the potluck i did not attend plus parsley + cashew pasta and halava

I went to class instead! And turned up late and sampled some things (PIE), and got bitten by mosquitoes and, later, looked at photos of things I didn't get to eat.

The theme of this potluck, hosted by Craig and Bec at their new house, was 'not to kill James.' James requires a salicylate-free diet, and salicylates are in everything, as they're a naturally occurring plant hormone that is in a lot of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. The list of things that couldn't be used was huge, and I spent a few days, on and off, brainstorming ideas. No fruits (other than bananas or pears with no skin), no leafy vegetables, no tomatoes, no chilli...

Pip posted about the potluck already, which helped me name all the dishes I never saw because I got there too late.

Because I got there too late, I don't have any commentary on the foods! But you can see photos of everything at the flickr set.

As I was at work all day, and went straight from work to class, D was in charge of cooking for the potluck. So I take no responsibility for any mistakes in these recipes!



parsley and cashew pasta

ingredients
a big handful of cashews
1/3 block of tofu
1/3 bunch of fresh parsley
nutritional yeast
3/4 cup of soymilk
1 onion (diced)
1 garlic clove (minced)
some extra cashews

cooked pasta

method
Blend cashews, tofu, parsley, nutritional yeast, and soymilk. In the meantime, brown onion, garlic, and the extra cashew nuts. Add contents from blender. Simmer. Add cooked pasta, stir through.

Serve hot or cold



halava (modified from the hare krishna book of vegetarian cooking)

ingredients
not quite three cups of water
one and a half cups of sugar
10 saffron strands
half a cup of walnuts + pecans, chopped
200g butter
and and a half cups of semolina

method
Simmer water, sugar, and saffron over heat. In the meantime melt butter in a saucepan, add semolina, and stir-fry for about fifteen minutes, until the butter begins to separate. Lower the heat, and slowly pour in the liquids, whilst constantly stirring. Stir to remove lumps, then add the nuts. Cover and simmer for three minutes, to soak in all the liquid. Eat hot.