Green Curry Tofu with Deep-Fried Rice Balls, Stir-Fry, Tofu Triangles, Tempura

Dinner 8/15

Green Curry Tofu with Deep-Fried Rice Balls

Stir-Fry

Tofu Triangles

Tempura
(broccoli and cremini mushroom)

We enjoyed a visit from my sister and brother-in-law (thanks for the big bag of Anaheim chiles!), prompting the postponement of Raw Food Wednesday until Thursday.

So tonight we went with the familiar apps of Tempura (broccoli and cremini mushrooms) served with a ponzu sauce and Tofu Triangles (marinated in a mix of tamari, gin, pepper and cornstarch) served with a chile sauce (rice vinegar, agave, rooster sauce, tamari).

For dinner we went with a combo dinner of the traditional stir-fry (refried rice, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, red bell peppers, garlic, ginger, tamari) and the always spicy Green Curry Tofu (coconut milk, green curry paste, tamari) with Deep-Fried Rice Balls (using fresh rice).

Tags: tempura, broccoli, mushrooms, stir-fry, tofu, curry, jasmine rice, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Green Curry Tofu with Collard Greens, Rice and Shiitake Mushrooms

Dinner 04/27

Green Curry Tofu with Collard Greens, Rice and Shiitake Mushrooms

We've been making this dish for more than five years now, and we're always finding new ways to tweak it.

The tofu was cut into 16 squares, smoked with oolong tea for 25 minutes, pan-fried in canola oil until golden brown on both sides and finished with 1 tbs. of tamari.

The collard greens were cut into thin strips, pan-fried in canola oil on med-high heat while turning constantly until wilted (about 4-5 minutes). Then turn the heat down to low, add 1 tbs. of tamari, stir to combine, put the lid put on and braise for 10 minutes. Keep warm.

The shiitake mushrooms were thinly sliced and pan-fried, with an added 1 tsp. of tamari at the end of cooking. Set aside.

The rice was steamed for 20 minutes, molded into golf-ball sized pieces and deep-fried for 30-45 seconds at 375F. Drain and set aside.

The sauce was 4 oz. coconut milk, 1 tsp. tamari, as much green (or red) curry paste as you can handle, a tiny little bit of lime to balance the flavor, and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer until slightly thickened. We also added a tiny bit of pan-fried green garlic because we had some left over.

To plate, add the tofu squares, a layer of collard greens, the rice balls and finally the shiitake mushrooms. Add the sauce around the base of the tofu until it coats the plate.

Tags: green curry, tofu, collard greens, rice, shiitake mushrooms, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Green Curry Tofu with Fried Rice, Scape and Mushroom Tempura

Dinner 6/15

Green Curry Tofu with Fried Rice

Scape and Mushroom Tempura




After our trip down to Columbus, we had to make this again -- it's a slightly different plating, and we tried a green curry this time around, but it's still a great dish...

Surprisingly the rice balls work best with just cooked (warm) rice -- just mold it up, give it a squeeze and drop it in 375F oil for a few minutes. You can do it with cold rice, but then you need to add a binder, like rice flour and it gets messy quickly.

The sauce is 1/2 can coconut milk, 1 tsp. green curry paste, 1 tbs. lime juice, 1 tbs. tamari, 1 tsp palm sugar mixed together and cooked in a sauce pan until slightly thickened.

You can add more of the curry paste if you like it hotter than hell ;)

Then for plating it's the sauce as a base, the tofu squares (grilled or fried) topped with the rice balls.

We picked up another bag of scapes from our co-op, and used just the tips for the tempura, along with some baby portobello mushrooms.

Tags: scape, mushroom, tempura, rice, curry, tofu, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Green Bean Curry with Jasmine Rice, Edamame

Dinner 7/18

Green Bean Curry with Jasmine Rice
(recipe below, adapted from F&W August 2006, p.120)

Edamame




Green Bean Curry with Jasmine Rice

1 block of tofu
1 tbs. lime juice
smoker box with alder wood (optional)
pepper
2 tbs. canola oil
2 tsp. tamari

1 lb. edamame beans, shelled

1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp. green curry paste
1 cup veg stock
2 tbs. tamari
1 tbs. agave (or sugar)
10 basil leaves
1/4 cup cilantro plus more for garnish
1 tbs. canola oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
1 can of baby corn

Steamed jasmine rice for serving


Prepare the tofu by cutting it into 8 cutlets, season with the lime juice and black pepper and place inside the smoker box with the alder wood and smoke for 20 minutes. Remove from the smoker box and cut on the bias, giving you different length strips. In a wok, stir-fry the tofu and add a splash of tamari at the end of cooking to coat the tofu. Remove and set aside.

