Lentil-Spinach-Curry with Naan Bread

I badly have to admit that I didn't have spending very much for my blog....... I had just so much going on and in the evening I was so tired after work, that all I wanted to do is relaxing, keeping the cookingpart pretty short. Mostly I prepared was just something so fast and unspecial - not really worth for posting.

Sometimes - as I'm just one person - the effort for great cooking special food is just too much. But I made myself a promise to post more - and I have to say preheat some of the posted dishes may not come with the very best picture, the Handycamera is sometimes just faster done, than preparing all the lights arranging around the plate, position the camera and so on and on... Hope you can imagine.

Anyway, now I have one week off from work -glad about that, I hardly needed vacation. AND to start my vacation this very delicious curry came out. 

The ingredients are pretty simple as most curries, but does it always be special to be good dish. ?? No

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Lentil-Spinach-Curry

Serves 4
35 min

Ingredients:
150 g onions
500 g carrots
2 tablespoons oil
3 Tl fruity curry powder,
200 g of yellow lentils
500 ml vegetable stock
200 g baby spinach leaves
1 Pk.Naan bread,or flatbread
1 organic lime
200 g of soy yogurt
Salt

Direction_

Halved onion, cut into 5 mm wide strips. Peel carrots and cut diagonally into 1 cm thick slices. Heat oil in a large pot, fry the onions on medium heat for 3min until soft.  Stir in carrots and sauté further 2 minutes.

First only stir under 2 tsp curry powder and then the lentils. Add the vegetable stock and 300 ml. water, and bring to the boil, cover and cook for 25 minutes at low heat.

Meanwhile, clean the spinach, then wash and spin dry. Freshen naan bread according to package directions. Stir spinach under the curry and coincide. Wash the lime hot, dry and peel finely rub 2 teaspoons. Mix the lime zest with the soy yogurt.

At the stir the remaining curry powder into the curry and season with salt. Serve with lime yogurt and naan bread.


VERY DELICIOUS! 

Beetroot in banana curry sauce with Quinoa

You may think "what bananacurry"? But yes. 

The day before I was in the city and in a markethall - where I've never been before - was a little stand, selling foreign fruits you cannot usually by at the market. 
I was hesitating cause not knowing if its ethical buying food from far away, but they looked just too good.

Back at home - first I'd done was eating some of the fruits - the smelling they where "sending" was hard to resist. 

The bananas I kept for dinner I wanna try. 

Now it's up to you to decide whether to try the recipe and like it like I did or let it be. 

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Beetroot in banana curry sauce with Quinoa 

exotic 

4 servings 
45 min. 

Ingredients:
800 g pre-cooked, vacuumed beetroot
250 g quinoa 
700 ml vegetable broth
salt 
400 ml coconut milk  
3 ripe bananas 
1 walnut-sized piece of ginger 
1 Tbsp. lemon juice 
1 tsp curry powder 
1 Tbsp. sesame oil 
½ tsp black pepper 
allspice
1 bunch of spring onions 

Preparation:
In a sieve rinse quinoa well and boil with 500 ml vegetable broth at low temperatur for about 20 min and allow to swell for further 10 min. If applicable salt lightly. 

In another pan simmer coconut milk and remaining water for about 10 minutes at low heat. 

Peel banana and cut into 2 cm pieces. Peel ginger and grate finely. Puree both with lemon juice and add to the coconut milk. Season to taste with spicy curry, sesame oil, allspice, salt and pepper. 

Clean precooked beetroot and cut into quarters and cut into 1 cm wide columns. Give into the banana curry sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, clean, wash and cut spring onion into thin rings. Stir in the sauce. 

Serve quinoa with beetroot and banana curry sauce and serve sprinkled with green spring onion rings. 

Zucchini & Noodles in Green Curry Sauce with Thai Basil

Sometimes I really feel lost about the amount of recipes I got in my shelf. Hard to desire what to do, cause everything just sounds so good - mouth watering - but I have to decide. 

And yesterday was a day I really couldn't decide what I shall try out, at the end - still not sure what I'm really up to, I just started with shaving zucchinis, and then having a look into the spice shelf section in the refrigerator, the green curry just caught my eye - and - trara trara- this dish happens to come out.

The zucchini compares well with the green curry and they give almost same color to the pasta. 

If you like to use shaved carrots then I would recomend the red or yellow curry. 

Obvisiouly a very simple dish, but so good and pretty healthy - and if I would have had more zucchinis on hand, I would have made more shaves - I love zucchinis and scallions!

How ever just enjoy this simple, easy and fast done dish, Maybe add some tofu cubes for protein addition. 

