Spicy Thai Pumpkin Noodle Soup

I came to Thai cooking many years later after mastering Indian cooking, but now I enjoy the vivid and unique hot, sweet and sour fragrances and flavors of Thai soups and curries almost as much. I keep a jar of homemade vegetarian Thai red curry paste on hand in the refrigerator at all times to make putting soups like these together a snap.

Like most of my Thai soups, this soup features mushrooms — mushrooms are a favorite of mine and taste delicious swimming in a spicy coconut milk broth — but also rice noodles for texture and heartiness. Pumpkin purée added to the broth lends sweetness and a depth of flavor to make this soup the kind that your guests will go back for seconds.

Spicy Thai Pumpkin Noodle Soup

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Thai Published on July 27, 2017 Simple, sweet and spicy rice noodle and mushroom soup in a delicious and fragrant pumpkin and coconut milk broth Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 oz (14 g) mixed dried mushrooms 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 large shallots, chopped 1-inch fresh ginger or galangal, grated or minced 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste 1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced 3 cups vegetable stock 13.5 oz (400 mL) can coconut milk 2 cups unsweetened pumpkin purée 1 tablespoon coconut or brown sugar 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped 2 cups (5.5 oz or 150 g) uncooked rice noodles 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste juice from 2 limes (4 tablespoons) roasted peanuts for garnish Instructions: Soak the dried mixed mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking water, and roughly chop. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots to the pan and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Add the ginger or galangal and sauté for another minute. Now add the red curry paste and stir for another few minutes. Stir in the fresh and soaked mushrooms, vegetable stock, coconut milk, pumpkin purée, sugar, paprika, cumin and half of the basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Now stir in the noodles, lime juice, salt and remaining basil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 to 7 minutes until the noodles are tender. If the soup seems too thick, add some of the reserved mushroom soaking water. Serve hot, garnished with roasted peanuts and some chopped basil if desired. Makes 6 servings

I'm sharing this with Jac's Meat Free Mondays event.

Other Thai soups to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Thai-Inspired Sweet Potato Kidney Bean Soup
Creamy Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup
Quick and Easy Thai Coconut Soup with Mushrooms and Mixed Vegetables
Thai Red Curry Vegetable Soup

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Skillet Potato Salad with Fresh Basil and Cilantro

Potato salads are always popular no matter the time of year, but when the temperatures are soaring, as is the case currently in southwestern Ontario, salads are clearly in order. As this one is free of dairy, it makes for a good choice to take on a picnic or potluck if you are so inclined. The unique aspect of this salad is that the potatoes are slow cooked until crisp after some soaking time and then tossed with an aromatic blend of roasted coriander and cumin seeds. Blend up the roasted seeds, toss the cooked potatoes with the spices, some orange juice, fresh herbs and seasoning, and you are all set. It is an attractive salad too especially if a selection of colorful fingerling potatoes are used. No need to peel them either.

I've adapted this lovely salad from the highly anticipated and latest released cookbook "Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked — and Fried, Too!" by renowned author Raghavan Iyer. It surpassed all my expectations but considering his Indian cookbooks occupy a treasured space on one of my many cookbook shelves, I should not have been surprised. Innovative and creative as always, Mr. Iyer is best know for his Indian expertise, but in this volume, he travels across the culinary globe in his kitchen and explores the global obsession with potatoes that need not be so humble, as Mr. Iyer so masterfully demonstrates. Everything you ever wanted to know about preparing and serving many varieties and preparations of potatoes is covered in this volume.

This collection does include some recipes that include meat, although the vast majority are suited to a vegetarian diet. Though many of the recipes make ample use of dairy, there are plenty of ideas to please vegans and substitutes are often suggested alongside the original recipe. Another gem that I will be exploring and speaking about more soon.

Skillet Potato Salad with Fresh Basil and Cilantro

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked — and Fried, Too!: A Celebration of Potatoes in 75 Irresistible Recipes Published on July 17, 2017 Crispy skillet-fried fingerling potatoes tossed with aromatic seeds, citrus and herbs — a perfect summer potato salad Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb (675 g) fingerling potatoes (assorted colors are most impressive) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 1/2 cup fresh basil, trimmed and finely chopped 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, trimmed and finely chopped 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 1 teaspoon coconut or brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes fresh cracked black pepper to taste Instructions: Scrub the potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let the potatoes soak for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and rinse the potatoes well and spread out onto paper towels. Pat dry. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, stir in the potatoes to coat with the oil, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they crisp up and are tender inside, about 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook to prevent the potatoes from falling apart. While the potatoes are cooking, heat a small skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the coriander and cumin seeds to the pan and fry, stirring often, until the seeds are browned. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind into a semi-coarse blend. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a large bowl. Let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes and then toss in the orange juice, basil, cilantro, ground coriander and cumin blend, salt, sugar and cayenne or red pepper flakes. Sprinkle with black pepper. Let the salad sit for 30 minutes or longer to allow the flavors to blend. Can be served at room temperature or slightly chilled. Makes 6 side servings

I'm sharing this recipe with Jac's Meat Free Mondays.

