Red Lentil Pilau

This recipe was bit more complicated than my usual simple recipes. I never made my own spices before, and I enjoyed making Garam Masala myself. Oh…. The aroma. It filled our house and made it smelled like Indian Restaurant.

This recipe is from a fabulous book called Homestyle Vegetarian.

The book says the prep time is 15 min, but it took me a lot longer. And it did not exactly come out like the picture in this cookbook, it came out more like risotto but still tasted very good. My husband said he would put this one in top 10.

GARAM MASALA
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cardamom pods
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1-teaspoon whole cloves
1 small cinnamon stick, crushed

3 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1-cup basmati rice
1 cup red lentils
3 cups hot vegetable stock
Spring onion (scallions), shredded to serve (I used small green onions)

1 to make the garam masala, place all the spices in a dry frying pan and shake over medium heat for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Blend in a spice grinder, blender or mortar and pestle to make a find powder.
2. Heat the oil on a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and 3 teaspoons of garam masala. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until soft.
3. Stir in the rice and lentils and cook for 2 minutes. Add the hot stock and stir well. Slowly bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and all the stock has been absorbed. Gently fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with the spring onion.

NOTE: If time is short you can use ready-made garam masala instead of amazing your own.

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Nothing like fresh garden tomatoes this time of the year. So refreshing, simple, and tasty. I am lucky enough to have small tomato garden but if you don’t have a garden, I recommend making this salad from fresh farmer’s market find. Tomatoes from grocery stores do not have same flavor. No fresh Mozzarella? No problem. You can go ahead and make this without Mozzarella cheese.

This recipe is from Recipetips.com.

Ingredients
SALAD
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh basil–use extra leaves for garnish
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
- 1 pinch kosher salt–or season to taste
- 1 pinch fresh ground pepper–or season to taste

VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
- 3 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
• Slice tomatoes into medium width slices. Slice fresh mozzarella into slices that are similar in width to the tomatoes.
• Place tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate, alternating the tomatoes with the slices of cheese. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and herbs over the cheese and tomatoes.
• Prepare vinaigrette by whisking together the vinegar and the olive oil. Drizzle the vinaigrette over all ingredients on the serving plate.
• Garnish with basil leaves, if desired, and serve.

Summer Squash Bisque

August has arrived. Finally there are some squashes ready to harvest in my small vegetable garden. Picking vegetables from your own garden is life’s simple exquisite pleasure. Walk down to the garden with my dog is little bit more exciting now these days.

This recipe is inspired by fellow food blog.
veganfeastkitchen.

In my version, I added minced onion, celery and vegan sour cream for added creaminess. Fresh diced Tomatoes for garnish.

BRYANNA’S DELICIOUS ZUCCHINI BISQUE (can be soy-free)(WW CORE PLAN COMPATIBLE)

2 1/2 lbs zucchini (unpeeled), cubed (any size, but with tender skin, that you can scrape easily with your fingernail)
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 3/4 cups vegetarian broth
3 Tbs nondairy milk blended with
3 Tbs silken tofu or raw cashews (soak cashews in hot water for 10 minutes)
salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
vegan parmesan substitute (Parma or Galaxy Foods Vegan Soy Parmesan)

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot. Add the zucchini cubes and garlic and saute over medium heat for 10 minutes. Don’t brown it.

Add the broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Puree 2/3 of the mixture in a blender (take the middle part of the lid off to allow hot steam to escape and cover it loosley with a folded tea towel) and then add back to the pot. OR you can puree it right in the pot with a hand immersion blender, leaving it slightly coarse.
Add the “cream” made from the blended milk and tofu or cashews, and taste for salt and pepper. Heat briefly. Serve with vegan parmesan sprinkled on each serving.

Servings: 6

Tofu and Apple Curry (Vegan)

Tofu and Apple, really? I know what you’re thinking: what an unusual combination. But it works really nicely. Trust me, once you make curry with fruit you will be hooked. You’ll be tempted to try it with other fruits too. I also like Pineapple and mango curry. When I make curry with fruit, I make it a little hotter than normal to balance the sweetness of the fruit.

I packet of fried tofu, chopped to ½ inch squares
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1tbs of vegetable oil
1tsp of crashed hot pepper
3 c vegetable broth
2 apples cored and chopped
½ c of minced carrots
1 yellow onion, minced
1 cloves of garlic minced
1-2 tbsp of curry powder
1/3 cup of green peas sawed
1 tbsp of soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan, sauté garlic. When oil is infused with garlic aroma, add onion, cook till it is soft. Add curry powder.
2. Stir in apples and cook until it gets soft, add tofu, carrots and stewed tomatoes, cook for about 5 min, while crushing the tomatoes with wooden spoon(s).
3. Add vegetable broth, and soy, cook for about 10 min to reduce.
4. Add green peas and cook for a few minutes, salt and pepper to adjust the taste.
5. Serve with rice.

Miso Soup with Root Vegetables

This Japanese staple is surprisingly easy to make. You just need Dashi (Japanese Soup stock) and Miso paste and whatever various ingredients you want. No, Miso soup does not need to have seaweed and tofu. In fact, my favorite Miso soup ingredients are nappa cabbage, bean sprouts, potatoes and yams. My mom used to put chicken drumsticks in it!

I used yams, carrots and bean sprouts this time.

