The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes--from Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls by Mark Reinfeld, Jennifer Murray Read Free Book Online Page B

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    1. Place the mango, yogurt, lemon juice, and ice cubes in a blender and blend on high speed for 20 to 30 seconds, until smooth and even.
    2. Taste and add agave nectar, if using, as desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Variations
    • Not a big fan of yogurt? Try substituting the coconut yogurt with 1¼ cups of coconut milk and ¼ cup of a thickener such as silken tofu, cashews, or coconut butter, being sure to blend well.
    • Turn this into a milkshake by replacing the yogurt with vegan vanilla ice cream. (Can you say “yummy?”)
    • Spice it up by adding ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom!
    East Meets West: Ayurveda
    Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of healing and lifestyle that is gaining popularity in the West. Its goal is to create harmony in the body and life through balancing the three substances or doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha. There is a growing number of ayurvedic spas and ayurvedic body care products on the market. Check out the recommended reading section in Appendix C for two wonderful introductions to ayurveda.

VANILLA CARDAMOM ROSE LASSI
    Three great tastes that taste great together. This recipe can be used as the base for any kind of lassi you can dream up. Any or all of the three flavor ingredients (cardamom, rose, and vanilla) can be omitted for a plain lassi or exchanged for your desired flavors.
    MAKES SIX 8-OUNCE SERVINGS
     
    ¾ cup vegan coconut-milk yogurt
1 (12-ounce) package silken tofu
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup agave nectar
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon rose water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, preferably alcohol-free
1 cup ice cubes
¼ to ½ cup ice water, if necessary
    1. Place all of the ingredients except the ice water in a blender and blend on high speed for 20 to 30 seconds, or until smooth and even.
    2. Taste and, if desired, add ice water to thin the mixture. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Variations
    • Not a big fan of yogurt? Try substituting the coconut yogurt with ¾ cup of coconut milk and ¼ cup of a thickener such as cashews, macadamia nuts, or coconut butter, being sure to blend well.
    • Turn this into a milkshake by replacing the yogurt with vegan vanilla ice cream.
    • Omit the cardamom and rose water and replace the vanilla with one teaspoon of another extract, such as almond, butterscotch, or even cherry!
    • Make a Limetastic Lassi by omitting the cardamom, vanilla, rose water, and lemon juice and adding ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice and ½ teaspoon of lime zest.

WARM CARDAMOM MILK
    You can make even quicker work of this recipe by using 4 cups of store-bought rice milk instead of making your own as in this recipe. But if you enjoy this beverage as much as we do, you’ll save a lot of packaging and have a fresher product by following the recipe as it is. Either way is a win for you! Warm cardamom milk is such a soothing, nurturing, warming way to end a busy day.
    MAKES 32 OUNCES
     
    1 cup uncooked brown rice
4 cups water
30 green cardamom pods, shells removed
(about 2 teaspoons cardamom seeds)
2 tablespoons to ¼ cup sweetener of choice
(try maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or agave nectar)
    1. In a blender on high speed, blend the rice and water for 40 to 60 seconds or until a white liquid forms. Note: If you have a powerful blender, be sure not to overblend. If the rice is ground too fine it will not strain out and the milk will turn out very thick.
    2. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, into a pot. Place the pot on the stove over low heat. Add the cardamom seeds and allow the mixture to heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the flavor of the cardamom has been well released, stirring occasionally.
    3. Whisk in your desired sweetener and serve warm. If you prefer, you may strain out the cardamom seeds, but it is not necessary to do so.

Assorted Chutneys
    For our chutney recipes, we consulted with our friend and resident Indian food expert, Vi Herbert (see inset on page 42).