Tropical Sweet and Sour Stir-fry

Because I think I'm finally getting my groove back!

I've been in a real rut lately.  The family hasn't been super impressed with any of the original dishes I've cooked for us this month (which included shepherd's pie and a cheesy broccoli-wild rice casserole, neither of which I even bothered to write down the recipes for), which led me to making vegan chili dogs and corn on the cob for dinner this past week.  Not super creative or healthy.  But hey, the kids didn't complain.  However, I can't let picky eaters interfere with my passion for cooking.  So I've decided to work on recipe testing after everyone else has had dinner (or at someone else's house, if possible).  And boy, do I have a few good ideas rolling around the ol' noggin right now!

In a recent moment of panic, worrying about how broke I am and wondering how I could come up with some extra cash (short of selling any non-essential organs on the black market), I found a new recipe contest website.  This site gives a list, by expiration date, of pretty much any and every contest going on the internet.  So I did a little browsing and checked out a few contests that end this month (I'm in need of instant gratification, people).  First up, Chiquita Banana's Cooking Lab recipe contest.  You come up with a recipe that includes bananas, and also two "secret ingredients" which change each week.  This week's ingredients were pineapple and spinach.  I know, I know, your first thought is "Hey!  Just throw them all into a smoothie!"  But come on now, that's not the way I work.  A smoothie is too obvious, too cliche.  I have to be original!!!  No, instead, I decided to put a little twist on sweet and sour stir fry.  Pineapple is usually in this dish anyway, so I figured the banana would just add to the "sweet" and the spinach would add a little extra color.

The banana actually added a really fantastic flavor to this stir fry!  My sister offered to try some as I was finishing up cooking, and couldn't stop raving about the banana.  At least someone in this house likes my cooking!  Now, let's just hope the judges do, too.  I originally tried to fry the banana in sesame oil, hoping it would make them less mushy when added to the stir fry, but I was wrong.  They actually got quite mushy in the pan.  So instead, I'm going to recommend stirring in the banana at the end.  Hopefully that will keep the fruit from becoming too mushy.  You just let me know how it turns out, will you?

Ingredients:
Sweet and sour sauce:
1 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup reserved pineapple juice (see below)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch 

1 Tbsp sesame oil
14 oz extra firm tofu, water pressed out and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
1 lb frozen broccoli
20 oz can pineapple chunks in juice, juice reserved for the sauce
3 cups baby spinach
3 bananas, sliced into 1/2" thick discs

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, stir together veg broth, pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper flakes, if using.  Whisk in the brown sugar and cornstarch and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium heat.  Add the tofu and cook until all sides are lightly brown.  Remove from pan and place tofu on a plate lined with paper towel.  Set aside for a bit.
In a large wok, saute onion and garlic in 1/4 cup water on medium high heat.  After about 5 min, add the pepper, adding more water as needed if veggies are sticking to the pan.  Cook for 5 min, then add the broccoli and cook for another 5-7 min, until broccoli is no longer frozen.  Give the sauce a quick whisk and add it to the wok, increasing heat to allow sauce to bubble and thicken.  Stir constantly, and decrease heat back to medium when sauce has thickened.  Stir in the tofu, pineapple, spinach, and banana, making sure all veggies and fruit are covered with sauce.  Continue to cook on medium heat until spinach is wilted and fruit is heated through.  Serve hot, over rice if desired.

Mushroom, Fennel, and Sausage Phyllo Cups

Because I decided to start entering contests again...

It's been exactly one month since I left my last job and I have yet to start working here.  You would think that this would leave me with endless amounts of free time to devote to cooking and recipe testing, but, no, that's not what's happening.  Part of the problem is that the kitchen in the house I'm staying in is pretty small, with limited counter space.  All of my fun kitchen gadgets are here (Yay!), but they're all packed in boxes in my room, which is downstairs (Boo!), and really, I'm just entirely too lazy to unpack what I need, bring it upstairs, cook what I want, clean off said kitchen gizmo, bring it back downstairs, and re-pack it.  Not gonna happen.

Another part of the problem is a general lack of inspiration.  The website I usually submit recipes to has stopped running contests.  I've been trying to check out other contest sites online and came across Athen's monthly phyllo contest.  I've entered this contest before but never won.  The prizes are less than generous, but, what the heck, it gave me something to do.  The theme was "Fall Flavors."  Mmmk, a little vague, but workable.  I came up with several ideas, but landed on mushrooms and fennel (brilliant combination, I must say).  And then... I ran out of time to put this together before the contest ended.  Son of a...

