Food for last thursday. (Southern Black Eye pea Skillet)

Ignore that this article in the New York Times says this is perfect for Thanksgiving. Black-Eye Peas are perfect for whenever you want black eye peas. Closer to a stew than a side dish (as suggested) this hearty dish is easy and has a spot in my leftover space of the fridge.  It's a spicy, tangy dish that tastes like it had it's sauce come from a baked bean recipe

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 cups cauliflower florets, roughly chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions and green peppers until soft. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, until it is lightly browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne and salt, and cook a few more minutes. Stir in black-eyed peas, tomato sauce, water, soy sauce, brown sugar and vinegar. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes.  the New York times says to have this with biscuits, I served it over a quinoa and brown rice blend instead.  

 

I cooked this today (Fried Tofu with Spicy Onion Sauce)

Today for lunch, (which just happened, by the way) I decided I was going to cook up something that I have wanted to try after seeing it on the healthy living website. Tofu is my jam, it is versatile, easy to prepare and tastes however you want it to. I wanted a little spice, and a little sweet to go along with the heat.

Here is the recipe.
1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cut into 6 (3/4-inch-thick) slices
1/4 cup chickpea flour or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 cups thinly sliced onion, separated into rings (about 1 onion)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup diced plum tomato (about 3)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoon brown sugar*
1/2 cup water

It calls to cut the tofu into triangles but I did not want to do that, I wanted more surface area for the sauce. I left them in 3/4 inch slices. I also used a plain old white onion for this, but I think a vidalia would have been perfect and allowed me to back off the brown sugar. (Recipe calls for 1 tablespoon, after mixing up the dry spices I knew I wanted it to be a bit more pronounced, and it worked out well.)

Very easy recipe, very easy preparation

Place the tofu slices on several layers of paper towels, and cover with additional paper towels. Let stand for 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Cut each tofu slice diagonally into 2 triangles. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Place flour in a shallow dish, and dredge tofu triangles in flour. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu; sauté 3 minutes on each side. Set aside; keep warm. Add onion to pan, and stir-fry 4 minutes. Add the curry, salt, cumin, turmeric, and pepper, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add tomato, cilantro, and sugar, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add water and vinegar; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes. Spoon onion sauce over tofu. Serve with rice. I did not have rice, because I just wanted something light to tide me over until my nephew gets here for burrito night!

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Tofu

this was another thing I cooked that was also great. 

-1 pound extra firm tofu, drained
- 4 cups fresh vegetables (I used 2 bell peppers, and carrots)
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 10 oz jar of La Choy sweet and sour sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon water


You can find out how to cook it here.  I'm waiting for my son to get here so we can video game! 

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/07/crockpot-sweet-and-sour-tofu.html

Tofu in Peanut Sauce

I went on a slow cooker kick over the past week.  I'm not sure why.  I hate the things!  I do however love tofu, and I love peanuts, so when I saw this recipe, I figured I should at the very least try it. 

Was worth it, will eat again, maybe without so much spinach next time.  Not a fan of wilted green veggies :(

The Ingredients:
serves not too many -- probably a family of 2 to 4 if over rice and vegetables. If you've got hungry people you should double it.

package of extra-firm tofu (16 ounces) 

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice of one lime

1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

2-3 cloves of chopped garlic (we're still out, so I had to use the jarred stuff)

--whole bag of baby spinach (10 or 12 ounces)

When I made this I used less than 10 ounces of spinach, probably about four.  For some reason the sauce thickened quickly, and that may be because my slow cooker is gigantic. 

It tasted great though. 

You can see a picture and the non modified recipe here.

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Tofu-in-peanut-sauce-crockpot-310375

Red Beans and rice

This was another thing I tried, I hate slowcooking, because for me the dish always dries out and then I put too much water in it, and that washes away the seasoning, so for this it ended up more like a stew than the actual dish :(

Ingredients

• 1 cup of long grain brown rice
• 2 cups of dried red kidney beans
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup of chives
• 1-2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1 tbsp. of smoked paprika
• ½-1 tsp. salt
• 4 cups of boiling water

Instructions

1. Add everything to the crockpot and stir together.
2. Cook on low for around 6-8 hours. Cooking times may vary slightly depending on your crockpot.

