thai wraps {vegan}

i came up with these when we were on our vegan kick (which we are sooooo over it's ridiculous... hello $1 mcdonalds ice cream cones, daily). but vegan or not, these things are seriously delicious. especially when you sit down and eat them right, with a bottle of sriarcha sauce in hand. 

thai wraps

makes 4 wraps

ingredients:

4 large wheat wraps -- i used the same wraps i made for falafel, here

for the quinoa:

1/2 cup quinoa (about 2 cups cooked)

2 tbs. rice vinegar

1 tbs. garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

for the sauce:

1/4 cup peanut butter

3 tbs. honey

1 1/2 tbs. rice vinegar

1 tbs. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

for the filling:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup extra-firm tofu, chopped into 1" pieces

1 cup zucchini, chopped

1 cup broccoli, chopped

1/2 cup carrot, julienned

3/4 cup bean sprouts

1. place the quinoa, 2 tbs. rice vinegar, garlic, salt and 3/4 cup water in a small pot and bring to a simmer. reduce to low heat, cover, and continue cooking for 30-35 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed and the little white rings around the quinoa are visible. fluff and set aside.

2. while the quinoa is cooking, heat 2 tbs. olive oil over medium heat. add the tofu and fry until golden. remove tofu from pan and set aside.
3. add remaining olive oil to pan and cook zucchini, broccoli & carrot until zucchini is browned and broccoli and carrot are slightly soft. take off heat and add tofu to pan.
4. combine the ingredients for the sauce and pour over quinoa. add veggies to quinoa mixture.
5. distribute filling between wraps and add bean sprouts to each. wrap up and eat!

pad thai

this was round two of my pad thai attempts, & this time it was a success. the trickiest part is getting the consistency of the noodles down; if you're unsure how long to soak them, error on the side of caution and don't let them get too soft. you can always add water to the wok & cook the noodles more, but once they get slimy there's no fixing it.

pad thai

(serves 2)

1/2 pkg. rice sticks

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

2 tbs. vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup extra firm tofu, cut into 1" matchsticks

2 tbs. tamarind paste

2 tbs. sugar

1 tbs. fish sauce

1 egg

1 cup bean sprouts

1 lime, cut in wedges for serving

1. first, soak the thai noodles in lukewarm water. completely submerge them and let sit until they are flexible but not slimy, about 5 minutes. again, do not over soak the noodles! if you aren't sure, under soak them and cook them for longer in the pan.

2. toast the peanuts over medium high heat until golden brown. set aside.

3. heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium high heat. add the shallot, garlic and tofu and cook until they begin to brown.

4. drain the noodles and add to pan, along with tamarind paste, sugar, and fish sauce. stir constantly to prevent sticking.

5. push all the noodles to one side of the pan and crack the egg in open space. scramble it until almost cooked, then mix it in with the noodles.

6. continue cooking until the noodles are soft and chewy. test one-- if they are too hard, add a few tablespoons of water and continue cooking until dry.

7. remove from heat and add bean sprouts. serve with peanuts on top and lime on the side.

panang curry {vegan}

i know, i know, this picture isn't very pretty. i need to find some better lighting or we need to stop eating dinner past sunset, because taking photos after dark in our kitchen is bad news. but i still thought i should post this curry, because it was delicious. this was round two of try making panang curry, & this time i was satisfied. the only thing i would change is to use coconut cream rather than coconut milk, because i wished it were a little bit thicker.

panang curry

serves 2

ingredients:

1 14. oz. can coconut milk

2 tbs. red curry paste

2 tbs. brown sugar

1/2 cup broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces

2 carrots, peeled & sliced into 1/4" pieces

4 long beans, cut into thirds

1/2 pound fresh shrimp

1. bring the coconut milk & curry paste to a simmer in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.

2. add the fish sauce, brown sugar & uncooked vegetables. simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.

3. if using shrimp, add it now & continue cooking until shrimp are cooked, about 5 minutes.

4. serve hot with jasmine or (better) coconut rice on the side.

thai pizza.

there's a pizza truck named impossibles that parks on the north shore & sells pies too big to fit in any pizza box. (that or they purposefully buy their boxes small so you're floored by the size of the thing.) their pizzas are incredible, but expensive--around $25. i've never actually tried their thai pizza, but i've heard so much about it that i figured i should try to make my own & see what all the craze was about.

i can't say how it compares to impossibles, but dang, this pizza was gooood.

thai pizza

serves 2-4

(dough from the barefoot contessa)

ingredients:

for the dough:

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 pkg. dry yeast

1 tbs. honey

3 tbs. olive oil

4 cups flour

2 tsp. salt

cornmeal

for the sauce:

3 tbs. peanut butter

2 tbs. honey

1 tbs. rice vinegar

1 tbs. soy sauce

1 tsp. garlic

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

toppings:

olive oil

1 cup mozzarella, grated

1 large carrot, grated

1 scallion, diced

2 tbs red. onion, diced

1 tbs. cilantro, minced

1/4 cup bean sprouts

1. combine the water, yeast, honey & olive oil in a large bowl & let sit for 5-10 minutes, until yeast is foamy. (you can do this in an electric mixer or with a hand mixer. if you're a college student like me, mixing with a wooden spoon does the job.)

2. add 3 cups flour & the salt, & mix. add the remaining flour as you mix. (sometimes i don't add all of that last cup. you just want to form a good dough that's not too sticky.)

3. knead the dough until smooth & elastic, either in the mixer or by hand.

4. place the dough in a well-oiled bowl & turn it over to cover the dough with oil. cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel & let sit for 30 min. to 1 hour at room temperature.

5. combine the ingredients for the sauce with a whisk in a small bowl. set aside.

6. preheat the oven to 400 degrees. after the dough has risen, punch it to let the air out & move the dough to a baking sheet (a big one). form the dough into a circle with your fingers, pushing from the middle out, & leaving about 1/2" crust around the edges. let dough sit for another 10 minutes.

7. lightly oil the edges of the pizza, & liberally spread the peanut sauce across the entire pizza. top with carrots, red onion, scallions & mozzarella. bake at 400 degrees for about 30 min. (check it! how long it takes will vary depending on your oven.) the edges & cheese should be golden brown.

8. sprinkle with cilantro & bean sprouts before serving.