Curry with Cashews

Confession:  I love cooking, but I could LIVE on take out.  In particular thai take out.  My fave place in GR is Angels Thai on Monroe Center.  This is my “go-to” curry recipe adopted from Heidi Swanson’s 101cookbooks.com.  I add some more num num’s and make it for a crowd so that I have leftovers!  Curry lasts surprisingly well in the freezer and makes a great quick meal over rice or quinoa in a hurry.  I picked some hearty veggies and a sturdy bean so they stand up well later going from freezer to table later.  You can add just about anything you want into this dish.  Clean out the fridge if you like.  Just be sure to write it all down if it tastes awesome, or you won’t be able to recreate it later…this happens to me more times than I care to mention.

• 2 cups lite coconut milk
• 1 Tbs HOT curry powder (I use Penzeys)
• 3 Tbs Mild or Sweet curry powder (Penzeys here too)
• 1/2 – 1 tsp fine grain sea salt (to your taste)
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 block firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
• 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
• 1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into tiny florets (one large head)
• 1/3 cup cashews, toasted
• a handful of cilantro, loosely chopped

Toast the cashews in a wok briefly, until just browned.  Remove the cashews and allow to cool.  Next, toast the curry over LOW.  Do not burn it or your pan will smell and taste like burned curry for all time.  For real.  Add to the toasted curry, half of the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.  Whisk in the rest of the curry powder and salt, working out any clumps. Now stir in the chopped red onion and garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and the water, and then the tofu. Cook down the liquid for a couple minutes before adding the green beans, garbanzos, and cauliflower. Cover and simmer for just about one minute, maybe two – or just until the cauliflower and beans lose their raw edge and cook through a bit. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cashews. Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt / curry powder) if needed. Serve with a bit of cilantro topping each bowl over rice or quinoa.

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Gluten Free Vegan Banana Oat Cake

I work in a diet-diverse office, mostly omnivores; however, I have one gluten free coworker, a dairy free coworker, a vegan coworker and me, a vegetarian dabbling in the world of veganism.  Every now and again, I find a recipe on  a blog or try to veganize something and can usually hit on most of the dietary restrictions, but this cake hits on ALL!  Even the lady that hates peanut butter, liked this cake, just omitted the “frosting”.  This recipe credit belongs to Oh, She Glows.  Visit her blog for a smattering of vegetarian and vegan deliciousness.

Cake:

• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free regular oats, processed into a flour (locally these are available at Harvest Health & Horrocks perhaps even Meijer)
• 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free regular oats (not processed)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8th tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/16th tsp ground cloves (optional)
• 1/16th tsp ground ginger (optional)
• 2 tbsp cane sugar (or regular white)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or other light tasting oil)
• 2 medium very ripe bananas, peeled
• 1/3 cup applesauce (I used sweetened and backed down the white sugar above)
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Fold in: 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips; 1/4 cup walnuts (optional), chopped; 1 ripe banana, cut into chunk

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 8 inch (4 cup) casserole dish or 8” cake pan. Take 2 cups of regular oats and process them in a food processor until flour like in consistency.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (processed oats, regular oats, sugars, spices, baking powder, and salt).

In another bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla. Add in the two peeled bananas and smash into the wet ingredients until smooth.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until just combined. Now fold in the chips, optional walnuts, and the chopped banana.

Spread into prepared pan and bake for 36 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake must be cooled for at least 15-20 minutes before attempting to remove.

Once fully cooled, slice and top with PB Banana Glaze. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.  I found that this also freezes beautifully.

Frosting:

• 1 ripe banana (but not too ripe, you still want it solid!)
• 2 tbsp peanut butter (I used Koeze’s crunchy)
• 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
• Pinch of kosher salt, to taste

Mash banana in a bowl until smooth. Add in peanut butter and mash until combined. Sift in the salt and icing sugar and stir until fully combined. Makes about 2/3 cup glaze. Store in fridge in a sealed contained for 1-2 days.

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Spicy Ginger Tempeh Bowl

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A few weeks ago I jilted  you by not including any pictures with the Spicy Ginger Sauce post.  This new post is my apology and a stir fry recipe featuring that yummy sauce. I think this sauce would even taste good on ice cream, seriously.

