Dharma Feast Cookbook (21 page)
Read Dharma Feast Cookbook Online
Authors: Theresa Rodgers
| F USILLI R ICE N OODLES |  |
Traditionally this recipe includes a lot of cream and cheese. We left out the dairy and added olive oil which makes it a delicious, healthy pasta dish. Rice noodles are great for people who want or need to eat gluten-free. These noodles are a little tricky to cook as they can come out sticky if you don’t watch them. They’re not the white flour pasta we grew up on and are used to, but we like them and have lots of friends who do too.
| S ERVES 4 | P REP TIME 35 MINUTES |
½ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves) 1lemon, zest and juice 2teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 pound rice fusilli noodles ½ pound baby arugula 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved | Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the zest and juice of lemon, salt, and pepper. Cook rice noodles according to instructions on package. Drain and return to pot. Immediately add olive oil mixture to pasta and cook over medium low heat for 3 minutes. Pour hot pasta into large bowl. Add arugula and tomatoes. Toss well. Season to taste and serve hot. Variations Or add finely grated raw cheese to top of pasta after tossing or serve in a small bowl on the side. |
| D ELICATA S QUASH |  |
The delicata squash is an oblong-shaped squash, not to be confused with a football, a pale watermelon, or a small stranded whale. (We thought we’d give you some clues to make the search for it at the grocery store easier.) It has a cream-colored, green-striped, thick outer skin and a golden, fine-textured inner flesh. When delicata squash aren’t available, we substitute acorn squash and have equally good results. Bake it and enjoy.
| S ERVES 2 | P REP TIME 50 MINUTES |
2 delicata squash 1–2 oranges, juiced 2 tablespoons miso or to taste 3–4 drops toasted sesame oil ½ inch ginger, grated 1 pinch cinnamon 1 pinch Chinese Five Spices (this spice blend can be found in Asian markets and most grocery stores) | Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. With a fork, stab the inside of each half of the squash twice. To make marinade, squeeze oranges and collect juice in a bowl. Add miso and mix thoroughly. Mix in toasted sesame oil, ginger, cinnamon, and Chinese 5 Spices. Baste squash with marinade, making sure to coat the inside. Place the squash in a baking dish with ½ inch of water so that the squash skin is in the water and the marinated inside of the squash is facing up. Bake for ½ hour for thin squash, longer for thicker squash. Halfway through baking, re-baste with marinade. Squash is done when you poke it with a fork and it is soft. |
| B AKED T OFU | |
Tofu is like a blank check. It comes to life through how you fill it out. Baking, for example, makes it crispy and tasty. To make it spicier, add a few dashes of Tabasco, pressed garlic, and/or minced ginger to the marinade. Make sure you use extra firm tofu. Other kinds such as silken tofu are too soft and will fall apart. We recommend that people not eat tofu more than once or so a week, because of the health effects of non-fermented soy (See
Soy
in
Chapter 8
,
Resources and Recommendations
).
| S ERVES 3 | P REP TIME 1 HOUR 5 MINUTES |
1(¾ pound)package tofu 2teaspoons safflower oil 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 3–4 drops sesame oil | Preheat oven to 400°F. To get extra liquid out of tofu, lay a plate on top of it and put something that weighs 2–3 pounds on top of the plate. Leave for 10 minutes. Mix oil, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Cut tofu into slices of desired thickness and put them on a baking sheet. Pour mixture over slices and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on thickness of slices and according to the desired crispness. |
| S CRAMBLED T OFU | |
If you’re looking for an excellent substitute for your daily scrambled eggs, this might be it. The ginger, cumin, coriander, and garlic add the right spice to wake you up in the morning. Or serve this for dinner as we do. Tip: For a more interesting texture, sauté the tofu until crispy and add a pinch of turmeric to create an appetizing yellow color.
| S ERVES 6–8 | P REP TIME 45 MINUTES |
Olive oil 2onions, finely chopped 3cloves garlic, peeled and minced 2–3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander Soy sauce to taste 2 packages extra-firm tofu, crumbled by hand into pieces | Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté onion until translucent. Add garlic, ginger, spices, and soy sauce and fry for a minute or two, being careful not to burn garlic and spices. Add tofu and fry at medium to medium-high temperature. As tofu begins to brown, turn tofu to brown on all sides. Continue frying and turning until tofu is crispy, which takes about 45 minutes. |
| B AKED H ONEY M USTARD T EMPEH | |
At first glance, tempeh appears to be an inedible item like a fermented sponge or a counter-top trivet. By itself, it doesn’t have a lot of taste, but we make it taste really good. The honey-mustard sauce gives a lot of flavor, and when the tempeh is baked and a little bit crispy even vegetarian-adverse people often take seconds. Tempeh is made from the whole soybean so it has a high content of protein and vitamins. The fermentation process makes it more digestible and removes the health hazards of soy and tofu (see
Soy
in
Chapter 8
), so it can be eaten as often as you wish. In the U.S. we buy Turtle Island or Wildwood brands. You can also make your own using instructions in
Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods
by Sandor Ellix Katz (Chelsea Green Publishing: White River Junction, Vermont, 2003).
| S ERVES 6–8 | P REP TIME 1 HOUR 35 MINUTES |
3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 clove garlic, minced 1tablespoon safflower oil ½ teaspoon soy sauce ¼ teaspoon sea salt 2 packages tempeh, cut into 1-inch cubes. | Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, oil, soy sauce, and sea salt. Put tempeh cubes on a baking sheet. Pour sauce over and toss to evenly coat. Bake, turning occasionally to prevent burning, for 45–60 minutes, until crispy and browned. Serve with rice, salad, and vegetable. Note |
| T EMPEH S HEPHERD ’s P IE | |