Tag Archives: ginger

Tofu Tikka Masala

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INGREDIENTS:
Marinade
1 block of tofu
Juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp garam masala
1 clove of garlic crushed
½” piece of ginger crushed
Salt and pepper to season

Gravy
1 medium onion preferably red, chopped
½ a can of crushed tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 inch piece of ginger minced
1 small stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garam masala
½ cup almond milk (plain)
2 tbsp almond butter (optional)
Lemon juice to make the gravy tart
Salt and pepper (if necessary)

DIRECTIONS:
Drain tofu and chop into squares. Combine spices and lemon juice in a bowl. Add tofu, stir around and let marinate. I let it sit for about 20 minutes and warmed the oven to 350. Transfer the tofu to a cooking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Move them around after about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

In a skillet, heat water. Next add the whole spices and warm for a few minutes. I made it a bit more than paste by adding a bit more water. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook till the onions are translucent.

Next, add the crushed tomatoes. Cooking the tomatoes is the KEY step in this gravy. If the tomatoes stay undercooked, the taste of the final product will suffer. So how do you know, well add the tomatoes and the spices and cook till you see the edges of the tomatoes separating from the pan (never saw this with my tomatoes).

Next add the almond butter, ½ cup of water and almond milk. Mix and let it come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add lemon juice and season to taste. Finally add the tofu and let it go for another 5 minutes, so that the tofu can soak the liquid and spices.

NOTES: I omitted ALL of the olive oil, it wasn’t needed to saute the onion and didn’t want to load the dish with unnecessary fat. I might use the juice of 1 lemon for the marinade since I omitted the olive oil. All the tofu was well coated when it went into the oven.

I also wish I had used some more crushed tomatoes in the recipe, possibly a 1/4 cup more would have made for a more consistent gravy.

SOURCE: The Healthy Diary

Dal Palak

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INGREDIENTS:
1 cup lentils
10 oz. frozen, chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 1 inch piece of ginger
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
3/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS:
Wash and soak lentils in warm water for 45 minutes. Defrost spinach. Heat pan and saute the chopped onion until soft. Strain lentils and add to pan, along with spinach and the remainder of the spices. Add water. Over medium heat let the lentils cook until soft. Lightly smash the lentils into the spinach mixture.

NOTES: First time doing a dish like this and it probably came out a bit dry, based on images I saw on the Internet of this dish. I would probably add more water next time and modify the spices used, possibly adding a bit of lemon juice as well. Overall the flavor was good, much like a curry but I feel I could have used a chile pepper or a hot sauce to spice the dish up.

Chunky Potato-Leek Soup with Kale

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INGREDIENTS:Chunky Potato-Leek Soup with Kale
1 tablespoon very thinly sliced green onion tops
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. leeks (white and pale green parts), well rinsed and chopped
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice, divided
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
4 thin lemon slices, seeded

DIRECTIONS:
In a pot add 2 chopped potatoes and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. In a pan saute the onion and garlic, about 15 minutes over medium heat. Chop leeks while the potatoes boil and the onion sautes. Drain potatoes and add back into pot over medium heat. Add leeks, 4 cups broth and ginger. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; let mixture cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

Spoon potatoes and leeks into a food processor. Process until very smooth, stopping to scrape down side of work bowl as necessary. Return soup to saucepan. Bring to simmer, add remaining chopped potato and stir in kale. Ladle into bowls. Garnish each with lemon slices and green onions if desired.

SERVING SIZE: 4 servings

NUTRITIONAL FACTS:
Calories……….253
Total Fat……..0.5 g
Cholesterol….0 mg
Sodium…………665 mg
Potassium……1367 mg
Total Carbs….56 mg
Protein…………8 g

NOTES: If you have the time or you have some in your freezer, you can use self made vegetable broth. I usually end up taking a short cut and using Knorr Vegetable Bouillon.

SOURCE: Vegetarian Times