Oriental Vegetables and Tofu.

A post from me regarding tofu is long-overdue.

Seriously, I can't believe I've not posted about tofu yet on this blog.

I eat tofu at least a couple times a week. I would more often if it didn't involve thinking at least a couple hours in advance before meal time. The way I do tofu, I press it for about an hour (sometimes longer, because I'm at work or in class or something), then marinate it for an hour or so (again, sometimes longer), then fry it over medium heat. And yes, that's a long process, I know, but it just turns out so incredibly delicious. It's nearly perfect. There's only one thing more perfect.

There's this dish at my favorite restaurant. T. Garden Thai Restaurant. And to me, it's just called "Number 34," because that's the easiest way to order it. It's also known as "Oriental Vegetables and Tofu." Once I tried this dish, I never went back. I will always order this dish for two reasons. One, because it's the most perfect thing I've ever tasted. And two, because every time I taste it, I get a little closer to figuring out what makes it so perfect.

There are a few things to know about this dish:
1. It contains stir-fried bits of broccolini, eggplant, red and yellow bell peppers, bamboo shoots, green beans, onions, and bean sprouts.
2. I don't think it's necessarily a Thai dish. I get the feeling it's more Cantonese.
3. The sauce does not specifically taste like anything. It's not overly garlicky, not too soy saucey, not especially hot. Not too anything.
4. The tofu's texture is perfect. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.
5. It costs a dollar less at lunch time. Had to include that info.

I will tell you right now that my version does not do this dish even the tiniest bit of justice, but mine is still really good. I tend to use whatever appropriate veggies I happen to have on hand. Since I try to eat seasonally, this dish has a lot of summer veggies.

Oriental Vegetables and Tofu

Stir Fry:
1 tbs coconut oil
1 baby bok choy, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 purple cabbage, chopped
(plus whatever else you've got)
2 blocks of tofu
fresh ground black pepper
Sauce:
1 tbs sesame oil
1/2 cup soy or tamari sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp basil
1 tbs vegetarian worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 tbs rice vinegar (optional, but nice to have)
1/2 cup water combined with 1 tbs corn starch
crushed red pepper to taste

Begin by making the sauce. In a small sauce pan, add the sesame oil and garlic. Saute for a moment, then add liquids aside from corn starch and water. If you are adding crushed red pepper, now is the time to add that. Stir and simmer for a few minutes, then add the water and corn starch mixture. Continue to simmer. Let cool and set aside. I often make mine a day or two in advance.

Prep the tofu. Cut the block into bite-sized pieces. I like to make thin triangular pieces. It's fun and they cook well. Using a (clean!) kitchen towel and a thin cloth (or paper towel), press the tofu between several layers of cloth. Add a nice library book or two on top, to help press it nicely. Wait an hour or so. For a visual step-by-step of this, see below.

The mighty and powerful tofu block, untouched by my hands.

Cut into triangles. Below is a kitchen towel and a cloth napkin.

Next, I place another cloth napkin as well as another towel on top, followed by a few books to help press it well.

When you come back, your tofu should be well-pressed. In a bowl or sealable container, marinate your tofu. I like to use some sriracha, soy sauce, and black pepper. Make sure all pieces are coated, and set in the fridge for a bit. At least half an hour.

Make the stir-fry. Use a good frying pan (well-seasoned cast iron, stainless steel, even a good non-stick pan is fine) and coat it with coconut oil (sesame oil can be nice, too!). Let it heat up to medium heat, and add the tofu. Be patient. The heat isn't super high, so this isn't going to happen in five minutes. After several minutes, flip all the tofu. It should be nicely browned. Continue watching and flipping every three minutes or so, until it reaches a nice "caramelized" appearance. Add vegetables to this pan, adding a little more oil if necessary, and fry lightly for a few minutes. Season with ground pepper, and continue to cook. Turn heat down to medium-low, and add sauce. Cook an additional minute or so. Serve with a pot of jasmine tea.

Earl Grey Shortbread Bites.

Just a warning. These aren't healthy...

I am fascinated by using earl grey tea to bake tasty treats. These shortbread bites are not only simple to make, but wonderfully yummy. Like, melt in your mouth yummy. I got the idea from a book I found in mom's collection, "Simply Homemade Food Gifts." In the book, these little cuties are made with colorful sprinkles folded in. I thought it would be fun to try to make them with tea instead (since, you know, I adore tea). They turned out wonderfully, and I'd definitely suggest you give them a try if you are in need of a very quick treat!

