Mexican Stir Fry

Continuing on my theme of combining cooking/presentation methods of one culture, with the flavors and ingredients from another culture… I present to you… Mexican Stir Fry! This is one of my new favorites! Its easy to prepare, and full of flavor.  It gives you all the Mexican Flavors without any Corn Products (which is always a bonus in my book – despite how delicious corn tortillas are).

If you don’t have some of the vegetables listed, feel free to replace them with something else you have around the house! Add any other types of veggies you’d love to incorporate into the mexican flavor.

You will need two LARGE! Skillets

Ingredients Serves 4 – 5

• 1 small can Tomato Paste
• ~2.5 C Uncooked Brown Rice
• 1 – 2 C Chopped Green Beans (about 1 inch pieces)
• 1 Leek
• Hot Sauce – I used Valentina
• Water
• 1 Yellow Squash Chopped
• 4 Carrots Chopped
• Half a Purple Cabbage Chopped
• 1 Onion Chopped
• Cilantro
• 2 – 3 Eggs
• 1 – 2 T Cumin
• 1 – T Chili Powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 T Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Limes
• EVOO
• 3 Cloves Garlic Minced

Directions

1. Start by preparing your rice.  You can make Spanish Rice however you prefer, if you have some sort of favorite recipe, go for it! But for the sake of time and ease of prep, I cheat.  I mix the can of tomato paste with enough water to cook my rice plus a little extra, and mix it well into the rice into the rice cooker, and let it do it’s thing.  It may clump up a bit in the rice cooker, but no fear, when it’s finished just mix it in together.
2. While your rice is cooking, chop and prep all of your ingredients.  First you’re going to braise your  Green Beans and Leek Greens.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add Green Beans and Leek Greens and cook until browning, about 5 minutes with regular stirring.  Then reduce the heat and add about .5 C Water and .25 C Hot Sauce, cover and let simmer until water reduces.
3. Meanwhile begin cooking the rest of your veggies.  In a large skillet, heat a bit of oil over medium heat, add in your Garlic, Leek Whites and Onions and Saute until lightly browning.  Then add in the Carrots and Squash and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring.  Then finally add in your cabbage and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. While your veggies are cooking, you can cook the eggs. You can add the egg 1 of 2 ways.  You can scramble them up and then stir fry it in, OR you can make fried eggs and top your plates with 1 each…. fried egg is delicious, but adds significant calories, so I stuck with scrambled in.  So, scramble your eggs in a separate Skillet.  Now it is time to start combining everything. Push your eggs to one side of the skillet and transfer half of the veggies from the other skillet, into the egg skillet, then transfer half of the eggs into the first veggie skillet, in other words evenly balance both skillets with egg/veggies.
5. Add a bit more oil and bring to high heat, add your rice evenly into both skillets and stir fry.  Here you can add in your Cumin, Lime, Chili Powder, Salt, More Hot Sauce as desired and Red Pepper Flakes.  (adjust spices as desired).  Stir fry everything together over high heat until well combined.
6. When finished add in chopped cilantro to taste (I used about 1 T). Plate and serve!

Yam, Quinoa and Chickpea Fritters over puree of Onion & Fennel on a bed of Tangy Greens

Whew, that title is still as big a mouthful as it was the first time around.  This recipe is a revamp of an old one, which I liked a lot! You can find it here I’ll give you the updated recipe below!

Ingredients for Tangy Greens

• 1/2 a small head of cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (I used purple)
• Same amount of lacinato kale as cabbage, thinly sliced
• Mustard Greens – lightly sauteed
• 2 T capers or MORE! (don’t skip this, it completes the dish perfectly!)
• 2 t Hot Mustard Powder
• 1 – 2 T Olive Oil
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1/4 C Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Pepper

Directions

1. Combine Hot Mustard Powder, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic and Pepper and whisk in a bowl.  Add capers and let chill while you make the rest of this dish.
2. Wait until final plating to add the dressing (will note later)

Ingredients for Yam, Quinoa & Chickpea Fritter

• 5 Yams
• 1/2 C Cooked Quinoa (I used red)
• 1 can Chickpeas Drained & Rinsed
• 1 – 2 t Coriander
• 1 t Curry Powder
• 1 t Smokey Paprika, or regular is fine.
• Juice of 1/4 of a lemon
• salt and pepper to preference
• Oil for frying
• Corn Meal

