Coconut Thai Curry For One

Coconut Thai Curry For One is the perfect single serving dish to make when you want to treat yourself to a gourmet meal at home. For this exotic tasting recipe, a tasty mix of vegetables are simmered in a spicy, and creamy  curry sauce until the flavors are perfectly melded and delightful. The vegetable curry tastes wonderfully complex but thanks to ingredients like lemongrass and kaffir lime, it’s easy to develop a lot of flavor in the sauce without a lot of effort.  There are quite a few specialty Thai ingredients in this dish but the majority are made by Thai Kitchen whose products can be found in the ethnic section of almost any large supermarket. Plus, if you enjoy Thai cuisine, it’s worth having these ingredients on hand.


Coconut Thai Curry For One
Gluten Free
Makes One Serving
Click here for a Printable Version of Recipe





Ingredients--
Roasted Vegetables:
4 ounces butternut squash, peeled, seeds & diced into small cubes (about 3/4 cup once diced)
4 ounces cauliflower, broken into small florets (about 1 cup of florets)
5 ounces eggplant, diced into small cubes (about 1.5 cups once diced)
Salt & Pepper
Curry Sauce:
1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil, room temperature
1 tablespoon Green Curry Paste (or substitute with a store-bought green curry paste)
1/3 cup lite canned coconut milk (like the kind by Thai Kitchen )
1/4 cup unsweetened original almond milk (like the kind by Silk )
3/4 teaspoon fish sauce ( like the kind by Thai Kitchen )
3/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1 kaffir lime leaf (like the kind by Thai Kitchen )
1 stalk lemongrass (like the kind by Thai Kitchen )
1/2 teaspoon dried Thai Basil (like the kind by Thai Kitchen )
1 Serrano pepper, whole with a slit cut in the side (this adds some heat to the dish without being overpowering)
1/4 of a red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 ounce (approximately 1/4 cup) sliced bamboo shoots (like the kind by Dynasty )
Optional:
Rice, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum and spray with olive oil spray.

2. Add butternut squash, cauliflower, and eggplant to baking sheet. Spray vegetables with a layer of olive oil spray, then season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.



3. Roast vegetables 7-8 minutes, or until crisp and golden around the edges. Set aside.



4. Add coconut oil to a medium skillet and heat to medium low. Stir in curry paste and sauté for 2 minutes.



5. Stir in coconut milk, almond milk, and fish sauce. Add brown sugar, lime leaf, lemon grass, basil, and Serrano pepper and stir to combine all ingredients.



6. Raise heat to medium-high and bring sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add in red bell pepper, bamboo, and roasted vegetables, then stir to combine all ingredients.


7. Reduce heat to low and let curry simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are heated through and sauce thickens.



8. Remove lemongrass, lime leaf, and Serrano pepper from curry and discard. Scoop curry into serving dish (over rice, if desired) and enjoy!



Nutrition Information--approximately 245 calories per serving (entire recipe)

Bite Sized Breakfast Sandwich

The Bite Sized Breakfast Sandwich is another tasty way to enjoy Veggie Breakfast Sausage. For this recipe, the sausage is divided into two smaller patties to form two mini breakfast sandwiches. To take these adorable sandwiches from everyday to extraordinary, the sausage patties are sandwiched between oatmeal pancakes rather than ordinary bread. The delicious gluten free pancakes are a cinch to stir together and then get cooked  on the griddle right beside the sausage. Once the sausage and pancakes are cooked, simply add a dash of honey and hot sauce to create the  the perfect balance of sweetness & spice in one spectacular breakfast.


Bite Sized Breakfast Sandwich
Gluten Free
Serves One
Click Here for Printable Version of Recipe



Ingredients--
Pancakes:
3 tablespoons gluten free oats ( like the kind by GF Harvest )
2 tablespoons gluten free flour mix
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet of Truvia sweetener (1 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
dash of salt
dash of cloves
3 tablespoons liquid egg substitute (like the kind by Egg Beaters)
1 tablespoon unsweetened original almond milk (like the kind by Silk)
Filling:
1 serving Veggie Breakfast Sausage (not cooked)
2 teaspoons buffalo hot sauce
2 teaspoons honey

1. Divide Veggie Sausage in half, then use your hands to form into two even patties. Place sausage patties on a plate & set aside.