1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbs sugar (I used raw sugar and it worked fine)
1/2 cup butter
2 bags earl grey tea (I used Twinings)

Mix flour, sugar, and butter together until it becomes crumbly. You will probably want to use some type of mixer for this. Add the earl grey tea (make sure it isn't a "full leaf" variety--you want something with very small bits of tea), stir, and form the mixture into a ball. Knead it well, then roll or flatten it onto a cookie sheet. This is tricky... or at least, it was for me. I ended up doing this in small chunks, as I had a really difficult time getting the dough to stick together and not crumble. Cut this into squares (approximately 1/2 inch to an inch), and separate squares onto the cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 12 to 14 minutes. Mine baked closer to 12 minutes.


Let cool. These will keep for several days in an airtight container, or you could freeze them for later!

One-Pot Pasta and Baked Summer Veggies.

I haven't posted a recipe in some time, so this is long-overdue. I'm sorry.

However, I saw this "one-pot pasta" all over Pinterest, and had to check it out. Originally, the recipe comes from Martha Stewart, but I ended up looking at this recipe for inspiration, and loosely adapted it.

For a side, I did a sort of baked vegetable dish, using zucchini, summer squash, onion, and roma tomatoes. You may notice that it is pretty similar to this dish. I chose not to use potatoes, though.

The flavors of these two dishes paired well together, and the meal was nice enough for a Father's Day dinner for my family.

Here are the recipes:

One-Pot Pasta

Ingredients:

12 ounces linguine (or similar pasta)
3.5 to 4 cups of vegetable broth 
1 15oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 large yellow onion, julienned
2 cloves garlic, sliced (I would have used more, but my mom isn't a huge fan)
dash of red pepper flakes (again, I would have used more if not for my mother)
3 fresh oregano leaves, chopped
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tbs olive oil

Begin by chopping the veggies/herbs. Put half of the chopped herbs in a very small dish with the olive oil. Set aside (or refrigerate). Now, bring broth to a boil (I used one of those little Knorr tubs that makes 3.5 cups) in a large pot. Once the pot is boiling, add everything except the olive oil/herb mixture. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. After about ten minutes, add the oil/herb mixture, and stir well. I opted not to cook this dish until all liquid had evaporated, because I didn't want the pasta to be too soft. I estimate that I let it cook about 13 to 15 minutes, then strained out some of the liquid, leaving a little at the bottom. That's it. Pretty easy, huh?

Baked Summer Veggies

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
3 roma tomatoes, sliced
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced into large pieces
1 tbs olive oil
Parmesan cheese (optional)
black pepper to taste
basil, garlic, thyme, etc to taste
sea salt to taste

Spread olive oil over the bottom of a casserole dish. Chop all veggies, and arrange in the dish (see my picture for inspiration. Ha.)... This can be tricky with the oil, but have patience--it will be okay. Season to taste with herbs mentioned above, or your own herbs.

Onions chopped in fairly large slices.

Put in the oven on 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, covered with foil or a similar covering. After this amount of time, take out, remove foil (carefully--it might be steaming a lot). Sprinkle parmesan cheese on, and return to the oven, without the foil. Let it bake another 25 minutes or so. Yum.

Finished product. Delicious.

Oh, and the pasta, just so you can get an idea of the consistency.

These were both delicious, and my parents gave this meal a high rating. Happy Father's Day!

Quinoa Vegetable Salad.

I am generally guilty of eating a lot of wraps and sandwiches for lunch. And of course these things can be awesome (and they usually are), but when I kept seeing this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to check it out. The original recipe comes from The Garden Grazer, and it can be found here. Through this recipe, I also found the blog itself to be wonderful, and I would highly recommend looking at it! But back to this delicious recipe. I changed it just a little from the original, so I would recommend taking a look at both to see which suits your tastes!

You will need:
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
1 can of garbanzo beans (mine was 14oz)
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 bell pepper (I used green because it was what I had at the time)
1 can of corn, rinsed and drained
4 green onions (more or less to taste!)
2 tbs olive oil
1.5 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp dried basil
feta crumbles to taste (omit for vegan diets, of course!)
fresh ground pepper to taste

To do:
Cook your quinoa according to these instructions, if you have never done it before. Meanwhile, make your dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, and basil. Set it aside. Chop the veggies into small pieces, drain the corn and garbanzo beans, and set aside. Combine everything, including dressing, into a large bowl, and mix thoroughly. Add feta, if desired. Season with fresh ground pepper, and mix again.

