Makes 8 tacos
For the chimichurri (makes about 1 cup):
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 medium shallot, peeled
1 cup firmly packed flat-leaf parsley, large stems removed
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (can substitute 2 teaspoons dried)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste (I like using Aleppo pepper)


For the tacos:
8 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
2 tablespoons water
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked)
8 corn tortillas
2 avocados, chopped just before serving
Pumpkin seeds for garnish


Using a food processor, roughly chop the garlic and shallot. Add the parsley and oregano, and pulse until finely chopped but not puréed. (Alternatively, you can finely chop the ingredients by hand.) Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and red pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

Skim 2 tablespoons of oil off the top of the chimichurri and heat it in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale and water, and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Uncover, add the drained beans, and cook for another minute or so until the kale is tender but still bright and the beans are heated through. Stir in 1/3 cup of chimichurri.

To assemble the tacos, warm the tortillas, fill them with kale and black beans, and top with avocado. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and additional chimichurri, if desired.

Found here: thekitchn.com

Preparing the squash:
Peel the using a sharp knife. (You can alternatively use a vegetable peeler, but I find that a knife is quicker.) Pitch seeds, or set aside to roast at a later date. Cut the squash into 1/2 inch cubes, toss with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Add squash to pan, and cook over medium-high heat until squash starts to caramelize at the edges, about 5 minutes.

Once the squash starts to caramelize, add 3/4 cup water and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
If you have the time (or have the ability to plan ahead, a quality I do not possess) you could roast the squash instead of on the stove. Roasting the squash would really enhance the flavor of the dish, and would be pretty hands-off. Cube the squash as mentioned above, season with salt and pepper and toss with olive oil, and roast at 400 degrees until cooked through.

Transfer cooked squash to a food processor and pulse until smooth. If you have a small food processor, you may want to do this in two batches.

Making the Bechamel:
Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk for approximately 1 minute, or until the butter and flour are incorporated and the raw flour smell is gone. Gradually whisk in the milk, and bring to a boil.and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in the nutmeg. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender, and add the basil. Blend basil and bechamel until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the rest of the bechamel in the saucepan and stir to incorporate. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: When blending hot liquids, always make sure that you crack the lid of the blender while blending, otherwise your hot liquid can build up and burst out of the blender container.

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put a layer of bechamel in the bottom of the pan, and cover with 1 layer of noodles. Spread squash puree over the noodles, and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat sauce, noodles, squash, 3 more times. (Note: You can stop here, cover with foil, and freeze for up to a month if you prefer.)

Tightly cover lasagna with foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, sprinkle on the parmigianno-reggiano and remove the foil; allow to cook for an additional 15 minutes uncovered, until the top of the lasagna is golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Serves eight as a main course.

1 T vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 t red chili flakes
1 t cumin seeds, freshly ground using a mortar & pestle
1 T grated ginger root
1 T curry paste (I used Patak’s Balti)
1 c red lentils, rinsed
3 c water or vegetable stock
1 tiny can coconut milk
1 T candied ginger, diced
yogurt (optional)

In a large soup pot, heat up the oil and saute the onion, garlic, carrots and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, ginger root and curry paste and saute for another minute. Stir in the lentils and add in the water or stock. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until lentils are somewhat soft. Add in the coconut milk and the candied ginger and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

From: Everybody Likes Sandwiches

Haven't tried this - but just imagining the flavor has me hungry this morning!

Shiitake Mushrooms and Pea Pods

Ingredients
1 pound snow or sugar snap peas
1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms or 1 cup dried
2 teaspoons canola or grape seed oil
1 teaspoon toasted-sesame oil
2 teaspoons light brown or raw sugar
1/4 cup sake or dry sherry
2 tablespoons shoyu or other natural soy sauce


Instructions
Trim the ends and any strings from the pea pods. If using fresh mushrooms, trim the stem ends and discard (or save for soup).

Slice the mushrooms into 1/2-inch-wide slices. If using dried mushrooms, put them in a bowl with enough cold water to cover. Place bowl in microwave, uncovered, and microwave on high for 1 minute.

Let the mushrooms sit in warm water until completely softened, about 30 minutes, then drain, squeeze out the liquid (save for soup), and cut off and discard the tough stems. Cut the caps into 1/2-inch-wide pieces.

Heat the oils in a skillet and add the mushrooms. Sauté over medium-high heat, stirring, until the mushrooms just begin to brown. Sprinkle the sugar over the mushrooms and add the wine and shoyu.

Cook and stir for 1 minute, and steam until the pea pods are just tender-crunchy and bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, until most of the liquid is evaporated.

Serve immediately.

I found the most amazing recipe... check it out here -

As one commenter on that post suggested, I used angel hair pasta instead of the noodles and it was really good...

