FRESH is BEST

I think Asian Cuisine has to be my FAVORITE!! Vietnamese, Japanese, Malaysian, Indian or Thai....doesn't matter...I LOVE IT!!  I often find myself making Fresh Rolls (Salad Rolls) especially  in the summer when its too hot and I don't feel like cooking.  My version is made with  local vegetables, greens and two sauces: a delectable peanut sauce and a spicy mango sauce that is  both sweet and savory.

Fresh Rolls


Rice Paper (Spring roll wrappers)- I use Red Rose brand.  They come in various sizes. The larger ones may be easier to work with.

Any vegetables that you want to fill the roll with is fine.  I use red leaf lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers and bean sprouts. ( I cant find good ones so I use pea sprouts and/or sunflower sprouts).

Mint, Basil( preferably Thai) and Cilantro can be used by themselves or in combination.  I use basil and mint.

Roasted Peanuts- Spanish peanuts are best


Rehydrate rice paper by placing in a bowl of warm water, too hot will cook the rice paper and make it hard to work with.  Allow to sit  3-5 seconds, remove and place on a flat work surface and remove kinks and wrinkles, allow paper to soak up excess liquid ( 30 seconds) before rolling.  Start by placing lettuce on paper and continue to add veggies, sprouts, herbs and peanuts.  Roll like a burrito and serve.

Peanut Sauce              Makes 1 cup


3/4 cup peanut butter- you may use fresh or store bought peanut butter, but when adding Nama Shoyu and agave make sure you take into consideration the sugar and salt in your butter.

1/4 cup lemon juice

1-2 tbsp. Nama Shoyu (Soya Sauce) I start by adding 1 tbsp, add all other ingredients then taste...add more if you feel it is needed.

2 tbsp agave syrup

1 tsp ginger, grated

1/2 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 cup coconut water or filtered water

2-3 tbsp coconut milk

Place all ingredients in food processor.  Blend until smooth, adding just enough water for desired dipping consistency. Put in refrigerator until ready to use. ( the longer a sauce sits the more the flavor it will have)

This sauce can be made raw by substituting raw almonds (better flavor than raw peanuts) and omitting coconut milk(if using canned).

Adapted from Ani Phyo- Raw Food Asia




Mango Sauce          Makes 2 cups


2 cups mango, diced ( yellow Champagne mangoes are the best)
1-2 tbsp yellow onion, chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp sea salt
pinch red pepper flakes ( or more depending on desired heat)
2 tsp agave syrup
juice and zest from half a lime

Place all ingredients in food processor.  Pulse lightly, you want to maintain a chunky texture. Place in refrigerator.

Adapted from Ani Phyo- Raw Food Asia

Summer Salad TRIO

Tonquin Beach,  Tofino, British Columbia, Canada.

Tonquin Beach

Tonquin Beach

I LOVE SALAD BARS!! But to find a good one that is not over run with mayonnaise based salad or salads filled with red onions is a feat in itself (for me anyway). A few years back I took a trip to Vancouver Island in Canada. Most of my time was spent in Victoria and one of my favorite spots to eat at was  SALAD LOOP. It was always fresh and delicious .  As  I drove around today  WONDERING and reminiscing, I was inspired to prepare my own small salad bar.
It's summertime in the Hudson Valley which means there are farm stands everywhere with fresh produce.  I stopped at a few of my favorite places and soon things started to come together.   On the menu this evening there is a  Curried Couscous Salad, Syamosa Salad and a  GLD (Garlic, Lemon and Dill) Green Bean Salad.  For some greens add a  fresh leaf lettuce  with some sunflower and pea sprouts, top with some cherry tomatoes.....TASTY!!!

