Zucchini Meat-Less-Balls

meatless balls with zucchini - thaiveggiewithb

I was surprised by two huge zucchinis lurking in our garden one day. It was a fight, but I got the better of them. Can’t believe they get so big.

Here is another zucchini recipe.

I used half of a zucchini and turned it into this recipe. I call it zucchini meat-less-balls.

Ingredients

– 2 cups zucchini, chopped fine

– 1/2 cup sweet pepper, chopped fine

– 1/3 cup cabbage, chopped (purple cabbage gives some color to the meatballs)

– 1/3 cup broccoli, chopped

– 1/2 sweet onion, chopped

– 2-3 pinches ground black pepper

– 1 cup glass noodles – pre-soak in hot water for 5 mins and drain

– 1/3 block tofu, broken and mashed with hands

– 2-3 tbsp soy sauce

– 1-2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

– 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed or diced

– 1 tsp arrowroot powder

– 1 tsp olive oil

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Directions

– In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients except olive oil. Mix well.

– Form the mixture into balls. I made 8 fairly large (golf ball size) balls.

– Add olive oil to a baking pan. Add the balls to the baking pan, cover to keep the noodles moist.

– Turn heat to 360 and bake for 25 mins. Check for readiness. Balls should be firm and pan dry. Feel free to cook longer if desired.

Serve

I like to serve with fresh or steamed veggies and favorite sauce.

Enjoy!!

Black Rice Coconut Creme Balls

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When we were kids, every meal included rice. Rice is a big part of our life and culture. On occasion, instead of white jasmine rice, we’d have black rice and it was pretty special. You might know of the popular dessert, ‘ Mango and Sticky Rice’, made with white sticky rice and coconut milk. This recipe uses black sticky rice.

These black rice coconut creme balls go well any time of day.

Serves 3 people.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup cooked black rice
  • 2 tbsp chopped cashews or other nuts
  • 1 tbsp sweetening – I used agave
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut flakes

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Directions

  • In a sauce pan, turn heat to medium high and add coconut milk. When coconut milk starts to boil, add black rice, chopped nuts, sweetening and salt.
  • Turn heat down to low and let the mixture simmer. Keep stirring, make sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom. When contents are well mixed, turn off heat and let cool in the fridge for 10-15 mins.
  • On a flat surface, like a cutting board, pour coconut flakes. With a teaspoon, scoop mixture into bite-sized balls and roll in coconut flakes. Do this until use up the mixture. You should have about 10-15 coconut-covered balls when you’re done.

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Serve

You can enjoy these balls right away and keep leftovers in the fridge. They’re really good for breakfast, too!

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Ginger Veggies

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In this dish I use pea pods and other veggies. This colorful dish is super easy to prepare and so delicious.
 
Serves 3 people.
 

Ingredients

– 1-2 tbsp, olive oil
– 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
– 1/3 cup sweet onion or shallot, chopped
– 2 tbsp ginger root, cut into thin strands
– 1/2 cup pea pods ( to clean pods, start at stem end and pull the string out the length of the pod)
– 1/3 cup carrot, cut diagonally across carrot into slices
– 1/3 cup radish, sliced into thin pieces
– 1-2 stems of green onions, cut into pieces about an inch long — include unopened flowers if available
– 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
– 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions

– In a wok or sauce pan, add oil. When oil is hot, add garlic and sweet onion. Give it a stir, then add ginger.

– When the smell of garlic, sweet onion and ginger rises, add pea pods, carrots and radishes. I like my veggies a bit crispy especially the pea pods, so I won’t cook these very long. You can adjust the cooking time of your veggies; cook longer if you like the veggies to be well done.

– Add ​onion leaves, follow with soy sauce.

– Turn heat off and add lime juice. Stir.

Serve

Serve with rice and your favorite sauce. Or serve with cooked noodles.
 
And enjoy it with family and friends.
 
 

Pumpkin Custard-Sangkaya

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This is a simple and delicious recipe — only 5 ingredients. You can make this dessert in no time. This will satisfy the sweet tooth!

Serves 3 people.

Ingredients

– a small pumpkin or squash, I used butternut squash

– 1/2 cup coconut milk

– 2 tbsp coconut flakes

– 6-7 dates

– 1 tbsp chia seeds

Feel free to adjust the amounts of ingredients as you like. I might skip the chia seeds next time. And adding more dates will make the custard sweeter.

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Directions

– Wash and cut the top off squash. Using a spoon, clean the inside and give it a rinse.

– Put the remaining ingredients in a blender, and select chop or grate, so you finish with a coarse blend. The dates should be be in small chunks.

– Pour the mixture into the cleaned squash. Bring the mixture up to about an inch under the rim of the squash. Doing so will prevent the mixture from overflowing when you steam it.

– Put the filled squash into the steamer and steam for 30-40 mins. Dessert will be done when toothpick poked into squash comes out clean.

Serve

Let the custard cool at room temperature and cut into slices to serve. You can eat the skin of the pumpkin or squash as well.