I have had this in the fridge for five days now (I just finished the last of it) and it kept just fine. Make a big batch and eat on it for a while. Yum!

Why I am a vegetarian.

I was not raised on a vegetarian diet.

I have been a vegetarian for about eight years. Being 20 years old, that is creeping on half of my life.

I don't have a suavely-formulated philosophy to back up my dietary choices. This post is not meant to persuade you to go vegetarian. While I would love for everyone to go vegetarian, I know this will never happen. I'm not being pessimistic. I am simply noting that we all view the world differently.

While I compare human trafficking (which many of us will immediately label as "wrong") to the way that factory farm animals are treated, you may not see it that way.

While you may be "pro-life," yet have something dead on your plate, maybe you see that as perfectly fine.

You'd never eat a dog, would you? How is your pet dog any different from the cow you just ate?

You may watch documentaries like Food, Inc., and say, "Oh my God, I'll never eat meat again!" Tomorrow, it will probably still be on your plate.

This I have come to terms with.

And I am trying to understand all of this, just as you are attempting to understand the way I see things.

I just think every life is beautiful. Whether it's a millionaire here in the United States who owns a restaurant or two, a child in Kenya who is fetching water for her family, or a mouse rooting through my family's trash. They are all beautiful lives.

I am a vegetarian because I share approximately 80% of my genes with cattle. (source)

I am a vegetarian because it takes 2,500 gallons of fresh water to produce one pound of beef, and over 3,000 children die everyday due to lack of access to fresh water. (source)

I am a vegetarian because worldwide, 60 billion animals each year are processed for human consumption, not including fish. (M.C. Appleby, Ed., et al, Long Distance Transport and Welfare of Farm Animals, Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International (CABI), 2008.)

I am a vegetarian because the "need" (to many people) for frog legs has left our world with 120 less amphibian species over the last several decades. (source)

I am a vegetarian because 870 million people in the world do not have enough to eat, and the US alone could feed 800 million of them with the grain it uses to maintain its livestock used for meat production. (source)

I am a vegetarian because I can't read the facts about how factory farm animals are treated without crying, which is why this list ends here.

I am a vegetarian because those pigs on that truck did not do a thing wrong.

I am a vegetarian because as a child, I was taught to be kind.

Potato Taco Salad.

This meal is easy. This meal is delicious. This meal is filling.

A layer of small, chopped potatoes (but you could use larger chunks!). A layer of beans. Topped with vegetables. Yum. This serves one, but uses a big recipe of beans, because I like to save them for leftovers. Adjust accordingly.

You will need:

1/2 cup small chopped potatoes (cooked and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little garlic)
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes and chiles
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced or whatever
1 tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tbs taco seasoning
2 tbs orange juice
vegetables to top (I like using fajitas--made with peppers, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.)

To do:

To make the beans, use a saucepan on medium heat, and saute the garlic and onions in a bit of olive oil. Add beans, tomatoes, orange juice, and seasonings. Cook on low to medium heat for 30 minutes or so. Meanwhile, you can saute some peppers and whatever else you'd like for fajitas. If not, use fresh vegetables--it's up to you! Put the potatoes in the bowl first, followed by the beans in vegetables. Dress with sour cream, Sriracha, cheese, etc. Enjoy!

Recipe Review: Chickpea Bajane

 

(source)

Tonight, while I was over at Mark's place (by the way, we just celebrated our one year this past Wednesday!), I decided to try this new recipe.

How I stumbled upon this recipe is actually interesting in itself. I was at work a few weeks ago, and someone left a copy of this recipe by one of the printing stations. You can find the original recipe here.

I love anything vegetarian, as you know, and this seemed especially delicious, so I gave it a try!

Changes I made:
- unsalted vegetable broth (and I salted the recipe instead, although lightly)
- frozen spinach instead of fresh (so I added it along with the fennel and carrots)
- cooked the quinoa longer (it did not at all seem done after 15 minutes. I probably cooked it closer to 25 minutes)
- cooked the chickpea mixture longer after adding the final ingredients (probably 5 minutes)

Verdict:
This was totally different from anything I've ever made before, flavor-wise. The fennel (which I usually don't care for) was not too overpowering, but in the future, I would probably use less anyway, and more carrots. Would I make this again? Definitely! I will probably tweak it, though, so suit my own liking a little more. It was absolutely delicious, however, and I would definitely serve it to guests.

Potato Parmesan Soup.

