Vegetable & Mung Bean Noodle Salad with Creamy Teriyaki Dressing

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when a recipe with a name like this one has would have scared me off. Asian flavor profiles have never been my strong suit, and an ingredient list like this one takes some getting used to.

Tofu...miso...sambal oelek... Not everyone has purchased these items before. Don't worry; they're easy to find in any large grocery. Check the refrigerated produce section for tofu (often near other "specialty foods" like ginger root, fresh herbs, and bottled garlic) and the Asian foods section for everything else that sounds strange. Though the products may be unfamiliar, I guarantee you'll recognize their aromas and flavors. They may even become new staples in your kitchen, as they have in mine.

Though it involves stir-frying, this recipe is more easily managed than many Asian dishes because it is intended to be served at room temperature. So, there's not need for that sweaty rush from wok to table. Speaking of woks: If you don't have one, a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet works fine. I prefer to use a Dutch oven to make tossing the ingredients easier.

Vegetable & Mung Bean Noodle Salad with Creamy Teriyaki Dressing

Dressing:
4 oz firm silken tofu
1/3 cup spicy miso teriyaki sauce
1 Tbs sambal oelek (ground fresh chili paste)
2 Tbs fresh ginger, grated
2 Tbs lemon juice
1Tbs sesame oil

Combine dressing ingredients in food processor and blend until creamy. If you prefer more heat, add additional sambal oelek to taste. Bear in mind that the dressing will taste milder once combined with the vegetables and noodles. For a saltier dressing, add a dash of soy sauce.

Salad:
1 (6 oz) package saifun (mung bean noodles)
6 cups thinly sliced vegetables (I used carrots, broccoli, celery, and bell peppers. Sugar snap peas, mushrooms, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and more would also be tasty.)
2 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted
3 scallions, chopped

Stir fry vegetables (except scallions) in sesame oil, over medium-high heat, until crisp-tender. Allow to cool. Meanwhile, cook saifun according to package directions (boil, don't fry). Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.

Combine saifun, vegetables, and dressing in large bowl, stirring gently to combine. Serve topped with sesame seeds and scallions.

Makes 4 dinner servings.

Side dish suggestion: Mix hot, brown basmati rice with onion, garlic, and kale lightly sauteed in sesame oil and drizzled with soy sauce.

Curried Coconut Coercion

My mother isn't fond of the spice that gives curries their name, so I wasn't introduced to this marvelously flexible dish until I was well into my twenties. These days, they're one of my favorites for quick, hearty, aromatic suppers. Curries adapt readily to whatever ingredients you have on hand; the fact that I had pasillas instead of sweet bell peppers led to this rather unusual, but surprisingly tasty, version. As an added benefit, the dish reheats beautifully for lunch the next day.

In this curry, which is named in honor of loyal reader who insisted that I get back here and post something already, I use red lentils for their attractive color. I located them in the bulk section of a large grocery, and any specialty foods store ought to carry them. If you can't find them or don't want to bother, regular brown lentils would work just fine. I opted for the richness of full-fact coconut milk (C'mon, have you ever heard of anyone getting obese off coconuts? Plant fats are good for you!), but the reduced fat version would also do the trick.

The recipe as written will deliver a flavorful but mild curry. If you want to turn up the heat, increase the red curry paste or add hot curry powder. You could also throw in a diced jalipeno, so long as we're flirting with fusion!


Curried Coconut Coersion
Flegan

1 medium onion, diced
1 pasilla (also known as a poblano), diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 Tbs red curry paste
1 (14.5 oz) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 oz) vegetable broth
1 (14.5 oz) can petite-diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1 tsp salt
4 green onions, chopped
Lime juice to taste

Saute onion and pasilla over low to medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute one minute. Add red curry paste and saute one minute more. Add next five ingredients (coconut milk through salt) and simmer until lentils are done, about 25 minutes. Serve over brown basmati rice with a sprinkle of green onions and a squeeze of lime.

Serves 6.
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Still hungry? Try my November Lentil Curry

Happiness...

is a new greyhound...
rescued from a track that closed in Kansas...
with a new friend...
and a big yard...

and a forever home.

Welcome, little Goblin, to In the Night Farm.
_________________________________________

Why the muzzles, you ask? It's certainly not because greyhounds are violent. Rather, they're one of the gentlest breeds you'll ever have the pleasure to know. But they do have thin skins that tear easily, so a playful nip could mean a trip to the vet for stitches. That's why many greyhound owners use muzzles, especially while new dogs get to know each other.

Who Needs a Tractor?

This is the wall that Travis built.


It is every bit as heavy and awkward as it looks. Unfortunately, it belongs in the root cellar, which is 200 feet away from the driveway where it was constructed. We tried picking it up to move it. Yeah, right. Maybe if there were six of us.

So, this is the way we move the wall that Travis built.


Of course, this wasn't our brilliant idea. Log rolling is an ancient technique. Anthropologists theorize it was used to move Stonehenge's monolithic sarsan stones 20 miles about 5,000 years ago.

Hmm. Easy though it was, I'm glad we didn't have to move the wall that far.

Harvest Enchiladas

I'll (almost) shamelessly admit that this recipe is based on Cooking Light's Black Bean, Corn, and Zucchini Enchiladas. The original recipe struck me as a good way to use zucchini, but it looked a bit bland; also, it called for more cheese than I wanted to use.

I added several ingredients to liven up the enchilada filling and replaced the cheese with tofu mixed with cheesy-flavored nutritional yeast, plus a sprinkling of chives. (If you're feeding picky eaters, don't mention the tofu -- chances are, they'll assume it's ricotta or cottage cheese.) Cooking Light's sauce recipe is excellent, and I prepared the original version.

As you can see, I served the enchiladas with fresh tomato salad (diced garden tomatoes with fresh basil, cracked black pepper, a pinch of kosher salt, and a splash of rice vinegar.) If you want something heavier, Spanish rice would be a good choice.


Harvest Enchiladas
Flegan

2 tsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 cups zucchini, diced
1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked
1 10-oz package frozen corn
1 12.3-oz package silken tofu
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
1/3 cup fresh oregano, chopped
8 whole wheat tortillas (8-inch)
1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped
Enchilada Sauce by Cooking Light

Saute onion, garlic, and zucchini in oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add beans and corn; heat just until corn thaws.

Meanwhile, stir together silken tofu, nutritional yeast, and oregano.

Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased, 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Fill each tortilla with zucchini mixture and tofu mixture. Place rolled enchiladas in prepared pan and top with remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with chives immediately before serving.

Serves 4.

The Fruits of our Labor

Let us not become weary in doing good,

for in the proper time we will reap a harvest.
~ Galatians 6:9

Digging for Gold

The potato blossoms have faded, the leaves withered, and it is time for harvest. Travis dug the first row of Yukon Golds.


I diced them.


And mixed them with a bit of olive oil, kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and fresh rosemary.


Then roasted them to purest bliss.


Ahh, homegrown potatoes. You simply can't buy this flavor at the store.