Broccoli and Cashew Noodles

Just a quick stir-fry with garlic, broccoli, cashews, green onions and sweet potato noodles!

Root Vegetable Korma

1 onion
1 shallot
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 inches ginger, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 to 1 tsp salt (depending on your taste. we used just a little)
1 TBL olive oil
2 pounds root vegetables (we used 3 medium carrots, 6 small potatoes, and a large turnip) cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups cooked lima beans
3-4 cups water
1/2 cup raw cashews
6 oz Greek-style coconut yogurt (or plain nondairy yogurt of your choice)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend together onion, shallot, ginger, garlic, and jalapeno. Heat oil in a dutch oven, and saute onion mixture for 5-7 minutes, then add spices and cook another 3-4. Stir frequently.

Add the chopped vegetables and lima beans,  cover everything with approximately 3.5 cups water (or enough to nearly cover). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium or medium -low. Cook partially covered 30 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.

While the korma simmers, toast the cashews in a small pan on medium heat. Set aside with chopped cilantro.

Cook uncovered for an additional 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened, adding in the cashews and cilantro. Then turn the heat to low and stir in the coconut yogurt. Season with additional salt if needed.

Serve with coconut ginger rice!

Adapted from the Kitchenist via Nigel Slater.

Vegan kung poa and stir fry fun

We used this recipe for the kung pao sauce, and we played around with some vegetables. I definitely recommend the cashews with the kung pao tofu, they’re so much better than plain old peanuts.

Tempeh curry (vegan “butter” “chicken”)

No butter, no yogurt, no chicken. It will knock your socks off, I swear.

Slice one block of tempeh into thin strips, then cut into bite sized pieces. Then blend: 1/4 diced tomatoes, 1 TBL garlic, 1 TBL ginger, 2 TBL Earth Balance, 3/4 cup rice milk, 2 TBL curry, 1 tsp coriander, and 2 TBL lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt. Marinate the tempeh in the sauce for 30 minutes.

Cook 1.5 cups rice with 3/4 cup lima beans.

For the sauce, blend together 1 cup diced tomatoes, 1 TBL garlic, 1 TBL ginger, 1/4 cup cashews until smooth. Set aside.

Heat 1 tsp Earth Balance in a large pan. Add tempeh with the marinade and 1 sliced jalapeno, cook until tempeh is tender and the sauce is mostly absorbed. Add 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 TBL curry, 1/2 TBL garam masala, 1/2 TBL cayenne. Then add reserved sauce. Cook covered on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro. And cook another 1o minutes. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if needed.

Serving suggestion: 1/2 cup rice with limas, with 1 cup curry, and 1 cup fresh arugula.

Vegan curried tempeh-chix salad

We have to thank Rachel Ray for parts of this recipe. Without her version I would never have thought to use dijon mustard in the dressing. Serve over baby arugula for an extra peppery summer dish. (Potato-cado salad on the left.)

First: soak 1/2 cup raw cashews in 1 cup cold water for at least 1 hour.

Prepare the tempeh: Dice 1 onion and saute in 1 tsp oil in a dutch oven or other pan with a cover. Add 1 faux chicken bullion cube and cook 2-3 minutes. Add diced tempeh and saute 2 more minutes on medium heat. Deglaze with cheap rum (Bacardi) or white wine when the pan becomes sticky. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Stir and flip tempeh pieces and cook another 15-20, stirring and flipping when needed. When the tempeh is crisp on the outside to your liking remove from heat and set aside.

For the dressing: Blend together cashews and water, 2 TBL white vinegar, 1.5 TBL curry powder, 1/2 TBL cumin, 1 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2 TBL dijon or German mustard.

Chop 1 small apple (about 1 cup) and 1 cup of celery into small pieces.

Mix together tempeh, apples and celery, and dressing, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. I made this in the early afternoon and we ate it for dinner, or you could make it the night before.

Tofu with cashew red pepper sauce and aloo palak

We saw a recipe for simla mirch paneer at Mirch Masala , which sounded creamy and spicy, and fun to veganize. To balance the meal, we paired with the aloo palak, rice, and a crunchy salad.

Tofu with cashew red pepper sauce

1/3 c. raw cashews

1 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp fresh ginger, sliced thinly

4 Thai green chiles

12 oz. firm tofu, cut into 1 inch pieces and pan fried lightly on all sides

1 c. rice milk

1 c. water

salt

Bring water to boil in a sauce pan. Add the cashews, bell pepper, ginger, and chiles. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook till the bell peppers are tender. Cool and puree them in a blender/food processor, or transfer to a tall container and puree with an immersion blender. Return mixture to the pot. Add the salt, garam masala, and rice milk. Bring to a low boil, then add the pan fried tofu. Simmer on low heat about 20 minutes. (The original recipe suggests garnishing with cilantro, which would have been great, if we’d had some on hand!)

Aloo palak (potatoes and spinach)

4 Yukon potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces and boiled until cooked (8-10 minutes)

1 16 oz. bag frozen spinach leaves

1 onion

2 TBL tomato paste

1 tsp fresh ginger sliced

1 TBL garlic minced

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cayenne

1-2 cups water

salt

In a dutch oven, heat 1 tsp Earth Balance and add cumin seeds. When seeds begin to pop, add garlic, ginger, and onions. Cook 4-5 minutes until onions are soft. Add tomato paste and other spices. Add spinach and as much water as needed. Bring to a boil, then add potatoes and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes.

Tomato ginger soup with cashews

This simple soup is perfect for colds, fall days, and ginger lovers!

1 onion, diced

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 TBL fresh ginger, grated

1/2 cup sherry

4-5 cups veggie stock

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 16 oz. can tomato sauce

4 TBL raw cashews

salt and pepper

In a stock pot, heat a little oil, then saute carrots, onions, celery until soft. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add sherry and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add ginger and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, veggie stock, and cashews. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 45 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste. Blend with an immersion blender (or food processor). Allow the soup to simmer 5 more minutes before serving.

Red curry vegetable stirfry with cashews and Nepalese red lentil soup

We didn’t eat until late last night, even for us, so I heated up some soup from the freezer. The Nepalese red lentil soup is rich and salty. I thought I had already blogged about it, so I didn’t photograph it last night, only to realize this morning that I actually hadn’t posted about it, nor did I have any pictures of this beautiful soup.

Imagine a bowl filled with thick, creamy soup. The soft lentils are the color of turmeric and flecks of green cilantro and jalapenos provide contrast. This is also one of the best smelling soups, fragrant with ginger and 5-spice.

1  tsp olive oil

1  TBL vegan margarine

2  onions diced

1  TBL  fresh ginger, grated

1  jalapeño diced

6  cups  water

2  cups  dried small red lentils

1 1/2  tsp  salt

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2  tsp  five-spice powder

1/3  cup chopped cilantro (fresh is great, but I had some in the freezer and that was just fine)

Heat oil and margarine in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger, and jalapeño; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in water and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for  45-50 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.  This was wonderful the first night we ate it, but I really preferred it after it was frozen and thawed.

For the stir fry: Heat 1 tsp of sesame oil in a frying pan, add 2 tsp dark soy sauce and 2 tsp vegan thai red curry paste and stir. Add in 1 onion diced, 2-3 garlic cloves minced, 1 tsp fresh grated ginger. Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat, until onions are soft. Add a little water if needed. Next, add broccoli, diced zucchini, jalapenos, mushrooms, and raw cashews. Cook 4-5 minutes until vegetables are your desired crispness, stirring often. Deglaze the pan with 2-3 tsp sherry. Finish cooking 1-2 minutes.