Iyer's collection of vegetarian recipes

Five easy to grow vegetable greens

2016-06-29T07:22:00.006-07:00

Leaf vegetables can be some of the easiest to grow but are the most rewarding in terms of their nutritional value as well as monetary value. Here are my top leaf vegetables that can be cooked to make hearty side and main dishes.

Amaranth Greens : In south India, the many genus of Amaranth are priced for their flavor and nutritional value. In my experiment, I sprinkled some store bought Organic Amaranth seeds in my backyard. To my delight, these fast growing plants sprouted with very high germination rates in about a week. Within 4 weeks they were ready for the kitchen. Amaranths are related to red root pig-weed. They love the warm weather and will grow to 6-8 feet tall. A pound of Amaranth seed is good enough to sow an acre of land.

Because Amaranth seeds are tiny, when seeded by hand would grow very dense. When thinned the plants grow more vigorously. Thinning is required to harvest the seed. Do not thin to cook tender leaves.

Amaranth Seedlings

Amaranth Greens 4 weeks not thinned

Amaranth Greens 4 week thinned

Black Nightshade: Often confused with deadly nightshade, this plant is one of the most hated weeds of American mid-west. Solanum nigrum or the European black nightshade according to Wikipedia is the South Indian green called ManiThakkali (pearl tomatoes). I found a lone plant by the highway and took some seed to my garden After two years we have this plant everywhere, in the container , in my raised bed. I cant really say I grow black nightshade rather it grows itself. We harvest the berries and dry them to make 'vathal', cook the greens and the kids eat the ripe black berries.If you are foraging for this plant, please be very careful as there can be toxic varieties of this super green.

Black nightshade flower

Once you have one plant in your garden, it seeds itself and grows year after year. A berry contains several hundred seeds and thinning is required if you are looking to harvest berries. Greens are cooked best with tamarind to offset the slightly bitter taste, cumin, pepper and coconut.

Kale : Nobody needs an introduction to Kale. Kale scores a perfect 1000 on the ANDI and is the easiest to grow. I grow the Scottish variety which produces from spring to late fall , even after a hard frost or two.

Fenugreek Greens : Consumed fondly all over India, this Fabaceae is a cousin of our common Clover, easily identified by its trifoliate. Easily sprouted with a handful of seeds from the kitchen, the seeds are cheap and sold in Indian grocery stores as Methi (in Hindi) and Mendhayam (in Tamil).

Mustard Greens : Another kitchen staple turned greens in my garden, this pungent green is cooked best with potatoes. I will post a recipe soon. Buying mustard seeds bred for broad edible leaves is best if you consume mustard geens on a regular basis. Mustrads are cold hardy and will produce till first hard frost date. These are great companion plants to your tomatoes.

Pepper Masala Soy Chunks

2016-01-23T17:53:00.002-08:00

I accidentally ended up making this and it turned out great! Made this with Textured Soy Protein, left over coconut chutney and special secret ingredient. Follow along.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup textured soy protein or Nutrella
2. 2 medium sized onion sliced
3. 1/4 tsp cumin powder, chilli powder, tumeric, garam masala
4. 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
5. salt to taste
6. 1 tsp soy sauce
7. 1 tsp ketchup
8. 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
9. 3 tbsp roasted channa dal (பொட்டு கடலை)
10. 1 tbsp urad dal
11. 1/2 cup grated coconut
12. 1 green chili

Method:

Coconut Chutnet: (which I had made earlier and had to use it at the end of the day as coconut spoils quikly).
1. Roast urad dal until it is golden.
2. cool and grind to a paste with coconut, roasted channa dal and green chili.

Pre-prepare
1. In a microwave safe disk add textured soy protein and soy sauce and cook for 5 min. The soy sauce adds a bit of color and saltiness to the soy protein.
2. After it has cooled , squeeze out the liquid.

