Easy Lentil and Vegetable Curry

Curries are a meatless-Monday staple. They’re quick to make and filling, plus it’s a great way to use up all those vegetables lying around your fridge — we like to call it the “clean out the fridge” curry ! It doesn’t sound too glamorous, but it’s definitely delicious. There really are no rules when it comes to what you can add to the pot, all we suggest is starting with some fragrant spices.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
2 cups brown & wild rice mix (or basmati rice)
3 ½ cups water
1 Tbsp vegan butter
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp garam masala
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger
½ cup onion, finely chopped
6 cups chopped veggies of your choice (red pepper, carrot, cabbage, broccoli, etc.)
1 cup dried red lentils
2 cups vegetable stock
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 cup frozen shelled edamame or peas
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper

Garnish (optional):
Coconut yogurt
Chives, finely chopped

Directions:
1. In a pot bring rice, water, and vegan butter to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile in a large, deep pan heated to medium, add 2 Tbsp of coconut oil and cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric, chili flakes, and garam masala. Toast the spices for 6 minutes until fragrant.
3. Lower the heat so the spices don’t burn and add minced garlic, ginger and onions, and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring frequently until the onions are translucent and soft.
4. Add another Tbsp of coconut oil and all your veggies and cook for 8-10 minutes until they just start to get soft, but are still bright in colour.
5. Add lentils and stir frequently for another 5-6 minutes, allowing the lentils to toast up and absorb some moisture.
6. Bring the heat back up to medium and gradually stir in vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cover with a lid for 10 minutes.
7. Add coconut milk, lime juice, sea salt, ground pepper and any frozen vegetables you want to add. Stir well to combine. Cover with a lid and cook for another 20 minutes.
8. Serve over rice and garnish with a dollop of coconut yogurt and finely chopped chives.

Super Easy Ramen Noodle Bowl

If you’re looking for easy recipes, ramen noodles are probably the easiest thing to make ever! But we’ve made them fancier and you can certainly feel a little more proud than you did in college about eating this ramen noodle bowl. It’s filled with fresh veggies and fragrant miso broth that’ll warm you up any time of day.

Ingredients (1 large serving):
1 package of instant ramen noodles (we like Lotus Foods rice ramen)
2 cups water
2 Tbsp miso paste
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped kale
2/3 cup cubed medium firm tofu
1 Tbsp chopped green onion
1/4 cup dried seaweed
Sesame seeds (to taste)
Sriracha (to taste)

Directions:
1. Boil noodles in 2 cups of water as per instructions on the package. During the last minute of cooking add in broccoli and kale to cook in boiling water.
2. Take 2 Tbsp of the noodle water and mix it with 2 Tbsp miso paste until dissolved and well combined. Pour the water, noodles, broccoli and kale in your large serving bowl. Stir in the miso paste and water mixture to combine it into the soup. Add remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Summer Dinner Idea: Asian Grilled Pork with Noodle Salad

Although it’s a little more intensive, this bright dish is a must-try if you’re looking for a filling, yet refreshing weeknight summer meal. You get a lot of great texture and bright, savoury flavours from the vegetables and sauce, finished with a bit of spice from the juicy pork. This recipe would also make a great side dish without the pork, served as a vermicelli noodle salad at your next backyard barbecue.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

150 g of vermicelli noodles
1 handful of peanuts (chopped)

Asian Brine:
4 pork loin chops
2 1/2 cups apple juice
2 1/2 tbsp salt
50 ml soy sauce
2 Tbsp ginger (minced)
1 tsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice

Mixed Vegetables:

Sauteed:
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 shallots (thinly sliced)
2 Tbsp ginger (finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 a jalapeno (finely chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
1/2 a handful of Enoki mushrooms
Fresh:
1/2 a handful of Enoki mushrooms
2 carrots (julienned)
4 pieces of broccoli (roughly chopped)
1/2 an Asian pear (julienned)
2 handfuls of cilantro (chopped)
1 handful of sprouts
1 handful of peas (chopped)

Sauce:
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
½ cup Thai fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp warm water
½ cup rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sesame oil

Pork Glaze:
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp Sriracha
½ Tbsp sesame oil
Handful of sesame seeds
Splash hot water (until smooth)

Directions:

Asian Brine:
1. In a large container, mix ingredients together for the brine.
2. Place 4 pork chops in the brine, allow to brine in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, and up to 24 hours.