Ingredients
Dashi (soup stock), 3 cups (I made it with kombu, thick sea weed)
1 cup of chopped carrots
1 cups of chopped Yam
1.5 cup of bean sprouts washed
2 to 3tbsp of miso (by the way- some miso is more salty than others, so adjust to your taste)
½ cup of chopped green onions

1. Cook the dashi in a saucepan, according to directions. (Katsuo dashi-fish stock powder is popular, but I made a stock with Kombu (dried seaweed).
2. Add carrots and yam, cook about 10min, medium heat, or until vegetables are tender.
3. Add a 3tbsp of stock to miso paste in a cup, whisk it to melt the miso, add to the pan, and stir.
4. Add bean sprouts cook for about a min.
5. Serve it in a soup bowl, garnish with green onion.
(vegan)

Tofu and Bok Choy Ginger Sauce (vegan)

First time I made this dish my husband pointed to bok choy and asked me, “what is that shrubbery?” Hmmm… Shrubs? You mean these vegetables?

These shrubs (bok choy) come in handy in stir fry, soups. Simply boil or steam for a side dish. I stir-fried it with tofu this time. You can find the bok choy in most grocery stores these days. But I find it is usually much cheaper and fresher at Asian grocery stores. That goes the same for Tofu.

Tofu with Bok Choy (serves 4-8)

1 packet of firm tofu drained and pressed.
4 baby bok choy chopped length wise, or one large bok choy chopped in 5 inch lengths(don’t worry, it shrinks).
1 cup of vegetable broth, or 1 cup of water with a bouillon cube.
1tsp of minced ginger
3 sprigs of green onion chopped in 2 -3inch lengths.
2/3 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1tbs rice wine
1/3 tsp of sugar
1 tbsp of corn starch with 3 tbsp of water, mixed
2 tbsp vegetable oil

1) Cut drained and pressed tofu into 2 inch cubes,
2) Heat oil in a sauté pan, add green onions and ginger.
3) Add broth to tofu and bok choy, bring to a boil
4) Add salt, wine, sugar and pepper, reduce heat, cook for 5 to 6 min.
5) Slowly add in cornstarch—water to thicken the sauce.

Quinoa with Toasted Walnut Salad

I call this “Salad on Steroids”. I do like simple salad most of the time, but this is not one of them. It has so many flavors packed in it. Such a fun salad.
Quinoa is gaining popularity in recent years because of its super health benefits. Quinoa is complete protein so it’s great for vegetarians. It is also wheat and gluten free.

Check out this site to learn more about the health benefits of quinoa.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142

Health benefits aside, I just love the nutty flavor of Quinoa. It’s very easy to make and is nice alternative to rice.

Quinoa and walnut salad (serves 6-8)

1 cup of quinoa (I used the red kind. It has more fiber)
2 cup of water
3 tbsp walnut oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp of oregano
½ tsp of ground cumin
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of freshly ground black pepper
1 cup of corn kernels, canned or frozen
½ English cucumber chopped
1 cup of tomatoes chopped
½ cup of chopped toasted walnuts
½ cup of marinated artichoke chopped
1/4 cup of green olives sliced

1) In a saucepan, add water and quinoa, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
2) Make dressing in a bowl. Combine walnut oil, lemon juice, oregano, ground cumin, salt and pepper. Add quinoa and other ingredients.
3) Serve on top of lettuce.

Spicy Cucumber Quick Pickles (Asian Style)

This quick cucumber pickles is one of my favorites. It’s not your regular vinegary, sour pickled cucumber. You are in for a surprise… This spicy cucumber is a nice side dish or appetizer for an Asian meal. Cooking time is 2.5 min in a microwave!

½ of English cucumber chopped to 1.5 inch cube, seeded
2 tbs of water
1tbsp of minced ginger
3 sprigs of green onion, minced
2tsp of sugar
2tbs of vinegar
2tbs of soy souce
½ tsp of crashed red peper
1tbs of dried minced garlic
½ tbs of toasted sesame
1tbs of sesame oil
1tbs of rice wine

1. Cut cucumber to [bite size] length, mix with rice wine, 1/3 minced green onion, water and ½ tbs of ginger.
2. Place in a microwave. Cook for 2.5 min. Take it out and let cool.
3. Mix remaining green onions, ginger, red pepper, sugar, vinegar, soy and sesame oil.
4. Pour the mixture onto the cucumber and top with minced garlic and toasted sesame.

Tabouli Salad

If you’ve never had Tabouli, you don’t know what you’re missing. Tabouli is a healthy and refreshing Mediterranean salad made with cracked wheat (Bulgur).  I make this salad often, especially in the summer.  Once you have had Tabouli, I know it will become a family staple.

Tabouli (serves 4-8)

1 cup of Cracked Wheat (Bulgur)  *
*Available at health food stores, usually in the bulk section.
2 cups of water
1 cucumber chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/3 c chopped green onions
1/3 chopped fresh parsley
1/3 chopped fresh mint
Juice from 2 lemons
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
½ tbs of pepper
3 tsp salt
I clove of garlic minced (optional)

1)   Boil 2 cups of water. Add bulgur and 1 tsp of salt into a pan, turn heat down to low. Simmer for 15 min or until all water is absorbed.
2)   Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl. Refrigerate for at least one hour.