These are actually a lot easier to make then you’d think and while it’s a bit like pancakes (your first roll while likely not look great) each roll will keep improving. I’ve never particularly talented with my hands and these come out impressive anyway. The nice thing is that they have no fish or cooked parts except the rice so they can make ahead of time and are great for picnics and potlucks.
Category: make ahead
Recipe: Tofu Laksa
I’m a big fan of spicy soups and this one is great with a really hearty spicy base and a lot of crunchy tofu and vegetables and noodles to make it extra delicious. You can add anything you like in including meat or seafood but I was in a crispy tofu mood when I was making it.
(You can make this ahead of time by keeping the pan fried tofu separate from the soup until serving so it doesn’t get soggy)
Tofu Laksa
Adapted from One Teaspoon of LifeRecipe: Rainbow Lasagna
This is a LOT of work and it’s probably really best that you make your own lasagna noodles for best results too so it’s just work on work on work but you get something that is basically made for instagram and slightly worse than regular noodles and cheese lasagna. It’s hard to improve on a classic I suppose but it’s still really good if you’re okay with the work.
Rainbow Lasagna
Adapted from Toot SweetnessRecipe: Kreplach
These are really delicious and you can speed up the whole process if you use store brought stock or just make a really big batch and freeze the kreplach dumplings separate from the soup. I do have to admit this is a chore to make all at once and takes a LONG time to come together but it’s worth it for special people or a special occasion.
Kreplach
Adapted from Tori AveyRecipe: Aloo Matar Gobi
This is a super simple curry made from plenty of vegetables so that it is really filling. It’s a really dry curry so it’s especially good with some nice chewy bread or even yogurt as a side but it doesn’t end up with a gravy so there’s nothing to sop up. This would work really well as a filling for dumplings / stuffed breads.
Aloo Matar Gobi
Adapted from Easy Food SmithRecipe: Oladyi (Yeasted Blini)
I call these blini (because they’re yeasted pancakes) but I had a friend from Belarus recently tell me that these are call oladyi there and that what I think of as blinz are her blini but whatever you want to call them they’re absolutely delicious and they make the perfect canvas for a variety of toppings!
Oladyi (Yeasted Blini)
Adapted from Luke ThomasRecipe: Cinnamon Raisin Bread
This is a surprisingly easy recipe with perfect results. I’ve actually made this recipe a few times and incorrectly (!) once and it still came out just right. This bread is great on its own and not too sweet but it’s even better with some jam, butter, or even just a little cream cheese to really bring out the savory flavor of raisin.
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Adapted from Eva BakesRecipe: Pierogi
These delicious boiled then fried pillowy dumplings are delicious and pretty easy to eat. They’re especially good because they can be made in large batches ahead of time and frozen. I filled them with the usual onions and mashed potatoes but you can put anything in them, even sweet things.
Pierogi
Adapted from Fermenting for FoodiesRecipe: Fleischnacka (Meat Snails)
This is a pretty unique recipe from the Alsatian region in France. It’s what you’d get if you combined stew, pasta, and a wrap all at once. While it does take a bit of time I found that you can freeze the rolls and then simply cook them right from the freezer which means this is a great ahead of time meal since the final steps after making the roll is fairly easy. In the future I would process the vegetables for a smoother consistency but I didn’t really mind the texture either, just made them a little harder to hold together.
Fleischnacka (Meat Snails)
Adapted from SBSRecipe: Ratatouille Risotto
This is one of those “best of both worlds” type recipes. Combining all my favorite things about ratatouille and risotto until they meld into one extra delicious food is a feat. This is a bit busy as a recipe but the end result is well worth the effort and it certainly makes sure you’ll get your daily dose of vegetables in one sitting.