My favourite vegetables & fruits
Dear Friends,
I went shopping with some of my Ladrang people the other day and pointed out the vegetables and fruits I like. People always ask what I like to eat, so I thought, why not just put it on my blog. I love green vegetables of all sorts. I like leafy vegetables. I like crunchy vegetables. Almost all vegetables I like very much. I have a list of Chinese vegetables I like too, which I didn’t put up here now.
Fruits are one of my favorites also. But I can’t take papaya as it gives me stomach problems. I like breads too. I like natural, whole grain or dark grain breads very much.
Below the photos we took when we went shopping, I have added 5 recipes that are healthy, vegan and low-calorie! They’re very simple to make. If you do make it, please feel free to comment and let me know how they are…
Tsem Rinpoche
 Chinese cucumber |
 4-angle bean (cook till little bit crunchy) |
 Baby bitter gourd |
 Pumpkin / Butternut Squash |
 Yam |
 Red Chilies (not green). The small ones are a bit too spicy, I prefer the bigger ones. |
 Long beans |
 Brinjal |
 Red Onion (not the white ones) |
 Garlic |
 Red Tomatoes (very sweet, and preferably from the vine) |
 Red Peppers/Capsicum |
 Broccoli, Asparagus, Carrot |
 Japanese Cucumber/ Purple Cabbage |
 Eggplant |
 Brussels Sprouts |
 Zucchini (cooked till slightly crunchy) |
 Leek |
 Corn |
 Sweet Peas (Fat and Thin/Flat) |
 Blackberries |
 Peaches (Hairless/ Hairy) |
 Coconut Juice |
 Green Pears |
 Naval Oranges |
 Avocado |
 Coriander (in soup/ sandwiches) |
 Banana (big, long and sweet) |
 Grapefruit (juice with orange) |
 Spring Onion |
 Sweet Potato (I like to eat the potato skin too) |
 Strawberries |
 Sweet Apples |
 Petai / Stink Bean |
 Potato |
 Alfalfa sprouts |
 Beansprouts (the ones with the big yellow head are delicious) |
 and…Ruffles!! But in moderation hehe |
TOFU SATAY
Serves 2
Ingredients
Satay Sauce:
Fresh coriander (with stalks) washed
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2cm fresh ginger, peeled
3 tablespoons soya sauce
3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Skewers:
Soak from start of preparation
Extra firm tofu for four skewers
Fiery Noodles:
500g egg noodles / mee
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Handful of cashew nuts, crushed
1 onion, very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2cm piece of fresh ginger, minced / grated
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soya sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 200 °C.
2. Combine the satay sauce ingredients in a food processor and whizz until a thick paste is formed. Add a little bit of water until the sauce is spooning consistency.
3. Pour half of the sauce into a bowl and set aside.
4. Pour the other half into a roasting tray.
5. Slice the tofu into big chunks and skewer onto wooden skewers. (soak the wooden skewers for a few minutes before skewering).
6. Lightly brush some sunflower oil onto a roasting tray.
7. Place the tofu skewers on the roasting tray and coat in the satay sauce. Grill / roast the skewers until the tofu is cooked and they are golden.
8. Prepare the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water, then drain again.
9. Combine the cooked noodles with the coriander and peanuts.
10.Combine the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, honey, soya, vinegar and oil in a blender. Pour the mixture over the noodles and toss to combine.
11.Serve the fiery noodles with the tofu skewers and remaining satay sauce.
LENTIL STEW
Serves 3
Ingredients
250g lentils
200g vegetarian sausages, diced
100g vegetarian ham, diced
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves
1 small red pepper / capsicum, sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 large carrots, sliced
3 small potatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 pinch of saffron
1 medium bunch of fresh parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Soak the lentils for half an hour.
2. Drain the lentils and put them in a pot. Add enough water to cover them.
3. Add the carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, parsley, saffron and cloves. Season with salt and pepper
4. Put the pot over a low heat and cover.
5. Slice the onion and garlic and fry, stirring all the time.
6. After a minute or so, add the red pepper, ham and sausages. Once cooked, remove from the heat.
7. Let the lentil stew simmer for at least 40 minutes. Add the red pepper, sausages and ham into the pot.
8. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Boil off any excess liquid at the end.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10.Serve immediately with good crusty bread.
Seasoned Korean bean sprouts
Serves 3
Ingredients
100g big bean sprouts
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon spring / green onion, chopped
Sesame oil, to taste
Salt, to taste
Directions
1. Boil water in a pot, add some salt and cook the bean sprouts for about 10 minutes. Cover with the lid.
2. Drain the water, and put the bean sprouts in a bowl.
3. While the bean sprouts are still warm, add a few drops of sesame oil and mix.
4. Add the salt, garlic, spring onion, sesame seeds and combine.
5. Serve immediately, or store in a cool, dark place.
Seasoned Korean spinach
Serves 3
Ingredients
300g spinach, cleaned WELL
2 tablespoons soya sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sesame seed
Salt, to taste
Directions
1. Blanch the spinach in boiling water until wilted (approx. 1 minute).
2. Remove the spinach and clean under running tap water.
3. Squeeze out the water.
4. Combine the soya sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds and garlic powder.
5. Season to taste.
6. Mix the spinach into the sauce and serve immediately, or store in a cool, dark place.
Dhal
Serves 4
Ingredients
100g dhal (split yellow peas)
800ml water
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small piece ginger, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely sliced
5 to 6 curry leaves, crushed
1 carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Soak the yellow split peas for 30 minutes in cold water. Drain and transfer the dhal into a deep saucepan. Add just enough cold water to cover the dhal.
