Spicy Veggie-Noodle Stir-Fry

I had a lot of cabbage I wanted to use so I decided to make a stir-fry.  Jeremy and I try to moderate the amount of meat we eat so having a veggie stir-fry is fairly common.  (This isn't totally vegetarian... because of the oyster sauce.  But close enough.)

If you don't want this to be spicy, you can leave out the crushed red pepper flake (and sriracha if you really don't like any spice).  It will still be delicious.

This has a lot more oyster sauce proportionate to the other ingredients than what I usually use as a stir-fry sauce.  But a lot of recipes for lo mein I saw were calling for this, so I gave it a shot.  It was delicious.  I will definitely be making this again.

You can change up the veggies you use or add meat or seafood.  This was a great way to use up a lot of veggies and still get a filling meal.  Edamame is a great source of protein so this isn't even lacking without the meat.

Recipe:
8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 head of napa cabbage (about 1/2 lb.)
1/2 green bell pepper
2 carrots, sliced thinly on the bias
3 stalks celery, sliced thinly on the bias
1/2 c. edamame (I buy it frozen and already shelled)
2 tbs. vegetable oil
5 scallions, sliced on the bias
1" of ginger, minced
1 tbs. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
3 tbs. oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbs. lower-sodium tamari
2 tsp. sriracha
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbs. rice wine vinegar
1  1/2 tsp. sugar

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  When boiling, add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions.  Drain and set aside until ready to add to the stir-fry. (I chopped all the veggies after I started heating the water, the pasta was cooked right as I was starting the stir-fry.)
2. In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, tamari, sriracha, semame oil, rice wine vinegar, and sugar.  Mix to combine.  (Taste the sauce and adjust as needed to your taste -- sweeter, spicier, etc.)
3. Heat a wok over medium-high heat.  Add vegetable oil.  Add the ginger, garlic, crushed red pepper flake, and a quarter of the scallions.  Mix to combine until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the carrots, bell pepper, and celery.  Cook, continuing to stir for 2-3 minutes until the veggies start to soften.  Add the edamame and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until thawed.  Add the cabbage and remaining scallions and mix to combine.  Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the cabbage is cooked but still crisp.
4. Add the spaghetti to the veggies and mix to heat through and separate the spaghetti.  Add the sauce and toss until the sauce coats the veggies and pasta and most of the liquid is absorbed.  Enjoy!

Spicy Szechuan Tofu Stir-fry

I FINALLY figured out how to cook tofu like Kinaree (a local Thai restaurant) without deep-frying it. It was deliciously chewy and didn't have that slimy characteristic that I usually get. This was delicious.  And although it used an extra pan (sorry Jeremy!), it didn't add any oil or anything. This tofu was definitely restaurant quality... I will be making it this way every time I make tofu going forward.  (Possibly changing up the marinade... but definitely searing it on a griddle first.)

About a week ago I went shopping at Williams-Sonoma with a gift card I'd been given.  I bought some ground szechuan pepper to try to make more authentic chinese dishes.  This was delicious.  I almost always eye-ball the sauce I make, so the amounts below are approximate.  Especially for marinades and sauces, just give it a taste before you use it and you can adjust anything you need.

This is very versatile and you could make the sauce whatever you like.  One of my favorite things about stir fries is that I almost never make the exact same thing twice.  I change up the veggies I use, the meat, and the sauce.  And it's fairly easy to make a big stir fry so that we have leftovers.

I served this with some brown rice.  Nice and simple to make.  As for timing, I seared the tofu first, then left it to marinate until I'd chopped up all the veggies.  Once the veggies were prepped, I started cooking the rice. I didn't start cooking the stir fry until after the rice had been on the stove for about 15 minutes.  That way the rice had some rest time before the stir fry was finished.  All in all a delicious meal. :)

If you don't want a spicy stir fry, you can eliminate some or all of the crushed red pepper flake, sriracha, and szechuan pepper.  (I've made this before without the szechuan pepper and it's still very tasty... so if that's too hard to find, you can leave it out.  You can substitute black pepper... but it will be different.)  If you don't want to use tofu, you could use chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, etc.  Just marinate it before cooking (and adjust cooking as needed).

