Our Veggie Kitchen

There's a story behind this name.  This is basically a vegetable & noodle dish in a mild curry sauce.  When I started cooking Thai food, my daughter turned her nose up to curry.  She did, however, love the noodle dishes I made and she loves yakisoba and lo mein.  So, initially, the name was meant to fool her.  And it worked.  Now she is older and wiser.  For some teenage reason, she doesn't like red curry but she still likes Thai Lo Mein.  She also likes "Thai Lo Mein-With-Rice-Instead-Of-Noodles."   The teenage brain is a marvelous thing!

Here are a couple of ingredient notes:

I usually use a mix of soy yogurt and coconut milk instead of all coconut milk.  This choice is purely driven by calories.  Coconut milk is almost completely saturated fat.  It's delicious!  If you are concerned about calories the soy yogurt/coconut milk mixture will give better results than lite coconut milk, which is watered down.  You're welcome to use all coconut milk as well.  Like I said, Delicious!

I have found two methods to successfully cook rice noodles.  The first and most successful is pan fry pre-soaked noodles.  This takes a little practice and requires a large pan, but gives better results because you have more control.  The second is to add presoaked noodles to boiling water, bring the noodles back to a boil and drain.  Again, this takes a little practice and the cook time varies depending on the thickness of the noodle, but is easier if you don't have a large saute pan or wok.  Watch 30 seconds of this video for a good demonstration of pan fried noodles.

Thai Lo Mein
1 small can coconut milk (5.5 oz)
2-3 tbs red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen or homemade)
1 purple onion, sliced into thin half rings
4 oz shiitake mushrooms, cut into match sticks
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1/2 small head cabbage, cored & shredded
1/2 cup soy yogurt
1/4 cup Golden Mountain Sauce (or Maggi or Braggs or soy sauce)
1/4 - 3/4 cups water (for pan fried noodles)
14 oz dried rice noodles

Tofu:
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained
2 tbs Golden Mountain Sauce (or Maggi or Braggs or soy sauce)
1 lime wedge, juiced
1 tsp sesame oil

For the Tofu:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the tofu into 6-8 cakes.  In a saucer, mix the Golden Mountain Sauce, lime juice and oil.  dip each side of each cake into the saucer and place on a baking sheet.  Cook for 35 minutes, turning after 20 minutes.  You can do this ahead of time and even refrigerate it.

For the Stir Fry:

Soak the noodles in a pot of warm water while you chop the vegetables.  The noodles will be ready for cooking when they pliable and not sticking to each other.  The will not feel cooked.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the most of the coconut milk and let it reduce.  Sometimes the coconut cream will collect at the top and you can just use this.  Add the curry paste and saute until well combined.  Add the purple onion, mushrooms, carrot and cabbage.  Saute until the cabbage is soft.  Add the sliced peppers and saute for a couple minutes longer.

Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan as best you can.  Add the rest of the coconut milk, soy yogurt, golden mountain sauce, and a little water.  Stir until the yogurt is combined.  Add the noodles and stir/toss constantly, adding a little water at a time until the noodles are done.  The vegetables will get mixed in as you stir.  Remove from heat and serve.

5 Servings:  562 Calories (16g fat, 84g carbs, 23g protein)

My wife is allergic to peanuts, which sometimes puts a damper on my Thai cravings.  So, when I set out to make tofu satay, I decided to make a tahini based 'peanut' sauce.  This sauce turned out to be a winner for sure.  It was an amazing dipping sauce for tofu.  Then, I took the leftovers, added a little water and used the rest for salad dressing.  Since then, I've made two more batches for salads and we just can't get enough.



Thai No-Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup tahini (preferrably roasted)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tbs golden mountain sauce (or soy sauce)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs ginger, minced
1 tbs red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
1/4 cup water (1/2 cups for salad dressing)
1 tbs agave syrup

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

10 servings:  87 cal (6g fat, 4g carbs, 3g protein)

Last weekend, I bought a big hubbard squash.  I made a batch of squash casserole, chopped some more up for the freezer and saved some for a curry this weekend.  I thought the sweetness from squash and sauteed onions would go perfectly with hot, pungent curry spices.  I ended up a bit pressed for time and just used plain ole curry powder, but it turned out really good, and, in the end, a pretty simple meal.   My favorite use of tempeh is simmered in coconut curry, so it was a natural complement to the squash.



