Tofu Stir-Fry

Scene: my apartment, empty Ikea boxes, screws on the loose, hungry men. What's for dinner? Tofu stir fry with quinoa. Umm what? The look on my friends faces I will never forget. However, by now I have gained their trust as a chef (I mean it wasn't too hard to attain when Two Brothers Pizza seems to be my competition) and they sat, beer in hand, anxiously awaiting their grub. You know the true test? Seconds. If a crowd of boys unanimously want more tofu and quinoa (however they may have pronounced it), rest assured the dish was well liked. However, I was not yet convinced that my tofu stir fry is for everyone. Thus, I had another guy friend come over and tried him on for size. Seconds please!

Ingredients:

1 package lite-firm tofu

1 package fresh assorted stir fry vegetables*
1/3 cup frozen peas

1 yellow onion
4-5 pieces garlic

Small piece fresh ginger, sliced thin

1/3 cup TJ's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar

1/3 cup sesame seeds

2 tbsp. sriracha chili sauce (can add more or less, taste as you go depends on your spice preference)**

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil

*Here, you can also buy an assortment of fresh vegetables and chop/prep them yourself but that will significantly increase the amount of time that goes into this dish. Also, you can use frozen stir-fry veggies, which cook a lot faster too.

**Note: I was congested when I prepared this dish, so I used quite a bit of sriracha chili sauce so I could really get that spicy kick I crave. If you do not have a tolerance for spice, please please add in a little at a time and taste as you go.

Procedure:

Cut the onion into small wedges, set aside. Peel the ginger and cut into small thin pieces, whatever odd shape the pieces may be, and set aside. Peel the garlic wedges and mince or use a garlic press, set aside. Cut the tofu brick into 3 planks heightwise, and then 5 planks lengthwise, and then again 6 planks widthwise to get smaller tofu squares.

Heat a large frying pan or wok (if you happen to have one lying around) with two tablespoons olive oil on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the onions stirring frequently so they do not burn. About 3 minutes in, add the ginger and keep stirring. Then, add the garlic.

When the onion is approaching a more clear color add in the tofu and stir well with the onions, ginger and garlic. Then, add half of the required orange vinegar, sriracha chili sauce, salt, pepper, and sesame seeds. Mix well to coat the tofu with the flavors, until the tofu starts to brown. At this point add in the fresh vegetables, and the remainder of the ingredients, mix well again. After it is well mixed, throw in the peas, stir it again, and put a cover on the pan/wok and let the veggies steam through a bit to get soft. After about 5-7 minutes, remove the cover, raise the heat and stir for an additional 3 minutes. Serves 4 (2-3 with seconds, wink wink). Enjoy!

Ode to Trader Joes

Before we continue together any further, there is one ingredient I must share. This ingredient is so special it is deserving of its own special post. Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar is the closest thing I have ever seen come near perfect. It is awesome in dressing, chicken, tofu stir fry, fish tacos, and anything else that might benefit from a tart and tangy sweet citrus flavor. For $2.99 this bottle is a major bargain. Thank you TJ's you've done it once again!

*picture courtesy of Google Images (clearly)

Sweet Potato "Fries"

My most favorite food? Aside from Mac 'n Cheese, it has got to be the sweet potato. Rich in Vitamins A and C, the sweet potato offers more then just some color to any dish. On menus all over it seems New Yorkers are being tricked into thinking that opting for "sweet potato fries" as a side dish is the healthiest of options...I'd hate to break it to you New York but eeehhh, incorrectomundo. A baked sweet potato? Yes, most definitely! Sweet potatoes deep fried in lard oil? Not so much nutritional value there. But don't get your panties in a twist just yet, I come to you with the solution- baked sweet potato fries that will most definitely satisfy anyone, yes ANYONE!

Ingredients:

4 small sweet potatoes, skin intact

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp. paprika

2 tsp. nutmeg

1tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. sea salt

1 tbsp. pepper

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 425. Scrub the outside skin of the sweet potatoes to clean off all the dirt (scrub well those babies came from down under). Then, cut the sweet potato into three planks lengthwise, then cut them into spears as evenly as you can to allow for even cook time.

In a bowl toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. After the spices look evenly distributed, place the spears onto a olive-oil sprayed baking sheet and bake on 425 for 45 minutes to an hour, flipping the spears about 25 minutes in. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Mango Salsa & Tortilla Chips

Last semester I taught nutrition to children in the Bronx through City Harvest in a program called "Side by Side" where the children would learn along side their parents some nutrition and how to cook in a healthy fashion. One of my favorite recipes was a healthy snack- mango salsa with fresh tortilla chips. It is the perfect mix of crunchy, sweet and salty to fulfill all those snack cravings. I made the mango salsa to pair with the almond-crusted tilapia, so as far at the salsa goes...it has a variety of uses. With the tortilla chips, it is easy to play around and get creative- I made two different versions a cayenne version and a parmesan version. Hungry yet? Let's get this party started.

Ingredients:

For the chips:

6 corn tortillas

salt, pepper, & cayenne pepper -or- salt, pepper, grated parmesan

For the salsa:

2 ripe mangoes

1 jalapeno

1 cucumber

1/2 red onion (or 2 scallions)

1 lime

1 lemon

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Procedure:

For the chips:

Preheat the oven to 425. Cut corn tortillas in half, half again and then half again to get a total of 8 chips per tortilla. Spread the tortila chips onto a greased baking tray, spray the chips with the seasoning selection of your choice Sprinkly either salt, pepper, & cayenne pepper -or- salt, pepper, & grated Parmesan. Shake up the tray a bit to disperse ingredients evenly on both sides. Bake for about 10 minutes or until browned and crispy.

