Showing posts tagged kale
Green Breakfast This is a delicious breakfast dish inspired by an item called “Green Eggs And…” on the menu at Green Bean Restaurant in Northampton, MA. If you’re ever in town, you MUST order their tempeh bacon. It is smokey and maple-y and just the right texture and makes me want to hop on the next plane to Bradley Airport right now. Ah, but I digress. Here’s the recipe: You’ll Need: Tofu, cubed Kale, chopped Garlic, minced Rice Vinegar Tamari Nutritional Yeast Cheesy product, grated To Make: Sauté tofu with a splash of vinegar and a dash of Tamari until crispy. Add a spoonful of nutritional yeast at the end. In the meantime, cook garlic for 30 seconds in a separate pan. Add kale, splash of vinegar and Tamari, and cover with a lid. Cook until soft. Add tofu to kale, top with grated cheese and let sit until cheese melts. For all you New Englanders: http://www.greenbeannorthampton.com/ -E View high resolution

Green Breakfast

This is a delicious breakfast dish inspired by an item called “Green Eggs And…” on the menu at Green Bean Restaurant in Northampton, MA. If you’re ever in town, you MUST order their tempeh bacon. It is smokey and maple-y and just the right texture and makes me want to hop on the next plane to Bradley Airport right now. Ah, but I digress. Here’s the recipe:

You’ll Need:

  • Tofu, cubed
  • Kale, chopped
  • Garlic, minced
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Tamari
  • Nutritional Yeast
  • Cheesy product, grated

To Make:

  • Sauté tofu with a splash of vinegar and a dash of Tamari until crispy. Add a spoonful of nutritional yeast at the end.
  • In the meantime, cook garlic for 30 seconds in a separate pan. Add kale, splash of vinegar and Tamari, and cover with a lid. Cook until soft.
  • Add tofu to kale, top with grated cheese and let sit until cheese melts.

For all you New Englanders: http://www.greenbeannorthampton.com/

-E

Lunch On the Go: Whole Wheat Penne with Kale and Bean Salad

I often have to leave my house and go to school for 12 hours at a time. I imagine I am not the only one who isn’t able to have a leisurely freshly-made lunch every day. However, I refuse to sacrifice eating healthy, tasty food. Food is often the highlight of my day, and let’s be honest, a stressful day gets a whole lot better when you whip out a zesty, satisfying meal, even if it’s amidst piles of books or computers or wherever your workweek takes you. 

Anyhow, this is a great meal to make while you’re running around getting ready for the day. Pasta is simple, steaming the kale is quick, and opening cans and stirring some beans together is easy. I used Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Penne (whole wheat is much more nutritious than white, and it also tastes just as good), organic kale, canned corn and black beans, and frozen peas. Both of these dishes save well, just throw them in a container and you are ready to go!

Ingredients:

  • Whole wheat pasta
  • Kale
  • Canned corn (or fresh if you are awesome)
  • Frozen peas
  • Canned black beans 
  • Olive oil & balsamic vinegar
  • Nutritional Yeast, salt, pepper 
  • Lemon

Directions:

  1. Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta
  2. Put chopped kale in a pan with a little water and olive oil, cover 
  3. Steam kale until cooked, remove lid and add lemon juice, salt and pepper
  4. Mix black beans, peas and corn together in a container and squeeze on lemon juice
  5. Toss your cooked pasta with olive oil, vinegar and nutritional yeast in a container
  6. Add your kale to the pasta or put in a separate container
  7. Put a lemon slice in with your food for a little extra flavor if needed
  8. Leave for the day happy and excited for lunch :)

-N

Fried Tofu with Steamed Lemony Kale You know how when you go to Thai or Chinese restaurants the tofu is all perfectly cooked so its crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and you think you could never make it as yummy? Well it turns out you can, and it’s easy and cheap.  I paired this with steamed dino kale, which is so fresh and green it balances the fried tofu nicely. It takes about 10 minutes to make this whole meal, and it saves well so it’s great to take to work or school.  Ingredients: Tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes about 1 TBS Oil (olive, canola, sesame, any will work) Dino Kale (dark green and more textured than regular kale) Lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste Optional: Rice vinegar and soy sauce  Directions: Put oil in the pan and heat, add the tofu Let tofu cook until brown, rotating so every side gets browned and crispy (be careful, the oil may spit out of the pan) Meanwhile, chop kale and put it in a pan with a little water Cover and let it steam until its almost all the way cooked Remove lid, let any excess water cook out, and add lemon, salt and pepper Optional: Mix 1 TBS rice vinegar and 1 TBS soy sauce in small bowl, use as dipping sauce for tofu Enjoy :) -N View high resolution

Fried Tofu with Steamed Lemony Kale

You know how when you go to Thai or Chinese restaurants the tofu is all perfectly cooked so its crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and you think you could never make it as yummy? Well it turns out you can, and it’s easy and cheap. 