2. Add oats, flour, baking powder, Truvia, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and cloves to a small mixing bowl. Stir until combined.  Add egg and milk to bowl and stir until all ingredients are evenly incorporated to create the pancake batter.



3.  Spray a griddle (I used a Griddler ) or large nonstick pan with nonstick spray and heat to medium high.


4. Add sausage patties to one side of skillet. Cook sausage until heated through and browned on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Once sausage is on the griddle, scoop pancake batter onto opposite of griddle to form 4 mini pancakes (about 1.5 tablespoons of batter per pancake; I used this scoop). Cook pancakes until solid enough to flip with a spatula and golden on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Cook pancakes 2 minutes more or until golden on both sides.


                         



5. Once both the pancakes and sausage are cooked, you can begin to assemble the sandwiches. Place the pancakes flat on a work surface then spread two of the pancakes with hot sauce and two of the pancakes with honey. Place a sausage patty on top of the pancakes spread with honey, then finish with the hot sauce pancakes on top. Enjoy!



Nutrition Information--approximately 285 calories per serving

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

I recently  saw a vegetable tagine on a restaurant menu it sounded so delicious that I just had to try it. Unfortunately, the restaurant dish didn’t live up to my expectations but it did inspire me to try my own variation. Tagines, a boldly spiced dish originating in North Africa, are named after the the clay, cone shaped dish that they are traditionally cooked in. Tagine recipes vary greatly but are typically a one-pot stew of meat or vegetables slow cooked in delightful African spice blend. My not-quite-authentic-but-still-delicious Moroccan Vegetable Tagine includes eggplant, squash, and fennel cooked in a tomato sauce infused with cinnamon, coriander, cumin and more. Instead of a tagine pot, I used a dutch oven to slowly roast the vegetables but the result was still flavorful and amazing! The tagine is delicious on it’s own as a side dish or you can serve over rice to turn it into an entrée.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine
Gluten Free
Serves Two
Click Here for a Printable Version of Recipe




Ingredients--
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 of a red bell pepper, seeded chopped
1 whole cinnamon stick
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons double concentrated tomato paste (like the the kind by Amore )
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
Dash of cayenne, to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 1 cup vegetable broth, divided
3 Roma tomatoes, stems removed and diced
1 baby or graffiti eggplant (about 12 ounces), ends removed and chopped
1/2 of a zucchini, diced
1/4 of a small fennel bulb, finely diced
4 ounces butternut squash, peeled, seeded & diced (about 1/2 of a cup once diced)
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup cannellini beans, drained
4-5 kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fennel fronds, chopped (optional)



1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour olive oil into a large dutch oven and heat to medium low. Add bell pepper and cinnamon stick and saute for 5 minutes.



2. Add garlic clove to dutch oven and saute for 1 minute.


3. Stir in tomato paste, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, spices (cayenne, paprika, cumin, coriander), and salt. Toast spices for 1-2 minutes then stir in 1/4 cup of  vegetable broth to deglaze the pan, being sure to scrape the bottom of dutch oven with your spatula to pick up all of the flavoring.



4. Add Roma tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, fennel, and squash to Dutch oven, stirring to coat the vegetables in spices. Pour in remaining 1 cup of broth and crushed tomatoes. Use your fingers to lightly crush saffron threads, then add to pot and stir to combine all ingredients.




5. Place lid on Dutch oven and transfer to oven. Bake tagine for 42-46 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and vegetables are tender.



6. Remove tagine from oven and discard cinnamon stick. Stir in cannellini beans and olives, then recover pot and return to oven for 3-5 minutes or until all ingredients are heated through.