1. Add 2 tbsp of oil and dry onions. Add a bit of salt so that the onions soften.
2. After about 5 min, add ginger garlic paste and sautee for 5 more min.
3. When the mixture starts to turn brown add cumin powder, chili powder, tumeric and garam masala. Mix well and sautee. Patience is the secret to get this dish to taste terrific. Add a tsp of oil at this time. Yes it takes a bit of oil, it is a very rich dish.
4. Add the coconut chutney and sautee on low heat until oil seperates.
5. Add Ketchup, Sriracha sauuce and salt. Mix well. The ketchup gives a nice tangy-sweet flavour that helps to bring the masala together. It also coats the soy chunks and help stick the spices to the soy chunks.
6.Remove from heat. Serve with streamed rice or paratha or dosa.

Pongal Recipe

2016-01-17T09:55:00.002-08:00

Ingredients:

1. Rice 1/2 cup.
2. Split Mung Bean - 1/4 cup.
3. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp
4. Salt and black pepper - to taste

Split Mung bean

5. Cashew nut to garnish
6. Butter - 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Soak Mung dal in 3 cups of water for about 30 min.
2. Add rice to the Mung dal and cook till the mixture boils. Once it comes to a rolling boil , add salt to taste and simmer till the dal rice mixture is soft and cooked.
3. In a seperate pan, melt butter and roast the cashews till golden brown.
4. Add cumin seeds and freshly ground pepper.
5. Add the butter cashew, pepper, cumin mixture to cooked rice and dal and mix well.

Tambrahm Cooking 101

2016-01-01T07:05:00.002-08:00

Poricha Kuzhambu, Mor Kootu, Arachu Vitta Sambar - Demystified.

Poricha Kozhambu: Red chillies, with high black pepper ,jeera along with coconut and urad dal.

Mor Kootu : Does not usually contain paruppu. Mor kootu is yogurt thickened with rice flour along with green chillies and coconut. Thalippu with coconut oil and jeeragam.

Puli Itta Kootu : Usually contains kadala paruppu. Ground with coconut, red chillies, coriander seeds.Good with plantain.

Olan recipe

2014-01-05T13:27:00.003-08:00

This hearty rich Olan recipe is a traditional South Indian recipe of my grand mother. Earthy and tropical, this is very similar to Ital cusine of the Rastafari.

Ingredients:
1. Medium sized Eggplant
2. Pumpkin - cubed 10-15 pieces, 1" cubes
3. Mung Dal - 1 cup
4. Taro root - about 4 or 5
5. Green chilies - As desired ( I haven't used any so that my kids can enjoy)
6. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
7. Coconut milk - 200 ml

Method:
1. Soak Mung Dal in warm water for about 2 hours.
2. Peel Taro root and cut into 1" pieces. I usually cut them into 4.
3. Cube Pumpkin.
4. In a pressure cooker, cook Mung Beans and Taro.
5. If not using pressure cooker cook Mung beans with a cup of water till tender, add Taro cook till soft and then add pumpkin. If cooking with pressure cooker, add pressure cooked Mung bean and Taro , a cup of water and Pumpkin till soft.
6. Add coconut milk and salt to taste and bring to boil.
7. Heat coconut oil and fry green chilies in a separate wok and add on top of the olan.

Serve with rice.

Pancakes with fresh fruits

2013-11-10T14:37:00.002-08:00

If you like a good Sunday morning breakfast but don't like the long lines at your neighborhood diner, here is a simple recipe. So simple this could be on the back of a pancake box.

Ingredients:

1. Complete Pancake Mix.
2. Fresh fruits - suggested Papaya, Pineapple, Banana, Ble berry, Kiwi, cut 1/2" pieces.
3. Maple syrup.
4. 1 cup - Greek Yogurt.

Method:
1. Beat Greek yogurt with 2-3 tbs of Maple syrup or to taste.
2. Make Pancake per package directions.
3. layer Yogurt maple syrup mixture on top of the pancake.
4. Layer with fresh fruit.
5. Drizzle with Maple syrup. For Canada: Soak with Maple syrup.

