Tomato and Squash Curry with Yellow Split Peas

 

This was a “I’m in the mood for curry, what do I have in the pantry” kinda dish.  More specifically, I was in the mood for a rich tomato-based curry flush with lycopene and lutein and…yes, I really do think this way.  Colorful foods make me feel good in so many different ways and I try to include the entire spectrum into each day’s food choices.  This curry turned out to be a great way to use up leftover baked squash as well!

 

Tomato and Squash Curry with Yellow Split Peas

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

10 oz squash, cubed @ 2 cup’s worth  [Mine was already cooked, but raw squash could be used]

16.5 oz chopped  tomatoes [I used a box of Pomi]

1/2 cup split yellow peas

4-6 T red curry paste

2 cups vegetable stock

1 – 15 oz can lite coconut milk

red pepper flakes, to taste

coconut oil, for sautéing the onions

* Optional – freshly shredded herbs, for garnish [basil, cilantro and parsley are all good options]

Directions:

Sauté the onion in coconut oil over medium heat until softened.  Add in the curry paste and red pepper flakes and cook for a couple of minutes, spreading the paste evenly over the pan so that it’s all exposed to the heat.  Add the coconut milk and whisk the paste into it.  Add the peas,  tomatoes, squash and vegetable stock.  Cook at a low simmer until the peas [and squash, if added raw] are soft.

If the curry becomes too thick, you can easily thin it out with some additional stock.

 

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Green Chile Rice

 

This is a quick Mexican-style rice that we like to wrap up in a whole wheat tortilla with some seasoned pinto beans and avocado slices.  It beats the pants off that quick yellow rice that comes in a foil package on so many levels.  It’s also a great way to take leftover plain rice and morph it into an entirely different meal. 

 

Green Chile Rice

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, medium dice

1 green bell pepper, medium dice

2 cups cooked brown rice [This is a great use for leftover rice]

3T diced green chiles [I used roasted canned chiles, like Ortega for this]

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp annatto seeds [These give the rice a beautiful yellow color and distinctive flavor]

¼ cup Bill’s Best Chik’Nish Vegetarian Seasoning

1 lime

1 T neutral oil [I use rice bran oil]

Optional garnishes:  cilantro, lime wedges, radishes, green onion, jalapeno pepper

Directions:

Add the annatto seeds to the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Stir the seeds around for a couple of minutes, keeping them in the oil.  Remove the seeds from the pan and discard.  Add the onions and bell pepper.  Sauté until softened.  Add the garlic and chiles.  Cook for another minute or so.  Add the rice and Chik’Nish seasoning.  Mix well to combine.  [If your rice is leftover it may have dried out a bit in the refrigerator.  If this is the case, just add a little bit of water to moisten it back up.  I’d start with a tablespoon at a time until it’s soft again.] Squeeze the lime juice over the rice and serve hot.

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Meatless Monday: Vegan Machaca

 

This is  a great way to morph leftover Yuba Asada into a new dish or to forge ahead and simply create this one on its own.  I grew up in southern California and machaca burritos were sold at nearly every Mexican food restaurant.  As a result, I grew to love them but since they contain egg and shredded beef,  as a vegan,  I figured that I was outta luck forever until I actually gave this dilemma some thought.  This is what I came up with and it satisfied my tastes entirely. 

 

Vegan Machaca

Ingredients:

 yuba asada [I used leftovers and I’d estimate that there were 2 cups of yuba asada used in this recipe.]

1 block of firm tofu, crumbled into bite-sized pieces

juice of half a lemon

1 green bell pepper, large dice

1/2 an onion, large dice

2 canned green chiles, large dice

1-2 T canola or peanut oil

1/2-1 tsp annatto seeds [The amount depends upon the amount of oil to flavor/color.]

2 tsp dried Mexican oregano

Garnishes:  chopped tomato, sliced green onion, cilantro

Directions:

Add oil to a large sauté pan or wok and bring to a medium low-medium heat.  Toss in the annatto seeds and cook for about 5 minutes until the oil is both flavored and colored.  Remove seeds and discard.  [Annatto will give the dish a unique latin flavor as well as a saffron-hued color.]

Turn up the heat a bit and add onion and bell pepper and sauté until softened.  Add in green chiles and the tofu and mix well.  Cook until the moisture from the tofu has evaporated.  Add the oregano and lemon juice and then the yuba asada.  Continute cooking until the yuba is hot.

Serve with warm corn tortillas and garnishes.

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