7. Divide tagine between two bowls, then garnish with parsley and fennel fronds. Enjoy!





Nutrition Information--approximately 260 calories per serving (1/2 of the recipe)

Edamame Rice Burgers

After eating Daikon Pickles straight out of the jar for a few days, I decided it was time to use the delicious Japanese style pickles in an recipe. Since it seemed like  the only logical way to feature the pickles was to pair them with a burger, I created the Asian-inspired  Edamame Rice Burger.  This bold tasting veggie burger  is packed with a ton of vegetables from mushrooms to radishes to edamame and then spiced up with fresh ginger, soy sauce, chili paste and much more.  It might look like a long recipe but really the food processor does most of the work for you and the process is pretty simple,  First, roast the vegetables, then pulse them in the food processor, and add to a mixing bowl. Next, pulse the edamame and rice, add to the mixing bowl with a  few other  pulsed ingredients and combine it all together for a delightful burger.  To finish,  throw the burgers in the oven then  on toasted gluten free bread. Add a tasty soy mustard and the spectacular pickles to the burger and you have the the perfect flavor packed combo!

Edamame Rice Burger
Gluten Free
Serves Two
Click Here for a Printable Version of Recipe





Ingredients--
Roasted Vegetables:
3 radishes, ends trimmed and halved
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 large Portobello mushroom cap, chopped
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
Salt & Pepper
Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup gluten free puffed rice cereal
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt & Pepper
Edamame Puree:
1/2 cup gluten free puffed rice cereal
1/4 cup frozen shelled edamame
1/4 cup cooked brown jasmine rice
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mirin (find in the international section of most grocery stores or online )
1/8 teaspoon lime juice
1/4- 1 teaspoon (to taste) Sambel Oelek Chili Paste (find online or in the international section of major grocery stores)
A Dash of Liquid Smoke (find near the barbeque sauce in grocery stores, I use this brand)
1 teaspoon liquid egg substitute
Salt & Pepper
Soy- Mustard:
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons gluten free soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons (to taste) Sambal Oelek  Chili paste
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Burger:
4 slices light gluten free sandwich bread (I always use Ener-G )
Daikon Pickles (as many as desired for topping the burgers)

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Add radishes, carrots, and portobello to baking sheet. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and season with crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Stir to coat vegetables in oil and seasoning.



2. Roast vegetables 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are just tender and started to caramelize.



3. While the vegetables are roasting, add the dry ingredients (puffed rice cereal, cumin, chili powder, coriander, oregano, ginger, salt and pepper) to a small food processor. Pulse mixture until it is the consistency of breadcrumbs, then pour into a medium mixing bowl (Leave out food processor, you will need it for the next step).



4. Once the vegetables are finished roasting, scoop into food processor (no need to clean it, all the ingredients will eventually get mixed together anyways). Add garlic and ginger to food processor, then pulse veggies until finely chopped.



5. Add chopped vegetables to mixed bowl with rice crumb mixture. Set aside mixing bowl but leave out food processor.



6. Defrost edamame in the microwave, according to package directions.


7. Add defrosted edamame and remaining edamame puree ingredients (rice, soy sauce, balsamic, Worcestershire, rice wine vinegar, mirin, lime juice, chili paste, liquid smoke, egg, salt and pepper) to food processor (again, no need to clean between steps). Pulse mixture until combined and a chunky puree is formed, then scoop into mixing bowl with vegetable and rice crumb mixture.



8. Stir burger mixture until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
 


9. Line a small tupperware container with wax paper. Use a 1/3 measuring cup to measure out  two equal sized burger patties. Place patties in prepared tupperware container, cover with lid, and place burgers in the refrigerator overnight, to set.



10. After refrigerating overnight, the burgers are ready to cook. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with olive oil spray. Place burgers on prepared baking sheet, and press down slightly to flatten to patties until they about the thickness of a traditional burger. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove baking sheet from oven and spray the tops of burgers with a layer of olive oil spray. Use a spatula to flip burgers, then return to oven.



11. Continue to bake burgers for 18-20 minutes more, or until heated through and starting to crisp around the edges.



12. While the burger is baking, prepare the sauce- stir together Dijon, soy sauce, and chili paste until blended. Fold in fresh parsley.



13. Once the burger patties are finished baking, you’re ready to build the burgers. Toast the bread slices, then spread about 1/4 of the soy-mustard on each piece of bread.



14. Place burger patties on two of the bread slices, then add a few pickles on top of each burger. Close each burger with a bread slice & you’re ready to enjoy!



Nutrition Information--approximately 260 calories per burger (1/2 of the recipe)