Lebanon!

LEBANON

LEBANON

LEBANON

After a very brief hiatus, VeggieWorld is back with even more delicious and nutritious Vegetarian dishes-- this time, moving overseas from sunny South America back into the Middle-east. This week's additions to the blog is Lebanon, which offered us a chance to come up with a few neat contemporary twists on some classical meals- varying from a scrumptious Falafel recipe, to a quick and easy method of preparing a delicious Tabouli. We have many more surprises in store for all the aspiring chefs and VeggieWorld readers out there, so stay tuned!

Vegetable Ragout

This dish was simply breath-taking, from the very first bite to the very end of the meal. If you have a hankering for a strong, savoury dish- absolutely exploding with flavour and crave-inducing texture- then look no further! This Lebanese-style Ragout is sure to become a staple in your stay-at-home menu, as it is not only extremely palatable (with a variety of great flavours, ranging from brown sugar and cinnamon to succulent artichoke hearts), but is also rich with nutrients. The addition and removal of bundled parsley may seem a bit unusual, but it's a great way to utilize the flavour without adding an intrusive texture to this delicate delicacy. For best results, insure that your ingredients are always as fresh as can be!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions diced
10 garlic cloves diced
1 (14 ounce) can tomato diced
4 carrot peeled and sliced into thin strips
2 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 small bunch parsley, rinsed and strung together (to simplify removal)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 zucchini diced
1 (8 ounce) can artichoke heart diced (drain before dicing)
1 (15 ounce) can bean/bean blend of choice (drained)
1 cup plain yogurt


Instructions:

1. In a medium pan, add olive oil and adjust the heat to med-high.
2. Add the diced onions, making sure to stir frequently for 4-5 mins, or until onions are golden-brown.
3. Add the diced garlic and fry for an additional 1 min.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, sliced carrots, diced potatoes and parsley. Reduce heat. Cover and cook 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
5. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, coriander, diced zucchini, diced artichoke hearts, and beans. Cover again and allow to cook for an additional 10 mins.
6. Remove the bunch of parsley. Reduce heat, and add the yogurt. Stir while allowing the dish to cook for another 3-5 minutes before serving.

Batinjan Imfasakh

This dish had a bit of an acquired taste, with a very unorthodox texture to go with it. It made a very savoury side dish, accompanying the other dishes we prepared very well. Please note that eggplants can be quite difficult to cook with, so this can be a bit of a challenge to prepare correctly. The plain yogurt is such a wonderful additive to this dish as well, providing it with the aforementioned savoury flavour.

Ingredients:

2 large Eggplants
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 Garlic clove
1 cup Yogurt


Instructions:

1. Skin the eggplants (fairly simple with a small knife) and slice very thin.
2. Fry the slices in olive oil until soft and golden brown (make sure they are really soft).
3. Remove from the frying pan and mash in a large bowl.
4. Dice the garlic really thin, and add to the bowl.
5. Add the yogurt and mix.

Falafel

We are big Falafel enthusiasts here at VeggieWorld, and this recipe definitely does justice-- not to mention how easy it is to prepare compared to most other falafel recipes! The ingredients are extremely affordable- even in the most frugal of vegetarian meal budgets- and it is relatively simple to prepare. The finished product is a delicious Falafel, beautifully accompanying almost any salad, served as a delicious side dish, or coupled up with your favourite ingredients into a delectable Falafel wrap!

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas (drained)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic minced well
1 tsp coriander
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
3/4 tsp cumin
Salt to taste
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup oil (olive, vegetable, or canola is sufficient.)


Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients (except for the oil).
2. Mash up the chickpeas in the mixture.
3. Put in a food processor (If you dont have one, dont worry! You’ll just have to work a little harder mashing it up!).
4. Roll mixture into small balls.
5. Heat the oil in the frying pan until nice an hot, then plop them in and fry them up!
6. Continue frying until golden brown.

Tabouli

This simple recipe is quite easy to prepare, and utilizes very little ingredients, but is great for your health! It is very open to experimentation-- feel free to add absolutely anything you feel would enhance the characteristic flavour of this classic dish. Tabouli is great on the side, as an additive in wraps or salads, or even as a delicious and nutritious snack any time of the day. If you're feeling lazy, or just tight on time, then try some Tabouli!