I paired this with steamed dino kale, which is so fresh and green it balances the fried tofu nicely. It takes about 10 minutes to make this whole meal, and it saves well so it’s great to take to work or school. 

Ingredients:

  • Tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • about 1 TBS Oil (olive, canola, sesame, any will work)
  • Dino Kale (dark green and more textured than regular kale)
  • Lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste
  • Optional: Rice vinegar and soy sauce 

Directions:

  1. Put oil in the pan and heat, add the tofu
  2. Let tofu cook until brown, rotating so every side gets browned and crispy (be careful, the oil may spit out of the pan)
  3. Meanwhile, chop kale and put it in a pan with a little water
  4. Cover and let it steam until its almost all the way cooked
  5. Remove lid, let any excess water cook out, and add lemon, salt and pepper
  6. Optional: Mix 1 TBS rice vinegar and 1 TBS soy sauce in small bowl, use as dipping sauce for tofu
  7. Enjoy :)

-N

The Devil’s Tofu Scramble N and I apparently share a brain. At the same exact time she was writing a rant about her disdain for tofu scramble, I was returning home after a morning dance rehearsal with a growling belly to a fridge full of… tofu. And not much else. Now I’ve seen a lot of tofu scramble recipes floating around the vegan blogosphere of late. I’ve been ignoring them because, like my sister, I generally think tofu scramble tastes like turmeric-flavored glop. What is it with the turmeric, people? I swear, go to any breakfast joint in California hip enough to throw a tofu scramble on its menu and you will receive a pile of squished, undercooked soy product mixed with tiny shreds of carrot and celery and a healthy dose of that ubiquitous golden dust. In any case, due to my lack of other ingredients, I decided to reverse the trend and make my own, totally delicious tofu scramble with what I had lying around the kitchen. Here are the ingredients I scrounged: Tofu (duh) Coconut oil or other greasy substance 1 small yellow onion, diced 1 stalk slightly wilted green garlic, sliced thinly Dino kale, chopped Tamari (soy sauce or Braggs would work too) Brown Rice Vinegar Hot sauce (Off-brand Sriracha, to be precise) Nutritional yeast Salt n’ peppa Turmeric (I know I know, I’ll get to that) Here’s what I did with them: Sauté onions in a couple tablespoons of coconut oil on low heat until translucent. Add a pinch of salt. Add green garlic, cook another minute or two. Add kale and a splash of water, cook until kale begins to soften. Meanwhile, smash up tofu in a bowl. I should note somewhere that although I am normally a fierce advocate for medium-firm tofu, in the rare case of tofu scramble, extra-firm actually works better. Add Tamari, rice vinegar, hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Add tofu to pan of veggies, cook for a WHILE. As in, until liquid starts to evaporate and it starts smelling good. I think a lot of tofu scramblers just don’t cook it long enough, and it’s their downfall- nobody likes raw, mushy tofu. Add a dash of nutritional yeast, cook for one more minute. So I got to this step, and my scramble tasted pretty good- the roughness of the dino kale was a nice complement to the squish of the tofu, and the green garlic did its job of giving the dish a great flavor. However, the hot sauce had turned my breakfast a disturbing shade of pink. I can’t say whether it was nature or nurture that made me want to add it (do people put turmeric in tofu scramble because it tastes good, or do people put turmeric in tofu scramble because they think they’re supposed to?), but without thinking my hand reached for the little yellow jar, and before I knew it I had joined the ranks. Jumped on the turmeric bandwagon. Insert one more turmeric-themed cliche here. My breakfast turned yellow. I scarfed it down. And it was damn good. View high resolution

The Devil’s Tofu Scramble

N and I apparently share a brain. At the same exact time she was writing a rant about her disdain for tofu scramble, I was returning home after a morning dance rehearsal with a growling belly to a fridge full of… tofu. And not much else.