Coconut Curry Vegetable

2013-04-08T12:30:00.003-07:00

Spicy South East Asian dish with flavors of Thailand, Malaysia and Laos. A Vegan friendly recipe.

Ingredients:

1. 400 g of firm Tofu.
2. Soy nuggets (TVP) - 100 g.
3. Cauliflower - 1 cup, flower heads
4. Sweet red pepper - 1 medium sized, cut into 1" pieces.
5. I carrot - Sliced.
6. Your favorite brand yellow curry paste.

Method:
1. Cube Tofu into 1" pieces. Stir fry in oil till brown. Set aside.
2. Re-hydrade soy nuggets in warm water. Squeeze and set aside.
3. Stir fry the veggies and set aside.
4. Stir fry yellow curry paste per package directions. I would recommend half the

amount of curry paste as indicated in the package, it is pretty spicy.
5. Add 200 ml of coconut milk and combine Tofy, Soy nuggets and veggies. Bring it to a quick boil and remove from heat.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Kung Pao Tofu recipe

2012-10-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Kung Pao Tofu

If you like the taste of spicy Kung Pao dishes, this is a good vegetarian improvisation. Tofu is an excellent source of protein and if a calcium based coagulant is used, an excellent source of calcium as well. As always be careful about your soy intake as too much Soy can cause hormone imbalance and most Soy in North America is genetically modified. Get your protein from a balanced variety of sources like Beans, Legumes , Soy and Dairy.

Ingredients:

1. One block of Extra Firm Tofu
2. 4 tbsp corn flour.
3. 2 tbsp corn starch.
4. 1 tbsp soy sauce
5. 1 tbsp chili paste (or to taste)
6. Dry roasted peanuts
7. Green onions
8. 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
9. Dry seeded red chili for garnish.
10. Oil to fry.
11. 1 tbsp sesame oil (or oil of your choice)

Method:
1. Cube Tofu into bite sized pieces.
2. Sprinkle corn flour and toss to coat evenly. Let it sit for up to an hour.
3. Deep fry tofu in frying oil till golden brown. Let stand on paper towel.
4. In a dish combine corn starch, soy sauce, ketchup, Chili sauce and 2 tbsp water and bring it to a boil. The mixture will look more like baby food than a sauce.
5. When the starch is cooked, add the fried tofu and mix till it is coated well.
6. Fry peanuts and seeded red-chilies. Garnish along with cut green onions.
7. The Soy sauce should add enough salt, but feel free to add salt.

Simple North American Reipe with Iyer twist

2012-04-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Ganesh Iyer's Kitchen. I will post recipes of dishes I relished in India but have modified to be easily prepared in a North American kitchen. Traditional recipes with a contemporary spin like the Soya Bean parupu usili, Silken Tofy Chapathi, Thai rice noodle sevai and Veg Masala kozhambu. Enjoy.

Soya Chunks Manchurian

2012-04-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

This is not a quick and easy recipe, but the effort is well worth it. Soya Chunks or textured vegetable or Soy protein is rich in , well protein. Believe it or not, this is actually the byproduct of oil extraction. Since almost all the oil is extracted from the soy bean, only the protein remains. Soy chunks has more protein by weight than lean cuts of beef. But before you start eating soy or TVP everyday be advised that this is a by-product of a chemical process called solvent extraction. Hexane is used to dissolve the oil in the soy bean flakes and the residue is cooked and extruded under pressure to form TVP. Since hexane is volatile it is almost all gone, but there may be hexane residues.

Ingredients:

1. 100 gms of Soya Chunks.