Ingredients:

1 bunch of parsley diced
½ bunch of mint
1-2 tomatoes diced
1 lemon halved and squeezed
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ tsp salt


Instructions:

1. With a large knife, dice the parsley, mint, and tomato as finely as possible (if you have a food processor, feel free to use it, but be lenient during usage).
2. Mix the diced ingredients into a large bowl.
3. Add olive oil and squeeze the lemon juice onto the mixture. Be sure to only use the juice, and discard the lemons after squeezing.
4. Add salt, and toss or stir well.

Peru!

PERU

This week's addition to the Veggie World blog is Peru! The delicious Peruvian delicacies we tackled this week are not only simple and easy to make, but might even become a staple in your stay-at-home menu! To acquire all of the ingredients you see on this list, you may want to try shopping at your local Latin grocer, as many super-markets do not carry certain ingredients, such as Queso Fresco (fresh farmer's cheese), or in some instances, Quinoa.
These dishes were a big hit, leaving us with some fond memories, and a potential meal for future guests! We also found that these dishes to be especially good the following day, making for some delicious left overs.

Ensalada de Choclo

So you're strapped for time, but want to try something new and exciting which won't take long to make… Well look no further-- this is the dish for you!
Ensalada de Choclo is a rich corn salad, full of flavour and complete with a savoury texture to keep you coming back for more. Though this dish will take a little bit of preparatory measures to ensure that you get the recipe just right, the initial preparation is short and sweet, giving you ample time to prepare any entree you plan to serve this with. As an added bonus, you may want to leave this dish in the fridge overnight, giving the flavours time to blend.
You're receiving a personal Veggieworld recommendation! Go on and try this simple, yet delicious recipe out for yourself.

Ingredients:

3 cups of corn
1 bell pepper, chopped (we used green)
1 red onion, finely chopped
8 ounces queso fresco (This is the traditional cheese, however it is hard to find so we used feta and it worked nicely)
3 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp minced cilantro
Salt and pepper as needed

Instructions:

1) Toss everything together!
2) Serve immediately. Alternatively, store overnight to allow the flavour soak in!

 

 

Sopa de Quinua

Otherwise known as Quinoa soup, this dish is teeming with texture and is simple to prepare. And best of all, it's very rich in nutrients! The Quinoa seed has a very unique character when cooked, but also contains a surprisingly well-balanced set of essential amino acids, making it a fairly complete protein source. This is music to the ears of any Vegan/Vegetarian diet!
For a vegan variation on this dish, don't forget that you can always substitute the egg, or leave it out all together. This dish leaves plenty of room for pleasant experimentation, so try something new and utilize it's full flavour potential!

Ingredients:

200 g of quinoa ( Found in most grocery stores, try the health section, or ask about “red mill” products)
6 cups of water
1 tbsp of minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bell pepper (we used green)
1 finely chopped red onion
3 hard boiled eggs
Salt and pepper as needed

Instructions:

1) Fry the garlic, cumin and onion in the olive oil on med-high.
2) Add the water and uncooked quinoa.
3) When the quinoa is cooked (it will appear soft and puffy) add the eggs and diced bell pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

 Arroz Tapado

 Arroz Tapado is a fun and aesthetically pleasing entree, complete with a very interesting presentation, as well as an unforgettable flavour. If you have a bit of extra time on your hands to get this dish just right, then by all means try it out! We guarantee that you will not only have a blast making this dish, but that you will have just as much fun eating it.
Traditionally, this dish is made with chicken broth, and is stuffed with ground beef. However, our vegetarian modifications have proven exceptionally effective; replacing the chicken broth with vegetable broth, and the ground beef with veggie ground. Delicious!

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
3 cups water
1 cup frozen peas
Salt to taste
1 cup red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 package of veggie ground round (found in most grocery stores)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tomato, diced
1/3 cup raisins
1 cup vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Cover a pan in vegetable oil, and fry the minced garlic in the vegetable oil on med-high until it begins to brown. Add the water (careful the hot oil jumps when you do this!), uncooked rice and salt. After 5-10 minutes add the frozen peas.
Cover and let simmer on low heat until water is absorbed. Turn the heat very low to keep it warm.
2) In another pan, sauté the onion in the olive oil until it becomes a light golden brown, add the veggie ground round and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chile pepper, and raisins and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated.
3) Add the vegetable broth and simmer for 5 or 10 minutes longer. Take off heat and season with salt and pepper.
4) Grease a cup or small bowl with butter. Fill 1/3 with rice, making sure to leave ample space in the middle for the filling. Add the veggie ground on top, and fill the rest with rice. Press firmly into the cup/small bowl then flip it over onto your plate and tap on the bottom for it to come out. Additionally, you may garnish it with sliced olive, banana peppers, or cilantro.