Even though it's the end of March, we are under a "Winter Storm Warning" here in Illinois. It was about 55 degrees and sunny 20 hours ago, but you know. And honestly, it doesn't look so bad out there. It's mostly just really, really cold.

So of course, for lunch today, I made a great comforter for these cold days. Some delicious potato parmesan soup. My grandma has always made this for us when we come to visit during Christmas. I naturally have altered the recipe a little, mostly with some added spices. It may not be the healthiest soup out there, but it sure is delicious! Also, this recipe makes quite a bit. We like to save it and have some leftovers. If that isn't your intent, I would suggest halving the recipe. Enjoy!

You will need:

4 cups diced potatoes
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped onions
4 cups water
2 cups milk
4 tbs margerine
4 tbs flour (I have experimented with whole wheat flour; it didn't go so well)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
optional: 1/2 tsp paprika and 1 bay leaf

Procedure:

Chop the vegetables and boil/simmer them in the water for about 45 minutes. Basically until the potatoes and carrots seems edible. At this point, in a small sauce pan, begin making your sauce. I start with the butter and flour and "cook" it in the saucepan. Then I add the milk. This takes some patience, but I stir it and whisk it until it seems somewhat thick. Next, add it to the vegetables, which should still have water surrounding them. Now, add the parmesan cheese, and let it simmer just a little longer to thicken up. Stay warm while enjoying this soup!

Sweet Pepper Risotto.

I'm tired of seeing risotto recipes with chicken broth, you know? Sure, I can easily substitute vegetable broth. But it's like people are saying risotto is only good when it's made with chicken broth. Forget that! Here's some very simple risotto with bell peppers and onions! Yum!

Risotto is so easy to make. Really. You just have to have a little patience. Here's what you need:

1 cup chopped bell peppers (I used red and orange)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup arborio rice
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs margarine
1 tsp turmeric
black pepper and parmesan cheese to taste

What to do:

Start by sauteing the onions and bell peppers in the olive oil. After a couple minutes, add the rice, making sure it gets coated with oil. Add about 3/4 cup of vegetable broth. I like to water down my broth, because it tends to be too salty for my liking if I don't. This is up to you, of course!
Now, be patient. Wait for the rice to absorb the broth, then add more. You'll repeat this three or four times. Taste test the risotto to see if it's cooked. It will take at least 25 minutes. Now, add the turmeric, margarine, and parmesan cheese. Season with black pepper. Enjoy this savory dish!

Potatoes O'Brien with Sriracha

I'll admit it. I love starchy foods. And I absolutely love potatoes, cooked in every way possible. This morning for breakfast, I thought I'd cook up some Potatoes O'Brien with Sriracha. If heat isn't your thing, you can always omit the Sriracha, replace it with ketchup, whatever you fancy.

Here's what you do...

You need:
1 tbs coconut oil (or whatever oil you prefer)
1 cup diced potatoes. If you're lazy, just use those frozen hash browns that come in a bag.
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup peppers (I used bell peppers and poblano)
1 tbs chopped parsley
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Dash of cayenne papper
Sriracha to taste

Procedure:
On medium-high heat, saute the peppers and onions in the coconut oil for a couple minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium, and add the potatoes. Cook this mixture up for a while Ten minutes or so, stirring often. Turn the heat down to low-medium, add seasoning, and continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are done. Serve, and artistically add the Sriracha on top. Enjoy!

Vegetable Pilaf

 At this very moment, I am enjoying some of this vegetable pilaf. I was in the mood for something rice-y, but decided on orzo. Yum! It's just a little bit spicy, and just delicious. This meal is quick to make and serves three to four. It can easily be doubled or whatever!

You will need:
1 cup orzo (uncooked)
14oz vegetable broth
1.5 tbs olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onions
3/4 cups chopped peppers
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup broccoli florets
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper

Procedure:
Begin by sauteing the onions (in the olive oil) in a large skillet. Add the uncooked orzo, and let it brown very slightly (a few minutes). Add the vegetable broth, and bring the concoction to a simmer. Add the peppers and carrot shreds. Let simmer for about ten to 15 minutes, then add the broccoli, parsley, cayenne and black pepper, and marjoram. Let it very slightly simmer until most of the liquid is gone, and the orzo is cooked. Enjoy!

