Roasted Eggplant Soup

I had an eggplant that was just dying to be used before it went bad. Rather than the usual baking, I decided to make a soup and I was definitely not disappointed. Delicious, creamy AND low in calories/fat. This recipe is modified from one I had found in Bon Apetit. I apologize for the crappy pictures but the lighting in my kitchen was pretty terrible.

Roasted Eggplant Soup

Ingredients
* 1 lb Eggplant, quartered
* 3 medium Tomatoes, whole
* 1 small Onion, sliced
* 2 tbsp Olive Oil
* 4 cups Vegetable Broth
* 6 cloves Garlic, whole
* 1 tbsp Thyme, Fresh
* 1 tsp Salt
* 1 tsp Paprika
* 1 tsp pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on large baking sheet. Brush vegetables with oil. Roast until vegetables are tender and brown in spots, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Scoop eggplant from skin into heavy large saucepan; discard skin. Add remaining roasted vegetables and thyme to same saucepan. Add 3.5 cups broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until onion is very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Stir in more broth. Bring to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Season soup with salt, paprika and pepper. Ladle into bowls.

Makes 4 small servings.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 122 * Calories from Fat: 69.4 * Total Fat: 7.71 g * Cholesterol: 0.0 mg * Total Carbohydrates: 9.62 g * Fiber: 2.35 g * Sugars: 4.2 g * Protein: 2.93 g

Ewww....polenta?

It's been far too long since I posted a recipe on her...and one with pictures? Say it isn't so! I have been on a healthy kick though and that is always a plus. Although I have not been as strict in the 21-day vegan challenge as I was hoping, I have greatly improved my eating habits. I'm trying to let my body decide when I'm hungry or full. I'm trying to re-learn all those cues lost to so many of us thanks to the conditioning of the current food industry.

At Trader Joe's this weekend (I'm officially and completely obsessed), I picked up a roll (are they called rolls?) of polenta with the intent of trying it, loving it, and adding it to my repertoire of go-to meals. I was not disappointed, as much as the texture freaked me out when first out of the wrapper. Also, I was not expecting it to spew polenta juices as me as I unknowingly pierced the plastic with my heavy-durty knife. But I survived and cooked an amazing, vegan meal that was utterly satisfying and a great first experiment with polenta. My solution for when trying anything new? You can't go wrong with layers of spinach and mushrooms!

Needless to say, it was absolutely delicious and I would most definitely make it again - maybe mix up the assortment of veggies used as a topping.

Spinach and Mushroom Polenta Bake



Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Roll of organic, pre-cooked polenta (cut into 1/4 inch thin slices)
- 8 cup (or 1 bag) Fresh Spinach
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup Onions (diced)
- 8 Baby Portabellas (or white button) mushrooms (halved)
- 4 tbsp Eggplant Garlic Spread*
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste


* Here's the thing, you can probably use tapenade, or even hummus, or nothing at all! I just got this amazing spread I wanted to try out and it helped add a touch of flavor to the mix.

Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400
2. Cut polenta, garlic, onions, and mushrooms. Set garlic, onions and mushrooms aside.
3. Lightly sautee the polenta in 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside.
4. Sautee garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil and add diced onion. Cook until onion becomes translucent and add sliced portabellas.
5. Season mixture with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
6. Add in spinach and stir well.
7. In the meantime, lightly coat a 10 inch square pan with olive oil.
8. Layer the bottom with the polenta and top with your spread.
9. Cover the layer with the cooked spinach/mushroom mixture.
10. Cook in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.

Serves 2 people as a hearty entree.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 434 * Calories from Fat: 154 * Total Fat: 17.0 g * Cholesterol: 0.0 mg * Total Carbohydrates: 58.4g * Fiber: 7.7 g * Sugar: 10.3 g * Protein: 11.5 g

Cajun-Seared Portobello Filets

Recipe stolen from Oprah. Heh.

Now here's the thing. This was absurdly delicious and absurdly spicey. Of course, me dredging the mushrooms in the Cajun spice mix didn't help matters. Would I make this again? Oh hell yes. Now, as far as the avocado cream goes...not a fan. This is most likely due to the fact that I made my cream using Nasoya mayo as opposed to Vegenaise. Nasoya definitely has the flavor of Miracle Whip and it just didn't...mesh well together. Next time, I'll surely wait until I have Vegenaise, or just skip the "creme" entirely as serve with some mild guacamole to counter the spice. Now THERE'S an idea!!


