Nutty red Thai curry

One of my favourite cuisines is Thai food. It's a balance of flavors: salty, sweet, pungent, sour, and sometimes spicy. The best is when you make fresh curry paste on your own. Typically, red curry paste has dried shrimp in it, but in this version, the shrimp never made it in.

Nutty red Thai curry with tofu

To make the fresh curry paste, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, raw sugar, tamarind, Braggs Amino acids, Fresno chilies, shallots, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, cumin, coriander, tomato paste and fennel seeds (I know it's a laundry list of ingredients!) were blended together.

And the delectable curry started off with some coconut oil, red onions, carrots, cauliflower, firm tofu, asparagus, vegetable stock, and finishing with coconut milk. Allow all curry to simmer a bit so the flavors begin to meld together. The curry was garnished with a mixture of roasted almonds, sliced coconut, cashews and fresh chopped cilantro. And with some steamed brown rice, you couldn't ask for a better pairing.

Cream sauce sans cream

I remember a decade or so ago, I dined at the The Cheesecake factory where they had this amazing pasta with fettuccine, sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken all tossed in a rich cream sauce. Since then, I have revised my ways, for the better in my heart of hearts. I will have to admit, there is something satisfying about a cream sauce. In this rendition, roasted cashews and it's accompaniments were blended into a "cream" sauce and honestly, I doubt you will miss it's dairy counterpart.

Fusilli with herbed cashew cream and spring asparagus

Cooked fusilli pasta was tossed with blanched asparagus, fresh ground Hawaiian red sea salt, and a cashew cream sauce made of fresh tarragon, lemon zest, lemon juice, roasted garlic, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and filtered water. To finish the sauce, I whisked in extra-virgin olive oil. And to garnish: some chopped Italian parsley and chopped roasted cashews.

Curried tofu rice bowl

Today marks the first day I have ever worked with Hodo tofu. It's actually quite nice. So nice that I found my soy-intolerant self wanting to eat the chewy textured firm tofu. The tofu was firm and held it's shape, but unlike other firm tofus which I have worked with before, the interior was not compact and hard. Rather it was airy and spongy. Along with other veggie accompaniments, marinated Hodo tofu highlighted the curried rice bowl.

Curried tofu rice bowl

The bowl was layers upon layers of goodies: Bloomsdale spinach, brown rice, grilled sesame broccoli, edamame, marinated and roasted Hodo tofu, and then ladled with a warm curry coconut sauce. The cubed tofu was marinated overnight in a bath of tamari, apple cider vinegar, garlic, curry powder, a touch of maple syrup, and filtered water. To make the sauce, yellow onions and garlic were simmered with cumin, coriander, and curry powders, filtered water and coconut milk. In lieu of the water, you can use vegetable stock. The sauce was then blended until smooth with a bit of roasted cashews, some of the tofu marinade, and a touch of apple cider vinegar.

Chop chop

The lunch rush is almost second nature, especially in America. Make it fast! Chop chop! There is no lounging around for two hours, strolling to the nearby cafe and dining alfresco like other places. In most cases, there is eating during a meeting, on a conference call (on mute, of course), at your desk, in other words, multitasking. I've been there. Even when we do get a chance to dine with our friends, are we engaged in conversation, food, both, neither? In Buddhist traditions, eating is sacred and done in silence. There is a lot to be said about this. There is more focus and absorption of the flavors, textures, and other notes of food. The more relaxed you are, the more likely you'll digest the foods eaten and the more nutrition taken in. However, in Rome, we do what the Romans do. Make it a healthy one.

Three-herb chop-chop salad with sprouted French green lentils

Sesame cracker bread

The salad was a toss of chioggia beets, roasted parsnips, carrots, red cabbage, avocados, sunflower seeds, sprouted French green lentils, whole mint, picked dill, and julienned sorrel in a creamy lemon-tahini dressing. To make the dressing, tahini, fresh lemon juice, raw apple cider vinegar, garlic, soaked raw almonds, and a touch of agave were blended until smooth. You must add filtered water to the dressing to loosen it and season with salt and pepper to taste. Every bite of the final product will have a bit of a crunch, sometimes there will be mint, sometimes dill, and sometimes all flavors and textures will explode in your mouth. How aware are you willing to be?

A green take on chili

Chili: a pot of beans and spices simmered over a long period of time. Goes good with cornbread. Is that what vegetarians thinks when they hear the word "chili"? Not all chili has to be red. A light, green one is in order, especially with spring around the corner.

White bean chili verde

Caramelized onion and scallion cornbread

The chili started of with the usual: sauteed garlic and yellow onions, along with bay leaves, cumin powder and dried oregano. When the onions were almost translucent, I added white wine and reduced the mixture before adding sliced jalapenos. Next to join were steamed Yukon gold potatoes, dry roasted tomatillos, sliced granny smith apples...and finally, the cooked small white navy beans. All simmered in vegetable stock for what appeared to be a long time. The chili was garnished with chopped cilantro, sliced avocados, and grated granny smith apples. Rather a deep, dense red chili, this chili verde was lighter, cleaner, and a nice prelude to spring. And as for the cornbread, the recipe can be found here.

A taste of spicy Indonesia

When I visited Indonesia some two years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find tempeh abound. Apparently, tempeh originates in Indonesia. 4 ounces of this fermented soybean product has a whopping 41% of the RDA of protein. What a great vegan protein option and with an Indonesian spicy sambal sauce, you'll be sure to enjoy knowing how tasty and nourishing it is for you.

Tahu dan tempeh bumbu rujak AKA Indonesian tempeh in spicy coconut sauce

Grilled asparagus

Simply steamed brown rice

I first made a sambal oelek (spicy sauce) from blending Fresno chilies, ginger, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, fresh lemongrass, tamarind puree, a bit of raw sugar, and apple cider vinegar. To make the tempeh, julienned shallots were lightly fried in oil. Once they began to brown, I added the sambal to "cook" the spices along with turmeric. Cubed tempeh then made it's way into the large pot, all the while, stirring carefully as to keep the tempeh intact. Then the saucy part came in: a bit of vegetable stock and coconut milk. After allowing the curry to simmer, I adjusted the sauce with some fresh lime juice, a bit more raw sugar, and salt.

The magic of herbs

Herbs, like spices, add a lot of flavor to foods. And fresh is best! I avoid using dried as much as possible as it is much more intense and does not capture the lightness of the fresh counterpart. This three-herb pistachio pesto featured chervil, Italian parsley, and lemon thyme. Lemon thyme is incredibly refreshing in scent and taste. You have to try it.

Quinoa fusilli pasta with 3-herb pistachio pesto, cranberry beans, kalamata olives, and sweet cherry tomatoes

Gluten-free pasta made of quinoa and corn met it's mate with a pesto made of roasted pistachios, raw garlic, Italian parsley, chervil, lemon thyme, lemon juice, and extra-virgin olive oil. It couldn't really get any simpler than that. And the taste will wow you. Toss it with whatever combination of vegetables or legumes you like. It really does prove it's magic.