In a medium saucepan of boiling water, cook the edamame for about two minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

In the same saucepan whisk half of the coconut milk with the green curry paste. Whisk in the remaining coconut milk, 1/2 cup of veg stock, the tamari, and agave (or sugar) and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender. Add the basil leaves and 1/4 cup of cilantro and puree.

In the wok, heat 1 tbs. of canola oil, add the sliced onion and over medium-high heat, cook until lightly browned. Add the green beans and the baby corn and stir-fry for 2 minutes on high heat. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of veg broth. Cover the wok and simmer until the beans are tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut curry sauce and edamame and simmer until just heated through. Taste for salt and pepper.

In a bowl, add the jasmine rice, the vegetables and sauce and top with the smoked tofu slices and cilantro.

Tags: green bean, curry, coconut milk, corn, tofu, rice, edamame, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Green Curry Tofu with Deep-Fried Rice Balls and Shiitake Mushrooms, Grilled Eggplant, Braised Brussel Sprouts, Stir-Fried Carrots

Dinner 11/04

Green Curry Tofu with Deep-Fried Rice Balls and Shiitake Mushrooms

Grilled Eggplant

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Stir-Fried Carrots

Why yes, the mushrooms on the rice do look like little mustaches!

We broke out the smoker box again -- this time smoking the tofu with black oolong tea for 20 minutes. Then the tofu cut into squares and stir-fried in the wok with a little tamari at the end. We've found that the rice balls work better if they're made from fresh rice. Also, they really don't need more than about a minute in the hot oil to be crispy on the outside while remaining soft on the inside. The green curry sauce is simply coconut milk with enough green curry paste added to make your eyes water... ;)

The eggplant were split in half and grilled with a combo of sesame oil and szechuan pepper. The brussel sprouts and carrots were stir-fried in canola oil first and then braised in a combo of tamari/water/anise seed.

Tags: tofu, smoker box, oolong tea, carrots, brussel sprouts, eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Green Curry Tofu and Deep-Fried Rice Balls, Baby Corn, Snap Peas and Green Curry, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 4/28

Green Curry Tofu and Deep-Fried Rice Balls

Baby Corn, Snap Peas and Green Curry
(coconut milk, chile paste, lemongrass, shallot, tamari)

Jasmine Rice


We were definitely craving some hot spicy food and this curry, done two ways, fit the bill perfectly -- smooth with a kick to the head ;)

We finally opened the 102 oz. can of baby corn that we picked up at the market over the winter (for $3.99) -- it's one of those situations where once you open it, you better be committed to using it all -- so expect to see more baby corn on the menu in the near future...

Tags: rice, curry, chiles, tofu, coconut milk, lemongrass, baby corn, snap peas, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Coconut Tofu with Curry Dipping Sauce, Stir-Fried Rice, Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 1/07

Coconut Tofu with Curry Dipping Sauce

Stir-Fried Rice

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

These would make an excellent appetizer at a party -- snack-sized and the dipping sauce is packing some heat.


Coconut Tofu with Curry Dipping Sauce

1 block of extra firm tofu cut into 32 pieces
1 tbs. tamari

Marinate the tofu strips in tamari for 15 minutes.

Then we used the three pan method.

Pan one:

3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. black pepper

mix all the ingredients together

Pan two:

1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs. water,
1/8 tsp. green curry paste

mix together until a slurry forms

Pan three:

1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

Roll the tofu in the seasoned flour, then the cornstarch slurry, finally in the coconut flakes. Be sure to press down a bit on the coconut to make sure it coats the tofu completely.

Deep-fry the tofu in peanut oil @ 385F for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.

Green Curry Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup of coconut milk
2 tsp. of curry paste (or to taste)
1/2 tsp palm sugar
1 tsp. tamari

Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat.