Other potato salads to enjoy:
Indian-Style Potato and Pea Salad with Tamarind and Chat Masala
Vegan Potato Salad Dressed with Avocado
Creamy Potato Salad with Cashew Dressing and Fresh Basil
Potato and Green Bean Chaat Salad

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Raw Nut and Seed Chocolate Chunk Mint Energy Balls

Raw homemade nut and seed treats are perfect little bundles of protein, good fats, fiber and other mineral nutrients that can keep you going between meals or at any time of day. In fact, I can't say anything against them … they're easy to make, keep for a long time, and taste absolutely delicious.

Chocolate and mint is one of my favorite combinations, so these little energy balls are flavored with peppermint extract, cocoa and chunks of good quality dark chocolate in addition to the healthy medley of nuts, nut butter, seeds and maple syrup. They're so good that there was never any chance of them lasting for the two weeks that they could keep.

Raw Nut and Seed Chocolate Chunk Mint Energy Balls

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on July 10, 2017 Healthy raw homemade nut and seed energy treats with the delicious flavor combination of chocolate and mint Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup raw almonds 1/2 cup raw cashews 1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 1/3 cup hemp seeds 1/4 cup flax seeds 1/4 cup chia seeds 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 1/3 cup maple syrup or dark raw honey 1/4 cup natural peanut butter 1/3 cup dark chocolate, broken into small pieces (or use chocolate chips) 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract 1/2 to 1 tablespoon coconut flour or rice flour (if needed) Instructions: In a food processor, combine the almonds, cashews and pepitas and process until roughly chopped and broken down, but not ground into a fine meal. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the hemp, flax and chia seeds and cocoa. Now add the maple syrup or honey, peanut butter, chocolate chunks, coconut oil and peppermint extract. Stir well to combine until you have a fairly moist but shapeable mixture. If too moist, stir in a bit of coconut or rice flour and let sit for a few minutes. Conversely, if the mixture is too dry, stir in a bit more peanut butter or sweetener. Shape the mixture into small 1-inch balls and transfer to a plate. Refrigerate for an hour or so to firm up. These keep well in the refrigerator in a well-sealed container for at least two weeks, or freeze if desired. Makes 24 1-inch balls

More raw energy boosting treats to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Raw Peanut Butter Cookies
Cherry Nut Bars
Cocoa Fruit Energy Bites
Peanut Butter Carob Balls

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Strawberry-Blueberry Breakfast Casserole

I admit to a special affection for breakfast recipes that can be prepared the night before to make the morning meal as simple a job as pouring a bowl of cold cereal. And I have an even greater affection for fresh strawberries and blueberries, which makes this easy strawberry-blueberry breakfast casserole an object of affections indeed!

Sweet local strawberries are in season now and they are certainly available in abundance. Now I don't eat eggs, but my husband does enjoy them, so this casserole was for him as it contains loads of eggs, milk, cream cheese and bread along with the berries making this breakfast casserole go a long way during the day, and it's a perfect solution for feeding a family or morning guests — they'll certainly be enticed by the smells as the casserole bakes in the morning. Leftovers can also easily be wrapped in aluminum foil, stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and reheated in the oven.

Strawberry-Blueberry Breakfast Casserole

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on July 5, 2017 Simple make-ahead breakfast casserole loaded with fresh strawberries and blueberries Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 loaf white sandwich bread, slightly stale and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, crumbled 1 cup sliced strawberries 1 cup fresh blueberries 12 large eggs 2 cups milk 1/2 cup maple syrup or packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Instructions: Generously grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Layer half of the bread pieces over the bottom and sprinkle the cream cheese over the top. Scatter the strawberry slices and blueberries evenly over the cream cheese and layer the remaining bread pieces on top. Beat the eggs together with the milk, maple syrup or brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Gently pour the egg mixture over the casserole, trying to soak the bread evenly. Cover with tin foil and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. The next morning, leave the foil covering on and bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the eggs have set and the casserole has puffed, about 25 minutes. Do not brown. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings

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