spaghetti squash sesame noodles

Since we live in Houston, we are just now creeping into fall-like weather.  For many of us fall goes hand-in-hand with pumpkins and winter squashes, which is why I wanted to test a new spaghetti squash recipe with an asian flair.  The flavor was outstanding!  A, went back for seconds!  Definitely try this recipe out when you get a chance.  The only changes I made was to add fresh ginger for flavor and bok choy for more substance.

spaghetti squash sesame noodles
adapted from Family Fresh Cooking

peanut tofu udon noodle bowl

A and I generally have a stir fry or noodles on our weekly menu at home so when I saw this post on eat, live, run blog I knew I had to try it for one of those late nights at work.  There's something about eating a warm meal in a large bowl doused with lots of sriracha, especially when it's warm outside!  I followed this recipe mostly, except didn't have any bok choy or red bell pepper in the fridge but decided to toss in extra carrots and onions.  The only "unhealthy" part of this meal was the amount of peanut butter however you could swap out PB with almond butter.  Hope you enjoy!

peanut tofu udon noodle bowl
adapted from eat live run

buddha's delight with tofu, broccoli and water chestnuts

Buddha's Delight with Tofu, Broccoli and Water Chestnuts
Adapted from Cooking Light Way to Cook Vegetarian

Marinade:
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar

Veggies:
1 pkg extra firm tofu, 1" cubes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 small heads of broccoli, chopped (florets and most of the stem)
3 carrots, sliced diagonally
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups snow peas, trimmed
8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
1 tsp cornstarch
1 cup brown rice, cooked (about 3 cups cooked)

In a shallow dish, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and agave nectar. Toss the tofu in and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. When ready to use, drain the tofu and reserve the marinade.

Cook broccoli florets, carrot, and broccoli stems in boiling water for 2 minutes; drain. Plunge into ice water. Drain and set aside.

Heat canola oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu and stir fry for 5 minutes, until lightly browned on all sides. Add in onions, ginger and garlic - stir fry for 30 seconds. Add in broccoli and carrots - stir fry for 1 minute. Add in snow peas and water chestnuts - stir fry for 1 minute. Whisk together marinade and cornstarch. Add this mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until marinade has thickened. Serve with rice and Sriracha.

Serves 4

soba noodle bowl with tofu and veggies

soba noodle bowl
inspired by boom noodle

The weather has cooled down a bit after our springlike weather a few weeks ago.  Both A and I were craving something hearty and healthy so I decided to take a spin on a meal I had at a great noodle restaurant in Seattle.  This meal was absolutely delicious and I could not wait to have it the next day for leftovers.

2 bundles of buckwheat soba noodle (3 per package)
1 small broccoli crown, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 shallot, sliced
1/2 tofu block, diced
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp sriracha sauce

In a large pot, boil 8 cups water.  Add soba noodles when rapidly boiling.  Let cook for 5-6 minutes until tender.  Meanwhile, in a nonstick pan on medium high heat, saute shallots in the vegetable oil.  Once fragrant add the tofu and let brown for a few minutes.  Add the bellpeppers and broccoli.  Cook for an additional 2 minutes then add the cooked (and rinsed in cold water) to the pan.  Pour in the hoisin/sriracha sauce and combine well.  Make sure the sauce has evenly coated the veggies and noodles.  Turn off heat and serve. 

Serves 2-3 people.

paneer jalfrezi

This recipe is fantastic!  I do not prepare many dishes with paneer but after trying out this one from the Sinfully Spicy blog, I think I'm hooked!  I followed the recipe exactly, although it was a bit spicy I would not change a thing.  Try it out and let me know what you think! 

paneer jalfrezi

straight from sinfully spicy

Ingredients  (Serves 2):

3 tbsp canola/olive/sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1 large onion, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1" fresh gingershoot, minced
2 Thai green chilies, chopped
2 medium roma tomatoes, quartered & sliced
3/4 tsp turmeric powder
1.5 tbsp red chili flakes (adjust to tolerance)
1 cup sliced bell peppers (use any colored peppers of choice)
7 oz / (200gm) paneer (Indian cheese), sliced into 2” batons
Salt to taste
½ tsp garam masala
1.5 tbsp white vinegar / fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp sugar
Chopped Cilantro for garnish
 Method:

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or pan /wok/kadhai on high. Once smoking, add cumin & coriander seeds and fry for 30 seconds or so till they crackle.
 

Next, add the minced ginger & garlic along with green chilies and cook for another 30 seconds till you smell the aroma.
Reduce heat to medium and add sliced onions next to the pan and fry till soft and translucent. About 2-3 minutes.
Add sliced tomatoes, turmeric powder & red chili flakes to the pan next and fry for 5-7 minutes till tomatoes begin to sweat & soften but do not turn mushy. You will see oil separating on sides of the pan. Stir frequently to prevent tomatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the sliced peppers next, stir and fry them for 5-8 minutes so that they cook slightly but still hold their shape & are crunchy.
 

Add the paneer next along with salt, increase heat to high and cook for 2-3 minutes with gentle tossing so as not to break the cheese.
 

