notice

My updates will be sporadic over the next few weeks, since I am in the process of moving. please be patient with me!

Recipe: Red Lentil Curry

yup, I'm still working on that same bag of red lentils, but I got bored with the recipe I've been using since my junior year of college. This recipe was a welcome breath of fresh air!

ingredients:
2 cups red lentils
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons curry paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ginger root, minced
1 (14.25 ounce) can tomato puree

directions:
1. Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear (this is very important or the lentils will get "scummy"), put the lentils in a pot with water to cover and simmer covered until lentils tender (add more water if necessary).
2. combine the curry paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, salt, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl. Mix well. cook over a high heat stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes in a frying pan with oil.
4. Stir in the tomato puree and reduce heat, allow the curry base to simmer until the lentils are ready.
5. When the lentils are tender drain them briefly (they should have absorbed most of the water but you don't want the curry to be too sloppy). Mix the curry base into the lentils and serve immediately.

serves 8

this recipe originally called for an onion, but my dislike for onions was reason enough for me to omit the ingredient. Regardless, this was delicious! I thought it was a little on the mild side.

Recipe: Teriyaki Tofu Salad

I recently discovered a packet of simply asia teriyaki marinade in the back of my pantry. Naturally, I felt an urge to put it to good use! I've been feeling the urge to make more tofu-based dishes lately, so I marinated some extra-firm tofu in the marinade, then lightly pan-fried. I then combined the tofu with some baby spinach, chopped carrots, red bell pepper, and cucumber to create an asian-esque salad. I topped the salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Recipe: Risotto with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mozzarella

(photo to come soon)

this is easily my favorite risotto recipe that I've made to date. no, it is not the healthiest, but all that melty cheese over the tangy taste of sun-dried tomatoes makes up for it. plus, i got to put my basil plant to use for something besides pesto!

ingredients:
5 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained with oil reserved
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
1. In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer. While the stock is heating, drain the sun-dried tomatoes and reserve the oil. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and set them aside.
2. In a large frying pan, warm 2 tablespoons of oil from the tomatoes, add rice to the frying pan and stir until white spots appear in the center of the grains; about 1 minute. Spoon a ladleful of vegetable stock into the frying pan and cook the mixture on low until all the stock is absorbed; about 2 minutes. Continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Add the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil from the tomatoes, chopped basil, and salt and pepper. Mix well and serve

to make this recipe a little on the healthier side, I used low sodium vegetable broth (my brand of choice is Imagine). I also used Trader Joe's light mozzarella cheese. This cheese is a world apart from the low-fat cheese from Kraft and generic grocery store brands in that it actually tastes like cheese (I often find that other brands taste like plastic).

Recipe: Vegetarian Pad Thai

I'll admit it, I'm a little anxious about posting a photo of this dish. I adapted it from a recipe on allrecipes.com to make it veg-friendly and work with what I already have in my pantry, and in the process of doing so this dish became a total disaster.

In retrospect, I probably went wrong when I used different noodles than originally called for. the original recipe called for rice noodles, which I think is what I used. My mom had bought me some japanese noodles at a japanese grocery store during a visit last december, but the label is in japanese so I'm not sure what kind of noodles they are. In the future, I would use udon noodles.

ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package rice noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 package extra firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 cups bean sprout
3 green onions, chopped

directions:
1. Soak rice noodles in cold water 30 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a wok or large heavy skillet. Saute tofu until browned. Remove, and set aside. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into hot oil, and cook until firm. Stir in tofu, and cook for 5 minutes. Add softened noodles, and vinegar, sugar and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender. Add bean sprouts, and mix for 3 minutes. top with green onions.

serves 6