Coconut Curry Tofu and Stuffed Peppers

Forgive me for posting another coconut milk/curry recipe, but I'm suddenly obsessed. I made this one up and it's delicious. Thankyouverymuch.

1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs Sriracha sauce or chili paste
14 oz culinary coconut milk

1 tsp curry powder (or more if you really like it)
1 block extra firm tofu, cut into 8 squares, or boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces
Handful of fresh baby spinach
1 Broccoli crown, stem removed cut into bite-size pieces
Ginger and cilantro for serving

Heat first four ingredients in a dutch oven or medium saucepan until lightly bubbling. Add tofu/chicken and coat. Add spinach and let it sit on top. Put top on dutch oven and let simmer on very low for 20 minutes, stirring and flipping tofu/chicken half-way through, and stirring in spinach. Add broccoli and simmer with top on for another 10-15 minutes.

Top with fresh ginger and cilantro when serving.

Serve with: Stuffed yellow peppers
2 large yellow peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed
15 oz chickpeas
3/4 C farro
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 C cilantro, diced
1.5 Tbs fresh ginger, diced
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Add farro to water and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Drain. Put farro back in pan. Drain and rinse chickpeas, add to pan. Add oil oil, cilantro, ginger and salt. Mix together ingredients well.

Fill peppers with your farro mix. Place top-up in baking dish. Fill about 1" of your baking dish with water to help the peppers retain moisture during baking. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit for 10 minutes. Chickpeas and farro at the top of the pepper will be nice and crispy.

*Double check that your farro doesn't need to soak in water for 6 hours. I found a great brand at Whole Foods, Montebello, that doesn't require soaking.

Lentil and Barley Vegetable Soup

Made this the other night and it was fantastic. Very filling, and it has lots of protein, so veg-friends rejoice!

Lentil Vegetable and Barley Soup

• 1/2 large onion or one small onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 medium summer squash (or zucchini), halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
• 1 C carrots, thinly sliced (I forgot to get carrots, so I subbed with corn)
• 1/2 C red lentils
• 1/2 C yellow split peas
• 1/2 C barley
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 3 C vegetable broth (or chicken or beef), plus ~2 C extra water
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/4 t black pepper
• fresh or dried basil to top (optional)

Dice and layer all the veggies, and top with the grains, liquids and the spices (except the basil).  The order I used was: onions and bell peppers, squash and corn, lentils, peas, and barley, diced tomatoes and broth, salt, pepper, sugar, and finally the extra water.

Set the crock pot on low for eight hours or on high for four hours.  The lentils, peas, and barley will absorb a lot of water, so you may need to add even more water. 

Top with a sprinkle of basil and some pepper and enjoy!

Whole Foods Salads

We went to Whole Foods for dinner tonight.  It is one of our favorite places for several reasons:
1. We all get to pick exactly what we want.
2. The food is good.
3. It is already noisy in there, so no one seems to notice our noisy kids.

For my dinner tonight, I chose a bunch of different salads.  They were all so good and seemed pretty simple.  I snapped a few pictures of the ingredients as a reminder - I'm always looking for good simple salad recipes, and these seem easy enough.  Thought I would post them here so we can all refer back to them when the mood strikes!

Asparagus Soup w/Fried Egg & Spinach & Gruyere Puff Pastries

If you go to the farmer's markets in the early weeks of June, you'll notice LOTS of asparagus. It's in-season right now, which makes this meal extra delicious! Added bonus: it's really pretty when you serve it!

Asparagus Soup w/Fried Egg - serves 6; I halved this for Rob and I, but Rob enjoyed the extra serving :)

2 Tbs olive oil

1 large leek halved lengthwise, white and green portions thinly sliced

Sale and pepper, to taste

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp paprika, plus more for sprinkling

1 1/2 lb asparagus, ends trimmed, spears cut into 1" pieces

2 Tbs vegetable stock

3 cups water

1 cup baby spinach leaves

6 poached eggs, 1 per serving

Fresh tarragon leaves, flat-leaf parsley leaves and chopped chives for garnish (or whatever fresh herbs you have)

On the stove, warm the olive oil. Add leek, salt and pepper. Cook and stir occasionally for 10 minutes. Add garlic and 1 tsp paprika, cook for 2 minutes. Add asparagus, vegetable stock and water, cook until the asparagus is tender - about 15 minutes. 

Place spinach on top of mixture, cook 1 minute. Pour mixture into blender, or keep in pot and use immulsion blender. Blend until smooth.

Fried eggs and season with salt and pepper, lightly sprinkle with paprika. Pour soup into bowls, top each with 1 fried egg. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

Spinach & Gruyere Puff Pastry - serves 4 (or 2 if you're hungry...)

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed if frozen, cut in half

1 cup fresh spinach

4 slices gruyere - enough for each puff

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Sesame seeds and poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Put the spinach in a bowl, stir in half the beaten egg and the nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface into a rectangle. Lightly flour the top of the pastry and cut the rectangle into 4 pieces, each about 4in wide and 8in tall. Cut 1in thick wide strips diagonally on both sides of the pastry, leaving the center intact. Try to cut an equal number of strips on both sides.

