Spicy Orange Tofu and Green Beans

We made it to Fri-yay, readers! Go us! Since beginning my dream job at the gym and working out twice a day for 3-4 hours a day, I am constantly hungry. All. The. Time. I cannot stop eating. But I want to make sure I'm eating the "right" things - so I try to reach for fruit and veggies, but the occasional treat works its way in, life is all about balance, right? 

Anyway, last night I wanted something flavorful, healthy and somewhat light for dinner - enter spicy orange tofu with green beans! 

Spicy Orange Tofu with Green Beans

Spicy Orange Tofu and Green Beans over Rice

 

1 Tbsp Canola Oil

1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, minced

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

 1/4 C + 4 Tbs Water

1 1/2 C Orange Juice

1/2 Lemon, juiced

1 Tbsp Orange Zest

3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Tbsp Chili Paste in Oil

1/4 C Sugar

1 Block Extra Firm Tofu, pressed for 1 hour and cubed

2 C Frozen Green Beans (or broccoli, or anything else you may want to use!)

1/4 C + 1 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 1/2 Tsp Salt, divided

1/2 Tsp White Pepper

1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger

2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

Cooked Rice, for serving 

2 Tbsp Green Onion, finely chopped for garnish

In a small saucepan over low heat, saute garlic and fresh ginger in canola oil until fragrant. Add in 1/4 C water, orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar,  sugar, 1/2 Tsp salt, and chili paste in oil. Bring mixture to a boil and allow to reduce and thicken for 15 minutes. 

While your sauce is boiling, mix together 1/4 C cornstarch, 1 Tsp salt and ground ginger in a shallow dish. Coat cubed tofu in seasoned cornstarch and set aside. 

Heat toasted sesame oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add cubed tofu and fry for 5 minutes/side or until golden brown. After tofu is fried, add green beans to the pan and allow to cook through for 3 minutes. 

About 1 minute before your tofu and green beans are finished cooking, in a liquid measuring cup mix together 4 Tbsp water and 1 Tbsp cornstarch to make a slurry. A slurry will thicken your sauce and allow it to coat your tofu and green beans. Once your sauce thickens, remove from heat and pour onto the tofu and green bean mixture. Stir to coat every piece! Garnish with fresh cut green onion and serve over steamed rice. 

The sauce isn't spicy on the tongue, but the heat certainly builds as you eat. It isn't too spicy for our house, but definitely feel free to use less chili paste if you aren't a spice fan. The green beans are perfectly crisp, the tofu has a nice texture and soaks up all the yummy sauce like a sponge. Let me know in the comments if you give it a try!

As always, thank you so much for stopping by my little blog and stay tuned for more tasty recipes!

Hearts of Palm Po' Boys with Cajun Mayo

Happy Thursday, readers! It has been an exciting week - on Saturday morning I taught my first indoor cycling class and it went incredibly well! I had a (COVID approved) full class, no technical problems and was told I exuded so much confidence no one even suspected I hadn't taught before. Since then, I've taught another cycling class and have been diligently practicing teaching a weight training class starting up soon; and of course I've also been cooking!

I've been making an effort to be more creative with my vegetarian recipes - less beans and tofu and more alternatives! It's been fun to test out different textures and flavor profiles; and during quarantine, what else are we all doing?

Hearts of Palm Po' Boys with Cajun Mayo

 

Hearts of Palm Po' Boys with Cajun Mayo

2 14 oz Cans Hearts of Palm; drained, dried and cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds

1 C Almond Milk

1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice

2 C Flour

1 Tsp Salt

2 Tsp Cayenne 

2 Tsp Paprika

1 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 C Panko Breadcrumbs

Cooking Spray

Bolillo Rolls, for serving

1/4 C Fresh Dill, chopped

1/2 C Fresh Parsley, chopped

1/2 C Cajun Mayo (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. 

Prepare a dredging assembly line with 3 bowls. 