Tags: coconut, tofu, brussel sprouts, curry, rice, tamari, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tea-Smoked Tofu Curry with Rice Balls and Shiso Leaves, Tempura Shiso Leaves, Okra & Onion Rings, Baby Bok Choy

Dinner 9/13

Tea-Smoked Tofu Curry with Rice Balls and Shiso Leaves

Tempura Shiso Leaves, Okra & Onion Rings

Baby Bok Choy

The (oolong) tea-smoked tofu curry and rice balls is one of our favorite meals, with lots of visual interest and a kick-ass spice level that'll be sure to cure what ails you... ;)

The block of firm-tofu was portioned into 16 squares, and smoked (in the stove-top smoker) with the black oolong tea for 20 minutes. Then the tofu was stir-fried in the wok with a little splash of tamari at the end.

The rice balls work better if they're made from fresh rice. They only need a minute in the 375F (canola/peanut) oil to be crispy on the outside, while remaining soft on the inside.

The green curry sauce is roughly a 1/2 can of coconut milk, 1 tsp. green curry paste, 1 tbs. lime juice, 1 tbs. tamari mixed together and cooked in a sauce pan until slightly thickened.



We went ahead and tried that idea of taking Okra and scraping out the seeds (tip: use a melon baller) and stuffing them with soy cream cheese, smoked paprika, shallot & pepper. We then sealed the two halves together and dipped them in our tempura batter. Worked like a charm...



For more tempura fun we took a couple of shiso leaves and dipped them in the tempura batter as well -- surprisingly good.

Tags: shiso, tofu, tea, curry, bok choy, okra, tempura, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Green Curry Tofu with Deep-Fried Rice Balls and Shiitake Mushrooms

Dinner 11/24

Green Curry Tofu with Deep-Fried Rice Balls and Shiitake Mushrooms

It's deja vu all over again...

We're entering 2007's "Greatest Hits" season -- so expect to see many of our favorite dishes from now to the end of the year...

This dish qualifies on many levels. The "trick" with the rice balls is to use freshly cooked rice, molded into a piece about the size of a golf-ball. The deep-frying (385F) should only go for 45-60 seconds, so what you end up with is a slightly crunchy exterior that holds it all together, with the soft rice inside.

Tags: rice, curry, tofu, shiitake, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Fiddlehead Fern Tempura, Braised Collard Greens with Coconut Milk, Deep-Fried Rice Ball, Tea-Smoked Tofu and Green Curry

Dinner 6/08

Fiddlehead Fern Tempura

Braised Collard Greens with Coconut Milk

Deep-Fried Rice Ball

Tea-Smoked Tofu

Green Curry

Tonight we brought back the fiddlehead ferns combined with our Tea-Smoked Tofu Curry (recipe) and Braised Collard Greens with Coconut Curry (recipe).

Stack them together carefully -- a skewer would help -- and pour the green curry sauce on the bottom of the plate.



There are no repeating subliminal numbers in the fiddlehead ferns. ;)

Collard Greens with Coconut Curry Sauce, Grilled Tea-Smoked Tofu, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 1/15

Collard Greens with Coconut Curry Sauce

Grilled Tea-Smoked Tofu

Jasmine Rice

This is a riff on the recipe we made for lunch last week.

There were a couple of differences. First, we cut the tofu into cutlets, then marinated them with a variation on our usual mix with canola oil, tamari, agave, ketchup, black pepper, minced garlic and a touch of sesame oil.

The basic collard greens method stayed the same. In a wok on med-high heat add 1 tbs. canola oil, 1 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp. ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until aromatic, then add the thinly cut collards greens and turn constantly. Cook for five minutes, until the collards are softened. Add a splash of tamari, turn to coat, cook for one additional minute. Remove from the wok and keep warm.

Next, the curry sauce that the collards are braised in was fortified. In the same wok, add 1 tsp. of canola oil and stir-fry 2 tbs. of shallots and 1 tbs. garlic until fragrant, then add 1/2 can of coconut milk, and whisk in 1 tbs. green curry paste (more or less depending on your personal preference), 1/2 of a lime, juiced, 1 tsp. of agave and a splash of tamari. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced. Add the collard greens back into wok, turn the heat down to low, put the lid on the wok and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Check for seasoning.

To plate, start with the base of jasmine rice, add the collard greens and pour some of the curry sauce over the top. One of the nice things about the curry sauce is how it soaks into the jasmine rice. Finally add the grilled tofu on top and serve hot.

