Red Thai Tofu

Well, husband and I just went mattress shopping and I am so happy that we will have a real mattress! Ours is like sleeping in a valley right now. Life is about to improve for me drastically. We were starving, even though it was only 5 when we got home.

This dish was awesome. It came out looking like the tofu I ate every day in China, but the Thai flavors are out of this world. It was 30 minutes start to finish, and only 110 calories per serving!!! Win and win!

The recipe is another one from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra. I served this with some roasted asparagus and wine (obviously).

Red Thai Tofu
1 block firm tofu, cubed up
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 giant clove elephant garlic, or 4 cloves standard garlic
1 Tbsp fresh ginger
1 Tbsp red curry paste (hence the red thai tofu)
1/2 cup H2O
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp light agave nectar
15 leaves Thai basil (even Whole Foods didn't have it, regular basil worked just dandy)

Heat up your skillet and saute tofu in a little bit of oil or cooking spray. Just shake the pan around rather than stirring the tofu and breaking it all up. It takes about 10 minutes to brown. Add a tad of soy sauce (not all of it) and brown for a minute or two longer. While it's cooking, chop up the veggies so you are ready to chuck them in the pan while it's good, oily and hot. Set tofu aside.

Add the veggies to the pan, and cook for five or so minutes. Mine browned up a lot, so I added a Tbsp of red wine to loosen up all the good bits from my skillet.

While all that's going on, make up the sauce by mixing together the water through the agave. Add the sauce back to the pan with the tofu. Cook for 5 minutes just to heat through. Add the basil and serve. DONE.





The wine:

Dave and I went to a "blending party" at a local winery recently. Our red blend won 2nd place in a blind taste test of all the other attendees. However, the winery owners liked our blend so much, they decided to bottle it! How fun. Not like we get royalties or anything, just a fun story. It's called "dedication" by Round Peak's Skull Camp line of semi-dry wines.



You're jealous. Admit it.

Zucchini Raisin Muffins

When I was a kid, my grandmother always had zucchini growing in her garden. Every summer she would make endless loaves of zucchini bread, that I would slather in butter and devour in two seconds. I love her zucchini bread so much, and she would always make sure she had a loaf ready when she babysat my brother and myself.

After she passed away I don't think I've had zucchini bread once, nor have I tried to make it. I've made these zucchini raisin muffins a few times before, though they taste nothing at all like the loaf I loved so much - they are still really good and surprisingly healthy. They come from my favorite cookbook, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas.

I love to have them with some soup or salad for lunch - or with an apple as a snack.

Zucchini Raisin Muffins
13/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup natural granulated sugar
1 cup vanilla yogurt (soy or dairy) or applesauce (I have used both and the results are similar)
2 Tbsp safflower oil
1/3 cup soy milk
1 cup firmly packed grated zucchini (I put mine right in the food processor)
3/4 cup chopped raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (I used mine already in the Walnut Cheeze)


Preheat oven to 350, oil a muffin pan. Mix dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, then the zucchini and raisins. Divide into 12 muffins and bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Done and done! So simple!

Vegetable Korma

Tonight I made another recipe from Appetite for Reduction - although I took away the low calorie appeal of this meal since I didn't have any low fat coconut milk... which is fine with me - the full fat is so much better.

Today I worked all day - and having the house alone to himself today, the husband decided to go play hockey. I mean, what else would you do Sunday morning? Luckily, he came home and cleaned the entire house. Brownie points! While I was making dinner and baking some goodies, he announced he was going to play another hockey game, and would be missing dinner. So I enjoyed this one myself.

There is an amazing Indian place by us, and I cannot help always ordering the veggie korma - which is made with cream. This recipe replaces the dairy with delicious coconut milk, and what it lacks in spice it makes up with awesome flavor. I heaped sriracha on, so if you like spice be prepared.

2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma
1 tsp olive oil
1 small red onion
3 cloves garlic (I used one giant clove of elephant garlic)
2 Tbsp minced ginger
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp Na++
2 cups vegetable broth
1.5 pounds cauliflower
1 pound zucchini
1/2 pound carrots
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup light coconut milk (I used one can full fat)
1 tsp agave nectar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in pan, saute onion until translucent. Add ginger and garlic and and saute for a bit longer. Add broth with spices and Na++. Add all of the veggies, cover the pot and crank up the heat for 7-9 minutes, letting the curry boil. Add in the peas, coconut milk and cilantro.



Serve over jasmine rice and garnish with cilantro. Don't forget the sriracha.



Now it's time for the Californication season finale! :-)

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

I have made these before- but haven't gotten a photo of them yet! Oh it was worth it making these again! I had half of a butternut squash left over from the Mac and Cheeze earlier in the week. I was wondering what I could possibly use it for, when I remembered that this was one of the best recipes I have ever eaten in my life EVER... so why waste precious squash on some inadequate dish.

I looked up the recipe and had EVERY SINGLE ingredient - serendipity! So I roasted some squash and made these glorious, glorious enchiladas. Ah yes, can't you just taste the goodness?


Along with the enchiladas, I threw together some little taco salads (chopped spinach, cilantro, black beans, sweet corn, crumbled tortilla chips and avocado). Check it out.


The dressing was simple, I threw together some salsa, Vegenaise, chili powder, cayenne pepper and hot sauce)

The wine... of the wine. We rarely (and by rarely I mean NEVER) by reserve ANYTHING... but we tasted this Pinot Noir at our grocery store of all places, and knew that it was a worthy splurge. I'm going to keep enjoying it for the rest of the night.


