Thai Style Tempeh Lettuce Wraps

Since going vegetarian for Lent, I've been trying out some different veggie recipes. I'm not really a tofu fan, but I like tempeh, so I've been looking for some ways to use it. Tempeh is made from cooked soybeans, sometimes mixed with rice or other grains, that have been inoculated with  mold with mold (as blue cheese is) and fermented. It is originally from Indonesia, and has become popular with vegetarians because of its strong, funky, blue cheese-like flavor. This recipe comes from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, by Jack Bishop. You can find the book here. It's a really easy recipe that requires basic ingredients, and can be on the table in 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch squares
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced **
• 1 medium carrot, shredded on the large holes of a box grater
• 4 medium scallions, white and green parts, cut into 1/2 inch lengths
• 1/4 cup whole fresh cilantro leaves
• romaine lettuce leaves

** I used Persian cucumbers, because they are seedless. So, all I had to do was peel and slice them.

Some of the ingredients. 

Instructions:

• Whisk the hot water, soy sauce, lime juice, peanut butter, and pepper flakes together in a medium bowl. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the peanut sauce to a small bowl and reserve. Add the tempeh to the bowl with the remaining peanut sauce and marinate, tossing occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
• Place the cucumber, carrot, scallions, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Set the salad aside. 
• Reserve any marinade the tempeh has not absorbed. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the tempeh and cook, turning the pieces several times, until golden brown all over, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved marinade to the skillet and cook until the tempeh is glazed, about 30 seconds. Transfer the seared tempeh pieces to a platter.
• Pour the reserved 3 tablespoons peanut sauce over the cucumber salad and toss to combine. 
• Spoon some cucumber salad over the lettuce leaves, then top with several pieces of tempeh. 

I recommending giving tempeh a try, if you haven't already. This recipe combines great flavors, and makes for a really fresh, delicious lunch or dinner. 

Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Coconut Rice

Thai Green Curry is definitely one of my favorite dishes to order out, and this is the first time that I've successfully made it at home. Today was cold and windy in Pacifica, so it seemed like the perfect day to make it. I consulted the curry paste section of a vegetarian cookbook, and the author recommended Thai Kitchen curry paste. I followed the instructions printed on the jar of curry paste, but deviated slightly by adding more coconut milk and vegetable stock (because I think the sauce is the best part and you can never have too much of it), and I used bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots in lieu of frozen peas. I think you can add just about any vegetable you like, I was trying to recreate the curry from my favorite Thai restaurant(s), Osha, and those are the vegetables they use.

Some of the ingredients I used: Unsweetened coconut milk, fish sauce, and green curry paste. 

This recipe requires quite a bit of chopping. I julienned two bell peppers, and sliced the carrot and zucchini on a bias to get long, thin slices. 

To accompany my Green Curry, I made coconut rice using Long Grain Jasmine Rice. 

I followed a recipe that I found on about.com which yields four servings of rice (or, in my opinion, closer to six). All you need to do is combine the following in a deep saucepan which you have coated with 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil. 

• 2 cups of Jasmine rice
• 2 cups of Unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 3/4 cups of water
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Bring the ingredients to a low bubble, stirring often to prevent the rice from sticking to the saucepan or burning. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes. You'll know the rice has finished cooking when almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Then, turn off the heat, but leave the saucepan covered on the stove for an additional 5-10 minutes before serving.

The rice and the curry take roughly the same amount of time to cook. The recipe on the jar of curry paste recommends simmering the chicken and vegetables in the sauce for just 10 minutes before serving, but I let mine cook on a low heat for closer to 20 minutes to allow the carrots and zucchini to cook through. If you have any Thai basil leaves or cilantro, they would make a fantastic garnish for the dish. It was delicious, and the perfect remedy to a Winter's day.