2. Ginger & Garlic paste.

3. Fresh ginger minced - 1 tsp.

4. Soy sauce - 1tbsp

5. 1 tbsp corn starch

6. Onion diced - 1 cup

7. Curry power - 1 tsp.

8. Sesame oil - 1 tbsp.

9. Green onions to garnish.

10. Lemon juice.

Method:

1. In a pot add 4-5 cups of water, salt to season and curry powder and bring it to a rolling boil.
2. Remove from heat and add the soy chunks in the curry water and let it soak for about 5 min.
3. Drain the water (and save it for reuse), and squeeze the water from the soy chunks.
4. In a separate pot, fry ginger garlic paste and onions in a bit of oil till the onion is golden brown.
5. Add 2 cups of curry water, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil and bring it to a boil.
6. Dissolve corn starch in warm water and add the liquid to the boiling curry water. Turn the heat to low and simmer till the sauce is thick. Season with salt to taste.
7. Add the sauce to the soy chunks and coat well. drizzle lemon juice and garnish with green onions.

Bean counting

2012-04-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

After watching Food Inc, my resolve to become a vegetarian is strengthened. The challenge in being a vegetarian is finding sources of pure protein that would provide the protein without loading up on carbs. I started to research the nutritional values of different food items and found some terrific sources of protein. I would come up with recipe using these protein sources. Once vegetarian protein source that tops the chart is Soy. Soy bean is considered a complete protein. A complete protein is one that contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body's inability to

synthesize them¹. The great thing about soy is that it takes different forms and is so versatile that it could be incorporated in several dishes from Indian to Continental to Asian. However one shouldn't discount legumes and chickpea. The oldest crop known to humanity could very well save the hungry planet, especially since soybean is owned by a few companies that control the genetic material. I would strongly urge you to opt for genetically unmodified products. The table here compares several vegetarian protein sources and I will post recipes using these ingredients. I haven't posted any because the dishes I have been making lately are not really postable. I will stop my experiments and will try making some traditional recipes from the eastern world that uses the amazing veg protein sources.

Protein Pancakes or Crepes Naturally

2012-04-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Comonly known as Adai or pesarattu, these lentil crepes or panckakes are delicious and packed with protein. This recipe is easy to make and calls for lentils, beans and rice. I used Magic Bullet to blend the beans and is great for making a couple of servings.

Ingredients:

1. 1/3 cup Mung Beans.
2. 1/3 cup Split chickpea or Channa Dal or split yellow pea.

3. 1/3 cup rice. - Make sure the rice is not par-boiled.
4. Salt and Chilli flakes to taste.

Method:
1. Soak the beans, dal/pea and rice overnight.

2. Drain and add 1/4 cup water and salt and blend to a coarse paste.

3. You may let this batter sit overnight to ferment or use it as is. Fermentation brings a nice tangy taste to the crepes.
4. You may use the batter just like pancake batter or crepe batter. Use a non-stick pan for acheiving crepe thickness. If you are going for pancake thickness cook on a low flame turning midway. It may take a bit to cook through.

Bangalore Iyengar Bakery's Bread sandwich

2012-04-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

This yummy snack is so simple to make the recipe is only a couple of lines.

Ingredients:
1. One cup onions chopped.
2. 2 medium sized Shredded organic carrots
3. Cilantro for garnish.
4. Pinch of turmeric powder
5. EVOO to fry - 2 tbsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Bread slices.

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till translucent.
2. Add turmeric and carrots and fry for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.
3. For open face sandwich , toast the brad in a toaster oven with some butter. Spoon on the veg mixture and serve garnished with cilantro.
4. To make closed sandwich, fill the veg mixture between the slices and and toast in a sandwich maker.

Variation: Add your favorite masala with turmeric and green chilies for an authentic taste. Serve with hot filter coffee.

Pumpkin Idli

2012-04-19T03:40:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and so are the pumpkins and several delicious varieties of squash. Pumpkins are loaded with antioxidants and are rich in Potassium,Zinc and Fiber. This is a savory traditional Indian recipe modified to suit the American palate.
Ingredients:

1. 2 cups shredded pumpkins.
2. 1 cup semolina or whole-wheat couscous
3. 1 cup shredded coconuts
4. Salt to taste
5. 1 tbsp grated ginger

Method:

1. Dry roast semolina until golden brown. No roasting needed for couscous.
2. Allow the semolina to cool for about 10 min.
3. Mix the roasted semolina , shredded pumpkin and coconuts, salt and ginger and let stand for 15 min.
4. Shape into balls.
5. Steam for 10 min.