Lay pastries out on the baking sheet. Divide the spinach equally between the squares, and top it with your gruyere. Then braid by crossing the strips over the filling, alternating from side-to-side. 

Brush the tops of the pastries with remaining beaten egg (add a tbsp of water if needed), then sprinkle some seeds over each pastry. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

Fried Quinoa

I was craving fried rice last night, but didn't want the guilt that would go along with eating it, so I made fried quinoa instead. Using this protein/calcium/iron/amino-acid enriched grain helped take some of the worry out of the meal, and made it that much more enjoyable :)

We served this with tofu (me) and chicken (Rob), which turned out really amazing! It had a nice kick to it, and the flavor paired perfectly with the fried quinoa. Preparation notes for both are included below.

Fried Quinoa

Ingredients

1C prepared Quinoa (cooked in 2C water)

2C broccoli

1C snap peas

1/2C corn kernels

3 celery sticks

2 sm/med sized carrot sticks

8oz water chestnuts

1 clove garlic

2Tbsp red miso paste

4Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1-2Tbsp veggie oil

Sesame seeds - however much as you like

Preparation

Cook the quinoa in a med saucepan. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare your vegetables (wash and dice). I like to put all veggies aside in one bowl - it just makes it that much easier to manage and throw into the pan once ready.

In a large saute pan heat your oil and miso paste. The goal is to liquefy the miso paste as much as you can. It will stick a bit to the pan, but once you add the veggie mix it will be absorbed.

Once ready, drop you veggie mix into the pan, sprinkle with sesame seeds, dress with soy sauce and stir thoroughly. Add a touch of water (maybe 2-4Tbsp) and cover the pan with a lid. Let the mixture saute for ~20mins, stirring every so often.

Once ready, give the mixture another good stir and serve it while it's hot!

Tofu/Chicken

Ingredients

6oz extra firm tofu - cut into ~1"x1/2" bites

1 boneless/skinless chicken breast

4Tbsp Sriracha sauce (hot chili sauce)

4Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Sesame seeds - however much you like

Preparation

Prepare tofu and chicken in their baking dishes. In a small cup or bowl, mix the Sriracha and soy sauces well. Thoroughly coat the tofu and chicken with this sauce, then sprinkle on some sesame seeds. Bake in a 350 degree oven for ~25 mins.

Serve with fried quinoa.

Green Goddess Bowl

For lunch right now, I am happily enjoying my leftovers from dinner last night. The Green Goddess Bowl is another Pinterest find that I'm eager to share with y'all! It's a flavorful, all-in-one meal, that I'm sure you'll all love.

Some of the ingredients are slightly different from what I typically have in my house (miso paste), while others are old standbys (frozen green peas and quinoa)

The below makes A LOT of food. Enough for 4 adults.

TIP: You may want to add more greens than what is listed below if you like more veggies.

INGREDIENTS

2 C Quinoa (this should be the whole box if you get the same brand I use - Ancient Harvest)

4 C Veggie Broth

1 1/2 C Extra Firm Tofu

1 C Broccoli

1 C Kale, chopped

1 C Green Peas (frozen is more than OK!)

1 Whole Citrus Fruit (I used Grapefruit)

1 Whole Avocado

Lemon juice (fresh if you can, but OK to use bottled)

4 Cloves Garlic

2 Tbsp Red Miso Paste (I found this in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods)

2 Tbsp Cooking Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

METHOD

Step One. Prepare grains.

Cook quinoa. I used 4 cups of veggie broth in place of water.

Step Two. Saute greens & tofu.

Add greens and tofu to the ingredients below - sauté on med-high until tender:
2 Tbsp Red Miso Paste
1/4 C Lemon Juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Cooking Oil

2 Tbsp chopped garlic

Step Three. Fold:
Add to large bowl and fold together:
Quinoa
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
Your greens sauté

Step Four. Garnish:
1 avocado, sliced

1 large grapefruit, peeled and diced
Optional Garnishes:

Fresh green herb, chopped (parsley, basil, chives or cilantro)
1/2 cup red onion, diced

Step Five. Dress:
You can really dress this however you like. I opted for simplicity and just used more lemon juice. This has a Japanese flavor to it from the miso paste, so I would suggest you keep that in mind when making your dressing.

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

Found this recipe in yesterday's Chicago Tribune.  It comes from author Jodi Picoult. I made it for dinner last night and it was very warm and tasty.  Instead of chicken broth I used my homemade vegetable broth that I made using bits of leftover veggies I'd saved in the freezer.

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

 Ingredients:

3 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
4 cups broccoli, chopped
Dash of garlic powder
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
½ tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar
Slices of crusty bread

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, mix chicken broth, onion, broccoli, garlic powder, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

2. Remove bay leaves and pour mixture into a food processor. Pulse until smooth, approximately 1 minute. Reserve in a bowl.

3. In the original saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour, salt, and a little pepper until a thick paste forms. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Add cheddar; stir until it dissolves.

