Mrs. Plant's version of Jamie Oliver's Stuffed Curried Eggplant

1 onion, chopped into chunks
4 cloves garlic
1 T crushed ginger
Handful of fresh cilantro leaves (save a few pieces for garnish)
1-2 fresh red chillies, seeded (I used a red Fresno pepper)
1 tsp each of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ground turmeric, garam masala
2 heaping T natural peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
1 T mango chutney (you can just buy a jar in the Indian section of your grocery store)
2 T tamarind paste
salt to taste
Approx. 800 grams of Asian or Indian eggplant - I used FOUR 8-9" long Asian eggplants and sliced them Hasselback-style
1  can of lite coconut milk
8 oz ripe mixed-colour cherry or grape tomatoes
2 T chopped dry-roasted peanuts (for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. 

Place onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor along with the cilantro and pepper. Whiz into a fine paste. Set aside.

In a large skillet, add the spices on a low heat and dry-fry for 1 minute, or until is smelling fantastic, stirring constantly. Add in the paste and cook for another 5-8 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly. Stir in the peanut butter, mango chutney, tamarind paste, and season with sea salt. Add a small amount of water so the paste isn't too thick. Turn off heat and set aside.

Leaving them intact at the stalk, cut the eggplants into quarters lengthways (if using small Indian eggplants) or slice them like you would Hasselback potatoes along the width from end to end, with about 1/4 inch of space between each slice (for the longer Asian eggplants). Only slice down about 3/4 into the eggplants. Arrange the sliced eggplants in a casserole dish. Top with the spiced paste (spread evenly) and the cherry/grape tomatoes. Bake UNCOVERED for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes have roasted down. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Remove the casserole from the oven and pour the can of lite coconut milk over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle with a few more pinches of salt. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, removing the foil halfway. 

Serve with cooked Basmati or brown rice and garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Reheats beautifully in microwave.

Inspired by: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/aubergine-recipes/stuffed-curried-aubergines/

Vegan Momo [Napalese Street Dumplings]

Momo Dipping Sauce - Can be made a day in advance

2 cups of water
4 ripe organic vine tomatoes
1-4 dried Kashmiri chilli peppers (depending on your spiciness desire)*
4 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger, peeled
3 T blanched almonds (white, no peel)
1 T tahini
1 t sugar
1 t white vinegar
¼ t salt
1 t soy sauce

* NOTE: This dipping sauce can be made with no chilis or as many as you like. We prefer ours not spicy, but it is traditionally made as a spicy sauce. You can sub Kashmiri chilli powder or cayenne. Not as authentic, but you do what you gotta do!

In a saucepan, add water, tomatoes (whole), chilis (if using) garlic, ginger, and almonds. Boil for about 5 minutes until the peel in the tomatoes cracks. Drain off all of the water. Let tomatoes cool enough to remove peels. Toss everything into high speed blender with tahini, sugar, salt, vinegar, and soy sauce, and blend until very smooth. Do NOT add any additional liquid. Store in fridge. Can be served cold or room temp. Serve as a dipping sauce for Momo.

Inspired by recipe from Hebbar's Kitchen
https://hebbarskitchen.com/momos-chutney-recipe-momo-sauce/

Momo (Like Potstickers or Dumplings)

NOTE: 45 minutes before you are ready to make up the momos, take the gyoza wrappers out of the freezer and let them sit in the closed package at room temperature. They should be ready to work with after that amount of time. You can also make these from scratch, but I'm too lazy!

1 package of frozen wheat gyoza wrappers (from Asian store)
1 bag of shredded green cabbage (plain-- not with carrots or red cabbage)
1 cup carrots
2 green onions, white part only)
4 cloves of garlic
1 T fresh ginger
1/4 cup cilantro
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 oz firm tofu crumbed into tiny pieces
1 T low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 t liquid smoke

In a food processor, process carrots, cabbage, green onions (white part), garlic and ginger into tiny pieces. Place mixture into a skillet over medium heat. Cook until moisture is released and evaporated, leaving a dry-ish veggie mixture.

While veggies are cooking, mix crumbled tofu with soy sauce and liquid smoke. Spread out on parchment paper and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring inches halfway. Add tofu to the veggie mixture. Cover (leaving it open just slightly) and refrigerate until ready to make up the momos.

