tempeh in creamy mushroom coconut sauce.

• 2 tbsp (30ml) soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (15ml) maple syrup
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 package of tempeh

MUSHROOM SAUCE

• 1 tbsp (15ml) oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 and 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp water, to thicken the sauce
• crispy fried onions for topping!

1. Cut the tempeh into 1-inch cubes and place them in a deep plate or baking dish. In a small bowl, prepare the marinade by combining the soy sauce, maple syrup, and garlic. Pour the marinade over the tempeh and stir to coat. Let the tempeh marinade for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Once tempeh has marinated, heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the tempeh with the marinade and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the tempeh has absorbs the marinade and starts to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

MUSHROOM SAUCE

Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and fry until golden brown. Next, add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked and start to brown.

Deglaze the skillet with the soy sauce. Add the maple syrup, ground black pepper, salt, coconut milk, and water. Stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes. To thicken the sauce, add the diluted cornstarch.

Add the sautéed tempeh to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve on top of rice and top with crispy fried onions.

(Just a note, we made this a second time and crumbled the tempeh instead and wasnt a fan of it that way – the cubes make the mushrooms the star of this dish!)

curry.

you guys, I MADE A CURRY! and it tasted good!!!

I have the hardest time with curries, every so often i get the urge to make one and its just so bland, so I’ve pretty much given up on it. But something inspired me to try it again. After looking at a few recipes on the internet, I got the basis down and decided to go my own way and just make something up.

Feel free to use whatever vegetables are in season or you have on hand.

I package tofu, pressed and drained
Coconut oil
1 medium onion
Large chunk of fresh ginger
4-5 garlic cloves
1 can coconut milk (i used light)
2 1/2 tpsn madras curry powder
salt
Green beans
brocolli
red bell pepper
kale/and or spinach (i used both because I had a little of both on hand)

cashews, lightly roasted or pan fried
Cilantro
1/2 lime
Rice or quinoa, or grain of your choice

First – Prep your tofu. Set your oven to 400 degrees; cut into 1 inch cubes, put on baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. flip over and bake 10 minutes more. set aside.

Finely chop your onion, garlic and ginger Using about 2T coconut oil, sautee them in a large pan or saucepot. Once onions start to soften, add the curry powder and a 1-2 T water to deglaze the pan so nothing burns. Add the bell pepper and green beans and saute for a few minutes. pour in the coconut milk and add the tofu and let simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Add about 1/2 tspn or so of salt to help bring the flavors out in the vegetables. Add the brocolli and greens and cook for a few minutes more, until your vegetables reach your desired firmness. Squeeze the juice of half a lime over the curry. Let stand for a few minutes to let the flavors meld.

Spoon on top of some rice, and top with cilantro and cashews.  I sprinkled some simply asia ginger and garlic seasoning on top of mine.

Definitely adjust the seasonings to your liking, and feel free to customize with any you might think are good. This is a great recipe to start with and build on to make better and better each time.

coconut milk scones.

I found this recipe for scones a while back and finally gave it a try. I love a good scone for breakfast, but whenever I find a recipe, they are loaded with butter, or oil – not really want to i want to load myself with the first thing in the morning. While delicious, not the most nutritious thing. When i came across this recipe I noticed it had NO butter or oil, so I was definitely intrigued. These turned out pretty good. They arent as melty-amazing on the inside, nor are they overly sweet – but they have a nice outer crunch, and a softish middle. These are easily customizable – the flavor combinations are endless. I made two batches, and froze one for later, so I didnt waste the can of coconut milk I opened.

2 cups flour ( I used spelt flour)
1/3 cup sugar (I used coconut palm sugar)
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup canned coconut milk (I used the lower fat kind and it seemed to work fine!)
1 cup dried fruit (cranberries, apricots, cherries, raisins, etc.)*

*I made cranberry/orange/coconut and chocolate chip/cherry/almond versions.

coconut milk
sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease your baking sheet.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Pour in coconut milk. Gently mix with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula just until it’s combined. Fold in dried fruits. Transfer dough onto a floured surface and shape into a disc about 3/4 inches in thickness. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 8 wedges onto prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with coconut milk and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or store them in an airtight container after they have completely cooled.