Sauce:
1. In a bowl, mix together ingredients for the sauce, stirring to combine.

Vermicelli Noodles:
1. Place your vermicelli in a heat-proof bowl, add enough boiling water to just cover the noodles.
2. Leave the noodles for about 5 minutes, until they reach your desired tenderness.
3. Drain hot water from the noodles, and shock them with cold water to stop the cooking. Allow the water to drain from the noodles while preparing the rest of the meal.

Sauteed Vegetables:
1. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a pan on medium heat,
2. Once oil has heated, add shallots, ginger, garlic and jalapeño to the pan, sauteing for about 5 minutes.
3. Once they begin to lightly brown, add green onions and half a handful of the Enoki mushrooms, sauteing for about 30 more seconds, before removing to a bowl.

Fresh Vegetables:
1. In a large bowl, combine the fresh portion of the vegetables together with the sauteed vegetables, mixing in 3/4 of the sauce into the vegetables (saving the rest for later).

Pork:
1. On a barbecue on medium-high heat, cook pork chops about 5 minutes on each side until cooked to 150°F, remove to plate and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
2. While pork is resting, combine hoisin, Sriracha, sesame oil and sesame seeds in a bowl, mixing ingredients together. Add about 1 tablespoon or so of hot water to the sauce, whisking until it becomes a smooth consistency.
3. Once pork has finished resting, slice it and toss in glaze.
4. In a bowl, place vermicelli, top with mixed vegetables and pork, garnishing with cilantro, chopped peanuts and a lime wedge.
5. Spoon some of the leftover fish sauce mixture over the finished noodle bowl.

How to Make Momos: South Asian Steamed Dumplings Filled with Chicken and Shrimp

We first fell in love with momos while travelling through Nepal. Momos are steamed dumplings traditionally from the Nepal and Tibetan regions. They’re warm, light, extremely flavourful and very filling (especially when you eat a ton of them, which you inevitably will). Here, we wanted to bring out the punchy Asian flavours that work on all the taste receptors: salty tamari, sweet sesame oil and honey, spicy ginger and sour rice wine vinegar. By combining shrimp and chicken as the filling, you achieve a lighter texture with a stronger depth of flavour.

Bunching up the momos into little packages is also half the fun. You can make your own dough, but for this recipe, we opted for pre-made wrappers from the grocery store. We find wrapping the dumplings to be a fun social experience if done with friends and family, or it can be quite meditative if you’re cooking alone. Achieving the perfect fold may take a few tries, but you’ll get there. For an easier alternative, make the classic crescent moon shape by folding the wrapper in half. Here, we went a little fancy and created a round version secured together with cinched pleats. Go ahead and try out these petite parcels of perfection for yourself!

Shrimp & Chicken Ginger Tamari Momo Dumplings

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Wrap Time: 1 hour
Steam Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 45 momos

Ingredients:

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
½ small red onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
½ cup shiitake mushrooms (about 6 mushrooms)
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (cooked or uncooked)
1/2 lb ground chicken
1 egg
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
45 momo/dumpling wrappers

Directions:

1. Turn on your food processor, and as it’s running, toss in the ginger, red onion and garlic through the feeding tube.

2. Once these aromatic ingredients have had a few spins, add in the cilantro and mushrooms. Pulse until well chopped, then add in the shrimp until it’s minced into pieces.

3. Take out the mixture and place it in a large bowl. Add in the ground chicken.

4. Whisk the egg on one side of the bowl, or whisk separately and pour into the food processor.

5. Then pour in the sesame oil, tamari, rice wine vinegar and honey. Now begin combining everything so the entire mixture is well seasoned.

6. Take out the momo wrappers and cover with a damp cloth to keep from drying out.

7. Hold one wrapper in the palm of your hand. Have a bowl of water nearby, and wet the perimeter of the wrapper with your finger.