Tags: curry, coconut milk, tofu, tea, collard greens, rice, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Tofu, Deep-Fried Rice Balls with Red Curry Coconut Sauce, Hoisin Green Beans, Jasmine Rice, Tofu and Garlic Noodle Soup

Dinner 11/27

Grilled Tofu, Deep-Fried Rice Balls with Red Curry Coconut Sauce

Hoisin Green Beans

Jasmine Rice

Tofu and Roasted Garlic Noodle Soup
(stir-fried tofu, roasted garlic, tamari, chili oil, vermicelli noodles, veg stock, pepper)


Again, we made the dish Liz had at Dragonfly in September, this time with a larger slab o' grilled tofu, along with the deep-fried rice balls. I have to remember the next time we make sushi or risotto to save the extra rice for these guys -- you can make the rice stick together with enough rice flour and water, but I think the starch from the short grain rice is better suited...

Tags: noodles, garlic, tofu, jasmine rice, green beans, hoisin, rice, coconut, curry, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Coconut Curry Soup with Tea-Smoked Tofu and Rice Noodles

Lunch 07/05

Coconut Curry Soup with Tea-Smoked Tofu and Rice Noodles

A quick summer lunch that also emptied out the pantry a little. ;)

The soup base started with one shallot and three cloves of garlic, minced, with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then we added 2 tbs. of green curry paste. Next, 1/2 can of leftover coconut milk was whisked in, as well as 2 cups of shiitake mushroom stock. It was brought to a simmer and cooked while the rest of the ingredients came together.

The tea-smoked tofu was pan-fried in a wok, splashed with tamari at the end of cooking.

In a separate pan, thinly sliced collard greens were cooked down with a splash of tamari at the end of cooking (about 10 minute), then added to the soup.

The rice noodles were cooked according to the package (4 minutes), then placed in the bottom of the soup bowl, followed by the greens, soup, and the tofu which was sliced on the bias and added on top.

Tags: coconut milk, curry, rice noodles, tofu, smoker box, mushrooms, collard greens, soup, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tofu and Tomato Stew, Samosas, Chickpea and Kabocha Squash with Coconut Milk, Basmati Rice

Dinner 8/02

Tofu and Tomato Stew
(recipe below)

Samosas

Chickpea and Kabocha Squash with Coconut Milk

Basmati Rice

Tofu and Tomato Stew

1 tbs. canola oil
1 lb. of extra firm tofu
1 tbs. tamari

1 tbs. canola oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs. ginger, grated
10 curry leaves

1 cinnamon stick
1 black (or green) cardamom
6 cloves

1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. dried chili

2 cups of tomatoes, diced (or 2 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed)
salt and pepper to taste

Dice the tofu into small cubes. In a wok on medium-high heat, add 1 tbs. canola oil and stir-fry the tofu until golden brown on all sides. At the end of cooking, splash with 1 tbs. of tamari. Turn until well coated and then remove the tofu to a plate and reserve.

In a large saute pan on medium heat, add the canola oil and cook the sliced onions until they start to show some color, then add the garlic, ginger and curry leaves and cook for a minute.

Using a mortar & pestle, grind the black (or green) cardamom seeds and cloves together. Add the whole cinnamon stick and the freshly ground spices to the onions and cook for one more minute.

Add the cumin, coriander, ground chile and stir to combine, cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes, season with salt and pepper.

Turn the heat to down and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes have broken down. At the end of cooking add the stir-fried tofu back into the stew and stir to combine. Check for seasoning and serve with basmati rice.


The chickpea/kabocha squash dish was a pleasant surprise for a totally freestyle preparation. Diced kabocha squash was pan-fried and then braised with chickpeas, turmeric, tamari and black pepper in coconut milk and reduced down for 20 minutes.

Liz made the samosas (stuffed with potato and peas) and the center of the plate was rounded out with basmati rice to soak it all up.

Tags: chickpeas, kabocha squash, coconut milk, potatoes, peas, samosas, basmati rice, tofu, tomato, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tomato and Tofu Stew, Currant and Pistachio Pulao, Roasted Cauliflower with Barbecue Sauce

Dinner 8/2

Tomato and Tofu Stew
(onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, curry leaves, cardamom, clove, tomato, cumin, corriander, dried chili, stir-fried tofu)

Currant and Pistachio Pulao
(basmati rice, onion, garlic, curry leaves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, currants, pistachio, water, salt, pepper)

Roasted Cauliflower with Barbecue Sauce

We scored some fresh curry leaves at the West Side Market Wednesday, so we made two of our favorite Indian dishes. The spiced tomato sauce and twice-fried tofu (fried as cutlets, cooled, shredded and stir-fried with a little tamari) matches very well with the fragrant rice.



