A few months ago, a subscriber wrote in to tell us that she would love us to dedicate a mailer to
vegetarian dishes. For a glamourous split-second, we almost felt like a DJ being given a music
request. Then we were jarred out of our idyllic, suburban, domestic bliss to realize we don’t know
what DJs are anymore. Anyway, to make up for a subject we have completely (unintentionally)
avoided for almost three years in the mailer, this one literally has ‘No Moo’ – enjoy!
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Glug of olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
½ tsp NoMU Moroccan Rub
350g zucchini, grated
1½ cups cooked quinoa
¼ cup self-raising flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
NoMU Just Salt, to taste
Sunflower oil, for frying
Pistachio and Sumac Crème Fraiche Dip
125g crème fraiche
1 heaped tbsp
NoMU Pistachio and Sumac Dukkah
quinoa and zucchini ‘rosti’
Combine the dip ingredients together in a small bowl.
In a frying pan, heat a glug of olive oil and add the diced shallot. Sauté until the
shallot has softened. Add the garlic and the NoMU Moroccan Rub and sauté for a further
minute. In a large bowl, place the grated marrows, the cooked quinoa, the flour and
the eggs and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the shallot mixture to the bowl and stir.
Season with salt.
In a large pan, heat enough sunflower oil for shallow frying. Using a tablespoon, spoon
the zucchini mixture into the oil and gently flatten slightly with the back of the spoon.
In batches, fry the cakes until they are golden and crisp, which should take no more
than a minute on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon or stainless steel spatula and
drain on kitchen paper. Continue until all of the batter has been used.
Serve warm with Pistachio & Sumac crème fraiche.
Serves: 6
WINE PAIRING: Ooh, this dish
sounds kinda delicate. How about
something gentle but happy-making,
like Chamonix’s Sauvignon Blanc
Reserve?
saag paneer
To make the paneer, pour the milk into a saucepan and scald (heat to
just before boiling point). Add the yoghurt, salt and the lime or lemon
juice and stir through. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice,
a teaspoon at a time, until the milk curdles. The curd will then separate from the whey. Do not add more lemon juice than necessary as
this will harden the paneer. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 7-10
minutes. Once the milk splits, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Place a sieve or strainer over a bowl and line with a piece of muslin or
cheese cloth. Pour the milk mixture through it to strain it and catch
the solid pieces, known as the curd. Squeeze the cloth to get rid of
excess moisture and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the saag, steam or blanch the spinach until just cooked and
still bright green. Place in a strainer, refresh under cold water, then
squeeze out the excess water and set aside.
Paneer
450ml milk
½ cup plain yoghurt
Salt
2 tsp lime or lemon juice
Saag
300g fresh baby spinach
2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
¼ tsp NoMU Indian Rub
¼ tsp NoMU Masala Rub
Pinch of NoMU Just Salt
½ tsp NoMU Vegetable Fond
100 ml warm water
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and sauté until lightly
golden. Add the garlic, ginger, NoMU Indian and Masala Rub and a
pinch of salt and fry for another minute or 2. Place in a blender or
processor together with the spinach and 100ml prepared Vegetable
Fond and puree until fairly smooth. Return to the pan and heat
through. Add the paneer and gently stir through, reserving a few
blocks for garnish. Sprinkle with another pinch of NoMU Masala Rub
and serve immediately.
Serves: 2 as a vegetarian meal or 4 as an accompaniment
Tip: Delicious as a vegetarian meal served with Dhal or Basmati rice
or as an accompaniment to any Indian meal. Paneer will keep for 4-5
days in the fridge.
WINE PAIRING: It’s tricky to pair a wine with spinach, cos often it jars and you get a metallicky taste. But the Chenin/Blanc
Viognier from Joostenberg has a soft, yellow fruitiness that should work. Num. Nips off to find herself a glass of something tart
and wet. This is dangerous stuff... wine pairing.
vegetable tempura
¼ butternut peeled and seeded
1 large carrot, peeled
1 sweet potato, peeled
100g asparagus
200ml ice water
1 egg yolk
100g flour
Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
Dipping Sauce
1 cup hot water
1 tsp NoMU Vegetable Fond
OR 1 tbsp dashi granules
60ml mirin
45 ml soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
Combine the ingredients, stirring
well to dissolve the sugar.