Excuse the crappy picture. The lighting was bad in my kitchen. :P

Ingredients:
Portobello Fillets:

• 3 portobello mushrooms , cleaned
• Extra-virgin olive oil to cover
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. Celtic sea salt
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. onion powder
• 1 Tbsp. black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1 Tbsp. dried thyme

Avocado Cream:

• 1 ripe avocados , peeled and pitted
• 1/8 cup vegan mayonnaise
  
• Juice of 1 limes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
- To make the Portobello Fillets, place the mushrooms in a hotel pan or large metal roasting pan. - Cover with olive oil and add the garlic cloves.
- Poach in the oven at 170° for 3 hours. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a dish to make the Cajun rub.
- Remove the mushrooms from the oven.
- Remove from the oil and pat dry.
- Slice on a bias into 1/4-inch fillets.
- Rub the Cajun rub into the fillets and grill until heated through.

To make the Avocado Cream, combine all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Garnish the Portobello Fillets with the Avocado Cream and serve.

Southwestern Couscous

I made this delicious dish for lunch tomorrow. I had planned on fancy Cajun-rubbed portabella mushrooms with an avocado cream...but alas! My Vegenaise was expired! I then had to scramble to make sure I had some proper food for tomorrow...a more official start of my cleanse.



Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup uncooked couscous (I used tricolor)
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used water with 1/2 a garlic bouillon cube)
- 1 1/2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
- a dash of ground cumin
- 1 15oz. can of black beans
- salt/pepper to taste

Now...here is where things got a little fun. Since this was a last minute plan, all I could add to this was fresh avocado. In the future, I would certainly make sure I have some corn kernels, green onions, or peppers on hand.

Directions:
- Bring broth to a boil and stir in the couscous.
- Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, and cumin. Add beans and the other vegetables. Toss to coat.
- Fluff the couscous well, and add to the bowl with the dressing/beans.
- Mix well (breaking up any couscous chunks) and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves:
1 large portion or two side servings.

Tofu/Spinach/Mushroom Soba Noodle Soup

This has been my lunch for the past two days. Soooo good!! I modified this recipe a bit but the original version is from Gourmet Magazine.



Ingredients:
- 7 cups vegetable broth (I used mushroom broth)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 lb dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles)
- 2 carrots, sliced thin
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, pieces
- 1/2 lb spinach, coarse stems discarded and the leaves washed well, and chopped
-8-10 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
-3-4 tablespoons miso, to taste
- 2 scallions, minced


Directions:
- In a saucepan bring the broth to a boil.
- Stir in the soy sauce and the sugar and simmer the broth for 5 minutes.
- In a pot of salted boiling water cook the noodles for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are al dente, being careful not to overcook them, drain them in a colander, and rinse them under cold water.
- Add the carrots and mushrooms to the broth and simmer them, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and the tofu and simmer the soup for 1 minute.
- In a small bowl stir together well 1/2 cup of the soup broth and the miso and pour the mixture back into the pan.
- Divide the noodles among 3 large bowls, ladle the soup over them, and sprinkle each serving with some of the scallions.

Yields 3 LARGE servings. I modified this for an entree/lunch portion.
For an appetizer/starter, just halve the calories for 6 portions.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 370
Fat: 7.9 g
Carbohydrates: 56.1 g
- Fiber: 6.6 g
Protein: 24.9 g

Flavorful Soybeans

This was pretty damn delicious and I can see it being a side or an entree with some couscous.



Ingredients:
100g soybeans, soaked overnight
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
.5 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons cilantro
salt

Directions:
1. Bring a pot of water (2 cups) to a boil, lower flame, add salt to taste (around 1/4 tsp), and cook the pre-soaked soy beans for about 30 minutes, or until cooked.
2. Drain.
3. While the beans are cooking, heat oil in a saucepan on a medium-high flame and add the mustard powder.
4 When the mix starts to brown, add the chopped onions and sauté until they turn brown.
5 Now add the tomato paste, red chili powder, garam masala powder, and sauté for about 5 minutes.
6 Add the cooked soy beans to the saucepan, mix well and sauté for another 5 minutes.
7 Remove from flame, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot!