Enjoy!!

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Vegan Khao Soi – Creamy Noodle Soup in Yellow Curry

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Khao Soi is a well known soup in the nothern part of Thailand. This creamy noodle soup in yellow curry is served with sliced shallots, and pickled cabbage on the side. Also, crispy noodles sprinkled on top add a nice crunch. I used local prepared curry in this recipe. This step makes it easy for anyone to make this delicious soup.

Ingredients

– 1-2 tbsp olive oil

– 1/4 cup shallots or sweet onion, sliced thin (reserve about 2 tbsp for garnish)

– 1 tbsp red or yellow curry (if you like spicy, add more curry and adjust to your liking)

– 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

– 1/2 cup coconut milk

– 1/2 cup veggie stock or water

– 1-2 tbsp soy sauce

– 1/2 lb linguine pasta

– 1/2 block tofu, slice thin

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For garnish

– lime wedges

– one stalk green onion, sliced into small pieces

– 2-3 stalks cilantro, sliced into small pieces

– 1/2 cup pickled cabbage – kim chi or sauerkraut are good substitutes

Directions

– In a pot, boil water for pasta. When the water comes to a boil, add pasta and let it cook until the pasta softens. The pasta should be cooked al dente. Drain the pasta and put it aside. When the pasta cools off, take out about two handfuls and set in a separate bowl for making crispy noodles.

– In a sauce pan, add oil. When the oil is hot, turn down to med, add tofu and cook until tofu is crisp on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside.

– In the same sauce pan, add more oil and turn heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, add shallot or sweet onion. When onions soften, add curry, stir well and add coconut milk. When the stock starts to boil, turn heat down to low and add turmeric powder. Continue to stir well and add soy sauce.

– To the curry, add cooked tofu and let simmer for a minute or two. Turn heat off and remove from heat.

To make crispy noodles for topping:

– In a wok or big frying pan, add oil and turn heat up to high. The oil needs to be really hot. We will use the two handfuls of pasta to make crispy noodle. Separate the pasta well before using for this step. Adding pasta to the hot oil in small portions and cook the pasta until golden brown. Do this until you use up the two handfuls of pasta.

Serve

– In individual bowls, add cooked pasta, ladle curry over it. Top with green onion, cilantro and crispy noodles. Add lime wedges and pickled cabbage as you desire. Enjoy!!

Mini Banana Raisin Cakes

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I grew up in Thailand. We didn’t have an oven in most homes. Since coming to the USA years ago. I’m in love with baking, roasting everything. If it involves an oven, I love it all. This recipe of course would involve baking!

I call it mini banana raisin cakes, it’s easy to make and very tasty.

Ingredients

1) 1/3 cup coconut flakes

2) 2 bananas

3) 4 tsp raisins

4) 1/2 cup coconut milk

5) 1/2 cup coconut flour

6) 1-2 tsp agave

Preparations

1.Turn oven to 350.

2. Blend all ingredients.

3. Scoop mixture into cupcake baking pan, place pan into hot oven. 4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Turn off oven, remove and let cool 10-15 minutes.

6. Turn cakes out onto plate.

7. Top cakes with shredded coconut and cashews, or fresh fruit, and serve.

Enjoy!

No-dairy No-crank Overnight Ice Creme

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A quick and easy dessert for hot days. Tasty and refreshing.

I heated coconut milk and sweetener. Added bananas, shredded coconut, and fresh local cherries. Looking to reduce or eliminate sweetening in my cooking, I used coconut palm sugar in this recipe.

Feel free to use your own favorite and seasonal fruits and nuts: strawberries, mangoes, berries, dates and raisins.

Makes 3 or 4 bowls in this recipe.

Ingredients

-2 cups coconut milk

-1½ banana, mashed

-2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes or shreds

-15 cherries, stemmed, pitted and quartered – about a half cup

-1 tbsp sweetening – I’m trying out coconut palm sugar these days

Preparation

1) Pour coconut milk into pan on med heat. Stir frequently. Very important to not let coconut milk scorch.
 
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2) As bubbles just begin to rise – just a few,  like two or three – add sweetener and stir until sweetener has dissolved. Remove pan from heat.
 
 
3) When contents have cooled, add remaining ingredients and blend briefly on low. Contents should be well mixed, but still chunky.
 
4) Pour into container and close with tight fitting cover. Freeze overnight.
 

 Serve

 
Before scooping, let container sit out uncovered for a few minutes. Top with chopped fruits and nuts.
 
Add family or friends, find a nice place, enjoy!
 

Vegan Pad Thai

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Vegan Pad Thai, a quick and delicious dish.  I like to use colorful veggies like carrots, beets and mushrooms. A great way to add veggies into the dish, make it more special and colorful!

