Pumpkin Pie or Custard

Adapted from The Cancer Survivor's Guide - Foods that help you fight back!  by Neal D. Barnard, MD and Jennifer K. Reilly RD.  This book is a great source for nutritional information as well as
recipes of the vegan variety.

Without the pie crust, this is a tasty low calorie dessert.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fortified soymilk
4 Tbsp corn starch
1 1/2 cups solid pack canned pumpkin or cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
9" unbaked pie crust (optional)
cinnamon sugar (optional) (mix sugar and cinnamon in 5:1 ratio)

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2) Combine soymilk and cornstarch in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
3) Stir in the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves.  Pour into a custard dish
    or pie crust and bake for 45 minutes or until firm.
4) For a little extra sweetness, sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar.
5) Cool before slicing.  If you have any leftovers, they will keep in a covered container in the
    refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Larb Gai

This is adapted from a Thai Cooking Class taught by Chef Bank Ruangsangwattana, Jr. at Herbal Thai Restaurant in Silver Spring, MD


Adjust to your preferred heat level by adding more or less Thai chili powder.

Ingredients:

1 lb minced chicken
1 Tbsp red curry paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 kaffir lime leaf, torn
1/3 cup red onion
1 handful Thai basil leaves
1 handful mint leaves
lettuce
sliced cucumber
cut green beans
1-2 Tbsp fish sauce
1-2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp rice tossed powder
Thai chili powder
1/2 piece of lime

Directions:

1) Heat the water until gently boiling, then add 1 Tbsp red curry paste.
2) Add the chicken and cook through until the sauce is reduced.
3) Turn off the heat and flavor the sauce with fish sauce, sugar, Thai chili powder and rice powder.
          Adjust to taste.
4) Add all the herbs, red onion, Thai basil leaves and mint leaves.
5) Squeeze fresh lime juice.
6) Arrange on a serving dish with sliced cucumber, lettuce and cut green beans.

Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce

This is adapted from a cooking class taught by Chef Bank Ruangsangwattana Jr at Herbal Thai restaurant in Silver Spring MD.  It is wonderful for dipping chicken skewers or raw or cooked veggies, or on top of a green salad.

Ingredients:

1 cinnamon stick
1 - 2 Tbsp Massaman Curry paste
1/4 -1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup crushed roasted peanuts (use a coffee grinder for this, but stop before you make peanut butter!)                                        
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp fish sauce or 1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water


Directions:

1) Heat the water to boiling.
2) Add the curry paste and dissolve.
3) Add the coconut milk and cinnamon stick and stir slowly.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
4) Add the crushed peanuts and continue to mix.  The sauce will start to thicken.
5) Add the sugar and fish sauce (or salt).
6) Adjust ingredients to taste.  If the sauce cools, it will solidify.  Simply heat it gently on
     the stovetop or in the microwave to liquefy.