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Remove skins from Yams and cut into cubes. Cook for about 30 minutes or until very tender.
2. In a food processor pulse chickpeas until crumbly, but not a paste. Add to a large bowl.  Once the Yams are finished, add it in with the chickpeas and mash with a potato masher. Then add in your cooked Quinoa and mix.
3. Add Spices and Lemon Juice and combine, (do not add corn meal yet). Chill in Fridge until cool enough to handle. Slowly add Corn Meal and mix in as needed. You need to be able to form patties that stay together, corn meal just helps this, but add as little as possible to reach a good consistency. I used about half a cup maybe.
4. Heat Oil in Pan to a good frying temperature. Form into small patties and add to hot oil.  Fry for about 2 – 4 minutes, carefully flip and finish a few more mins.  They should have a nice golden brown.  They should also flip fairly easily, and not fall apart, if they are you may need more corn meal.  It helps to make smaller patties, don’t over do it!
5. Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

You can bake these if you don’t want to fry them! Pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes each side, or until crispy, they wont get quite as crisp as frying.

Ingredients for Onion & Fennel Puree

• 1 fennel
• 1/2 Onion (I actually JUST used greens from an onion, but unless you get a veggie box delivery, I don’t think you can find onions with greens attached usually)
• Water
• Salt

Directions

• Cut up the fennel into small chunks, Stalks and all. Add to boiling water.  If you’re using onion GREENS, then add the greens to the boiling water, if you’re just using chopped onion, saute it over oil, and add to a food processor when finished.
• Cook Fennel & Greens (if using) for 15 – 20 minutes.  Drain water, or just used slotted spoon to remove all the chunks from the water and place in food processor. Blend Well.

Assembly & Notes

1. Plate the Slaw first, then top with some Onion & Fennel Puree, and 2 – 3 fritters on top.  Top everything with your tangy mustard/vinegar slaw dressing and top with capers.
2. Fritters reheat well, but you can save the yam & chickpea mixture and fry later.
3. I also topped off everything with a bit of Quinoa, but you don’t have to.

Pat yourself on the back because that was a rigorous one.

Greek …Sushi? Yes. Greek Tzatziki Sushi.

I’ve always been a big fan of Mixing different types of cuisine. I saw some recipes using Cucumber as a type of ‘Nori” for sushi, and I was interested in making a sushi inspired dish in terms of presentation, but using all greek flavors.  I was actually very very surprised at how WELL Cucumber stayed wrapped up! When I saw pictures I did the classic “PFF ya right, thats def gunna fall apart the second the wind blows….” but I was proven very wrong.

Ingredients

• 1 Large Cucumber
• 1 T Chia Meal soaked in 2 T Water (optional – helps bind)
• Salt
• Water
• 1 Can Chickpeas
• .5 – 1 C Swiss Chard – or other green (such as collard or kale)
• 5 T Coriander Powder
• Pepper
• 2 T Corn Meal
• 3 – 6 Cloves of Garlic Chopped
• Onion Powder
• Yogurt (Greek or Low Fat Plain)
• 1 T Dill
• 2 t Parsley
• 1 T Tahini

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a Food Processor toss in Chickpeas, add water as needed to blend up a bit (doesn’t need to be a paste – can be flakey).  Then Add in your Swiss Chard, Tahini, Coriander, 2 cloves minced garlic, about  2 – 3 teaspoons onion powder, Chia (water and all – when you soak it- it will become a goo) and Corn Meal.
2. On Parchment Paper, form your mixture into thin Strips, about 1/2 inch wide and about 2 inches long (keep in mind you’ll be cutting these in half and placing them in your cucumber, so it should be twice the thickness of your Cucumber).  Bake for about 7 – 10 minutes, flip and cook until crisped. For the sake of understanding, we’ll call these Falafels. (I know, they’re not).
3. Meanwhile, slice your cucumber with a mandolin to one of the thinnest settings. Place them in a bowl and heavily salt (you will wash this off).  Let that sit.
4. Now create the sauce that will go inside your roll.  Combine about 1 C Yogurt with the Dill, Parsley, and as much garlic as you can stand. I use a lot, about 3 cloves minced. Mix and Chill.
5. When everything is ready for assembly, rinse your cucumber WELL to get rid of all the salt.  (This process helps make them more maleable and stay together – I actually don’t know how well this would work withOUT doing this, so if you try, let me know!).  Add yogurt sauce all along a slice of cucumber, place your Falafel pieces (cut to fit) inside and roll up!  Plate with extra Yogurt for dipping if desired!

