Thai Curry From Scratch

This is probably my favorite food. Well, I don't really keep favourites, but this is top ten. A properly spiced thai dish is a pinnacle of human sensation. Thai food isn't always sharply 'hot,' rather contains the primal elements of good taste: sweet, savoury, slight acidity, umami and pungency. The fragrance of the cuisine cannot be overlooked or understated. Jasmine rice, citrus, ginger and richly flavoured vegetables/herbs create an unmatched aroma.

Here I plate an inverted arrangement of curry and cashews, beset with jasmine and black rice.

First, start sauteing the extra-firm tofu on low heat with coconut oil.  Turn every 5 minutes until tofu is chewy.

Home crown chili makes this fresh - as well as kaffir lime leaves from my tree and fresh pulled shallots.  I added a bit of salt and peanuts and bashed them in the mortar.

Bash the end of a lemongrass stalk and chuck into a pan with a can of full-fat coconut oil.  Add the bashed curry paste and lime juice or tamarind paste to pan as well.  Simmer the coconut milk mixture until slightly thickened and add in fresh veg.  I like sliced carrots, peppers, diced tomato and green onions.  Dice the tofu and add in.

Plate and serve with rice, cashews, thai basil and fresh grated coconut (unsweetened).

Gazpacho

Gazpacho has the reputation of being an awkward dish.  It's not always well received - after all, it's cold soup.  The first time I tried it, I was in Paris and decided, "I'm never coming back to this place!  They can't even heat up soup properly."Thankfully I got over my Parisian aversion and I learned to actually like gazpacho!

I started with tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers, chili pepper and basil - all harvested from the garden. First, peel, half and remove the seeds from a medium cucumber.  Then coarsely dice the cucumber, tomato, onions and pepper.  Be sure to very finely mince the chili pepper - any remove the seeds unless you're really a fan of spice. Pile it all in a food processor with the basil, a bit of salt, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Blitz it up until it's soupy, but not a fine puree.  There should be a bit of texture.

I find it's best to serve chilled, but not ice cold.

Ginger-Chili Mung Beans with Coconut Black Rice

Richly flavourful, this dish packs lots of energy and fibre.  Although mung beans are generally available at most Asian grocers, they're not the most common legume.  They are, however, a delicious base for this curry-like recipe.

Start by rinsing the beans and adding equal portions of mung bean and water to a large saucepan and set on the heat.  Salt the water gently - season it, but remember that it will need to be adjusted near the end of the cooking process, so don't go wild with the salt. While waiting for the beans to start boiling, prepare the curry.  Ginger is the dominant flavour. To round out the curry flavour profile, you'll need a bit of garlic, chili pepper(s) and a medium tomato.  Place these ingredients in a blender with a can of coconut milk.  Blend until smooth.

Once the beans have started boiling, add the curry to the pan.  Return the mix to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer.

While the curried beans are simmering away, prepare the rice as directed by the packaging.  Simply, add a bit of salt and a half-handful of shredded unsweetened coconut when the rice starts cooking. So easy!  There are a couple different types of black rice.  I used Forbidden Rice for this meal.

When the beans are tender, they're done cooking.  Be sure to season with salt according to your taste.

Gluten Free Stir-Fry

Often the stri-fry premix seasonings contain gluten or wheat ingredients.  Mixing the spices individually and using tamari (gluten free soy sauce), gluten can be eliminated from this delicious dish.  Deep frying tofu and marinating it overnight allows it to have a pleasant texture and full taste (which is a rare trait for tofu).

Classic flavours compose the seasoning: sesame, soy, onion, garlic, turmeric, chili and ginger.  Mixing Jasmine and black Forbidden rice yield a uniquely hued rice side-dish.

Omelette aux asperges

Three whites, one yolk and blanched asparagus. Topped with gruyère; served with a buckwheat biscuit and chili roasted fingerling potatoes.

Chili roasted fingerling potatoes:  Coat with olive oil, chili oil, smoked paprika and parsley.