TVP Mushroom Coconut Curry

Earlier in the week, I had almost a quarter of a gallon of coconut milk left over from my Holiday dinner with the family and I wanted to use it in a savory dish. I was also craving some TVP chunks, Nutrela, which I grew up eating as a kid. Now my DH, who has been Plant Strong for almost 10 weeks now, will eat vegetables and certain kinds of mushrooms but refuses to go near any of the non-traditional vegan food items that I've grown accustomed to including in my meals .. no tofu, tempeh, seitan or soy protein for him. So earlier this week, he wanted to have a bowl of cereal with almond milk for dinner and I decided to cook up something with the things I'd been craving ... Shiitake Mushrooms, TVP chunks and Coconut milk. 

Mild Coconut Curry

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 oz dried Shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted
2. 1 cup TVP chunks, soaked in hot water, and rinsed well
3. 1 x 15oz can of Hunts Fire-Roasted Garlic Diced Tomatoes
4. ~1-2 cups Coconut milk
5. 2 tsp Mustard seeds 
6. 4-6 Curry leaves (optional)
7. Smoked Paprika, to taste, for a not-so-mild flavor (optional)
8. Salt and Pepper, to taste.

Directions:

Line a pan with coconut milk and add mustard seeds. As the coconut milk begins to boil, add tomatoes and mix well. Add remaining ingredients, and additional coconut milk to obtain the desired consistency. I made it soupy as I wanted to eat it over rice. I didn't have any curry leaves so I left those out this time. I did use the paprika as it adds a nice smokey flavor to the dish. Cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the the aroma of mustard and paprika starts wafting out of the pan :) Serve over a bed of white or brown rice. Enjoy!! 

Spicy-Candied Carrots

Candied vegetables are a great addition to a Thanksgiving dinner table. Orange vegetables, such as carrots and yams lend themselves really well to candying and are often also served at Traditional thanksgiving dinners. This recipe, Teekhee-Meethee Gajar, is so simple and so delicious, that I know I will always have it on my table.

Teekhee-Meethee Gajar

Ingredients: 

1. 3 packs of frozen, crinkle cut, carrots. 
2. 1/2 cup coconut milk 
3. 1-2 tsp Cayenne pepper, and more, to taste 
4. 4 tbsp Brown Sugar
5. Salt, to taste 
6. 2-4 tbsp Raisins (optional)
7. Freshly chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish. 

Stove Top Directions (60 min before Dinner):

Line a pan with coconut milk, and add cayenne pepper and salt. Once the cayenne releases its aroma, add coconut milk and raisins and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add carrots, toss well, and cook for a few minutes (just enough to thaw the carrots, but do not wait for the carrots to become fork-tender, as they will become mushy in the oven). Transfer to a casserole dish, with just a little bit of the coconut milk (save the rest for later). Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Cover and set in oven at 250 F until ready to serve. Check periodically to make sure they don't dry out. If needed, add more of the saved coconut milk mixture. Garnish with cilantro leaves just before serving.

Crock-Pot (Slow-Cooker) Directions (60-90 min before Dinner):

Line a pan with coconut milk, and add cayenne pepper and salt. Once the cayenne releases its aroma, add coconut milk and raisins and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to a measuring cup. Add thawed carrots to the crock and pour about half of the coconut milk mixture on top, and cover. Cook on low for about 45 min. Check periodically to make sure they don't dry out. If needed,  add more of the saved coconut milk mixture  Once the carrots become fork-tender, turn down heat to keep warm and be careful not to disturb them too much or they will become mushy. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and leave on warm until ready to serve. Garnish with more brown sugar and cilantro leaves just before serving.

Shiitake Mushroom & Leek Soup

Ever since I tried Shiitake Mushrooms (New Veggie #13), I've been wanting to try them again. This somewhat high-end grocery store that I occasionally go to often has mushrooms available in bulk, instead of shrink-wrapped in styrofoam - i.e. I can pick and choose the best looking mushrooms! I picked up some Shiitake yesterday and wanted to use them last night while they were at their freshest. Unfortunately, the kids had other plans. So .. the mushrooms had to stay overnight in a brown paper bag. I've found that is the best way to store mushrooms.  I found this really simple recipe during lunch today (VegWeb.com) and decided immediately that this was the fate of the wonderful mushrooms sitting in my fridge. I followed it almost to a tee. I made the No-Added-Fat version, did not use any oil and also cut coconut milk in half and I did not use any Cremini mushrooms. 

Prep Time: 15 min, or so

Ingredients:

1. 2 Leeks (diced) (New Veggie #8)
2. 6-8 large Shiitake mushrooms (diced)
3. 1-3 tsp minced garlic
4. 3 cups Vegetable broth
5. 8 oz Coconut milk
6. Salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups of vegetable broth to a rolling boil, add leeks and 2 tsp salt (if using low-sodium broth). Cover and simmer for a few minutes until leeks begin to cook down. Then, add mushrooms and garlic and cook until fragrant. Using a stick blender, puree the soup into a creamy consistency. Add half the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add more vegetable broth, as needed to reach the right texture. Serve with more coconut milk, thin strips of leeks and cracked pepper as a garnish. 

My Assessment: Simple and Yum!!

Kohlrabi Coconut Curry

I had 2 Kohlrabi (New Veggie #17) left over from the weekend and I also had some store-bought naan left over from my radicchio pizza also from the weekend. I was itching for some home-made subzi so that I could eat it with naan and this is what I came up with. 

Prep Time: 30 min.

Ingredients: 

1. 2 small kohlrabi, finely diced (not like mine!). 
2. 1 small onion, or a Leek, finely sliced (New Veggie #8). 
3. 1 cup baby spinach  (or use Kohlrabi leaves)
4. 1/2 cup coconut milk
5. 2 tsp mustard seeds
6. 2 tsp coriander powder
7. 2 tsp cumin powder
8. 1 tsp turmeric
9. salt, to taste.

Directions:

Preheat coconut milk in a deep pan and add spices. Cook for a few minutes to release the aromas and then add onion/leek and cook for a few minutes. Then add diced kohlrabi, cover and simmer until almost cooked. Add baby spinach or chopped kohlrabi greens, allow to wilt and serve with warm naan.

Nik's Reaction: He tried 1 little piece of kohlrabi and spit it back out!

My Assessment: This meal was reminiscent of evenings at home with a sabzi and roti and I really enjoyed the feel of breaking break with my hands and rolling it around the veggies. The mustard seeds and coconut milk gave this recipe a distinctive taste of Southern India. Next time, I'm going to make kohlrabi the Punjabi way - which is what I grew up eating. Kohlrabi get an awesome A++.