Mushroom And Rice Stew

I think I could have this for dinner every day.  It's hearty and hits the spot!


1 Tbl Oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 Celery stalks, diced
8 oz package Mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
Fresh herbs, chopped finely (I used Sage)
4 Tbl Whole Wheat Flour
5 cups Vegetable Broth
1 Tbl Lite Soy Sauce
3 cups Brown Rice
opt: Tofu strips, cooked and cut into cubes
(pan-fried or baked previously)
green onion, optional

Heat oil in deep sided skillet or large saucepan.  Saute onion, celery, mushrooms, and herbs till softened, stir in flour and cook just a little bit till browned a little, and then add vegetable broth and soy sauce.  Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until rice is cooked.  Try not to open lid often while cooking.  Optional : Add already cooked tofu at the end and serve when all is warm. 

In this Bok Choy and Baked Tofu Stir-fry wtih Ginger-Citrus Sauce recipe I explain how I make baked tofu.  If done right, tofu tastes good!  I like when my friends say "there was tofu in that?"  That's when I think it's done right-when it's not noticable but enhances a dish. Tofu is great because it takes on any flavor it's with.

Garnish this dish with chopped green onion and enjoy.

Coconut Curry

I blame/give credit to my friend Shelley for putting the thought of coconut curry in my head the other day.  She was describing a dish she had a long time ago and I almost immediately had to go make some curry.  --I shared with her of course.  I thank my friend Mika for teaching it to me in the first place a long time ago.

Curry is easy to make.  Use whatever color curry paste you like, (depending on how great/poor the international section of your grocery store is, you may have to go to an international market) put some coconut milk and veggie broth with it (in whatever proportions you like), and pour over veggies you stir-fried.  I've used a broccoli blend before with lots of veggies but today I chose simple and sweet with just carrots and zucchini.  A great spice to add is one used in traditional Indian dishes called Garam Masala.  It's a spice blend including coriander, black pepper, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon.  Serve your curry over brown rice.

Here's the ingredients I used for today's curry:

1-3 Tbl Red curry Paste (amount to taste)

1 Tbl Garam Masala

1/2 tsp Onion Salt

1 Tbl Oil

1 can Lite Coconut Milk

1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth

Carrots, sliced long

Zucchini, sliced long

Almonds, sliced

Flaked, dried Coconut (optional)

Brown rice, cooked

Heat oil in skillet, add curry and masala.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add coconut milk, onion salt, and vegetable broth.  Vary amounts to your taste and the amount you want to make.  Add sliced carrots and zucchini.  Cook all, simmering until vegetables are soft but not mushy.  Mound cooked rice on plate and surround with the coconut curry.  Pile vegetables on top and sprinkle on almonds and coconut.

Ginger Teriyaki Veggie Cakes by Me

Ingredients:

brown rice, cooked (about 3 cups)

carrots, diced and partially cooked

edamame (soybeans) (i got them shelled, frozen), partially cooked

red pepper, diced

bok choy, diced

water chestnuts, diced

a small onion, diced

pineapple, diced

a little bit of ginger, grated (or you could use dried)

teriyaki (I used a Kikkoman teriyaki glaze)

egg replacer (1 T ground flax seed + 3 T water)

Put your diced ingredients (except for the pineapple) in a skillet and sautee till everything is soft. I had to microwave my frozen soybeans and carrots (maybe I will just grate the carrots next time so they don't need pre-cooked) Stir into rice. Stir in egg replacer, pineapple, teriyaki and ginger. Form into patties and cook in the skillet 3 mins on each side with the lid on. I formed patties and put them in the freezer for whenever I need something quick to eat! I just take them out frozen and put them on the hot skillet. serve with a little soy sauce on top.

Tomato Veggie Soup by Me

This soup is simple and so delicious!

Homemade Tomato Soup (recipe under "soup" label)
or
2 Cartons Campbell's V8 Tomato Herb Soup
1 Can Vegetable Broth
3 Carrots, chopped chunky
2 Zucchini, chopped chunky
Asparagus (or anything else you want)
Brown Rice, cooked

Cook veggies a little bit until they are half cooked. Add everything and heat on the stove till it's all warm and cooked or to the crock pot for however long you want.
(Sorry I am not specific on cook times and amounts. I don't time things, I just cook them till they're done.)