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Zucchini & Noodles in Green Curry Sauce with Thai Basil

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 can unsweeted coconut milk
1-2 tbsp. green curry paste
1 lime, peeled with a vegetable peeler, and juiced
1 tbsp. agave nectar
Asian noodles (rice or soba noodles)
2-3 scallions, all of it slivered vertically
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
Oil
1 green and yellow Zucchini, shredded lenthwise
half cup of Thai basli leaves

Direcetion:
Preheat a saucepan and give in the coconut milk, green curry paste and lime peel and bring to simmer. 

Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the green curry paste. Then remove the lime peel and add the lime juice, agave nectar. Stirr and taste. (Add more curry paste if you like it spicy)

Meanwhile, cook the noodles until al dente, drain and give them to the warm coconut milk sauce. 

Lightly sauté the scallions and garlic and add to the noodle mixture. 

Put some of the raw zucchini apart (Decoration at the end), and give the rest into the coconut sauce, combine and lightly cook the zucchini. Add the Thai basil, wilt and, just before serving, add the reserved shredded zucchini.

Note: If you don't like the green curry you can replace it of course with your favorite, but I choosed the green as it got the same color as the vegetables

Spiced pea & potato rolls

Do you know that feeling when you're going through a magazine and seeing a posted recipe, or passing through a food store and seeing prepared food and all you want is to bite into it, cause it makes you mouthwatering?

I often got that with magazines and food-stands. But what's the problem? It is mostly not vegan!

A few days ago, while passing by an oriental foodtruck they selled those vegetable-meat-pastry-rolls, beside the meat they smelled so good and what did I - I asked the owner what - beside the meat he used for them, incl. spices. All he told me that the ingredients are curried. Well anyway I went home and my mind was working. Shouldn't be much work to try them out. 

A few days later I made the first ones, I kept it really simple, like I would cook a pan curried vegetables but then rolled it up in a pastry roll.

I got to say that they were really good and I got many options to fill it. 

Great dish!

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Spiced pea & potato rolls

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min

Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil or sunflower oil
2 onions, finely sliced
300g potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 headped tbsp. curry paste
140g frozen or fresh peas
4 large sheets filo pastry, cut in half
tomatoes, onion and mango chutney, to serve

Direction:
Heat oven to 200C. Heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and cook until soft and golden, about 8-10 min.

Meanwhile, boil the potato cuts for 5 min., until just tender, then drain. Give to the softened onions and fry for 2 min. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 2 min. Pop in the peas, plus 1 tbsp water. Cook for 1 min, stirr well and season. Give into a bowl and allow to cool lightly.

Brush half the filo half-sheets with some of the oil and lay the remaining sheets on top to get 4 x double layers. Spoon a ¼ of the potato mix along one edge of each, leaving a bit of space at each end. Fold in the ends then roll up to seal. 

Place closed-side down on a baking sheet, brush with oil and bake for 20 mins, or until crisp. 

Serve warm along with some mango chutney, salad of your desire, if you like.

Indonesian Vegetable Curry

Have you ever been too tired to get up even if it's sunday. The alarmclock woke me up at 10 am. Not that early but I needed some time to awake and the shower did the rest.
While eating breakfast I realized it was already 11 am. I was never that late, even on sundays.

It snowed the morning but cleared up and the sun was shining and it stopped snowing. I'm thinking about going outside for a walk. I haven't decided yet.


Today I was craving for an curry and I grabed my cooking book looking up for what I shall cook. Then I came across an indonesian vegetable curry. I only changed the vegetable, cause I had not the ones that were calling for in the recipe. The result was the same, GOOD and spicy!!


Indonesian Vegetable Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic gloves, chopped
1 Lemongrass, chopped
1 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 cm fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp. curcuma
1 tsp. sambal oelek
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
175- 200 ml coconuss milk
150 g green beans
3 Peppers (red, green, yellow) copped into 3 cm pieces
200 g Cauliflower
250 g small asian eggplants, copped into cunks
150 g Napa cabbage, sliced into fine strips

Direction:
For the gravy mix:
put the coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic and lemongrass together in a mortar, grind and set aside.

1. Preheat a wok or a big pan over medium heat. In oil saute the onion till glassy. Add the beans and roast for about 5 min. Add the three peppers, eggplants and cauliflower and roast for another 3-5 min.

2. Add 1 tsp. curcuma, the coconut milk and the gravy mix and cook for about 10 min.

3. After the 10 min. add the napa cabbage, 1 tsp. sambal oelek, 1 Tbsp. Soy sauce, stir well and cook another 10 min. or till the vegetable are fork tender. Put in more salt if desired and serve with parfum rice.

P.s. The result is quite spicy, so if there are children at the table use less sambal oelek or add more coconut milk.

