Sunday Dinner: Coconut Vinegar Cured Tofu Sea Scallops with Lemongrass-Basil Cream Sauce and Cilantro-Garlic Coconut Rice

What a recipe title, huh? I feel out of breath just trying to say it! A few weeks ago I bought a new cookbook (love you, Borders coupons!) called Veganize This! So far I've only made the Chicken Setian (which I turned into Orange-Sesame Chicken) and the Caesar dressing. I would love to have tried more of the recipes but honestly - they are pretty complex! Case and point - the title of this post! It wouldn't irritate me expect that in the introduction the author claims that these are recipes for the "lazy vegan" who wants "simple food" - this recipe was supposed to take a day and a half to make! What kind of lazy cook wants that!?

Anyway - I actually really enjoy complex recipes, especially on the weekend. I get to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and then enjoy the results of the project! This morning Jonathan picked out this recipe to try, so after we gathered the bajillion ingredients it took to make it I got started. I had to cut a few corners and shorten the marinating times since I only had seven hours and not thirty-six, but I think that's ok!

The verdict: Yum! I have no idea what scallops taste like, and I'm pretty sure these weren't an exact replica - but the flavors were quite good and it was kind of a fun way to serve tofu! Also - coconut rice really may be one of the best foods ever.

Thai Adventures

One of my favorite restaurants from back home is Araya's Vegetarian - a Thai restaurant that I have been going to since I was in high school. It's all vegan and all delicious - especially their lunch buffet! For years I went weekly to catch up with a friend and stuff as much food as possible into our bellies (I really miss those days when my metabolism was my friend!).

I bought a vegetarian Thai cookbook when Jonathan and I were in Phuket last October, but I've found the recipes to be a little too vague and perhaps advanced for me - perhaps I need to just give it a better try, but I think the translation to English didn't work out that well for them.

If it wasn't lunch buffet time at Araya's my favorite dish was the Orange Tofu. I was exploring different food blogs this weekend and came across a recipe for Orange Pan Glazed Tempeh (ok I know this is the same website that the Ravioli Salad came from, but at least it's not my usual!). It reminded me so much of that dish at Araya's that I had to give it a try. The verdict? The sauce had the perfect flavor, but I didn't think there was enough leftover once it had reduced to a glaze - it left the rice a bit dry. I also think I should have marinated the tofu and then dried it out so the flavor was throughout - I always struggle with that with tofu, lots of flavor on the outside and none inside.

Thinking of this Orange Tofu (I used tofu instead of tempeh - forgot to mention that, but it was probably clear from the picture) made me think of the dessert that Araya's always had as part of the buffet - Black Sticky Rice with Coconut Milk! I had never tried making it before, but figured it couldn't be that tough - luckily I was right! Here it is - simply Forbidden rice (black sticky rice) cooked with coconut milk, palm sugar, and a little cinnamon topped with a little of the remaining coconut milk!

Up next: the most Oregonian thing I have done since living in Oregon!

-C