The roasted cauliflower was also from the West Side Market (and cheap -- $1 for two organic heads), and the barbecue sauce (hiding in the upper left corner) is basically ketchup with garlic, ginger, tamari, cumin and sugar -- but works surprisingly well with the roasted cauliflower.

Tags: cumin, curry leaves, pistachio, currants, tomato, cauliflower, basmati rice, tofu, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Columbus Ohio: Dragonfly Neo-V, Pattycake Bakery

Brunch 9/2 @ Dragonfly Neo-V and Pattycake Vegan Bakery, Columbus, OH

Sadly, no pictures -- the camera was packed in the suitcase and I didn't feel like rummaging around in the trunk of the car for 10 minutes in the steady rain -- the final remenents of Ernesto... Plus, there was an OSU game later in the day, so parking was a challenge around the restaurant.

We drove stright from home to Dragonfly (247 King Ave. Columbus, OH. 614-298-9986), so we arrived with a good appetite... There's two parts to the brunch -- the buffet set-up at the bar, and a choice from the menu. The kids skipped the buffet (good idea) but wanted the chocolate chip pancakes. They were both very pleased with their choice. I had a chance to try a tiny bit at the end, and had I been in more of a breakfast mood, would have gladly ordered these as well.

The buffet consisted of 8 or so plates -- yellow tomatoes in olive oil, baba ganoush, chinese long beans with sesame dressing, green salad w/ dressing, bread, a cold rice and bean salad and roasted beets with a sour cream sauce.

For the second option, Liz went with the Red Curry Tofu -- a deep fried rice ball, grilled tofu and a spicy (but not overly hot) curry sauce. We'll have to try and deconstruct that one in the future. I had the Beet Risotto -- a finely exectuted bit of arborio rice, beet juice and the wilted green on top -- well played.

The couple of times we've eaten at Drangonfly, we've always had great food and the staff was always helpful and informative when we asked questions about ingredients or techniques... Highly recommended.

After working our way up N. High St. (and the OSU football traffic), we stopped by Pattycake Vegan Bakery (3009 N. High St. Columbus, OH 614-784-CAKE) and picked up blueberry muffins, spelt fudge brownie, chocolate cupcake, vanilla cupcake, banana chocolate chip muffin, chocolate and cherry bar. Despite having just had brunch, these almost all disappeared before we made it to the hotel ;) Also highly recommended.

Tags: columbus, ohio, dragonfly, pattycake, bakery, muffins, cupcakes, brownies, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Eggplant, Green Bean and Seitan Curry,

Dinner 3/11

Eggplant, Green Bean and Seitan Curry

Jasmine Rice

Bean Sprout Salad with Tofu




The bean sprout salad recipe is adapted from Ming Tsai, just swap out the tofu for the ham... it's nice to have a back-up recipe (other than pad thai) for the bean sprouts ;)

Tags: bean sprouts, ming tsai, curry, seitan, eggplant, jasmine rice, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Falafel, Loubie, Shish Kabobs, Pita Bread, Hummus, Baba Ghanoush

Dinner 10/10

Falafel

Loubie
(Green Bean and Tomato Stew)

Shish Kabobs

Pita Bread

Hummus

Baba Ghanoush

We were joined for a falafel party by guest chefs Laura & John (you might remember Laura from July's Coconut Curry Crepes stuffed with Eggplant and Tea-Smoked Tofu).

It's been a long while since we've made falafel (other than Isa's recent test recipe version, which is baked). So, we broke out "Vegan with a Vengeance", and used the trusty recipe on pages 98-99.



We also made some Shish Kabobs: Tofu, Mushroom, Red Bell Pepper, Red Onion and Tomato that was marinated with a mixture of olive oil, tamari, garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika and black pepper, then grilled.



Rounding out the table: Loubie (slow braised green beans, onions and tomatoes), Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and Pita Bread, Also, the fixings for the Falafel: Cucumber Sauce, Tomato, Lettuce and Cucumber Slices.