Ready to make the momos! Work with only ONE Momo at a time.

Have a very small bowl of water ready. Hold the wrapper in the palm of your hand. Brush water all the way around the edge of the wrapper with your finger so it will seal well.  Place a small amount of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Pinch the dough around in a circle until you have completely closed the wrapper. Press the Momo gently down on a wooden board to flatten the bottom a little. Make up all of the Momo before steaming them. You can set them on a piece of parchment paper until you are ready to steam them.

Add 1 cup of water into your instant pot. Place the metal stand in the bottom. Place a steamer basket (I love our Instant Pot silicone one. It worked great for this!!!) On the stand. Cut a piece of parchment paper, into the shape of your steamer basket bottom and create 5 to 6 holes around the perimeter, about 1/2 inch in and 1 hole near the center. This is so that the steam can come up through. Place that parchment paper down at the bottom of your steamer basket. Set momos on the parchment paper but not over the he's and not touching watching other. You should be able to steam 6 to 7 at a time. Close the lid. Press your Instant Pot STEAM button and set for 2 minutes (valve on SEALING). When the 2 minutes is up, let the lid stay in for 5 more minutes, then release the steam. For each batch add 2-3 T of water into the pot to replenish what steamed out. SERVE IMMEDIATELY.

Gobi Manchurian [oil-free vegan]

1 small head of cauliflower, washed, dried well, and cut into small florets

Seasoning for the Cauliflower:
1/2 t ginger paste
1/4 t salt
a few grinds of crushed black pepper
1 T cornstarch or arrowroot powder

For the Batter:
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of cornstarch or arrowroot powder
3/4 cup of water (more if needed)

For the Manchurian Sauce: 
1 1/2 T chopped garlic
1 T chopped ginger
1 t red chilli flakes or finely chopped green chillies (ONLY add if you love extremely spicy food!)
1/2 cup of finely chopped onion
2 T of chopped spring onion (the white portion)

Sauce Mixture
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 T  Sriracha sauce
6 T ketchup
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 t white vinegar

Finely chopped cilantro leaves and chopped green onion for garnish
Serve with steamed Jasmine or Basmati rice

DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl, add the seasoning for the cauliflower to a bowl and mix well to combine. Add the cauliflower and toss gently to coat.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the batter ingredients, slowly adding water until you get the consistency of thick pancake batter (pourable, but will stick to the cauliflower).
Dip individual pieces of the seasoned cauliflower into the batter, tap off on the side of the bowl, then place on the parchment paper in a single layer; do not allow the pieces to touch one another. Bake until crispy on the outside and fork tender on the inside--about 20 minutes. Turn oven off and let the cauliflower bites stay warm until you coat them with the sauce--right before serving.

In a large skillet, steamfry the onions in 2 T of water. Cook until tender and lightly browned--about 5-8 minutes, adding more water if needed. Add in the ginger, garlic, chilli (if using), and white part of the green onions. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. While the onions are cooking, mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stir ingredients together well to combine. Add the sauce to the skillet with the onion-garlic-ginger-chilli mixture. Bring the sauce to a soft boil then lower heat to a simmer and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the sauce cool for another 5 minutes. Add a little water if the sauce has gotten too thick to coat the cauliflower bites.

When cauliflower is done, add pieces into the skillet with the sauce and coat them well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and chopped green onions. Serve with warm, cooked rice.

Cauliflower and Baked Tofu Tikka Masala

My family LOVES Indian food, but it is generally cooked with a lot of oil. Found an amazing Tikka Masala seasoning packet at Sprouts, and this is how I made OIL-FREE Cauliflower-Tofu Tikka Masala with it...

Arora Creations Organic Chicken Tikka Masala spice packet (found at Sprouts Farmers Market) - http://www.aroracreations.com/product/organic-tikka-masala/
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/8 cup crushed ginger (I used the organic one from The Ginger People)
8 oz. organic tomato sauce
1 t. Better-than-Bouillon No-Chicken Base
1/2 cup water
2 T. fresh chopped cilantro
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 block of firm tofu, cut into cubes

Bake the tofu cubes on non-stick foil-lined pan at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
In a Dutch oven or extra-large saucepan, water-saute the onion until lightly browned and tender.
Add the garlic and ginger. Cook 1-2 minutes.
Add the masala seasoning. Cook for another minute. Add the tomato sauce, water, Better-than-Bouillon No-Chicken Base and combine well.
Add in the cauliflower florets and cilantro and mix them into the sauce, coating every piece well. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender (about 20 minutes). Add in baked tofu and stir well. Serve over rice or with Indian bread.

