Thai Pumpkin Curry

The following is another recipe from The Tropical Vegan Kitchen - a very underrated book that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. It's an excellent book full of relatively simple, whole foods-based recipes that are delicious, but because the book does not have any pictures, and because I think it deserves more recognition than it currently receives, I will occasionally upload recipes & pictures from it.

The following is a very orange-y, delicious Thai curry, rich in beta-carotene. Serving it with quinoa adds some extra iron; brown rice, on the other hand, is a great source of selenium. Feel free to also use a mix of grains as a bed for the curry.


Thai Red Curry Sauce:

1 can light coconut milk
2 shallots, chopped
Juice of 1 medium orange
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon plain rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
salt, to taste

In a food processor fitted with the knife blade, or in a blender, process all ingredients until well blended. Use as directed in recipe. Mixture can be stored, covered, in fridge up to 3 days.

Makes 2-2.5 cups.
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Thai Pumpkin Curry:

Thai Red Curry Sauce (above)
1.25lbs cubed, seeded, & pee;ed cpplomg pumpkin or butternut squash
1 medium sweet potato (cooked), peeled & cut into pieces
1 medium bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups cooked chickpeas (=1 can), rinsed
4.5 cups cooked brown rice, quinoa, or other whole grain(s) of your choice
4oz (1/2) baby carrot, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh orange peel, shredded (optional)
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

In a large deep-sided skillet with a lid, bring the curry sauce, squash, potato and carrots to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the vegetables have softened, about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, chickpeas, and orange peel; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly reduced, about 3-4 minutes. Serve warm, over the rice/quinoa.etc, garnished with the basil (if using).

Thai Pumpkin Curry, served with quinoa.

Costa Rican Cabbage Tortillas

The following recipe is from a cookbook called "The Tropical Vegan Kitchen" - a very underrated book, IMHO. The strike-outs and red parts reflect my bastardizations lovely adjustments to the recipe.

Ingredients:

8 corn whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup rinsed and drained black beans
1 medium tomato, seeded & finely chopped
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin seed  sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt & black pepper, to taste
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted & thinly sliced
Sliced hot banana or jalapen~o peppers
Medium salsa

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Preheat oven to 200F (95C).

Arrange the tortillas on a large ungreased baking sheet (some overlap is okay). Heat in the oven until softened and warmed, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the cabbage, tomato, scallions, cilantro, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, cumin, sugar, salt/black pepper, and cayenne (if using) until well combined. Let stand at room temperature about 5-10 minutes to allow the flavours to blend; toss again.

In a large skillet, turn the heat up to high and lightly fry the tossed ingredients (along with the avocado and peppers) for 2-3 minutes, or until the cabbage is "cooked".

To serve, top the warm tortillas with equal amounts of the cabbage mixture (and a tablespoon or two of salsa).

Roll up and serve at once.

Makes 8 tortillas.