Aparagus & Tomato Pasta, Three Thai Dishes

ASPARAGUS & TOMATO SHELL PASTA

There has been some lovely asparagus in the market lately, both the green kind and the purple. Being a little conservative for colour for this dish, I chose the green and teamed it with some lovely little grape tomatoes, basil, and green onions to mix with baby shell pasta. It was so good.

The recipe is just about what I've said above:

Shell pasta for two persons (I use about 100-120 grams or 3-4 ounces)
1 slice of onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb. grape tomatoes, halved
pinch of crushed chiles - or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
half a bunch of fresh basil, lightly chopped
2 green/spring onions, chopped
basil sprigs for garnish

While the pasta water is coming to the boil and the pasta is cooking (according to package instructions), put the onion and garlic in a little water in a skillet (large enough to contain all the ingredients in the recipe) and cook until soft.

Add the asparagus, tomatoes and chopped basil with the seasonings and stir over medium-high heat until the tomato skins start to look as if they are loosening up a little. Stop there. Don't overcook. If the pasta is not ready, remove the vegetables from the heat until the pasta is done.

Drain the pasta and add to the vegetables in the skillet, toss them together and return to the heat if necessary for a moment or two to make sure everything is heated through. Remove from heat, stir in the green onions and transfer the pasta to a warmed serving dish. Garnish.

It doesn't get much simpler than that :)


THREE THAI DISHES



I've also been playing around at making more Thai food - we both love it! This one in the photo above is EGGPLANT WITH BASIL. I usually like to add a little cubed tofu to this dish as well as the red bell pepper.

And this one . . .



. . . is a SWEET POTATO AND POTATO COCONUT CURRY. Tofu goes nicely in this one too.

And then there was the day I made (dah-dah dah-dah!) . . .



TOM YUM SOUP! This was my first time of making it, and I think I got a little carried away, putting in enough vegetables and tofu to make it into something approaching a stew rather than a soup. That is, however, easily corrected.

These dishes are keepers here. Actually, we love Thai spices and like to flavour all kinds of things with them. My problem, however, is being able to get fresh kaffir lime leaves (although I keep a good supply of dried ones up the cupboard) and fresh lemon grass, not to mention fresh Thai basil, which is so important to the taste. It's a bore to have to substitute other things :(

Now that spring is here I'm looking to more and more lovely vegetables to put into my stir 'fries' and curries. I remind myself that they have snow out west!

Zucchini-Lemon Soup. Thai Curries

ZUCCHINI-LEMON SOUP

This is a very forgiving recipe, and you can adjust the amount of zucchini used according to your appetite and to the desired thickness of the finished product. Although I have included tofu in this recipe, I often make it without tofu altogether and it is delicious that way too.

3/4 lb zucchini squash, sliced but not peeled
1 or two slices onion, chopped, or to taste (less rather than more, in this case)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
zest of half a lemon
4 cups water or low-sodium vegetable stock
crushed chilies to taste
juice of half a lemon
half a pack of soft tofu, roughly cubed


Put all except the lemon juice and the tofu into a soup pot and cook until the zucchini is just done.

Blend the soup with a wand blender but preferably in a blender jug along with the lemon juice and the tofu. The soup should be creamy and a lovely fresh pale green colour. You may need to add a little water to get it to the consistency you wish.

Return soup to the soup pot and reheat gently. Serve garnished as you will - I used cilantro for the soup in the photo because we like the taste and it also goes very well with the lemon.

Variation: you may wish to use fresh or dried herbs along with the zucchini etc. in the soup pot. Italian herbs go well, but be careful not to overwhelm the fresh taste of the zucchini and lemon.

And now for a change of pace :)

THAI CURRIES



Wanting some Thai curry (yes yes, the whole thing with - gasp - coconut milk and all!) I decided to make my own for the first time in ages. The impetus was seeing some lovely fresh Thai basil and some fresh kaffir lime leaves along with lemon grass at our local asian shop. I also picked up some of their tofu - a real treat when we can get it. Stopping at another shop, I got a small jar (yes, I know it's cheating) of Thai
yellow curry paste - the kind without fish paste of creatures of any kind in it. It's good to make your own paste, but this was to be a relatively quick meal and I didn't think I'd have the time. I found organic light coconut milk at my health food store, so all was set.

