for the lemon pasta we start by putting water to boil,
then to a large non stick-pan I add olive oil,
finely sliced garlic,
grated zest of 1 medium lemon,
I zest the whole lemon -
it makes for a really aromatic flavour base
especially in combination with the garlic
I also add chili flakes - if you like your pasta spicy, feel free to add more then 1/2 tsp
now fry gently, on low heat, for about a minute
make sure the garlic doesn't burn
as soon as it fries, I turn the heat off and let everything cook together
only with the residual heat of the pan and the oil
now start to cook pasta in a large pot with heavily salted boiling water
add the salt only when the water boils
the pasta should be very al dente, that is 3 to 4 minutes undercooked
check the package of your pasta and cooking guidelines minus 4 mins
add 1 cup of pasta water to the sauce base
now add the spinach, and a cook them for 3 minutes, until soft
the spinach will release a lot of water
but if the pan is too dry, add a dash of water to the spinach
salt the spinach with a pinch of salt
and cook for another 2-3 mins
when the pasta is cooked
add the pasta to the pan, and ½ cup of pasta cooking water
finish cooking the pasta and the spinach in the pan
until the pasta is al dente, so around 3-4 mins
add extra water from the pasta pot
if your sauce needs extra liquid
I add a bit extra chili flakes
they add a pungent flavour to the pasta
turn off the heat and add vegan butter
I also use juice from a freshly squeezed lemon
mix well till the butter melts and the pasta is coated in the sauce
if necessary, add some extra pasta water
be careful when you turn the spaghetti, as we don't want to ruin their shape
I serve the pasta in bouquets, I like how inviting it looks on a white plate :-)
before serving I add extra chili flakes
and olive oil
lemon pasta in less than 10 mins. Buon appetito!
this tomato-cucumber salad is perfect with the lemon pasta
rinse tomatoes and cucumbers, and peel the onion
I also peel the cucumber
cut the cucumber in half on the long side, then cut each half into slices, and add to the bowl.
based on your preference, you can peel the cucumber before cutting it
cut the tomatoes and add them to in the salad. Some tomatoes can be very watery
if you find them too watery, remove some of the tomato liquid
if you use Roma tomatoes, cut them in half on the long side, then each half in slices
if you use vine tomatoes, then cut them in half, then each half in wedges
slice the onion into thin slices. If you have a big onion, then cut it in half first
if you have a shallot, you don't have to cut it in half. Just make sure to cut thin slices
I separate the onion rings before adding to the bowl, then the onions mix better in the salad
if you like, you can finely chop some parsley and add it to the bowl
alternatively, basil works too. Basil should not be finely chopped, just tear it apart with your hands to make small pieces
when you are ready to serve the salad, add olive oil,
vinegar,
salt and pepper, and mix well
serve as a side with your lemon pasta, or with another dish
or as a starter with some toasted bread
"I love it"
ok, now it's time for a quick pan-fried tofu recipe
for this recipe I usually consider 3 slices of tofu per person
that is about 1 block of tofu of 4.5 oz or 125g
cut six tofu slices, each ⅕ inch or ½ cm thick. I usually cut about 3 slices per tofu block
add flour to a plate,
then coat the tofu slices on both sides by pressing them onto the flour
the tofu should be slightly wet for the flour to stick, so do NOT pat it dry
keep going until they are fully covered in flour
now add oil to a non-stick pan
crushed clove of garlic (I prefer when the peel is removed)
a sprig of fresh rosemary
then when the oil is warm, add the tofu slices
on medium heat, fry the tofu on both sides till golden
It should take about 2 minutes per side
remove the garlic clove and rosemary - the flavour is already in the oil
the tofu should look crisp and golden
season with salt and pepper on both sides
add the white wine (or vegetable broth if you prefer) to the hot pan with the tofu,
then let the wine cook for 1 minute, lower the heat
and squeeze in about ½ lemon
while the tofu cooks, in a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of water,
then add it liquid to the pan with the tofu
move the tofu around, until the liquid becomes thicker, like a sauce
finish cooking till the tofu is coated in the lemon sauce
It should take about another minute or two
serve with the sauce and some freshly ground pepper on top
if you like, you can sprinkle with some grated lemon zest and chopped parsley
it is always inviting with a bit of color when you serve the food <3
a thin slice of lemon
eat next to the lemon pasta and serve with a fresh tomato cucumber salad
Buon appetito!