 

In the first bowl, stir together almond milk and vinegar or lemon juice and allow to sit until curdled, about 2 minutes. In the second bowl, stir together flour and seasonings. And the panko breadcrumbs in the final bowl. 

In batches, soak the hearts of palm rounds in the thickened milk mixture for 1 minute, coat in the seasoned flour, move back to the milk mixture and finally coat in the panko breadcrumbs. Place coated hearts of palm on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining hearts of palm rounds. Once all hearts of palm rounds have been coated, spray tops with more cooking spray. 

Bake hearts of palm for 20 minutes or until golden brown, flipping halfway through. 

Prepare a roll by coating the inside with Cajun mayo and make a bed of dill and parsley. Load up the roll with some baked hearts of palm and enjoy! These are especially tasty with a couple dashes of Tabasco Hot Sauce (these are Louisiana, inspired)! 

The baked hearts of palm rounds have a texture similar to a fried shrimp, which obviously makes them ideal for a Po' Boy! The mayo is tangy and flavorful and the herbs give everything a fantastic freshness to tie it all together.

Cajun Mayo

1 C Mayo (I'm a fan of Duke's)

Salt and Pepper, to Taste

1/4 Lemon, Juiced

1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 Tsp Paprika

1 Tsp Cajun Seasoning

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and do a taste check. Adjust seasoning accordingly.

Shark Week Frenzy No Churn Ice Cream

Happy Saturday, readers! We have unfortunately come to the final recipe of Shark Week. I am disappointed but now I have an entire year to develop more shark-inspired recipes! 

Shark Week Frenzy No Churn Ice Cream 

 

Shark Week Frenzy No Churn Ice Cream

2 C Heavy Whipping Cream

14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

Blue Food Coloring

3 Sheets Graham Crackers, broken into small pieces

1 Bag Gummy Sharks/Fish

Place 2 medium-sized metal bowls and 1 metal loaf pan in the freezer for 15 minutes. The colder the bowls are, the faster your heavy whipping cream will thicken up. For an easy clean-up, line your loaf pan with plastic wrap.

Divide the heavy whipping cream,  sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract evenly between the two bowls. Using a hand mixer with the beater attachment, whip both bowls until thick and stiff peaks form. For me, this took about 10 minutes per bowl. 

Whip it good.

 

After the cream is whipped, put 3-4 drops of blue food coloring in one of the bowls and gently stir to combine. You can add more drops for a richer blue color. 

Divide the broken graham crackers between the two bowls and fold into the cream base, taking care not to knock the air out of the whipped peaks. Leave a little extra out for topping! 

Repeat this process with the gummies, again leaving some out for topping. 

Now alternating blue and white cream bases, fill the loaf pan. Using a knife or the handle of a spoon, gently swirl the two colors together. Top with reserved graham crackers and gummies. Freeze for 6 hours and enjoy! 

Ready for a deep freeze

 

This ice cream is perfectly sweet and the graham crackers and gummies add the perfect textural component!

Fully Loaded Shark Fins (aka Nachos)

After a phone call with my Sissy (shout out to Danielle for this great idea!), I was inspired to make another Shark Week inspired dish - Fully Loaded Shark Fins, also known to us land creatures as nachos. These ain't your mother's nachos though, I have never used some of these ingredients in nachos before but I don't know if I can ever go back. 

Fully Loaded Shark Fins (aka Nachos)

Fully Loaded Shark Fins - you can't tell me you aren't drooling right now

 

1 Bag Tortilla Chips (or a mix of tortilla and wavy potato if you're like me and running out of chips)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Shallot, minced

1/2 Yellow Onion, finely diced

 3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Bell Pepper, seeded and diced

1 Jalapeno, diced (remove seeds and ribs if you aren't a fan of spice)

3 Portabello Mushroom Caps, stemmed and diced

1 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce

1-2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tsp Cumin

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

3/4 C Red Chile Sauce, divided

2-3 Tbsp Vegetable Stock

1/2 C Jarred Salsa

2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

 

Spread chips in an even layer on a baking sheet. Set aside. 