The Cooking Tofu

1 package (14 oz) Extra-Firm Tofu, pressed and sliced*
2 c. shredded napa cabbage
2 stalks celery, sliced thinly
1/2 large green bell pepper, sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 carrots, sliced thinly on the bias
3 scallions, sliced
1 1/2" ginger root, divided (grate 1/2" of ginger for the marinade, mince the other inch for the stir fry)
2 tbs. minced garlic, divided
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flake, divided
1/4 c. plus 2 tbs. lower sodium soy sauce, divided
2 tbs. rice wine vinegar, divided
1 tsp. sriracha sauce
1 tbs. black bean and garlic sauce (I buy this at my local grocery store. Even Walmart has it!)
1 15 oz. can baby corn, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 8 oz. can diced water chestnuts (or whole, or sliced... just cut them as you want)
1 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. ground szechuan pepper

1. In a large bowl (large enough to hold all the tofu), mix 2 tbs. of soy sauce, 1 tbs. of rice wine vinegar, grated ginger, 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake, and 1 tbs. of minced garlic.
2. Heat a non-stick griddle over medium heat.**  Place the tofu on the griddle and press down with a spatula.  (It will hiss and spit a little... but you want to get rid of the extra liquid.)  When the tofu is golden brown on one side, flip the pieces and brown on the second side.  When finished, the tofu should be slightly crispy on the outside and much chewier in texture.  Place the tofu in the marinade (made in step 1) and mix to coat. (Continue mixing the tofu and marinade whenever you have a chance during the next couple steps.)
3. Prep the veggies.  When that's finished, start the rice.  Make the sauce by combining the remaining soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, black bean sauce, and corn starch.  Once the rice has been cooking for a few minutes, heat a wok over medium-high heat.
4. Add 1 tbs. olive oil to the wok.  Add the remaining ginger, garlic, crushed red pepper flake, and all but 1 tbs. of the sliced scallions.  Mix to combine for 30 seconds, until fragrant.  Add the bell pepper, carrots, and celery.  Add 1/4 tsp. of the szechuan pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently until the veggies start to get tender.  Add the cabbage, baby corn, and water chestnuts.  Cook until the cabbage wilts slightly.  Add the tofu with any remaining marinade and the sauce you made in step 3.  Stir to coat.  Heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the tofu is hot.  Stir in the remaining szechuan pepper.  (Taste, adjust seasonings as needed.)
5. Serve with rice.

* To press tofu, wrap it in paper towels and place it between two plates.  Weigh down the plate with some heavy cans (I used one large can of tomato puree).  I sliced the tofu in half, then sliced each rectangle into two triangles to get the shapes I used.  Lots of surface area to sear. :)
** If you don't have a non-stick griddle, you could try this with a non-stick frying pan.  It might cause problems with the tofu sticking if you used something else.

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

Tonight was another breakfast for dinner craving. I had a lemon I wanted to use so I started searching for recipes.  At first I ran across lemon blueberry pancakes -- sounded great, except that Jeremy doesn't like cooked fruit or berries (which is annoying... I love blueberry pancakes...).  So I kept looking.  Then I ran across a lemon poppyseed pancake recipe and since Jeremy loves lemon poppyseed cake (who doesn't?) I decided that would be a great dinner. :)

This recipe is an adaptation/combination of a number of different recipes I saw to customize it to my taste.  This had just enough sweetness without being cloying.  It also was a breeze to whip up.  I used to use bisquick but after I made pancakes a few times without it, I realized it wasn't really that much easier... a little more measuring, but the results were worth it.  It gave me so much more freedom to change flavors and experiment.  And it meant one less box in the pantry (more space for other things!).