Watch the video, HERE.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:


4 acorn squash, halved lengthwise; seeds and membrane removed (see note)
1 cup organic brown rice
1/2 cup wild rice
4 cups vegetable broth or water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (you may use any nut of your preference)
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon each ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375º F.

2. Cook both varieties of rice together in broth or water with ¼ teaspoon of salt (omit salt if broth is already salted).

3. Meanwhile, place squash halves, cut side down, into a large shallow baking dish or cookie sheet (you may need two). Bake for 30 minutes.

4. In a skillet, sauté onion in olive oil until it becomes transparent. Add the celery and sauté a couple of minutes. Remove from heat. Using a large mixing bowl, blend this mixture together with the cooked rice, cranberries, nuts, apricots, and remaining seasonings.

5. When done, remove the partially baked squash from the oven. Spoon out some of the cooked squash and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Be sure to scrape only a little; you want to leave squash in the shells, too.

6. Press the rice mixture into each squash cavity, mounding rice as much as possible. (Depending on how large the squash are, you may end up with some leftover rice mixture, which makes a great side dish by itself.)

7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until squash flesh is thoroughly tender.

Note: Don't discard the nutritious squash seeds. Instead, rinse the seeds and remove the membrane. Pat dry. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and spread the seeds evenly on the sheet. Spray seeds lightly with olive oil or with mix with Earth Balance and sprinkle with sea salt or any other favorite seasoning (optional). Bake the seeds in a 375º F. oven for about 15 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Enjoy immediately as a warm snack, or store them in an airtight container for up to one week.

chooseveg.com

Ingredients

2 Eggplant @2 1/2 lb (1 kg) sliced 1/4" thick slices
4 slices Wholegrain (Wholemeal) bread

TOMATO SAUCE
1 medium Onion chopped
2 cups Canned Tomatoes no salt added
3 cloves Garlic minced
1 tsp Oregano dried
1/2 tsp Basil dried
1/2 cup Vegetable Broth (Stock)
1/4 cup (2 tblspn) Tomato Paste
1/4 tsp ground Black Pepper

"CHEESE SAUCE"
1 cup Tofu, firm
3/4 cup Light Soy Milk
3/4 cup Vegetable Broth (Stock)
3 tblspn Cashew Butter (or Tahini)
1 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
2 tblspn Nutritional Yeast (I used Torula)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
3 tsp Cornstarch




Directions

If wished salt the eggplant slices, rinse and pat dry (I didn't and it didn't make a difference)
Prepare the Tomato Sauce by sauteing the onion until translucent add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for @15 minutes.
Meanwhile broil (grill) the eggplant slices, spraying with a little canola spray until browned on both sides.
Place all the "cheese sauce" ingredients into food processor and blend until combined. (It will be slightly runny).
Toast the bread and process into crumbs.
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F (180 deg C) and assemble the dish as follows:
Spray dish lightly with canola spray and place half the eggplant slices in the bottom. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the breadcrumbs then half of the tomato sauce finishing with half of the "cheese sauce". Repeat the process once more with the remaining ingredients finishing with the last 1/3 of the breadcrumbs.
Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes until lightly browned. If wished sprinkle with chopped fresh basil leaves and vegan parmesan.
Serves 6

sparkpeople.com

1 tbsp olive oil
1 spring onion, or two green onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 small zucchini or yellow summer squash, or a combination, washed and cut into 1/4" slices
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tbsp dried
1/2 cup 10% cream or 18% if you are feeling a bit decadent
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Enough cooked pasta for 2
Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme.

2. Add the cream and lemon juice and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Spoon over pasta and garnish with fresh thyme and add parmesan cheese, if using.

From Planet Green's Food and Health

Makes 4 to 6 servings

12 ounces dried flat rice noodles (1/4 inch wide; sometimes called pad Thai or banh pho)
3 tablespoons tamarind (from a pliable block)
1 cup boiling-hot water
1/2 cup light soy sauce + 3/4 tsp for eggs
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Sriracha (Southeast Asian chile sauce)
1 bunch scallions
4 large shallots
1 (14- to 16-ounce) package firm tofu
1/3 cup peanut or vegetable oil
6 large eggs
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups bean sprouts (1/4 pound)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped


1. Soak noodles in a large bowl of warm water until softened, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain well in a colander and cover with a dampened paper towel.

2. Meanwhile, make sauce by soaking tamarind pulp in boiling-hot water in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Force mixture through a sieve into a bowl, discarding seeds and fibers. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and Sriracha, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

3. Cut scallions into 2-inch pieces. Halve pale green and white parts lengthwise. Cut shallots crosswise into very thin slices.

4. Rinse tofu, then cut into 1-inch cubes and pat very dry.

5. Heat oil in wok over medium heat until hot, then fry half of shallots over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Spread fried shallots on paper towels. (Shallots will crisp as they cool.)