But whatever.  The flavor is spot on.  You could probably do this without the sausages, and substitute beans instead.  And you don't really need to put the filling in tiny little phyllo cups.  I think it would be good over rice.  Or potatoes.  Or pasta.  Or bread.  Or, well, anything, really.

 


Ingredients:
1 Tbsp non-dairy butter
2 shallots, diced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
2 veg Polish sausage links, diced (I used Tofurkey Kielbasa)
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper

Gravy:
2 Tbsp non-dairy butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 cup non-dairy milk
Salt and pepper

1-2 packages Athen's phyllo cups, optional (I only had one package of the cups, and had lots of filling left over)

Directions:
In a large saute pan, heat butter over medium heat.  Add shallots and fennel and cook for about 3 min.  Toss in the mushrooms and cook for another 5 min.  Add sausage and poultry seasoning, stirring to mix well.  Continue to cook over medium heat for 8-10 min, until veggies are soft and sausage is heated through.  Season with salt and pepper. 
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in the flour, garlic powder, and paprika until well combined.  Slowly whisk in the milk.  Increase heat to allow gravy to bubble and thicken, stirring constantly.  Decrease heat and let simmer for a minute or two.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.  Pour gravy over the veggies and stir to coat completely.  Stuff the filling into little baby phyllo cups, or eat straight out of the pan with a fork.  [I may or may not have engaged in both of these methods.] 

Stir-Fried String Beans and Noodles

Because it's all about trial and error...

And so, my new journey begins.  I'm back in my hometown, living with my sister and her family until I figure out what I'm doing with my life (this may take a while...).  But it's great to be home, and I'm having a blast spending tons of quality time with my niece and nephew.  I was warned ahead of time that they were "picky eaters," but that didn't stop me from daring to implement Meatless Mondays in this house.  My sister thought it was a fabulous idea, in fact, and was more than willing to allow me to cook dinner on Monday.  I was not prepared for quite the tough audience, though...

I know that the fam totally digs Asian food, and I tried to go with veggies that the kids might actually eat.  My nephew promised me that he likes green beans, but upon tasting these (which I had purchased at the farmer's market two days before), admitted to me that he likes "those vegetables" when they're soft, not crunchy (am I going to have to switch to canned veggies???).  He does, however, like mushrooms (WIN!!!) and he liked the noodles.  My niece refused to eat any of it, but luckily, I had planned ahead for these shenanigans and prepared a back-up: Gardein chick'n strips and rice pilaf.  Hey, it was still meatless, so I've got that going for me. 

 My bro-in-law ate it with no complaints, but my sister, who had to work late that night, pointed out that the noodles don't re-heat very well (which is too bad because I made a ton.  Needless to say, I didn't have to cook again for myself for the rest of the week).  

I'm gonna go ahead and say that this recipe was a complete failure.  Not in that it tasted bad- on the contrary, it was absolutely delicious!- but it was not "kid-friendly" or even "adult-friendly."  I'm going to have to stick with more basic, simple meals for a bit, until their taste buds are ready for the full awesomeness of my recipes.  Until then, here's the recipe for the dinner I made.  You can take it or leave it.

Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable broth
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (I used a garlic-infused vinegar which I really liked) 
1 tsp molasses
2 tsp chili garlic paste
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice
15 oz. package stir-fry rice noodles
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
4 oz. baby corn


Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together veg broth, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, molasses, chili garlic paste, cornstarch, and Chinese 5 spice, until well blended.  Set aside.
Bring water to boil in a large sauce pan.  Cook noodles according to directions on the package.
In a large wok, saute onions and garlic over medium-high heat for 3 min, adding a Tbsp water if veggies begin to stick.  Add beans and cook for 5 min.  Add mushrooms and baby corn and continue to cook over medium-high heat for 5 more min.  Give the sauce a quick whisk and add to the wok.  Allow sauce to bubble, then turn heat down to medium-low until noodles are done.
When the noodles have finished cooking, drain and add to the wok.  Stir well to completely coat the noodles with the sauce.  Serve hot.

   

Summer Squash and Pasta with Lemon Basil Butter Sauce

Because sometimes you just want to make something fancy!!! (And super duper fattening.)

I bought a bottle of the most amazing Chardonnay ever a couple of weeks ago at a farmer's market.  [Yes, I bought wine at a farmer's market.  Yes, that was my only purchase that day.  Because I'm a classy lady like that.]  I've been saving it to share with my roomie because, well, we have to say good-bye soon.  We're both moving away from Kalamazoo and we've been trying to plan one last roomie dinner before we go.  I wanted to make something fancy to go with the wine, but haven't had much time to cook lately.  As it is, tonight's dinner was served at 11:00 pm.  Because that's how I roll.