Optional: Garnish with coriander and cashews. Spice lovers can temper Indian style with a bit a mustard, green chilies and asafoetida (hing).

Carrot Chickpea pudding

2012-04-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Carrot chickpea kheer is a sweet marriage of carrot halwa and kadala payasam. It is very simple to make and is extremely easy to make a small portion. The recipe makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:
1. 1 Medium organic carrot.
2. 1 tbsp sugar
3. 1/2 cup of Milk.
4. 1/2 cup of canned chick pea.
5. Butter 1/2 tbsp.
6. Cardamon pods - 1 ( or use cardamon powder a pinch).
7. Walnuts 2 and 3 raisins for garnish. (yeah I am picky, goal is to keep the calories under 200 per serving).

Method.
1. Peel and grate the carrots.

2. Coarsely blend the 1/2 cup chickpea to the consistency of couscous.

3. In a pan melt the butter and continue to clarify it till the color changes to brown.

4. Add the carrots and cook until its tender.

5. Add the chickpea, sugar, cardamon and Milk.

6. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Garnish with walnuts and raisins.

Nutritional Info:

Chickpea is a great vegetation protein source and is the first domesticated plant. Its packed with protein and fibre. Carrots are sweet and has loads of Vitamin A. Walnuts have several essential fatty acids.

Variations : Add beets instead of carrots. Vegans use coconut milk instead of cow's milk. Substitute Splenda for sugar.

Power of Soy

2012-04-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

I have become a big fan of Soy the simple power food can very easily be incorporated into many South Indian dishes. Here are some of my experiments. The first and my most favourite is SoyaBean Parupu usili. If you know the recipie , just substitute Soya Bean for thuvaran paruppu. The dish has a nutty flavout and comes out a lot crispier with less frying. The following recipe has all north american ingredients you can get easly from a super market.

SoyaBean parupu usili.

Ingredients
Fresh Soya Bean 1 cup. (Do not use the canned beans, they will turn mushy)
Cut fresh string beans 1 cup
Chili flakes
Oil to frym
ustard seeds
salt

Preperation
1. Soak Soya beans in warm water for about 3 hours. you could soak them overnight or soak them before going to work.
2. In a blender pulse the softened soya so that it is coarse, roughly the size of the chopped green beans.
3. Cook the Soya in a pressure cooker, usually 2 whistles or if you uuse futura for about 5 min.
4. In a pan heat required amount of oil and temper the mustard seeds.
5. Add the cut green beans and add salt to taste. Cook the green beans till it is tender.
6. Add the cooked soya beans and give it a stir.

Tastly protein rich usili is ready. Serve with rice and ' more kozhambu'

Chickpea Protein Cake

2012-04-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

Well the title is for folks who don't know about Dhokla. In fact I recently learnt that Dhokla made from besan or channa dal is actually Khaman. I didn't quite come up with the recipe but followed a few from the internet. The one that worked for me is from Anuja and Hetal. I have a link to their youtube video. Now some facts on channa dal Alton Brown style.

Chickpea

Chickpea or Garbanzo bean is one of the first domesticated crops by humans. There are two varieties of chick peas, desi chickpea (on the left in the picture) and kabuli chickpea. According the wikipedia, the kabuli chickpea is the closest to the wild chickpea and has markedly higher fibre content and a very low glycemic index.Channa Dal is split desi chickpea without the outer coat. Chickpea has been a dependable form protein in vegetarian cultures for generations.

I watched several videos and read several recipes and embarked on my Khaman journey. Like many I opted for the quick and easy instant method using Besan (chickpea flour). The Dhokla (Khaman to be correct) came out pasty and sticky. So my take two began with a bit more dilligence.

I usually make the no frills version with no tempering, coconuts or chillis.