Remove from heat, sprinkle the garam masala, sugar & top up with vinegar. Combine well. Garnish with chopped cilantro & serve with steamed rice or Indian breads.  (VegOutGirl note: I served with plain quinoa and greek yogurt)

mugh daal + quinoa (curried moong dal)

To this day, one of my favorite indian comfort meals is this recipe.  I can eat it any time of day or any time of year.  The combination of amazing spices and pure protein heartiness makes it an A+ in my book :)  I've added a few things to my mom's original recipe like extra onions and garlic. 

mugh daal
adapted from my mom

ingredients:
1.5 cups of dried green moong dal (available at indian grocery stores), rinsed and soaked for 8 hours
1 small onion, finely diced
3-4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
2 tsp vegetable oil
1.25 tsp mustard seeds
1.5 tsp dhanajeeru (cumin)
1 tsp marchu (red chili powder)
1.5 tsp hardar (tumeric)
1 tsp garam masalo
pinch of hing (asoefetida)
1 tsp salt

In a medium sized sauce pot, add 2 tsp oil and mustard seeds on medium heat. Once fragrant, add the hing, onions, garlic and ginger.  Saute for 1 minute.   Add all spices except for salt.  Mix well and then add the soaked moong daal with enough water to cover the daal.  Place on medium high heat and allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Add salt and let simmer until the moong has reached desired texture. Continue adding water for a more soupy dish.

quinoa
Rinse 1 cup of quinoa thoroughly until all debris has been discarded.  Place on high heat with 2.5 cups of water.  Once it begins to boil, place on low heat and add cover.  Cook for 15 minutes and turn off heat.  Let sit for a few minutes and serve with mugh daal.

A, had this recipe with his favorite gunda pickle and a side of greek yogurt.

tempeh coconut curry

I adapted this recipe from my Cooking Light cookbook.  A, was definitely a fan but I'm not sure I particularly enjoyed the tangy-ness (is that a word?) of the tamarind...or I think I added too much!  This is why you should always use your measuring cups and spoons! 

tempeh coconut curry
adapted from Cooking Light Way to Cook Vegetarian cookbook

ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped 

1 tsp salt

2 tsp tamarind pulp

1 tbsp finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh garlic

1.5 tsp cumin powder 

0.5 tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chili powder 

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

1 sweet potato, chopped and peeled  

1/2 head of broccoli, chopped with stems

1 cup water

1 can coconut milk

8 ounces tempeh, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice 2 teaspoons Bragg's liquid aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)

To prepare curry, heat oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt. Cook 2 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tamarind; cook 2 minutes until tamarind is evenly distributed.Add ginger and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon); cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, potato, water, milk, and tempeh; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Uncover; stir in juice, Bragg's and broccoli. Simmer 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Discard cinnamon stick. I served the curry with fluffed brown rice and sriracha.

pineapple tofu stir-fry

pineapple tofu stir-fry
adapted from Eating Well

Any thai/chinese dish with pineapples is fine by us!  I enjoyed this recipe as it's light, healthy and perfect for shedding some of those holiday pounds!  I doubled this recipe, used agave nectar instead of brown sugar and used 1 whole green pepper and one half of a red pepper.  Of course, A added a good bit of Sriracha for an extra kick.  Overall a really tasty dish and I definitely will be making this again.  I served with brown rice but next time will try it with quinoa.

Serves 3-4 people

coconut red curry with tofu and veggies

I always prefer healthier, low calorie foods but somehow the healthier version of coconut curry isn't quite the same.  This recipe is a great way to finish up all the veggies in your fridge.   Please bear with my awful winter time pictures!

coconut red curry with tofu and veggies

1 block of extra firm tofu (drained/pressed and cut into bite size pieces)
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1/2 green and yellow zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 carrots, chopped at an angle
1 can coconut milk
3-4 tbsp red curry paste
2 tbsp oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the red curry paste and coconut milk until well combined.  Set aside.  In a large nonstick pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil and add pieces of tofu, cook until well browned on all sides.  In another large heavy bottom pot, over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of oil and onions/garlic.  Cook until translucent.  Add in the zucchini and carrots.  Wait a few minutes then add the coconut curry mixture to the veggie pot.  Cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Add tofu and cook with cover over low heat for 25-30 minutes until sauce has thickened.  After 25 minutes, add the remaining broccoli and let simmer for 2 minutes, then serve!  I add the broccoli last to maintain the crunch and color. 

Served with quinoa for me, plain white rice for A!  Don't forget the Sriracha either :)

garlicky tofu and green bean stir fry

 

garlicky tofu and green bean stir fry
adapted from Whole Living 

This recipe turned out really well!  The only changes I made were to use a whole yellow onion, used Bragg's liquid aminos instead of soy sauce, added 3-4 garlic cloves, minced and reduced the amount of sesame oil to 2 tbsp.  On the side I served red quinoa instead of rice.  And we have enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Serves 4 people

Peanut Tofu Curry



I was in the mood for some spicy curry but it was a Tuesday at 6PM, I had no desire to go to the grocery store sooo what does a girl do but cook with condiments everyone should have on hand!  I found this quick recipe and knew A would love it too!  Generally I lean towards healthier recipes but peanut butter is healthy too right?

Peanut Tofu Curry

adapted from Daily Garnish

1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

3 tbsp water

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

sriracha, to taste

Tofu, cut into pieces

Red bell pepper, sliced

Whisk peanut butter, rice vinegar, liquid aminos, hoisin sauce, sriracha and water until it forms a paste.  If it's too thick, add a bit more water.

Add 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a nonstick pan over medium high heat.

Once the pan is hot, add the tofu.  Flip the tofu several times until it begins to brown evenly on all sides.  Now comes the fun part!  Add the peanut sauce mixture to the tofu.  Stir quickly to prevent sticking or burning.  Add the red bell pepper (or any other veggie you prefer) to the pan.  Mix until evenly coated with peanut sauce and viola done!

Serve with rice or over noodles (I prefer brown rice!  A, can beg to differ...=)). 

Serves 2-3 people