Missing in action is a picture of the Chocolate Olive Oil Cake for dessert, paired with a 2004 Coturri Zinfandel.

Tags: falafel, hummus, chickpeas, eggplant, tofu, mushrooms, green beans, tomatoes, vwav, pita bread, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Dinner 3/7

Massaman Curry
(tofu, potatoes, shallots, coconut milk, green curry sauce)

Steamed Broccoli
(w/ soy ginger sauce)

Basmati Rice*

* normally it'd be jasmine, but we're *gasp* out at the moment ;)

Raw Food Wednesday: Apples

Raw Food Wednesday: 11/05

Compressed Apple with Parsnip Balls and Coconut Curry Sauce
(recipe below)

Apple and Greens Salad with Plum Vinaigrette Dressing
(recipe below)

Green Apple and Celery Root Soup
(adapted from "Raw Food, Real World")

Answering the question, "What if there was a Raw Iron Chef competition using apples?" *

We decided to use the last of our big and juicy Melrose apples -- from Beckwith Orchards (about 3 miles from our house) -- in all the dishes tonight.



First up was a raw version of Tofu Curry with Rice Balls.

Compressed Apple with Parsnip Balls and Coconut Curry Sauce
(serves 2)

Compressed Apples
(make a day in advance)

1 Melrose Apple, peeled, trimmed and cored.
4 key limes, juiced (about 1 1/2 tbs.)
1/8 tsp. ginger, microplane
1 tsp. raw agave
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp. lemongrass

(We had a huge bunch of lemongrass earlier this year, so we chopped some of it up and dehydrated overnight. Then we put the lemongrass in a spice grinder and stored for nights like tonight when we don't have fresh on hand. If you have fresh, just mince it as finely as possible.)

Mix together the key limes, ginger, agave, salt and lemongrass.

Cut around the core of the apple, into four large squares slabs -- then cut those horizontally so you get eight squares total. Place in the vacuum bag along with the key lime mixture. Seal the bag and place in the freezer overnight. The next day, put the apples in the refrigerator to defrost. Take out of the fridge about two hours before service.

If you plate three apples squares on each plate, you'll have two pieces leftover, enjoy as a snack. ;)

Parsnip Balls

2 parsnips, peeled
1 tbs. jalapeno, minced
1 tbs. shallots, minced
1 tsp. garlic
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tbs. of fennel cheese
2 tbs. white sesame seeds

Pulse the parsnips in a vita-mix to break it into rice-sized pieces, place in a large bowl with the jalapenos and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tbs. of the fennel cheese and mix together until it is incorporated thoroughly. If the mixture isn't holding together, you may need to add an additional 1 tbs. of the fennel cheese.

Form the parsnip mixture into the size of golf balls, and roll in the sesame seeds, shaking off any excess. Place into a 105F dehydrator for 3-4 hours until firm.

Coconut Curry Sauce

1 tsp. lemongrass
1 tsp. cumin seed, freshly ground
1/2 tsp. coriander seed, freshly ground
1 tsp. key lime juice
1 tsp. shallots
1 tsp. jalapeno, minced
1 tsp. agave
1 clove of garlic
1 young coconut
1/2 cup young coconut water
3 thai basil leaves
salt & pepper

6 thai basil leaves, for garnish

Cut the young coconut open, drain/strain the water and reserve. Scrape out all of the young coconut "meat" and place in the vita-mix. Add all of the remaining ingredients and puree, until the sauce reaches the right consistency. You may need to add more liquid if it seems too thick -- you want the sauce to lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Assembly

Place the apple squares on a rectangular plate, pour the sauce around the squares and top the apple with the parsnip balls. Garnish with thai basil leaves.




The salad was mixed greens with sliced apple, carrot, zucchini, red bell pepper and leeks, topped with a plum vinaigrette.

Plum Vinaigrette

6 plums, seeded
1 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. ginger
1 tbs. jalapeno, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

3 tbs. sesame oil, cold-pressed

Add all of the ingredients to the vita-mix, except the sesame oil and puree. Slowly drizzle in the sesame oil until the vinaigrette thickens.


* well, we'd be disqualified for only making three dishes and one of the theme ingredients was used in a salad. ;)

Tags: raw, raw food, raw food wednesday, apples, melrose apples, plums, parsnips, young coconut, vacuum sealer, soup, celery root, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666