Spicy vegetable curry with tasty mung dahl and brown rice

If funds are low but you have an hour or so for preparation  this meal is hearty, tasty, nutrient rich and very inexpensive - delicious! Season to your own taste!

1. Plain (Organic) Brown Rice with Gomasio (Sesame Salt)

2. Split Mung Dahl with Freshly grated Ginger, Onion, Fresh Coriander and Mild Green Chillies, seasoned with (Organic) Shoyu (Naturally brewed soy sauce).

3. Spicy Mixed Vegetable Curry (Cauliflour, Carrots, Onions and Saag (Asian Greens - may substitute Spring Cabbage, Spinach etc) with turmeric, cumin, coriander and chilli powders)

I'm extremely privileged to have moved within a five minute walk from an Asian Haji (food store) so with Madhur Jaffrey's wonderful Eastern Vegetarian cook book for inspiration my meals have taken on a decidedly Eastern character recently . . . 

Ingredients and Directions

Use the cooking methods and principals here and the vegetables you have to hand. (Full Recipe to follow)

Coming Soon

Tasty Tofu

shoyu soy sauce marinated, corn coated and sauteed in virgin olive oil

with Salad on Pumpernickel

Naturally Sweetened, Quick, Soft Crunch

Maple Syrup and Walnut Cookies

Garlicky Mushroom Chewy Barley Rice, Spicy Carrot Sauce, Scallion Garnish

Moroccan Chick Pea Quinnoa

Quinnoa and Chick Peas

with

 Moroccan Vegetables

and

Cucumber Wakame Salad on a bed of Rocket

If you can, soak some chick peas before you go to bed in preparation for the meal.  How many? At least one cup. It seems no matter how many I soak, there are never enough to do everything they inspire me to do with them so err on the side of generosity.  If you are lucky you'll have enough not only for home made hummus but perhaps falafel and or chick pea patties as well.

If you haven't soaked any the previous night, you can pour boiling water on some in the morning for the evening meal.  Otherwise use a tin or two - rinse well!

Chick Peas

Ingredients

1 cup of soaked chick peas

3 cups of filtered or spring water

Method

Bring to boil on the highest heat in a non-aluminium pan

turn the heat down low and cover to simmer for between 30 minutes to one hour

OR

Use a stainless steel pressure cooker if possible in which case cook for between 20 mins and 40 mins

Moroccan Style Vegetables 

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 medium red onion - cut in halves and sliced thinly

1 sweet red pepper - cut in halves and sliced thinly

4 stalks of celery  - sliced - half a cm

3 cloves of garlic - grated, crushed or minced

1 small or half a large green chilli - cut in strips then cut across to mince as small as possible

1 or one and a half cups of cooked chick peas

3 desert spoons of naturally brewed non-gm soya sauce (or to taste)

Spices (optional)

half a teaspoon of cinnamon

half a teaspoon of turmeric

one teaspoon paprika

Method

(If making the entire meal then follow Schedule see below).

1. First prepare the vegetables - wash and cut

2. Add the garlic to the onions, sauté for a minute then add the celery and sweet pepper and sauté for another couple of minutes.

3. Add the minced chillies and stir and saute for another minute then add the other spices and mix well.   

4. Add soya sauce and water, cover and turn the heat down very low, leave to simmer for 15 minutes

5. Add more water to the vegetables if required, and place the sliced green beans on top, cover and continue simmering on a low heat.

6. If you like it can sit whilst you add a little organic corn starch or kuzu and simmer for another minute to thicken the liquid in the vegetables although this isn't necessary.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Garnish with finely sliced spring onions (scallions)

Cucumber and Wakame Salad

Ingredients
one third of a cucumber
a strip of wakame about five inches in length
umeboshi sauce or lemon juice and salt

Method
(If making the entire meal then follow Schedule see below.)

1. Rinse the wakame and soak in enough spring water to cover, for at least 10 mins

2. Peel strips from the cucumber and slice as thinly as possible, and mix with the wakame

3. About 10 minutes before eating, Sprinkle a little salt on the cucumber slices and rub with fingers to distribute evenly on each slice.  Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the salad.  Alternatively just sprinkle with umeboshi sauce.

4. Place a small amount of rocket (or lots if you love it and have plenty) on each plate and top with the cucumber wakame mixture

Basic Quinoa

Ingredients:
Two Cups of Quinoa
Three Cups Filtered or Spring water
small pinch salt

Method

• Place quinoa in a non-aluminium pan and fill with water.
  Swirl around with your hand and pour out through a sieve to remove any dust.
  Repeat if water is cloudy, then return the grain to the pan.

• Add the spring water and salt, bring to boil on a high heat then immediately turn down to as low as possible but ensure it is simmering, (by checking that bubbles are continually rising to the top).
• When all the water is absorbed it is ready, around 20 mins.
  