Tomato, squash and spinach curry

This morning I wasn't sure wether it was tuesday or wednesday. This happens without a job, the day passes by.
My sister came over for a cup of coffee and she wanted to try on my skidress. Well it was a little bit small for her. Maybe she will take it for skiing in february. I don't care if she takes it as long I get the dress well bake, cause it was quite expensive. After I crudled myself into a blanket on the sofa and was watching TV. Very lazy I know, but I was a little bit tired and why not for an hour or so......?

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Tomato, squash & spinach curry

 

 

 Serves 4

Prep 5 mins          

Cook 25 mins   

Ready in 30 mins

 

 

Ingredients

1 large onion , halved and sliced

oil

2 tbsp madras curry paste

1 small butternut squash , about 500g, cut into chunks

5 tomatoes , quartered

100g spinach , roughly chopped

steamed Basmati pilaff , to serve

 

Preperation:

1. Cook the onion in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes until softened. Add the curry paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add the squash, tomatoes and 200ml water, stir well.
2. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the squash is just cooked and the tomatoes have broken down. Stir through the spinach and leave for a couple of minutes to wilt. Season and serve with basmati rice.

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 Tangy roast pepper and walnut dip




Ingredients

• 1 tsp each ground cumin and ground pimenton (smoked paprika), plus extra to serve
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil                                                                  
• 100g walnuts halves
• 225g roasted red peppers from a jar, drained
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 garlic clove , crushed
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or substitute lemon juice or red wine vinegar)

Preperation:

In a pan, heat the ground cumin and pimenton in the olive oil until fragrant. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor, then season with salt and pepper. With the motor running, slowly pour in the spiced olive oil until incorporated. Add a tbsp of water if it's too thick. Scoop into a bowl and serve with freshly ground black pepper and pimenton on top.

Outside Dining

Yesterday evening I thought I'm going to favared Vegi/Vegan Self service Restaurant - called Tibits. Some may know it. Here in Basel (City to the Boarder Germany) we got one and there are others in Switzerland. They openend even one in London.

www.tibits.ch

Therefore I can't post a recipe, but yesterday they had that crunchy Pumpk
insalad - I defenetly have to try to create it by myself. But instead I will post from they Recipebook.

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Goa Curry

Zubereitungszeit:
40 Minuten

Zutaten:
1/2 Ananas
1 Zwiebel / Onion
100 g Perlzwiebeln / small onions
80 g grüne Peperoncini
200 g Tofu nature
12 EL Rapsöl / Oil

Sauce:
120 ml Gemüsebouillon / vegetable broth
280 ml Kokosmilch
2 EL grüne Currypaste
1 EL Ingwer frisch gerieben
1 TL feines Meersalz / salt
1 EL Tomatenpuree / tomate paste
1/2 TL Currypulver / currypowder
1/2 TL mildes Paprikapulver / pepperpowder
1/2 TL gemahlener Koriander / minced Korianderpowder
1/2 TL gemahlener Kreuzkümmel / cumin
1/2 TL Zimtpulver / cinnamon
20 g Kokos Chips, trocken geröstet / roasted coconut flakes
Zubereitung:
Von der Ananas Strunk und Schale entfernen, das Fruchtfleisch in 1 1/2 cm grosse Würfel schneiden.

Zwiebel und Perlzwiebeln schälen. Die Peperoncini längs halbieren und entkernen. Zwiebel und Peperoncini klein würfeln.

Den Tofu ebenfalls in 1 1/2 cm grosse Würfel schneiden.

In einer Bratpfanne, Zwiebel, Peperonicini, Ananaswürfel und Perlzwiebeln mit 8 EL Rapsöl 5 Min leicht anbraten.

In einer zweiten Pfanne den Tofu in den restlichen 4 EL Rapsöl kurz anbraten, dann zur Ananasmischung geben.

Alle Zutaten der Sauce in einem weiten Topf mischen, aufkochen und dann 2 Min. leicht einkochen lassen. Die Ananas-Tofu-Mischung dazugeben und alles 5 Min. fertig garen.

Mit Basmatireis anrichten und mit gerösteten Kokos-Chips garnieren.
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Preperation:
1. cut the ananas into small pieces,
2. peel the onions, cut the spicy peppers lenghtwise and waister the corn, Cut the Onions into small pieces.
3. Cut the tofu into pieces
4. In a pan with 8 Tabelspoon oil lightly roast the tofu and ananaspeaces for 5 min.
5. In a secon pan roast wth 4 Tablespoon oil the tofu shortly.
6. In a big pan mixed the sauce, cook for 2 min then give in the all of the pan with the ananas-tofu and cook for forther 5 min

Serve with Basmati rice and cocoflakes

Hope I made it understandable for the englishspeakers ;)

Enjoy the spicy light dish!!