Allow to cool before use.
Using a vegetable peeler or a very sharp knife, make thin strips of
butternut, carrot and sweet potato. Place the vegetable strips and
asparagus aside in order to prepare the batter.
Place the water into a medium-sized bowl and whisk in the egg using
chopsticks. Add the flour and gently whisk to combine. Do not over
whisk! A few lumps and bumps add to the success!
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or medium-sized pot. Once the oil
is hot, in batches, dip the vegetable strips and asparagus into the
batter and drop them into the oil. Allow them to rise and turn a light
golden colour. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until all the
vegetables are done and you are left with a stack of golden and crispy
tempura vegetables.
Serve with tempura dipping sauce.
Serves: 4
Tip: You can use whatever vegetables that you prefer or have available.
Prawns are also scrumptious!
pak choy and king oyster mushrooms
12 whole baby pak choy, rinsed
½ tbsp peanut or sunflower oil
100g king oyster mushrooms
In a large saucepan, add all of the sauce ingredients and heat through
over a low heat, stirring slowly. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove
the pan from the heat.
Sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp palm sugar
3 tbsp prepared
NoMU Chicken Fond
Steam the pak choy in a bamboo steamer until they are bright green
and tender. Alternatively, if you have a pot of hot stock or broth on
the go, poach the pak choy quickly in the pot. Arrange on each of four
serving plates.
To serve
Sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the mushrooms. Flash fry the
mushrooms until they are just cooked and golden brown. Add the prepared sauce to the pan and glaze the mushrooms. Pour the mushrooms
and sauce over the portions of steamed pak choy.
Top the pak choy and mushrooms with lightly toasted sesame seeds
and serve immediately.
Serves: 4
easy ricotta and lemon gnocchi
with wilted spinach & pine nut butter
500g cups fresh ricotta cheese
125g flour
50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
½ tsp NoMU One For All Grinder
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 med organic eggs
½ cup semolina
100g butter
50g pine nuts
250g baby spinach leaves
NoMU Just Salt
NoMU Just Pepper
Parmesan shavings, to serve
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, flour, parmesan, NoMU One For All
and the lemon zest. Lightly whisk the eggs and mix into the ricotta mixture.
Season well.
Sprinkle the semolina onto a clean, dry work surface. Divide the gnocchi
mixture into 3 equal portions, place on the semolina and carefully roll into
2cm thick ropes. Slice into 3cm long pieces and gently roll each pieces over
the back of a fork and pinch the sides together lightly to shape.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook half the gnocchi for
3-4 minutes or until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon
and place in a colander to drain while you cook the other half.
While cooking the gnocchi, melt the butter in a large pan and allow to sizzle
and foam. Add the pine nuts and fry until golden brown. Add the spinach and
allow the spinach to just wilt. Add the gnocchi and toss through to coat and
combine thoroughly. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Spoon into 4 heated bowls, including the butter, and top with shavings of
parmigiano reggiano.
Serves: 4
WINE PAIRING: Hmmm... again with the tricky spinach!
Mebbe an unwooded chardonnay? The Constantia Uitsig one is
v delicious and again, has good acidity to cut the richness.
Snob bon mot to chuck in? ‘The gnocchi really brings out the
lemon notes in the wine, don’t you think?’
ginger noodle broth, deep-fried tofu
with oriental salt
Ginger Broth
1 litre water
30ml NoMU Vegetable Fond
3 slices fresh ginger
1 stem lemongrass, bruised
1 red chilli, split (optional)
1 tsp light soy sauce
Juice of ½ lime
*Oriental Salt
1 tbsp coarse salt
1 tbsp NoMU Oriental Rub
Tofu with Oriental Salt
Oil, for deep frying
2 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp oriental salt*(recipe below)
350g firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
To serve
1 shallot, peeled and finely sliced
150g vermicelli egg noodles (not rice
noodles)
Cook your noodles according to the instructions.