Number of Servings: 3 LARGE servings

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 159
Fat: 11.3 g
Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 5.5 g

(Not Really) Aloo Gobi

Le sigh.

I got this recipe from someone who makes an awesome Aloo Gobi. Unfortunately I don't think she was willing to give up that recipe (a non-translated Indian version) and gave me another one she found which...well...didn't quite turn out as expected.

Don't get me wrong. It's certainly edible but it just tastes like potatoes and cauliflower coated in a thick, spicy, pasta sauce. Either way, I am posting the recipe here. Maybe as a warning? :P



Ingredients:
25 oz. tomatoes, diced or pureed (I went for pureed)
1 big cauliflower, cut into chunks
5 potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes
1 lemon
4-5 tablespoons ghee (I went with olive oil)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoon ground chilli
2 tablespoon garam masala

Directions:
Heat the ghee/oil in frying pan
Add cumin and wait until it starts to brown
Add the rest of the spices (except for the garam masala) and the tomatoes.
When the mixture turns oily, add the vegetables
Roast the cauliflower and the potatoes until they turn soft, stirring occasionally
Add the garam masala and lemon juice

Serves 4.

(New!)Nutritional Info:
Calories: 380
Fat: 12.1 g
Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 15.7 g
Protein 11g

Chana Saag (Chickpea Spinach Curry)

This was my first time cooking with mixing so many spices and I was a bit nervous about the outcome but it was great! Next time, I'll probably add more chili powder, as there wasn't much spice, even though I added a dash of paprika. As you may have already figured out, I add paprika to everything! :D Overall, though, the result was great and something I would most likely make again.

This time, instead of quinoa, I served it with couscous, which I just picked up from the Turkish market downstairs.



Ingredients:
1lb fresh spinach
2 15oz. cans of chickpeas (next time, I think I'll use 1 1/2 cans, since the chickpeas were overwhelming)
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cardamom
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 cup onions, chopped
1 can of stewed tomatoes in juice, diced
.5 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
.5 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
1) Rise chickpeas and roughly chop spinach (make sure to clean well)
2) Heat oil over medium heat. Add cardamom and cinnamon and let it cook a minute
3) Increase the heat to medium-high. Add garlic and cook til it starts to change color. Then add onions and sautee until golden.
4) Reduce heat to medium. Add turmeric, coriander, chili powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well, for 1 minute.
5) Add ginger. Stir, then add tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes, until well blended.
6) Add chickpeas. Stir and let cook for 4-5 minutes. Then cover and cook for another 10 minutes, until chickpeas soften.
7) Add half of the spinach, stir and put the lid on the pot for 1 minute. Remove lid and add the other half and cover for a minute.
8) remove the lid and let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Indian-Spiced Kale with Chickpeas

I stole this recipe from my co-worker's deliciousness blog, and it was sure yummy!

Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable (or other) broth
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

Directions:
Heat oil in a Dutch oven (or any large pot) over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute.
Add broth, coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt. (I also added a touch of paprika for spice)
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in chickpeas; cover and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.



I served this with some quinoa and it was utterly delicious. Great as a main dish OR a side!

I Return...With Eggplant

It's been a while since I've last updated and frankly, it's because I haven't really been cooking...at all. Recently though, I did come into some fresh produce that inspired me to start whipping things up again. I miss cooking. I miss creating delicious dishes. Last night, I decided to remedy that and I made myself a delicious, huge, and simple dinner.

Cheesy Eggplant Rounds

Ingredients:
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chives
1 small eggplant, raw
1/4 cup of light mayonnaise

Directions:
Slice eggplant into four 1-inch slices.
Spread mayonnaise on both sides of eggplant rounds and arrange them on cookie sheet.
Sprinkle each slice with some Parmesan cheese and chives.
Bake at 475°F for 15 minutes.

I know the picture is kinda fuzzy but I love the detail.


My dinner last night...the brown stuff is AMAZING tamari-sesame dressing.

Broccoli Mushroom Cheesy Pie

This is totally from scratch.

