Kind of Authentic Veggie Tofu Lo Mein

Lo mein is a satisfying meal any time of day, I mean who doesn’t love their noodles and vegetables drenched in soy and sriracha sauce? My ever-lasting love of Chinese noodles led me – after a lot of searching – to conjure this easy and almost authentic recipe for lo mein. I can personally vouch that this recipe beats waiting for take-out and most definitely satisfies my noodle cravings!

(Side note: this recipe is adapted from two recipes; one from Food & Wine magazine and one from Kelsey’s essential’s recipe)

Ingredients:

8 oz. of Chinese noodles or linguine
1 package of extra firm tofu (around 1 pound)
3+ tablespoons of vegetable oil
3 teaspoons of minced ginger
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1/2 cup of bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
3 scallions chopped into small pieces
2 heads of bok choy, chopped up as well

Sauce:
1 and 3/4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons of soy sauce
1/4 plus 2 tablespoons of Chinese oyster sauce
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon of sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of cold water

Directions:

• Begin by cutting up the tofu into 1 inch squares and then heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of minced ginger and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat and stir 30 seconds. Next add the tofu and stir-fry until the tofu becomes a golden brown color, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. After the tofu is done cooking, take off the heat and set aside for later.

• While the tofu is cooking, chop up the scallions, red pepper and bok choy. Then heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil along with the rest of garlic and ginger over medium heat in the pan, and add in the vegetables and bean sprouts and continue to stir fry for  7 to 8 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

• Boil water for the noodles (Chinese noodles only take about 4 minutes. to cook) and while the water is boiling, prepare the sauce. Combine the chicken broth, remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and sriracha sauce in a medium bowl and whisk until all ingredients are combined. In a smaller bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water, and then dribble the cornstarch mixture into the sauce , all the while continuing to mix. When the cornstarch mixture is fully integrated into the sauce, pour the sauce over the vegetables and with the pan still on medium heat, continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken, and when the sauce is thick, turn the heat down to low.

• When the noodles are finished cooking, add them along with the tofu to the pan with the vegetables and toss together. I added a little more garlic, soy sauce and sriracha sauce for extra flavor but that final seasoning is of course up for discussion.

Like any other Chinese dish, these noodles taste best the next day, bon appetite!

Veggies in Under 30 Minutes: Garlicky and Spicy Zucchini

In the spirit of the New Year, I have been trying to pack more fruits and vegetables into my daily diet, which means that I have to be more innovative and daring with my vegetable recipes. One way to do …

Warm goat cheese, roasted beets and apricot Salad

Gooey warm goat cheese, roasted beets and sweet chewy slices of apricots nestled on top of mixed greens drenched in a tangy vinaigrette dressing.

Salad from Sweet Basil.

Move over Potatoes and Make Room for Zucchini and Carrots

It’s that time of year again – the hours of sunlight are starting to dwindle and the temperature is dipping into dangerously freezing territory, which means Hanukkah is right around the corner, or this Friday, December 7th at sundown to be exact. In addition, to cleaning my menorah and making sure I have enough oil to last all 8 days, I have also begun my annual latke recipe search! This year I have decided to be bold, daring and unpredictable: I am going to use zucchini and carrots instead of potatoes. Aside from giving my latkes a little holiday color, this recipe is also slightly healthier than the classic greasy potato pancakes slathered in sour cream and applesauce.

This zucchini and carrot latke recipe, which I have adapted from a New York Time’s recipe, is complimented nicely with a yogurt and mint dipping sauce. Ready for some colorful veggie latke?! Here goes nothing

Ingredients:

Latke Batter:

1 cup of flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of cilantro

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 cup of milk

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

2 large carrots, grated

1 large zucchini, grated

2 scallions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

Yogurt Sauce:

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1/2 cup of plain yogurt

1 tablespoon of chopped mint

1 tablespoon of olive oil and extra for frying

Extra black pepper to taste

To make the batter for the latkes, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cilantro with the milk, egg, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the garlic and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the ingredients until all ingredients are blended together and the consistency is slightly thicker than heavy cream. Grate the carrots and zucchini and gradually pour the vegetables into the batter while slowly mixing together with a wooden spoon.

Set aside the latke batter for 20 to 30 minutes while you assemble the yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, olive oil, garlic, mint leaves and black pepper, and then refrigerate until you are ready to eat.

Heat a large saucepan with olive oil (a ½ to 1 inch thick) and wait until the olive oil starts to form small bubbles before adding the batter to the pan. Use ¼ cup to put the batter into the pan and cook each latke for around 5 minutes on each side. When the latkes are a golden brown on each side, transfer them to a large plate lined with a brown paper bag to soak up extra oil

Serve warm with the mint yogurt dipping sauce and Happy Hanukah!

Day After Thanksgiving Salad

Squash roasted with sage, brussels sprouts sauted with pure balsamic vinegar and crispy bacon, salty Spanish olives and basil pesto penne resting on a bed of sharp fresh arugula, and adorned with a citrus champagne vinaigrette for the perfect Thanksgiving leftover salad. Bon appetite!

Garlic and Basil Quinoa

These days I cannot get enough of quinoa. Until a few months ago if I heard the word quinoa, I would have said, qui-what? But now I know better. Although quinoa looks like a type of rice or couscous, it is actually a form of protein. With its many health benefits, including a good source of iron, Quinoa is also gluten free. Who would have thought that one grain has all those benefits? Most importantly, quinoa is an extremely filling…watch out pasta.

One of my favorite Quinoa dishes is garlic and basil Quinoa with chicken. The garlic and basil provide the flavors that plain Quinoa is lacking (quinoa almost always needs to be flavored).

Ingredients:

1 cup of Quinoa

2 cups of chicken broth

2 pounds of chicken breasts

4 tablespoons of olive oil

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

5 garlic cloves or 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic

2 scallions, chopped finely

lots of fresh basil leaves

First cook the Quinoa in the chicken broth and set aside while cooking the chicken and vegetables. Cut the peppers, scallions and garlic into thin slices or bits and set aside. Then cut the chicken breasts into strips that are one inch wide and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. In a sauté pan, turn the heat on to medium and combine the olive oil and garlic for 30 seconds or until the garlic becomes slightly softer. After, add the chicken strips and cook for 5-7 minutes until the chicken is lightly brown. Quickly add the peppers and scallions and cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the peppers have become limp, but make sure the chicken is not cooked for too long or it will dry out. Take the chicken and peppers off the heat and combine the Quinoa and fresh basil leaves and toss until the basil leaves become limp and then serve immediately!

The Power of Cumin

The Indian spice, cumin, has the power to make any vegetable absolutely delectable. The slightly bitter taste of cumin enhances the tastes of vegetables by bringing forth the sweet and subtler flavors of other vegetables, especially carrots, which is my favorite vegetable to coat with cumin. Roasting vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper and of course cumin, is an effortless way to make savory vegetables that will provide any meal with an exotic flair.

Ingredients:

Carrots and cauliflower (As many as you would like)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Cumin

Rinse and peel the carrots, then cut them into one inch pieces but make sure to cut the carrots on a diagonal angle. Repeat with the cauliflower and cut it into tiny pieces. Set the vegetables on a baking sheet and brush on a liberal amount of olive oil. Season the vegetables by sprinkling on salt, black pepper and cumin – use your better judgment for the amount. Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minuets.

Happy roasting!