This recipe make 17 1/2 pancakes.  I ate 5 (which was probably more than I needed... but they were gooooood).  Jeremy ate 8 1/2.  And he's already claimed the other four for breakfast tomorrow.  I guess since he has to teach tomorrow I'll allow it. :)

I topped my pancakes with a little maple syrup (really just a little... these are tasty by themselves).  I ate two pancakes plain before I stacked a few and added the syrup.  And as usual, Jeremy ate all of his plain... just picked them up off the plate and walked around the kitchen/living room eating them while I kept cooking.  These would also be delicious with some fresh berries, whipped cream, or some honey.

Seriously, if you like lemon poppyseed cake, you will love these. :)

Recipe:

2 c. skim milk
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
2 eggs
2 tbs. margarine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. AP flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tbs. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. granulated sugar

1. In a bowl or large mixing cup, combine the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Set aside for 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, salt, and sugar.  Whisk to combine.
3. To the milk, add the eggs, margarine, and vanilla. Whisk to beat the eggs until the mixture is smooth.
4. Add the milk mixture to the flour and whisk to combine.  Don't over mix, some lumps are ok.
5. Heat a griddle or large frying pan over medium heat.  (Add some margarine if it's not non-stick or you typically have issues with your pancakes... mine doesn't need it so I don't grease the griddle.)
6. Scoop the pancake batter onto the griddle using a 1/4 c. measuring cup.  Cook until bubbles form, flip, and continue cooking until golden brown on both sides and the inside is set.  (Adjust the heat as needed to make sure they don't brown too quickly or too slowly.)
7. Serve with desired toppings.

Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Baked Alfredo Penne

I was trying to figure out how to use up the roasted red peppers I had in the fridge (along with some baby spinach).  I decided to make a pasta bake out of it but since I didn't have any cheese (other than parmesan) in the apartment I decided to make an alfredo sauce to add creaminess to the finished pasta bake.

This alfredo sauce is MUCH healthier than a typical alfredo because it's made with skim milk rather than cream.  The small amount of olive oil and flour (cooked into a roux) helps to thicken the sauce so it's creamy like a typical alfredo.

The end result of this was filled with veggies and deliciously creamy (with just a little bit of crunchy pasta on the sides -- something Jeremy loves so I try to oblige).  Overall, it probably took me about 45-50 minutes to make, start to finish.  Luckily the last 20 minutes is spent sitting on the couch (writing up this recipe...).

This recipe made about three servings.  We each ate and the leftovers are in the fridge to eat tomorrow.

I try to use whole wheat pasta in almost all of my dishes -- this one being no exception.  If you don't like whole wheat pasta, you can use regular but adjust the pasta cooking time to reflect the package directions.  If you don't want to go to the trouble of making the alfredo, you could use a pre-made sauce, just check the nutrition label to make sure you're ok with what you're eating.  And finally, this could easily be made completely vegetarian by substituting milk or vegetable stock for the chicken stock.  I just like the depth of flavor the chicken stock adds to the sauce. 

2 c. fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped into smaller pieces
3 roasted red bell peppers, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/3 c. minced onion
1 tbs. minced garlic
1/2 box (approx 7 oz.) whole wheat penne
1 1/2 tbs. AP flour
1 1/2 c. skim milk
1/4 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add penne and cook until almost al dente (9-10 minutes for whole wheat penne).  When the penne is done, drain it and reserve.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Add 2 tbs. olive oil.  Add onion and crushed red pepper flake (with a pinch of salt and pepper) and saute for 4-5 minutes until slightly softened.  Add garlic and continue to saute for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add flour to the onions and mix to combine.  Add milk and chicken stock and stir to combine.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens.  Add parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add 1/4 c. parmesan cheese and stir until melted.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary.
4. Once the sauce and pasta are both cooked, combine the pasta, sauce, spinach, and roasted red peppers in the large pot.  Mix well to combine.  In an 8"x8" glass baking dish, spread the pasta mixture evenly.  Top with more shredded parmesan cheese (2-3 tbs).
5. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes until bubbly.
6. Allow the pasta to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Peanutty Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Last night I felt like having cookies.  And since we'd had a smaller dinner (and a healthy lunch) I gave in and made some.  These cookies were delicious.  Not too sweet (thanks to the peanut butter and peanuts) and just enough chocolate to satisfy the craving.