Now I’ve seen a lot of tofu scramble recipes floating around the vegan blogosphere of late. I’ve been ignoring them because, like my sister, I generally think tofu scramble tastes like turmeric-flavored glop. What is it with the turmeric, people? I swear, go to any breakfast joint in California hip enough to throw a tofu scramble on its menu and you will receive a pile of squished, undercooked soy product mixed with tiny shreds of carrot and celery and a healthy dose of that ubiquitous golden dust.

In any case, due to my lack of other ingredients, I decided to reverse the trend and make my own, totally delicious tofu scramble with what I had lying around the kitchen. Here are the ingredients I scrounged:

  • Tofu (duh)
  • Coconut oil or other greasy substance
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 stalk slightly wilted green garlic, sliced thinly
  • Dino kale, chopped
  • Tamari (soy sauce or Braggs would work too)
  • Brown Rice Vinegar
  • Hot sauce (Off-brand Sriracha, to be precise)
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Salt n’ peppa
  • Turmeric (I know I know, I’ll get to that)

Here’s what I did with them:

  1. Sauté onions in a couple tablespoons of coconut oil on low heat until translucent. Add a pinch of salt.
  2. Add green garlic, cook another minute or two.
  3. Add kale and a splash of water, cook until kale begins to soften.
  4. Meanwhile, smash up tofu in a bowl. I should note somewhere that although I am normally a fierce advocate for medium-firm tofu, in the rare case of tofu scramble, extra-firm actually works better. Add Tamari, rice vinegar, hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Add tofu to pan of veggies, cook for a WHILE. As in, until liquid starts to evaporate and it starts smelling good. I think a lot of tofu scramblers just don’t cook it long enough, and it’s their downfall- nobody likes raw, mushy tofu.
  6. Add a dash of nutritional yeast, cook for one more minute.
  7. So I got to this step, and my scramble tasted pretty good- the roughness of the dino kale was a nice complement to the squish of the tofu, and the green garlic did its job of giving the dish a great flavor. However, the hot sauce had turned my breakfast a disturbing shade of pink. I can’t say whether it was nature or nurture that made me want to add it (do people put turmeric in tofu scramble because it tastes good, or do people put turmeric in tofu scramble because they think they’re supposed to?), but without thinking my hand reached for the little yellow jar, and before I knew it I had joined the ranks. Jumped on the turmeric bandwagon. Insert one more turmeric-themed cliche here. My breakfast turned yellow. I scarfed it down. And it was damn good.
N’s Famous Veggie Soup This is my best, tastiest, most widely known recipe. My family started making a version of this soup in high school, and since we made it every morning it became known as ‘morning soup’. When I went off to college I began making my own improved versions. It varies every time I make it depending on what I have in the house, but there are a few staple ingredients. It’s pretty light (which means I can eat about 6 bowls in one sitting). I use Better Than Bouillon Veggie Broth, which comes in a jar at natural food stores or Whole Foods. It’s a great base for any soup, and I like it better than veggie broth cubes. My veggies really vary, but this version has red onion, frozen peas, kale, carrots, and purple cabbage. I often use frozen edamame (soybeans), broccoli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts.  I usually add a grain, either cooked brown rice at the end or soba or udon noodles when its close to being done. I also often add Trader Joes Thai Gyoza, which are frozen potstickers that taste like wontons when they are in soup. When you’re making the soup, just keep tasting veggies to see when they seem cooked; since there is a lot of freedom on what you add, it’s hard to give specific cooking times.  Ingredients: 1 or more spoonfuls of Better than Bouillon Veggie Broth  Onion of your choice Soy Sauce Rice Vinegar Lemon juice Sriracha or other Hot Sauce Fresh or Powdered Garlic Veggies of your choice, cut into small pieces Tofu, cut into small pieces Grain of your choice Optional Potstickers Optional Nutritional Yeast Directions: Boil water in a medium or large pot While you wait for the water to boil, chop your veggies and tofu into similar sized pieces and mince the garlic Add a spoonful of Better Than Bouillon and mix it into water Add garlic and onions to the pot and let them cook for a few minutes Add veggies depending on their cooking times (so I added carrots, then cabbage, the frozen items, then kale, with a minute or two in between each one) When there is about 6 minutes left, add noodles if desired Add tofu If you’re using cooked rice, put it in when the soup is almost done Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice and hot sauce to taste, and more veggie broth if needed Turn off heat and serve, sprinkle nutritional yeast on top Happy Souping! -N View high resolution