All anyone needs, wine, hot sauce.. dressing (?) Okay I could live without dressing. And hot sauce.

Butternut Squash Enchiladas (adapted from Vegetarian Times)
1/2 large butternut Squash, cubed
1 tsp olive oil
3 oz. cream cheese
1 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 chiles in adobo, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Na++ and pepper
6 small flour tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce (hot works best!)
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Toss butternut squash cubes in olive oil, bake for 40 minutes at 450 - flipping once halfway (doing the squash this way gives it an awesome smokey flavor from the nicely browned edges). When done, mash in the cream cheese.

While the squash is baking - saute red onion and garlic about 7 minutes, until translucent. Add in spices and stir for a second or two. Add the mashed squash and cream cheese mixture. Oh yeah. Mmmm. Then add the chopped cilantro.

Assemble the enchiladas - I hope I don't have to explain this further. Pour on the sauce, sprinkle on the cheese - and bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Eat and be in awe of the glory of butternut squash enchiladas.

Drink wine. The end.

Walnut Cheeze

Listen guys, I enjoy healthy food as much as one possibly could. I think I eat a pretty healthily, but this week I figured I would push things just way over the edge to make up for my less than stellar week last week. I've been adding to my blogroll recently - and added Choosing Raw which has a lot of healthy raw vegan recipes. Pretty much my first day of subscribing THIS recipe for Raw Vegan Walnut Cheeze. I had ll of the ingredients, so I figured "what the hell?"



The taste is very flavorful, almost like worchestershire sauce is added in. I've been eating it as Gena, the blog author did, as apple and cheeze wraps within romaine lettuce leaves. Oh yes, this is pure raw rabbit food, but surprisingly filling. It hopefully offset the Mellow Mushroom Pizza and Rogue Brothers beer I drank last night. Whoops!



Notice the lunch at my desk - yes, I work while I eat. I have got to graduate!

Creamy Tomato Risotto

Again with the theme of wintry dinners... I'd like to mention again that it is in the 80's here in NC. Last week it was a little chillier- maybe 60's. So we are eating a little heavily this week - and we'll switch to lighter, springier meals next week. Whatever, food is food.

Anyway, I had bookmarked THIS recipe, adapted from the Vegan Yum Yum cookbook, on Oh She Glows way back in December (I know, about a million years ago). But my cooking hadn't been going very well back then and I am just catching up on old recipes now.

Angela updated the recipe just recently, adding some of the cheese sauce from the Butternut Squash Mac and Cheeze for added creaminess and awesomeness. Well, since I planned on making the mac and cheese I figured I may as well go all of the way and make the risotto also! I didn't have any barley, as the original recipe calls for, but I had everything else. I also added in about 2 cups of baby spinach for green-ness. It turned out great- so creamy and delicious!


Check out the ultra creamy recipe HERE.

Now I have to pretend I have been working all morning and get some stuff done!

Black Bean, Zucchini and Olive Tacos & mashed yucca

Whenever I get a new cookbook - I tend to gravitate towards the food portrayed in pictures. I have a hard time picturing how a food will look - especially if it's a little strange - but put it into a photograph, and I want to eat it. For Christmas I received Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz - and have finally gotten around to cooking from it (now that I am actually cooking on a regular basis).

I made the mango BBQ baked beans for a cookout, and they were TO DIE FOR. I didn't get a picture because I was too busy playing Angry Birds, most likely. I will make them again and show them to you.

The other night I made the black bean, zucchini and olive tacos, which came together in no time at all! I paired them with mashed yucca and some guac. My husband did NOT like the mashed yucca - but the latin place by us serves it fried, and he doesn't like that either - so I should have guessed. More for me!And I had just enough left over for one taco for lunch the next day. How delightful!

Black Bean, Zucchini and Olive Tacos
1 Tsp Olive Oil
2 Zucchini, diced
2 jalapenos diced ( I left seeds in)
1/4 tsp Na++
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
6 oz. salsa verde
16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sliced scallions
8 corn tortillas (I used 6 small flour... 6 because my husband put so much filling into his two they were impossible to eat)

Heat oil, and saute zucchini and jalapeno with the 1/4 tsp salt for about 7 minutes over medium heat. When the zucchini is nicely browned, add the garlic, olives, cumin, coriander and saute for two more minutes. Add salsa and black beans and cook for 5 minutes more. Serve with tortillas (obviously) scallions, and guacamole.

Mashed Yucca with Lime and Cilantro
2 pounds yucca, chopped into chunks (use potatoes if you can't find any)
2 Tbsp lime juice (from limes, not a bottle)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp Na++

The yucca comes looking like a sweet potato covered in leather. I had no problem peeling it with my nice peeler and chopping it with my nice wusthof knife. If I had used my cheaper stuff, I'm not sure how smoothly it would have went. Peel and chop the yucca, cover with salted water and boil for about 20 minutes.

Strain the Yuca over some sort of mug or measuring cup so that you can catch about a cup of the starchy water - which you will add back in (rather than using oil or cream). Add yuca back to pot, add lime, cilantro, oil and salt. Mash and then add the hot water bit by bit. I used maybe 1.2 cup. It is like gloppy mashed potatoes, with a less earthy taste. I love yuca and you will too.