 

In a deep skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and saute shallot, onion and garlic until soft and fragrant, roughly 5 minutes. Add peppers to the pan and cook additional 3 minutes. Finally, add in the diced mushrooms in batches. The mushrooms will brown when they aren't crowded in the pan. Cook all ingredients for 5 minutes. 

After all ingredients are cooked, season with Worchestershire Sauce, soy sauce, cumin, red pepper and 1/2 C of the red chile sauce. Stir to distribute the seasonings and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Do a taste check and adjust accordingly. 

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine remaining red chile sauce and vegetable stock 1 Tbsp at a time, you want it to be pouring consistency. 

Once the skillet items are cooked through and tasty, spoon onto the chips in an even layer - make sure each chip has ample toppings! Drizzle on the thinned red chile sauce, top with jarred salsa and sprinkle with all the cheese your heart desires! 

Bake for 15 minutes or until the kitchen smells too good for you to stand it any longer. 

These "fins" are cheesy, meaty and sinful. Honestly I think mushrooms on nachos may be my new go-to topping, who knew they'd be so good?! Give them a try and let me know what you think! Now to watch some playoff hockey and sharks!

Not-Ster Rolls

Good morning readers! Welcome to Wednesday, not that days have much meaning anymore in COVID. This week is my favorite week of the year - Shark Week! I have been trying to make shark themed meals and watching all the shark footage. One of these meals? Not-Ster Rolls. 

There is nothing like a New England Lobster Roll; a grilled bun filled to capacity with hot buttered lobster or chunks of sweet lobster mixed with a little mayo, dill and celery...it truly is heaven. But if you're like me and 1) fresh lobster isn't readily available, 2) you don't want to shell out $30+ for 1 ingredient or 3) you're trying to cut down on your meat consumption, these Not-Ster Rolls can cure a craving! Swap the crustacean for roasted hearts of palm, seriously, the texture is spot on!

Not-Ster Rolls

Not-Ster Rolls with some cucumbers and celery sticks

 2 14 oz Cans Hearts of Palm, drained and patted dry

1 1/2 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable Oil

2 Tsp Seafood Seasoning (Old Bay or similar)

1/2 Tsp Creole Seasoning

Salt and Pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp Fresh Shallot, diced

2 Celery Stalks, cleaned and diced

1/4 C Fresh Dill, chopped

2 Tbsp Capers

1/2 Lemon, Juiced

3/4 C Mayo (use vegan mayo to make this dish completely vegan)

Rolls, for serving

Chopped Kale, cleaned with hard stems removed for serving

Lemon Wedges, for serving

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

In a small bowl, combine oil and seasonings. Coat hearts of palm completely with seasoned oil. Roast in oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. 

While the hearts of palm are roasting, stir to combine shallot, celery, dill, capers, lemon juice and mayo. Taste check and adjust seasonings as needed. 

After the hearts of palm have roasted, allow to cool for 10 minutes and dice into chunks. Stir into creamy dressing. 

Split open a bolillo roll at the top and create a pocket in the middle. Line the bottom of the roll with chopped kale and spoon Not-Ster salad on top. Squeeze a lemon wedge on top and enjoy! 

Keep any remaining Not-Ster salad in the fridge for up to 4 days.

These sandwiches are hearty,  filling and yummy! They don't replicate the flavor of lobster, because honestly what could, but they are a great substitute when you're craving a light lunch! 

 

Remember to stop and smell the flowers!

Check back for more great recipes and life updates!

Vegan Caribbean Bowls

Good morning! I know you just finished (and mastered) making a delicious Sourdough Bread and just couldn't wait to see what else I've been making. It's ok, I don't blame you. 

I was feeling a bit sluggish yesterday and needed a big injection of veggies and freshness, Vegan Caribbean Bowls to the rescue! 