6. Fry tofu in 1 layer, gently turning occasionally, until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer tofu to paper towels using a slotted spoon.

7. Lightly beat eggs with 3/4 teaspoon soy sauce. Add eggs to hot oil and swirl to coat side of wok, then cook, stirring gently with a spatula, until cooked through. Break into chunks with spatula and transfer to a plate.

8. Stir-fry scallions, garlic, and remaining uncooked shallots until softened, about 1 minute.

9. Add noodles and stir-fry over medium heat (use 2 spatulas if necessary) 3 minutes. Add tofu, bean sprouts, and 1 1/2 cups sauce and simmer, turning noodles over to absorb sauce evenly, until noodles are tender, about 2 minutes.

10. Stir in additional sauce if desired, then stir in eggs and transfer to a large shallow serving dish.

Sprinkle pad thai with peanuts and fried shallots and serve with, cilantro sprigs, and Sriracha.

from Planet Green's Food and Health

Don't put the chickpeas into a food processor because they will be too finely chopped. The uneven texture that you get by mashing them with a fork is what you want. This recipe is infinity adaptable. You can use cilantro instead of parsley, add some hot peppers, use whatever is in your cupboard. If you use a mayonnaise substitute, it is vegan. Chickpea Salad
Serves 4

2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 15 oz can)
2 tbsp minced red onion
1 rib celery, finely diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
4 tbsp mayonnaise or Vegenaise
4 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp scallions, chopped
3/4 tsp tamari
freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Min a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until incorporated.

From Planet Green's Food and Health

Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Ingredients:
6 whole shallots, sliced thin
1 cup butter, sweet
3 tbsp hot paprika
3 tbsp sweet paprika
6 tbsp flour
5 cups vegetable broth
10 cups sliced mushrooms
4 cups sour cream
1/3cups chopped fresh dill

Directions:
1. Melt butter in large soup pot over medium heat.
2. Add shallots & saute til softened.
3. Stir in both paprikas; reduce heat to low.
4. Stir in flour; cook ROUX, stirring 3 minutes.
5. Stir in broth & mushrooms.
6. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
7. Boil 20 minutes.
8. Add sour cream, ½ cup @ a time; stir well after each ½ cup.
9. Reduce heat to low.
10. Add dill, salt, pepper.
11. DO NOT BOIL @ THIS POINT! GREAT TO FREEZE

From the Old Fashioned Living website

Ingredients:
Sugar pie pumpkins (preferably on the small side)
Olive oil
Fresh rosemary, chopped
Sea salt

1. Heat grill to medium-high.

2. Wash and cut the pumpkins vertically into 3/4 inch slices. Remove the seeds and stringy parts. Brush both sides of each slice liberally with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary.

3. Place the slices on the grill for about 5 minutes a side or until dark grill marks appear. Turn and grill the other side until you can easily pierce the pumpkin slice with a fork. You want to make sure that the pumpkin is tender.

4. Since some of the salt tends to fall off during the grilling process, serve with a small dish of additional sea salt.

From Mother Earth News

From the Gooseberry Harvest Kitchen Cookbook

We eat LOTS of stews, chili's and beans... this sounds like another fabulous (and cheap!) meal!

Chickpea Curry

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp mustard seed
1 dried chili, or 1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tbsp salt, or to taste
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 ripe tomatoes, diced or 1 cup canned tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

1. Heat oil in a large pot and add onions and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. If you are an exacting cook like Hugh, prepare the chili as above, adding the mustard seeds to the mortar and pestle as well. If you are a lazy cook like me add all the spices to the pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the chickpeas and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes. Serve with bread or rice. Add cilantro garnish if using.

from planetgreen.com

Method

Make sure to rinse and drain the beans, if you are using canned beans.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, jalapeno chile peppers, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, basil, lime juice and olive oil. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste. (The sugar will help balance the acidity from the tomatoes and lime juice.) Chill before serving.

Serves 6 to 8."

And another one from the same site:

'Butternut Squash Lasagna, adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 1/2 cups whole milk
* 4 oz. goat cheese
* Pinch nutmeg
* 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
* 12 cooked lasagna noodles*
* 2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor or mash with a fork. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the goat cheese. Cool slightly. Finely chop basil and add to sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving. "

Go check out Good 'n Planty today!

I've never had chili with mushrooms in it, I don't think... this will be interesting to try!

* 2 cup(s) mushrooms, fresh , whole
* 1/2 cup(s) pepper(s), green, bell , raw, chopped
* 1 cup(s) onion, white , raw, chopped
* 8 teaspoon pepper(s), green chile , diced
* 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
* 2 cup(s) tomatoes, whole, canned , without added salt
* cooking spray
* 1 teaspoon broth, reduced-sodium vegetable , without msg
* 1/2 cup(s) water
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper, cayenne , dried, ground
* 2 teaspoon chili powder
* 2/3 cup(s) beans, black , canned
* 5 1/4 ounce(s) vegetarian crumbles , burger substitute, soy
* 1/3 cup(s) beans, chili , canned


Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Slice mushrooms and sauté in skillet until browned. Remove from pan.

