General Tso's Tofu

I've been on a really good vegetarian kick for the last few weeks and have also amped up my workouts at the gym.  I was getting concerned that I wasn't eating enough protein and in turn have been researching more tofu recipes to balance me out. 

I love tofu. I  love Chinese food also, so when I found this recipe for General Tso's Tofu, I had to try it. I promise you'll want to make this as soon as you can!

I served it with blanched broccoli, tossed in a bit of sesame oil and mirin and let it all cool. I also finished it off with a tiny bit of sea salt. The result is a cool sweet accompaniment to the spicy tofu. Oh I almost forgot, I also boiled one bar of Chinese Egg noodles which were nice to gather the left over sauce.  I was a champ and thought 12 seeded dry chili's was the way to go for this. If you ultra love spicy, follow suit. Otherwise, stick to 3 or 4 so you don't burn your face off. 

Note that you don't need to marinate this tofu for hours and hours. This can be a quick meal if you need it to be. 




Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal

1 pound extra-firm tofu
2 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon peanut of vegetable oil
8 dried whole red chilis, or substitute 1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger,
1 scallion, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds, for garnish

Sauce:

3 tablespoons tomato paste (or substitute ketchup for a slightly sweeter sauce)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons chili sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Rinse and drain the tofu, then cut into 1-inch cubes. Blot the tofu all around with paper towels (drying the tofu helps it pan-fry better.)
2. Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for about 2 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Set aside.
3. Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, and sugar.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat the bottom. Add the tofu in one layer (you may have to do this in batches) and allow it to sear on the first side undisturbed for about 1 minute. Then use a spatula to move the tofu cubes around until they are golden on half or most of the sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
5. In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add the dried chilis, garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir-fry until just fragrant, about 30 or 40 seconds. Pour in the sauce and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and carefully toss to coat with the sauce. You can either toss the broccoli in with the sauce or serve it on the side. Transfer everything to a large serving dish. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and scallions greens on top and serve with rice on the side.

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Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Who likes carrot cake? I DO! Minus the cream cheese frosting, this recipe is a pretty great replication of carrot cake, but in a breakfast or snack oatmeal.

I doubled the recipe as it’s a very small portion originally, and I wanted some for breakfast for a couple of days.  (It’s great cold or reheated in the microwave also.) 

Enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

·    1 heaping cup finely grated carrot (about 1 large)

·    1 cup almond milk

·    2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk cream (or use more almond milk)

·    1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste

·    1/4 tsp ground ginger

·    1/8th tsp ground nutmeg

·    pinch of salt

·    1/2 cup regular oats

·    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

·    1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)

·    2 tbsp chopped walnuts, divided

·    2 tbsp raisins, divided (I didn’t add raisins)

·    2 tbsp pure maple syrup

·    1 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut, for garnish (forgot to add this and it was great without)

·    1 tbsp coconut milk cream + 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup, to garnish (optional) Try it, it’s great with the garnish.

 

Directions: 

1. Finely grate 1 heaping (and I mean HEAPING) cup of grated carrots. You want to use the fine grate and not the large one so the carrot shreds are very small. This helps the carrot blend in more.
2. In a medium sized pot over medium heat, whisk together the almond milk, optional coconut milk cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of salt.
3. Stir in the grated carrots and oats. Adjust heat if necessary or bring heat to low if it starts to boil. Cook for about 8-9 minutes, stirring frequently. When the mixture has thickened up, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, 1 tbsp walnuts, 1 tbsp raisins, and 2 tbsp of maple syrup. Remove from heat and portion into bowls.
4. Top the oatmeal with the remaining walnuts, raisins, and shredded coconut. If you are using coconut cream, you can mix a bit of the cream with maple syrup and drizzle on top of the oatmeal, as shown in the photo. Sprinkle with cinnamon for garnish.

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Panko-Crusted Pork with Wasabi Gingered Soy Sauce

This was a FANTASTIC pork chop dish, and we enjoyed it with steamed veggies on the side.  A nice twist to what can be a boring dish. 

Panko crusted pork with wasabi gingered soy sauce 

• Ingredients

• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil or sunflower oil
• Cooking spray
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger 
• 1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry or vermouth
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar (or honey)
• 1 teaspoon wasabi paste (I like to add 1tbsp of it, cause I love the kick)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preparation

1. Place panko in a shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish. Dip pork in egg white; dredge in panko.
2. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; sprinkle with salt.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add ginger to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Combine broth and the next 4 ingredients (through wasabi) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in green onions. Spoon sauce over pork.

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Spicy Garlic Hummus

I was driving down the road when I ran over some hummus. A little further on, I hit taramasalata. Then I saw a road sign: 'Caution - dips in road'

I am a huge lover of hummus and I usually make it two or three times a month.  I like to switch it up and make different varieties; such as black bean, or white bean and feta. I love throwing in fresh jalapenos, raw cashews or cilantro.  Lately though, I've been craving just the good 'ole traditional hummus.


I played with this recipe a bit and have decided that I'll keep this one around. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  


P.S. This recipe has a kick so if you're shy about spice, I'd cut the cayenne down to 1/4 tsp and add more to taste. If you like a bit of heat, try adding in a dried chili or some chili flakes.

Spicy Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

- 1 can chickpeas, drained (reserve some liquid from the can as you will add this while pulsing in the food processor to smooth it out)
- 2 cloves garlic (add more to taste, of course. If you're using roasted, you will want to add about 4 cloves)
- 2 tbsp tahini
- juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

Directions: 

1. In a food processor, blend the chickpeas until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs.  
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse, you are trying to get it to a smooth and creamy texture.  
3. Start to add the reserved chickpea liquid in small bits, as you continue to pulse until you get it to the desired consistency.  Taste test.
4. Adjust seasonings and lemon to taste. 