2. Add the salt, cumin seeds, paprika and turmeric powder to the water.
3. Allow the dhal to cook for 20 to 25 minutes uncovered, over a medium-high heat or until the peas are tender.
4. Reduce the heat to low when it starts to boil. WARNING: the boiling dhal water may overflow when boiling.
5. Remove the pot from the heat once the dhal is cooked and tender. Set aside.
6. In a deep pot, over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
7. Add the onions, carrot, thyme leaves, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until the onions become transparent.
8. Add the curry leaves and stir in. Add the cooked dhal (including the cooking water), into the pot.
9. Add the coriander leaves. Combine well and allow the mixture to simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dhal is cooked, to your preference.
10. Stir at intervals.
11.Garnish with coarsely chopped coriander leaves prior to serving.
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I have great interest in collecting recipes, thanks for the sharing. Sometimes it takes a lot to think what to cook and what vegetables to buy. To me life make it easier with recipes. It helps us to achieve our goals with simple advice to do and to follow and getting a delicious, tasty meal for a day.
Your choice of fruits and vegetables are very healthy, I loved them as well. A balanced diet is important to us because our body, organs and tissues need proper nutrition to work effectively and keeps us healthy.
Thank you once again for your thoughtful sharing, soon will be looking for asparagus, brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, butternut squash and to try your recipe on lentil stew.
Dear Rinpoche,
We have something in common..lol!! I love petai/stinky beans too. My mum cooks them in a hot and spicy dish. one petai dish can finish one big plate of rice. I also love leeks,corn,long beans,sweet peas,brussels sprouts,bean sprouts,etc. all healthy foods. And potato chips too! Haha 🙂
Dear Rinpoche, Rinpoche and me shared almost the same vegetables except for Petai and Capsicum . I don’t like Petai as you can see they are called stink bean. And Capsicum have a weird smell and taste. So that is why I don’t like them
Hehe i grew up hating vegetables. I used to even pick out spring onions from my soup. I was a kid who would only eat chicken – how horrifying. Later, Rinpoche asked all of us how many animals of our favourite meat we would have eaten in our lifetime? Chicken? Cows? Fishes? Then it hit me just how many chickens altogether I must have been consumed.
And so, I began a life as a vegetarian and you know, it really isn’t so bad. It’s quite amazing really what you can do with vegetables and how much healthier you actually feel. It’s strange to me now that people would think that their diets aren’t complete or healthy without meat… in fact, it can be quite the opposite. The nutrients from vegetables – when cooked and consumed properly – can be just as powerful, if not even more so than any meat or animal product.
I’m now a firm veggie fanatic. All kinds! (except perhaps celery, but I’m working on it!)
I live in dharamsala and we have also Dhal mahakani is strong and tasty,i can teach how to make … but is not so light food,because we use a lot of ghee.
Im rom Brazil, but i live in dharamsala,india many years,close to my teacher nechung kuten la… But Rinpoche from all Rinpoches that i meet,i like how you teach without big ego that lamas (when go to the west have).thank you la…all the best
Hi made the dhal last night. It was very tasty and easy to cook. My 3 year old son also enjoyed it and wants me to make it again today!
Thanks very much for the recipe.
I have other recipes on my blog. Take a look. You will like them as they are delicious, healthy and easy.
http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/animals-vegetarianism/50-incredible-vegetarianvegan-recipes.html
and
http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/animals-vegetarianism/dr-jiangs-delicious-healthy-recipesvideos.html I love Dr Jiang’s recipes…very nice.
Try them please…and let me know how you find them.
TR
Dear Rinpoche
Made the basic chocolate cup cakes last week with Adam (my son). Adam was chief stirrer!Also made lentil burgers and Dr Jiang’s broccoli and ginger and long bean dishes. They were all tasty and easy to make especially for someone who hasn’t got the best of reputations for her cooking skills! Thank you again for all the recipes.
Loving all these recipes….Thank you Rinpoche. Will try every single one….Perhaps one day, we can organize in Kechara a master vegetarian chef competition…cooking is fun, creative and artisitic as well…..
We should promote vegetarian cooking……it will be a new wave now…
I haven’t eaten broccoli for months. I wish I were in Malasya now!!
OMG Broccoli I haven’t eaten broccoli for months. I wish I were in Malasya now!!