Ingredients:
1 10oz package of frozen chopped broccoli florets.
5 large mushrooms, chopped
2 packages of Pillsbury crescent rolls
2 cloves of garlic, chopped.
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups of shredded mozzarella

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Thaw out the broccoli and dice up the mushrooms. Make sure to drain broccoli of excess water.
Line the bottom of the pie pan with 1 package of crescent roll dough.
Combine broccoli, garlic, mushrooms a big bowl of the shredded mozzarella.
Stir in the beaten egg.
Place mix inside the pan and cover with other package of crescent rolls dough.
Cook for about 25 minutes or until the crust is lightly brown.






Verdict:
Delicious!! Although too cheesy, even for me! Next time I think I'll cut the cheese down to 2 cups and add 1 cup of ricotta instead.

Portabellas Stuffed With Pesto-Mashed Potatoes

It's been a while since I've updated my blog with any uber yumminess but that's all about to change! I got a new camera that I am in in love with and thus can take even better food pictures for everyone to drool over!

I kinda stole this recipe from Fat-Free Vegan.com and I didn't make much modifications but since it was so delicious and such a perfect side dish, I couldn't help but copy it here to spread the yumminess. This is perfect as a side dish to protein or even by itself! Two of those were my dinner last night.




Ingredients
10 ounces potatoes (I used two white potatoes)
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
1 cup basil, packed
1 tbsp. parmesan (or nutritional yeast for vegans)
2-3 tbsp. plain soymilk
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 medium-sized portabella mushrooms
sprinkling of parmesan (optional)

Directions:
Boil the potatoes until they are completely tender.
While they are cooking, make the pesto:
In a food processor, puree the garlic, 1/4 cup nuts, and basil, using a tablespoon or two of water to make the blades run smoothly.
Mixture should be coarsely chopped, not completely smooth.
When the potatoes are done, remove them to a mixing bowl and mash them thoroughly (I left the skin on them but if that sorta thing isn't your bag, feel free to peel them beforehand).
Add 2-3 tablespoons of soymilk, until they achieve a creamy yet still stiff consistency.
Add the pesto mixture, 1 tablespoon of parmesan or nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste; blend thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Clean the portabellas and remove the stem and any fluffy flesh that surrounds it.
Brush a baking dish with a few drops of olive oil, and use the same brush to brush the bottoms of the mushrooms.
Fill the mushrooms with the potato mixture, heaping it in the middle, and set them in the baking dish.
Sprinkle the tops with the parmesan, if desired.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until mushrooms are tender and potatoes are beginning to brown. Serve hot.

Fat-Free Vegan Strawberry Banana Muffins

I've been updating this blog like a mad woman!

Today I decided to make fat-free vegan muffins that sounded super delicious. The recipe was actually posted by another chikkie in the vegan cooking community on Livejournal. I decided to give it a go since the recipe was super simple and well...yum! I'm SO glad I did!



Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. soymilk
1 tsp. vanilla
15 or so strawberries, chopped.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. "Cream" together bananas and sugar. Mix together dry ingredients and add, then blend in soy milk and vanilla. Make sure it's well mixed, then quickly stir in the strawberries (the more you stir once they're in, the more squished-up they get). Grease muffin tins, and spoon in. This made 12 large muffins for me. Bake 25-20 minutes.

These muffins are about 170 calories a pop and super delicious! Even my vegan-food hating boyfriend liked them!

Tofu Loaf

Last night for dinner, I really wanted a hearty meal - something to hit the spot. Since I didn't eat much throughout the day, and kinda felt like baking, I decided to attempt making a tofu loaf. Although it didn't turn out quite "loafy," I thought it was utterly delicious.

Ingredients: (Serves 4 people)
1 lb. Tofu, Firm
1 cup Dried Bread Crumbs
1/2 medium White Onion
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoons Italian Herb Seasonings
1 teaspoons Pepper, Black
1/2 cup Carrots (I used 1 cup of canned mixed veggies since I didn't have anything fresh)
1/2 cup Celery
(I also added a long squirt of Dijon mustard, which was probably overkill and contributed to the consistency problem)


Some of my ingredients. The asparagus and chopped garlic were served on the side.

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350°F.
2) Drain and press the tofu for about 15 minutes.


3) Dice up the tofu and put all the ingredients in a food processor, except for the carrots and celery.