No real recipe here, except to shred a few kaffir lime leaves, grate some ginger, peel and finely chop the lemon grass, chop a little onion and garlic, and defrost and chop some Thai red chlies which I always have in the freezer. This all went into a large pan with some cubed eggplant, a diced potato, and (a little later so that it didn't get overcooked) a red bell pepper - and of course the Thai basil and enough of the Thai curry paste to make it just right (which in our lexicon means HOT).



By the time the rice was ready, so was the curry!

We've had variations on this over the last week - including one with sweet potato and green snap peas - and it's been lovely every time. I do so love Thai food.

What Have These Vegans Been Cooking?

Original recipes have been in short supply around here lately (the cold weather has frozen my creative side), but that doesn't mean we've been having take-out food. We have been doing the usual salads, fresh fruit and lots of greens, but doing them simply. Soups have been important, because of the weather, and lately more stews and bakes than earlier in the year (or so it seems to me right now). Check below:



PASTA BOLOGNESE

Sometimes the simplest things are the best. This is another case of taking one's favourite recipe for home-cooked pasta sauce, adding a little crumbled tofu or tvp, simmering until blended and putting atop one's favourite kind of pasta. Have a lovely green salad first (in the North American way) or after (in the Italian way) and you've got a lovely meal, right? Yumm!

Below you have two similar ideas:

VEGETABLE STEW WITH LENTILS



LENTIL SOUP WITH VEGETABLES



They were made at quite different times, but I recall flavouring each with Indian spices and herbs. And both were what I call spicy hot! Eggplant was important to each (it blends so nicely with lentils) and apart from that and some carrot, perhaps a little sweet potato, it's more or less a free-for-all as far as the vegetables go.

The soup made a lovely light meal with a salad, and the stew was consumed as a main course with crusty homemade whole wheat bread. What a treat! Shall work on these some more and post the recipes when I'm happy with them.

More soon - I'm still having trouble with the photo thingie on this new computer :(

Kudos for a Fellow Blogger - and a link to watch it happen!

GREAT NEWS: PCRM's Food For Life TV has actually highlighted - AND done their cooking segment on - my dear cyberfriend, mentor and publisher Erin Dame's own _Vegan Done Light_ e-cookbook and in particular on his incredibly innovative recipe for Cherry Hummus (believe it or not, it's delicious!). Congratulations, Erin! That's a huge feat. Fantastic, my friend!

See the video on Erin's site at:
http://www.zenpawn.com/vegblog/2009/02/21/pcrm-food-for-life-tv/

I don't know about the rest of you, but I think something like this kind of kudos for another vegan blogger vindicates all of us for our huge efforts in trying to maintain and develop healthy recipes that are low in fat and, in Erin's Case, gluten-free as well as low-cal and full of all good things.

So have a look at the video - and while you're at it have a listen/look to all the excellent advice for vegan health from the Food For Life TV team. It echoes so much that Erin and many of the rest of us strive for in our recipes.

Oh, and write down the recipe for that cherry hummus as it's playing - it's a winner :)

Exciting!!! Way to go, Erin!!!

Mushroom Crepe, Spiced Mushrooms - and chat

[Edited because this got posted before I had finished! Slight changes to food descriptions, etc.]



It's a while since I recommended anything on this blog - other than great food - but the following article (see link below) on the vegan diet, its 'stick-to-it-edness' and its benefit for those with diabetes or at risk for the disease is very important. Published in Canada's national daily 'The Globe and Mail' 4 February. Do please have a look - it will lighten your heart, brighten your day, and give you loads of ammunition against all those omnivores and even some vegetarians who are suspicious of a vegan diet.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090204.wlbeck04/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/

And now on with the lovely safe and healthy vegan food! I love mushrooms and eat them almost daily.

MUSHROOM CREPE



This made a lovely lunch, along with a green salad. I took some mushrooms, enough for two persons (although I show only one crepe), seasoned them with a little chopped onion, two or three cloves of garlic, a tsp or so of grated ginger root, a little mirin (I was out of sherry), a dash of low-sodium soy sauce, a dash of cayenne pepper, some mixed herbs and put them all together in a skillet, adding a tsp or so of water at a time to keep them from scorching. I kept them pretty plump - dried-out mushrooms aren't my idea of fun.