Squash Curry
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 medium onions, halved & sliced into half rings
1 tbs ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups winter squash (hubbard, butternut, etc), peeled & diced into large chunks
12 oz tempeh, cubed
1 small can (5.5 oz) coconut milk
3 cups water
1 1/2 tbs curry powder
1 tsp hot chili powder (I used 3/4 tsp chili powder & 1/4 tsp cayenne)
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick cinnamon (3-4 inches)
4 cardamom pods
1 cup soy yogurt

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, stirring frequently until they have browned. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute, until aromatic. Pour in the coconut milk, water and spices. Add the squash and bring to a boil. Then, gently stir in the temeph. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally (gently), for about 20 minutes, until the squash is tender. Stir in the yogurt and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and pick out the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and serve, poured over rice.

5 servings:  370 cal (22g fat, 32g carbs, 18g protein)

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)

I'm always looking for new ways to cook cabbage.  And today I added a cabbage & some mushrooms & tempeh to some coconut milk and red curry paste for a simple Thai curry.  And, in the process, I made a handy discovery.  A small can of coconut milk has 28 grams of fat.  It's creamy and delicious but it can quickly turn a healthy meal into an indulgence.  Well, today, I ran out, so I used a small can of coconut milk and a cup of SoDelicous Coconut Milk Beverage.  The result wasn't as creamy as pure coconut milk, but it was more than passable.  I will definitely explore this for future Thai meals.



Red Curry with Cabbage & Tempeh
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, halved & sliced
3 red jalapeno peppers, seeded & julienned
1 head cabbage, cored & chopped
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 small can (5.5 oz) coconut milk
1 cup SoDelicous Coconut Milk Beverage. (or more coconut milk)
2 tbs red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
1/4 cup Golden Mountain Sauce (or soy sauce)
4 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
12 oz tempeh, cubed

Whisk together the coconut milks, curry paste, Golden Mountain sauce, lime leaves and tempeh and set aside.  Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the peppers, cabbage and and onion.  Saute just until the cabbage begins to soften, then add the mushrooms.  Continue to saute until the onions are soft and the mushrooms have given off some of their liquid.  Stir in the coconut milk/tempeh mixture and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the cabbage is cooked through.  It's easy to overcook the cabbage, so be attentive.  It should be done in 15-20 minutes, depending on how long you sauteed it.  Serve with rice.

5 Servings:  327 cal (19g fat, 26g carbs, 21g protein)

Mussaman curry evolved with the emigration of Indian Muslims into Thailand. So it began with infusion of a North Indian pallet with Thai ingredients and technique. It is usually associated with beef and potato curries and its especially good with root vegetables.

For this soup, I brought the flavors closer to India by using amchur (dried green mango) instead of lemongrass and lentils instead of beef. Duh! The flavors blended so nicely with elements of sweet, bitter, hot and creamy. And it is neither Indian nor Thai.



Mussaman Lentil Pumpkin Soup
1 tbs vegetable oil
Whole Spices (see below)
1 cup shallots, chopped
1 tbs galangal, chopped (you could use ginger)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tbs amchur (dried green mango powder) or 1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
1 small pumpkin, peeled and cubed (about 5 cups)
2 quarts water
4 cups potatoes, cut into large cubes
6 carrots, diced
1 cup lentils
1 bunch spinach, stems removed, chopped (or 1 package frozen & drained)
11 oz coconut milk (2 small cans)
1/4 cup golden mountain sauce (or soy sauce)

Whole Spices:
3 dried hot chili peppers (I used arbol), seeds removed
1 tbs coriander seed
1/2 tbs cumin seed
4 cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
1 tsp peppercorns

Heat oil in a cooking pot over medium heat. Add the whole spices and saute for a few seconds, until the cumin begins to pop. Stir in the shallots, galangal and garlic along with the turmeric and amchoor (or lemongrass if using) and saute until soft. Add the pumpkin and water, bring to a boil and simmer until soft. In batches of about 2 cups each, thoroughly blend. If you don't blend in small batches, it will be difficult completely blend the whole spices.