Ingredients:
1. Channa dal 1 cup.
2. Urad Dal 1 tbsp
3. 1/3 cup of yogurt.
4. Salt to taste
5. 1 tsp ENO - Fruit salt. (you could use Baking soda instead as in the video).

Method
1. Wash and combine Channa and Urad Dal and soak it for 2-3 hours.
2. Drain and blend it in a Food processor until its granular like sugar.
3. Add the yogurt and salt to mix well.
4. Set aside overnight to ferment. The fermenting process works very well in summer but not so great in winter (depending upon where you live).
5. Add ENO salt to the mixture and steam for about 10 min.

Footnote: ENO is added to the mixture to create Co2 which when escapes causes the mixture to become spongy. Alternatively you could use lemon juice and baking soda. Bakingsoda NaHCo3 reacts with strong acid Lemon juice to release Co2. I wonder if I could use the same technique to make instant idlis!

Kadai Vegetables

2012-01-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Potato -1

Tomato - 1

Onion - 1

Caulifloweretts - 2 cups

Bell pepper (any color) - 1

Ginger - 1/2 teaspoon (grated)

Garlic - 2 cloves finely chopped or grated

1/4 cup of water.

Spices:

Whole corriander seeds - 2 table spoon

Whole red chillies - 2

Cumin seeds - 2 table spoon

Salt - 1 tea spoon (per taste)

Olive oil - 3 Table spoon

Method:

1. Grind the spices (coriander, red chilli and cumin) coarsly in a coffee grinder.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Saute the onion till golden brown.
3. Add ginger and garlic and sautee for 10 - 15 seconds.
4. Add all the other vegetables and spices. Add 1/4 cup of water and close and simmer. Add salt to taste.
5. Garnish with cilantro or mint leaves and Serve with Roti or Pita.

Recipe donated by

Gayatri Bharadwaj

Sprouted green gram Kichdi

2012-01-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Green gram ( green lentil) sprouts- 1 cup

Rice - 1 cup

salt - 1/2 teaspoon

melted butter- 1 table spoon

black pepper- 1 teaspoon

cumin - 1 teaspoon

curry leaves

Method:

1. Mix rice ,sprouted green gram lentil and 3 cups of water and salt.
2. Cook in a pressure cooker for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Heat a nonstick vessel , add butter , black pepper , cumin and cashew nuts ( optional) and stir for a minute.
4. Stir in the cooked rice and lentil mixture and curry leaves.

Serve hot with any curry or chutney. It is nutritious and makes a warm dinner on a rainy or cold day. Any raita salad ( recipe given separately) can be added.

- Recipe donated by Rajam Sekar

kale chips

2011-11-19T14:08:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
1. Bag of pre-washed Kale
2. EVOO
3. Sea salt/Kosher salt to season

Method:
1.Lay out Kale leaves on a baking sheet.
2. Drizzle EVOO on the leaves and coat well with a brush.
3. Sprinkle sea salt to taste.
4. Bake at 375 for 10-15 min until dry but not brown.

Akils's Boccaccini surprise

2011-11-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Multi-grain crackers : 4 pcs
Cherry tomatoes
Boccaccini - 2 pcs
Avacado 1
Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Cut the avacado, Boccaccini and tomatoes and arrange it on the cracker. Season with salt , pepper and EVOO.

This recipe was contributed to fight poverty by Akila.

kathirikai thogayal / baba ganoush

2011-04-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Kathirikai Thogayal

Its time to fire-up the grill. Eggplant thogayal is a wonderful dish, simple and favouful with a kick. Goes great with pita chips or the serve it the traditional way over rice.

Ingredients:

1. Chinese eggplant - 5.
2. 1 tbsp - Channa dal
3. 1 tbsp - Urad dal
4. Red chillies- 10. For a less spicier version remove the seeds.
5. Tamarind - size of a half golf ball. If using paste use 1 tsp.
6. Oil to fry and garnish.

