Thai Red Curry Soup

This soup is a go-to warm, comforting, and full-of-flavor soup.  Its one that I don't make as often as I should!  My husband and I really like Red Curry.  We think its our favorite type of curry out there!  Here's a soup I found on the internet, but I completely tweaked it, made it vegan, and boosted the flavor a bit.

Thai Red Curry Soup
yield: 8-10 servings

1 TB olive oil
2-3 TB fresh grated ginger*
1 stalk lemon grass, minced*
1 TB Red Curry Paste*
4 cups chicken-like broth or vegetable broth
3 TB Soy Sauce or Tamari (which is gf soy sauce)*
2 TB sweetener (I use agave nectar or organic brown sugar)
3 cans coconut milk*
1 red bell pepper, sliced in 1-inch pieces
1 green or yellow bell pepper, sliced in 1-inch pieces
3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 block of tofu, cubed, and browned in olive oil*
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped*

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2.  Cook and stir the ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste for 1-2 minutes in the oil.
3.  Add the broth, while stirring continually. 
4.  Stir in the soy sauce and sweetener.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
5.  Then, stir in the coconut milk, veggies and fried tofu.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the veggies are tender but still crunchy.
6.  Stir in the lime juice, salt, and cilantro.  Serve!

* You can find these ingredients in any Asian Market
Note:  With the veggies that I like to put in here, you can add whatever you like to eat.  If you like bamboo shoots, you may add those if you wish as well as anything else!

Peanut Asian Noodles

 I made this dish at the Fargo Health Expo 2012 in July, and everyone loved it...  So, I thought I would share this with you guys (aka: my "internet peeps.")

This recipe is an adaptation from Chef Chloe's cookbook entitled, "Chloe's Kitchen."  (If you don't have this cookbook, you need to get it.  Now!  It has some amazing recipes in it, and its very reasonably priced.  You can find it on Amazon.com.) 

Chloe states that this is her favorite recipe from her cookbook, and it is mine as well.  

This is bursting with flavor.  I love making this, especially for company!  I add a lot more cilantro than she does, and I combine it together with everything else instead of using it just as a garnish, like she does.  The flavor of the coconut, garlic, and ginger, go very well with the fresh grated carrots, green onions, and cilantro!  I usually omit the chili-garlic sauce (which can be found at any Asian market, by the way), because I am still nursing Zoë, and she doesn't like spice.  But, I think its even better without the spiciness, but that's my own opinion, now tell me yours!!

Peanut Asian Noodles
Yield: 4 servings

1 pound brown rice noodles (I prefer spaghetti style for this)
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup water
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup Tamari soy sauce
½ cup organic peanut butter (or sun butter, tahini, or almond butter) (See "TIP")
1 TB chili-garlic sauce, optional (omit if you do not want spice)
1-2 tsp fresh grated ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 TB lime juice
1 TB toasted sesame oil
4-6 green onions, thinly sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and shredded
½ cup peanuts, roughly chopped, for garnish, optional
¼-1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1.  Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  Add brown rice noodles and cook according to package directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.  Return noodles to pot.
2.  Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining coconut milk, water, maple syrup, soy sauce, peanut butter, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, and garlic in a medium saucepan.  Let cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until sauce comes together and thickens.  Remove from heat and mix in lime juice and sesame oil.
3.  Toss hot noodles with the sauce, scallions, carrots, and cilantro.  Garnish with peanuts (if desired) and serve.  Any leftovers can be served warm or cold the next day.

TIP:  If you have an allergy to peanuts, use sun, almond, or sesame butter in place of peanut butter.  (The toasted sesame oil gives a nice pea-nutty flavor anyway.)

Scoop-able Vanilla Ice-Cream

I have a lot of fun with this recipe (mainly, because of how simple and easy it is.)  I've found over the years with my ice-cream-making trials and experiments, that if you throw in some coconut oil, the consistency becomes that of real ice-cream.  Its because coconut oil is a healthy fat, so it helps the ice-cream not to turn rock-hard when you put it back in the freezer to enjoy after its done churning.  I love doing the mint chocolate chip version of this, because since I was little, I've always been a big fan of mint chocolate chip ice-cream.  I can eat this version and know that I'm doing my body a better service instead of kind down the freezer isle...  Enjoy!