How gross does THAT look?

4) Blend until smooth. Add the carrot and celery, and blend in the tofu mixture.

Looks like hummus!

5) Put in a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour.

Don't mind the white stuff, just some excess seasoning.

Now, while this loaf was baking, I fried up the asparagus and made some (instant, boo!) mashed potatoes. When it came out, I was sooo starving, and it smelled sooo good that I completely forgot to take a picture of it, or of my delicious looking, full plate. The best I could do is this, which is clearly after I had already taken my share.



The only major problem with this loaf was that, although it doesn't look like it here, it's texture was actually that of mashed potatoes. It was definitely not slice-able. Also, it was a bit too pungent for the normal person (at least according to my boyfried). I'm not sure how I could modify the recipe for next time. I would definitely omit the mustard, and probably add a tiny bit less soy sauce. The tofu might have to be a bit drier, as well.

It was very good though and I would DEFINITELY make this again. As a matter of fact, it's my lunch today!

Low-Calorie Tofu Alfredo Sauce

Today, I decided to make something healthy yet satisfying for dinner. Since I haven't been shopping in a while, I had to try to make something using the bare ingredients I had on hand, so I experimented and made tofu alfredo sauce...which came out rather...odd. I'm going to post the recipe I made with suggestions for improvement in parentheses. This is what happens when you try to make alfredo without cheese. :/

Ingredients:
- 1 package of Soft Silken Tofu (no problems there)
- 1 cup of vegetable broth. (I used garden vegetable broth which gave the sauce a orangey hue and I would recommend using plain old veggie broth here. Also, I would probably only use 3/4 cup since the sauce was a little thin)
- 3 tablespoons "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter - Light" (again, no problems)
- 1/5 cup garlic powder (No! No! No! - I only used it because I had no Parmesan cheese. Next time, I'd definitely fry up some cloves and wait until I had Parmesan to make this).
- 2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese

- 1 box of Rigatoni pasta (or whatever kind you enjoy)
- 1 box of frozen broccoli florets



Directions:
1) Cook the pasta and defrost the broccoli.
2) While both are cooking, combine all the other ingredients in a blender and mix well, until a creamy sauce is formed.



3) Transfer the sauce into a medium sized pot and heat to pour over pasta and broccoli.



It was edible at first but I did not want to finish it. This is a recipe I definitely have to play around with a bit more. Once I have my Parmesan, I will try again. After all, it would be amazing to find an alternative to the fatty original Alfredo sauce. To be continued!

Falafel!!

For my birthday, which was on May 30th, I got lots of awesome kitchen supplies such as a rice cooker, a blender, and a food processor!! Since I finally had a real human-sized processor, I decided to finally make some falafel. I must warn you, there are A LOT of pictures in this post.

First, I decided to make tzatziki (yogurt) sauce. This is the only part of the recipe that is not vegan. If you follow a vegan diet, you can use a tahini-based sauce such as the one found here.

Simple Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients
- 1 cup plain lowfat yogurt
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- a dash of dill (optional)


My ingredients.

Directions
In a small bowl (I used my mini food processor), mix all of the ingredients well.


Once mixed, let cool in refrigerator, to maximize flavor.


Now that we have our super delicious cucumber sauce, it's time to make the falafel.

Ingredients*
- 1 lb. dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- oil for frying

*These measurements make enough to serve 6 people

My ingredients.

Directions
*Soak the chickpeas in cold water in the refrigerator overnight.*

The next day, drain the chickpeas and mix with onion and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor.


Mix it very well, stopping the processor occasionally to scrape the mixture. Once it looks complete, process the mixture for a second time for 2-4 minutes.

Mmm...chickpeas.

Next, pour some oil into a large pan on medium heat. Take the mixture and clump it together to form walnut sized balls.


Place the balls in the pan and fry them up until golden-brown.


While the falafel fries, slice up some tomato and lettuce for serving. Also, halve pita bread.



Some of my falafel came out well-done. :P

And that's it! Stuff the pitas with lettuce, tomato, and falafel, using cucumber sauce to drizzle over the top. I also served this with extra sauce on the side because the falafel was a little bland.


My pita bread was too dry. :(

Overall, this was a very good dish and very easy to make (although pretty messy). The only change I would make next time is to add more spices into the falafel mix such as curry, red pepper flakes, and more garlic. Other than that, A+ and super filling too!!

