Before I start let me just make it clear that I love meat.

But then health and curiosity got the best of me. So one day Last week with a little push from Taylah, I thought to myself “what won’t kill me, will only makes me healthier”… And so here goes my journey into the world of the (V) option on the menu.

So life without meat, how hard or easy could it really be.

Day one. Wednesday

What I would normally have for breakfast: 2 eggs, some type of sausage, bacon, bread, mayonnaise and tea. What I had this morning. bread, a banana, a dragon fruit and tea. was I craving meat? YES. Did I resist opening the fridge and grabbing a kransky? YES!!! Walked out the door on my way to work thinking “yes I can do this, it’s only a month”.

For lunch I made, Veggie Thai Green Curry, this curry is my take on the famous Thai dish. It is still very much the same except with out the meat part. As an accompanying dish I made, Soft Tofu with Gai-lan (Chinese Broccoli). I love tofu, i love gai-lan and mushrooms together or even separately on their own, and i love the combination of ginger and soy sauce. (Writing this is making me hungry again). Really both those two dishes could not be eaten with bread. So I made Sesame Soy Rice to go with it. And to my surprise, fuck it did turn out really nice.

 

Veggie Thai Green Curry

It would have been easier to buy the paste but I like doing mine from scratch. For this you will need:

A mortar and pestle and a food processor

For the paste…

5gms. (2 tsp) coriander seeds

2gms. (1/4 tsp) cumin seeds

2gms. (1/4 tsp) ground turmeric

20gms. (1 TBSP) ginger, grated

6 white peppercorns

4 coriander roots, roughly chopped

2 lemongrass stems (pale part only), roughly chopped

1 long green chilli, roughly chopped

4 small green chillies, roughly chopped (or use 2 extra long green chillies)

4 kaffir lime leaves, spine removed, roughly chopped

2 Asian red eschalots, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

 

For the curry…

120ml. (½ cup), coconut oil

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 green chilli

half a star anise

2 pcs. bay leaf

1 red capsicum, julienne

200gms. Japanese pumpkin, dice

1 zucchini, diced

3 kipfler potatoes, cut into rounds (about an inch thick)

100gms. green beans, topped and tailed

2 baby bok choi, leaves separated and chopped

1 green onion/spring onion, cut into 3

10gms. (1 tablespoon) peppercorns

15gms. (1.5 tablespoons) salt

220ml (1 cup) water

220ml (1 cup) coconut milk

Step 1 – Toast coriander and cumin seeds with the pepper in a wok or pan over medium heat    or 1-2 minutes until fragrant, shaking pan to prevent burning. Cool slightly. Grind to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle.

Step 2 – Roughly chop all remaining ingredients, add spice mix and 1 tablespoon water and transfer to a food processor and blend to a paste. Set aside till ready to use.

****This paste may also be kept in an air tight container and kept in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 2 months

Step 3 – Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bay leaf and star anise, then cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add paste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add potatoes, pumpkin, and capsicum and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add coconut milk, green chilli and water and stir to combine.

Step 4 – Simmer for 10 minutes until oil has separated from the top. Check for seasoning again and add the rest of the vegetables. Simmer for a further 5 minutes. Serve topped with crispy onions and chopped nuts.

 

Tofu with Sautéed Gai-lan and Mushrooms

This is just something I made up from imagination. Bringing together all the things i love in one dish (veggie dish that is).

1 block semi hard tofu

2 bunches Gai-lan, separated and cut in half

100 gms. white mushrooms, quartered

1 brown onion, chopped

5 gms. fresh ginger, grated

2 clovers garlic, crushed

60mls. (1/4 cup) sweet chilli sauce

45mls. (3 TBSP) soy sauce

20 gms. (2 TBSP) corn flour, dissolved in water

50 mls. coconut oil blended with 15 mls. sesame oil

 

Step 1 – Whisk together chilli sauce, soy sauce, ginger and corn flour mixture. Set aside till ready to use.

Step 2 – Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add sweet chilli mix continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add gai-lan and continue to cook until greens are wilted.

Step 3 – Toss tofu in mushroom and gai-lan mix until well coated with the sauce.

The rice is pretty much simple 3 cups of cooked rice a dash of soy sauce and a splash of sesame oil and a bit of veggie salt. So day one i could say was a good start.

Happy Cooking and remember always cook with your HEART…

 

Stay tuned for more on this just the VEGANNING…