These are just some of the dishes from a country just bursting with amazing cuisine! Try out some of these dishes, and like us, never be afraid to add your own little twist on a traditional recipe.

Happy Halloween!

Japan !!!

JAPAN

Japan has been one of the more entertaining countries we have covered this far, as well as one of the most challenging! From the decadent Sesame Tofu garnished in green onions, to the very sumptuous Vegetable and Tofu Nori rolls; everything turned out delicious and was definitely a treat to eat. If you want a challenge, as well as a great time, then this is the cuisine for you!

                   Sesame Tofu with Green Onion

The Sesame Tofu turned out spectacular! We coupled it with some of the rice from the Nori rolls, which worked well with the sesame flavour of the Tofu. It was the perfect counterpart to this mouth-watering feast. The best part about it is the simplicity- it requires very little time and resource to prepare such a great dish. Go ahead and try it out yourself!

Ingredients

1 package extra-firm tofu

2 ¼ cup green onions

2 tbsp soy sauce of your choice

1 tbsp rice vinegar

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon (toasted/untoasted) sesame oil

2 tsp maple syrup

2 cups rice of your choice

Directions

1. Preheat then oven to 375°F. Slice the Tofu into small rectangular slices, and slice them again length wise, leaving the tofu in smaller rectangular pieces. 

2. Prepare the rice of your choice according to the directions of the package. 

3. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, sesame oil and maple syrup into a casserole dish or on a baking sheet and mix the ingredients well. Add the tofu slices to the mixture and be sure to coat both sides of the individual slices well. Give the tofu cutlets 10-20 to marinade in the mixture before baking.

4. Add the 2 cups of green onions to the dish, and bake for 20 minutes. Serve atop your choice of rice. Alternatively, garnish with the remained of the chopped green onions.

Vegetable and Tofu Nori rolls

This was a bit of a challenge at first, but you (much like us) will more than likely get the hang of the rolling process after a few tries. Don't forget your sushi rolling mat! Our variation of the recipe incorporated some of the sesame tofu, as well as some shredded cucumber, carrot, and avocado. This recipe turned out to be quite enjoyable!

Ingredients

3 cups sushi rice(must be sushi rice, no other rice will work)

Nori(dried seaweed found in most grocery stores)

1 cup shredded cucumber

1 cup shredded carrot

1-2 avocados sliced thin

any other ingredient you would like to try in your sushi!

Directions

1. Place nori on the sushi mat, rough side facing up

2. Spread sushi rice over nori leaving the top 1cm bare (keep a glass of warm water near by for your hands because the rice is very sticky)

3. Place all the filling ingredients in a line near the bottom of the nori sheet

4.Hold the sushi mat and begin to roll, as you roll press the sushi together

5. Continue to roll until you have made the roll of sushi

6. Slice very carefully and slowly with a sharp knife to make the individual pieces. You can slice 4-6 times depending on how big you want them.

Ichigo Daifuku

Such a treat! The texture of this delicacy was quite characteristic of some of the Japanese treats we've encountered so far; however, the slight chewy/gumminess was something almost unique to this delicious dessert. The flavour is to die for , you might just see yourself craving this amazing desert days after you made it! It will take a little while to master the wrapping process involved, but once you get the hang of it, it's quite entertaining to prepare!

Ingredients

1 cup  rice flour
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup water For filling
1/2 cup premade anko (sweet red bean paste)
6 strawberries (or fruit of choice, cut into strawberry sized pieces)

Directions

1. Put rice flour, sugar and water in a microwave safe bowl, microwave for 2 minutes or until the dough rises

2. Cut up fruit or cut the green tops off of the strawberries and coat with pre-made red bean paste

3. Wrap the dough around the bean paste and fruit . Careful! The dough is really sticky, have flour or water nearby to limit the dough from sticking to everything. 

4. Once wrapped, they are ready to enjoy!

South India!