Vegetable Fried Rice

Rice has been feeding mankind for over 5,000 years, and helps feed two-thirds of the world's population. It has so many possibilities, but a great dish to know how to cook is vegetable fried rice. While I try my best to encourage everyone to eat vegetarian meals, I do know that some people might prefer this meal with some sort of meat added. Luckily, this can easily be added while stir-frying the veggies. I'll simply give you the basic recipe here. This recipe is inspired by my boyfriend, Mark. He's wonderful. He isn't a vegetarian, but he doesn't mind eating vegetarian food with me. He fixed some vegetable fried rice for me a few months ago, and it was delicious. I've added some crushed red pepper to the recipe and mixed up the vegetables, but I give full credit to him for this recipe.

Vegetable fried rice.

 So, I like to make my rice in advance. This is up to you, of course, but it will definitely save you time if you make it the night before. Or, you can always use leftover rice from another meal. Here, I am making two cups of uncooked rice. Ultimately this meal will make 3 to 4 servings.

 I like to add coconut oil to my rice as it's simmering. Coconut oil is supposedly really good for you.

Stir, stir, stir.

 Simmering.

 Nice and fluffy.

Packing it away to put in the fridge.

 For this vegetable fried rice, you will need:

-2 cups of cooked rice

-2 eggs (or more to taste)

-broccoli

-carrot shreds

-chopped bell peppers

-chopped onions

-soy sauce (I use the "less sodium" kind)

-crushed red pepper

 Healthier than the normal stuff.

 Start by scrambling those eggs!

 Mmm, looks great. Now set them aside.

Put some oil in a big ol' frying pan. If you're lucky and own a nice wok, then use that, of course.

Start with the broccoli. Just don't burn it!

 Add the peppers, onions, then the carrot shreds.

 Colorful. Must mean it's healthy.

 Now, add the eggs.

 Lookin' good!

 This is optional, but at this point, I like to add some lime juice.

 Now, add your crushed red pepper. If you're like me, you'll add about a tablespoon. If you don't like much heat, then add half a teaspoon or so.

 Time for the soy sauce. How much you add is up to you. I try to be pretty sparing, as the vegetables and crushed red pepper give this dish a lot of flavor as it is.

Yum!

 There you have it. Vegetable fried rice.

 Tasty, right?

P.S., my favorite stir-fried vegetable is broccoli. I absolutely love it.
Enjoy this dish!

Sweet and Spicy Salsa

Sweet and spicy salsa. Delicious.

 Who loves salsa? I sure do. I've tried making salsa more times than I'd like to admit. Sometimes it ends up too tomato-y. Sometimes, too garlicky. Sometimes it turns out great. What I've found is that when it comes to making salsa, I can always rely on canned tomatoes. Thus, this recipe uses:

-1 can of diced tomatoes 

-1 tomatillo

-1/2 cup chopped onion

-1/3 cup chopped bell pepper

-1 bunch of cilantro (I like to use a lot, you may not)

-2 jalapenos (or serrano, or habenero, depending on your heat tolerance)

-juice of one lime

-1 to 2 cloves of garlic

-1/4 tsp cumin

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 tsp sugar

-1 tsp vinegar

-1 tbs crushed red pepper (more or less depending on your taste

Alright. That's a lot, but it really comes together pretty quickly. I promise.

 Start off by tossing your diced tomatoes in a blender or food processor.

 Add the cilantro now, and put the rest in the fridge right away so it doesn't wilt. You need not chop the cilantro. The blender will take care of that.

 Looks tasty already. I like to use a lot of cilantro. I think it really makes salsa delicious. Some people aren't into that, though.

 This, my friend, is a tomatillo. You would be surprised how many people don't know that.

 For example, when I purchased this little guy, the cashier had to ask me what it was so that she could look up the price. Embarrassing.

 After slicing it up, it looks like this.

 Throw the tomatillo in there with the tomatoes and cilantro.

 Pulse, pulse, pulse, maybe stir a little, pulse, pulse.

 Juicing a lime. If you're lazy, you can just use a container of lime juice (a tablespoon or two).
P.S., yes, I have what is known as a "clubbed thumb," which can clearly be seen in the above image.

 Next, add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos (or hot peppers of your choice). Since this is for my family, I used jalapeno to keep the heat level down.

 Chop up some garlic. It doesn't need to be chopped too well, since it's going in the blender. Along with this, add the cumin, salt, sugar, vinegar, and crushed red pepper. Blend it up, and hope for the best.

 There you go, sweet and (just a little) spicy salsa!

 Of course it's good on chips. Also great with quesadillas, tacos, etc. You know how salsa works.

 Mmm, don't you wanna dig in? Enjoy it!