Thai Crystal Noodle Salad

Also known as "yum woon sen," this recipe is great for a lighter thai meal, packed with lots of fresh herbs and vegetables.  Adapted from World Vegetarian Classics.

Ingredients

Salad

7 oz firm tofu, drained
4 ounces rice vermicelli or mung bean noodles
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 handful fresh basil, chopped
2 scallions, sliced
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 cucumber, cut into thin slices
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
handful of chopped lettuce
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped coarsely

Dressing

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 T brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Instructions

1) Combine lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and garlic for dressing, and set aside.
2) Slice tofu into thin slices.  Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat, and fry tofu in a shallow pool of oil, turning until both sides are golden and crisp.  Drain excess oil onto paper towels.
3) Put noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let stand until noodles are soft, about 4 minutes, and drain thoroughly.
4) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, including dressing, and toss to combine.

Tempeh Portobello Burgers

This was my first veggie burger, introduced to me by a vegan friend JS. To this day it has remained my favorite veggie burger recipe, and is so good that is has been know to convert non-mushroom eaters into portabello-burger eaters. Taken from this website.

Ingredients

2 8oz packages multigrain tempeh, cubed

1 large onion, diced

1/4 c olive oil

2-3 portabello mushrooms, finely diced

2 T balsamic vinegar

2 t dried basil

2 t dried rosemary
1/2 t dried thyme

1/4 t pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup (or more) tamari/soy sauce

Instructions

1) Steam tempeh in a steamer basket for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool.

2) Saute onion and garlic in non-stick skillet for 3 minutes until softened.

3) Add mushrooms and saute an additional 3-5 minute, until the onions are lightly browned.

4) Add the vinegar and stir, and saute 2 more minutes.

5) Remove skillet from heat and set aside.  Crumble the steamed tempeh into a bowl and combine with the onion-mushroom combination and the spices, then stir well to combine.

6) Add flour, tamari, and 2 T olive oil to the mushroom mixture, and stir well to combine.

7) Chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes - it should hold it's own shape. (If it's too wet, you can add more flour.)
8) When you are ready to cook the burgers, form patties with 1/2 c of the mixture.  Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat and fry in a shallow pool of oil until browned on each side, 3-4 minutes per side.

Herb Crepes with Goat Cheese Filling

Recipe from the New York Times.

Ingedients

2 large eggs
3/4 c milk
1/2 c water
4 oz (1c less 1T) flour
3T oil
3/4 t salt
2-3T finely chopped parsley and chives
butter for frying
3/4 c cottage cheese
6-8 oz goat cheese
3 T yogurt
3 c spinach, chopped into large pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1) Blend milk, water, eggs, oil, and salt in blender on low speed.
2) Add flour and increase speed to high, blending for one minute.
3) Transfer to a bowl and chill, covered, for 1-2 hours.
4) Meanwhile, wilt the spinach in a frying pan or microwave, then squeeze out excess water in a colander or with a cheesecloth.
5) Make the filling by blending the cottage cheese, goat cheese, yogurt, salt, and pepper until smooth.
6) Transfer to a bowl, mix in the spinach, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
7) Heat a small-medium non-stick pan over medium heat, and brush lightly with butter.  You will know that the pan is at the right temperature when the butter sizzles and it is just about to smoke.
8) Ladle in 3-4 T of batter, and tilt/swirl the pan to distribute evenly.  Cook for about 1 minute, until you can easily loosen the edges with a spatula, then flip and cook on the other size for about 30 seconds.
9) On a plate, fill with goat cheese-spinach filling down the center, then fold to make a packet (to the shape of your choice)

This recipe is also delicious if the filled crepes are placed in a baking tray, covered with grated cheddar cheese, and baked at a high heat until the filling is warm and the cheese is melted.