Pretty new place mats!

Sorry this took me so long to post, life's been a challenge lately... hopefully after my exam on Wednesday I'll have the time to cook properly and photograph it!
I got some new place mats and plates. I like them, they make me feel happy sitting down to eat, even if I'm alone. This was last nights dinner, doesn't it look lovely? I'm making an effort to sit at the table for meals (instead of eating whilst working or watching tv) and I think this will really help. Also the plates are nice and small to make sure I don't eat too much :)

Please excuse the non- traditional nature of this dish.... in case you didn't know by now I tend to throw whatever I've got together. Regardless this tasted amazing and I will definitely be making it again- especially since broccoli is now in season!! :) 

Curried broccoli

Makes 1 serve
8 tbsp coconut milk (lite) don't worry, it only comes to 66 cals
baby piece of fresh turmeric
same sized piece of fresh galengal
1 spring onion
1 garlic clove
salt to taste
1 small head of broccoli
1/4 cup water (ish)

• Chop onion, garlic, turmeric, galengal 
• Dry Fry until fragrant
• add coconut milk
• Chop broccoli
• Add stalks & water
• 2 mins later add broccoli tops
• keep covered and allow to steam until cooked (4 mins?)
• enjoy!

Stuffed eggplant

Makes 2 serves
1 eggplant
1/2 cup chopped assorted dried mushrooms
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup enoki mushrooms
1 cup soaked TVP (1/2 cup dried)
Fresh Coriander
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1 clove garlic
1 spring onion
2 tbsp 'beef' stock powder
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast

• Pre heat oven to 180
• Halve eggplant lengthwise
• crosshatch inner side of eggplant and spoon out the center (leaving 1cm ish around the edge)
• chop mushrooms, onion & garlic
• dry fry onion & garlic
• add tomato paste, fry off
• add water, stock powder, TVP & dried mushrooms
• Combine & allow dried mushrooms to plump up
• Chop & add the inner eggplant, soy sauce
• Cook until eggplant is soft & mixture reduced
• Add enoki mushrooms & coriander stalks
• Fill eggplant halves
• sprinkle with nutritional yeast
• Bake & 180 for 45 mins or until soft & browning
• Garnish with coriander leaves & enjoy!

Potato & Green veg soup

Makes 5 serves
1 head of broccoli
1 Zucchini
1 medium Potato
4 tbsp 'chicken' Stock powder
pepper to taste
water

• Chop vegetables
• Add potato, water & stock powder to pressure cooker/pot & cook until soft (10 mins)
• Add green veg & continue cooking until soft (5 mins)
• Blend & season to taste.

Dumplings

Makes 150 dumplings (4 = 1 serve)
4 tbsp laksa paste
150 wanton wrappers
2 cups dried TVP
2 cups cooked quinoa
4 cups chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup tomato paste
S&P to taste

• soak TVP
• fry off laksa paste & tomato paste
• chop mushrooms
• add mushrooms, TVP & quinoa
• cook until mushrooms break down & it becomes a paste
• season to taste
• spoon 1 tsp into each dumpling wrapper and make whatever shape you wish! I went with these because they're easy and look cute, just fold it into a triangle then wrap it round on each other

Dumpling Noodle soup

Makes 2 serves
1 bunch choy sum
1/8th pack of mung bean vermicelli
8 dumplings (recipe above)
handful of bean shoots
handful of enoki mushrooms
2 tsp chicken stock
boiling water (kettle)
1 tsp miso paste
1/2 tsp chilli oil
1 tsp soy sauce

• roughly chop vegetables
• combine boiling water, stock powder, miso paste, soy & chili oil
• add choy sum stalks & cook for 3 mins
• add all other veg & bean noodles
• stir & when noodles are softened add dumpling
• simmer for 5 minutes & serve! I cook this in the pot pictured above & its so convenient but I'm sure it will be just as good in a pot!

So this is what I've been eating... its almost the holidays (one exam to go!) so I should be able to post more yummy food more often! :) Hope you give these a go or give you some ideas xxx