A Vegan Thai Feast - Christmas 2013

MELE KALIKIMAKA!  I know it's been a while since I've posted but wanted to share a delicious vegan thai meal that my boyfriend and I whipped up for the holiday season.  It includes a vegan thai green curry and fresh avocado spring rolls.  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, remember the best part of the meal is sharing it with those you love ;)

Vegan Thai Green Curry

This curry was so onolicious.  You can substitute regular potatoes for the squash, but to make it macrobiotic good to use seasonal squashes such as butternut or kaboucha.  The squash actually helps sweeten the curry as well.

Ingredients:

3-4 tbsp thai green curry paste

2 cans of coconut milk

2 slices of thai galangal.  If you can't find this, then can substitute regular ginger.

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 cups vegetable broth

2 stalks lemongrass peeled and halved

1 pack extra firm tofu cubed

2 cups broccoli chopped

2 bell peppers seeded and chopped

1 eggplant cut into half moons

1 tbsp lime juice

5-6 green thai peppers, sliced open

1.5 cups cooked brown rice.

2 cups cubed butternut squash

1 carrot sliced in chunks

Directions

1. Before starting your curry be sure to prepare your rice in a rice cooker.  If you don't have a rice cooker on hand then place uncooked rice and water into a pot with pinch of salt.  Bring to boil then turn down to a simmer and let cook 40-60mins.  Remove lid and let stand for 10 mins and fluff with fork.
2. Heat a heavy pot with the sesame oil to low-medium heat and add curry paste.  Saute for 3 mins.
3. Stir in coconut milk & vegetable broth.  Add lemon grass, galangal slices, thai green peppers and cubes of tofu.  Bring to simmer and cook uncovered for at least 20mins.  You can remove the lemongrass, galangal, and peppers after this.
4. While curry is cooking prep your other vegetables.  Add in butternut squash, carrots, and eggplant since these take the longest to soften.  Stew for 20 more mins.  
5. Add in rest of veggies and cook for another 8-15mins.
6. Once all veggies are cooked through add in lime juice and serve immediately over brown rice. Curry can keep in fridge for up to 5 days.

Fresh Spring Rolls

Ingredients

1 pack of rice paper

1 pack of maifun noodles

Dipping sauces - I like to use Thai Kitchen Sweet red chili sauce and Annie Chun's Thai Peanut

1/2 carrot

1/2 zucchini

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 lime

1 romaine lettuce

1 pack of sprouts

1 avocado

1/2 head of red cabbage

Directions

1. Soak the maifun noodles in warm water for 10mins, drain, and place in fridge to cool.
2. Chop the bell pepper, carrot, zucchini into thin sticks.  
3. Slice the avocado into thin wedges, and shave the red cabbage into shreds.
4. Wash and break up romaine lettuce.  When assembling the roll I like to use just the leafy parts.  
5. Assembly
• Have a plate of water nearby to soak the rice paper.  Place paper in water until all is submerged, then remove and lay on new plate to assemble roll.
• Add shredded lettuce, carrots, bell pepper, noodles, sprouts, zuccini and noodles to center of roll.  Add noodles and avocado last.  Squeeze slice of lime in middle.
• Roll short ends of roll to center then tuck and start rolling.
• Dip in sauces and enjoy!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from Xander!