Basic Stir-fry October 29, 2007

Tonight I made a very basic stir-fry and the only reason I’m posting a ‘recipe’ is because of the new way I prepared the tofu.  Normally I just toss the tofu into a stir-fry and it ends up crumbling up a bit.  I’ve read some different recipes that call for baking or even freezing tofu to change the texture. Tonight I baked it and really enjoyed the difference.

1/3 head cabbage, sliced
4 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 head broccoli, cut into pieces
1 container tofu
Stir-fry sauce
Soy sauce

First I sliced the tofu thinly and pressed out the water with paper towels. I sprayed a cookie sheet with olive oil spray and placed the tofu on the sheet. I brushed soy sauce over the tofu, both sides, and baked it at 350 for about 15 minutes. I then flipped the tofu and brushed the other side with soy sauce again and continued to bake for another 10-15 minutes. I sauteed the vegetables in a hot skillet with the stir-fry sauce and added in the tofu which I’d sliced into matchsticks.

Notes: I like baked tofu!

Servings: 4-5

Puff Pastry Prosciutto Wraps October 29, 2007

(This is my picture!)

Marti introduced me to these easy and tasty appetizers. It’s so simple and different kinds of pre-made dough can be used. In the past, I’ve used crescent rolls, which is what Marti used. This time I used a sheet of my trans fat free puff pastry.

1 sheet puff pastry
Honey Mustard (or brown mustard and honey)
Prosciutto

Thaw the pastry for about 20 minutes. Spread the mustard evenly over the pastry. Layer slices of prosciutto on the mustard. Wrap the pastry in on itself. Roll one side to the middle, then the other. Use a good knife and cut into slices. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes, until light brown on top.

GUEST CHEF: Rachel’s Moroccan Carrot and Beet Salad October 26, 2007

Rachel based this on 101Cookbooks’ Moroccan Baby Carrot Salad. Rachel said “I served mine alongside cooked wheat berries, which was a nice complement. I added beets to the salad. I love beets, but they weren’t as good as the carrots. Definitely if I did it again with beets I would store the beets in a separate container because they turned everything red – a pity since my carrots from the green market were beautiful orange and red. I didn’t have cilantro, so I used thai basil and lemon balm, which tasted good. The pine nuts add great flavor and should not be left out.”

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound baby carrots (or spring carrots), washed and cut into halves and/or quarters lengthwise
5 Beets – roasted and quartered

sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon honey
lemon juice from one lemon
1/2 cup black olives (Moroccan, Kalamata, etc), each torn in half

1/2 cup orange syrup (1 cup orange juice reduced by half over medium heat)

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped (or Thai basil and Lemon Balm)
1 tablespoon mint, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Put cumin seeds in a heavy pan over medium heat and toast until fragrant, approximately five minutes. Grind cumin seeds in a spice grinder and set aside. Alternatively, if you don’t have a grinder, use pre-ground cumin.

Pour olive oil in a skillet over high heat and add carrots. Cook 2 – 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium and cook another few minutes until the carrots become just barely tender, and loose much of their crunch and raw flavor. Salt to taste.

Drain carrots in a colander to get rid of excess oil.

Transfer carrots to a mixing bowl and add honey, lemon juice, olives, orange syrup and about half of the cumin. Toss gently. Taste, add more cumin if you like.

Just before serving toss in the cilantro, mint and pine nuts. Add a bit more salt to taste if needed. Serve next to your favorite tiny pasta, grain, or rice.

Venison Chili October 25, 2007

It’s cold enough for chili! This was a mix of a 5 bean chili recipe and Theresa & Kent’s mushroom and ground venison chili. It’s hard to go wrong with chili and this one turned out perfectly. It’s not very spicy but flavorful. The jalapeños from the cornbread were spicy enough for me.

Olive Oil
1 onion – chopped
1 package mushrooms – sliced
3 cloves garlic – diced
1 pound ground venison
1 can light kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can great northern (white) beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
3/4 can tomato paste
1/2 cup water (or more)
3 tsp. Chili Ancho Powder
Cumin
Chili Powder

Saute onion, garlic and mushrooms in a big pot with olive oil. Mix in ground venison and cook until brown. Drain and rinse the beans before adding into the pot. Mix in the two cans of tomatoes and the tomato paste, along with water. Stir to combine all the ingredients. Heat and bring to a boil then turn down to simmer. Add spices and salt/pepper to taste. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Notes: This is a very hearty chili with lots of beans and venison. Next time I’ll try to measure my spices more precisely instead of just shaking in.

Servings: 6-7 servings

Cornbread October 24, 2007

First off, let me tell you that I will never chop jalapeño peppers without latex gloves again. I’ve diced many jalapenos before but tonight I foolishly touched my face with my hands after chopping one up for this cornbread… yikes! Luckily, the cornbread was great.

I found the base of this recipe on Fatfree Vegan Kitchen: Confetti Cornbread. I switched out some ingredients to cook with egg and butter instead of her substitutes.