Anyhow, I was gifted with some beautiful summer squash last weekend, and  I decided to throw together several summer flavors, just to see what would happen.  The sauce is positively heavenly.  But it's a little heavy, and paired with the pasta, it may be a bit much for some folks.  Now, that didn't stop me from having 3 (small-ish) servings, but the sauce could go on anything: portobello mushrooms, grilled veggies, tofu/tempeh/seitan cutlets, you name it.  Also, I had way more pasta than sauce, so plan accordingly.  Perhaps halve the amount of pasta?  Or double the sauce?  Or throw caution to the wind, I'm not judging.

The Chardonnay paired perfectly with these flavors, by the way.  And the roomie loved it, so I've got that going for me.  Hopefully this isn't our last last dinner together, but if I keep this up, we're definitely going out with a bang!

Ingredients:
1 lb fettuccine (Too much pasta!!!)
2 large summer squash, shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp non-dairy butter (I used Earth Balance)
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2/3 cup white wine (I used pinot grigio)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I got this from 1 1/2 lemons)
1/2 Tbsp agave nectar
.75 oz fresh basil, chopped (OK, so that's what the package said.  I don't know how to translate that measurement into normal recipe jargon.)
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.  Add the squash ribbons for the last 3 minutes.
In a large skillet pan, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Once butter is melted, add shallots and cook for 3 min.  Pour in the wine and lemon juice and stir well.  Let simmer for 5 min, then stir in the basil.  Continue to simmer for another 4-5 min, adding salt and pepper to taste.
When pasta is done, drain and return to pot.  Arrange pasta on plate and drizzle with butter sauce.  Enjoy with a friend... and a glass of Chardonnay. 

Rice 'n Beans and Mustard Greens

Because it's OK to repeat yourself.
Because it's OK to repeat yourself.

I know, I know, I already blogged about beans and greens once before, but that was a long time ago and frankly, I don't give a yam.  I got this idea in my head that I really needed to try making something with mustard greens, and this was exactly what I wanted.  I was going for a southern-inspired dish: rice and beans, greens, gravy generously poured all over everything.  Mmmmmm.  But I'm going to be completely honest with you- I was really flippin' lazy about it.  I'm not ashamed, it's whatever.

*While this is a super easy meal, I did dirty a lot of dishes.  So, just a heads up.

This really isn't much of a recipe, I'm afraid.  Since I used boxed rice, I didn't have to season the rice or beans.  I could have marinated and pan-fried tempeh, but I cheated and bought Gardein frozen chick'n patties instead.  And the country gravy, making a cameo appearance, is originally from this recipe.  But, put all the things together, and I had one sweet little southern dinner, which I delightfully shared with my darling sister, who had come to visit for the evening.  Love!

Ingredients:
1 box (6.2 oz) quick cooking rice (I used Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice)
15 oz can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chile powder
1 bunch mustard greens, stems removed and leaves torn or chopped into small pieces
Salt and pepper
1 package Gardein chick'n, optional

2 Tbsp non-dairy butter
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 cups non-dairy milk
Salt and pepper

Directions:
In a medium-sized saucepan, cook the rice according to the directions on the package.  When the rice is done, stir in the beans and heat on low while everything else is going.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 5 min, until the onions are soft.  Stir in the tomatoes, cumin, and chile powder and cook for about 4 min.  Add the greens and stir to cover with the tomatoes, allowing the leaves to wilt.  Cook for 8-10 min, stirring frequently.  Season with salt and pepper.
In a large saute pan, get the chick'n going, if using.  Follow the directions on the package.
Finally, in yet another saucepan (this one can be small), melt the butter over medium heat.  Stir in the flour, paprika, and garlic powder until well combined.  Whisk in the milk, starting with one cup and adding more, one tablespoon at a time until reaching desired consistency.  Bring the gravy to a bubble, stirring constantly, allowing the sauce to thicken.  Decrease heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
And finally, load up your plate with the rice and beans, mustard green goodness, and chick'n, and smother all of that with gravy.  Savor the awesomeness.

Butternut and Summer Squash Soup

Because you should always, always play with your food.

I've had this butternut squash hanging out for a while now.  Just chillin', not going anywhere.  I mean, it's July.  The apartment already feels like it's going to spontaneously combust.  No way am I going to turn on the oven!  But then, what the heck was I going to do with it if I didn't roast it?  [Reason #537 that I should probably get my hands on a grill.]  So, there it sat on the counter, looking sad and lonely.  Until one day, when Michigan weather pulled through and cooled down enough to make roasted squash soup a good idea.

