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

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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

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

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

Breakfast - Grilled Veggies on Pumpernickel Toast and Ginger Lemon Tea

Sauteed Mushrooms and Zucchini on Pumpernickel

ingredients

Vine tomatoes - 1 per person - cut in half inch slices*

Mushrooms - 3 or 4 or a portabello mushroom (the large ones) for each person - half inch slices
Courgettes - 4 or 5 slices per person - half inch slices
Olive oil - 1 teaspoon per person
Shoyu (natural soya sauce) - 2 teaspoons per person

• 1. Wash and slice vegetables

• 2. Mix the soya sauce and oil together whisking a fork

• 3. Toss  the vegetables in half of the shoyu/oil mixture and place them on the wire rack of a large grill pan. 

• 4. At the side of the veggies, put one slice of pumpernickel per person.  

• 5. Grill for about 5 mins (should be gently sizzling)

• 6.  Turn over the veg slices and bread and grill for another 5 mins.

• 7. Layer the veg on the pumpernickel first the tomatoes then the mushroom slices, then the courgettes.  Pour over these the other half of the shoyu/oil mix and grill all for a further 2 or 3 mins or until sizzling and starting to brown slightly. *Alternatively you can half the tomatoes, and serve them grilled on the side.

Serve garnished with chopped chives or finely sliced spring onions, followed by ginger lemon tea for a quick macrobiotic* cooked breakfast.

This is a quick meal made substantial by using pumpernickel bread, it makes a great breakfast if you feel extra hungry, also can be eaten for lunch or supper.  Organic sliced wholemeal bread can be substituted for a lighter meal.

You can buy great organic pumpernickel at most supermarkets.  The one I got from Morrisons only cost about a £1.09 - it contains 8 slices and keeps for weeks till opened.  It is made with whole rye flour and cooked whole oats and barley, it has no wheat content at all.

Twinings do a lemon and ginger tea, which I noticed at both Morrisons and the Co-op.

*strictly speaking, tomatoes are avoided when aiming for macrobiotic ideal balance, as they are extremely yin.  Personally I tend to be pretty tolerant in regards to nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, aubergines . . etc), on an occasional basis.