vegan coconut curry

 delish, fast & easy!

 

thursday 8.02.12

This was really easy, even I could manage this one! Instead of chicken, I subbed canned wheat glutens (mock abalone) and they do not whatsoever taste like abalone, just delicious little tender textures!? I also did not add any sugar as the glutens are a tiny bit sweetend already. oh, I also used fresh thai basil and shiso, the shiso was really good in it! The thai basil is from a tiny sprig of it I had taken home from a restaurant from fathers day, and stuck it in a glass of water, it rooted so I planted it outside and this was the first pickings from the plant :)
easy recipe found from here !

ingredients:
organic brown jasmine rice
glutens (chick sub)
stewed dice toms
cauliflower
red bell
onion
garlic
coconut milk
curry powder
fathers day thai basil
shiso
(I didn't use tomato paste, mushrooms or chicken)

Chowning's Tavern Brunswick Stew

I love my crockpot.  I love it so much I'd marry it if I could.  It saves me time, money, and mental "what's for dinner anguish".  Pretty much everything I'm looking for in an appliance.  Enough gushing about my crock.  Tonight:  Chowning's Tavern Brunswick Stew!  Chownings is a Tavern from colonial Williamsburg that my family ate at when we were in Virginia in June.  We had a guy entertaining us at the table with his hurdy gurdy, which was kind of surreal. The whole experience was well done, not cheezy at all.  The crafts and craftpeople were amaaazing!  Anyway, back to the food. I had the "real" Virginia Ham sandwich, which I was way too rich, salty, and smoked for my tastes, but it was grown and cured right there in the little town and very authentic,so I forced myself to eat most of it.  Audrey had the stew and loved it!  I figured it must be delicious because she ate the whole bowl including the evil okra.  I'm making a homemade cornbread to go with it.  This is one of the few days I've had at home where I haven't been cleaning for moths this summer.  Ok, I am avoiding the basement outside of our apartment, but it has been a lovely, calm, fall domestic day--and I LOVE IT!!  Audrey and I got math and economics done today and she chased chickens around while I cooked.  Sigh, it was sooo good.  I have been too busy, too stressed out, too distracted for my own good.  Nothing like a slow cooked day!
Anyway, the recipe is authentic except I omitted the squirrel because I didn't feel like running around the yard.  Yeah, right.  Serves 8-10. Can't wait to try it!

1 chicken (about 3 lbs) I used a whole totally frozen, plopped it into the crock last night at 2am with a quart of warm water and put it on low for 10hrs (this was according to directions from crock pot).

1 - 16oz can of dice tomatoes
2 - cups OMgosh...Um, the picture I took does not have the pretty little yellow kernels of corn in it, because I forgot it!!  So I just now ran, dumped it in the crock and came back-whew!  Anyway, just imagine there is corn in this--I know you can do it!)
2 medium peeled and 1/2inch diced potatoes
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 cup frozen lima beans, eeew. They might not be so nasty in soup, but I am not a lima fan.  I used edamame.
1 cup frozen (I used fresh) sliced okra (yayayaayayay!)
1/2 tablespoon, fresh ground pepper
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Market Saute

Or emptying the vegetable bin to make room for more.

I have been going to a local farmer's market every Saturday for about a year and have embraced the locavore diet as much as my palate allows. There are some imported foods that I just don't want to do without.

Eating seasonally and locally (and organic) is a very enjoyable and easy way of taking care of myself and my family. I even buy my meat from the market. Although it costs substantially more money, we simply eat less. I love going to the market and seeing what is available for the week's meals. In the winter it was a fun challenge.

I still go to the grocery store but less often. After all, I need my rice and John his ketchup! (Oh, I could make my own ketchup...hmm. No.) :O)

This is a quick easy method for cooking up the contents of your vegetable bin. Something I do every Saturday after I bring home the next week's veggies.

Market Saute

Bacon or guanciale

1 clove garlic

Approx. 3-6 cups Veggies (This month it was mainly kale, bok choy, cauliflower, etc)

White pepper

Slice the bacon in to 1/8 in x 1-1/2 in pieces. Put in skillet on medium heat. Leave it undisturbed as the pan heats up and once one side begins to brown flip. Continue to cook to your taste. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Pour out most but not all the fat.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the garlic and chop the veggies in to bite sized pieces. Return the skillet to the heat and add the garlic cook to just soften, don't let it brown. Add the kale and stir fry for a minute then add the other veggies. Note: add veggies to the pan in order of cooking time. The ones that take the longest should go in first get cooked for a minute or two then the next added.