Tofu Scramble & Randomness

Today was my first experiment in cooking with tofu and actually it turned out very delicious, even though I made something super-simple. For my main course, I had tofu scramble. Mmm... I honestly thought it was scrambled eggs for a split second. :) Now, feel free to throw in any ingredients you have on-hand. I didn't have any peppers or mushrooms so I was kinda suck with onion. :)

Scrambled Tofu

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 16 oz. block of firm tofu
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin
- 1/2 small onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup sliced scallions
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1) Drain the tofu and press it, using paper towels. Then crumble it using your clean hands.

2) Sautee the garlic and onion in olive oil on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
3) Stir in the crumbled tofu then add turmeric, salt, pepper, scallions, and soy sauce.

Looks like eggs! Whoah!

4) Cook with tofu for 5 more minutes, stirring often.
5) Serve as an egg dish or with salsa and burrito wrappers.


Mmm... delicious!

To add to my meal, I also made some stir-fried asparagus, which is as simple as olive oil, salt, and pepper.


The final product:


And...last but not least, I made curried zucchini chips as an appetizer, which is something I kinda made up and throw all kinds of spices on.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 (or more) zucchini
- olive oil (for brushing)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Curry
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder

DIRECTIONS
1) Preheat the oven to 400
2) Take a large, flat oven tray and lightly brush it with olive oil
3 ) Cut the zucchini into thin slices and place them onto the tray
4) After all the chips are placed, take a small brush and cover the the tops of the chips, lightly, with olive oil.


5) After the zucchini is covered, take the spices (or make alterations, to taste) and sprinkle them loosely over the slices.


6) Bake for 15 minutes, then check and flip. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the chips are slightly browned at the edges.


Voila!

Bear in mind that the zucchini shrinks a lot in baking so I would recommend using at least 2 thin zucchini per person.

Easy Guacamole

I love guacamole, it's absolutely delicious and I always try to have it in the house. The best part about it is that it's super easy to make and you can use it for sandwiches, tacos, as a dip, etc. Here is a recipe for some quick guacamole I whipped up with some basic ingredients.

1 ripe (softened) avodaco
1/2 small onion
1/2 small tomato
2 cloves of garlic
1 small jalapeno (optional)
salt, pepper, and paprika, to taste

Directions:
Cut the avocado in 1/2 and remove the seed. Using a spoon, remove the avocado from the shell and toss it into a food processor.



Dice up the onion, tomato, garlic, and jalapeno, and toss it into the processor. Season mixture with salt, pepper, and paprika.



Mix the ingredients until most of the tomato and onion have been mixed well in. I like my guacamole a bit thicker than completely mashed so I process it enough just to get a "lump" sort of texture from the onion and tomato.



That's it! Place in a dish and serve.



It takes about 5 minutes to make and stores well in the fridge when covered by plastic wrap.

Three Vegetable Penne With Tarragon-Basil Pesto

Courtesy of Rachel Ray and (as usual) modified a bit.

Recipe:

1 pound whole-wheat penne pasta
Salt
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends
1 small zucchini
1/4 pound, green beans trimmed of stem ends
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup basil, 20 leaves
1/2 cup tarragon leaves from 10 to 12 stems
Handful flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, zested
2 clove garlic
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
Coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil


Some of my ingredients

Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water and add pasta to cook to al dente or, with a bite to it. Cut asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Cut zucchini into matchstick shapes. Cut green beans into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Add vegetables to pasta after penne has been cooking about 5 minutes. Cook veggies and pasta together 2 minutes.

While pasta cooks, toast pine nuts in a small pan until golden, then cool.


Place nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, cheese and a little salt and pepper in a food processor.


Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until thick sauce forms. Scrape pesto into large, shallow serving dish.


Add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water to the pesto. Drain penne and veggies and add immediately to pesto. Toss to coat pasta and vegetables evenly. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste.


Serve with extra grated cheese to pass at table.


* This was so absolutely delicious. I was a little scared making the pesto but it came out beautifully. I have some leftovers. I think tomorrow I will make another batch of pesto, just to freeze and have on-hand for any sort of pasta occasion. Yum!!!