Schedule

1. Put the chick peas on the heat as described above, when simmering, take note of the time 
2. Prepare the vegetables - wash and cut
3. Wash the quinoa and add the water and salt
4. Rinse the wakame and soak in enough spring water to cover, for at least 10 mins
5. Sauté the onions till floppy/translucent (about 3 mins), 
6. Put the quinoa on to boil
7. Add the garlic to the onions, sauté for a minute then add the celery and sweet pepper and sauté for another couple of minutes.
8. Add the minced chillies and stir and saute for another minute then add the other spices and mix well.   
9. Add chick peas, soya sauce and water, cover with a lid and turn the heat down very low, leave to simmer whilst doing the following:
10. Slice the wakame as finely as possible, (set aside the stem and soaking water for miso soup)
11. Peel strips from the cucumber and slice as thinly as possible  Sprinkle a little salt on the cucumber slices and rub with fingers to distribute evenly on each slice.  Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the salad.  Alternatively just sprinkle with umeboshi sauce. Mix with the wakame.
12. Add more water to the vegetables if required, and place the sliced green beans on top, cover and continue simmering on a low heat.
13. Place a small amount of rocket (or lots if you love it and have plenty) on each plate and top with the cucumber wakame mixture
14. Remove the quinoa when ready, and if you like it can sit whilst you add a little organic corn starch or kuzu and simmer for another minute to thicken the liquid in the vegetables although this isn't necessary.  Taste and adjust seasoning. 
15. Garnish with finely sliced spring onions (scallions)
16. Serve and Enjoy!

Vegetable Risotto with Water Sauteed Cabbage

Seasonal Vegetable Risotto with Water Sauteed Cabbage

Ingredients

(serves 4)

Chopped Vegs of your choice - I used:

1 Red Onion

3 Organic Carrots (on offer at co-op for £1 per bag atm)

4 Stringless beans (from reduced section at co-op)

Three rather large mushrooms

Finely sliced cabbage

1 big cup of Brown Rice

Garnish or Salad- I used watercress, cucumber, sweet red pepper

Pickle - I used 2 large olives pp

Seasoning - I used 3 desert spoons of soya sauce for the risotto

                               Sprinkle of umeboshi sauce for the salad

                               Natural sea salt for the cabbage

Method 

Simple Organic Brown Rice

1) Cook the Rice - rinse and add 2 cups of water to one cup of rice, bring to boil, cover, simmer for 45 mins

Right away or later in the day

2) Chop the Vegs - Larger need longer to cook, smaller need less time - how hungry are you?

Prepared Vegetables

 3) Add a little oil to a heavy pan and saute the onions till floppy - about 3 or 4 mins, stirring frequently.

4) Add the carrots and 2 desert spoons of water, cover, lower flame and allow them to steam for about 10 mins

5) Stir then add the beans, mushrooms and a layer of rice - about 50% rice and 50% vegs.

6) Add 3 desertspoons of soya sauce and about one quarter cup of water, cover and simmer on the lowest heat for about 15 mins.  More water and time may be added.

7) Remove from heat and keep covered whilst you stir 'fry' the cabbage using water and a pinch of seasalt instead of oil

Garnish and serve.

Easy Quick Mushroom Risotto

Great for lunch or as part of a larger meal

Mushrooms 3 large or 6 small per person

Garlic one clove per person

Virgin Olive Oil - one teaspoon per person or as required

Naturally brewed Soy Sauce

Cooked 'left over' soft short grain organic brown rice one cup per person

Pine nuts 2 desert spoons per person (optional)

Preparation

Wash and slice the mushrooms. 

Peel the garlic and crush, mince or get your garlic press ready to hand

In a heavy pan, frying pan or skillet gently warm the oil. Its hot enough, if a sliver of mushroom sizzles slightly when dropped in.

Sautee the garlic for one minute, stirring constantly

Turn heat up to medium and add the mushrooms  stirring until they start to soften
Add 1 desert spoon of pine nuts and stir one minute (optional)

Cover with rice and add about one eighth to one quarter of a cup of water or organic soya milk (unsweetened) mixed with  one teaspoon of soy sauce per person

Cover with lid or plate, turn heat to low and allow to steam for 15 mins.

Slice the mushrooms

Check at 5 minute intervals and add more liquid if needed.
Meanwhile prepare and cook the cabbage (below)

Mix and serve natural sauerkraut sprinkled with finely chopped spring onions

Delicious with gomasio and quick water sauteed green cabbage.

Quick Water Sauteed green Cabbage

Slice required amount of cabbage thinly 

Heat heavy pan and add two desert spoons of water

Add cabbage and stir on medium high heat

Continue till green part is tender but still green

Big breakfast Vegan Fry Up

Squash, Aubergine, Mushrooms and Beetroot

Here in Brit land we have a time honoured tradition of a hearty breakfast, often eaten around 11.00am so becoming brunch.  Here's what I rustled up over the weekend - the choice of vegetable is pretty open really, on this occasion I added broccoli at the last few minutes, and some tasty beetroot sauce.  The whole thing took less than 20 mins to prepare.