At this point, everything is sizzling along nicely. Add a couple tablespoons of water or broth and stir. Do this a couple of times until the veggies are cooked to your taste. Turn off the heat and add the bacon back in to the pan and stir to distribute. Season to taste.

Vegetarian Option:

Use olive oil and cook the garlic until just starting to turn golden then quickly add the veggies. Continue cooking as above. For an added protein you could use fried tofu. Reheating or recrisping in the oil then set aside until the veggies are cooked.

Note: Depending on the veggie combo you can add sliced ginger at the time of cooking the garlic or add herbs such as thyme or Vignalta salt at the end.

Tibetan Momos

This is how I make momos based on how I was taught by the wife of a Tibetan lama. These dumplings are delicious and juicy. It's kind of tricky to make the round style dumplings but you can pleat them in the crescent shape (see my other entry on dumplings.) I really love to eat them with the below sauce. When you bite into them after they've been just cooked - be aware they are hot and juicy. Spoon a bit of sauce on the momo after each bite. Yum!

Momos

Filling

1lb beef
1 small to med small red onion finely chopped
1-1/2 to 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled finely chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ c water
1 tsp salt
1 bunch cilantro finely chopped stems included

mix all together

Dough

2 1/2 c flour
approx ¾ c water (add a little at a time.)

How to:

Mix /knead to a smooth dough. Let rest covered at least 10 mins to ½ hour. Shape into a log and break of small pieces and using your hands make smooth balls and then flatten slightly.

Roll out pieces to 3 inch rounds with the edges thinner than middle. Stuff and pleat like a standard dumpling or to make traditional round shaped momos, try following this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzWSsWpZfjg. To freeze: dust bottom of momo with a bit of flour and put on dry cookie sheet. Do not let them touch. Once frozen put in plastic zip bag or other container and pull out as needed. Leftover dough can be used for Yow Bing (Chinese green onion pancakes.)

Put the momos in a steamer with the water already at a boil. Momos are done when you touch the sides and they are firm and the wrapper is not sticky to the touch, about 15 mins. 20-25 mins for frozen.

Cooking tips:

• You can also put beef bones in the water and maybe a few veggies and save the resultant broth for soup.

• When steaming, layer steamer with leaves of napa cabbage or lettuce to keep momos from sticking. For fun, you can use a slice of carrot under each momo but the carrot has to be pretty big to keep the momo from sticking. Traditionally, people just oil the steamer.

Makes about 30 dumplings. Serve with a green sauce or chili salt.

Green Sauce

1 bunch Cilantro coarsely chopped
1-2 Jalapeno chilies chopped
Dried red chili flakes if needed
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cloves Garlic chopped
½ to 1 tsp Salt
Water as needed

Blend all ingredients until just uniform. Or you can mince everything to control the texture. Alternatively you can use 1 cup of plain yogurt instead of the tomato.

Cold Season Remedy - Bubbe-mycin

Chicken soup is proven to help to alleviate cold and flu symptoms. This recipe contains many home remedy ingredients (onions, garlic, thyme, oregano, celtic gray salt) and combined makes a tasty soothing broth. It's important to use the highest quality ingredients you can. Don't skimp on your health!

Lori’s Chicken Broth

3-4 lbs organic free range chicken, rinsed and innards removed

1 yellow onion washed with peel, with a clove stuck in

3-6 cloves of garlic, don’t bother peeling

2 Carrots

2 Celery

fresh thyme and/or oregano

Celtic gray sea salt

Wash all veggies, leaving skins on. Put all veggies, seasonings except salt, in pressure cooker then add chicken and water to cover. Bring pressure to high (Kuhn Rikon 2^nd red line) for 25 minutes. Quick pressure release.

Remove chicken and let cool enough to handle. Remove skin and then debone. Don’t be super careful removing all the meat from the bones, the point here is making bubbe-mycin and good flavor is important. Set the meat aside to cool and use in another recipe. You can leave the chicken in whole when cooking again but even I think that’s going a bit far.

