Thursday, June 29, 2017

Mini Frittatas To Go

Yum

I wasn't quite sure what to call these....tofu scramble in a muffin tin, popovers, mini frittatas? They are kind of like those egg muffin cups you see on Pintrest - only vegan - so minus the egg.

I came up with this recipe to make tofu frittatas more portable, so I doubled the recipe and cooked them in a muffin tin. They turned out great! Exactly what I was picturing. These are easy to take on the go for a savory, high protein breakfast.

Mini Frittatas To Go


Ingredients:

2 blocks firm tofu, drained

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups greens, sliced thin (collards are good)
1 roma tomato, diced

1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
2/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

Directions:

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the tofu while you prep the veggies.

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the diced onion until it begins to soften and turn translucent. Then add the garlic and saute for a minute more. Add the bell pepper, greens, and tomato and cook for another 5 minutes.

Take the veggies off the heat and reserve.

Put the tofu, garbanzo bean flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, soy sauce, oregano, parsley, turmeric, salt, pepper, and liquid smoke (if using) in a food processor. Process on low until all the ingredients are incorporated, you will need to scrape down the sides a couple of times. Then add the veggie mixture to the tofu mixture and pulse to incorporate, or mix by hand to combine.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Scoop the tofu-veggie mixture into the muffin tins to fill each of the 12 cups. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.

Monday, June 26, 2017

Vegetable Sushi Salad

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We are still on a sushi kick over here. It is such an awesome summer meal! This salad is great when you don't want to take the time to fuss with rolling sushi. It is easy to eat this way, too. Make this with some edamame on the side, or with some pan fried tofu.

This salad is best served immediately because the rice will still be warm and pliable. If you have some for leftovers, try sprinkling a little water on the rice and then warming in the microwave for just a minute to make the rice soft again. It doesn't need to be hot, just warmed enough to soften up.

Vegetable Sushi Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked short grain white rice (you need 1 1/2 cups dry rice plus 3 cups water to make the rice)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded then diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small (about 1/2 cup)
3 sheets nori, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp sesame seeds

avocado slices
pickled ginger

Directions:

Cook the rice according to package directions. Fluff the rice with a rice paddle and put it into a large mixing bowl. Toss the rice with the vinegar, salt and sugar.

Prep the veggies and the seaweed and add them to the rice, along with the sesame seeds. Toss again to distribute the ingredients. Serve with sliced fresh avocado and pickled ginger.

Friday, June 9, 2017

Buckwheat Noodle Salad

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I love buckwheat noodles because they have great flavor and texture, and they are naturally higher in protein than most pasta. They work well in soups, stir-fried, and in cold salads like this one. This is a salad I come back to time and time again, especially in the spring when red radishes are the first thing to come up in my garden. It is refreshing and easy to make. If you are not eating the salad right away, store the dressing separately because the vinegar can start to break down the noodles a bit. I like to keep the dressing in a little glass jar and then give it a shake before I add it to individual servings. If you store the dressing separately, you may want to add a few drops of sesame oil to the noodles so they don't clump together.

The dressing calls for coconut aminos, which is a great alternative to soy sauce. It is a bit sweeter and has less sodium than soy sauce, and many prefer it due to it's simple and straight forward ingredients. You can find it at most grocers now, especially places like Sprouts, Vitamin Cottage or Whole Foods. It is online (of course) and you can order it through places like Amazon or Thrive Market. I have not yet tried Thrive Market, but have been reading about it and it seems like it can be a good option for hard to find ingredients.

Buckwheat Noodle Salad


Ingredients:

12 oz package buckwheat noodles (3 bundles)

1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin strips
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
8 radishes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup coconut aminos (option to sub soy sauce or Bragg's here)
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the noodles according to the package directions, taking care to keep them al dente. Then drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to stop them from cooking and put them in a large mixing bowl.

While your noodles are cooking, prepare the veggies. I like to try and slice them as uniformly as possible into thin strips. Gently toss the veggies with the noodles.

Put the dressing ingredients (rice wine vinegar, coconut aminos, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and ginger) in a small bowl or jar and whisk or shake to combine.

Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking, I often add a bit of salt and pepper.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Quinoa Tabbouleh

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Quinoa is so quick and easy to prepare. Lately, I have been throwing it in my rice cooker and using the white rice setting and it comes out perfectly steamed and fluffy. This is a great salad to make ahead, because it holds up really well and the flavors continue to deepen with a little time. This salad is great with some baked or grilled tofu slices, with falafel and hummus, or grilled veggies.

Quinoa Tabbouleh


Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
pinch of salt

1 cup diced tomato
1 cup peeled and diced cucumber
1 10 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley, minced

Juice of 1 small lemon
1/8 - 1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions. While the quinoa is cooking, chop the veggies and mince the herbs for the salad. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.

Once the quinoa is ready, fluff it with a fork and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. When it has cooled a little, add the veggies, herbs, and garbanzo beans. Drizzle on the lemon juice and olive oil, and add a little salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine, taste, and adjust the seasonings.