Return the blended mixture to the cooking pot and add potatoes, carrots and lentils. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir in the spinach and simmer another 10-15 minutes, until the potato, carrot and lentils are tender. Stir in the coconut milk and golden mountain sauce and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and serve.

6 Servings: 448 cal (15g fat, 68g carbs, 16g protein)

This soup is an explosion of flavor. It's got a mild heat from the curry paste and jalapenos, the tang of lemon grass and lime juice and the delicious aroma of kaffir lime leaves. It's coconut creamy with the contrasting textures of celery, mushrooms and potatoes. It is truly an experience to savor.

You may want to consider a couple ingredient alterations. First, increasing coconut milk and decreasing broth will make a creamier soup, but at the expense of (many) more calories. Fat is so tasty. Second, adjust green curry paste according to your taste. Two tablespoons make a mild soup. My preference is three. You may want even more. It can be stirred in at the end.

This is one of my favorite special occasion soups.



Thai Chowder
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 red jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped
1 lb mushrooms, thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs glanagal, grated
2-3 Tbs green curry paste
4 cups chicken flavored broth
11 oz coconut milk (2 small cans)
2 stalks lemon grass
4 kaffir lime leaves
2 lbs red potatoes, unpeeled & cubed
2 cups frozen corn
2 limes, juiced

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, jalapeno peppers and celery and saute until the onion has softened. Add the mushrooms and stir until the mushrooms begin to release their moisture. Add the galangal, curry paste, and garlic and stir until aromatic.

Pour in the broth and coconut milk. Bruise the lemon grass stalks by pressing firmly with the side of a knife or giving them a light whack with a rolling pin. Tie together with string and to the soup. Rip each kaffir lime leaf in several places. It's easiest to make tears up to the central vein, so the leaves are left in tact. Add to the soup. Add the diced potatoes and frozen corn. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.

Add the limes, one half at a time, testing the flavor after each lime. Two limes will make it quite tangy, which contrasts the other flavors nicely. You may want a little less, though. Remove the lemon grass and lime leaves and serve.

6 Servings: 446 cal (17g fat, 68g carbs, 13g protein)

While I was experimenting with green curry paste, I had about three cups to use up. I was pairing curry paste with everything and this is a curry that turned out really really good. Brussels sprouts aren't synonymous with Thai cooking, but they should be. The go together surprisingly well. I've made this a couple of times since I took the picture and, the best combination is with Brussels sprouts, tempeh and mushrooms. Thai basil is good to.



Brussels Sprout Curry
2 lbs Brussels Sprouts
1 lb small button mushrooms, whole or halved
12 oz tempeh, cubed
14 oz coconut milk
3 tbs Green Curry Paste
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 cup Thai Basil, chopped (optional)

Cut the bottom off of each Brussels sprout and either cut in half (if large) or score the bottoms and leave whole (if small). Cut the mushrooms in half or leave whole. Combine with the tempeh in a sauce pan. Stir the curry paste into the coconut milk and add to the pan, along with the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, cover an simmer until the Brussels sprouts are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the Thai basil and the lime juice. All the Thai basil to wilt a bit, then remove from heat. Serve with Jasmine or brown rice.

I've been playing with this recipe to get a good combination of hot and spicy, sweet and savory. And this recipe is well worth the effort. And, with tons of test batches, I've started putting it on everything: mixed into vegenaise (heaven!), schmered on a Thai Burger, or mixed into soup and even a coconut curry or two. This curry paste is delicious and only takes about half an hour to make. And, make it yourself and be assured that there is absolutely no fish sauce or shrimp paste.



Green Curry Paste
1 tbs coriander seed
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs galangal, chopped
2 stalks lemon grass, chopped
6 kaffir lime leaves, chopped
1 lime, juiced & zested
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
10-15 Thai chillies, chopped with seeds (depending on size)

Dry fry the coriander and cumin seeds over medium heat until the cumin begins to toast. Remove from heat and set aside until cool. Grind in a spice grinder and combine with the remaining ingredients. Blend in a blender or a spice grinder (in batches). I run the mixture through my spice grinder twice in two batches each. I don't think a blender would work well unless yours is better than mine (which is highly likely). Makes about 1 cup.