Put the bones back in the pot with veggies. Return to stove and bring back to pressure for 1 to 1-½ hour. This should be sufficient to cooking all the meaty goodness from the bones. Pour through a cheese cloth or fine mesh strainer to remove all impurities. Let cool before putting in refrigerator. Let thoroughly cool and remove any solidified fat. When reheating, add celtic gray sea salt to taste, more fresh thyme to taste.

Serve as a broth or this can be turned into chicken soup by adding chopped carrots, celery and onion along with the gray sea salt and fresh thyme and leftover chicken and cooking until veggies soft.

Note: Or the chicken can be used for chicken salad or chicken noodle.

Oyako Donburi

This is my version of the family recipe for oyako donburi. It's more of a soupy meal than the traditional rice bowl with stuff. It's very simple, fast, and delicious. The recipe quantities don't make a lot but should be good for 2-3 people. The veggies add depth to the broth. The daikon is especially good.

Ingredients:

1 box chicken broth (for best use homemade)

1 tbs dashi powder

1 equal amount of water (or a little more)

1 whole chicken breast or equivalent thighs deboned & chopped bite-sized pieces
(I save the bones to make my own stock)

¼- ½ cup shoyu

6-8 eggs, beaten

garnish: finely chopped green onions and/or toasted nori crumbled

veggies: I usually add a little water chestnut sliced, fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced, and/or diakon sliced into matchsticks. Sometimes I add a little of the daikon greens or thinly sliced cabbage for color.

Heat chicken broth, dashi, and water) to a boil, toss a whole green onion or two (take out before serving), add chicken and veggies, then turn down heat to simmer. When chicken is just cooked, taste broth and add more stock or water or dashi depending on your taste. Bring soup back to boil. Stir ½ cup hot broth into eggs then pour eggs in to pot stirring until cooked. Add shoyu to taste.

Serve over hot Japanese rice. Garnish w/green onions and/or nori.

Wheat and Dairy-free Sweet Potato Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Coating

Adapted from Noble Pig Cooking Blog
For the Muffins:
2-1/2 cups Spelt Flour
1-1/2teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup "fake buttermilk" - plain soymilk tainted with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup sweet potato puree (canned or fresh baked)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

For the
topping:
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 stick margarine, melted

In a medium bowl, combine spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large pouring vessel combine the coconut milk, "fake buttermilk", sweet potato puree, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream margarine and brown sugar with an electric mixer, until fluffly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix, alternating wet and dry ingredients into the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry; mix only until each addition is incorporated, DO NOT OVER MIX, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, DON'T UNDER MIX EITHER.

Grease your muffin tin or line them. Fill muffin cups 1/2 full. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

While the muffins are baking, In a shallow bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg. Put the melted butter in a separate bowl.
When the muffins are cool enough to handle, yet still warm, remove the muffins from the tins, brush them completely with the melted butter, and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.

wheat free, dairy free, but not taste free, sweet potato muffins

To my delight, I found a great deal in the overstock bin at Fred Meyer of canned organic sweet potato and pumpkin. I put the sweet potato to work yesterday, and the results were delish. I will post recipe if anyone is interested. I discovered when the recipe says, "don't overmix", they need to add for people like me, "but don't undermix, either" because some of them oozed.

I used soymilk with apple vinegar as a substitute for buttermilk and coconut milk for the whole milk with great results. I used spelt flour so it is wheat-free and ever so tender, but not gluten free. Only a few looked like a volcanic eruption, the rest looked lovely, like this:

How to use leftovers – Dumpling Filling

Often when making dumplings (or potstickers, gyoza, jao zi, etc.) you'll end up with extra fillling. Here is one recipe that solves this leftover problem. This was adapted from an excellent recipe from the NY Times, Mark Bitten's blog, 11/18/09, "Meatballs, Chinese Style."

Take leftover dumpling fillling and add an egg white and about 2 tsp tapioca starch. You can add more salt if ou like, or a tsp of soy sauce or fish sauce. The mixture will be very wet but don't worry the poaching in stock will firm them up.

Mince an inch of ginger and finely slice the white parts of a leek or a small handful of Chinese chives or a couple of green onions. Heat veg oil, add ginger and onion but don’t brown just get it softened. Add about 6-8 small heads of baby bok choy roughly chopped. Or use an equivalent amount of regular bok choy or Napa cabbage, coarsely cut up. It looks big at first but the greens cook down so much, you’ll be surprised.

