Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Tamarind Tempeh Curry and Thumbprint Cookies



I have been battling a terrible stomach flu while trying to get myself ready for the first week of school, which is both exciting and a little nerve wracking.

I wanted to share a recipe I made on Sunday night, which I was really pleased with. I admit to forgetting the chilli peppers, but, I was in the throws of my first ever 'preweek' cook off. I actually premade most of our meals for this first week back to work. I tackled a really great carrot soup, a ratatouille, a stir fry, and a whole pile of cookies that are for the kids....not for Kevin.

The curry I made on Sunday night was made specifically for the tamarind that I picked up after our amazing celebration dinner at my favourite vegan/live food haunt in Brussels. TAN, which is an upscale, vegan friendly restaurant, is actually the location for our wedding lunch, and since we were celebrating an anniversary, it really only seemed right to tuck in for a nice meal. I had a wonderful quinoa and avocado salad to start, and finished off with stuffed zucchini. The meal was so light and well prepared. The best part is while we were eating our meal, you could look out at the terrace to see all of the container gardening the restaurant does. Great place.

Okay, here is the curry recipe, give it a whirl, it was delish.

T & T Curry
Ingredients:
3 tsp Tamarind
1 eggplant
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic (marinade)
1 clove of garlic (for the stir fry)
Tempeh
Soy Sauce
Coconut Milk
in your own quanity: chili pepper

This really simple set of ingredients was made spectacular by the time I gave it to marinate. The flavour of the tamarind was a nice compliment to the texture of the tempeh. All you have to do is marinate the tempeh, which I cut into coins, in the tamarind, soy and garlic. Once you have let that sit for a while add a the diced eggplant to a cast iron pan and let it cook down, I then threw everything else in and added the coconut milk. I let this dish simmer for 40 minutes and then served it up!

I also re-worked a Veg Times cookie recipe, omitting the All Purpose and going whole hog with the Whole Wheat. These little thumb print cookies will be in the bellies of 23 children tomorrow morning (well, 22 - one can't get back from Iceland until Thursday). The recipe is from this month's publication, and came together really quickly, and turned out exuding the elements of both a perfect crunchy outside and a jammy centre.


I also wanted to extol the graces of letting food take its time to mix and mingle. I just polished off a bowl of the ratatouille I made on Sunday night, and the two nights in the fridge did wonders for this dish. I plan to keep up the practice of prepping all of my week's meals on Sunday. It is not only mega time saving for me after an afternoon of dragging meetings, but, it seems to have a nice effect on the food as well.

Tomorrow is the first official day back to school, and I just can't wait. I met some of the kids today (new ones to the school) and it was so invigorating to see their eager faces and be able to answer their curious questions. Can't wait to see all of the returning students tomorrow morning! Should be good fun.

OH!!! I also have some really great news....one of my students from when I was teaching at Sheridan College in Oakville, has been hired by DISNEY, as an animator. Congratulations Randeep...what a great opportunity. His work is fantastic, and if you dig art/animation, then I encourage you to check out his blog. Randeep is also an amazing person, I can't think of any one else who deserves this more.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't say that I know what tamarind tastes like...it sounds good, though!

I wish I could be in your class and eat thumbprint cookies. I don't ever remember a teacher baking cookies when I was in school. You're sure to become all of the kiddos' fave teacher!

Hope you're almost done with that stomach flu. They're the worst!

Anonymous said...

That looks like a recipe I wouldn't mind at all to give it a try.
Good luck tomorrow. And I think these kids are very lucky with a teacher like you. Wow, bringing them homebaked (vegan) cookies.

Jenni (aka Vegyogini) said...

I hope you get well soon! Thank you for the recipe. I have a jar of tamarind paste in the cupboard! J'adore un bon ratatouille aussi. :)

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Wow, that's awesome about your student. That would be like my dream job (of course, I'd have to be way more skillful in computer animation/drawing/etc. but a chocolate-covered vegan can dream, can't she?).

Anonymous said...

your poor stomach! are you ok now?
I love tamarind so much, I have no choice but to give your recipe a go asap.

Anonymous said...

That recipe has me doing a mental inventory of my kitchen to see if I can pull it off soon it sounds so yum!

Our rentrée isn't until next week, so I still have a little bit of time...and it's nice to see I'm not the only one who makes cookies for my students (I felt kinda silly...ok, my students are also a lot older than yours, but still...)

jessy said...

that's so awesome of you to make those delicious look'n cookies for your students to enjoy! and how cool on one of your former students being hired on my Disney! wow! that's so cool! have fun on the first day tomorrow! :D

i have no idea what tamarind is - but i need to find out! your dish looks too lovely not to try! thanks for another wonderful recipe! mmmmmmmm!

thedalyn said...

I started back to school this week too. I always mean to prep all my food on Sunday--and actually enjoy it when I manage to--but I seldom get around to it. I need to make more an effort. This looks delicious!

aTxVegn said...

Sorry to hear you've been sick. I hope you enjoy your day tomorrow.

The little thumbprint cookies look so good!

Johanna GGG said...

Thumbprint cookies sound like a great way to introduce yourself to the kids - I am sure they will love them - and you!

The Voracious Vegan said...

That curry looks amazing! What beautiful flavors, thank you for sharing the recipe. And the cookies are adorable.

Vegan_Noodle said...

Hope that you are feeling better! No fun to be teaching and feeling sick...
I always end up subbing lime juice for tamarind, but I should really try and seek out this ingredient. The curry sounds excellent. And how sweet to make jamprint cookies for the kids!

Jenni (aka Vegyogini) said...

I didn't know what scrapple was either, but Hannah's post w/ the Vegan 100 has a link to it. :)

VeganCowGirl said...

Thanks for all the concern about my tummy.

I am feeling loads better! 100% today - I could even go to the gym after work.

school was amazing today! just amazing. The kids were all fantastic and so much fun! Thanks for your thoughts.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I searched for those deliciously looking thumb print cookies on the vegetarian times web (July/August 2008) but couldn't find them. Now I can't make them!

VeganCowGirl said...

So sorry - I should have been more explicit when I said "this month's issue" - I meant the issue I received this month - which, in wacky magazine time, is actually September's issue.

I would be happy to share it if you can't find it :)

The Vegan Snorkeler said...

Your curry recipe sounds amazing, I want to try it out soon! The thumbprint cookies look so tempting. I'll bet your studetns will love them!

Sal - AlienOnToast said...

mm mm cookies!

Anonymous said...

I suppose in a short while I can get the thumbprint cookie recipe on the web as soon as Vegetarian Times has put online the recipes of the September issue? Or aren't all the recipes of their issues put on the web?
I've made the thumbpint cookies from Eat Drink and be Vegan - very nice but a bit dense. Are the ones you made very dense?

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Good luck being back in school! I hope you are feeling better.

I have some tamarind in the house and was wondering what to do with it! Nice plate, by the way :)