Orange Glazed tofu and Broccoli

I always spell broccoli wrong. I'm not sure why. I guess if I took my time and though about it maybe I'd spell it right. Anyway- today was crappy and uneventful (except for my lunchtime power yoga class- that was nice) so here's the dinner I made! It's a favorite from the Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas.


Orange Glazed Tofu
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup H20
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp grated ginger

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp H20
2 large broccoli crowns - chopped into trees
2 garlic cloves minced --- I am fresh out of elephant garlic :-(
1 red pepper sliced into thin, thin, matchstick strips
1 block firm tofu (the recipe calls for 2 blocks baked tofu, but I like mine squishy)

Mix cornstarch with water until dissolved. Add the rest of ingredients (concentrate, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger) to the mixture - and you have your sauce. Congrats.

Now, mix oil and water in a wok and heat the garlic and broccoli in it for a second, then cover and cook for 2-4 minutes. Add peppers and cook until a little soft, then add the tofu trying not to break it. Add the sauce and stir until thickened - maybe 5 minutes.

Done!

I served this with a favorite beet, goat cheese, orange and pecan salad.

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! :-)

Tempeh with Snow Peas

Happy MLK day! I am at work all night, which is fine because I slept in until 10:30 today.

Yesterday I cleaned the house, while drinking some delicious beer and listening to the Gov't Mule New Year's Eve 2010 show. I hate cleaning, but beer and loud music make it much more bearable. Plus, it really couldn't be avoided any longer. My house had reached the stage where it was too disgusting to be able to sit down without shuddering thinking of all the dirt. I was even waking up at night - not able to rest thinking of all the dirt around. I'm usually laid back about messes, but this was BAD.

DRINK THIS BEER!!!! Thank me later.



Anyway- I had a leisurely morning full of lots of coffee and reading. I decided to make dinner before leaving for gym/work so that I could eat an actual meal at lab.

My sister-in-law posted a recipe for this meal on her blog a little while ago- and I started to salivate just thinking about how good it probably was. She and my brother made it for us on New Year's Day- and it was so delicious. Even my father ate it, who normally reacts pretty strongly to all the weird vegetarian stuff I make. His usual response: "it's different!"

The redeeming quality of this meal for him was the coconut rice it was served on top of. It's so simple, rather than cooking your rice in water, use a can of full fat (or low fat if you are a loser) coconut milk! I used short grain brown rice, put it into a saucepan, brought it to a boil and let it simmer for 50 minutes. And when it's done it is creamy and WONDERFUL!



The recipe can be found by following the link above! It takes about 5 minutes to throw together and costs about $1.05 - the price of freedom.

Carribean Rice with Garbanzos and Veggies and Orange-Glazed Tofu

I was having a Lazy Saturday yesterday - watching old Californication episodes (marry me David Duchovny... Hank Moody doesn't trump Fox Mulder for me obviously). Mmm David.




Anyway- I was perusing some food blogs, and saw this wonderful post on Carribean-themed recipes on Love Veggies and Yoga. The recipe for Carribean Rice with Garbanzos and Veggies has caught my eye before, and since I had the basic ingredients in the house I decided to go for it. It was incredible! The original recipe can be found here, my changes are below!


Carribean Rice with Garbanzos and Veggies:
1 cup short grain brown rice
1 can full fat awesome coconut milk
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tsp ground ginger
1 Tsp sugar
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped and steamed until soft and bright green (this takes two minutes in the microwave- just put in a closed tupperware container with some water and nuke)


Bring rice, coconut milk and spices to boil. Cover and simmer until rice is done (we all know this takes a bit, maybe 40 minutes. Check your bag of rice for exact cooking times). When done, add peanut butter, beans and asparagus. OH MY GOODNESS. It is so creamy, delicious and filling (going with my David Duchovny theme for the most part).

I served it with some orange flavored tofu I made using a wonderful gift of Chinese marmalade from my dear friend in Macau.

Orange-Glazed Tofu:
1 black extra-firm tofu
2 Tbsp orange marmalade
2 Tbsp honey (or agave to make it vegan)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
(some soy sauce would be good, but I was out)

Slice tofu into cute little cubes. Line a baking pan with tin foil (unless you want to ruin your pan with burnt marmalade mess) and preheat oven to 450. Set out the tofu on your pan and cover in 1.2 the marinade. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip over, cover with remaining marinade and cook ten minutes longer (or longer if you really like it crispy five minutes longer than that). Done. It was delicious. What a good meal. I talked about the deliciousness for a little bit too long during the Sabres game last night!




