An Indian Rice Recipe with Veggies & nuts & Roti

Indian Rice w/ Veggies & Nuts

1 1/2 Cups Long Grain Organic Brown Rice
1 Tbsp Smart Balance Light or Vegan butter of choice
1/4 tsp Cloves or 4 whole Cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick, small
1/2 tsp Cardamom or 3 to 4 Cardamom pods
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Veggies, Like carrots, peas, corn, green beans
1/4 cup chopped nut of choice ( I like cashews or almonds)
1/4 Cup Organic white raisins
2 1/2 tsp salt
3 to 3 1/4 cups water

Let rice set in water for 30 minutes or longer. Strain and let rice dry out some. Heat the pan with the butter. Add he rice. Let the rice soak up the butter and fry a few minutes then add spices (Not Turmeric). After a minute add the Turmeric and let cook for another 3 minutes. Add Veggies, Nuts, salt, & water. Bring to a boil and let cook for 30 minutes with a lid on. After the 3o minutes if there is no water visible and there are wholes in the top of the rice, take the lid off and cook for 5 minutes. To let some of the water evaporate. Put lid back on and let set for 10 minutes. Make sure there is water left before you leave it open on the stove for those 5 minutes. Stir it if you see water then leave it on the burner. If not take it off and just let it set for the 10 minutes with the lid on. This way it will not burn. Fluff with a fork and then it is ready to serve.

Roti- Indian flat bread

Will make 12 small Roti or 8 Big Roti

4 Cups flour
1 1/4 Cup water
Smart Balance Light or other vegan butter

Mix flour & water into a dough. Knead then set aside for 15 minutes. Break into 12 balls and the role each bowl out with a rolling pin. Put butter on the skillet and fry each piece of Flat bread on each side. Let small sections brown. If there is a small amount of flour left on bread when done that is ok.

You can also serve this with Curry & a protein source. We normally have tofu or tempeh.

Another good way to eat this bread that isn't so good for you is with butter & sugar. It is very yummy! :)

Sweet & Sour Tofu

After having the tofu for the general Tao's tofu I had to try it with Sweet & Sour dish. So last night I finally pulled the tofu out of the freezer and made it. John and I loved it so I had to blog about it today. So here is the what I used...

Carrots
Sweet peas
Pineapples- 1/2 cup
Red sweet peppers= 1/4 cup
Sweet & Sour sauce recipe or Jar (I was lazy and use the jar last night)
Frozen tofu ( Has a great texture and works really well)
Corn starch
Egg replacer- 2 Tbsp
Water- 6 to 8 Tbsp
Oil
Rice

Start your Brown rice about 15 to 20 minutes ahead of time. If you are using white you could just add in in with your veggies to cook.

First defrost your tofu and let it drain. Piece it up. Mix water and egg replacer to a good consistency. Make sure its not lumpy and that it isn't thick but not runny. Right in the middle. :) Coat your tofu a little at a time and place in cornstarch. This takes a good amount of corn starch. Just start with a bowl full. Cover in corn starch and place in a hot skillet w/ a small amount of oil. These cook more even when you only do say 10 at a time. But you can do them all at once. They are just not a pretty. You can cook this and set it aside or cook it while you cook your veggies. You can steam or boil the veggies till carrots are soft but not mushy. The sweet peas should still have a slight crunch. Put all the veggies, tofu, and enough sauce to cover all in to the veggie pan.
Warm up the tofu and then serve over your rice.

Freezing tofu: Something I like to do with my tofu is freeze it in the size I will need later. When you freeze it in small pieces it freezes faster and thaws quickly. Break apart into bite size pieces and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. After it is totally froze place in a freezer bowl or baggy. Tofu after setting in towels for about 15 minutes. This is one package of Nori Tofu. The kind that has the water around it in the cooler section of the grocery store. This kind has a better texture then the tetra packaged tofu. I cut it in half. So that more water would come out faster. Take the tofu and break into pieces or cut into sections. Place on wax paper in a single layer. The tofu takes on a yellow color when it is completely frozen. Do not try to cut the tofu when it is semi frozen. The way the ice crystals form it will just kind of break up. Place it in you storage bag or bowl and you have it when you need it!

