Tofu, Kale, Onion, Mushroom and Fennel Recipe!

I made a delicious dinner last night that I wanted to share:

The dish has no name, it is another one of my open up the fridge and throw something together dinners.  These are typically good, but this was was very good!  I think the fennel seed is what did it.  Anyway here is the recipe  —

Press a block of tofu

Saute in coconut oil for 15-20 minutes until the onion is barely visable

• 1 medium onion, cut up into very small pieces
• 1 shallot, cut up small
• 1 stalk of celery also cut up into very small pieces
• 2 carrots chopped

Add in and saute another 10 minutes or until the mushroom is soft

• 1/2 a portabella mushroom cut into 1″chunks
• 1/2 a red pepper, diced small

Add a small bunch of kale (cut up) on top of the veggies

Add water into the pan, cover and simmer until the kale softens, then mix it all together add spices, cover and continue to simmer

• turmeric
• ginger
• fennel seeds (I imagine if you actually have fennel, you can cut some up and saute that instead, but I didn’t so I used seeds)

Meanwhile, cut up the pressed tofu into small pieces and brown it in more coconut oil another pan.  Once it is cooked to your liking, mix it into the pan of vegetables and spices.  Add more water to blend the spices and tofu, and simmer until the water is mostly all absorbed.

Delicious!

A Delicious Thrown Together Lunch

I haven’t been to the grocery store in a while, but I was hungry.  So before I went I made a really good lunch out of some veggies I found in the frig:

First, I sautéed the following in some coconut oil

•  1 small onion
• 1 shallot
• ½ a large red pepper
• 1 Portobello mushroom
• 1 small potato

Once the onion was browning and translucent, I added about 1/2 a cup of water and a bunch of baby kale, covered the dish and let it simmer until the kale was wilted.

Then I added roasted shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and of course some cayenne and turmeric.

Vegetable Chili for the Football Game

Yesterday I made a  big pot of veggie chili for the football game. 

I never make this the same way twice as I use whatever vegetables I have on hand and whatever else I get from the store.  This batch was exceptionally good.

I started by sautéing a small onion and 1 clove of garlic.  Once the onion started browning I threw in a cube of tofu which I had cut up into very small pieces.  I seasoned the tofu/onions/garlic with some chili powder, cumin, cilantro, and of course cayenne.

As that was simmering, I cut up

• 2 carrots
• about 1 cup of butternut squash
• 1 small potato
• 1 very small beet
• 1 small turnip (not the big one that is actually a rutabaga, but if I had one of those, I would have used about 1/2 of it in the chili!)

I started cooking all of these vegetables in a big pot with some water.

I then added the onion/garlic/tofu mixture and a big can of whole tomatoes.  If I had fresh tomatoes, I’m sure that would have been even better!

Next I added some kidney beans, black beans and navy beans.  I used canned beans (well rinsed) as I didn’t think about making this the night before, and so I didn’t have time soak the beans.

I kept adding more water as needed.

As this was cooking I cut up

• small zucchini
• small summer squash
• red bell pepper
• a bunch of mushrooms
• broccoli–separating the stems from the flowers
• I didn’t have any eggplant but I have used eggplant in the chili in the past and it was great!

I added these to the pot and simmered for about 45 minutes.  Last I threw in the broccoli flowers and added about 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon.

I served the chili in a  bread bowl — delicious!  

How do your Brussels Sprouts Grow?

Have you ever seen Brussels Sprouts in their natural state?  I certainly hadn’t;  that is, not until this week when I picked up my CSA share from my local farm.  Check this out…

Each little Brussels Sprout grows along this thick stalk.  I imagine I will have to cut them off one by one!

I am very excited to cook and eat these Brussels sprouts.  I have a great recipe that I’ve posted before, but it is so good, it is worth reposting.

This recipe is  from The Food Network.  It is easy and delicious!

• Cut  1 1/2 pounds of Brussels sprouts in half
• Toss them with 1/4 cup of olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
• Roast cut-side down on a baking sheet at 450 until caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Drizzle with white wine vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar) and honey.

That’s it!  And why should we eat Brussels sprouts?  I’m glad you asked!

• Brussels Sprouts are full of antioxidants.
• They are high in fiber and  help lower cholesterol.
• They help fight inflammation and certain cancers, including bladder, breast, colon, lung, prostate and ovarian.
• Brussels sprouts are great for cardio vascular health.
• The Vitamin K in Brussels sprouts helps keep bones strong and healthy and helps preserve proper brain and nerve function.
• Their high vitamin C content helps keep promote an healthy immune system
• Brussels sprouts are high in vitamin A–important for healthy eyes.
• And lastly, they  are high in Folate which does all sorts of good things in our bodies including providing protection against heart disease.

So enjoy your Brussels sprouts!

An Easy Recipe for Sweet Potatos and Black Beans

I made a great dinner last night!  It was easy and delicious.

Let me back up.  I was planning on making a sweet potato and black bean salad.  My daughter had sent me the recipe and it looked good.  But, with a multitude of email addresses, I couldn’t find the recipe!  So I Googled  “black bean and sweet potato recipe” and came up with this great one from Eating Well — Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad.

 

 

 

I adjusted the recipe a bit, as I didn’t have tomatoes and I didn’t want the sour cream.

