Vegetarian Recipe #10: Pad Thai

OK this rocks! I love Pad Thai and have always wished I could make it. I finally tried it: I combined several recipes to make my own vegetarian health-ier version of this great dish! It take a little while to make (over an hour), but your guests will be super impressed or you'll have leftovers for a couple nights!

Ingredients:

• 3 large organic carrots (cut into matchsticks)
• 2 small organic zucchini (cut into matchsticks)
  
• 1 package Mung bean sprouts
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 cup raw cashews, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves (I like garlic)
• 3 eggs
• 1 package tofu, sprouted, extra firm
• 7-10 oz. rice noodles
• 1 cup pea shoots (optional topping, see photos)

sauce: (next time I'll fully make my own, but here's my cheater version...)

• 1 bottle Pad Thai sauce - it's mainly tamarind and tomato sauce
• 1 Tbs. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. brown sugar
  
• juice from 1 lime
• 2 Tbs. chili pepper
• cayenne pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Follow package instructions for rice noodles. Often, soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then boil for 5 minutes.

Chop and saute garlic cloves and tofu (drained) in a pan with a little oil until lightly brown. Add zucchini and carrots and let cook until almost soft. In a separate bowl, crack eggs and stir briefly. When vegetables and tofu are almost finished cooking, pour eggs over vegetables. Mix well and often until eggs are cooked thoroughly. Add all ingredients for the sauce. Stir until vegetables are well coated. Add bean sprouts and cashews (only until warm).

When rice noodles are finished cooking, strain and place in a large bowl. Pour sauce and vegetable mixture over noodles. Mix well.

Serve in bowls. Top each bowl with extra cashews and pea shoots. Eat with chopsticks.

Vegetarian Recipe #6: Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

10 small-medium carrots (smaller carrots, with no cracks, are sweeter)

3 medium potatoes

1 c. spinach

1 bunch leeks

1 Tbs. butter (for saute)

1 Tbs. fresh tarragon leaves

1/4 c. agave nectar

2 c. milk

4 c. vegetable stock

1/2. c. dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and chop carrots into chunks. Rinse and quarter the potatoes. Fill a large sauce pan 1/3

full of water, bring to a boil. Add the carrots and potatoes. Return the water to a boil, then let simmer until vegetables are soft. I choose to leave the potato skins in my soup, but you can easily remove them once the vegetables are soft, if you choose.

Rinse and chop leeks, spinach, and tarragon. Saute leeks in butter and add the spinach and tarragon once the leeks are almost soft.

Add 1/3 of potato/carrot/water mixture to a food processor or blender. Add 1/3 saute mixture as well. Add some of the vegetables stock to aid in blending. Blend until smooth. Pour back into large pot. Repeat until all ingredients have been blended. Add milk, white wine, salt, and pepper.

Let mixture simmer on stove for at least 20 minutes. Serve.

My advice: freeze half the soup and reheat in a month when you need a healthy quick meal!