The cookies were fairly moist last night right after they came out of the oven.  They've hardened up a bit now that they're cooled but they're still delicious.

I got 15 cookies out of this recipe.  You could make more by making them smaller or double the recipe to make a ton of cookies.  It's always better for me if I can make fewer cookies since it's just the two of us eating them.

You could change the things that you mix into this recipe... instead of the chocolate chips and peanuts you could add dried fruit, peanut butter chips, other nuts, etc.  Just make sure the total amount you're adding equals 1/2 c.

**Update: these cookies are delicious leftover.  I microwaved the cookie for 20 seconds to heat it up (because it was quite crunchy without that).  Softened right up. :)

Recipe:
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. margarine (1/2 stick)
1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/8 c. white whole wheat flour
3/8 c. AP flour
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. raw peanuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a stand mixer (or a large bowl), mix together (on medium to high speed) the peanut butter and margarine until smooth and creamy. Add white and brown sugar and continue creaming until fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add vanilla and the egg and mix until they disappear.  Add cinnamon, salt, and baking soda and mix to combine.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  On medium low speed, add in the flour, slowly (1/8 c. at a time) and allow each addition to mix in before adding the next (you might need to scrape the sides during this step... just make sure it's all mixed).  Once all the flour is in, add the rolled oats and allow the mixer to combine them.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.  With the mixer on low speed, add the chocolate chips and peanuts.  Mix until integrated.  Turn off the mixer.
3. Using a 1/8 c. measuring cup (or a spoon or disher), portion out the dough into cookies.  Place them 2-3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. (I left them fairly thick and didn't squish them out... if you want a flatter cookie, squish them out a bit.)
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and the insides begin to set (if they're fully set before you remove them from the oven, they're over-baked).
5. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.

Thai Chicken Tacos

This isn't authentic Thai (go figure...) but it has a lot of Thai flavors in it.  It was a delicious meal that was fairly simple to make.  I love tacos and Thai food so this seemed like a fairly good choice for dinner tonight.

The marinade/sauce I made for the chicken was a bit spicy.  (And we even topped the tacos with more sriracha!)  You can certainly adapt this to your taste if you prefer something different.  If you're not into spice, cut back on the sriracha.

We topped our tacos with cucumber, carrot, and green onion.  Overall it was very tasty and a bit different than the tacos I usually make.  The crunchy veggies were a great contrast to the warm, saucy chicken.  Jeremy usually isn't a big fan of cucumber but he thought it went really well in the tacos.  He agreed that this recipe will have to be made again. :)

I served this with a side of brown rice because we had only thawed one chicken breast.  We used less chicken and more veggies in our tacos and we got 6 tacos out of the one chicken breast.  The rice was just made according to the package (although I added 1/2 tsp. of parsley flakes and a 1/2 tsp. of sliced green onion).  It was a delicious side to the tacos.

