Curry? It's hot. It's cool. It's so good! And this one is Vegan friendly

Here's a true story: When Sean and I went on our honeymoon to Fiji, we stayed on an old coconut plantation and our meals were part of the package. Each morning we told the staff which of three dinner options we wanted that night. Good plan for the resort and it took the pressure off us because we didn't have to make any decisions after a long day on the water or in the mountains. It was a beautiful system, except for one thing: CURRY NIGHT! Somehow, Curry Night came twice a week, and we stayed there for 11 days, so we got LOTS of curry. And we hated it. Don't know what it was, but it did not appeal.
Fast forward and we're selling SPICY RED CURRY AND COCONUT FETTUCINE!
How does something like that happen? Easy: Curry isn't one flavor. It's a combination and the combination varies from place to place. It isn't that we didn't like curry: We didn't like THAT curry.
This week, I've used my friends as guinea pigs to test a vegan-friendly, full-meal dish that took advantage of the curry and coconut flavors. Since my friend Dawn --who loves curry and loves me enough to tell me the truth-- loved this, I feel confident sharing this recipe with you.

Oh, and the farmer's market connection? The mushrooms come from Kitchen Pride. Look for them at Barton Creek and other markets in the area. I got the scallions, cabbage and carrots at Barton Creek, too.

Red Curry Coconut Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 package Gourmet Texas Pasta SPICY RED CURRY AND COCONUT FETTUCINE,  (COOKED AL DENTE, according to package directions)

• 1 TBS vegetable oil
• ½ c. stemmed and sliced Kitchen Pride mushrooms
• 1 one-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• 1 TBS red curry paste
• 1 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut MILK, stirred
• 1 cup Napa cabbage cut into long thin strips (chiffonade, if you insist)
• 2 medium carrots, julienned (more strips)
• ½ block of extra-firm tofu, large dice
• ½ TBS honey
• 3 green onions (scallions) GREEN part only, sliced on a bias
• Juice of ½ lime
• Chopped cilantro for garnish
• Salt and pepper if you must (I didn’t use any!)

Preparation

• Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms, ginger and shallots until soft,  about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the red curry paste and cook for about 1 minute.
• Whisk in the coconut milk and then add the cabbage, carrots and tofu and cook about 5 more minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the honey, lime juice, scallions (and cilantro if you are using it—I never do.)
• Let cool slightly then toss with the noodles.