Vegetarian

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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

Almond Meal Pizza Crust

April 25, 2012 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 8 comments

I’ll be honest. It has been quite awhile since I cooked anything new or exciting. First I was away in New Jersey and then I was eating loads of pasta and other carbs plus lots of kale smoothies, prepping for the Boston Marathon. Once the marathon was over, I had almost no appetite, and when I did, I was starving and eating pretzels, chips, pudding, and other snacks or takeout.

After a week of that, I not only started to get bored with my eating, but I also realized that without the training, I need to adjust the way I eat. I am also going to be in and out of a new office for awhile, so eating real meals and planning is going to be key.

On Monday night, I decided to get back in the kitchen with a new ingredient I picked up at Trader Joe’s, Just Almond Meal. My original plan was to add it to yogurt for an extra boost of protein, and I did that for breakfast. After spending some time googling, I also decided to make a pizza crust.

Pizza crust made with almond meal is gluten free and has a nice amount of protein. Making the crust is easy, just 2 cups of almond meal, 3 eggs, a few drops of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. I added some garlic powder for seasoning, mixed it all up, and then formed it into a pizza on an oiled pizza pan.

To dry the dough out, I baked it for about 6 minutes in a 425 degree oven. The recommended temperature is 350, but I was roasting perfect Brussels sprouts at the time too.

While the dough got nice and dry for the toppings, I chopped leeks and melted them down in some nice brown butter. I also made a quick pizza sauce with canned plum tomatoes with basil, salt, and a pinch of sugar.

When the dough was dry, I topped it with the sauce, goat cheese, and leeks. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, until it was brown at the edges and the cheese was melted.

I served the pizza with roasted Brussels sprouts that had been drizzled with honey. I was trying to recreate the Russell House Tavern sprouts. Mine were good, but not that good.

The pizza? It was delicious. It definitely had a hefty crust that filled me up quickly, but I really enjoyed how buttery it was and how easy it was to make. The toppings were perfect. You can’t go wrong with leeks and goat cheese! I didn’t tell my husband about the crust until he finished and was raving about the pizza. We were both pleasantly surprised at how good this nutrient-rich option was. I’ll definitely be using almond meal to make crust and other baked goods in the future. But don’t worry, I am not going all Paleo on you, just mixing things up a bit.

Have you tried any new-to-you ingredients or cooking methods lately?

Technorati Tags: brussels sprouts, dinner, Food, leeks, pizza, vegetables, Vegetarian

Tags: brussels sprouts, dinner, Food, leeks, pizza, 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