Mushrooms and Tempeh with Thai Jasmine Rice

As I mentioned on Sunday, I developed some tooth pain over the weekend. Coincidentally, I had seen an oral surgeon a few days earlier to confirm that I have to have my two upper wisdom teeth removed, but that there was no urgency. Upon consulting with my dentist today, he found the problem with my right upper wisdom tooth, necessitating a quick - tomorrow morning - appointment to remove the two teeth. I'm not looking forward to that and am tomorrow to eat soft and cool items, like soy yogurt, smoothies, and sorbets.

So, I made something that I may not be able to eat for a few days, including half of a large carrot (which I handled fine!). I started some jasmine rice going as a pilaf; in a little canola and Mongolian Fire oils, I sauteed a little bit, maybe 3 or 4 tablespoons, of medium chopped onion (maybe 1/2" pieces) for a minute or so, then added a little (1/2 teaspoon or so) finely chopped ginger and, a moment later, rice. I stir fried the rice for just half a minute or so till the rice grains went from white to clear, added 1/2 teaspoon or so of cumin, and, maybe 15 seconds later (being careful not to burn the cuming), added water in a ratio of 1.5 to 1 rice, plus a vegan bouillon cube and a pinch of turmeric. I brought this to a boil then simmered, covered, for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, I sliced cremini and shiitake mushrooms plus a sweet organic Vidalia onion. I also chopped about 1/4 of a package of tempeh into small pieces of around 1/4". I sauteed the onions, added the tempeh a minute later, and added the mushrooms a few minute later. I sauteed till the tempeh was brown and the mushrooms cooked down. I added a little soy sauce at the end. We enjoyed dinner!

Yesterday we were with a friend in Raleigh and wanted to treat him for some assistance he had provided, so went to a relatively new Indian restaurant that my wife and I have been meaning to try, Azitra Restaurant. We normally avoid North Indian restaurants, finding them overspiced and not so authentic, but this one is more a gourmet one with some unique dishes, we had heard. We enjoyed the experience - very nice, upscale decor and tasty food that was subtly (except for one dish) spiced. We'll return!