Ingredients
Per person (amount is approx - depends on appetite!)
3 chestnut mushrooms - sliced
1 or 2 slices of organic pumpernickle per person
1 small aubergine (or a couple of slices off a large one)
2 slices of butternut squash - 1 cm
2 slices beetroot - half cm
3 broccoli florettes
1 tablespoon cold pressed (virgin) oil
Seasoning

Put oil in heavy frying pan on medium heat

Breakfast Fry Up with Beetroot sauce

Saute mushrooms for 3 mins or till browned then put in covered dish in a warm oven

Add aubergine, squash and beetroot - saute for about 10 mins, turning once

Place the vegetables in oven when they are soft

Fry pumpernickle 1 min on each side

Add a drizzle of more oil if required at any point.
Put pumpernickle on plate and add broccoli to pan with a little water.

Cover and steam for 3 or 4 mins whilst you arrange the rest of the food on the plate.

Beetroot may be liquidised with a little water, umeboshi and soya sauce to make a smooth condiment
Enjoy

Quick delicious sushi

For the recipe for perfect brown rice - see the tab above "easy basic meal 45 mins"

Have you got any sheets of nori in your cupboard?  If so you can easily make sushi with left-over ingredients.  The filling can vary and natural condiments make it very tasty.

Quick brown rice sushi

I had a small piece of salmon left over from a meal out - too good to waste, I brought it home and later for tea I wrapped it in nori and seasoned rice along with some rocket, and ginger umeboshi pickles, although any naturally fermented pickle (eg gherkins) will do. (Buy the one's from the Polish section at Morrisons - they contain only cucumber, salt, garlic and dill and the water goes cloudy when you shake the jar.)

Hold firmly, and gently squeeze when rolling Sushi

I seasoned the rice with umeboshi sauce and brown rice vinegar, then topped off the final result with a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of gomasio.  A squeeze of lemon and a pinch of sea salt would be just as good.

Once you have laid out the ingredients, roll up keeping firm by gently squeezing, and seal with water.
Then you can slice it with a wet sharp knife.

Adding a miso soup would be nice with this, and you can follow it with some delicious desert. Voila you have a full tea-time meal.  I had left a portion of macrobiotic strawberry apple jelly topped with tofu cream and roasted almonds, mm mm.

Macrobiotic meal

Serve with miso soup or else followed by plain Japanese Bancha Tea

Apricot Amaranth Breakfast

1/4 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup amaranth

water

Breakfast - usually needs to be quick and easy, porridge oats fit the bill (I think the organic ones taste better).  As it's so easy we may eat it frequently, and if so, here is an alternative that is just as convenient. Like porridge instead of bringing to boil, you can simply put it on a low-low-medium heat when you get up and it can be left in a reasonable pan (not too thin) for as long as 30 mins without stirring as it gently comes up to a gentle boil then simmers. Meanwhile you can have a shower, get dressed etc. Make sure you leave the lid ajar!

Apricot Amaranth Breakfast

Just add a little of the cooking syrup and soya milk if desired

1) Wash half a cup of apricots

avoid Turkish ones I hear they have higher radiation levels.  I am guessing the organic turkish ones will be ok - you can buy these from the Bear in Todmorden if you are local.  I would imagine your local main supermarket  will have them too or try Holland and Barrets.

2) Cover and simmer apricots for 20 mins (or more if you like) with lid ajar. Just add a bit more water if needed.

3) Measure one part amaranth and add to pan with 3 parts water.  It's tricky to wash as you need a finer mesh sieve than normal.

I order my amaranth along with lots of other stuff online from Goodness Direct.  Delivery is free on orders over £35 so do a big shop less frequently or team up with friends to order.  It may seem pricey but actually goes a very long way and considering how nutritious it is, it works out as very good value.

4) Bring to boil, cover and simmer amaranth with lid ajar for 15 mins stirring occasionally. Just add a bit more water if needed.  Serve and allow to stand for 5 mins.  Add some apricot along with a little syrup and a little soya or rice milk (optional)

Nice served with warm pressed apple juice for a sweet summer breakfast

The amaranth has an unusual texture, almost chewy yet so easy to eat and digest, very soothing for the stomach and will keep you feeling satisfied till lunch.  It is described as:

Amaranth Supergrain

One of the oldest cultivated plants, amaranth was part of the staple diet of the Aztec and Inca civilisations.  Rich in calcium, protien and fibre. 

I reckon if it's good enough for eating before building pyramids, it will suffice for my daily breakfast needs!

Any other dried fruit may be used as a substitute for apricots.  Prunes, apples, raisins etc,

Fresh fruit may also be used as a substitute, either raw berries or cooked apple