Method:

1. Brush eggplants with oil and gril on medium heat for 10-15 min.
2. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
3. Peel the skin if desired. Tastes great with the skin. You could make 2 versions one with just the skin and one with the skin peeled.
4. In a pan roast channa dal, urad dal and chillies until golden.
5. Soak tamarind in half cup of warm water for 5 min. Squeeze the juice and discard the fibres.
6. Blend tamarind juice, roasted dals & chilli and the eggplant.

7. TADA.

Tabouli

2011-04-09T04:19:00.000-07:00

If you are craving for dark leafy green and are in the mood for a light snack try Tabouli. Parsley is an excellent aromatic herb filled with Vitamin K and anti-oxidants. The volatile oils will refresh your mouth and stomach especially during your spring de-tox program. Available year-round in most super markets Parsley is a quick and easy way to get some wholesome nutrition in your diet.

Ingredients:
1. Curly leaf Parsley - 1 bunch
2. Ripe tomatoes - 1 medium sized
3. Whole wheat couscous or Bulgar wheat - 1/3 cup
4. Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp
5. Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Soak couscous or bulgar in equal parts of boiling water and set aside covered until all the water is absorbed.
2. Chop parsley and dice tomatoes.
3. Fluff the couscous or bulgar (or both if you want to make it a light meal) with a fork and combine the Parsley and tomatoes.
4. Toss with olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt to taste.

Get creative and add your favourite ingredients to make it interesting and appealing to kids. Avocados would give it a rich creamy taste and goes well with the greens. Walnuts and sunflower seeds would add a nice crunch. Raisins or oranges would give it a sweet kick.

Ganku Tofu

2011-03-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

While grocery shopping I found a Chinese chilli bean sauce that looked interesting (as I couldnt read anything I had to go by the looks). Started to prepare it per package directions and substitued TVP for meat.Adjusted th ebalance of spice with a bit of maple syrup (Canadian eh?) and lemon juice. End result, protein filled deliciousness that would get me lucky tonight :-)

Ingredients:

1. 14 OZ firm Tofu made form genetically un-modified soy beans.

2. 1 tbsp you favourite brand of chilli bean sauce3. 1 tbsp chilli sauce
4. 3 tbsp ketchup
5. 1 tbsp olive / sesame / vegetable oil
6. 1 tbsp soy sauce
7. 1 tbsp corn starch
8. Lemon juice to taste
9. Salt to taste
10. Green onion - 1 bunch
11. 2 cups vegetable broth

Method:
1. Bake the tofu to drive out the moisture for 30 min at 400 F. You can skip this step and just stir fry the tofu untill its bown.
2. Hydrate the TVP in warm water until soft.
3. Squeeze out the moisture from the TVP and stir fry it with the cilli bean sauce.
4. Cube the Tofu into bite size pieces and stir fry it with the TVP.
5. In a bowl whisk up 1 tbsp corn starch, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp chilli sauce , 3 tsbpketchup, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 cup vegetable broth.
6. Combine the sauce mixture to the Tofu and TVP and add the extra cup of broth. Simmer till the sauce thickens.
7. Garnish with green onions and server.

TVP thogayal

2011-03-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

A nice sunny spring afternoon, positive temperatures and no snow in sight. After a scrumptious breakfast of pancakes and eggs (Organic , free-range and vegetarian infertile) it was time to experiment with Tofu and TVP. With frozen pizza in the freezer and elated moods that summer is in the offing, it was time to risk a meal and with risks comes rewards. This was a by-product of a recipe I was trying.

Ingredients:
1. 1 cup TVP
2. 2 tbsp - your favourite brand of Chinese chili bean sauce.
3. Soy sauce

Method
1. Re-hydrate the TVP by soaking in warm water. When soft, squeeze out the water so that it can absorb all the yumminiess that follows.
2. Stir fry the re-hydrated tvp with the chili bean sauce until the ingredients have blended well.
3. Add soy sauce and salt to taste.
4. Serve over rice for a quick meal.

Did you know? That TVP has more protein by weight than ground beef with virtually no fat? Add olive oil while cooking or flax oil after cooking to get a well balanced meal when served over rice.