4. Pour in broccoli mixture and cook until blended. If necessary, add more chicken broth to thin. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve with bread for dipping.

Simplest Butternut Squash Soup

I make a big pot of soup at least once a week for Chris to have for lunch. So, I'm always on the look-out for new recipes to try. I found this one in yesterday's newspaper. It is so simple that I was a little skeptical (how could it possibly be good???), but I decided to try it out and it is DELICIOUS! Oh, and it is vegetarian, too!!

I would say that whole milk is a necessity - don't try to get away with skim or 1% or else it just wouldn't be as tasty.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (about 3 lbs)
2 larger leeks, white parts only, split lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups whole milk
3 cups water
salt, pepper

Directions

1. Peel the squash. Remove the seeds and string, then cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks. Toss into a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the leeks, milk, and water; salt generously and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the squash is soft enough to mash when pressed lightly with the back of a spoon.

2. Using a blender, food processor or immersion blender, puree the soup in batches until it is very smooth. It may be thick: Thin to your desired consistency with milk or water. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Reheat if necessary. (This soup is at its best when truly hot.)

3. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, spoon over the apples and nuts, and garnish with a little crème fraîche or cream.

Sopa de Lima (Yucatan Lime Soup)

Chris and I enjoyed this soup while in Mexico a few months ago. Allow me to pat myself on the back when I say that the version I made tonight was better than what we had in the Yucatan :) I'm surprised how much of an afterthought the limes are in this recipe - the juice is squeezed in right before serving. The fresh avocado and cilantro are super important garnishes, so don't skip them!

This recipe comes from Emeril Lagasse.

Ingredients

• 8 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• Salt
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery rib, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crumbled
• 1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
• 8 cups chicken stock or canned low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 3 limes, juiced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Cut the tortillas into 1/4-inch strips. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and, when very hot, fry the tortilla strips, in small batches, until lightly golden and crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain. Season with salt, to taste. Repeat until all tortilla strips have been fried. Set fried tortilla strips aside and reserve the vegetable oil.

Transfer 1 tablespoon of the reserved cooking oil to a large saucepan and add the chopped onion, celery, carrot, and jalapeno pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and Mexican oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring, until the tomato is softened and has released its liquid and the mixture is nearly dry, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and chicken breasts and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook until the chicken is just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove chicken from the soup and set aside until cool enough to handle. Allow soup to continue simmering.

When the chicken has cooled a bit, shred into bite size pieces and return to the pot along with the green onions and lime juice. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through and the soup is piping hot. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and ladle the soup into wide soup bowls, with a handful of tortilla strips added to each bowl. Garnish with the avocado and cilantro and serve immediately.

Ratatouille With Fried Eggs

Evelyn and I ran to a nearby farmers market on Wednesday. The colorful displays of fresh vegetables inspired last night's meal.

This recipe started with something I saw in this month's issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. It was very easy to put together, and Chris and I felt so happy with every bite. Bonus: this tastes great at room temperature and even better the next day so it is a great meal to prepare for guests ahead of time.

Ratatouille With Fried Eggs
Serves 6-8

1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4" chunks
3 large tomatoes, cut into 3/4" chunks
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, cut into 3/4" chunks
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into 3/4" chunks
8 slices rustic bread
8 eggs
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. Toss tomatoes, thyme and oregano with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a very large bowl. Set aside to marinate.
2. Toss eggplant, onion, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil together. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on to a large rimmed baking sheet.
3. Toss zuccini and bell peppers with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on to a second large rimmed baking sheet.
4. Roast both sheets of vegetables until golden and tender (about 45 minutes). Rotate the pans once during roasting.
5. Remove pans from oven and immediately add hot vegetables to the large bowl with tomatoes. Stir well to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Brush bread slices with olive oil and toast in the oven, about 2 minutes
7. Fry up some eggs how you like 'em (the Martha Stewart version called for poached eggs, so keep that in mind, too).
8. Assemble: put one piece of toast on a plate, spoon on a generous helping of ratatouille, and top with the fried egg.

ENJOY!

This is a great idea for leftover grilled chicken, I know, "Who would ever have leftover grilled chicken?!" but if you have some on hand along with these other common ingredients, you'll have the makings for a perfect accompaniment to the Gazpacho below.

Smoky Chicken Salad

2 C grilled chicken, chopped
4 slices smoked bacon (turkey or pork), chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 celery rib, diced
1 T dill relish
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t celery salt
pepper to taste
2/3 C mayonaisse

Mix all ingredients and chill. Serves 4

A Bomb Ass Salad

I've come to the realization that salad (much like pasta) is good with just about anything. Empty the fridge into a bowl of lettuce and you're bound to get a good lunch. Here's one I came up with yesterday that was down right delish:


Two big bowls of romaine lettuce
1/2 avocado
Few good crumbles of bleu cheese
3 slices cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
2 T toasted pine nuts
1 zuccini - half of it shaved/grated and the other half chopped into bite-size pieces
2-3 tomatillos, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
A good drizzle of homemade red wine vinagarettte (4 T olive oil, 2 T red wine vinegar, salt, pepper)