To use place frozen tofu on a towel to soak up the extra fluid that drains off. Just defrost in microwave or just let thaw on its own. Let water drain well. Then its all ready to use. I don't know how long it will stay good in the freezer. I don't leave mine in there to long. Probably about 2 months is the longest I have had the small pieces in there.

General Taos Tofu

I have tried and failed miserably with tofu on more then one occasion. I keep it in the pantry just in case I get a wild hair to try it again. But I am glad I did. See I have had tofu I like. When we go to whole foods (which is only like once a year) we normally eat at their salad/ hot bar which I know is very expensive but its a treat. I had some tofu there that I really liked and couldn't figure out how to make it at home. But I have finally figured out a recipe (that isn't dessert) that I can cook the tofu myself. I am so excited!!!! I can try it this way in so many recipes. Only a couple times a month though because of all the grease. But This opens my eyes and tells me that I can eat tofu without gaging...lol So here it is...

General Taos Tofu from Veg web.....
I added some green peppers and used low sodium soy sauce instead.... Click the link above to get the recipe.
The tofu Fried. After being dipped in egg replacer and cornstarch....Yummy. I could yet this without anything. But it is pretty greasy so I will definitely restrain myself.
This is after everything was added. Right before plating. And last but not least the yummy finish.. We loved this stuff. John is even taking the left overs for lunch tomorrow... Go try this recipe.. Its really good.!!!


Update: As I sit here eating my left overs I do miss all the sauce from last night. So If you are going to leave some of this for left overs make extra sauce ( If your sauce was thick like mine).

Faux Tuna Sammies & Ginger Rice & Broccoli

I don't normally write about English Muffins but these are really good. They are from Food for life. They are the cinnamon raisin version. If is flour less and is made out of sprouted whole grains. I toasted it put some tofutti cream cheese and organic strawberry jelly.. It was so good....

OK now on to cooking.....

For dinner tonight I made something quick & easy. John really liked it and I will definitely make it again.
Rice w/ Broccoli Ginger sauce

Rice
1 1/2 cups Brown long grain rice
3 cups water

Broccoli & Sauce
Bag of Frozen Broccoli or 2 or 3 heads Fresh
3 tsp to 2 tablespoons- Garlic (Depends how much you like garlic
1/8 Cup soy sauce
1 tsp Ginger
3-4 Tbsp Sugar
1 cups Veg stock or water with veg bullion
1 cup water (only if you use veg stock, not bullion)
1.5 Tbsp Corn Strarch
2 Tbsp Cool water

Brown Long Grain rice takes about 45 minutes to cook so make sure you start it ahead of time by about 15 to 20 minutes. Follow rice instructions.

While rice is cooking in a separate pot place your broccoli on high heat and cook away the extra water from being frozen. After that brown it just a little. Don't burn or it will leave a nasty smell and taste... Add your vegetable stock, water, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, and sugar. Add some pepper flakes for a little heat. Like 1 0r 2 tsp. Let boil for 10 minutes uncovered. The sauce will begin to cook down. Add the cornstarch water mixture to further the thickening. Let boil a few more minutes. Then serve over rice.

You can also make the broccoli in another pan. This way it does not boil as long. Just do everything the same and add the broccoli the last 5 minutes of boiling the sauce. This way the broccoli can take on the taste of the sauce.

If you like this kind of sauce make double the recipe. I make double sauce and add sliced carrots and sometimes mushrooms.

JOHN's Fave Faux Tuna Salad- He loves this stuff.... ( Don't look at the white bread.. its very bad for you.. I just couldn't find anything else in my town the other day... and I was to lazy to bake..lol. )
Very simple lunch. Something you probably had before you became veg or vegan. Pretty much the same just with chick peas. I make a good amount to have in the fridge for his lunch sammies. This recipe makes about 6 sammies.

2- 15 oz cans of chickpeas, Drain and rinse
4 Tbsp Nasoya or other Vegan mayo sub
4 tsp mustard
2 Tbsp sweet relish, the pickle kind...lol

For the mustard you could use spicy, regular, or grainy....

Mash the chickpeas ( I leave some chuncks) Feel free to put it in a food processor if you like if smooth. Add the Nasoya, pickles, & mustard. Than mix..... and your done. You could also use shredded carrots or celery to mix in. Add to sammies, wraps, pitas, etc...... Here is a better pick with Food for life bread :)