Fast and Tasty

I've really been trying to cut back on my time in the kitchen without sacrificing quality. (We can all agree that two hours of dinner prep is excessive, yes?) Here are two great recipes that have helped me out:

The first is a new version of the Wonderpot.

 http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/13/one-pot-zucchini-mushroom-pasta/

Fyi, that blog has a pretty good vegetarian section.

The second recipe I'm loving is the best quinoa salad I've ever had. It's only a few changes away from my usual, but those changes are awesome. I do usually add a little more honey than called for and use red and yellow sweet peppers. Adding about a half cup of pine nuts does wonders. Also, we obviously leave out the steak (though keeping it in is a great way to make an omnivore meal that you'll still enjoy).

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-quino-salad

Happy cooking!

Japanese Fried Noodles with Sauteed Tofu

This recipe is my own twist on a recipe from The Pioneer Woman and several others (whose sites I didn't bother to note...sorry) and was inspired by my love of the Japanese Noodles at Noodles and Co.

Yeah...not the best photo...anyone have any tips on getting better photos from an I-Pad?

1 pkg. whole wheat spaghetti (I can't for the life of me find udon noodles in our food desert)
1/2 C. soy sauce
2 T. sugar or honey
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. sesame oil
1 T. chili paste
1 pkg. firm tofu

1) Drain the tofu and cut it into six equal slices.  Squeeze the excess moisture from it, using paper towels to absorb the moisture as you gently apply pressure.
2) Mix together the sauce ingredients in a shallow dish.
3) Marinate the tofu for at least ten minutes, flipping it as necessary to ensure that both sides get to soak up the juice.
4) Add a small amount of sesame oil to a medium frying pan and heat it over medium high heat.  Meanwhile, boil the water to cook your spaghetti.
5) While the noodles are boiling, saute your tofu for a few minutes on each side, making sure that it is    heated through and nicely browned.  Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
6) Drain your noodles and return them to the pot.  Pour the marinade over the noodles and return them to a medium high heat.  Stir until all of the liquid is absorbed.  (Sometimes at this point I add a little more oil, or soy sauce, or chili paste...It just depends on how I think it's all shaping up.)

So that's the basics.  I will sometimes julienne a few carrots and bell peppers and add mung bean sprouts at the last minute for a quick saute to toss on top of the noodles.  Other times I steam some soy beans and just use those instead of tofu for my protein element (a favorite for Kris), and then other times I'll add some green onion and a passel of steamed broccoli and call it good. Cilantro pairs well with it too.  I don't think you can go too wrong with this concept, so do what your family likes.
 

Vegi- Lasagna

Again, it's in my head so I'll write it down next time.



2 cups of veggies (thaw if frozen, steam if fresh)
Whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 can pasta sauce (14 is oz?)
small tub of Cottage Cheese
1 Egg
1 cup Mozz.
1/2 parmesean


Chop veggies until chunky salsa stage.

Mix cheeses and egg


In greased 9x13, spread a think layer of pasta sauce.

Mix the rest of the sauce with the veggies


Lay UNCOOKED noodles down. Layer portion of veggies, and then cheese layer, then noodles and so on.

this does 3 layers of noodles, bottom, middle and top.

pour any left over sauce/veggies on top of noodles, sprinkle with a bit more mozz and cover and sit in fridge for 3-4 hrs.

The uncooked noodles will soak up the liquid and when it bakes it will become a very stable lasagna.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 min, and then 15 uncovered, sit for 10 before serving.


That's the gist at least. I'll make sure it's right when I make it again. I just use whatever I have on hand, but usually we end up with spinach, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and tomatoes for the mix.

Cashew Lemon Pasta

This pasta is delicious. I cut the cayenne pepper down to 1/4 tsp. It's really good with broccoli, zucchini, red peppers, etc. You can buy raw cashews at Sunshine Market in their bulk section. 

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pasta noodles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 1 pound asparagus stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 cup raw cashews
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Prepare the pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic and red pepper.
2. Add asparagus and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
3. Sauté the asparagus until it's crisp but tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks.
4. Meanwhile, puree the cashews in a food processor until a smooth paste forms.
5. Add lemon zest, black pepper and the remaining salt, and blend together.
6. Add water and lemon juice in a steady stream to the cashew mixture with the food processor running; the sauce will be thin.
7. Add pasta to the skillet, toss to combine, and remove from heat.
8. Stir in the cream sauce to coat.
9. Taste for seasoning and serve hot.

Penne with Kale, Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

Penne with Kale, Tomatoes, and Olives

 

 

1⁄4 cup vegetable broth or water
1 onion, diced
5 cups chopped kale
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) chopped fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained,
or 3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes plus 1⁄2 cup water
1⁄2 cup sliced kalamata olives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
8 ounces whole wheat penne
1⁄4 cup vegan Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast

 

1. Heat the vegetable broth in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook
and stir over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the kale and the tomatoes
and their liquid. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and
simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the olives and parsley and cook for
5 minutes longer.
2. While the kale is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and
cook the penne until just tender. Drain and transfer to a serving
bowl. Add the kale mixture and toss gently. Sprinkle the top with
the optional vegan Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
3. Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, leftover Penne with
Kale, Tomatoes, and Olives will keep for up to 3 days.

Green Noodles

Green Noodles Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:14 AM PDT Making dinner for myself often goes something like this: Scout out the produce section of the grocery store, throw at least three impulse buys into my cart, and arrive home with absolutely no clue how to use it all. So I randomly add things together and hope for the best! Even on the rare occasion I actually do have a recipe to follow, I pretty much ignore the recipe anyway. With today’s green noodles, I’d initially planned to follow a recipe from Vegetarian Times. However, by the time I’d finished substituting and adding ingredients, the results were something completely new… and really delicious! Green Noodles 1/4 cup minced garlic 1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated 1 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed 1 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp vegetable or coconut oil 15oz canned coconut milk, lite or regular (If allergic, you can use cashew cream) 1/4 cup water 2 tbsp sweetener of choice, or 20 NuNaturals stevia drops 2 tbsp lime juice 5oz raw baby kale or spinach (or 1 box) 2 tbsp minced garlic 3 tbsp soy sauce (or gluten-free) 2 tbsp water 6 cups broccoli, cut small (480g) 2 servings soba noodles (80g uncooked) avocado, optional for garnish In a blender, puree the first 9 ingredients until completely smooth, then transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower and simmer 15 minutes. In a sauté pan, sauté the kale and 2 tbsp garlic in a little oil or oil spray until kale begins to wilt. Add the soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, and the broccoli. Cover and cook on medium 3 minutes. Meanwhile, put a pot of salted water on to boil for the noodles. When the three minutes are up, turn off the heat on the kale/broccoli but keep covered until the noodles are ready. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain fully, and pat dry. Now combine everything together. Stir well. Serve with sliced avocado if you want even more green! (Technically you can leave the 1 tsp oil out, but it helps to coat the pasta with sauce so I recommend leaving it in.) I cannot vouch for the recipe with carton coconut milk or any other type of milk, so try that substitution at your own risk. Makes 3 large servings, each the size of the servings in the photos. View Nutrition Facts