Cha Soba Noodle Salad

We recently had the pleasure to have Chef Simon in the Savor kitchen to create a few delicious and healthy meals to feature on our menu. Chef Simon is passionate about cooking and is currently working at the award winning, restaurant Awai in Toronto, where he collaborates with a team of chefs to create spectacular vegan meals. Simon has also partnered with Chef David Howie from Solasta in Oakville, where they are going to be hosting their 3rd tasting dinner with wine pairings on August 26th. Simon's creativity is evident in the kitchen when creating dishes using extravagant plant-based ingredients. He uses his knowledge and experience to educate others on the benefits of a “vegetable forward” diet, and how it can still be enjoyable. You can visit Simon's blog here where he shares some of his favourite plant-based recipes. 

Although the Chefs are taking a break and won't be cooking in the Savor kitchen this week, we didn’t want to leave you hungry! So, here are a few of our summer 'Savor'ites for you to try on your own in your kitchen! 

Vegan Rainbow Potato Salad

(www.ilovevegan.com)

Serves 5 cups

• 1.5 lb Rainbow little potatoes, quartered
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp vegan mayo
• 3 tbsp pickle juice
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup carrot, grated
• 1/4 cup celery, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp dill, finely chopped
• 1-2tbsp dill pickles, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp red onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp green onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cover the quartered potatoes with cold water, add 1 tsp of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down to a simmer and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Do not overcook.
2. In a small bowl, combine the vegan mayo, pickle juice, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add the dressing to the potatoes while they're still warm. Mix with a fork, mashing slightly to thicken the dressing.
3. Cool the potatoes and dressing in your fridge or freezer until they are room temperature or cooler.
4. Gently mix in all the remaining ingredients: carrot, celery, dill, pickles, red onion, green onion, red and green bell pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. The flavours will marry and intensify if you refrigerate overnight before serving. Garnish with paprika and dill.

Chipotle Maple Glazed Tofu Burgers

6 Burgers

Burgers:

• 1 block extra-firm tofu
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (or sauce)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Chipotle Mayo:

• 1/3 cup vegan mayo
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder

Garnish with - guacamole, spinach, tomato, red onion.

Directions:

1. Cut block of tofu in half (so you have 2 square blocks) and then slice each block lengthwise into thirds to make square patties.
2. Drain the tofu.
3. If baking, preheat the oven to 450F. Combine the rest of the marinade ingredients in a shallow dish and marinate the tofu patties for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through.
4. Scrape off the extra marinade before cooking and reserve the excess.
5. Heat a small saucepan over medium-low and add the leftover marinade. Bring to a simmer and cook until just thick. Remove from heat.
6. Baking: Place patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake for another 10 minutes. Top with ½ of the thickened glaze and bake for 4 minutes, flip and top with the remaining glaze and bake for another 4 minutes. Warm buns in the oven during the last 2-4 minutes of cooking time.
7. Pan-frying: Heat ½-1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Place patties in hot oil and cook until browned around the edges, about 5 minutes, flip and brown the other side. Top with ½ of the thickened glaze and flip, cooking until the glaze bubbles and thickens. Top with the remaining glaze, flip and cook until both sides are coated with glaze.
8. In a bowl, combine all mayo ingredients. Prepare other desired garnish.

Peach Crumble

(minimalistbaker.com)

Serves 6

• 8 ripe peaches, halved, pits removed, chopped
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 176 C) and lightly coat an 8x8 (or similar size) baking dish with coconut or olive oil.
2. Add peaches directly to the dish as you chop it and spread flat.
3. In a bowl add crumble ingredients (including 4 Tbsp oil) and, using your hands or a wooden spoon, mix until all everything is combined.
4. Add to the top of the fruit in an even layer and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the top is crisp and golden.
5. Serve as is, or with dairy-free ice cream, such as Raspberry Ripple or Cherry Pie! Best when fresh, though leftovers keep for 2-3 days covered in the refrigerator.

We’re going back to the basics! Cooking grains is a straightforward process that is often deemed more complicated than it needs to be. We want to give you our tips and methods on how we end up with the perfectly cooked grains every time.

Cooking rice:

1. Rinse your rice. This isn’t always necessary, but it rinses away the starch on the surface and leaves the cooked rice more fluffy.
2. Absorption method: There are a few different ways you can cook your rice. The absorption method is done by using a ratio of rice to water leaving all the water to be absorbed. A general rule to use is 1 cup of rice to 1 3/4 cup water. Brown rice requires more water, shorter-grain rice requires less water. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add rice and cover with a fitted lid and reduce heat to a low simmer. After about 12 minutes, the liquid should be absorbed. Remove from heat and let the pot sit covered to keep it moist and fluffy.

Cooking quinoa:

1. Rinse your quinoa. Quinoa should always be rinsed as it has a natural coating, called saponin that can leave a bitter taste.
2. Absorption method: Similar to rice, there are different methods to cook quinoa. It has a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water. Pour 1 cup of rinsed quinoa into a pot with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring water to a rolling boil, lower the heat and cover for about 15 minutes. After this, removed from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered. Fluff the quinoa with a fork once finished.
3. Excess Water Method: This is the same method you would use to cook pasta. Add quinoa to a pot and fill with a large amount of water. Cook quinoa for 15 minutes then strain away the excess water. This method will always guarantee perfectly cooked quinoa. 

You can find our perfectly cooked rice or quinoa in many of our dishes such as the Quinoa Confetti Salad, Summer Savor Bowl, or our Lemongrass Peas & Sticky Rice.