 

Curried chickpeas and potatoes

This is something we improvised so it doesn't have a traditional name or recipe. For a dish made up on the spot it was excellent! A really subtle curry taste along with the great texture of the potatoes and chickpeas makes this a delight to eat.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp red chili powder

2 cloves minced garlic

1 cup chick peas

4 small potatoes

1 cup your vegetables of choice

1 cup of prepared curry sauce

1/4 cup fresh cilantro (optional)

Instructions:

1. Fry 2 minced cloves garlic in 1 tbsp oil.

2. Add spinach, potatoes and any other vegetable you see fit allow 5-10 minutes to cook.

3. Add approximately 1 cup prepared curry sauce.

4. Add Indian spices like cumin, curry, coriander powder or red chili pepper (if you want it spicy).

5. Let simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh cilantro for taste, and serve!

 

Spicy Red Curry Recipe 

This recipe sure has a kick, if you are one for spice you will love it! If not, simply do not add the red chili powder. We had a hard time finding tamarind paste (you might want to try an Indian market if you can find one near by) so we didn't use any. However, even without the paste, the dish turned out very flavourful and made the whole house smell of delicious curry!

Taken from recipesindia.com

Ingredients:

 
1 can chick peas
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam Masala
A few cilantro Leaves
½ tsp tamarind paste.
1 tbsp oil

Instructions:

 
1. Put the tamarind paste in some hot water.
2. Heat the oil, onions, garlic and ginger. Fry for roughly 2 minutes.
3. Add the garam masala and cook for a minute. Add tomatoes, and continue frying. Add cumin, coriander and chili powders, and season with salt.
4. Fry for another 5 minutes. Add chick peas, cook for a few minutes.
5. Add ½ cup of water and the tamarind paste and allow it to boil.
6. Garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve!

Naan bread

           Absolutely delicious when made properly, this bread really goes well with curries and other Indian dishes. You can top it, dip it or break it up and throw it in the curry! Make sure you allow yourself enough time to make this (note you need to let it rise for 2-3 hours). Allowing the bread time to rise is very important and will contribute to the texture. The Nigella seeds add a nice flavour, but are hard to find and not necessary for the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups White Flour (Maida) 

1/2 tsp Baking powder 

1 tsp Salt 

1/2 cup Milk 

1 tbsp Sugar 

1 Egg 

4 tbsp Oil 

1 tsp Nigella seeds (Kalunji) (optional)

Instructions:

1. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and make a well in the middle.

2. Mix the sugar, milk, eggs and 2 tbsp of oil in a bowl.

3. Pour this into the center of the flour and knead, adding water if necessary to soften dough.

4. Add the remaining oil, knead again, then cover with damp cloth and allow the dough to stand for 15 minutes. Knead the dough again and cover and leave for 2-3 hours.

5. About half an before the naan are required, turn on the oven to maximum heat.

6. Divide the dough into 8 balls and and allow them to sit for 3-4 minutes.

7. Sprinkle a baking sheet with nigella seeds and put it in the oven to heat while the dough is resting.

8. Shape each ball of dough into a flat oval shape.

9. Bake the raw naan until puffed up and golden brown. Serve hot.

Happy (vegetarian) Thanksgiving!!

Squash filled with dried cranberry and chick pea couscous, Garlic mash potatoes and asparagus with green beans.

Blueberry apple pie 

North and east India :)

Makki-di-Roti

This dish is very delicious and perfect to dip with or to pile chutney on top! The corn flour gives it a very nice twist (it is important you use corn flour and not any other type of flour). The dough is a perfect consistency to cut shapes into if you want to get creative! This is a very nice addition to any meal.

Recipe from "Surf India" online

 Ingredients (Makes: 5-6 rotis)

2 cups: Maize flour

1 fistful: Plain flour

1 tsp: Oil

Salt to taste

Water to knead

Method

1. Mix maize flour, oil and salt.  

2. Knead in a soft pliable dough, adding very little water at a time.

3. When the dough is very smooth and soft, bread a lump.
4. Shape into a ball, flatten and pat with palm, to make a thin roti.
5. Use dry plain flour to help. Or roll with a rolling pin.
6. Take care to dust with flour and lift and turn to avoid sticking.
7. Place on a heavy iron or earthen griddle and roast till crisp.
8. Repeat on both sides. Repeat for all rotis.
9. Cover and line with napkins to keep warm.
10. Drizzle with ghee or butter if desired.
11. Serve hot with Sarson ka saag and slice of onion and lime.

Navratan-Korma

Extremely memorable! This dish caught our eyes because of the fruit that was in it, and it certainly tasted just as good as it sounded! The apples, pineapple and banana give a very unique taste to the dish without overpowering it or making it too sweet. The cumin makes the whole kitchen smell wonderful the entire time you are cooking the dish. This is definitely something we'll be making again! If you cant get vurd at your local grocery store, I added a simple recipe to make it at home!

