cup mark. (Or, just substitute coconut milk for half the water in your favorite rice recipe.) Make your sauce by combining ingredients from water to red pepper flakes into a blender. Blend. Then heat on the stove in a saucepan until the sauce begins to boil. Lower heat and let simmer for five minutes, whisking occasionally. Add cornstarch slurry and let sauce thicken, take off heat and reserve. I like two styles of tofu in my dishes for texture variety. (Optional- pick one style if you prefer.) Take one slab of tofu and slice it thinly into strips. Cut the remaining slab of tofu into cubes. Heat 1 cup or so of peanut (or canola, etc. oil with a high smoke point) over a high heat in your wok , toss in some kosher salt (if desired) and fry half of the tofu strips. Turn over when the tofu looks golden brown on one side. When fried golden on both sides, put on a rack so any extra oil can drip off. For your tofu cubes, clean your wok and pour a little (1 tbsp. or less) fresh peanut oil in the pan. Let it heat until almost at smoking point, add a whole garlic clove, let it brown and then remove from pan. Add a little salt to taste, and throw in your tofu cubes. Add your diced garlic and toss. When tofu cubes are browned on all sides (turn frequently), remove and reserve. Add a tiny bit more oil, season it with the remaining garlic clove, remove the clove, and throw in your onion strips. You may need to do one half recipe at a time. When onion looks slightly softened, throw in your diced mushroom STEM. Toss frequently. When onion looks done and browned on the edges, remove and reserve. Throw in your portobello mushroom slices and saute. When they start to soften but the pan seems dry, throw in a little sherry (tablespoons, not cup measurements). Add your carrot matchsticks and stir fry for a minute or so. Throw in the rest of your reserved ingredients, mix, and then begin to drizzle your sauce on the stir fry, mixing sauce thoroughly into the dish. Notes You will have leftover stir fry, so you can double the rice if you prefer.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  modified sauce based on Peanut Butter Planet Recipe, the rest is entirely original. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1163 Added:  November 26, 2007 Last Modified:  November 27, 2007

I think the first time I ever had summer rolls with peanut sauce was at this little vegetarian cafe in Boulder, Colorado called “The Creative Vegetarian Cafe.” That place was responsible for introducing me to many new foods, including breakfast dosas, tempeh that actually tasted good, and last but not least, the summer roll. The combination of crisp, fresh vegetables in a soft rice wrapper and creamy rich peanut sauce was swoon-worthy; and being me once I tried it and figured out how good it was, I wanted to have it all the time. The only problem was, one just wasn’t enough. I could find them as snacks in the local health food store, but they were quite expensive- being almost $4 for one little roll. And, often the peanut sauce had wheat based soy sauce in it, making my favorite part of the whole experience off limits. So, I decided I needed to learn to make my own.

I was a little confused by the name, though. Some restaurants seemed to call them fresh spring rolls, and other called them summer rolls. But which were they? The consensus seems to be that spring rolls originated in China, and are always fried, while summer rolls developed in Vietnam or Thailand and are generally served fresh. After some time consulting vegetarian and vietnamese or Thai cookbooks, I figured out how to make my own. Happily, once you have the ingredients prepped, it doesn’t take that much time to make a batch. They keep reasonably well for a day or so, although with the right fillings they could last longer. And they are extremely portable- although packing the sauce takes a little planning.

Fillings can really vary depending on your individual preference, but my standard includes rice noodles, crisp lettuce, carrot, mint, and some kind of sauteed tofu. But honestly, it’s all about the sauce, isn’t it? “Summer rolls are normally dipped in either a simple sauce consisting of hoisin sauce, garlic, peanut butter, and water which are boiled until well blended or a combination of fish sauce, garlic, sugar, lime, and carrot.” (source: Wikipedia) Personally I like to make a peanut sauce, but if I have extra time, a sweet chili sauce or prepared plum sauce goes nicely as well.

Here’s how I generally make my summer rolls…

I season pressed, sliced tofu sticks to taste. Usually I baste Chili garlic sauce on the tofu, but tonight I mixed wheat free teriyaki sauce by Edwards and Sons with my Chili Garlic Sauce. Then I sautee the tofu slices in a little oil in a frypan, adding salt or other seasonings if desired. You could substitute seafood or chicken if that is more to your taste.
I prepare all of my vegetables, cutting cucumbers, carrots, and green onions into matchsticks. (You can add anything though- I often add avocado slices, and today I used yellow pepper that I needed to use up from the farmer’s market.) Then I rinse and dry any greens, such as lettuce and fresh herbs (mint is mandatory for me, but you can use cilantro, fresh basil- or anything that inspires you). I also prepare Thai rice noodles by adding them to boiling water and turning off the heat. I think it takes about 3 minutes, but let them soften until no longer crunchy. Then I rinse them under cold water and let them drain. I lay all my filling ingredients out on plates for easy access, and prepare a wide bowl/ plate for softening the rice wrappers. I heat some hot water in a teapot and keep it close. Then I briefly soak each rice paper wrapper in the hot water, put them on a nice flat surface (some recipes suggest a damp towel, but either way is fine), pile the ingredients neatly at the bottom of the round rice sheet, roll it over once, tucking the veggies in, fold the sides like a burrito, creating an envelope, and finish rolling the package to make a little cylinder. I then place the prepared summer rolls carefully on a flat surface to dry NOT touching each other if possible (or they could stick together). They should dry and seal themselves shut. You then have beautiful little packages of flavor and freshness, that you can take just about anywhere.

You could put anything in them of course- at a yuppie deli in Chiba-shi, Japan they had ones with potato salad inside, prawns, smoked salmon and cream
cheese… even bits of beef or chicken! Of course you have to change the sauce to suit the filling, but that’s all part of the fun, isn’t it?

If you’d like to see someone making one of these, and some professional tips for making them as a carry along snack, watch this:
An excellent instructional video showing how to make summer rolls

I like any sauce, but my personal favorite has to be the sauce below; it is the product of many comparison tests. It’s an interesting recipe because it doesn’t use high calorie, high fat coconut milk like many recipes do, but yet it still manages to be delightfully creamy and decadent. It’s all about caramelizing the onions… If you’re going to make spring rolls, you gotta make a sauce to go with them. And if peanuts aren’t your thing- sweet chili sauce is the next best thing. Enjoy… And remember, if you have sauce left over- you can use it in a killer Thai salad with rice noodles and veggies! I know it’s not summer yet… But any time of year is a good time to enjoy a crisp, delightful summer roll.

Thai Peanut Sauce Sauces & Condiments  Thai

Ingredients 1 sliced small onion 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 2 cloves crushed garlic 3/4 cup NATURAL peanut butter or 1 cup dry roasted salted peanuts 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons lime juice Directions Saute onion and garlic in oil til tender. Cool. Place in blender, add everything else, and blend carefully. Slowly and carefully add enough boiling water to form a thick paste. (I like it about the texture of slightly thinned peanut butter.)

Rating:  9 Original Source:   Recipe ID:  1029 Added:  March 3, 2007 Last Modified:  March 3, 2007