Thai Avocado Curry

 

I want you to think the most creamy, comforting dish you could possibly eat and then multiply that by like 100.   This is like an explosion in your mouth.  I might be a bit biased because I love avocado.   Its one of those staples I keep on hand all the time.

I had never actually had avocado curry before, but I kept hearing about this restaurant in Seattle called Araya’s that serves it, and I had to try making it myself since I never get to Seattle to eat.  If you’ve never made a curry before, don’t worry.  Making one is really easy these days with all the pre-made curry pastes out there.  My favorite  brand is Thai Kitchen.

And for anyone thinking, “OMG that is a lot of fat in a dish!” remember that FAT does NOT make you fat.  The fat in coconut milk and avocado is all good fat, and it will actually help you to lose weight.  This dish is very healthy, full of slightly cooked veggies and served with brown rice.  I omitted the tofu that would usually be served in this dish because I forgot to buy it, but if you want to include it, you want to use firm tofu, cube it and steam it before adding it to the curry.

Thai Avocado Curry

For the Curry:

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 small avocado
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 tbsp liquid amino acids (or soy sauce)
• 3 tbsp green curry paste

Vegetables:

• 1 celery stalk, very thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, cubed
• 1 zucchini, cubed
• 1/2 cup green beans (I used frozen)
• 1 small avocado, cubed
• Basil, julienned

In a blender, add all the curry ingredients and blend until smooth.  Transfer it to a wok and bring it to a boil.  Lower the heat and add the vegetables, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  You don’t want the vegetables to be limp and over cooked, Thai dishes are fresh and crisp so always keep the timing in mind when its time to cook the veggies.

Garnish with basil, and serve with a bowl of brown jasmine rice.

Quinoa Pudding

This dish is a wonderful dessert for the holidays, (or anytime!) and its healthier then the traditional rice pudding.  Quinoa is complete protein, and its full of other nutrients as well: Iron, magnesium, and antioxidants just to name a few.    Its a powerhouse of a grain.

I made this pudding the way my Nana used to make her rice pudding, cooked on the stove top and then baked in the oven.  Of course, my version is vegan and I used coconut milk instead of cream.  But believe me, this will have your guests screaming for more.  There is so much you can do to this as well.  Add crushed walnuts, or some other dried fruit.    This can even be eaten as a breakfast, just omit the sprinkling of sugar on the top to make it a tad more healthier and avoid a sugar crash later in the day.

This makes 6 servings.

• 1 Cup Quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 2 ener-g eggs (make according to package directions)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tbsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp stevia (or other sweetener like Agave)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• Raisins and currents (I used 1/2 cup of each, but feel free to add as much or as little as you want, if you don’t want the fruit to over power the dish, you can add less)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
•  Raw Sugar, for sprinkling (optional, omit this part if you’re trying to keep it low on the GI)

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the quinoa in the water, 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.  Make the ener-g eggs in a separate bowl and let sit.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking the quinoa, mix the coconut milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, stevia, raisins and currents and vanilla extract in a separate sauce pan over medium heat.   After it heats up and all the spices are nicely mixed with the liquid, add it to the cooked quinoa.  Now add the Ener-g Egg replacer and the chia seeds, and stir really well to get it evenly distributed.

Place it all in a baking dish, sprinkling the top with the raw sugar, and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.