Ingredients

• 2 cups: Boiled Peas
• 1big: Chopped and Boiled Carrot
• ½ cup: Tomato Sauce
• 1 tsp: Sweet Lime
• 1 small: Apple
• 1 medium size: Banana
• ¼ quantity: Pineapple
• 10-15: Cashew nuts
• 18-20: Raisins
• ¼ cup: Curd
• ¼ cup: Cream
• 1 tbs: Ghee
• 3 tbs: Butter
• Salt to taste

For Dry Masala

• 1 tsp: Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp: Poppy seeds (Khus Khus)

For Wet Masala

• 1 big: Onion
• 1 tsp: Cardamoms
• ¼ cup: Shredded Coconut
• 3-4: Green Chillies

For Decoration

• Chopped Cherries
• Grated Cheese
• Chopped Coriander leaves

Making Curd:

Ingredients

• 1 litre of milk
• 1/8-1/4 cup of white vinegar or lemon juice (use more if you need to)
• Cheese cloth

Instructions

1. Heat milk on high until it is just about to boil (starts to foam and bubble slightly)
2. Take off of heat for a minute
3. Add vinegar and stir constantly until it separates
4. Pour into a colander with cheese cloth lining it.

Gobhi Manchurian

As delicious as this is, it is hard to make so you need to make sure you keep an eye on it!! Ours burnt a little bit and it really affected the overall flavour. However, even with the slight burnt taste, this dish was very good. The cauliflower really absorbs all the different flavours and gives it a fantastic texture. 

Gobhi Manchurian Ingredients

• 1 pcs: Cauliflower (medium, clean and broken into big florettes)
• 1/4 cup: Plain flour
• 3 tsp: Cornflour
• 1 small bunch: Spring onion (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp: Ginger (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp: Garlic (finely chopped)
• 1/4 tsp: Red chilli powder
• 2 no: Red chillies (dry)
• 1 tsp: Milk
• 3 tsp: Oil
• 1-1/2 cup: Water

Gobhi Manchurian Method

1. Boil the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a tsp. of milk has been added. Drain and pat dry on a clean cloth.
2. Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tsp cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt to taste.
3. Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside.
4. In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute. Add the salt and spring onions. Stir fry for a minute. Add 1-1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well. Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling. Boil till the gravy becomes transparent.
5. Add florettes and soya sauce. Boil for two more minutes and remove.
6. Serve hot with noodles or rice.
7. Variations:
   1. Dry Manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy.
   2. Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried florettes, spring onions and soya sauce at this stage.
   3. Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stir fry for 2 minutes.
   4. Serve piping hot with toothpicks or mini forks and chilli-garlic sauce or tomato sauce.
   5. Same procedure for veg. Manchurian (with gravy or dry), but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced vegetables and bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make small lumps the size of a ping-pong ball. Fry as above and proceed as above.

    

Thailand!

                                  Tofu Pad Thai and Autumn Rolls


     This dish makes a great meal for any day of the week! It's one of our personal favorites; and a blast to cook. The fresh autumn rolls turned out fantastic, though they were a challenge to keep together. We recommend you spend some time getting used to the rolling process involved with making these! It's quite skill oriented.
     Given the simplicity of this dish, it really doesn't take that much time to cook up and prepare-- especially when you decide to cook it with a store-bought Pad Thai Sauce. Just be sure to read the label on any sauces you purchase from the store, as they may contain a type of fish-oil or oyster sauce.
    This specific recipe was without a doubt THE best Pad Thai we've ever tried!

Pad Thai Ingredients:
1 (14-Ounce) package Pad Thai noodles
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil (try peanut or sesame oil if possible)
1 (14-Ounce) package extra-firm tofu
1 bottle or home-made batch of Pad Thai sauce (recipe for vegetarian/vegan pad thai sauce posted below)
1 cup minced onion
3 large cloves of garlic
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1-2 cups of your choice of veggies (we used baby corn, carrots, broccoli and green beans)
1 Lime (optional)

Pad Thai Sauce Ingredients:

¼ cup lime juice (for best results, get it freshly squeezed!)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon of lime zest
2 tablespoons peanut or sesame oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar or organic sugar
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon tamarind paste (optional)
2 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce OR ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to taste
¼ cup arame (kelp)
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons sea salt

Pad Thai Sauce Instructions:

1. Place the arame in a bowl and cover with hot water; let soak for 15 minutes. Transfer arame, 2 cups of hot water, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 2 teaspoons of sea salt to a blender. Blend well.
2. Pour the mixture through a strainer and set aside.
3. Combine ¼ cup lime juice, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 2 tablespoons peanut or sesame oil, 1 tablespoon agave nectar or organic sugar, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 tablespoons Sriracha or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes with the arame mixture (steps 1. and 2.) in a bowl. Be sure the whisk the mixture well.