The crepes I made of a mixture of wholewheat flour and cornflour (plus liquid of course) but you could use a mix of your choice. I made them very very thin and did not attempt to flip them. I gave the pan a hint of cooking spray (olive oil) and I slid each gently onto a plate when cooked to keep it warm, covered, at the lowest possible oven setting. Then I simply scooped the mushroom mixture onto the centre third of each crepe and rolled the other two sides to enclose it. Delicious.

For my next trick -

SPICED MUSHROOMS



This time I mixed cremini mushrooms with portobellos and shiitakes and added 4 cloves of garlic, a healthy pinch of crushed chilies, 1 Tbsp grated ginger root and a good shake of dried tarragon (had no fresh) to the pan before I started the steam-sautee process. I made a little mix of warm water and about half a tsp or so of dark miso (to dissolve the miso), a small amount 1/2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, 2 Tbsp tomato paste and 1/4 cup of red wine and added it to the half-cooked mushroom mix.

When the mushrooms were just done (and the sauce well reduced) I stirred in a couple of chopped green onions and some chopped home-roasted peppers and used the mushroom mixture to top a heated wholewheat wrap - this was to catch what sauce remained. (I use Weight Watchers wraps, low fat and only 90 calories each, for things like this. They keep well in the freezer.)

I topped the mushrooms with a couple of strips of the roasted pepper too - and wished I'd had some nice fresh herbs to add, but perhaps that would have been painting the lily.

I was in a terrible hurry to get a meal on the table, so I had raided my emergency bin in the freezer right at the beginning and thrown some tiny potatoes, baby peas and miniature corn into a pan to steam so that I could serve them alongside the mushroom dish. Worked just fine! I think this is a major way we will have mushrooms from now on.

Althoughhhhhh, I'm still working on my mushroom paprikash/stroganoff recipe. It's good too!

Bonus with 'Wake Up To Spice'

[EDITED TO CORRECT AN AMBIGUITY IN THE TIMING FOR THE BONUS OFFER]



Just to inform you all that my e-cookbook Wake Up To Spice now has a bonus attached: When you buy the cookbook this month (February) you get, free, Erin Dame's special report 7 Strategies to Successful Weight Loss! (This is normally a $5.00 cost, given for the rest of February to those who wish to dowload WAKE UP TO SPICE.)

In any event, you can sign up for Erin's free newsletter and download a sample recipe from my collection for only a click of the mouse. Not a bad deal!

Take a look and see what you think! You can find the whole deal HERE.

Baked Eggplant & Tomato Casserole, plus some old favourites

BAKED EGGPLANT & TOMATO CASSEROLE

Around four days ago I had an eggplant that was burning a hole in my pocket, so to speak, and a yellow sweet bell pepper that was threatening to leave home. So I decided to put together a mix of compatible vegetables with some Italian-type herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme, you get the idea) and a hastily chopped chili and the usual suspects, including half a large can of tomatoes.



I heated the oven when these were cooked (in a little stock in a skillet) and made a quick cheezy sauce from a package of tofu which was soon to be past its prime. The eggplant mixture went into a round baking dish, the tofu topping (with some lovely spices in it) went on top and I popped the whole thing into the oven while I was fixing the salad.



I had one serving (Okay, it was a big one) and my dh polished off the rest (shock horror!). So I guess it was a success and yet so easy. Oh I'm too modest - It was great!



I promised myself, and probably you, that I'd post what I was eating from time to time - apart from salads and fresh fruit. The thing is, we have been going more in favour of old favourties, including one my dh adores: POTATO PEA & MUSHROOM CURRY from India. This is a good standby for us whenever we find we're in a hurry, want something comforting, and have no special ingredients in the house. Potatoes? Sure, always have a few lying around I guess (although I have been known to run out). Peas? Always in the freezer, just in case. Mushrooms? They're a staple. As for the rest of the things - garlic, ginger, onions, spices, well they're in the fridge and cupboards all the time too. So this meal can be had ready for the table in the time it takes to chop the veggies and cook the potatoes (the smaller the dice, the quicker the meal). We had this about three days ago. Lovely as always.

Another quick and reliable recipe is this soup - TOMATO CABBAGE SOUP Which is usually ready in twenty minutes from start to finish.



It's hot, it's light and it's satisfying. Eat it with cornbread, wholewheat rolls, muffins or, as here, with a simple salad (and faux hamm) wrap.



We'll be finishing off the soup this evening!