But, not before b-squash and I had a little photo shoot.

All shenanigans aside, this is one of the simplest, most flavorful soups I have ever made.  So, if you live in a cooler climate, or have central air, or enjoy turning your kitchen into a sauna, you should definitely give this soup a try.

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium summer squash, sliced
1 tsp thyme
2 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the seeds inside.  Place cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 35-40 min, until soft.
In a large soup pot,   heat olive oil on medium high heat and add the onion and garlic.  Saute for 5 min, stirring frequently.  Add the zucchini and summer squash and cook for 5 min.  Stir in the thyme and turn heat to low until the butternut squash is done.
When the b-squash is done, very carefully scoop out the flesh into a high speed blender.  Add the vegetable broth and blend on high until smooth.  Pour the squash mix into the soup pot and stir well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir-Fried Summer Veggies Over Lentils & Rice with Sesame-Crusted Tofu

Because sometimes you just want to show off, you know?

Have you ever gotten so excited about the colors and varieties of fresh summer produce that you end up going wild, like a kid in a candy store, buying up more veggies than one person could realistically consume before it all goes bad?  No?  Well, anyway, that was me at the grocery store last Friday.  I didn't really have any good recipe ideas per se, but I knew I had a friend coming to visit the next day and, I don't know, I just thought, with all these beautiful veggies, I could come up with something pretty.  And impressive.  So I grabbed two onions, two bell peppers, a zucchini, summer squash, a couple of handfuls of green beans, and some tofu, because, why not?

Throwing the veggies together was the easy part.  I only sprinkled them with salt and pepper after cooking, no other seasonings, because I wanted their fresh flavor to shine through.  I cooked lentils and brown basmati rice together in the pressure cooker with a bay leaf.  Why both?  Because I was feeling super indecisive, that's why.  They really complimented each other well, I think.  The tofu... now that was the real challenge.  I was originally going to bake it, but it was too bloody hot, let's get serious.  The marinade turned out amazing and I will definitely use that again.  I suppose I could have "crusted" the tofu with bread crumbs or whatever [I didn't actually know what I was doing, to be honest], but I was really into making a mess of the kitchen, so instead, I threw sesame seeds and pepper everywhere.  Totally worth it.

This recipe reads like it's really  long and really time consuming, but it wasn't... really.  And honestly, you don't have to make all three components together, if you don't feel like it.  It's summer.  It's hot.  We're all very busy and important and have much better things to do than spend the whole day in a hot kitchen.  However, in my opinion, the three parts came together splendidly.  [And doesn't it look fancy???]

Ingredients:
For the tofu:
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp Chinese 5-spice
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
14 oz extra firm tofu, water pressed out, and sliced into 1/4" thick slabs (I got 8 slices)
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

For the lentils and rice:
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup brown lentils
1 cup brown basmati rice (or rice of choice)
4 1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf

For the veggies:
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 each zucchini and summer squash, sliced into half moons
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1'" pieces

Directions:
For the tofu:  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine ingredients from the vegetable broth to the red pepper flakes, and stir to mix well.  Arrange the tofu slices in a shallow baking dish and pour the marinade over top.  Let sit for 20 min.  While the tofu is resting, get the lentils and rice started.
Lentils and rice:  Pour 1/2 Tbsp olive oil into a pressure cooker and heat on medium high heat.  Add the lentils, rice, water and bay leaf.  Fasten the lid and bring the pressure up (according to the directions for your device) and cook for 18 min.  Remove from heat and decrease pressure (again, according to the instructions for your device).  BUT, while the pressure is on, you can get started on the veggies.
Veggies:  In a huge skillet or wok, saute the onion and garlic with 2 Tbsp water, adding more as needed, for about 3 min on medium-high heat.  Add the pepper and green beans, and cook, stirring occasionally for another 3-5 min.  Stir in the zucchini and squash and cook on medium low heat for another couple of minutes.  If the pressure cooker isn't done yet, turn heat down to simmer (to avoid over-cooking) and cover with a lid to keep warm, if desired.
Now, while all that was going on, you also need to "crust" and cook your tofu.  In a shallow dish, stir together sesame seeds and pepper.  Remove tofu slices, one at a time, from the marinade, shaking off excess liquid.  Plop it into the sesame/pepper mix to coat each side (OK, so my tofu wasn't actually "coated", it more just happened to attract some of the sesame/pepper mix on each side.  Whatever).  Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add four slices of tofu (or however many will fit) and cook for 3-4 min on each side until lightly browned and heated through.  Repeat with remaining tofu.
And that's it!!!  Put a little of each component on a plate (making it look pretty, of course) and enjoy!