Pad Thai Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Cook noodles according to interactions on package, strain and set aside.
3. Place soya sauce and one table spoon of the oil on a small baking sheet. Slice tofu into ½ inch cutlets. Slice each cutlet into 2 inch by half inch strips. Flip tofu to ensure even coating. Place in oven, bake for fifteen minutes.
4. Prepare pad thai sauce.
5. Place 2 tablespoons of the oil in a pan/wok over med-high heat, add garlic cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Lower heat to low.
5. Add noodles and pad thai sauce and stir well.
6. Add tofu and your choice of vegetables.
7. Let simmer for a few minutes until ready to serve. Top with green onion, cilantro, and peanuts or the lime if you choose.

Autumn Rolls Ingredients:

2 ounces dried rice vermicelli noodles
12 8 inch round rice wrappers
¼ cup peanut sauce
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup grated cucumber
2 Avacados
⅓  cup of shredded cilantro
⅓ shredded mint leaves
½ brick of extra firm tofu (use extra tofu from pad thai if you made it)

Autumn Rolls Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for ten-twelve minutes, until softened.
2. Rinse with cold water in a colander, transfer to a bowl
3. Prepare baking sheet with oil. Slice tofu into ½ inch cutlets. Slice each cutlet into 2 inch by half inch strips.  Flip tofu to ensure even coating. Place in oven, bake for fifteen minutes.
4. Place each wrapper in a shallow bowl of warm water and let them soak for 30 seconds. Place the now soft wrapper on a damp towel.
5. Assemble the rolls placing a small amount of the noodles, carrot, cucumber, avocado, cilantro, mint leaves and tofu in the wrapper and rolling them up.

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Bon Appétit! Or, as the Thai would say.... กินดี! 

MEXICO!!

Okay, so I guess we lied.

Mexico will be our first entry!

Guacamole!

Don't have an exact recipe for this one... Just threw together some avocados, cilantro, jalapenos, tomatoes and lime juice!! Super delicious, but very spicy (the jalapeno we got was ridiculous!)

Bean stuffed banana balls!

Ingredients

6 plátanos machos (ripe plantain)
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons brown cugar
1 cup black beans (cooked and blended) 

Instructions

1 Wash the bananas and cut each into 3 pieces. Place th pieces in a pot and let them boil. (Don't peel the skin)
2 Once the bananas are cooked, drain and peel them. Mash them adding half of the grated cheese and half of the cinnamon. It must feel like a soft dough.
3 Fry the beans and let them dry. Add the rest of the cinnamon, cheese and sugar.
4 Make small tortillas with the banana dough (using your hands) and stuff them with a spoon of the fried beans. Mold the dough into egg shaped balls, letting the beans as a stuffing and fry them in hot oil.

These were pretty easy to make. However, you want to make sure you cook the plantains really well (boil for AT LEAST 15 minutes!) we added a little bit of flour before tossing them in the oil.

They turned out very good. The plantains give it a unique taste both sweet and savory. These make a very good appetizer. They would be wonderful with a chipotle sauce to dip in, but other than that, super good!

Enchiladas verdes! 

For Enchiladas:

-6 whole grain tortillas

-About 3 cups lightly steamed veggies of your choice; I used broccoli and yellow squash (chopped small) You might also like to try Spinach and Mushrooms. 

-1 can Black Beans heated with a dash of curry powder, cumin, garlic powder (optional for flavor)

Preheat oven to 350º While oven is preheating warm up the tortillas for a few minutes until they are soft. In baking dish spread a bit of the salsa verde on the bottom so that tortillas will not stick afterwards.

                           We bought a container of salsa verdes for this recipe (feel free to make your own though if you try this out). For the vegetables we used spinach, corn and mushrooms and we added refried beans as well as the black beans. We also sprinkled shredded asiago cheese on the top. Keep in mind, the time in the oven is so short just to warm them up and give them a little crisp, not to cook them.

Turned out very good! Wonderful combination of flavors and textures, I would certainly recommend this recipe to anyone!

Updating soon!

We will be posting our first country's recipes and review very soon!
We tried out the lovely Thailand, fresh (Autumn ) rolls and pad thai!