Spray a Dutch oven or stockpot with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add onions and peppers to the kettle and sauté until vegetables are soft. Add garlic, tomatoes, broth, water, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, beans, and soy crumbles, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer another 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Meatless Fall Casserole


Ingredients
1 head cauliflower flowerets, cut bite-size
5 carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 large broccoli crowns, cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper cut in.1/4 inch wide strips
1 green bell pepper cut in.1/4 inch wide strips
1 yellow bell pepper cut in.1/4 inch wide strips
2 med yellow onions
fresh garlic to taste, chopped and roasted
1/2 cup fresh parsley
3 cups oats with sage, oregano, salt and pepper to taste
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup grated cheese (optional}
1 cup vegetable broth

Directions
In large mixing bowl, pour oats, spices, eggs, and water. Mix and form into patties. In large frying pan, pour oil and heat until hot; fry patties. Cut all vegetables as described, shred cheese. Quick roast garlic (slice cloves and lay on cookie sheet) in 350F degree oven for about 1 minute each side. In an 11x13 glass bake ware put in all vegetables, pour in vegetable broth, and crumble oat patties over vegetables. Mix lightly and sprinkle parsley over top. Cover with foil and bake at 350F degrees. When done, open cover and sprinkle with shredded cheese and slivered almonds. Serve hot. Prep time:20 minutes. Cook time: 30 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings as side dish and 4 servings as main dish (serve with hearty bread).

3 cups water
1 cup lentils, rinsed
salt to taste (optional)
1 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
3-5 tablespoons rapadura, molasses, or honey
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1-2 Tbsp barbecue sauce
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 hamburger buns, split

Soaking Step (for benefits read here), optional: Allow lentils to soak over night in warm filtered water with 2 Tbsp acid medium. Rinse and cook as described below.

Combine water and lentils in a saucepan; season to taste with salt if desired. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook onions with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, ketchup, mustard powder, chili powder, molasses and Worcestershire sauce; simmer 5 to10 minutes until thickened.

Drain lentils and reserve cooking liquid. Stir lentils into sauce mixture, adding cooking liquid or water as needed to obtain the desired “sloppy joe” consistency. Serve on buns.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

3 ounces Vietnamese cellophane noodles, cooked according to package directions
2 cups bean sprouts
2 carrots, julienned
1 large beet, julienned
1 fresh red chile, cut in circles
2 handfuls fresh cilantro, hand-torn
3/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 lime, juiced
Sea salt
20 (8-inch) round rice paper wrappers
40 mint leaves

Put the cellophane noodles, vegetables, cilantro and peanuts in a large bowl; toss with sesame oil and lime juice to give the filling some flavor; season with salt and pepper.

Pour 3 cups of hot, not boiling water in a large shallow bowl. One at a time, immerse the rice paper wrappers in the hot water for 10 seconds to soften, then place on a slightly damp towel. The rice paper is very delicate, don't soak them any longer or they will break apart. Keep them covered while you work to prevent them from drying out and curling.

To form the rolls, lay a rice paper wrapper on a flat surface. Grab a small amount of the cellophane and vegetable mixture and lay it across the bottom third. Use less filling than you think you should, if you overstuff the wrapper it will tear. Carefully fold the bottom of the wrapper up to cover the filling. Fold in the left and right sides, then tuck and roll it over once. Lay 2 mint leaves on top, then tuck and roll it over to close the whole thing up like a tight cigar. The mint leaves should show through the transparent rice paper. Arrange the finished rolls on a platter and cover with a damp towel.

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon red chili paste, such as sambal

In a blender, puree the rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, hot water, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and chili paste until combined. Pour into a small bowl and serve with the summer rolls.

Yield: 1 cup

Delicious one-dish meal...even non-vegan/vegetarians will love it!

Ingredients:

1/2 package fake meat crumbles
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
15 oz can sweet corn
15 oz can small green peas
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon diced garlic (I use the kind that comes in jars)
chili powder
salt
garlic powder (if you like lots of garlic)
2-2.5 cups Minute Rice

Directions:

In a large pot, saute fake meat in olive oil, with diced garlic, salt, chili powder, and garlic powder.

Cook until meat is sizzling, but make sure not to burn.

Add tomatoes, corn, and peas (and the juice from all the cans...this is what the rice will cook in) to the meat and herbs.

Stir it all together, adding more seasonings (lots more chili powder, some garlic powder) and allowing everything to cook together for a few minutes.

Add Minute Rice to the pot and drop heat to low. Cover and allow it all to simmer until rice is done. It will take longer than 5 minutes like the rice box says, but just be patient until the rice is tender.