Oil-Free Samosa Pancakes

2 1/2 pounds of medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in half
1/2 t. cumin seed
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1-2 green chilis (the tiny ones you get at the Indian store or Serrano peppers will work, too), de-seeded and chopped finely (Caution: USE GLOVES)!
2 T. freshly chopped cilantro
1/2 t. cumin powder
1/4-1/2 t Indian red chili powder (do not use Mexican chili powder, which is VERY different!)
1/2 t. turmeric powder
1/2 cup frozen peas
Salt to taste

Place peeled potato halves into the Instant Pot with 1/2 cup water. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes with Natural Release.

While potatoes are cooking, warm a skillet to medium-high heat. Toss in the cumin seeds and stir for about 30 seconds until aroma is present. Add the onions, garlic, chilis, and cilantro with a little bit of water. Saute until tender (adding a little water if needed to keep them from sticking to the pan). Add in the cumin powder, red chili powder, and turmeric. Stir until everything is well combined and warmed through. Set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F or heat your indoor grill to 325 degrees. You can also pop these into your air fryer!

Drain the water completely from the potatoes, but leave them in the pressure cooker pot. Mash them roughly with a hand potato masher or hand blender. Don't blend them too smooth if you plan to make them into pancakes. If you want to make them into smoother mashed potatoes, blend them with a hand blender. Add in the veggie/spices mixture and stir until well combined. Add in the frozen peas and stir well to distribute them.

In Oven: Spoon mixture into blobs onto a parchment paper-lined baking pan. Flatten the mixture with a spatula or spoon. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Flip them and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve warm.

In Indoor Grill: Spoon mixture into blobs onto the grill plate. Flatten the mixture with a spatula or spoon. Close the top and cook for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Serve warm.

Oil-Free Indian Vegetable Pakora

1 ¾ cup chickpea flour
1 t. baking powder
¾ t. salt (optional)
½ t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin powder
2 t. garam masala powder
½ t. turmeric
1 cup water
1 onion, diced
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, shredded finely
1 large carrot shredded finely
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Steamfry onion in a small skillet until tender.
Add water to the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
Add in the steam-fried onion, shredded potato, shredded carrots, peas, and corn and stir together until combined.
Drop heaping tablespoon full of batter onto parchment-lined trays.
Bake for 10 minutes, then flip over. Bake for another 10 minutes or until crispy on the outside and cooked well on the inside.
Serve with tamarind sauce of Sriracha ketchup.

Inspired by Potato Strong - Will Kriski

QUICK Cucumber Kimchi Salad inspired by MommyTang​!

NOTE...you need kitchen gloves for this recipe!

8-10 Kirby cucumbers
Kosher salt
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
low-sodium soy sauce
gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) - do NOT use other types of chili flakes for this
coconut sugar
black pepper
toasted sesame seeds

Stripe-peel your cucumbers and slice them into rounds about 1/2-inch thick. Place them in a stain-resistant bowl and sprinkle some kosher salt on them. Don't worry, you will rinse them after they brine the cucumbers. Using kitchen gloves, massage the salt into the cucumber slices. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
After brining, rinse the cucumbers with cold water one time to remove excess salt. Drain well.
Add crushed garlic, a small amount of soy sauce, gochugaru to taste, coconut sugar to taste, a few grinds of black pepper, and some toasted sesame seeds, Mix well with GLOVED hand. Chill before serving!

Inspired by Mommy Tang

Deconstructed Egg-Less Roll Bowl

1 head of green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
8 oz. of mushrooms, shredded
 1/4 cup oil-free vegan stir-fry sauce
1 block of tofu, marinated and baked
Cook and warmed brown rice
Mango, chopped
Sriracha sauce
Sweet chili sauce (any kind you like)

Marinate and bake tofu. While the tofu is baking...cook the cabbage, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms in a large skillet until just wilted and some of the liquid has evaporated. Add the stir-fry sauce. Turn the heat to low. Create a bowl with the veggies, brown rice, tofu, mangoes, and sauces. Serve!