Add white pepper and 2/3 to 1 cup of chicken or pork stock. Stir, then cover the wok or pan w/lid and let the bok choy cook down a little. After a minute or two, shift the bok choy over to one side of the pan. Make the dumpling filling into balls, don’t have to be precise here, and gently ease them into the cooking liquid next to the bok choy. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. The bok choy will be very overcooked but so yummy.

The broth is pretty amazing. I don’t usually reduce or thicken it. If you have leftover broth from meal, this can be used in another stirfry or as a soup base. Check for seasoning, add a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce to taste.

Serve, of course, with rice.

Note: I’ve made this recipe several times from scratch (no leftover filling.) Making the meatballs from a lb of ground pork, 1 tbs fish sauce, ½ small minced onion, , white pepper , tiniest pinch of sugar, egg white (small egg), 1 tbs starch (corn or tapioca.) It makes a lot but then you have -- leftovers!

Dumplings, Potstickers, and Gyoza, Oh My!

Dumplings

Ingredients:

Ground pork
Nappa cabbage, shredded, salted for 20 mins squeeze out extra liquid.
(If really salty, rinse and squeeze)
Sesame oil
Soy sauce (not too much because nappa is salted)
(Chinese or Japanese soy will change the flavor)
White pepper

Optional: Yellow chives, minced, soaked dried or fresh shrimp and or soaked dried mushrooms, some folks use garlic

Note: Can use frozen spinach that’s been defrosted, and squeezed out dry. You can use tofu, that’s been drained and crumbled, may want to add some tapioca flour for binder. (?)

Making the dumpling:

Mix filling ingredients. If the ingredients are good and they should be, keep the flavors simple.Don’t use all the optional ingredients maybe just one. All the seasonings are added to taste (microwave a teaspoon or drop in boiling water to test) or by smell. Use prepared gyoza skins or make your own. (see below) Take between 1tsp to 1tbs of filling and put in center of wrapper. Wet edge of wrapper and bring center together and press to stick. Then pleat one side only (towards the direction of the center) Should be about 3 pleats each side of center. This makes the potsticker stand up and is easy for pan-frying or steaming. Here is a youtube video that shows how to do it with homemade wrappers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb5CWHK8zuQ

Cooking methods

Fried:
Heat pan med high w/minimum coating of oil. Add potstickers before oil is too hot to avoid splatters, then add ½ cup water. Cover and let steam until water is gone. Turn down to med or low, cover (monitor closely to prevent burning, adding spoonful of water at a time if needed.)Potstickers are done when bottom golden and crisp and insides firm approximately 10-20 mins depending on if frozen or fresh.

Boiled:
Bring water to boil. Add dumpling for 5-10 mins depend on if fresh or frozen. Can add a bit of cold water every time water comes to boil until the little guys float to the surface.

Steamed:
Prep the steamer by lining with nappa or lettuce so they don’t stick to the bamboo. Steam until firm and dough not sticky.

-----------------------------------------------

Making the dough for dumpling wrappers:

About 2 cups flour,

Mix enough water, a little at a time, to form a ball.

Knead for 10 minutes.

Wrap in plastic for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Shape in to disk and cut in half. Cover one half and take the other half and cut in half again then each of those halves into fourths. These make thicker and bigger wrappers like for momos or you can cut in half again. Keep dough you are not using immediately, wrapped to prevent drying out.

Form into ball and roll out in as round a shape as possible. Use flour as needed to keep from sticking.

How to Use Leftovers - Rice

Fried Rice

a great quick meal and a great way to use leftovers.

Left over rice, refrigerated overnight.
Green onions, cut on diagonal , ½-1 inch pieces
Eggs
Veggie: bok choy, kale, rapini, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.,
cut into bite size pieces or coarsely shredded
Soy sauce, to taste
Salt & white pepper, to taste

Optional ingredients:

Garlic, left whole, slightly smashed
some kind of pre-cooked meat or tofu, cut in to small pieces.
red pepper: cayenne, togarashi, chili paste
kimchi (allow kimchi to be heated through, use juices instead of soy sauce)
sesame oil, for flavor

Method

Heat oil or lard or use bacon cut into small bits as both the fat and the meat. Use fairly high heat, what your pan can stand (med-high).

Add ginger stir until fragrant (very quick) then add green onions and stir fry until edges begin to brown.