Serve with fresh cut veggies, pita or nacho chips. Enjoy!






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Grilled calamari that will keep you coming back

After prepping the seafood for the paella we were about to make, we realized we had WAY too much seafood.  Instead of overwhelming the dish we decided to put the extra squid aside and use it for an appetizer the next day.  I figured a great way to use it would be a delicious grilled calamari appie. I am the queen of appies and had never actually grilled calamari before so I thought this would be fun.


I didn't marinate it very long because I actually couldn't wait to try it. Don't worry, you don't need to let it sit for 2 hours, if you only have 30 mins to let it rest in the marinade, do it. It's still good to go. ;)

Ingredients:


1 1/2 pounds cleaned squid (about 3 pounds whole) tentacles separated from the bodies, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes


Chopped parsley, garnish
Lemon wedges, garnish


Directions:


Cut the squid bodies along the sides to open flat. With a thin sharp knife, lightly score the insides, being careful not to cut through all the way.


In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Add the squid bodies and tentacles, toss to coat, and marinate for 2 hours, refrigerated, turning twice.
Preheat the grill to high heat.
Grill the squid, turning until opaque, slightly golden, and just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the squid to a cutting board and slice into strips. Slice the tentacles if desired. Give a squeeze of lemon and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.


You can thank me later. 

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Granola is good for the soul!

I love granola bars. I don't usually buy them because I find them full of crap, to be honest.  I do have a soft spot for Country Harvest though, and Kashi because I like the ingredients, and calories (let's be honest). 

I am known for making everything from scratch. I adore breaking a recipe down and figuring out how to do everything from the beginning.  For example, I could buy pierogis but I ADORE making the dough and filling from scratch and then boiling the final product, smothering it in butter (I decided not to count calories for that recipe) and sitting down and devouring it.  There is something so satisfying about doing it from scratch and knowing that nothing was bought pre-made. 

I have tried many a recipe for granola bars, and none had turned out the way I really wanted. I wanted a crunch, maybe some chocolate, but in the end, I wanted to know where all the ingredients came from, and I am okay if the 'shelf' life of them is only a week or two because there are no preservatives. 

A dear childhood friend Karen, posted on Facebook that she had just made granola bars and that she couldn't stop eating them.  You see, Karen and I share a love of cheese, and let's face it, anyone who loves cheese as much as I do - well you can trust anything they bake or cook :)

So here is Karen's recipe, with a few modifications (it wouldn't be me if I didn't throw my own twist into it :))

Ingredients

2 cups quick oats 
½ cup packed brown sugar (or 1/3 cup, depending on desired sweetness)
¼ cup wheat germ or wheat bran
¼ cup coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)
¾ tsp salt
½ cup honey
1 egg, beaten
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract 
½ tsp maple extract (optional)
1 cup raisins or dried fruit (optional)
Chocolate chips (optional)
Slivered almonds or nuts of your choice (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with PAM or grease with butter. 

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, leaving about an inch and a half of empty space at one end.

And here are my tweaks:

- I toasted the oats and nuts 
- I used 1/2c Quinoa and 1/2c whole wheat flour
- Grapeseed oil instead of vegetable oil
- added sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, cashews, pecans, almonds, walnuts AND chocolate chips (a few tbsp of each) 

- Added 3 tbsp of pure Ontario maple syrup
- added 1 tsp of almond extract

- omitted the maple extract because I didn't have it

- used 1 tsp of Moroccan pink sea salt

- added 2 tbsp of uncooked white quinoa

- added 2 tbsp of black chia seeds
- added 2 tbsp of flax seeds

I also made a second batch without the chocolate, and instead added chopped organic crystallized ginger and organic goji berries.

I put the entire batch in a tightly sealed container and put 'em in the freezer. I pull out what I want, when I want them. 

Enjoy and thanks so much Karen for this wonderful recipe!

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Coconut Quinoa Pancakes, Gluten-Free Option

Pleasure to meet you Quinoa flour. I bought you for the first time today, after I experienced you at brunch earlier.  I have to say, I'm quite impressed by your strength. Your flavour is light and dense and I very much enjoyed you in the coconut-quinoa pancake I devoured.  You were topped with a smear of cream cheese and warm saucy (not too saucy) blueberries. I even enjoyed your friend, maple syrup. Oh how delicious you all were together!


I liked you so much that I decided to re-create you for breakfast this morning.


I decided to dress you up with a little warm baked apples and cinnamon.... and then grace you with some lovely crushed pecans.  Oh don't worry, I didn't forget the cream cheese.  


I have a soft spot for double smoked bacon, so a slice of that made it to the plate to join in the edible fun. Everyone played so nicely together!


I didn't have a gluten-free alternative flour, so I used all-purpose. I plan on buying buckwheat or another alternative this weekend and giving it another go. 

Here's the recipe, Enjoy!

Coconut Quinoa Pancakes (Gluten-free option)

1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
1 cup quinoa flour or quinoa flakes (see note above)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I prefer unsweetened)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for cooking
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1. Combine flour, quinoa flour, coconut, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk to work out all of the clumps.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, vanilla and eggs until well combined.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, whisking all the while until well combined. The batter will have texture because of the coconut (and quinoa flakes, if using), but should not have lumps.

4. Heat a well oiled pan or griddle over medium heat. Add batter in 1/4 cup scoops and cook until bubbles just begin to form around the edges. (Unlike most pancake batters, this will not bubble vigorously—you’re looking for just a couple of bubbles.) Flip and cook for another two minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Serve immediately, with a drizzle of honey or warmed maple syrup.

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