 

 

This is what I did:

• Microwave 1 sweet potato (about 5 min)
• Mix 1/2  can of black beans with 4 oz of salsa , and heat on stove or in microwave
• Slice sweet potato, press to make a well in the middle  and pour the bean and salsa mixture into the well.

I served it with some steamed kale for a colorful plate!

CSA Stew

I picked up a wonderful assortment of vegetables from my CSA, eggplant, zucchini, summer squash,  green beans, onions, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, chard, corn and peaches!

But, as I was going out-of-town, what to do with all the goodies?

Not to worry,  I put some olive oil in the bottom of a big pot and sautéed the onion and some garlic until the onion was soft.  Next, I cut up the eggplant and added it to the pot, sautéing it until it turned slightly golden.  Then I cut up 4 tomatoes, a zucchini, a summer squash, a pepper, corn from one of the ears of corn, and added it all to the pot.  I simmered the whole thing adding a little water as needed, and seasoning it with my favorite, turmeric and cayenne 

It was delicious!  I’m calling it CSA Stew

What to do with all that Eggplant!

I made a great dinner tonight.  Let me back up and say that I have gotten a lot of eggplant from my CSA share.

Short of eggplant parmigiana I really didn’t know any recipes for eggplant, and since I’m not eating dairy, parmigiana was out!

I saw this recipe for Pasta Alla Norma in one of my must-read newsletters,  No Meat Athlete.   The recipe is from epicurious.com   The original recipe was intended to be  served over pasta, but I didn’t feel like having pasta and I had a bunch of fresh tomatoes on hand so I modified the recipe slightly.   If you want to make this as a pasta sauce, use 2 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes in juice instead of the 4-5 ripe tomatoes.

Here is what I did:

Alla Norma (without the pasta!)

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 ripe tomatoes, diced

Place eggplant cubes in colander and sprinkle with 1 tablespoons kosher salt. Let eggplant drain 15 minutes. Pat dry, removing excess salt.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat

Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes

Add diced pepper and tomatoes

Cook until tomatoes begin to soften, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat

Heat 1-3 tablespoons olive oil in another heavy large skillet over high heat

Cook eggplant until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes

Using slotted spoon, transfer eggplant to tomato mixture in skillet

Mix it all up and enjoy!

Summer Salad with Tofu

I made a wonderful dinner tonight using a variety of cooked and raw vegetables and tofu.  It was delicious, nutritious and very satisfying!

First I sautéed 1/2 a sweet onion in some olive oil.

I added 1/3 of a brick of tofu (cut into cubes) to the onions and olive oil and simmered on low.

Once the onions started to turn translucent I added some balsamic vinegar to the onions and tofu and continued to let it simmer.

For the salad, I started with some green leaf lettuce

I added 1/3 a bulb of fennel sliced very thin

1/2 a red pepper, sliced

5-6 asparagus spears, steamed and cut into 1″ pieces

4 artichoke hearts arranged around the side of the plate

4 roasted Brussels sprouts, cut in half (for an amazing recipe see my earlier post). also arranged around the side of the plate

Lastly I poured the sautéed tofu and onions over the salad.  The oil and vinegar drizzled on top making a delicious dressing

This is a wonderful summertime meal!

Mexican Stir Fry with Tofu

I made a great vegan dinner tonight:

Mexican Stir Fry with Potato

It’s simple, start with a pan and some olive oil and saute:

• one potato
• 1/2 an onion (see this post for the health benefits of onions)

Once the potato is soft add in:

• 1/2 a red pepper (any color will do)
• 2-3 plum tomatoes (or 1 large tomato)
• tofu about 1/4 of the brick, cut up into small pieces
• corn (1/2 a cup)
• black beans (1/2 a cup)

Season with chili powder, cayenne, and cumin to taste

Just what is Quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa, or KEE- noh-wa, or even kee-NOH-ah) is a grain.  It is gluten-free, and  it contains all the  essential amino acids including lysine, making it a complete protein source (like meat, dairy and tofu).  Quinoa is also a good source of calcium, dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron.  (As a matter of fact, due to its high nutritional value, NASA is considering it for its Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration human occupied spaceflights.)

Quinoa was first domesticated in the Andes.  The Incas, considered the crop to be sacred, they called it chisaya mama (mother of all grains).  The Inca emperor would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season.  Later, the Spanish colonists scorned quinoa as “food for Indians”, and even actively suppressed its cultivation.  For a time it was forbidden to grow quinoa and the Incas were forced to grow wheat instead.

Quinoa can be cooked like rice or couscous.  adding one cup of quinoa to two cups of boiling water and simmering for 10-15 minutes.  Quinoa can also be  a high-protein breakfast food and mixed with honey, nuts or berries.

Here is an interesting recipe I found and am going to try out:

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Avocado and Cumin-Lime Dressing

serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed 
• 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 avocado, chopped into chunks
• handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks
• small handful cilantro, diced

For the dressing

• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• salt, to taste

Directions

1. Warm the olive/coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s hot add the rinsed quinoa and toast for about 2-3 minutes until it starts smelling nutty and lovely. Add water, stir once, cover, and simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare all other ingredients. Prepare the dressing by combining the lime juice, oil, cumin, and salt. Whisk it aggressively. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
3. When the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from heat and fluff with a fork. Add black beans and toss to warm them through.
4. Let the quinoa cool for about five minutes and then add all the remaining ingredients, including the dressing, and mix.