To make the broth, heat the water in a large pot until boiling and add the
NoMU Fond. Stir to dissolve. Add the ginger pieces, the lemongrass, the
chilli, the soy sauce and the lime juice. Allow the broth to simmer on a
low heat until fragrant. Pour the broth into a large jug and strain though
a very fine sieve or muslin cloth back into the pot. You will now have a
lovely clear broth.
To make the oriental salt, grind the salt and the NoMU Oriental Rub
together in a pestle and mortar until fine.
Heat a deep pan of oil on the stove. Add the sliced shallots and fry until
they are crispy and lightly golden. Remove from the oil and leave to drain.
In a bowl, combine the corn flour and the oriental salt together. Coat the
cubes of tofu in the flour mixture and, a few at a time, fry the tofu until
golden and crispy. Remove using a slotted spoon and leave to drain on
kitchen paper. Continue until all of the tofu has been fried.
Serve the ginger broth with the prepared noodles, topped with crispy shallots
and deep-fried tofu on the side.
Serves: 4 – 6
Tip: To make the broth more substantial, you can add your favourite oriental
veggies, such as pak choy, tatsoi, shiitake mushrooms, spring onion and
mange tout to the broth. If you eat shellfish, prawns are also a fabulous
addition!
WINE PAIRING: For this, I’d whip out some saké. Mostly because I
love saké and foist it on others at every available opportunity. But
for this, I’d drink saké cold I think, not warm... for the contrast.
warm mushroom salad with pan dressing
4 tbsp olive oil
250g Portabellini mushrooms, halved
½ tsp NoMU One For All Grinder
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
NoMU Just Salt, to taste
150g baby salad leaves
(wild rocket, watercress,
baby butter lettuce)
100g soft goat’s cheese
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
50g flaked almonds, lightly toasted
*To garnish:
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
Sunflower oil, for frying
Lightly toast your almonds in the oven or in a dry pan.
In a small pan, heat enough sunflower oil for shallow frying.
Add the sliced shallots and fry until they are crispy and lightly
golden. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and leave
to drain on kitchen paper.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the mushrooms.
Flash fry over high heat for 30 - 60 seconds, until the mushrooms are just cooked, golden on the outside but still firm
on the inside. Add the NoMU Grinder while doing so. Add the
white balsamic vinegar and remove from the heat. Season
with salt.
To assemble the salads, place the baby leaves on a gorgeous
platter. Roughly break the goat’s cheese over the salads and
add slices of avocado. Pour over the mushrooms including
the pan dressing. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and
crispy shallots.
Serves: 4
Tip: Toasted pine nuts also work really well in this recipe
instead of the almonds.
WINE PAIRING: Well, there aren’t many red options in this mailer, so I’m going to squish one
in here. The Kleine Zalze Gamay Noir is a light, fruity red that you can chill a bit. If anyone
looks at you dodge when you serve it, mutter about it ‘complementing the earthiness of the
mushrooms’ and ‘cutting the richness of the goat’s cheese.’ People love bollocks like that.
flourless chocolate and almond cake
225g NoMU Hot Chocolate Chunks
25g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Extra butter for greasing
5 eggs, separated
170g caster sugar
1 tsp NoMU Vanilla Extract
125g ground almonds
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp cider vinegar
To decorate
NoMU Cocoa Powder
Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
Butter a 25cm springform tin.
Place your chocolate in a glass bowl and
gently melt in the microwave. Mix the
butter into the melted chocolate. Whisk the egg whites with
the sugar to meringue/soft peak consistency, beat in the
egg yolks and the Vanilla Extract, then fold in the ground
almonds. Fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate
and butter, and finally add the milk and vinegar.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes,
or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin. Place on a cake stand
and sprinkle with cocoa powder.
Serves: 4
Tip: The vinegar stops the cake from cracking too much
when it rises.