-Ingredients-

  • 10 ounces fresh or dry rice noodles
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped fine
  • ½ cup sweet onion or shallot, chopped
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ block firm tofu, cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup carrot, shredded
  • 1½ cups bean sprouts
  • 4-6 garlic chives or green onions, cut into one-inch pieces
  • ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, ground very fine

-Ingredients – Pad Thai sauce-

  • 3-4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3-4 tbsp tamarind juice, or substitute with fresh lime juice

(You can find tamarind paste at Asian grocery store. Mix 2 tbsp tamarind paste with ½ cup water and squeeze with hand until mixed well. Drain in a strainer, use only the juice. Dispose of the pulp.)

  • 1-2 tsp maple syrup, agave or other sweetening (optional)

Preparation – Pad Thai sauce

In a small bowl mix Pad Thai sauce ingredients, stir and mix well. Set aside for later use.

 Preparation – Noodles

Serve

Top with ground peanuts, sprouts and chives as desired.

Garnish with chili sauce (equal amounts fresh Thai chilis and garlic chopped, lime juice, and soy sauce), lime wedges, cilantro.

Enjoy!

Faux Papaya salad

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You can find this popular dish anywhere in Thailand. Papaya salad or Somtom. This dish made with locally grown unripe papaya. But where I am, we have no local papaya. I substituted the spines of cauliflower leaves.

It’s very good. It’s reminiscent of the original, but also stands on it’s own.

-Ingredients-

– 1-2 cloves garlic crushed with flat of knife or in mortar with pestle

– 1-2 chilis, sliced small or crushed in mortar with pestle

– 3-4 tbsp tamarind juice — tamarind paste diluted 1:1 with water — or substitute lime juice

– A pinch pink or other salt

– 1/2 tsp agave or maple syrup

– 1 small tomato — cut into small pieces

– 1/2 cup cauliflower leaf spines — trim green leafy part away (for other uses like steaming) and shred spines — or use green papaya

– 1/2 cup carrot, peeled and shredded

– 1/2 stalk celery, sliced thin

– 1 tbsp roasted peanuts

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-Preparation-

1) In a small bowl, add tamarind juice, garlic, chilis, salt and agave. Mix well.

2) In a separate bowl, add remaining ingredients except peanuts. Add sauce from small bowl and mix well.

3) Top with peanuts.

Serve with sticky or other rice.

Enjoy! .

Kanum Jean Nam Ngiao – Curry Noodle Soup

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A noodle curry popular in northern Thailand and Myanmar. Delicious soup with spices and sparkle from fresh tomatoes. Eat with fresh sprouts and pickled cabbage.

Ingredients — Curry

  • 2 slices galangal, chopped into small pieces
  • 1-2 dried chilis — for a less spicy dish, substitute 1-2 sweet mini-peppers chopped into small pieces
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1-2 small shallots or 1/4 sweet onion, julienne
  • 1/2 stalk lemon grass, sliced into thin pieces
  • 5-6 cilantro roots, chopped small – or substitute 1-6 cilantro stems
  • 1 tsp miso (fermented soybean or other — eg, garbanzo bean – paste)

Preparation — Curry

  1. Set pan on stove top and turn heat to medium high, no oil necessary. 
  2. Add galangal, dried chilis, garlic, shallot, lemongrass. Keep ingredients moving in pan.
  3. When the aroma of the ingredients fills the air, turn heat down to low. Keep cooking until the ingredients turn dark on the outside; be careful not to overcook. Turn heat off and remove from heat. Set aside to cool.
  4. When the ingredients cool, use mortar and pestle and pound the ingredients; add cilantro roots and miso and pound all into paste.

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Ingredients — Soup

  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/3 cup tempeh or tofu, mashed
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms, cut into small pieces
  • 2-3 cups vegetable stock or water
  • 5-6 fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2-3 green onions
  • 3-4 sprigs cilantro

Preparation – Soup

  1. Put vegetable stock in a soup pot and turn heat on. When stock comes to a boil, turn heat down to low and let simmer.
  2. In another sauce pan, add olive oil and turn heat to high. When the oil is hot, add    2 tbsp curry paste, more if you like. Mix well. Add tempeh or tofu and follow with mushrooms.
  3. When all ingredients are cooked, place into simmering pot of stock. Turn heat to high. When soup boils, add tomatoes and soy sauce. Turn down to simmer, cook until ingredients are well blended.

Accompaniments

  • 1 pond cooked rice vermicelli or other pasta
  • Crispy garlic (5-6 garlic cloves crushed with knife or pounded with mortar and pestle; fried in olive oil until crispy)
  • 1/4 cup fresh sprouts
  • 1/3 cup pickled cabbage, sliced
  • 2-3 green onions, sliced to small pieces
  • 3-4 sprigs cilantro, sliced to small pieces
  • Lime wedges

Serve

In an individual bowl add 1/2 cup noodles. Add sauce and garnish with crispy garlic, green onion, cilantro, sprouts, pickled cabbage and squeeze lime over it.  Enjoy!

Note: you’ll have leftover curry paste to use in other dishes. It should be refrigerated and used in a day or two.