Lentil and Brown Rice Burgers

The recipe says this makes 15 small patties but I found this made around 8 good sized patties. I left out the flaked yeast as I didn't have any and increased the soy sauce and added cumin. Good with an onion jam and yoghurt sauce as well as the usual burger accompaniments.

• 1/2 cup brown (crimson) lentils
• 1 & 1/2 cups water
• 1 onion sliced and lightly fried
• 1 cup cooked brown rice (as in, 1 cup once it's cooked, not one cup before it's cooked)
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 4 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce/tamari
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons flaked savoury yeast
• 1/4 cup water
• rice bran oil for frying

1. cook lentils and water for around 30 minutes or until soft
2. mix all ingredients well in a bowl and let sit for around 5 minutes
3. fry in a hot non-stick fry pan with a little oil - around 2 minutes per side
4. serve with veges or with a fresh wholemeal bun & salad

Quesadillas

I double the amount of beans. Refried beans, or refried black beans, also work well in this. A regular frying pan is fine too. Serves four.

For the black bean paste

230g cooked black beans (tinned are fine)

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp cayenne

1 bunch coriander, chopped, stalks and all

Juice of 1 lime

½ tsp Maldon sea salt

For the salsa

½ small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

½ tbsp white-wine vinegar

3 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

5 medium sweet tomatoes, diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 mild red chilli, finely diced

1 bunch coriander, chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish

1½ tsp Maldon sea salt

Juice of ½ a lime

2 ripe medium avocadoes, diced

For the tortillas

8 small tortillas (corn look better, but flour are fine)

180ml soured cream

120g good mature cheddar, grated

6 tbsp jalapeño peppers in vinegar, drained and roughly chopped

Drain the beans of their water and place, along with the other paste ingredients, in a food processor bowl. Pulse to a rough paste.

To make the salsa, soak the onion in the vinegar in a large bowl for a few minutes. Add all the other ingredients and stir.

Have ready a hot barbecue or a ridged griddle pan. Take one of the tortillas and spread two tablespoons of bean paste in the centre, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Spread a tablespoon of soured cream over the paste, then scatter over the cheddar, a tablespoon of salsa and some chopped jalapeños. Fold the tortilla over and carefully transfer to the barbecue or griddle. Cook for two to three minutes on each side, by which time the filling should be warm and the tortilla nicely charred. Transfer to a warm place, and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

To serve, cut each tortilla into two at an angle, place on a serving dish and spoon the remaining salsa alongside, garnished with coriander leaves.

Black Pepper Tofu

Good served with brown rice, kewpie mayonnaise, avo, capsicum, cabbage, green beans etc. I reduce the amount of chillies, and also the amount of black pepper by a bit. Serves four.

800g firm, fresh tofu
Cornflour, to dust the tofu
Vegetable oil, for frying
150g butter
12 small shallots (350g), peeled and thinly sliced
8 red chillies, thinly sliced
12 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp chopped ginger
5 tbsp crushed black peppercorns 
3 tbsp sweet soy sauce
3 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
16 small, thin spring onions, cut into segments 3cm long

Cut the tofu into 3cm x 2cm blocks and toss them in cornflour, shaking off the excess. Pour in enough oil to come 0.5cm up the sides of a large frying pan, and bring up to frying heat. Fry the tofu in batches in the oil, turning the pieces as you go. Once they are golden all around, and have a thin crust, transfer to a paper towel.

Remove the oil and any sediment from the pan and throw in the butter. Once it has melted, add the shallots, chillies, garlic and ginger, and sauté for about 15 minutes on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the contents of the pan are shiny and totally soft. While you wait, crush the peppercorns, using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder. They should be quite coarse.

When the shallots and chillies are soft, add the soy sauces and the sugar, stir, then stir in the crushed pepper. Warm the tofu in the sauce for about a minute, then add the spring onion and stir through. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Mejadra

250ml sunflower oil
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
250g green or brown lentils
2 tsp cumin seeds
1½ tbsp coriander seeds
200g basmati rice
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp ground allspice
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
Salt and black pepper
350ml water

Heat the sunflower oil in a medium-size heavy-based saucepan. When very hot, carefully add a third of the sliced onion. Fry for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice, golden-brown colour and turns crispy. Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with two more batches of onion.

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain into a colander.

Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place over a medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two, until they release those distinctive aromas. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water. Bring to a boil,   cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes. 

Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Finally, tip the rice and lentils into a large mixing bowl. Add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion.

 Good served with tomato kasundi (see post below) and yoghurt/coriander/mint. Serves 4.

Tomato Kasundi

• 60ml sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 1/4 cup peeled, grated fresh ginger
• 4 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 seeded, finely chopped green chilli
• 30ml of malt vinegar
• 2x 400g cans diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 130ml malt vinegar
  
  1. Step 1
     Heat 60ml sunflower oil in a large saucepan until hot. Add 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds,1 tablespoon turmeric, 2 tablespoons cumin and 2     
     teaspoons chilli powder. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes to release the flavours.
  2. Step 2
     Add 1/4 cup peeled, grated fresh ginger, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 seeded, finely chopped green chilli and 30ml of malt vinegar and cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Step 3
     Add two 400g cans diced tomatoes, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 130ml malt vinegar and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours.
  4. Step 4
     The kasundi is ready when the oil comes to the top.