Roasted Brussels sprouts with medjool dates and hot tahini

plus furikake tofu cocktail

Dear Community

As 2022 comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for being here with me. I was telling a friend the other day, I started my newsletter in 2014 when I left Australia and for the next 7 years, I probably sent 5 emails. I thought to myself, who needs to hear more from me, what more do I have to say, do people need more recipes? But this year, I decided to take on less paid editorial work in order to devote more time to this free newsletter. Turns out, that was the right decision - TO VEGETABLES, WITH LOVE has been one of my most fulfilling projects of the year. I have loved the opportunity to reconnect with my community and share recipes that I have created just for this veggie-loving crowd. Some of you have been with me since my salad delivery days…it’s really special to have maintained contact for so many years.

I am bracing myself for a busy 2023. In May, TENDERHEART will finally be available worldwide. It takes a lot emotionally to launch a book, even if it’s one that has already launched in another territory, but I am so looking forward to touring North America, visiting some of my favourite bookstores, and perhaps meeting some of you. I hope to share a sneak peek (for those outside ANZ) recipe from Tenderheart in January so let me know if there is one you have your eye on.

The Lunar New Year falls in late January 2023 and I am considering running a low-key, affordably-priced VIRTUAL veggie dumpling making class, to raise money for a local community cause. Is this something you’d be interested in? If so, answer the poll below so I can gauge interest. Everyone who signs up for the class would get a recording of the class and it would be priced very reasonably (around $10-15).

Thank you all for being here. Wishing you and your families a safe and healthy holiday season. See you next year!

With love,
Hetty xo

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Furikake tofu cocktail

Once the epitome of dinner party sophistication, a prawn – or shrimp – cocktail is ripe for a modern reinterpretation. This is my revival attempt. There are no prawns here but I’ve taken cues from the sea with a furikake-encrusted tofu, served on a nest of lettuce, topped with a blushed thousand island dressing (also known as Marie Rose sauce).

Furikake is a Japanese condiment traditionally used to season rice. The mix usually includes nori (seaweed), toasted black and white sesame seeds, salt, and sugar; many commercial blends will also include bonito flakes. If you are vegetarian like me, make sure you check the ingredients. Furikake is available at Japanese and Asian supermarkets (or online) but if you can’t find it, you can make a mix of crushed toasted seaweed snacks or nori sheets mixed with sesame seeds and salt. If you have my book Tenderheart, there is a recipe for fish-free furikake in the Seaweed Chapter.

If you can easily find it, choose superfirm tofu, sometimes sold as high protein tofu. This has more of the liquid pressed out and I like its firm bite. If you can’t find it, extra firm tofu works just fine.

I’ve made this recipe vegan by using vegan mayonnaise but use whatever variety suits your diet.

Serve in a clear wine glass, for optimal retro feels.

Makes 6 individual servings

For the furikake tofu
450g (16 ounces) super firm or extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 2.3 cm / 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
5 teaspoons vegan furikake  
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon sea salt

For the salad
1 small romaine / cos lettuce, leaves washed, dried and roughly chopped
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
handful of dill leaves
1 lemon, cut into thin wedges

Thousand Island Dressing
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco or hot sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small garlic clove, grated

Preheat oven to 220˚C / 425˚F.  

Place the tofu cubes in a large bowl and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle over the cornflour (cornstarch), furikake, smoked paprika and salt and toss again to evenly coat the tofu on all sides.

Line a tray with baking paper. Add the tofu in a single layer and bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden and a little crispy around the edges.

Meanwhile, make the Thousand Island Dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl; whisk until smooth. Taste to make sure it doesn’t need any extra salt.

Set out 6 glasses (you can also use small bowls) and place a handful of lettuce into each. Divide the tofu and avocado between the glasses, and add a dollop of sauce. To serve, top with a few sprigs of dill and slide in a wedge of lemon.

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Roasted Brussels sprouts with medjool dates and hot tahini

Brussels sprouts are my Christmas miracle. When my husband and I  lived in London during the 2000s, our top floor apartment overlooked the produce section of Portobello markets and I can’t describe how happy it made me to live amongst the buzz and bustle of the markets. I always looked forward to Christmas time, when the darkness of the days were lightened by the twinkle of the  fairy lights from the  market stalls below. This is where I first fell in love with Brussels sprouts. We served them at Christmas lunch, roasted, drizzled with lemon, dotted with mint, and topped with roasted almonds.  Brussels sprouts have been a constant offer on our Christmas table ever since (even when they were out of season during Australian Christmas). This roasted Brussels sprout dish is very simple but it is brought to life by the addition of syrupy, sweet dates and a hot sauce-spiked tahini dressing.  This is exactly the type of unfussy yet crowd pleasing dish which makes festive cooking so much more enjoyable.

Serves 4

700g (1.5 pounds) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
1 red oak or butter lettuce, leaves picked and washed
4 medjool dates (or 5-6 regular dates), seeds discarded
2 tbsp toasted white, sesame seeds
½ lemon

Hot tahini sauce
½ cup tahini
½ tsp sea salt
black pepper
2 tablespoons hot sauce (or chilli oil)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
¼ cup water, or more

Preheat oven to 220˚C / 425˚F.

Place the brussels sprouts on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Scatter with sea salt and black pepper and roast for 20-22 minutes until golden and tender.

Meanwhile, make the hot tahini sauce, place the tahini, hot sauce, salt, black pepper and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk to combine (it will become too thick to stir). Add ¼ cup of water and whisk until smooth. If it’s too thick, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, until it is a thick, pourable consistency.

Shake off any excess water from the lettuce and wrap in a large, clean kitchen towel to absorb any excess water. Cut the dates into thin slices.

Place the lettuce onto a large platter or serving plate. Top with brussels sprouts and add a few dollops of the hot tahini. Give it a light toss and then scatter over the dates and sesame seeds. Drizzle with olive oil, and give it a final season of sea salt and black pepper. Squeeze over the lemon juice and serve.

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