Thursday, May 7, 2015

Goal #72 Try 100 new recipes (29-30): Pad Thai and Cucumber Salad AND #71 Eat 5 vegetables I've never tried (3-4/5)

I inherited pad thai sauce from a friend and decided to learn how to make it...and then I decided to go ahead and make my own sauce anyway! And it turned out pretty good. A TON of work for a pretty good tasting meal. 4/5 stars. Something I'll make maybe once a year.

The recipe is here. The cool thing about this recipe is that there's a live podcast of the cook making it, and she talks you through her process! I really enjoyed that.

The noodles are made of rice!


bean sprouts <3


Shallots!
First time cooking with tofu and shrimp

Final product! 

And I got to try some new vegetables--bean sprouts and shallots--which I really enjoyed! The shallots were kind of oniony. Nice. But the bean sprouts...those were something! Just a delightful little crunch and refreshing watery taste to add to the noodles. Loved it.

Goal #72 Try 100 new recipes (27-28/100): Couscous with Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Almond Stew + Fresh Berries with Mascarpone Cream

Tonight I made my first vegetarian meal! I've been feeling like eating less meat (maybe because I've been watching documentaries like Get Vegucated and Fat Sick and Nearly Dead), and I realized that I don't really know how to cook dinner without it. So I asked my favorite vegetarian, and he sent me some recipes. This one was a winner! It's filling without being heavy, flavorful, and leaves you feeling really satisfied. 5/5 stars!


Couscous with Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Almond Stew - serves 8

Stew:
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 c sliced shallots (or onions)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
 4 carrots, sliced thin diagonally
4 large bell peppers, cut into 1/2" squares
4 large tomatoes, diced
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 c red wine or sherry (I used water)
4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 c cooked chickpeas (canned or otherwise)
1/2 c slivered almonds, lightly toasted
2 Tbsp lemon juice
6 Tbsp chopped cilantro

CousCous:
4 2/3 c water
2 2/3 c couscous
1 tsp salt

Directions: 

  • Heat oil over med-high heat 
  • add shallots, cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently
  • add garlic, cook 1 minute
  • add carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, salt, pepper, wine/sherry/water
  • add paprika & cinnamon, stir
  • bring to a boil
  • turn to low, cover with a lid, simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender
  • stir in chick peas
While that is going, start your couscous:
  • Get out your saucepan, boil water
  • add couscous and salt to boiling water
  • remove immediately from heat, cover with a lid, and let stand for 5 minutes
  • fluff lightly with a fork
Now back to the stew:
  • Toast almonds
  • stir almonds, lemon juice, and cilantro into stew
To serve, make a mound of couscous, then form a depression in the mound and spoon stew into it. Enjoy.



The Fresh Berries with Mascarpone Cream, however, was not a winner. I followed the directions exactly and the whipping cream...let's just say it looked so gross I couldn't even photograph it. I just sprinkled the berries with a little sugar instead.