8. Place one tablespoon of filling into its centre. Slowly pinch the dough together, moving around in a circular motion, until the wrapper is securely closed into a parcel shape. Dip your fingers back in the water and pinch the top together.

9. Repeat the above steps for each momo. The first few dumplings may look messy, but practice makes perfect! *If you prefer to prep ahead, freeze the momos at this step, prior to steaming.

10. To steam, you’ll require a steamer basket, steamer pot or bamboo steamer. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Brush the steamer with oil, or if you’re using a bamboo steamer, line it with parchment paper or cabbage leaves, and brush with oil.

11. Place the momos inside the steamer. Don’t overcrowd them or they’ll stick together. Place the steamer onto the pot of boiling water. Cover with a lid and steam for 15 minutes.

12. Take out the dumplings and repeat until all the momos are steamed. Enjoy with tamari or your favourite hot sauce.

Top 5 Food Countries in The World

The great and delicious meal is favorite among everybody; nobody on earth could deny the fact that she or he doesn’t like delicious and great cuisine. The world is packed with lots of food restaurants. You can get meal anyplace because lots of people on earth are associated with the food’s business. To eat the finest and the elegant food is the aspiration of any person. However, we feel trouble to find the one that has the best cuisine.

If you are away from your country, you’ll need a few hints to not get lost in the wide range of tastes and flavors. We’ll provide you with a list of the best destinations for food. Which countries have the best foods in the world? Let’s begin! Don’t get too much excited, though, this list is a collection of scrumptious spots! These countries are considered to have the best foods all over the world.

1.Italy

Italy is the number one country having the best food in the world. It’s difficult to talk about Italian food, it’s easier to enjoy it. The original shades of Italian cuisine – green, red and yellow always produce a wonderful blend of taste and flavor. Generally, all of the dishes derive from tomato, bread and also olive oil. The true secret of the cuisine isn’t in a refined preparation procedure, it’s more upon the quality of the products. Italian food consists of cheese, olive oil, and coffee. Italian taste coffee is recognized as espresso. Pizza is definitely the creation of Italian people. Italian chefs are extremely meticulous in the food preparation. They select the best quality ingredients in the preparation of Italian foods. Olive oil is normally used in the cooking.

2. France

French cuisine is quite innovative and contemporary. It comes with a long historical background and mainly taught in various cooking schools around the globe. Making French food is not the same as some other cuisines. French people are renowned for bringing out French Fries to everyone which are probably the most eaten food on earth. France has numerous dishes on their national cuisine such as terrine and Bisque etc. Cheese is likewise considered to be the invention of French people since they utilize cheese as being their staple food. Wine is likewise served with French foods.

3. Mexican

Mexican cuisine is actually a blend of various European countries food particularly Spanish food. Mexican food includes beans, corn as well as chili, and so on. And with this meat is another great element of Mexican food. The meat of chicken, beef, goat, pork, etc. is likewise eaten which is included by the Spanish cuisine on Mexican food. Using of Cheese as well as other dairy foods were also unfamiliar to the Mexicans, however, Spanish people brought in the use of Cheese in this place. African and Asian people also influenced the Mexican Cuisine. Mexican people associate food with the family and social bonding. Based on them, great food on several festivals will improve the love between families.

4. Spain

Every single food lover should be knowledgeable about the Spanish food. Spanish cuisine has tremendous variety simply because of various countries which conquered Spain at totally different periods. Spanish food is mainly utilizing the style of Roman Empire. Roman Empire integrated the various dishes of Mushrooms on Spanish cuisine. World’s nearly 90% olive oil is made in Spain thus, Spanish food is served by utilizing olive oil.

5. India

Indian fodder has the best variety based on the cultures and taste of their residents. Their people are greatly aware of producing meal choices. For India, meal mostly relies on religious groups. A few are vegans, and a few are non-vegetarians. And Muslim here only eats Halal meals. It has divided the Indian fodder into 2 main components. The Europeans and Mughals also had a great influence on Indian cuisine recipes. Indian foods also are very spicy. Potato is actually a stapled fodder for the Indians which was brought in by the Portuguese.