16 servings: 25 cal (0g fat, 6g carbs, 1g protein)

Yesterday, I made buckets and buckets of burgers. I normally a double batch of something and freeze them for later. But, lately, I haven't been getting around to making them, and I've completely run out. So, I made two staples: Chickpea Burgers and BBQ Tempeh Burgers.

Then, I made one that's been kicking around in my brain for a while, now: The Thai Tempeh burger. I made them with typical green curry spices and topped with mushrooms sauteed in some soy milk and red curry paste. They were delicious with the mushrooms and Thai basil. These are not hot. If it were me, I'd double the peppers, so make your own choice.



Thai Tempeh Burgers
1/4 cup lentils, raw
1/4 cup brown rice, raw
1 cup water
-----
6 oz tempeh, grated
1/2 cup shallots, minced
1 tbs galangal (or ginger), minced
1 tbs lemon grass (white part only), minced
1 tbs Thai Birds Eye Peppers (see note), minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup lime juice (2-3 limes)
2 tbs Golden Mountain Sauce (or Soy Sauce)
2 tbs vegetable oil
2-4 tbs water
-----
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup chickpea flour

Add the brown rice and lentils to 1 cup boiling water, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered until the lentils and rice are soft, about an hour. Cool in the refrigerator when finished cooking. Meanwhile, boil the tempeh in water for about 10 minutes. Remove, drain and cool in the refrigerator.

When the tempeh, rice and lentils are cooled, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients together and kneed for a couple minutes. Form into 8 patties. Coat a cookie sheet with vegetable oil. Bake the patties for 25 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes.

I make these to be reheated, so if you eat them right away, they will be a bit soft. You can reheat them, either frozen or refrigerated in the oven, microwave or grill.

Pepper Note: The green peppers are hotter than the red, but the red add a pleasing color. Use your own judgement when mixing them and determining quantity. I used 4 green and 2 red and the burgers were not spicy hot.

8 Servings: 205 cal (7g fat, 19g carbs, 19g protein)

I'm back, I think. We're still tripping over boxes, but we're moved out of our old house. And I got a draft of my grant. Things should start slowing down a little now and I can get back into the kitchen. Tonight was the first time I've made anything more than burgers or chili dogs in two weeks. It was still quick and easy, but It was actually cooking. It felt good.

This curry is easy and quick. It is also not at all hot, unless you use a spicy curry paste (watch out for shrimp paste in it). I use Thai Kitchen. The lemongrass and Kafir Lime Leaves give it a nice authentic flavor, slightly sweet. If you can't get Kafir Lime Leaves, you can use a tsp or so of lime zest, but it won't be the same. You can also leave it out. Soy Sauce is an easy substitute for Golden Mountain Sauce. I didn't use cashews today, but next time, I definitely will.



Thai Veggie Curry
4 cups broccoli florets (or mixed with cauliflower)
1/2 lb small button mushrooms
1 red onion, sliced into half rings
1 can baby corn
1/2 cup cashews
2 kafir lime leaves
12 oz coconut milk
1/4 cup golden mountain sauce
Curry Paste:
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tbs)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 stalks lemongrass, minced (white parts only)
1 1/2 tbs red curry paste

Combine the curry paste ingredients and stir together. Add to a saute pan, along with the cashews over medium heat. Stir fry for a minute or two until the garlic and ginger become fragrant. Add the coconut milk and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the broccoli is fully cooked. Serve over rice.

4 Servings: 361 cal (29g fat, 21g carbs, 12g protein)



And, in case you're interested, here's a pic of my grant. Its a small affordable housing grant in rural Oregon. It's only about a million dollars, but they really make you work for it. So, I've been moving in the evenings and writing this puppy in the wee hours of the morning. I shipped it off to reviewers yesterday and won't have to think about it for another week.