Pad thai

So I took a second job and that cut my blogging time.  I've been cooking and I have two recipes for you all.  The first one is for a Vegan pad thai, and it was a marvelous! I actually got this off of Martha Stewart's website.

• • 8 ounces dried wide, flat rice noodles
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving (3 limes)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili sauce, such as Sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon packed dark-brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 package (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained, thinly sliced, and patted dry
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
  • Coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons roasted salted peanuts, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1. Soak noodles according to package instructions; drain. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 teaspoon oil over medium-high, tilting to coat pan. Add eggs, swirl to coat bottom, and cook until just set, about 1 minute. Transfer eggs to a cutting board, loosely roll up, and cut crosswise into thin strips. Add 4 teaspoons oil to skillet and heat. Add tofu in a single layer and cook until golden brown on both sides, 7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to cutting board.
3. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, carrots, garlic, and scallion whites to skillet and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add lime-juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add eggs and tofu and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt. Divide among four plates and top with peanuts, cilantro, and scallion greens. Serve with lime wedges.
   
   

Never Again (Mango Salad.)

One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 mango, pitted, peeled, and cut into cubes
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into cubes
¼ red onion diced, or more as desired
1 bunch fresh cilantro (or arugula or spinach)
Zest and juice of 1 lime



Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Be sure to use enough lime; if there is not a lot of juice in your lime, use two.
Serve immediately, or chilled

This was gross, I took a bite of this salad, chomped on the avocado and gagged.  It was like eating a chunk of room temp butter.  :(

Food for today (Lentil Tacos)

This is what I cooked today, it also came from the My Beef with Meat cookbook

One 12-ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed, or 1 cup dry lentils, cooked
2 cups diced onions
2 tablespoons diced garlic
One 1.25-ounce package taco seasoning
2 cups vegetable broth
10 taco shells
Taco toppings: diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, guacamole, peeled and shredded jicama, salsa



If using dried lentils, cook the lentils in 2½ cups of water to 1 cup lentils. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the lentils are soft, about 20 minutes.

Sauté the onions and garlic,  in a couple of tablespoons of water. Add the cooked lentils and taco seasoning to the cooked onions-garlic-mixture. Mix well to combine and add the broth. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

Then make a taco. 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadilla

I'm not a huge fan of sweet potatoes, but I love black beans, so I saw this recipe in the Cookbook entitled My Beef with Meat, I decided to run it.  This cookbook follows the China Study and Forks Over Knives both of which advocate a plant based diet to lower cholesterol and lose weight.  Let's take a look at the recipe

1 large sweet potato (I used a microwaveable sweet potato)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup salsa, plus more for serving
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces vegetarian, no-added-oil refried beans
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
6 to 8 whole wheat tortillas (make sure there is no lard in the tortillas)




Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

An hour before you plan to eat, peel and quarter the sweet potato. Bake the sweet potato on the lined pan in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice on the stovetop or in a rice cooker. Remove the sweet potato from the oven and transfer to a mixing bowl. Mash the sweet potato with the salsa, rice, and fresh spinach. Place the sweet potato mash in a saucepan and mix in the black beans and refried beans and heat the mixture thoroughly over medium heat. Add the onion powder, chili powder, and cumin to taste, and stir to incorporate.

Place a tortilla in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and slather the side facing up with the sweet potato–bean mixture. Add jalapeños, if using. Place a second whole wheat tortilla on top of the first. Press down on the top tortilla with a spatula, then cook in the pan for about 3 minutes. Flip the tortilla with the spatula and cook the opposite side for 3 minutes more. Voilà!

Cut into the desired number of sections. Serve topped with salsa.

Here is a look at the finished product. 

I made this (Vegan Potato Soup)

I made this last night.

Well this morning.  Early in the morning, my sleep schedule is screwed up! 

Potato Cauliflower Soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 potato, diced
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large soup or stock pot, sautee the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onions are soft.

Add the potato and cauliflower and cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook for 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves, then transfer soup to a blender and puree. Season with salt, pepper  and re-heat if needed.