 

Stuffed Acorn Squash with a Tangy Tahini Sauce – Vegan & Gluten Free

Absolutely inspired by this recipe, I changed a few things up, but overall I didn’t want to mess with it too much  because it already sounded deliciousssssss.  I opted for Walnuts over other nuts due to price.  I also mixed all the ingredients together with the sauce and then stuffed the Acorn Squash as opposed to just topping it with sauce.

Ingredients for Lemon Tahini Sauce

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup water
• dash of Tamari
• 1 1/2 lemons, juiced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Stuffing Ingredients

• 4 Acorn Squash
• 1.5 cup Cooked Quinoa (I used red – it’s what I have on hand!)
• 1 – 1.5 cup Cooked Brown Rice
• 4 Green Onions Chopped, greens & whites
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 T Parsley (I used dried)
• 2 – 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup mushrooms chopped (I used shiitake)
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 Lemon, Juiced
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat your Oven to 425F.  Cut off the tops of the Acorn Squash and put back in place, wrap each squash individually in foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Then Remove the foil and the tops and continue baking for 25 minutes.
2. In a large Skillet heat Garlic over medium heat and saute for a few minutes.  Then add the Mushroom and Green Onions (NOTE: My Mushrooms were soaked and boiled, they were dried shiitake, I recommend you saute the mushrooms separate in water/oil, or however you prefer if you’re working with raw Mushroom).
3. Then add the Rice and Quinoa to your skillet and mix everything together.  Next, add in your Curry Powder, Parsley, Walnuts, Salt, Pepper and Lemon Juice and mix well heating everything through. Then Reduce to Low Heat and Stir Occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, prepare your sauce by mixing all of the Sauce Ingredients together in no particular order.
5. Once your Squash is done, let cool slightly and carefully remove seeds (I used a paper towel to protect my hand from the heat).  Discard Seeds.  Then scrape out as much of the insides of all the squashes as you can and add to your skillet and mix together. To avoid large chunks of squash in one place, spoon in small clumps throughout your mixture.
6. Finally, add in your sauce to the skillet and mix everything together, then stuff your Acorn Squash and serve!
7. If your squashes cool down too much before serving, feel free to pop them in the oven for a few minutes stuffed to reheat! Also, if you have any extra, I saved mine for leftovers, and just served without the squash shell!

This was a favorite among the housemates!

Vegetarian Hot & Sour Soup Version 5.0 (Contains Tahini & Egg)

I could probably have a spin off blog just Hot & Sour Soups… I cook them all the time, they’re super easy, really flavorful and always hit the spot (especially if your’e cold or feeling under the weather).  This is most similar to a Tom Kha Gai but is pretty far from the traditional.  I didn’t have access to any Chili Sauce, Sriracha or Thai Chilis so I had to work with what I could find.  Tahini also adds a nice little creaminess and a unique flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 Can Coconut Milk
• 6 C Vegetable Broth (Use homemade for the best possible taste)
• 1 Inch of Ginger (half minced, half just sliced skin intact)
• 3 – 4 Cloves Garlic Minced
• 5 Green Onions Chopped
• Sprouted Beans
• 1 C Cooked Brown Rice
• 1 Large Jalapeno + Seeds, ground up together (or blended)
• 1 T Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 T Tamari
• Salt
• 1 – 2 T Tahini
• Apple Cider Vinegar (to taste, I used about 3 T)
• Lemon (to taste I like mine sour so I used about 3+ T)
• 2 Egg Whites (Optional, I had some leftover from a previous recipe)