Vegan Caribbean Bowls

Tell me this doesn't look amazing?! Vegan Caribbean Bowls

1 C Water

1/2 C Uncooked White Rice

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

3 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable Oil, divided

2 Tbsp Cumin, divided

1 Tbsp Cayenne, divided

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 Ripe Green Plantain, cut diagonally into rounds

1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 Tbsp Tajin Classico Seasoning

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 C Fresh Cilantro, chopped and divided

1 Lime, divided

1 Avocado, sliced

Bring 1 C water to a rolling boil and add white rice to pot. Season with 1 Tsp salt and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place cubed sweet potatoes and garlic on a baking sheet. Coat with 1 1/2 Tbsp oil and season with 1 Tbsp cumin, 1/2 Tbsp cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. 

In a microwave safe bowl, season rinsed black beans with Tajin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and set aside. 

In a deep skillet over medium heat, heat remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp oil. Place cut plantains in oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and remaining cumin and cayenne. Fry the plantains for 3 minutes. Flip and move the side of the plantains skillet-side down around to coat in seasoning. Fry additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.  

Right before serving, stir 1/2 C fresh cilantro and juice from 1/2 the lime into the cooked white rice. 

Cut remaining 1/2 lime into wedges for serving. 

To serve, place 1/2 C white rice and 1 C sweet potato in the bottom of a bowl. Top with 1/2 C black beans and a few (or many because they're addictive) pieces of fried plantains. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sliced avocado and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. 

This bowl is flavorful, filling and vegan! Nate and I agreed the only thing that would make this bowl better would be a fresh mango salsa! Give this bowl a try for your next Meatless Monday or to impress your vegan friends! Have a great day, readers and stay tuned for Faux Lobster Rolls!

Have a bonus picture of my sweet baby, Sammy with a goat

Sourdough Bread and Catch-Up

Hello, readers! It has been a hot minute so let me catch you up - my brother-in-law got married, my cat Pickles got sick (don't worry, he's doing much better now!), I ate all the seafood with my sister, and of course, I cooked a ton! 

Dancing the night away at the wedding with my favorite partner

Gorgeous views in Glacier

 

Huckleberry sundaes with this goof

Similarly to other quarantiners, I decided to use my newfound free time making sourdough starter. After letting my starter mature for 3 weeks, I turned it into a delicious loaf of bread! 

Sourdough Starter

1 C rye or whole wheat flour

1/2 C cool water

 

In a large plastic or glass container with a lid, combine flour completely with water and cover loosely with lid. Leave on counter for 24 hours. 

After 24 hours, discard 1/2 C of the starter (I put mine in another container to use for Sourdough Discard Waffles). To the remaining starter, add 1 C all-purpose flour and 1/2 C cool water. Stir to combine completely. Replace lid and leave on counter for 24 hours. Repeat this process of discarding and feeding for 6 days. 

Every day you should notice your starter increasing in volume, more bubbling activity and the unmistakable scent of sourdough. 

You can use this starter immediately, or to halt the process, you can place the starter (and the discard) in the fridge and feed once per week. 

Sourdough Bread

 

1 C Mature Starter

10 oz Room Temperature Water

2 C All-Purpose Flour

2 Tsp Salt

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, pull and stretch the dough for about a minute in the bowl. Form into a ball shape, re-cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise on the counter for 12-16 hours. The dough should double in volume. 

Preheat oven to 475. You can either bake your bread in a cast iron dutch oven or on a baking sheet. I opted for the baking sheet option. If you prefer to use the dutch oven, place your pot in the oven while it is preheating. 

While your oven (and dutch oven) are heating, cover a piece of parchment paper with a thin layer of flour. Gently knead and shape your dough into a ball shape. Oil a piece of plastic wrap and cover the shaped dough for 30 minutes. 

If you are using a dutch oven, carefully remove from the oven and place the dough ball (with parchment paper) in the oven. Cover with lid. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, remove lid and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

If you are using a baking sheet, you can place the parchment paper directly on the baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove the bread from the baking vessel to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes prior to serving. 

My bread was tangy with a crunchy exterior and soft interior. Perfect for making grilled cheeses or enjoying with a thin layer of fresh butter (yum!)

Is there anything better than a lobster roll?!