Quickly add veggies and meat, turn heat to medium and stirfry until veggies are almost cooked and meat is heated through.

Push mixture to edge of pan and break eggs into pan (make sure that pan has some oil thinly coating bottom, okay to add a little sesame oil at this time.) Mix eggs with fork and season with with salt/white pepper. Then let cook until almost done but top of eggs are still wet.

Add rice folding eggs into rice, making sure to break egg into small pieces, mixing veggies in also. At this point you can season with a little soy and red pepper.

Note: I usually don’t use garlic but if I do I add at the same time as ginger and green onions and then remove when brown.

Here are a few variations on the theme:

Jean-Geoges Fried Rice - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/dining/27mini.html?ref=dining
Shanghai, Yangzhou version - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5yDSxXlNKQ
Japanese style - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfub_GqhpbI
Korean style - http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/kimchi-bokkeumbap
http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2008/02/fried-rice-yang-chow-style.html

I could go on and on. There are as many versions of fried rice as there are countries that eat rice.

How do you make fried rice?

Soy Sauce Chicken

Here is one of my favorite recipes. It comes from a former boss, H. Shek. It's pretty bomb-proof and just like you would get from the Chinese bbq places. I am going to try it with a pasture-raised organic duck from Sea Breeze Farm. I suspect I'll need more than 1 bottle of soy sauce.

Soy Chicken
a recipe from Henry Shek.

Ingredients:

Chinese thick soy sauce and water equivalent to soy to just cover chicken (approx. 1 bottle)

1-3 whole star anise

Honey or molasses or maple syrup or sugar to taste

Whole chicken, 3lbs, rinsed and patted dry (remove extra parts bag)

Instructions:

Combine all to taste, except bird, in a deep narrow pot. Taste should be strong. Let soy come to boil, reduce heat. Do not let boil again. Add chicken, simmer 40-45 mins.Do not overcook. If Soy doesn’t cover chicken, roll every 20 or so minutes.

Chop, serve warm or room temp w/bit of warm sauce on top. Garnish with cilantro.

Optional make sauce from a mixture of oil, salt, ginger, green onion

To Store Sauce:

After cooking chicken. Bring soy to high boil once, then remove from heat. Strain into wide mouth jars, refrigerate, remove congealed fat, cover tightly.

Reuse sauce for more chicken, or duck as sauce in stirfry or ramen. If cook fish do not reuse.

IMHO One of the best pasta sauces ever

This recipe is relatively easy but time consuming. I can't tell you how long it took to make the sauce but it was approximately 45 mins to add all the tomato puree and then another hour for cooking. It could have been longer. Sorry. I just make it when I have lots of time. It's worth it to get that deep tomato flavor.

Amatrice style Sauce w/Sausage

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Olive oil or butter or lard

2 oz Guanciale (Italian air cured bacon)

½ onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

red chili flakes (optional)

3 c. tomato puree

water

2 sausages (I used Seabreeze Farm, mild)

black pepper

basil, chiffonade

fromage blanc

Instructions:

Heat oil/fat of choice on medium.

Chop guanciale in to ¼-inch bits. When oil is hot, add guanciale and fry until crispy. Remove and save. Add chopped onions and garlic sauté until soft and starting to brown. At this point you can add some red chili flakes and cook an extra minute or two.

Then add a ½ c. tomato puree, ½ c. water, mix, and let reduce a bit. Keep stirring you don’t want to burn or brown the tomatoes. When tomato mixture is dark, add ½ c. water and another batch of tomato. Repeat until all the puree is cooking. Turn heat down to low.

At this point the sauce should be reduced and a burgundy-ish color, add 1 cup of water (or more) and add meatballs. I used SeaBreeze Farm sausage by squeezing bits out of the casing and rolling into balls. (This sausage is seasoned in a very complementary way for this sauce. You can also make your own meatballs.

Once the sauce is at the desired thickness and the sausage is cooked through, mix in the guanciale. Serve on hot pasta with garnish of basil.

Variation: I had approximately 2 tbs of fromage blanc. I threw it in. I will now always add it to this dish. It helps smooth out the acidity of the tomatoes.

