International Food Recipes
Expand Your Taste Buds
We've all had a lot of the same dishes in our lives. Many of us like to go back to the old tried and true recipes we've had before. As they say, if it 'aint broke, don't fix it. However, there are SO many other food options we don't let ourselves try because they seem foreign to us. Not only does it help expand your palate, it allows you to have an appreciation for cultures that aren't your own. Open up your mind (and your stomach) and try out some of these delicious international food recipes, most of which you can make with ingredients from our store! There's a lot of diverse recipes in here from Japanese to Indian food!
Tofu poke bowl
The Tofu Poke Bowl is a refreshing Japanese dish, featuring delicate tofu, served with fresh vegetables and rice.
Ingredients
1 tbsp of Ponzu sauce (hot sauce or soy sauce also works)
½ tbsp vinegar
5g ginger peeled and grated
1 tsp sesame oil
300g tofu (Soyarie, Big Mountain and Wildwood are all great selections you can get in our store.)
100g edamame beans
250g pouch cooked quinoa
100g radishes sliced
2 carrots peeled into ribbons
2 spring onions finely sliced
2 small seaweed thins crumbled (Try Nora Seaweed)
1 tsp sesame seeds
Directions
Step 1
Combine the ponzu, vinegar, ginger and sesame oil in a bowl. Pat the tofu dry and tear into chunks, then gently toss in the ponzu mixture.
Step 2
Pour some boiling water over the edamame and set aside for 2 mins before draining thoroughly and seasoning with salt.
Step 3
Divide the quinoa between bowls and top with the edamame, radishes and carrots. Spoon over the tofu and drizzle over the remaining dressing before scattering over the spring onions, seaweed and sesame seeds.
Vegan Burrito Bowl
This vegan burrito bowl is superb and a staple of Mexican cuisine.
Ingredients
250g brown rice
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp hot chilli powder
1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
400g black beans drained
4 tomatoes chopped
1 small red onion finely chopped, about 75g
20g fresh coriander chopped
2 limes juiced
2 avocados
NOTE: The tomatoes, red onion, coriander and lime juice are there to make salsa, however, if you'd like to save time, you can purchase one of the many salsa options we have in the store.
Directions
Step 1
Pour the rice and 600ml water into a pan, then stir in the tomato purée, cumin, chilli and bouillon powder. Cover and cook over a low heat for 20 mins until the rice is tender, and it has absorbed the liquid. Remove from the heat and stir in the black beans.
Step 2
Meanwhile, mix the tomatoes with the red onion, coriander and lime juice to make a salsa (or if you want to save time, you can just buy some of the salsa options we have in the store) Roughly mash the remaining lime juice with the avocados to create a chunky texture.
Step 3
Spoon the rice into four bowls or rigid containers. Top with the tomato salsa and avocado.
Simple Pad Thai
Who needs take-out? You’ll love this Asian-inspired stir-fry dish loaded with crisp veggies and a rich peanutty sauce.
Ingredients
1 package of Thai Kitchen noodles
½ cup Teriyaki Sauce
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup snow pea pods
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
½ cup carrots
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
Juice of 1 lime
Directions
Step 1
Prepare noodles according to package directions. In small bowl, combine teriyaki sauce and peanut butter.
Step 2
In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables. Move veggies to one side of the pan. Add beaten eggs to the other side, breaking them up with a rubber spatula until just set. Cook veggies until tender.
Step 3
Add reserved sauce, cooked noodles and lime juice. Toss until noodles and veggies are coated.
Serve topped with chopped cilantro and/or peanuts for garnish.
Jerk Potato and Black Bean Curry
Serve your vegetable curry Caribbean style, flavoured with thyme, jerk seasoning and red peppers – great with rice and peas. A famous Jamaican dish!
Ingredients
2 onions, 1 diced, 1 roughly chopped
2 tbsp sunflower oil
50g ginger roughly chopped
2 thyme sprigs
1 chopped tomato
4 tbsp red wine vinegarr
1kg sweet potato peeled and cut into chunks
2 cans black beans (other types of beans will work)
2 roasted red pepper cut into thick slices
Directions
Step 1
Gently soften the diced onion in the sunflower oil in a big pan or casserole.
Step 2
Meanwhile, combine roughly chopped onion, ginger and season to your liking. Add to the softened onion and fry until fragrant. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, and vinegar with 600ml water and bring to a simmer.
Step 3
Simmer for 10 mins, then drop in the sweet potatoes and simmer for 10 mins more. Stir in the beans, peppers and some seasoning, and simmer for another 5 mins until the potatoes are almost tender. Stir together and serve!
Vangi Bath
Delicious south Indian food-- rice cooked with butter-soft eggplants.
Ingredients
3 Cups cooked basmati rice
2 teaspoon coconut oil (divided)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 pound eggplants (cut into a small, 1-cm dice)
1/4 cup of peanuts
Salt to taste
Directions
Step 1
Heat teaspoon of oil and add the mustard seeds. Once they sputter, add the curry leaves and sautè them a minute or two until they begin to look crispy.
Step 2
Add the eggplants along with a teaspoon of salt. Stir to mix, then cover the skillet with a lid, turn the heat to low or medium low, and let the eggplants cook about 5-10 minutes until they are really tender. Stir them several times while cooking to make sure they are not sticking. Once the eggplants are cooked, stir in the peanuts and sautè another couple of minutes. Then add the cooked rice and the season to your liking.
Step 3
Mix everything well but use a light touch so you don't end up mashing the rice --the grains should remain separate. Check salt and add more if needed. Garnish with cilantro and grated coconut, if using. Serve hot or warm.
Vegan Raita (Indian Yogurt Dip)
Raita is a cooling yogurt-based Indian sauce with cucumber and mint.
Ingredients
1/4 of a medium cucumber, unpeeled
1 cup unsweetened nondairy yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
1- inch piece fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
Juice of 1⁄2 lime
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
Pinch of cayenne pepper or Indian red chili powder (this is NOT the same thing as regular chili powder; it’s pure chili powder and is much spicier)
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Directions
Step 1
Grate the cucumber using a box grater. Wrap the grated cucumber in several layers of paper towels or in a clean dish towel and squeeze thoroughly to press out as much water as you can.
Step 2
Add the grated cucumber to a bowl with the nondairy yogurt. Add in the remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Portuguese Tofu Fritters
These tasty Tofu Fritters offer a delicious, vegan twist on the classic Portuguese dish.
Ingredients
300g extra firm tofu
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
120 g all-purpose flour
120 ml ice cold water
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions
Step 1
Slice the tofu into very thin strips then crumble. This will give the tofu a flaked fish texture. Place into a large mixing bowl. Next, add the minced garlic, chopped parsley, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to the bowl and mix well to incorporate everything evenly.
Step 2
Add in the flour then mix again until the flour evenly coats the mixture. Pour in the ice-cold water and gently mix to form a batter (Watch out not to over-mix) In a large frying pan over medium heat, pour vegetable oil, once the oil is hot carefully spoon in 2 tablespoons worth of the mixture and flatten into a round patty. Fry on both sides until golden brown and crispy.
Step 3
Remove from the pan and drain the excess oil on a paper towel lined plate. Fry in batches until all the batter has been used.
Conclusion
You don't have to eat the same dishes over and over again, diversify your taste by trying some international recipes! Who knows? You may find a new favourite! All of these recipes are fairly easy to make, with most of the ingredients available right here in our store. If you're having trouble finding an ingredient, don't hesitate to ask one of our highly-educated staff for help!
