Our Veggie Kitchen

The first thing I do when I visit my favorite Thai restaurant is ponder the specials board.  On my one of my recent visits, they had avocado curry.  I had never thought of mixing a decadent coconut curry with a delicious avocado.  After all, delicious fat plus more delicious fat is always a win.  So I ordered it, made mental notes along the way and whipped up a batch the very next day.  One tweaking batch later, and I've arrived at this.  I only wish the picture captured how absolutely delicious this is.



Avocado Curry
Curry:
1/2 large avocado (or 1 small)
14 oz coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2-3 Tbs Green Curry Paste (3 is quite warm)
3 Tbs golden mountain sauce (or soy sauce)
1/2 lime, juiced
Stir Fry:
8 oz tempeh, cubed
2 cups green beans
1 carrot, cut into batons
1 zucchini, cubed
1 cup good sized basil leaves
1/2 large avocado (or another small one)

Combine the curry ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  If it's too thick, add a little more water.  Pour into a large sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Add the tempeh, green beans and carrot and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the beans and carrot are well cooked.  Remove the lid and stir in the zucchini, avocado and basil.  Cook, until the basil is wilted.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Note:  I've tried this with Thai basil and it is best with a large leafed Genovese or other sweet basil.

4 Servings:  451 cal (36g fat, 25g carbs, 17g protein)

This is a great addition to any gathering.  It makes a bucket load of dip, but it'll go quickly accompanied with a bowl of tortilla chips. I made a batch, along with artichoke dip.  I fully expected to have leftovers for tacos at dinner.  I was wrong.



Chunky Black Bean Guacamole
5 small avocados, peeled
15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 tomatoes

Sauce:
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno, seeded
1 clove garlic
2 tbs water (adjust as necessary)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt

Cut tomatoes into quarters and scoop the seeds with your fingers into a blender.  Dice the tomatoes and add to a mixing bowl.  Cube four of the avocados and add to the bowl with the tomatoes.  Add the drained & rinsed black beans to the bowl also.

For the sauce,cut up one of the avocados and add to the blender along with  tomato seeds and the rest of the sauce ingredients.  Add just enough water to get the ingredients to blend.  I used about 2 tablespoons. Blend thoroughly and pour over the tomatoes, avaocados and black beans.  Gently mix together and scoop into a serving bowl.

16 servings:  91 cal (6g fat, 9g carbs, 3g protein)

I posted this before, but I've changed it some and it really is a great dressing/dip. It's pretty thick, so you may want to add some extra soy milk if you want it for salad dressing ... or not.



Creamy Avocado Dressing
1 small avocado
1/2 lime, juiced (more to taste)
1/4 cup Vegenaise
1 tbs shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Tabasco or tapatio
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup soy milk, a little at a time
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Combine all the ingredients except for the cilantro and 1/4 cup of soy milk. Blend until smooth. Add more soy milk (possibly more than 1/4 cup) continue blending until the desired consistency is reached. Add the cilantro and blend for several pulses, until well combined. Makes about 2 cups.

16 servings: 47 cal (4g fat, 2g carbs, 1g protein)

I made enchiladas the other day and I used three different sauces. I thought I'd post these separately because they have far more uses than just enchiladas. Both are vegan and both taste wonderful. Further proof that a vegan diet isn't deprived of anything!

Update: I used some of the Nacho Sauce ingredients to make Cheezy Quinoa and it made a great filling for tacos or nachos.