Monday, March 30, 2009

Thai-Style Stir-Fry

This was sooo yummy and I just threw it together using stuff I already had.

I had a partial package of rice noodles left, brought some water to a boil, then placed the noodles in and took of the heat and let them sit until done. Drained and rinsed in cold water and then let them sit in a pan of cold water until needed.

Sauteed some garlic and onion until slightly brown, added chopped carrot and sauteed a little longer. Then added baby bok choy, kale and edamame.

Meanwhile, I sliced up some extra-firm tofu into cubes and cooked in soy sauce until it started to brown.

For the sauce I heated 2 cups of water and added 2 Tbs of "chicken" broth powder. About 1-2 Tbs of Mirin (Japanese rice wine) about 1 Tbs of lime juice, some fresh peeled and grated ginger, red chili flakes to taste and about 1-2 Tbs of corn starch.

When the veggies were done, I added the sauce and let it cook until it started to thicken. Then added the tofu and the drained rice noodles until heated through.



I want some more!!

Friday, March 6, 2009

For dinner I made 6 rolls of veggie sushi. I used a sticky green jasmine rice that is infused with bamboo that I got from the local co-op. Makes really good sushi. For the filling I used green onion, avocado, cucumber and baked sesame-honey tofu. You can vary the ingredients-some other ideas are enoki or portobella mushrooms, sprouts, roasted peppers, whatever. I am thinking that cream cheese and jalepenos sound kinda good, too. Before I tried to make sushi for the first time (this was only my second time) I watched a video about making vegan sushi from the Post Punk Kitchen. There are also numerous videos about sushi making on YouTube. Makes it a lot easier.












We served with a stir-fry and blood-oranges. I sauteed onion, garlic and carrots in a little canola oil. Then added some chopped baby bok-choy and steamed edamame. Added some sauteed cubed baked teriyaki tofu. Drizzled some sesame oil over the top and added a stir-fry sauce made of soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin (japanese rice wine) and fresh grated ginger. Then topped with black sesame seeds.










Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Sweet and Sour Tofu


Sweet and Sour Sauce
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks (I used sliced and cut into tidbits)
  • 2 Tbs cornstarch

In medium saucepan, combine vinegar and brown sugar with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Drain pineapple. Combine cornstarch with pineapple juice; mix until blended. Stir into saucepan. Cook over low-heat until sauce has thickened.

I sauteed onion and pepper in a little canola oil, when soft I added the canned pineapple and sauteed until thououghly heated and cooked throughout.

In another pan I pan-seared honey-sesame baked tofu that was cut into cubes until it starts to brown. Add the pineapple mixture and tofu to the sauce and cook until thick.




We served over green jasmine rice infused with bamboo, some sea-salted edamame and orange slices.

You can also make this with chicken instead of the tofu. Use 4 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned and cut into bite-size pieces. Sautee until cooked throughout. Then add to the sauce. I think it would also be good with tempeh, seiten or a mild-flavored bean.









Monday, March 2, 2009

Vegan Veggie Enchiladas


For the enchilada sauce

  • 3 8 oz cans tomato sauce
  • 2 cans water
  • 2 Tbs chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/4 tsp granulated onion
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2 Tbs cornstarch

Add all ingredients, except cornstarch and bring to a boil. Keep whisking, so that mixture doesn't stick to bottom of pan. Mix Cornstarch with a little water and add to sauce. Boil for several minutes, then turn down to low and heat until thick.

For the insides, I sauteed some green pepper, garlic, onion, carrot and chopped kale. When tender, I added 8 oz tomato sauce, some leftover local salsa, leftover brown rice, one can of red kidney beans, one can of white kidney beans (any bean combo would be great), a sprinkling of chili powder and cumin and cooked until heated through.


This is my first attempt at making corn tortillas from scratch. I used the recipe on the package of Masa Flour. They are not real pretty, but they taste good. I put them in a tea towel to keep them warm. I don't have a tortilla press (think I may need to invest in one with as much as I make tortillas), so I rolled them out between layers of wax paper.


Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and add a thin layer of sauce in the bottom. Dip each tortilla in sauce and top with filling. I did this for 15 tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce until covered. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until top starts to look done. I topped with the vegan nacho "cheese" sauce (you could use regular grated cheese if prefered) and baked for another 5-10 minutes. Then topped with fresh tomatoes and green onions.