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Peanut Tofu Quinoa

May 10, 2012 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 5 comments

Things are very busy around this household, and to cut back on prep time everyday, I have been trying to make extra large dinners that will last for at least two or three lunches. Plus we’re both trying to get a little more fit, so the focus has been on healthy, generally vegetarian meals with lots of protein.

Sunday night I pulled together a bunch of random ingredients to make a delicious quinoa dish with crumbled tofu and peanut sauce.

This dish was super simple and ended up being delicious. Here’s the scoop:

Ingredients

3 cups quinoa, cooked according to package instructions

1 package extra firm tofu, thoroughly drained and crumbled into small pieces

1 cup natural peanut butter

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 medium purple cabbage, chopped finely

8 large carrots, chopped finely

1 tsp red curry paste

4 tsp grated ginger

juice of one lime

While the quinoa cooked, I prepared the vegetables, chopping them to tiny bits together in my Cuisinart.

Once the carrots and cabbage were ready, I mixed them and the tofu in with the quinoa. I thinned out the peanut butter by adding some warm water and poured that in as well. I then added the coconut milk.

Once all of the vegetables, quinoa, tofu, and peanut butter were mixed, I added in the curry paste and ginger, stirred some more, and let it simmer until heated all the way through. Right before serving, I added a squeeze of lime to each bowl.

This no-fuss meal was a perfect dinner and an even better lunch with a little extra coconut milk and some leftover sweet potato added to it. The quinoa and tofu gave it a hefty protein kick, and the veggies added some extra nutrients.

It was definitely not a fancy meal, but the flavors and the little prep worked involved made it a new favorite. We’ve been making chilis, curries, and other big batches of food to get us through the week.

What are some of your favorites?

Technorati Tags: dinner, Lunch, quinoa, recipe, tofu, vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian

Tags: dinner, Lunch, quinoa, recipe, tofu, vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian

Two Seasons Salad

March 27, 2012 in Food by traveleatlove | 9 comments

Like Mother Nature, our lunch this week is caught between two seasons. I was inspired to whip up a healthy lunch salad for the week by some fresh asparagus I picked up at Target, and I decided to mix it with one of my favorite wintry veggies, Brussels sprouts.

I started with a bag of whole wheat Israeli couscous from Bob’s Red Mill. I may be a whole grains loving nerd, but I can browse the Bob’s section at Market Basket for a really long time. I am so intrigued by how many different options there are. Melissa mentioned in a comment that Bob’s products are cheap at Ocean State Job Lot; I need to empty out the trunk of the car and head over there!

While I was boiling up some water to cook my couscous, I chopped my fresh asparagus and started thawing my Brussels sprouts.

I also got the oven heated to 425 in order to roast a small head of garlic. I went to a class at Whole Foods River Street last week with Chef Chad Sarno, and he showed us how to roast garlic in vegetable stock. I didn’t have any on hand, so I just filled this little ramekin about 1/4 of the way with water, chopped the top of the garlic off, and popped it in. It worked out really well and didn’t require oil.

Chef Sarno also showed us how to caramelize onions using a really hot pan, then deglazing it with liquid. I have tried this twice in the past week, and I have made the best caramelized onions I have ever made. Again, you avoid using unnecessary oil here but still get a great result. I am all for oil and other fats, but it’s nice to be able to cut back when you can.

While all of that was going on, I was stealing bites of asparagus. I can’t get enough!

When the couscous was cooked, I stirred the asparagus in, letting the heat of the couscous do its thing. I tossed the Brussels sprouts in with the onions and let them cook.

And then it was time to make the “sauce” for the salad. This might be a really weird idea, but it was delicious. I pureed the Brussels sprouts, roasted garlic, and caramelized onions with some salt, pepper, olive oil, truffle oil, and nutritional yeast, then tossed the couscous in it until coated.

This was definitely an interesting dish, and one I would make again. Pureeing the sprouts gave the salad a ton of flavor and nutrition without making it seem overwhelmingly filled with vegetables. It was a good way to use them up!

And it was very nice to have lunch all set for both of us for the next three days!

In other news, you may remember a call for recipes I posted awhile back. Well, the book is now available online:

You can find out more about Where Hash Rules and buy a copy by clicking on the link below.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/144495 or visiting the Amazon page:

Here’s a little bit of information about the book.

Where Hash Rules is the story of Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe, a cultural landmark in Boston since 1927, with tales and photographs about the many interesting characters who have enjoyed turkey hash and eggs through the years. Named an “American Classic” by the James Beard Foundation in 2005, the diner has evolved to be as much a part of local folklore as the tea party.

Have a great day, everyone!

Technorati Tags: asparagus, brussels sprouts, couscous, Food, healthy, Lunch, recipe, salad, vegan, Vegetarian, whole wheat

Tags: asparagus, brussels sprouts, couscous, Food, healthy, Lunch, recipe, salad, vegan, Vegetarian, whole wheat

Cabbage and Quinoa Salad

March 7, 2012 in Food by traveleatlove | 8 comments

Spotted: the elusive vegetable in my lately-lackluster diet. You know when you are sick, and you either lose your appetite or just want to eat junk? I was the junk eater over the past couple of weeks during my endless coughing, sinus pain, and fatigue. I ate plenty of lime tortilla chips and even ordered Domino’s cheesy bread a-la-Freshman year in college one night. It was gooooood.

This week, as we look forward to warmer weather, a trip to California, and some rest, I am finally craving vegetables again. I never thought that would happen. I decided to whip up a cold quinoa and veggie salad for healthy and quick lunches.

I started by cooking up a few cups of quinoa. I don’t really follow any directions, just throw some quinoa in, cover it ever-so-slightly in water, and boil it until the water is absorbed. This time around, when the quinoa started to look done, I added about 1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar and let it cook a little more. Instant flavor!

While the quinoa was doing its thing, I tossed two jalapenos and a piece of ginger root into my mini chopper, creating a finely minced, very fragrant blend.

And I roughly chopped heaps of red cabbage. I used my vegetable scissors and just chopped away until the cabbage pieces were to my liking. I worried I had too much cabbage compared to quinoa, but it ended up being perfect.

To make the salad, I simply poured the hot quinoa over the cabbage, stirred in the jalapeno and ginger, and I was done. Isn’t it pretty?

I loved all of the spice that the ginger and jalapeno brought to this, the crunch from the cabbage, and the tang from the vinegar. It’s the perfect on-the-go salad because there’s no mayo or other dairy to spoil. I ate my first bowl warm and went back for another cold bowl later, both really nice.

This salad would be great with all sorts of veggies and toppings like carrots, olives, and lemon juice. Even though it’s really simple, I am kind of excited to have found something I like so much that is also really easy and healthy. Maybe I can actually avoid being sick for awhile.

Are you craving crunchy veggies, or are you still on a wintry comfort food streak?

Technorati Tags: Food, quinoa, recipe, vegan