Now a nice day of spinning, swimming, sauna, Black Swan, and dinner with friends. Eventually I will decide what to cook for the rest of the week!

Catching up

I haven't had much time to cook and subsequently blog for a bit now. I have a study in full swing, manuscript edits, I am starting to look for and apply for post docs... and yeah I guess that's about it. So- here is a quick recap of some stuff I have made over teh past week or two and have failed to share.

1) Lemon Risotto
My friend featured this RISOTTO on her blog Cooking for Dan. I had to make it since I pledged to make about every recipe she has made so far - they all look wonderful. This recipe was simple and delicious. It made enough for an army so I brought some to work to share with my friends/colleagues. One called it the best thing they had ever eaten, the other said it was too salty for their taste and mixed it in with venison chili. One of these individuals will never get any home cooked treats from me ever again. My opinion was that it was INCREDIBLE. I couldn't stop thinking about it after the first night and had some immediately the next night with a big old spinach and beet salad :-) For the recipe follow the link above - or you can be lazy and click here (I can't believe I am enabling this laziness - really).


That little glass by the way is not booze as you might expect - but rather my salad dressing for the night: olive oil, chardonnay, balsamic vinaigrette, and some special herbs! But yes, that is wine.




2) Kale and Sweet Potato Skillet
I've made this once before and I loved it then. From my favorite cookbook Vegan Express by Nava Atlas. It's super simple and chock full of goodness.

The recipe:
2 medium sweet potatoes (microwaved until soft)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
One 8 oz. package tempeh - cut into 1.4 inch slices
1 bunch kale torn into small pieces, ribs removed
4 garlic cloves
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp curry paste dissolved in a but of warm water
2 tsp curry powder (or more if you love curry)
2 scallions minced
cashews (optional if you can spare the calories... I can't)

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and chop. Add 1 Tbsp oil and soy sauce to pan - add tempeh and saute 5-7 minutes. Set aside. Sir fry garlic in remaining oil until fragrant, add kale, 1/2 cup H20, tomatoes, curry powder, and paste. Cook for 10 minutes covered. Stir in scallions, (and cashews if using) and cook 2-3 minutes longer. DONE. Nutritious and FAST.



3) Vegetable Pot Pie
My friend Nick got this recipe from his mother - and he has made it twice while we have been over. It is seriously so good I can't even stand it. The crust is amazing, the addition of tofu baked with soy sauce to the filling is ingenious. You can check out the recipe HERE on the site Gale's Recipe Collection. This is phenomenal - please make it! I forgot to take a picture of it all as one piece, so here is one wonderful serving. Even carnivorous Dave loved it.



4) Butternut Squash Enchiladas
I had a little butternut squash I wanted to use to make something different- and found this recipe on the Vegetarian Times site. OH MY GOD. These turned out INCREDIBLY. I can't even say it enough. Unfortunately there is a lot of hands-on time, making this more of a Sunday meal (like it was for us). Unfortunately, they were so good that I only got to eat 1... my husband ate all of them! I didn't even get to take a picture of them because I had to go to work, and by this morning they were all gone! The website doesn't have a picture either - I'm sorry! But if you need a knock-their socks off recipe - this is it. The ingredient list is short and the prep time mostly accounts for roasting the squash.

I've never asked you to trust me blindly and make something before - but do it, please.

The Recipe
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 butternut squash (11/2 lb.), halved and seeded
1 medium onion, diced (1 cup)
1–2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, drained and diced, plus 1 Tbs. sauce
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp. )
3 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 green onions, chopped (1/3 cup)
1 16-oz. can enchilada sauce
8 whole-wheat or corn tortillas
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place squash cut-side down on baking sheet. Roast 45 minutes, or until soft. Cool until easy to handle. Scoop squash into bowl, and mash. Heat oil in saucepan, add onion and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Add chipotle, adobo sauce, and garlic. Cook 1 minute, stirring often. Stir in mashed squash, cream cheese, cumin, and nutmeg. Cook 3 minutes more, or until heated through. Remove from heat, and fold in green onions.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce over bottom of 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Lay tortillas on baking sheet, and warm 3 minutes in oven to soften. Divide filling among tortillas, and roll loosely. Place filled, rolled tortillas in baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and Cheddar cheese. Bake 30 minutes, or until top begins to brown and sauce is bubbly.