The sun is rapidly fading here in Eugene. I've been working hard to use all my basil before it withers and I've had a healthy Thai Basil plant that needed to be on my plate. I've been kicking some ideas around and invited a nice family of willing guinea pigs. We had taco fixins left over from yesterday, so I made no attempt to make our meal kid friendly. In the end, we had a nice meal of mostly good food and always good company. Here was my menu:



Thai Fried Rice - I'd made this before. I love it. It's a mixture of fried tofu, thai basil, cilantro, thai peppers and ginger. Not hot, but a nice warm treat.

Thai Sausage - I'd been reading about Thai street food and came across this. Originally cased and skewered, I decided to make patties. I've been eating it all weekend; on a bed of jasmine rice and doused in sweet chili sauce. One day soon, this will make a great hamburger, pot stickers too.

Thai Basil Pesto - I had high hopes for this. I blended cashews with lime juice, thai basil, cilantro, galangal (yum), Kafir Lime leaves (double yum)and birds eye chili peppers. I marinated it in tofu and baked it. . . I'm going to call this a work in progress.

Red Curry - Sweet potatoes and spinach in a red coconut curry. Pretty simple, pretty tasty, but, as you can see, it only barely looked edible. Probably the subject of a future post.

Not on vegan Thai cousine - Thai cooks are amazingly adept at concealing non-vegan food in their meals. Eggs are easy to spot, but sauces and pastes commonly have fish parts. Curry paste, especially red, usually (but not always) has shrimp paste, and fish sauce is in everything. I use Golden Mountain Sauce as a substitute for fish sauce. It has a more authentic Thai flavor and a bit of a fishy taste. Its worth getting. You may sub soy sauce instead, though.



Thai Sausage
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup cooked & chilled white rice
1/4 cup shallot, minced
1 tbs galangal (or ginger), minced
1 tbs lemongrass, minced
1 tbs green Thai birds-eye peppers
1 tbs garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup cold vegetable broth
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbs Golden Mountain Sauce (or soy sauce)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten

Mix the vital wheat gluten with the other dry ingredients. Make sure that they are thoroughly mixed and no lumps of rice remain. Use your fingers! Mix in the wet ingredients, adding a (very) little gluten or water to make a moist dough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form into 15 small patties and fry in a large fry pan (or double batch) in a little oil, over medium-high heat until brown on both sides (about 10 minutes). Transfer patties to a 9 x 13 casserole, cover and bake for about 40 minutes, turning once. Test a patty to check consistency and cook more if necessary.

5 servings: 253 cal (7g fat, 19g carbs, 30g protein)

Thai Fried Rice
2 tbs vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs ginger, grated
1 tbs chopped red chilies
4 oz fried tofu, chopped small
3 cups jasmine rice
2 tbs golden mountain sauce
2 green onions
1 cup thai basil, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add garlic, ginger and chilies. Stir fry for a couple, until fragrant. Add the rice and toss well, breaking up any lumps. Add the golden mountain sauce and toss through with the green onions, tofu, thai basil and cilantro.

4 Servings: 335 cal (13g fat, 45g carbs, 10g protein)

For me, this is the Phoenix of soups. Originally, this became a soup because I didn't want to throw away a disastrous Thai curry. As a curry, it was watery and cool. With a doctoring, it became a sweet & hearty stew with the Thai flavors of lemon grass and kafir lime leaves. With a lots of veggies and nuts, a bowlful can be meal by itself.



Thai Cashew Stew
1 tbs vegetable oil
4 shallots
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup jasmine rice
1 tsp red curry paste
3/4 lb sweet potato, diced
1 stalk lemon grass, minced
1 cup frozen corn
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 kafir lime leaves (2 sets of 2)
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tbs ketchup
4 tsp golden mountain sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tsp brown sugar
3 cups water
1 tsp corn starch, mixed with 1/4 cup cold water
salt and pepper to taste

Fry the shallots and cashews in oil until the shallots are soft. Add the rice and curry paste and fry for just a minute or two. Add the sweet potato, lemon grass, celery and corn and saute for a couple minutes more. Then add the remaining ingredients (except corn starch) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sweet potato is soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch 5 minutes before the soup is finished. Salt and pepper to taste.

5 Servings: 345 cal (16g fat, 46g carbs, 9g protein)