Spicy Ginger Bowl

• 1 package mushrooms, any variety
• 2 shallots, sliced fine
• 2 tsp reduced sodium Tamari, or soy sauce
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 package tempeh, steamed and cubed
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 C brown rice
• 2 C water
• 1 recipe spicy ginger stir fry sauce
• roasted peanuts, for garnish

First prep the rice, that’s gonna take up the bulk of your time (around an hour) to cook.  Check out the package directions, but generally speaking, real brown rice of most kinds (Jasmine, Basmati) will take a 2:1 ratio, water to rice, and about 50-60 minutes to cook and set.  I walk in the door from work, keep my coat on, get the rice ready to go, put it on the stove, and then walk the dog.  When I come back, it feels like instant rice and I have checked something else off my list.

Steam the tempeh in a steaming device and let set.  It will need just about 10 minutes or so.  In a pinch I’ve steamed tempeh in my microwave in water, it didn’t seem to bother the outcome of the dish.   Steaming the tempeh before consuming is one of the best veg tips I ever received.  Number one, it takes out all the bitter and gives it a nice consistency and number two, some brands are not pre-cooked, and really need to be cooked prior to consumption.  My fave is the wild rice variety made by Lightlife it’s super nutty and delish.

Mushrooms are funny in stir fry, they have a TON of moisture and I don’t like ‘em all gummy, spongy steamin’ up my stir fry.  I’d rather have them caramelized and yum, like candy.  For the results in the picture, I took a package of baby portobello mushrooms, dry ‘washed’ them, removed the stem, sliced them and dropped them into a hot wok with the shallots, after the water reduced and they began crusting up on the outside, I hit them with 2 tsp of reduced sodium tamari and let that reduce.  I removed them from heat, and set them aside, wiped out my wok, reheated it nice and hot again, then dropped in the diced pepper, cooked for 2-4 minutes then added the tempeh (which was already steamed, so it’s warm still and most importantly cooked).  Let all ingredients get up to the same temp and then hit the whole wok with the spicy ginger stir fry sauce, let it reduce, reintroduce your shallot mushroom mix to the saucey love and serve the whole racket over the rice that is now conveniently done because  you started it before you needed it.  Top with the roasted peanuts.

I love bowls and stir fries as they let me be a lazy meal planner, AND with just a sauce recipe, you can really add anything you want to the mix from the fridge and come out with a sound meal.  I own a nonstick wok from Pampered Chef, I’ve had it since, well, forever and it’s still nonstick.  It’s a nice size for more than just stir fry (sometimes I make soup in it if my Dutch oven is dirty-I told you I was lazy), this  brand is particularly solid, so the heat distributes well and I rarely need to use oil as long as I heat it up well before I add ingredients.   You could easily use a skillet in its place if you would like to cook in batches…too much in the skillet and your stir fry will become a stir steam.  Not good.

Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili with Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout

This recipe evolved over time in the kitchen on a snowy Saturday.  It lacked body until I added the canned (boo) crushed tomatoes and the stout.  Then it became magic.  See for yourself.  As it is vegan, to get men to eat it just tell them there is beer in it.  

This is a perfect way to use up those tomatoes you froze this summer from your CSA when you couldn’t keep up with eating them.  If you run them under water for a few minutes straight from the freezer the skins will peel right off and you will have perfect “stewed” tomatoes for chili.

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Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili 

• 2 large onions, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 dark beer (I used Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout)
• 2 large sweet potatoes, diced into small cubes
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 C veggie broth
• juice of 1 lime
• 3-4 C whole tomatoes, smashed (I used the frozen here, but canned whole would work fine here too)
• 3 chipotle en adobo, chopped
• 5 C cooked black beans, or 2 cans drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 C frozen corn
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 1/2 T chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp black ground pepper
• 2 tsp oregano

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute the onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, red bell pepper until tender.  Add garlic and saute another minute or so, then add the seasonings (chili powder, chipotle, oregano, salt, cumin, pepper), saute another minute or so, then add the liquids (broth, lime juice, crushed tomatoes, beer) and whole tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add corn and beans.  Simmer as long as you wish, although you can chow down once the veggies are tender.