Recipe:
1 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. sriracha (plus more for topping, optional)
1 tbs. honey
1/2 tbs. fish sauce
1/2 tbs. brown sugar
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. thai curry paste
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 chicken breast, cut into thin slices
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbs. water
5" soft corn tortillas*
2 green onions
roughly 3" of cucumber
1 medium carrot, peeled

1. Mix the soy sauce, sriracha, honey, fish sauce, brown sugar, zest and juice of the lime, thai curry paste, and minced garlic in a bowl large enough to hold both the liquid and the chicken.  Add the chicken and mix to combine.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours (until you're ready to cook).
2. Thinly slice the green onion, cucumber, and carrot.  (I used a mandolin so the cucumber and carrots were julienned... but you could do this with a knife -- it would just take longer. I used a knife to slice the green onion on the bias.  You just want very thin slices so each bite isn't overwhelmed with thick veggies.)
3. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken with the marinade and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is slightly reduced (5-10 minutes depending on how thick the chicken slices are).
4. Mix the cornstarch and the water in a small bowl.  Add to the chicken and cook until the liquid thickens (if it gets too thick, add some more water).
5. Assemble the tacos by placing a small amount of chicken in each shell, top with veggies and sriracha as desired.  (Don't overfill the tacos or the shells have a tendency to break.)

* We ended up using 6 taco shells.  Depending on the brand we buy, they are sometimes thin enough to need doubling to ensure the taco doesn't break.  (So you might need between 6 and 12...)

Eggplant Parm-sagna

So, parm-sagna probably isn't really a thing... but since this is sort of a combination of eggplant parmesan and eggplant lasagna, I decided I couldn't call it either.  Plus I like how it sounds. :)  This was actually inspired by a lasagna I got at a local restaurant.  It had eggplant, spinach, roasted red peppers, homemade lasagna noodles, tomato sauce, and cheese. My dish has almost all of that... just no pasta.

All in all, this took about an hour and a half to make.  Not bad considering a lot of that time was just spent in the oven so it didn't require constant tending. And it was delicious.  Jeremy isn't a huge fan of eggplant but he really enjoyed this dish.

I baked the eggplant after breading it so that I didn't add a lot of oil by frying.  This allowed me to prep the rest of the ingredients while the eggplant was baking.  Then it was just assembling things in the lasagna pan and allowing it to bake.

Next time, I'm going to try to make this without the breading.  I think it'll be just as tasty and it will make it a little easier and healthier.

Overall, this was a great vegetarian meal.  We didn't miss the meat at all.  But since I usually make chicken parmesan, Jeremy did (jokingly) ask me what was wrong with the chicken since it tasted funny... I told him it was a chicken that had been on an all eggplant diet.  I'm so funny! :)

I served this with a salad so that we had a nice healthy meal.  You could certainly add a side of pasta if you wanted it to go further.  We both ate dinner and we have about half of the dish left over for tomorrow.  (I had 2 piles of parm-sagna and Jeremy had 3.)  Delish!

First Layer of Eggplant

Topped with Spinach, Peppers, and Cheese

Ta-Dah!

Recipe:

1 24 oz. jar tomato basil pasta sauce 

8 oz. shredded Italian cheese blend (I used a reduced fat 4 cheese blend)

1 lb. eggplant, sliced into ¼” slices (I got 18 slices) 

1 ½ c. fresh spinach leaves, chopped 

6 roasted red bell peppers, sliced 

2 eggs, beaten 

2 c. bread crumbs

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. garlic powder

1 tbs. parsley flakes

1. Lay the eggplant in a single layer on paper towels, sprinkle with salt.  Cover with paper towels and allow to sit for 1 hour to draw out some moisture.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Place breadcrumbs and egg in separate bowls.  Add pepper, garlic powder, and parsley flakes to the breadcrumbs and mix to combine.  Dip each piece of eggplant in egg, then coat in breadcrumbs.  Place on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Roast for 7 minutes, flip the slices, then roast for 7 more minutes until tender.

4. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

5. In a large lasagna pan (mine is 9"x13"), place ½ c. of the pasta sauce and spread to cover the bottom.  Place half the eggplant in a single layer on the bottom.  Top with the spinach, roasted red pepper, and half the cheese.

6. Top each pile with a slice of eggplant, then the remaining sauce, then the remaining cheese.

7. Bake for 30 minutes until everything is hot through and the cheese is melted and slightly brown on top.

8. Allow the eggplant to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.