Note: Amatrice is a city in Italy known for their pasta sauce made with guanciale & pecorino. A more typical recipe can be found here: http://italianfood.about.com/od/meatsauces/r/blr1007.htm

Tomato, Shrimp, and Eggs - The Possibilities

One of my favorite blogs is Wanderingchopsticks. I have made several of her recipes and found them understandable, clear and yummy. I recently made a recipe of hers that was so fast and easy, I think we all need to add it to our repetoire. It is predicated on having the ingredients on hand (tomatoes, eggs, shrimp and rice.) But we takasissies usually have at least rice, eggs and tomatoes and from there you can build a variety of meals based on this recipe. I happen to have shrimp so this all came happily together.

I made a couple of small mods to the recipe. It was really good and I can see the possibilities in this recipe. It can easily be turned into an indian dish (southern or northern), mexican, italian, etc. with an adjustment to the spices. Here is the recipe with my notes at the bottom:

Chinese Tomato Egg Shrimp Stir-Fry

modified from Wandering Chopsticks

Ingredients:

3 eggs, scrambled (seasoned w/fish sauce* and white pepper)

3 Roma tomatoes chopped OR 1c.canned diced tomatoes

handful Shrimp peeled & deveined (I figure for this type of dish 5-6 per person)

¼ c. onions sliced

1 small clove garlic minced

Optional: A pinch of sugar and/or salt.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onion

Instructions:

1. Peel and devein the shrimp. Chop into 3 pieces each. Set aside.
2. Heat skillet or wok with oil and when hot add the onions & garlic, stir fry until soft and translucent.
3. Add tomatoes and simmer on medium heat until softened. Add raw shrimp.
4. While the shrimp and tomatoes are cooking, scramble the eggs and leave them in big pieces.
5. Check on the tomatoes and see if they've softened. Add in the eggs along with just a pinch of salt and sugar.
6. Then gently stir the mixture. You want to keep the egg pieces as whole as possible so the mixture doesn't become mush.
7. Garnish with cilantro/green onions. Serve with rice.

Thoughts:

Indian: At step 2: OMIT onions and garlic use Hing instead.Add curry leaves and cumin seeds. At Step 3: Add turmeric, coriander pwdr, grated ginger. At step 5: Optional: add 1 tsp-tbs of tamarind and a slurp of coconut milk. At step 7: heat mustard seeds and red chili. When seeds sputter add to tomato egg mixture.

Mexican: add chili powder, more onions and garlic, and crushed chicarones. Garnish with fresh salsa: cilantro, lime, red onion, jalepeno.

European: use basil leaves as garnish. Add thyme to the tomato base and a splash of red wine. For Greek use oregano and maybe a little cinnamon and anise flavored alcohol or fennel also works. For Hungarian, paprika and marjoram and more garlic maybe a bay leaf.

This is one of those versatile recipes that can move into whatever region you want.

Read more:
http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2009/12/chinese-tomato-egg-shrimp-stirfry.html#ixzz0d1pBKLDG

Tofu Jerks

So this is by special request, for Victoria.

I pressed fresh tofu so I can slice it very thin as possible, probably -1/8"?
I marinated it in an Asiany flavor, um, actually left over salad dressing. It had ginger, garlic, shoyu, honey and such in it. It turned out to be quite Teriyaki, but it can have any flavor you like of course.
Then I dehydrated it for a couple of hours, BUT now I realize this is not necessary if you have pressed it well.
This is getting easier as we go here...
Then I fried it in my cast iron on low for about 20minutes on one side and 20 minutes on the other. Kind of a long time to hang around the pan, but I was busy making other stuff so it was easy. It gets tougher and chewier after you take it off the heat.

Easy breezy, Vic. Shopping snacks!

Flax Cracks

Makes the best "Raw" crackers.

Italian Flax Cracks

2 cups golden flax (soaked 15-20 minutes, not more if you can help it)
1 cup walnuts, chopped fine (soaked 30minutes)
1 cup sundried tomatoes (soaked 30 minutes?)save soaking water
1 small (really) clove garlic
2 TB good apple cider vinegar
4 TB Italian herb mix
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup Kalamata olives chopped fine
red pepper flakes
2-3 tsps fine sea salt

Blend in food processor everything but flax, walnuts and olives until smooth, adding tomato soaking water.
Pour mixture in bowl.
Process the flax seeds.
Pour Everything together, mixing with wet hands.
Spread on trays and dehydrate on 115 degrees until crisp.

Delish!