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
A pinch or two of sugar
1 egg
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 cup milk
1/2 stick butter
1/2 green bell pepper – diced
1/2 red bell pepper – diced
1 jalapeño pepper – diced (Wear gloves! Wash your hands!)
3/4 cup frozen corn

Spray cast iron skillet with oil. Put in the oven and pre-heat to 400 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another bowl. Beat the egg and melt the butter before mixing in. Stir gently but don’t over mix. Mix in the vegetables. Pour in the hot skillet and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The hot skillet will help to make a lovely golden crust on the corn bread.

Notes: This cornbread turned out wonderfully! I’ve been looking for a corn bread that isn’t dry or too sweet and that includes corn. This was filling and very tasty with some heat from the jalapeño.

Servings: 8 servings

Hummus October 24, 2007

When I worked at the Chopping Block, one of the chefs gave me this fantastic hummus recipe and I’ve made it over and over again because it’s so easy and delicious. I haven’t experimented with any additions (roasted red pepper would be easy) because I like the original so much.

1 can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tahini
2-3 cloves garlic (depending on how much you like garlic)
1 tsp. cumin
Juice of one lemon
Salt and LOTS of freshly ground pepper

Throw everything into a food processor and mix away. Mix until smooth and creamy. I taste it then and add more salt/lemon juice/pepper/oil if I feel it needs it. Serve with fresh veggies, pita chips or put on toasted bread with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. It should last in your fridge for about a week.

Notes: Next time I’ll try to break away and add in roasted red pepper.

GUEST CHEF: Rodger’s Plenty-O-Chicken Soup October 22, 2007

A good soup for a cold day or cold in the head.

2 chicken breasts cut to small pieces, cooked

2 cans of chicken broth and 1 can of water

1 can of tomato sauce

1/2 cup white rice… I started out with brown rice but decide it was too coarse

Salt and pepper to taste

Onion flakes (3 or 4 good shakes.)

I then split the soup in half for 2 people. I added 2 cups of spinach cut in 4ths to the remaining half, the other half can be frozen with spinach added at that time. Spinach was added 5 minutes before serving.

It tasted great!

Spinach and Bok Choy October 22, 2007

I spotted this quick and easy “recipe” online and thought it would be a good addition to the lentil stuffed ports. It was!

1 package spinach, cleaned
1 head of bok choy (also known as Chinese cabbage)
3 cloves garlic, diced
soy sauce (maybe 4 T?)
Salt & Pepper

Saute garlic and bok choy in oil for a few minutes. Add in the spinach and cook until it starts to wilt. Season with a little soy sauce, pepper and salt. Make sure not to add the salt until after the soy sauce since it’s pretty high in sodium.

Notes: Next time I may add baked tofu and make this a main dish.

Servings: 3-4 servings

Lentil Stuffed Portobellos October 21, 2007

I’ve been wanting to cook some lentils for awhile but wanted to try something other than the dal soup I make. I found this tasty recipe which turned out pretty well.

1 cup lentils
1 clove garlic, diced
3-4 T. red wine
1/2 T. olive oil (or walnut oil)
Salt & Pepper
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 oz. blue cheese

6 portobello mushrooms
Olive oil
Cream of Balsamic

Cook the lentils as directed, about 20 minutes in boiling water. Drain water and saute lentils with oil and garlic for about 2-3 minutes. Add the red wine, tomatoes, walnuts and blue cheese and mix together. Cook for a few minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste.

Clean portobello mushrooms and brush oil on the bottom side before putting in a baking dish. Pour a splash of red wine and balsamic vinegar (or cream of balsamic) into each cap. Scoop lentil mix into each mushroom. Sprinkle any left over blue cheese on top. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

Notes: Next time I will need to season the lentils more while they are on the stove. Maybe try an additional spice to season with.

Servings: 6 servings (1 mushroom per serving)

Tofu Quiche October 18, 2007

I like eggs, but they aren’t the most healthy thing to eat. I found a recipe for Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches on Fatfree Vegan Kitchen and thought I’d give it a try with different vegetables.

1 clove garlic, diced
1 roasted red pepper, diced
1 container mushrooms, sliced
4 oz. Chorizo (leftover from the sausage and sweet potato soup)
1 cup broccoli

1 package silken tofu
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons Fontina Cheese, grated
1 T. cornstarch
1 teaspoon tahini
Salt & Pepper

Sautee vegetables and meat for about 5 minutes on the stove. Mix tofu, milk, cheese, cornstarch, tahini and seasonings in a food processor until smooth. Mix tofu mixture and vegetables/meat together in a large cast iron skillet. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 or until a knife comes out clean. Eat and enjoy!

Notes: I should have cooked it longer. It was very good but a bit… runny. Next time I’ll cook it longer and in muffin tins instead. Possibly add bread crumbs or more cornstarch.

Servings: 5-6 servings. I’ll be eating leftovers in the morning on toast!