Emily's Vegan Food

Stewart's Cousin stayed with us on his journey out to California. He is vegan and I wanted to cook something that would be fitting for his diet. So I made some dishes that were not crazy or weird though still vegan...well I did try some vegan muffins which were weird and not my favorite but other then that I made normal dishes that are naturally vegan.

Now you must realize now how I cook - its very different from how I bake - I don't usually follow a recipe, never ever exactly. I add a little of this and a little of that and taste as I go until I am happy with it. So I am writing a recipe but know I am really just guessing here. I might have really used 1 TB oil - I really have no idea I just poured until it looked "right". So take this more as a recommendation and then make it your own. For me that is what cooking is all about.

Mexican Noodle Soup

2 TB olive oil
1 med onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
4 medium tomatoes diced small
4 TB fresh cilantro
dash of dried basil
1/2 to 1 cup small noddles like Mexican style broken vermicelli or orzo
5 cups vegetable stock - if you want you can use chicken stock
salt and pepper

heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Push onion to the side of pot and add the noodles. Saute until they start to get a nice golden brown color. Then add the garlic and cook just until fragrant. add the diced tomatoes, cilantro, and basil. Stir and let cook a little while. Then add the broth and salt and pepper to taste. Let cook until the noodles are tender but still firm and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese (if not being served to a vegan), diced avocado, lime wedges, warm tortillas, and chopped cilantro.

Lentil Curry

1 large onion chopped
2 large garlic cloves minced
1 TB olive oil
1 large red pepper chopped
1 large carrot chopped
2 cups mushrooms minced
1/2 TB salt
pepper
red curry powder to taste
yellow curry powder to taste
cumin
citric acid to taste (a little goes a long way, if you don't have this used lime or lemon juice in its place)
1 - 1 1/2 cup lentils
5 to 7 cups vegetable broth
1/3 to 1/2 cup coconut milk

heat oil, add onion and cook for a couple minutes. Add garlic, red pepper, and carrots and cook for a couple minutes then add minced mushrooms and seasonings. Stir in rinsed lentils and coconut milk and broth. taste soup to adjust he seasoning. let simmer until the lentils are soft. I served with rice and I put cheese on the kids because it was "too spicy!" :) but I liked it best by itself.

ATK's Tandoori Chicken

American Test Kitchen has done it again! They have blessed me with one of the best recipes I have ever come across - Tandoori Chicken. I have always wanted to make it but just never got around to it, but finally I did. Like most always I turned to ATK to get a trusted recipe. It is LOVE poeple. My tate buds were in HEAVEN!!! I fell in love with Tandoori chicken even though this recipe is not the most authentic - it is not made in a tandoor which is a small kiln for baking things at super high temps. Many people's version are very spicy and add food coloring to give its trade mark orange color. But when food coloring is not necessary I skip out on it and this recipe feels the same. This dish is homey and yet exotic. The tenderness of the chicken is amazing as is the flavor thanks to the great cooking method- low temp bake followed by super hot broil. When I served this I knew it was something great. I kept wishing I had my foodie family around to marvel with me. But I was excited that Bridger kept saying, "Mommy this is the best chicken ever ever! This is my favorite!" That is pretty awesome too. So I might have hyped it too much so you'll make it and then be like, "whatever its not that good!" ...So here is the deal. Call me up and say "hey, make me some tandoori." and I will say "come right now and we'll do it!" and then I will serve you the yummiest Indian food you have ever tasted and kiss me on the cheek because you just cant help yourself. Ok? I mean it. This is something I would make for anyone just to share the love of it all and lets be honest so, then I'd get to eat it again too.

One ting I must tell you now. I did the recipe wrong. I left the skin on. I missed the whole remove the skin part when it listed the ingredients. Luckily I was intuitive enough to adapt a little here and there as I went - I added more salt, and I cooked it longer on both cooking settings. My chicken was fabulous despite my inability to read the recipe perfectly. So know you have two recipes to try! You can do it my way or follow their directions. I will make notes throughout so you can adapt it too if you want.

2 TB veg oil
6 med garlic gloves, minced or pressed
2 TB grated fresh ginger
1 TB garam masala (see note)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used Greek)
4 TB lime juice- divided
2 tsp table salt (I used more because I love my salt - probably 1/2 tsp more)
3 pounds bone-in-skin-on chicken parts breast, thigh or drumsticks. Remove the skin and excess fat. (I did thighs and drumsticks with skin).

1.) Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook just until fragrant bout 1 minute. Add garam masala, cumin, and chili powder, continue to cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Transfer half of garlic spice mixture to medium bowl and stir in the yogurt and 2 TB lime juice ans set aside. ( I added 1/4 tsp salt to the yogurt)

2.) In a large bowl combine remaining garlic spice mixture, 2 TB lime juice, and salt. using a sharp knife, lightly score skinned side of each piece of chicken, making 2 or 3 shallow cuts about 1 in. apart and about 1/8 inch deep; transfer chicken to large bowl with spices and rub the slat spice mixture evenly on all pieces of chicken. Let sit at room temp for 30 minutes. (ok, I lifted the skin off the meat rubbed the spices under the skin and then put skin back over chicken and rubbed the outside of the chicken with the spice mixture, and I added more salt to my mixture as well. Then I let my chicken sit for four hours in the refrigerator. )

3.) Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken and toss until chicken pieces are coated with thick layer. Arrange chicken pieces, scored side down on wire rack set in foil lined cookie sheet. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Bake chicken until instant -read thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 125 degrees for breast and 130 for legs and thighs, 15 to 25 minutes (mine took longer). Smaller pieces take longer so transfer then to a plate while the other pieces bake to their needed temperature.

4.) After removing the chicken from the oven turn oven to broil and heat 10 minutes. Once broiler is heated flip chicken pieces over and broil until chicken is lightly charred in spots and the instant-read thermometer registers 165 for breasts and 175 for legs and thighs, 8 to 15 minutes ( mine took longer). Remove from oven and light cover chicken with foil and let it rest for five minuets . serve with Basmati Rice - pilaf style or any Indian relish. Be simple like me and serve it with perfectly cooked Basmati rice toss with slated butter. yum!

note: If you cant find garam masala substitute with 2 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. ( I didn't have cardamom - thought I did, darn it. I added two small dashes of cayenne pepper though)