Yums from the Pantry

For those of you who know me, I split my time between my vegan catering business and my passion of music (thus the dual nature of this blog). This was a huge week for me in my music life. Saturday I went to Jordan Lake where my Samadhi band mate, Steve, had organized the Triangle's fourth Community Kirtan. We had 7 or 8 different groups lead the participants in group singing. The style of the singing ranged from meditative chanting with didgeridoo to improvisational heart-centered toning to foot-stomping Hare Krishna call and response chanting (kirtan).

The day was nothing short of miraculous. as the incoming storms threatened to take over two or three times,and yet each time, the clouds, wind and rain quickly blew over, exposing the clear blue sky and sun. When I saw the unrelenting rain and gray clouds yesterday morning, I realized that was probably the kind of weather that had been forecasted, and I said my prayers of gratitude again for the sun and rainbows the day before.

(photo Cheryl Laughner)

Saturday was also the launch date for Samadhi's Indiegogo campaign (click here! click here!). We are crowdfunding to raise money for our very first cd. The campaign was lovingly and skillfully crafted by our band member, Krishni, and like a mama, I couldn't be more proud. Click here to see her work. Soooo... how does this relate to this week's menu? Well, I share this all because it is a big part of my world.

(photo Krishni Munevar)

So here I am in music extravaganza hangover, hoping it is not too late to offer you some tasty additions to your week. :-)

This Week's Menu:

(photo mariasmenu.com)

Entree #1 - Sambar. I was toying with the idea of a whole South Indian menu with Sambar (naturally) as the star. When I took stock of my pantry, I decided it would be wiser to have "Use What We Have" themedmenu this week. The South Indian Immersion will come later. I do have all the ingredients for sambar, and it is one of my all-time favorite dals. Sambar is a little spicy, a little sweet, a little rich (blended coconut), a lot tangy (thanks to tamarind and toor), and just over-all delicious! *GF, soy-free

(photo theblendergirl)

Entree #2 - Cream of Green. Oh Cream of Green, please forgive me, I almost forgot about you! I am not sure how, since this is a simply fantastic soup. The ingredients are fresh and tasty - just celery, butternut squash, greens, and spinach. The power-packed veggies are creamed together with soaked and blended sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, and a little almond milk for a thoroughly creamy, comforting, spring soup. My son, who has the blessed peculiarity of loving green vegetables, is wild about this soup. *GF, soy-free

(photo mydarlingvegan.com)

Entree #3 - Veggie Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce. You must have noticed that this recipe is not a soup. Yes, well, as I might have mentioned, this week's theme is the "Clean Out the Pantry" theme. When I made an overview of the ingredients I had on hand, I discovered that I had most of the ingredients for this beautiful dish. And maybe I was craving a good peanut sauce... This entree comes with a side grain of mung bean vermicelli, adorably dubbed "glass noodles" by one of my British friends. Please specify if you prefer rice or quinoa with the stir fry. *GF

Side Dishes:

(photo foodnetwork.com)

Spring Green Salad - This was the closest photo I could find for what I want to make. Our salad will (hopefully) look like this plus crunchy carrots, colored peppers, olives, capers, alfalfa sprouts, and my favorite Agave-Mustard dressing. (It may be that the salad is just a vehicle for dressing...) *GF, soy-free

(photo minimalistbaker.com)

Chocolate Silk Pie - This pie is one of my absolute favorite desserts. It is quite simple to make, the grain-free "crust" is to die for, and I feel oh so unguilty when I think of how the protein of the tofu is balancing out the effects of the sweeteners. AND I learned from my guest chef, Kate, that when you drain the tofu ahead of time, it makes an extra firm, extra gorgeous looking pie. I can't wait! *GF

We look forward to serving you!

Tastefully yours,

Rangadevi Hernandez

#sambar #kale #spinach #stirfry #broccoli #peanutsauce #JordanLake #kirtan #Samadhi #Indiegogo #ChocolateCremePie #salad