Ingredients

For the marinated tempeh

400 g tempeh, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons shoyu
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon ginger juice (from 2-3 cm fresh ginger root, peeled, grated and squeezed)
1 garlic clove (sprout removed), cut in quarters
filtered water

To cook the tempeh

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon shoyu
2 tablespoons filtered water
2-3 handfuls of raisins, soaked in filtered water for 5 minutes then drained and pat dried with kitchen paper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, flakes or powder

For the cabbage

half a red cabbage, cleaned and cored, finely sliced into strips
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
apple vinegar, to taste
a pich of whole sea salt

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

In a bowl, combine the tempeh cubes, shoyu, rice vinegar and garlic. Add some filtered water, just enough to cover the tempeh. Cover with a lid or kitchen foil or cling film and place in the fridge. Leave to marinate for 8-12 hours.

When the tempeh is ready to be cooked, remove the cubes from the marinade (which can be used once more to marinate some extra tempeh). Heat a frying pan or wok over a high heat and add the olive oil, shoyu and water. Stir in the tempeh cubes and sauté for a couple of minutes or until the oil, shoyu and water have been absorbed. Add the raisins and the rosemary, toss and remove from the heat. Let cool slightly (I’d say 2-3 minutes). In the meantime, place the red cabbage strips in a salad bowl, add the olive oil, the apple vinegar and the salt and toss. Add the rosemary-raisin-tempeh cubes, toss again and serve.

Ingredients

For the dressing

8 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons raw sesame oil
a pinch of whole sea salt
2 teaspoons umeboshi paste
3 teaspoons tahin
3 teaspoons apple vinegar
4 teaspoons white miso
3 teaspoons maple syrup
juice of half a lemon

For the salad

half a white cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, peeled and grated (using the the large holes of a grater)
2 handfuls of pumpkin seeds
a handful of white sesame seeds
fresh thyme, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

In a bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients and set aside. Alternatively, you can put all ingredients in a jar, secure it with a tight fitting lid and shake until perfectly combined (this is actually the quickest way to make the dressing).

In a large salad bowl, toss the cabbage with the carrot and the seeds. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and toss gently until thoroughly coated and moistened. Refrigerate to chill, garnish with the thyme and serve.

Ingredients

1 medium red cabbage
3 carrots
1/4 leek
6-8 pitted dried plums, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon whole sea salt
a pinch of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard powder
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 handfuls walnuts, coarsely chopped
fresh thyme

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

First of all, finely slice the leek and the carrots and put a wok or a frying pan on the heat. Drizzle in the olive oil. When it’s hot, add the leek, carrots, dried plums and salt, and stir fry with a wooden spoon, on a medium heat, until the leek is lightly golden. In the meantime, clean the cabbage and slice it as thinly as possible, discarding the core. Add the cabbage to the wok and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, apple juice concentrate, dried thyme, mustard and pepper and stir fry a bit longer, until the vinegar has evaporated. Stir in the walnuts and cook for another minute. Remove the wok from the heat, transfer your veggies into a salad bowl or platter, season with more salt and pepper if needed, and garnish with fresh thyme. This is equally good served warm or cool.

Notes, thoughts, ideas

Beautifully coloured, and sweet and savoury in taste, this dish is perfect on its own but also ideal to be served alongside some tofu or seitan. The cabbage and the carrots should keep their crunchiness, so be careful not to overcook them.

I used to hate seitan, I thought it was too spongy. Now I love it, because I’ve improved my seitan cooking skills and I know how to prepare it. I’ve also learned to appreciate its sponginess. It’s precisely the sponginess that makes seitan special, as this gluten meat absorbs perfectly all the flavours and aromas of the ingredients it’s cooked with…

Ingredients (makes 4-6 servings):

1 white onion, finely chopped

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 carrots, sliced into rounds

1 small-sized celeriac, peeled and cut into cubes

½ medium-sized white cabbage, shredded

½ cup of warm water plus another ½ cup of warm water

1 teaspoon dried powdered lemongrass

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

½ teaspoon dried powdered ginger

2 tablespoons chopped chives, preferably fresh

300 g seitan, cut in small chunks

whole sea salt (to taste)

Heat the oil in a stew pan over medium heat. Add the onion, lemongrass and ginger and sauté until onion is soft and transparent. Add ½ cup of warm water and throw in the carrots. Cook for 5 minutes and stir in the celeriac. Cook for another 5 minutes then add the seitan chunks and the white cabbage. Add another ½ cup of warm water, a pinch of salt and cook over low heat for about 15-25 more minutes until vegetables are tenderish and all the liquid is absorbed. While the stew is cooking, you might need to add some more water a little bit at a time to avoid sticking to the pan. Add the chives, season with another tiny pinch of salt, stir and serve.