Directions

1. Start by heating Oil over medium heat in a large pot.  Add your Garlic, the minced garlic and about 3/4 of your chopped Green Onions (reserve some for topping at the end) and slowly brown.  Add in your Vegetable Broth and ginger slices and cover until Boiling.  
2. While I waited for that to come to a boil I smashed up a jalapeno + seeds into a paste in a mortar and pestle.. if you don’t have one, just chopped it up slightly and blend.
3. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add in your coconut milk, Tahini, Vinegar, Lemon, Tamari and Jalapeno paste.  Simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes.
4. Taste and adjust as needed.  Add Salt and red pepper flakes here. If you’re adding egg, bring back to a rolling boil and being stirring quickly.  Add the egg in slowly while stirring to cook and allow the egg to fluff out. Reduce and let simmer for about 5 minutes longer.
5. For serving, place a bit of brown rice at the bottom of a bowl, then add your soup, top with Sprouted Beans and More Green Onions.

 

Garlic Braised Asparagus with Tahini Hollandaise Sauce

I saw this recipe which got me craving Hollandaise Sauce.  However I never use butter in my cooking so I didn’t have any on hand, and didn’t really feel like buying it for this recipe. Tahini has a nice creamy texture and is oil based, so I figured it could probably stand in the place of butter just fine.  And I was correct Although it does taste a bit different, the Tahini doesn’t dominate it works well with the lemon & egg. This is a really easy side dish to whip up.

Ingredients

• 1 Bunch Asparagus, bases trimmed and cut in half
• Oil
• 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
• 1/2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
• Water
• 2 Egg Yolks
• Juice of 2 Lemons (or more to taste)
• 1 T Tahini
• 1 t Cayenne

Directions

1. Start by braising your Asparagus. Heat Oil over medium high heat and add in your Asparagus and Garlic.  Cook until lightly browning around the edges, stirring occasionally to cook evenly.  Then add Apple Cider Vinegar and Enough water to braise (about 1/2 inch pooling at bottom of pot). Cover and lower temperature and cook until water is just about gone.
2. Meanwhile prepare your Hollandaise Sauce. (However you want to wait until your Asparagus is close to being done so you can serve this hot together, otherwise tahini will being to solidify as it cools and you’ll need to reheat it).  Separate out just yolk of two eggs (I preserve the whites and make something out of them, don’t waste!). Add yolks to a blender and add a dash of cayenne.  Heat your Tahini well, add oil if your tahini is pretty solidified and add hot Tahini to your blender and blend for about a minute.
3. Remove your Braised Asparagus with a slotted spoon if any liquid remains. Plate and pour your Hollandaise over the braised Asparagus and serve!

Quinoa & Veggie Salad with a Lemon Dill Yogurt Dressing

Some of my favorite recipes are those that require little to no cooking, but still gives you the rewarding sensation of eating a delicious meal.  Bonus points if its healthy!  Inspired here.  I amped mine up a bit to make it function a little more as a meal by adding Quinoa. This would work really well as a side if you’re trying to feed hungrier individuals.. but it also works as a lighter refreshing lunch.   It’s also a great way to get through some vegetables and prepare a large quantity for a few days worth of lunch.

Ingredients (serves 2 – 3 meal portions)

• 1 Cucumber Seeds removed & Chopped
• 1 Head of Broccoli Chopped Small
• 1 Bell Pepper Chopped (any kind – I went with the cheapest, green)
• 1 C Cooked Quinoa (I used red, but any will do)
• 4 – 5 Carrots + greens if you have it
• 1.5 C Yogurt (Greek or Regular Low Fat)
• 1 – 2 T Dill (I used freeze dried)
• 1 t Parsley
• 1 t Celery Seed
• 1 t Ground Coriander
• 1/4 C Lemon Juice
• Salt to Taste
• Optional: Apple Cider Vinegar to taste I love acidity in dressings, but it’s not for everyone, taste your dressing and decide if you want to add it at the end

Directions

1. I put the Yogurt, Lemon & Spices in a large bowl first and mixed that together first, then I simply threw in all the chopped veggies and the Quinoa in and mixed well until combined!
2. Serve Chilled.  Or you can serve it with the quinoa right out of the cooker and have it a little warm which was nice.

I didn’t think about this until I was writing it, but I think celery would be super delicious in this.