N’s Famous Veggie Soup

This is my best, tastiest, most widely known recipe. My family started making a version of this soup in high school, and since we made it every morning it became known as ‘morning soup’. When I went off to college I began making my own improved versions. It varies every time I make it depending on what I have in the house, but there are a few staple ingredients. It’s pretty light (which means I can eat about 6 bowls in one sitting). I use Better Than Bouillon Veggie Broth, which comes in a jar at natural food stores or Whole Foods. It’s a great base for any soup, and I like it better than veggie broth cubes. My veggies really vary, but this version has red onion, frozen peas, kale, carrots, and purple cabbage. I often use frozen edamame (soybeans), broccoli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts. 

I usually add a grain, either cooked brown rice at the end or soba or udon noodles when its close to being done. I also often add Trader Joes Thai Gyoza, which are frozen potstickers that taste like wontons when they are in soup. When you’re making the soup, just keep tasting veggies to see when they seem cooked; since there is a lot of freedom on what you add, it’s hard to give specific cooking times. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 or more spoonfuls of Better than Bouillon Veggie Broth 
  • Onion of your choice
  • Soy Sauce
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Lemon juice
  • Sriracha or other Hot Sauce
  • Fresh or Powdered Garlic
  • Veggies of your choice, cut into small pieces
  • Tofu, cut into small pieces
  • Grain of your choice
  • Optional Potstickers
  • Optional Nutritional Yeast

Directions:

  1. Boil water in a medium or large pot
  2. While you wait for the water to boil, chop your veggies and tofu into similar sized pieces and mince the garlic
  3. Add a spoonful of Better Than Bouillon and mix it into water
  4. Add garlic and onions to the pot and let them cook for a few minutes
  5. Add veggies depending on their cooking times (so I added carrots, then cabbage, the frozen items, then kale, with a minute or two in between each one)
  6. When there is about 6 minutes left, add noodles if desired
  7. Add tofu
  8. If you’re using cooked rice, put it in when the soup is almost done
  9. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice and hot sauce to taste, and more veggie broth if needed
  10. Turn off heat and serve, sprinkle nutritional yeast on top

Happy Souping!

-N

Vegetarian Pho

This is a vegetarian version of a recipe I googled years ago. I’ve modified it to be easier and cheaper, and taken to calling it “Bastardized Pho”, as it is not in any way a traditional recipe, but delicious nonetheless.

The process sounds complicated, but is actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. The recipe does include some elusive spices that you might not have in your cupboard. Luckily, the company Spicely Organic makes tiny green cardboard boxes of every spice known to human, so you can pick up oddities like Star Anise and Black Cardamom without paying a fortune. The recipe can also be tweaked to include whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. Oh, and it’s pronounced “Fuh”.

Broth Ingredients:

  • 3T fresh ginger root, sliced into quarter sized pieces
  • 1 white onion, cubed (reserve a teensy bit for garnish)
  • 6 fennel seeds
  • 2 pods star anise
  • 3 pods black cardamom
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 seeds coriander
  • Pinch hot pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (don’t settle for anything less than great with your broth, because it will dominate the flavor of whatever you make. I like the vegetable “Better Than Bouillon”.)


Garnish Ingredients

  • Rice noodles (any size works, but I usually get the skinny ones)
  • A vegetable or two- I usually use broccoli, but you can try kale, squash…
  • Veggie protein, cubed (tofu and the mock chicken we wrote about in a previous blog both work well)
  • Cilantro or basil (a spicy basil like Thai basil tastes best)
  • Bean sprouts, if you like them (shudder)
  • Limes

Serves two

To make:

  1. Get your rice noodles going. There are a lot of ways to cook rice noodles, but my favorite method is this: Heat water on the stove. When it reached a boil, turn off the heat, add dry rice noodles, and cover. Let sit until noodles soften (at least 5 min), then drain. Do NOT cook rice noodles the way you would wheat noodles- you will end up with a mushy, gloppy mess.
  2. While rice noodles sit, char ginger, onion, and all the spices in a pot. (Turn the heat on high, stir frequently until the ingredients become fragrant and darken around the edges.)
  3. Pour veggie broth into pot with charred spices and and simmer for 20 min.
  4. In the meantime, lightly steam whatever vegetables you plan on adding to your Pho. I usually just toss them in a heat-proof strainer, balance the strainer over my simmering broth, and put a lid over the whole operation. This saves pots and gives the veggies a nice flavor.
  5. Sauté veggie protein until golden brown.
  6. Cut limes, tear basil, slice the remainder of your white onion into veeery thin strips. Set aside. 
  7. When your broth has finished simmering, strain it over a bowl and discard the chunky remnants.
  8. Ladle broth over noodles, and serve the rest of the topping in bowls on the side, like so:

-e

Quick and Easy Tofu and Kale This is a great meal if you don’t have a lot of time to cook, or even if you do, because its delicious and healthy. Leafy greens are really important in a vegan diet, they are high in fiber, iron and calcium (fun fact-broccoli has more calcium than milk! Don’t believe milk companies that tell you its the only way to get your calcium), among other nutrients.  I use nutritional yeast on the tofu, and on most things I eat. If you are a new vegan you will soon learn that nutritional yeast, known as ‘hippie-crack’ is useful, healthy and yummy, often used in place of cheese. Its high in B-12, a vitamin you need to make sure you get as a vegan or vegetarian. It also has a fair amount of protein in it. Just try not to eat more than about 2 tablespoons a day, since too much can stop your body from absorbing calcium. You can find it in the bulk section of most natural food stores, its flaky/powdery and yellow. Anyhow.  To make the Tofu: Cut tofu into cubes of desired choice and put in pan with some oil Sprinkle soy sauce over tofu, then nutritional yeast as well as any other flavors you want (garlic, salt, pepper, etc) Let it cook for a few minutes, stir some, take off heat when it looks good To Make the Kale: Wash kale and cut into fairly small pieces, you can use the stem and leaves Put in pan with some rice vinegar (asian style vinegar, you can find it at most grocery stores) Put on a lid and let it steam some until its mostly cooked Take off the lid, squeeze on some lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste Stir a bit, take off heat, and serve with tofu Note: I flavor pretty much everything I cook with some combination of lemon, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and nutritional yeast. I love savory, sour flavors, but I know not everyone does as much as me. There are plenty of other ways to cook these types of foods. Happy eating! View high resolution

Quick and Easy Tofu and Kale

This is a great meal if you don’t have a lot of time to cook, or even if you do, because its delicious and healthy. Leafy greens are really important in a vegan diet, they are high in fiber, iron and calcium (fun fact-broccoli has more calcium than milk! Don’t believe milk companies that tell you its the only way to get your calcium), among other nutrients. 

I use nutritional yeast on the tofu, and on most things I eat. If you are a new vegan you will soon learn that nutritional yeast, known as ‘hippie-crack’ is useful, healthy and yummy, often used in place of cheese. Its high in B-12, a vitamin you need to make sure you get as a vegan or vegetarian. It also has a fair amount of protein in it. Just try not to eat more than about 2 tablespoons a day, since too much can stop your body from absorbing calcium. You can find it in the bulk section of most natural food stores, its flaky/powdery and yellow. Anyhow. 

To make the Tofu:

  • Cut tofu into cubes of desired choice and put in pan with some oil
  • Sprinkle soy sauce over tofu, then nutritional yeast as well as any other flavors you want (garlic, salt, pepper, etc)
  • Let it cook for a few minutes, stir some, take off heat when it looks good

To Make the Kale:

  • Wash kale and cut into fairly small pieces, you can use the stem and leaves
  • Put in pan with some rice vinegar (asian style vinegar, you can find it at most grocery stores)
  • Put on a lid and let it steam some until its mostly cooked
  • Take off the lid, squeeze on some lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste
  • Stir a bit, take off heat, and serve with tofu

Note: I flavor pretty much everything I cook with some combination of lemon, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and nutritional yeast. I love savory, sour flavors, but I know not everyone does as much as me. There are plenty of other ways to cook these types of foods. Happy eating!