Scoop-able Vanilla Ice-Cream
yield: 1 quart

1 cup cashews (or blanched slivered almonds)
1 can coconut milk
1/2-2/3 cup light agave
1 Tb vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 big pinch of Celtic grey sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil (I use expelled-pressed)

If you want Mint Ice-cream, also add:
2 Tb spinach juice (or chlorophyll)
2 Tb peppermint extract
1/2 cup carob or chocolate chips

If you want fruit in your ice-cream, also add:
1 cup frozen or fresh fruit (add after everything else is completely smooth, and blend slightly)

1.  Blend all ingredients (except the chips, if doing a mint flavor) in blender until very smooth.
2.  Pour into ice-cream maker, add chips.  Follow manufacturer's instructions.
3.  Serve.  Be creative!  You be the chef!

Coconut Gelato

I came up with this recipe taking the idea from one I saw on the internet.  Its very light and sweet and delicious!  I've served this to a number of folks who weren't even very health-conscious, and they loved it.  I like putting in raspberries for the fruit, because they are our family's favorite summer-time berry.  And, the vanilla beans really bring the flavor out of the agave and fruit!  You can find some of those little beans at health food stores.  Have fun with this one, its a nice summer favorite of ours!

Coconut Gelato
Yield: 1 quart

2 cans reg. coconut milk
3/4 cup agave (I prefer light)
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 vanilla bean (slice in half, scrape seeds, use only the seeds)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum

For fruit version:
1 1/2 cup frozen fruit (we like frozen raspberries from our garden)


1.  Put everything in blender (except frozen fruit if you are using).  Blend until really smooth.
2.  (If doing fruit version,) Add fruit, blend only enough to break it up a little bit.
3.  Put in fridge for one hour to cool down.
4.  Then, place in ice-cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions, or place into Popsicle molds and freeze until solid.
5.  Serve!

Note:  If you are using the dark agave, use 3/4 cup.  If you are using light agave, use 2/3 cup.

Pumpkin Pie Ice-Cream

This is like eating a frozen pumpkin pie.  My husband even likes it, and he's NOT a fan of pumpkin at all... so try this one out on your guests!  They also wont even know that it doesn't have dairy in it... they wont pick up on it at all, because this dessert is so rich and creamy!


Pumpkin Pie Ice-Cream
Yield: 6 servings

1 ½ cup canned Pumpkin Pie Mix
2 cans reg. coconut milk
⅔ cup raw cashews (or blanched slivered almonds)
1 cup non-dairy milk (soy, almond, or rice milk)
1- 1 ⅓ cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
¼ tsp Xanthan Gum (or 1 Tbsp Arrowroot powder)
1 cup Graham cracker, or ginger cookies (optional), crumbled


1.  Add everything to a blender, food processor or Vitamix, and blend until very, very smooth.
2.  Place in ice-cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions.
3.  If you want to throw in some crumbled up cookies, do so about 5 minutes before your ice-cream is done churning.
4.  When its done, transfer to a container, and store in freezer.
5.  Serve with chopped nuts on top, or caramel topping.

Thai Red Curry

This is my recipe for Thai Red Curry (Gang Daang).   And it is SOO good... you can find the ingredients at any local Asian Market.
 

Thai Red Curry

Yield: 4 servings

3 cans coconut milk
3 Tbsp red curry paste (or Massaman)
1 package extra firm tofu
15 fresh Thai basil leaves
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
1-2 carrots (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
1 red bell pepper
1/2 head of cauliflower
1/2 eggplant (optional)
2 Tbsp agave
1/2 tsp Celtic Grey sea salt


1.  Start by cutting tofu into squares and fry it in an iron skillet with some olive oil on med-high heat.  Sprinkle granulated garlic and some salt on top of them.  Then flip them when they get golden/dark brown.
2.  Meanwhile, chop all the veggies.  I will usually throw everything into a bowl after I chop it.
3.  When the tofu is done, in a wok or large skillet, turn on the heat to med-high. Let the pan get a little hot. Put one can of coconut milk in it with curry paste.  Saute that in the coconut milk for about 8 minutes or so.  Halfway through, add the fried tofu.  (The point is to bring out the flavors in the paste, so let it simmer until the oil starts to come out.)
4.  Then, add the other 2 cans coconut milk, stir well. add veggies, around 15 Thai basil leaves, bamboo shoots. Let it come to a boil, and simmer on med-low for about 10-15 minutes, until the veggies start to cook. At this point, I just let it cook on low and check on it every so often to see if its done.
5.  Add salt and agave, this brings the flavors to life.
6.  Serve over a bed of Jasmine or Brown rice!