"Oat" Cheese Sauce [gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan]

Recipe update on 10/14/16
I'm calling this "Oat" Cheese Sauce because rather than the base being cashews (like our Cashew Queso recipe), this recipe calls for oats! I originally saw this recipe on "Simple Daily Recipes" by the hilarious Jill Ann McKeever. I have made some modifications to give it a more Mexican flavor. ENJOY!

NOTE: You can add in cumin, onion powder, and cayenne to make a Mexican-flavored for chip dipping and other Mexican recipes. See additional spices to add, below.

1/2 cup old-fashioned organic rolled oats [gluten-free variety if you want this sauce to be GF]
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup of roasted red bell pepper (about 1/2 of a medium-sized roasted pepper)
1 T. non-GMO corn starch or arrowroot powder
2 cups of water
1- 1 1/2 t. salt (start with 1 t and add more if needed)

For Mexican style add:
1 t. cumin powder
1/2 t. onion powder
dash (or more) of cayenne pepper
dash (or more) of black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Throw everything in your blender and blend for a few minutes until very smooth. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened, whisking the entire time after about one minute. BE PATIENT! It will thicken to a beautiful, smooth, cheesy sauce.

General Tso’s Tofu (No Oil!)

This recipe is a winner! It was so authentic and my lips are still tingling!
I made modifications from the original recipe to reduce the fat. Though I normally never use only, I did use 1 teaspoon of sesame oil (for flavor) for the whole recipe. It came out fabulous!

Crispy Tofu
1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained
2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. mirin (rice wine)
½ tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs. cornstarch

Sauce
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup raw sugar (or slightly less, if you want it less sweet)
3 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
2 T + 2 tsp. mirin (rice wine)
4 tsp. rice vinegar
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 ½ tsp. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/4 -1/2 T. red pepper flakes , depending on how spicy you want it

4 cups steamed broccoli
1 cup steamed sugar snap peas
2 cups steamed brown or white rice
2 T. toasted sesame seeds for garnish.

1. To make Crispy Tofu: Cut tofu block into two broad slabs. Wrap tofu slabs in paper towels, and place between two cutting boards. Weight top cutting board with soup cans, and press 30 minutes (or use a tofu press). Unwrap tofu, and cut into 1-inch cubes.
2. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, garlic, and ginger in resealable container. Add tofu, and toss to coat. Marinate 30 minutes, or overnight. (Tofu should absorb all liquid.)
3. Preheat oven to 400°F and place on nonstick foil-lined or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift cornstarch over tofu, and turn to coat evenly. Spread tofu on baking sheet. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until firm and crispy, turning several times to brown all sides.
4. To make Sauce: Whisk together broth, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, cornstarch, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
5. Steam broccoli and sugar snap peas (putting sugar snap peas on top of the broccoli) until just fork tender, but still bright green. Set aside.
6. Add broth mixture to a large skillet, and cook on medium high for 1-2 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in Crispy Tofu. Serve with steamed broccoli, steamed sugar snap peas and rice, drizzling remaining sauce over the veggies and rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Aloo Gobi (Indian Potatoes and Cauliflower)

Who says you can't make Indian food without oil??!?! Aloo Gobi (Indian Potatoes and Cauliflower) made by my amazing husband!

Aloo Gobi (for 6-8 people)
4 cups of cauliflower (cut into small florets)
4 medium potatoes (cubed into bite-sized pieces)
1 inch ginger, grated
2 T coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
¼-1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne or Indian red chili pepper
6 tablespoons water
¼ cup veggie broth
1 t cumin seeds
1 t salt (to taste or optional)
¼ cup of freshly chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup water as needed

In a small bowl, mix the grated ginger, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and 3 tablespoons of water to make a paste.
Heat the veggie broth in a large pot.
Add cumin seeds and stir for a few seconds.
Next, add the spice paste and stir for a minute until spices are combined.
Add cauliflower, potatoes, 2 tablespoons of water and salt. Mix well. Cover the pot and let it cook on medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Make sure to stir gently every 3 to 4 minutes. If there is too much liquid, remove the cover to let some steam out.
Lastly, add the freshly chopped cilantro and chopped tomatoes. Mix everything and cover for a minute. Adjust the salt to your taste.