Curried Couscous Salad      Serves 6-8
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth ( you may use any liquid ex. water, carrot juice)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 cup (or less) minced green onion 
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
2-3 tbsp celery leaves, minced
1/3 cup dried cherries or raisins, chopped
1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped 
1/3 cup curried cashews, chopped
Dressing
1/8 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/8 cup + 1 tbsp walnut oil 
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 lemon, zested
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper


Bring vegetable stock, salt and coconut oil to a boil.  Remove from heat and add couscous, place on lid and let sit 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork and place in fridge (without lid) to cool, stir occasionally. 
Place next 8 ingredients in a bowl, mix in cooled couscous.  
Combine dressing ingredients, whisk together and pour over couscous mixture. Serve. 


GLD Green Bean Salad         Serves 3
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
1/2 tbsp avacado oil
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes ( if you like more heat, add more)
3/4 tbsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tbsp fresh dill 
Salt and fresh ground black pepper


Blanch green beans in a large stock pot of well salted boiling water, until bright green in color and tender crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain and shock in a bowl of ice water to stop from cooking.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add oil.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes, saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the beans and toss until coated.  Remove from heat add lemon zest, dill, salt and pepper.  Serve.
Adapted from : Down Home with The Neelys


 Syamosa Salad        Serves 6-8
1 pound new potatoes, cut in bite sized peiced
1 pound yams, cut in bite sized peices
1/8 cup olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground corrinander
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2-3 tbsp coconut milk
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Salt and pepper


To cook potatoes you may steam them until fork tender or cook them in boiling salted water.  Once they have reached desired doneness...let cool.
Heat oil in a skillet  over medium heat, cook shallots about 3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook about a minute.  Add in all of the spices and deglaze pan by adding coconut milk and lemon juice.  Add peas and cook mixture until peas have thawed.  Toss the pea mixture with potatoes, season with salt and pepper and serve. 
Adapted from BitterSweet

From Left: Curried Couscous, Green Bean and Syamosa Salad

Check these Places Out!!
http://www.tofino-bc.com/
http://www.rhinebeckfarmersmarket.com/

https://www.bluecashewkitchen.com/shop/home.php
http://www.papertrailrhinebeck.com/
http://www.mporchards.com/

OH MAN-GO...What a day

I recently took a trip to Woodstock, New York to do a little shopping and visit   the Farm Animal Sanctuary for the 4 th of July Jamboree.  The  drive up was rainy and gloomy, but I assured myself that by the time I arrived the rain would taper off and the sun would be shining.  I was wrong,  but it still didn't discourage anyone  from enjoying  the festivities. There was live music, people singing and clapping, chickens and turkeys roaming around trying  to get a taste of the vegan treats and of course people getting some one on one time with the rescued farm animals.

As I headed  home I made a pit stop in New Paltz, New York at a vegetarian spot called Karma Road.  It wasn't really a chilly day,  but I ordered their delicious house made soup, sweet potato and walnut biscuit (which I love because it is kind of like eating dessert with your meal) and something else that caught my eye.... a MANGO STINGER .  A smoothie made  with frozen  mango, banana, ginger and rice milk....DELICIOUS!!  On my way home I began to WONDER  how would I  make this smoothie?  Could I  find the yellow champagne mangoes that I loved?  I didn't normally use rice milk, would I use almond milk  or maybe coconut milk?  For  protein you can  add some hemp seed or a protein powder  and  ground flax seed if you wanted  some Omega 3 Fatty Acids. There are many variations, here is what I came up with. Enjoy! ;-)

Rescue Me Mango Smoothie


1 cup coconut milk- (You could use any type of vegan or mammal milk you prefer. ( I use 1/4 cup coconut milk and dilute it with 3/4 cup water.  You can dilute it with any liquid you like ) ex. coconut water, orange juice, vodka ;-) 


A piece of ginger about the size of your thumb- this really depends on the flavor you want to achieve. Experiment!!


3/4 cup of frozen mango- I prefer to use the yellow champagne mangoes, the flavor is so much better than the red mangoes.  If you can't find mangoes and you have fresh local peaches....give that a try.


1 cup frozen bananas- again experiment with the amounts of fruit...you may like more mango than banana.


Place in blender until smooth and creamy!!

                            
Check these places out!!

http://karmaroad.net/
http://www.woodstocksanctuary.org/