Coconut Curry Tempeh Micro Salad

Let's continue the topic of COCONUT CURRY, which apparently I am addicted to.  
SUBJECT: TEXTURE
I get so darn sick of eating salad when I want something light, healthy and easy.  Salad every day, blah blah blah.  Unfortunately, when I don't have the time or imagination do make anything different, I have to learn to trick myself into eating one.  Also, when I lived in Chicago, I worked near a Pockets - where I became addicted to their chopped salads.  Seriously, the texture alone could fool anyone into eating salad every day.  It's all about TEXTURE!  All you need to make this is a food processor and your favorite veggies!  What really made this recipe work was topping the cold, fresh, chopped veggies with warm crunchy coconut curry tempeh strips.  CRUNCH EXPLOSION IN MY MOUTH!

My Ingredients
A few handfuls of spinach and romaine
1 peeled carrot
1/2 cucumber
1/3 red onion
A handful of cherry tomatoes
A handful of mushrooms
1 green pepper, sliced and de-seeded

Toppings:
Tempeh Strips
Crumbled Feta cheese
Your favorite dressing (I used honey mustard)


The Method
Throw all veggies into a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped but not too much or they'll liquidate!  

Next, saute the tempeh strips on medium heat and olive oil until each side turns crispy brown.  You can find tempeh or tempeh strips at health food stores like Whole Foods or PCC.  Finally, top the veggie mix with tempeh, the cheese and your favorite dressing. Viola! Texture does the trick!

Coconut Curry Chicken Strips

Absolutely Delicious and Light.  These strips of chicken are oven baked and have the perfect accent of spicy curry and sweet coconut.  I loved the crunchy texture, and the chicken cooked to a mouthwatering moisture in the center.  I dipped mine in barbeque sauce like a good Southern girl.  

Just make these; you won't be let down.  A Hot Yoga Food Creation.  Do it now.

Ingredients
2 lbs chicken, cut into 1 inch wide strips
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup plain corn flakes
1/2 t. seasoned salt
1.5 T. curry powder
1 T Spike seasoning (optional)
1 t. parsley


The Method
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  In one bowl, whisk the egg, set aside.  Place the corn flakes in a large plastic baggie, seal it, then pound the corn flakes with your hand until they are ground to small bits.  Open baggie and add the seasonings and coconut.  (If you don't want to use a plastic baggie, use a plate like the picture below.)  Place the flour on a plate and dip the chicken strips in it until they are each lightly coated.  Then, dip each strip in the whisked egg, and shake off any excess.  Lastly, coat them in the corn flake mixture.  

Place the coated chicken strips on a greased cookie sheet (I line mine with foil) and lightly spray them with cooking oil.  

Place in oven on one side for 15 minutes.  Then flip them over and heat for an additional 10 minutes.  They should crisp to a light, golden brown color.

Vegan Curry

I realized that I've been posting a lot of carnivore recipes.  Though I tend to frugally use meat as an accent or side dish rather than the main dish of most of my recipes, I think that a vegetarian dish can be just as tasty.  The V-Word can freak a lot of people out.  How can no meat AND no dairy possibly satiate my appetite?  Well, this my dears, will do that and more.  I've been making this curry at least once a month for many years.  It was one of the first recipes that got me interested in the chemistry of food, and it's a flexible recipe that you can keep new and exciting each time you make it.  You can mix and match veggies, types of rice, seasoning amount and it always, always turns out delicious!  Again, the star of the show is COCONUT.  The sweet thing about this recipe is not only the coconut but that it is extremely fast to make. When I came home from yoga the other night, I whipped this together in no time.  This Hot Yoga Food ("HYF") creation definitely fulfills the wellness factor with ingredients like cinnamon (good for the blood), vegetables and warmth of the dish. 

This time I used my spicy curry powder.

I suggest you cook whatever rice you want first so it will be waiting to be drenched in the curry when you finish the recipe.  I usually throw a stick of cinnamon in the rice water as it boils.