Salsa Fresca

Makes 1-quart jar

Two 14-oz cans of fire-roasted organic diced tomatoes (salt-free if desired)
½ small organic sweet onion, chopped into quarters
2 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded (leave a few seeds if you want it spicy!) OR 1 T. chili in adobo sauce (for a smoky spicy flavor!)
1 T agave, maple syrup, or date syrup
½ t salt
1 t cumin
medium handful of Cilantro - no big stems
juice from one lime

Put all ingredients in the blender EXCEPT the tomatoes. run on low until everything is chopped well. Then, add the tomatoes and PULSE a few times until the desired consistency is achieved. DO NOT blend.

NOTE: This Salsa Fresca CAN be made salt and sweetener-free, if desired. It will taste different, but if you are already SOS-free, you will like it regardless!

Spinach Mushroom Potato Enchiladas with Salsa Verde Cashew Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 large garlic cloves, crushed
16 oz. organic button mushrooms or baby bellas (or a combination of both), chopped small
2 medium-sized organic russet or Yukon gold potatoes, diced small, leave skins on (if desired)
16 oz. fresh, organic spinach, chopped roughly
2 T Mexican seasoning (I make the recipe from the PlantPure Nation cookbook and use it in this recipe)
1 bag whole wheat tortillas (8-9 small tortillas)
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for a few hours or overnight if not using a high-speed blender like a Vitamix
2 bottles of Taco Bell Salsa Verde (or any Salsa Verde sauce you like)


Filling:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss potatoes in 1 T of the Mexican seasoning and bake on parchment paper for about 15 minutes until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
While potatoes are baking, steamfry garlic over medium-high heat in 2 T of water for about a minute in a very large skillet.
Add chopped mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes, or until all of the moisture has cooked out.
Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted (about 3 or 4 minutes).
Add seasonings and salt.
Stir everything well.
Add the roasted potatoes into the skillet and combine well.


Prepare the enchiladas: 

If your tortillas are not super flexible, you can add 2 inches of water to a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil. Put a cooling rack on top (or you can use the rack from your toaster oven), and place a tortilla on the rack. Carefully steam one side. Pull the rack away before flipping to the other side to prevent burning your hand on the steam.
Lay the steamed tortilla on a board or plate and place filling in a one-inch wide strip down the center.
Roll the tortilla up and place in a 9x13 glass pan.
Do this for each of the tortillas until you have used all of the filling and filled your pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Just before putting in the oven

Make the Sauce:

Drain water from cashews, rinse them with cold water. Then, put in blender with both bottles of Taco Bell Salsa Verde. Blend in a high-speed blender for several minutes until very smooth. Pour over enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until warmed through.

Cover the 9x13 pan of enchiladas with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve!

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Penne Arrabbiata

4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t. dried basil
1 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 28-ounce can organic crushed tomatoes with basil
1 T. raw sugar or date syrup
1 lb. whole wheat penne noodles, cooked according to package directions

In a saucepan, cook minced garlic in a small amount of the crushed tomatoes for about 1 minute over medium heat. Add all other ingredients and simmer (covered) for about 15-20 minutes. Serve over whole grain pasta with vegan parmesan cheese and sides of green veggies.

Indian Vegetable Pulao (Vegetable Basmati Rice)

½ t. mustard seeds
10 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup cauliflower cut into tiny florets (optional)
1 cup chopped organic carrots
½ cup frozen organic peas
2 cups basmati rice, soaked in water for 30 minutes, then rinsed well in a fine-mesh strainer with cold water and drained well
1 t. salt (or more to taste)
3 cups of water

NOTE: You can use 2 1/2 cups of frozen mixed veggies instead of the cauliflower, carrots, and peas.

Heat a large saucepan on medium high heat. Add mustard seeds, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Dry fry for 1 minute. Add rice and the vegetables, stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add salt and water and bring to a boil. Cover pot and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Check after about 10 minutes to see if more water needs to be added. Only add a tiny bit if needed. Rice should be separated and fluff easily with a fork when done. Add additional salt if needed. Remove the cloves (count them!) and cinnamon sticks when transferring to a serving dish.