Thai Carrot/Sweet Potato Soup

Soup:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 cups onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
3 tablespoons green curry paste
4 cups vegetable broth, plus more if needed (I probably used 5)
¼ cup peanut butter
4 cups peeled and diced carrots
3 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Fresh Thai basil, minced, for garnish

Almonds:
½ cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt coconut oil. Add onion, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for approximately 5 minutes. 

2. Add other ingredients (except almonds) to pot. Stir until combined.

3. Bring soup to a boil  then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

4. Put soup in blender and process until a smooth puree. 

5. Pour soup back into a pot and season with salt and black pepper. Reheat if necessary.

6. For the almonds, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Toss almonds with soy and olive oil until coated, spread onto baking pan, and roast approximately 10-15 minutes and set them aside to cool.

7. Serve up a bowl, adding a sprinkle of almonds and diced Thai basil and ENJOY!

Jackfruit Adventures: Mu Shu Rolls

I recently learned about jackfruit as a meat substitute. I think I once purchased a ripe one at the international market, just to taste it, and was not all that wild about it once I got it home. It never occurred to me that canned green jackfruit might have other culinary uses.

Last night I had my first adventure with a jackfruit (that probably doesn't sound the way I meant it). I cooked it Mu Shu style and it was dee-li-shussss. I loosely followed a recipe I saw online as a jumping off point and tweaked the measurements and ingredients to suit my tastes.

Believe it or not, I searched high and low at the international market for Mu Shu pancakes (even asking employees who continually directed me toward large sacs of flour) to no avail. I settled for rice paper wraps. Last night's wrapping was a fiasco! While tasty, they did not turn out the prettiest of rolls. Today I had leftovers for lunch and the wrapping went considerably better.

Mu Shu Jackfruit Rolls

Ingredients:

2 20 oz cans green jackfruit in brine or water (NOT syrup), well drained

1 19 oz can bamboo shoots strips in water, well drained

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp minced ginger root

4-5 green onions, chopped

6 mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 cup slivered carrots or prepared shredded carrots

2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup vegetable broth

4 tbsp soy sauce

2-3 tbsp hoisin sauce (or to taste)

1 tbsp sesame oil

rice paper sheets

1. In a sauce pan or fryer, sauté onion, garlic and ginger root. 

2. Add well-drained jackfruit, soy and hoisin sauces and veggie broth. Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes until fruit softens and begins to shred when you press and stir it. Continue to stir, further shredding the jackfruit. 

3. Add remaining ingredients and cook on medium heat for another 10-15 minutes, checking it throughout. You want the carrots and bamboo shoots to retain some crispness. 

4. Follow instructions on rice paper wrapper package and serve.

Tastes yum-yum warm or at room temperature, straight out of the fridge.
Serves 4-5. This was a dinner for three and the four rolls pictured below was my lunch today. 

Two Weeks a Vegetarian

Two weeks into this I must say that I don't miss eating meats as much as I feared I might. I have not weighed myself but my pants feel a bit looser. I feel, how should I put this...less gross. Meals suddenly seem to count, meaning that I am more aware and in the moment while eating. I am taking the time to enjoy what I'm eating rather than thoughtlessly stuffing my face. Foods taste cleaner and are more satisfying.

I am learning how to buy groceries all over again. There is a world of vegetarian and vegan products out there to consider. Practically everything is new to us. We are in the trial-and-error phase. So far I have been pleased with all of the meat and chicken substitutes While we enjoyed the Go Veggy! cheese substitute slices in sandwiches (Tofurky deli slices were also good) the Vegan Gourmet cheddar (block) alternative was less than thrilling. I think it was more of a texture thing. You just don't expect block cheddar to crumble into a soggy mess in your mouth.  Rather than giving up on it completely I will try melting it over some veggies.

Last night I prepared some tofu "patties" with Korean BBQ sauce and scallions. I prefer extra-firm tofu to other varieties. I served them with a side of Chinese broccoli and Bok Choy, lightly sautéed with garlic over sesame oil. Not by any means an "inspired" recipe (they can't all be), but it tasted delicious and was quick and easy to make.

So two weeks in, I'm quite satisfied with the dietary changes we've made, so onward we go.