HYF's Vegan Curry Ingredients

2 T. Olive oil

2 Carrots, peeled & diced

1 Onion, diced

1 Green bell pepper, diced

1 Red bell pepper, diced

1 Head of Cauliflower, chopped into flowerets

1 T. Garlic

1 T. Curry powder

1 T. Cinnamon powder

1 t. Turmeric

1/2 t. Ground Cloves

1/2 t. Cayenne

1 can Coconut milk

Optional Garnish:

Greek yogurt

Sesame seeds

The Method

In a large saute pan (at least a 3 inches high), cook the onions in olive oil on medium heat until they are soft.  Then, add the carrots, bell pepper and cauliflower.  Cook until veggies are soft.  Next, add garlic and all the spices.  Stir the spices in until all the veggies are coated.  Your kitchen should start smelling really good about now.  Lastly, pour the coconut milk over the vegetables and stir.  Cover and simmer on low heat until the vegetables are soft.  You can add water to keep the mixture nice and saucy.  Serve by pouring a serving of curry over a few scoops of rice. Garnish with Greek or plain yogurt and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.  Viola!

Burmese Chicken Coconut Soup 

*A recipe that works!  

When Dave picked me up from yoga the other night, he smelled like curried coconut!  Maybe my smell buds are heightened after yoga, too.  Dave is officially the Monday night chef since he works from home that day.  I gave him this recipe to make, and it was divine and totally satisfied me!  

This soup was the perfect amount of spice-level and richness that fills me up, but isn't too heavy.  The coconut milk base is really what gives you a wonderful feeling of wellness.  Coconut water has been very popular in some hot yoga studios over the years, so why not have some more for dinner? Hope this recipe works as well with your tummies like it did mine!

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Before we get started, my goals for this blog are for recipes that meet one or both of the following criteria:

• works well with my body 
  
• quick and easy

Mondays are cheater nights for me since I have someone at home to help with the cooking.  If you have someone at home who is willing to cook, please have them make this for you!  If you live alone, make this on the weekend for the following week's meal plan.  I've learned that maintaining good eating habits is all about planning.  I've started to prep 2-3 meals on Sundays before the week starts.  That way, I'll only have to cook once, maybe twice, during the week nights.

*Any time a recipe goes well with my system after yoga, it is officially getting the tag "recipes that work."  It's getting a big fat "dooser" if it doesn't work.  Hopefully, that won't happen very much. I'll also either tag them "takes time" or "quick."

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Now, for some food!

Burmese Chicken-Coconut Soup

- makes 5 servings -

Adapted from From Curries to Kebabs: Recipes from the Indian Spice Trail by Madhur Jaffrey.

Ingredients

For the curry soup
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 medium onions, finely sliced in half-rings
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chickpea and/or fava flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup coconut milk

For the noodles

12 to 16 ounces lo-mein, rice, or pasta noodles (we used rice noodles)

For the garnishes
Lime or lemon wedges
4 scallions, cut into thin rounds
2 hard boiled eggs, cut crosswise into slices
roasted chili powder

Instructions

1. Place the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and 4 tablespoons of water into a blender. Puree until smooth.

2. Spread the cut-up chicken out on a plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and let sit.

3. Place the flour in a bowl. Slowly add 1 cup of the chicken broth to mix well.

4. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, toss in the chicken and stir-fry until lightly browned. 

5. Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook slowly, allowing the onions to caramelize over the course of five to seven minutes. Towards the end of that time when the onions are beginning to brown, add the turmeric and paprika.

6. In a pot suited for soups, add the chicken along with the juices that will have settled, the sautéed onions, the onion and ginger puree, and the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth. Carefully add the chickpea flour and broth mixture, mixing quickly so that the flour won't clump.

7. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt, if needed.

8. Add the coconut milk. Stir to mix and return to a simmer. Serve with noodles and garnishes as desired.