For the salsa:

Peel and cut mangoes from their pits, cut mango into small cubes. Cut cucumber in half, remove the seeds, then proceed to cut into small cubes. Cut the jalapeno in half, remove most of the seeds (leave some if you'd like some extra spice) and continue to cut into small pieces. Dice the red onion. Rinse the cilantro well and fine chop. Mix all of these chopped ingredients into a bowl. Add salt and cayenne pepper.

Roll the lemon and lime out on a counter to get the juices flowing (even fruits need a little foreplay) and then cut them each in half. Squeeze juices on top of the mango mixture. Mix well. *Helpful tip- to avoid the having lemon pits as bonus ingredients hold the lemon face up towards your palm and squeeze. Yeah, your hands will get a little lemony but its better then choking on lemon pits. Capish?

Cover and refrigerate the salsa for an hour before serve time to allow a proper blending of flavors. Serves 6. Enjoy!

Almond Crusted Tilapia

My photog skills thus far definitely are not going to win me any awards, this I know (sorry Grandma Judy). I'm just in it for the cooking. Thankfully, I have plenty of friends in my arsenal who know their way around a camera and have quite the appetite. Barter much? Thank you Eddie for all the lovely photos!

Last night I prepared a vacation-inspired dinner. While away I had fish at practically every meal besides breakfast, so much so that at one point the mention of grouper probably would make me instantaneously nauseous. However, now I'm back in New York City and I find myself craving that darned grouper once again. I set out to make almond crusted grouper with mango salsa, went to Whole Foods all excited, but of course no grouper in site. Cue improvisation- something that comes hand and hand with cooking...especially when cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Hence, almond crusted Grouper became almond crusted Tilapia and I must say, it was scrumptious.

Ingredients:

4 pieces tilapia

For the fish spice rub:

2 tbsp. paprika

2 tbsp. salt

2 tbsp. pepper

For the crust:

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup slivered almonds

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

Dash of garlic powder, salt and pepper

Procedure:

Blot the fish fillets dry with a paper towel. Mix together the paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle the spice mixture on the front and backs of the filets and rub it on in. Set aside.

In a shallow bowl sift together the whole wheat flour, slivered almonds, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, crack the two eggs and beat em up.

Heat up a fry pan with some olive oil on a medium flame. Dip one Tilapia fillet in the beaten egg, then dip the fillet in to the flour/almond mixture and coat both sides evenly. Once the oil is hot (easily disperses in the pan), place the fillet on the pan and cook it for about 3 minutes on each side. Repeat with all fillets. If it seems the crust is browning faster then the fish is cooking, you can place the fillets in the oven on a baking sheet for a few minutes to cook through after you pan sear the fish in olive oil.

I served the fish with a mango salsa (see next post), but it can also be served with wasabi mashed potatoes (recipe coming soon) or as a sandwich with some wasabi-mayo. Enjoy! Serves 4.

Quinoa Veggie Burgers

So my obsession with quinoa will definitely be shown over the course of the blog. This super-food really is super with lots of protein AND fiber, I just can not resist its power. I wondered if the usual rice-based veggie burger could be made quinoa-based for some added protein, and the experimenting began. A lot of different batches were made, but a final product was developed- quinoa lovers rejoice! This recipe may take a bit more time then the others I put up so far, but the extra burgers are great to freeze individually for quick and easy meals in the future. These burgers are great on top of a salad or in a whole wheat bun with avocado, tomato, lettuce and some mustard. Mmmm mmmm mmm.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 tsp. salt

1tsp. pepper

2 large carrots, shredded or food processed

4 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms, chopped finely or food processed

3 full scallions, chopped

2/3 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese ( can substitute cheddar cheese, jack cheese if that's what you prefer)

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

4 large eggs

1 tbsp. black pepper

1/2 tbsp. white pepper

1/2 tbsp. coarse salt

1 tbsp. cumin

1/2 tbsp. nutmeg

1/2 tbsp. garlic powder

1/2 tbsp. paprika

Olive oil, or olive oil flavored cooking spray for pan-frying

Procedure:

First, bring quinoa and water to a boil, add salt and pepper, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Next, if you have a food processor or blender of any sort that will help save some time in preparing the veggies. Either grate or food process the carrots, set aside. Finely chop or food process the mushrooms, set aside. Chop 3 scallions into small thin circles, set that aside. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients; cooked quinoa, carrots, mushrooms, scallions, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, salt, black & white pepper, paprika, nutmeg, garlic powder and cumin.

Heat a frying pan with olive oil (for extra-crunchy burgers) or olive oil spray (less calories, less crunch) on medium heat. Place one heaping spoonful of quinoa burger batter and cook approximately 3 minutes on each side. Yields about 12 burgers. Enjoy!

Note: You can use red quinoa instead of plain quinoa for some color. Also, shredded beets could be added, when I tried that they were delicious but added a pink hue to the burger.

Sesame String Beans

Well hello there everyone, I'm finally back! Benefits of unemployment? One week vacations can turn into three week vacations quite easily. I have to say the vacation was wonderful, but I definitely missed being in my kitchen. I'm craving veggie-licious ness and lots of quinoa so first we'll get those recipes out of the way, and then I'll begin to prepare some vacation inspired meals. Ready? Let's get back to work!

Ingredients:

2 lbs string beans (also can use french beans)

1/2- 3/4 large red onion, chopped into thin wedges

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. fresh black pepper

1 tsp. white pepper

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Procedure:

First, trim the ends of string beans and give them a rinse and dry them well. Chop the red onion into thin wedges and mix those in with the string beans. Toss in olive oil, sesame oil, black & white pepper, salt and sesame seeds. Roast on 425 for about 20-25 minutes, checking the beans every 10 minutes and shaking up the tray a bit. I like to toast them a bit longer so they get super crunchy and become sort of like "french fries." Serves 6. Enjoy!