Tortilla Soup Take 2

I already have one recipe for tortilla soup here on my blog, and now I am adding another to the collection; both are excellent.  This one is a little more pedestrian, meaning you are much more likely to have these items on hand than you are the 101 Cookbooks version of tortilla soup I published earlier in my blogging life.  Enjoy yet another recipe adapted from the cookbook Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and sliced thinly
• 2 poblano peppers or green bell pepper, seeded, chopped into ½-inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
• 3/4 tsp corriander
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 (24-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juice and all
• 1 (24-ounce) can gluten-free vegetable broth or water
• 1 heaping T ground cumin
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 C frozen corn
• cilantro for garnish
• tortilla chips for garnish
• Juice from 1 lime
• Salt, to taste

1. Place oil in a 4-quart pot and sauté onions, jalapeños and poblano pepper over medium-high heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. (Add a little more oil or broth if needed.) Add garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and sauté for another minute.
2. Add tomatoes to the pot, including the juice. Fill the tomato can with vegetable broth or water and add to the pot. Stir in the cumin and corriander.
3. Add beans, corn and let simmer for 5 more minutes. Add lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt to taste.
4. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Crumble tortilla chips over the top and garnish with cilantro.

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Confessions of a Cookbook Addict

My name is Adrienne.  I’m an addict.  I can’t stop buying and using cookbooks.  My basement is full of cookbooks.  They linger on shelves, take refuge in boxes, lie strewn about the floor, peek out of bags, rest on the counter, collect dust under my bed…they are, everywhere.  My Amazon wishlist…FULL of cookbooks.  My Google Reader…saturated with good eats.  I should start a support group.

I rarely write my own recipes.  I’m not even sure where to start.  So, I have cookbooks…lots and lots of them.  That being said, I hardly ever follow a recipe from start to finish 100% dead-on as written.  I’m the queen of “adapted from” as you may have noticed from the rest of my blog posts.  This is mostly due to the fact that I look in my fridge and cook from what I have, not the other way around…I don’t read a recipe then shop for the ingredients.  I know, totally inefficient.  My brain just doesn’t work that way.

My friends generally want to know where my ideas come from, so here are the books I keep handy for inspiration.  For your convenience, the title of the book is linked to Amazon where you can purchase the book and the author website is linked to the author name.  Most of the veg community shares recipes for free online, but there is just something about having a cookbook in my hands.  Later I’ll share the contents of my Google Reader with you too.

My top cookbooks:

Appetite for Reduction:  Isa Chanda Moskowitz

Vegan Yum Yum:  Lauren Ulm

eat, drink & be vegan:  Dreena Burton

The Happy Herbivore:  Lindsay Nixon

Vegan Diner:   Julie Hasson

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian:  Mark Bittman

Super Natural Cooking:  Heidi Swanson

PF Chang’s Ain’t Got Nothin’ on Isa

Veg friends rejoice.  This is a meat-eater approved recipe (Christine tell Alex it’s good, like PF Chang’s good).  No one will look at you cross-eyed or make that funny chewing face, like when they hate it but are going to swallow it anyway just to make you feel good.  Take it to a party as an appetizer with some bib lettuce to really impress your friends, then tell them it’s tofu after they inhale it and watch them make another funny face…you know the one of shock when they realize tofu doesn’t suck.

This recipe served three as a main dish with a side of edemame with about 2 wraps to spare just using one block of tofu.

Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction

Tofu

• 1 block (~14 oz) extra firm tofu, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce

Sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (mirin is recommended but I didn’t have it)
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp sriracha or sambal if you prefer
• 2 tsp prepared yellow mustard

To Serve

• About 12 romaine (bib or iceburg will work too) lettuce leaves
• Bean sprouts
• Dry roasted peanuts or cashews
• Rice noodles (the crunchy kind)

Prepare the tofu: Preheat a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook for about 10 minutes, flipping it once in a while, until it is browned on most sides. About midway through, drizzle with the soy sauce and toss to coat.  I had to add a smidge of peanut oil to this recipe when I flipped the tofu as it was sticking a little.  If you have great patience, and wait it out, it shouldn’t stick.  I do not have patience.  I did however have oil.

Preheat a separate large pan over medium heat with the sesame oil. Saute the red pepper, onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 10 minutes. The veggies should be soft and browned. Add the mirin (or rice wine vinegar would work here too) and let cook for about 3 minutes. Add the hoisin, sriracha, and mustard, and cook for another minute.  Omit sriracha if you don’t like spicy food.  In general avoid sriracha if you don’t like spice.

Add the tofu to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve alongside lettuce leaves, to stuff like tacos.  Top with the sprouts and crunchy bits.  Sidenote:  this is a great stir fry and would stand on its own over some brown rice or noodles.