5) Tofu Pesto Alfredo Sauce

This was a creation I made on the spot tonight as something to top my cheese tortellini with. I had seen some recipes for vegan alfredo, and figured I would give it a WHIRL. This was not vegan as I added some parmesan - but I figured the tortellini already had cheese in them so I wasn't doing any extra damage! The recipe is an approximation because I just threw this together- but it was GREAT. Even husband agreed!

The recipe:

1 container silken tofu

about 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, or to taste

1 big Tbsp earth balance margarine

2 Tbsp pesto

salt and pepper

All you do is whirl this in a food processor

And then add to whatever you are covering in it. I added some wilted spinach and chopped sun dried tomatoes to garnish the pasta because it sounded good. I was right - it was great. I ate it in about .2 seconds flat - so I am still massively full.

Okay - I guess that's about it! Now I can catch up on my reading! :-)

Thai-Pineapple Stir-Fried Rice

I make this dish frequently- it's another winner from Vegan Express. It is very simple and very good. The leftovers are almost better than the original batch because the flavors meld together so nicely! I served this with some tofu I tossed in a soy-type marinade I concocted on the spot. A good meal!

1.5 cups long grain brown rice
1.5 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cups broccoli
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 red or orange pepper, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
16 oz can drained pineapple chunks
1 cup light coconut milk ( I use a whole can of full-fat- it makes it ultra delicious and creamy)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp chopped or jarred ginger

Cook rice with 3 cups water (bring to simmer, simmer 30 minutes). Saute up the veggies. Start with the onion, and then the rest after the onion softens. Cook until the tomatoes are a little softened and nice. Stir in the rice, coconut milk, and remaining ingredients.

BAKED leek, swiss chard and mushroom risotto

When I found out in Nava Atlas' The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet cookbook that I could BAKE risotto rather than stirring it for 45 minutes straight I am almost cried out of joy. You just mix rice, broth, and garlic together and bake for an hour - stirring every 20 minutes. Holy crap. What a miracle.

For this recipe I used short grain brown rice (rather than traditional arborio) - and my Le Cruset 1/2 quart cast iron bakeware to first brown the veggies on the stovetop before popping into teh over with the rice. It was marvelous.

Baked leek, swiss chard and mushroom risotto:
1.5 cup short grain brown rice
2 miced garlic cloves
2 cups boiling water
1 cup plain old water
2 tsp "better than boullion" - vegetable obviously
2 leeks - white parts only, chopped
1/2 bunch swiss chard, chopped
1 package sliced mushrooms
Parmesan or soy parmesan

Brown veggies in some oil. Add rice and stir. Add better than boullion to water and add to pot. Add 1 cup water and get ready to bake at 375 for 60 minutes. Set timer every 15 so that you may stir 4 times over the course of baking. When the timer goes off, stir in some parmesan if you wish- and add some for topping. Great stuff I tell you. I had this with my favorite mixed greens/goat cheese/roasted beet/pecan salad.

Life is good.

Jamaican rice and beans (quick)

My advisor is not only a scientist- but also an actor. He does community theater. I guess it is a good thing to have someone in science support having outside interests. Sometimes your life had to revolve around science, and you can never leave the lab. The environment I work in now is pretty laid back work-wise because of that - which really means I have to motivate myself.

Back to the acting, way back before I was a vegetarian - some then co-workers and I decided to go see my advisor perform in a play in a small town about an hour away. We figured we'd grab dinner out there- expecting no more than BBQ or friend chicken. Lo and behold, there was a Jamaican restaurant - right there in the middle of nowhere. The food was great, and my vegetarian coworker went nuts over the rice and beans- which were made in a thick, delicious coconut base.

Now that I am a vegetarian, I realize what a go-to rice and beans are. So simple! Following is the recipe I made, from the suggestions of both the restaurant owner and my coworker. This was easily made from all pantry food- I love emptying out my cans - and didn't have time to soak any beans.

Brown jasmine rice (enough for 4) - I stick mine in the rice cooker.
2 cans red kidney beans
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbsp jerk seasoning
Salt and Pepper

Make rice. Dump beans (juices too) into large pot. Add coconut milk and seasoning. Simmer. After about 20 minutes, I take a potato masher and mash a few of the beans to get them to break down to thicken the sauce further. It was awesome - and I am having some of the leftovers for lunch. Start to finish - 1 hour!