Whenever we have tofu at home, Sunday's lunch is normally chinese or thai. It would be a simple Garlic basil tofu fried rice, Thai Green Curry or Tofu Szechwan. Last week I tried this simple Buddha's Delight, a true vegetarian Chinese dish with ample fresh vegetables and tofu on a soy based sauce. Ever since I got this Cooking Light - way to Cook Vegetarian cookbook, I have been wanting to try all the recipes in it. This recipe is my third attempt from the book. I have already tried and posted the Tofu Szechwan. I also made Vegetarian Chili for dinner one day, which was truly scrumptious, but couldn't get decent pictures since it is winter, it starts getting dark here by 4 PM.
Ingredients:
Carrots - 3 - peeled and sliced on the bias
Broccoli - 1 - cut into florets
Snow peas - a handful
Green onions / Spring onion greens - 1-1/2 cups
Ginger - grated - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 2 cloves - minced
Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Extra Firm Tofu - 1 block
Sauce:
Vegatable broth - 1 cup
Corn Starch - 1 tbsp
Marinade:
Soy Sauce (Low sodium) - 3 tbsp
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Rice wine vinegar - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Method:
Press the tofu to remove excess liquid. Cut into small cubes or triangles. Mix the ingredients for the marinade the toss the tofu in it. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for 1 hour, mixing once in between. Mix the broth and corn starch in another small bowl with a whisk. Drop the broccoli florets and the carrot slices into boiling water for about 90 seconds and drain and plunge immediately into an ice bath. Let it rest for a few minutes and then drain again. Heat oil in a wide non-stick skillet. Drain the tofu and reserve the marinade. Add the tofu to the skillet and fry for about 7-10 minutes in medium-high heat until all the sides are light brown. Now add the green onions, garlic, ginger and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the snowpeas and fry for a minute followed by the broccoli and carrots. After about 5 minutes, add the sauce mixture, reserved marinade and salt. Cook in medium flame until the sauce thickens a bit. Serve hot over steamed rice.
Notes: Any vegetable can be added to this dish. Baby corns, bamboo shoots, cauliflower, water chestnuts are best additions.
Linking this up to Vegan Thursdays.
After the success of my Pear Granola recipe, I have been making granola at home quite often with fresh fruit purees and Kavin's leftover store-bought fruit puree baby foods. Every time I try with a different nuts and sweetener combination.
When most people love and wait eagerly for the spring season, somehow my favorite one is the autumn or the fall season. I love orange, orange everywhere starting with the falling leaves, persimmons, sweet potatoes and of course pumpkins. This pumpkin cranberry granola is another one on the line celebrating the fall season.
Ingredients:
Serves - 6
Rolled Oats - 3 cups
Roasted Pepitas - 1/2 cup
Cranberries - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon (ground) - 1 tsp
Ginger (ground) - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Pumpkin puree - 2/3 cup
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Maple Syrup - 1/4 cup
Brown Sugar - 2 tbsp (optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 300 F/150 C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, salt, oil, maple syrup and brown sugar (if using). Pour over the oats and mix well. Spread on the baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes. Pull out the baking sheet every 10 minutes and mix the oats with spoon to allow even cooking. In the last 10 minutes, fold in the pepitas and cranberries. When done, allow to cool in the baking sheet. The oats crisp up when cooled. Serve for breakfast with yogurt or milk.
Linking these up for Vegan Thursdays!
Thinking of a quick side which can also be transformed to a snack. Then this one is for you. I love to eat kondakadalai aka garbanzo beans. I mean who doesn't. Amped with spices it makes a great healthy evening snack. I made this last week as a side for spinach masiyal and rice. I and Kavin (for him, I mixed the sundal with white rice and picked out the chana, to remove the heat) loved having this as a side for the earthy spinach masiyal and rice.
Ingredients:
Serves - 3
Chickpeas - cooked - 1-1/2 cups OR 1 can - Click here to know how to make canned beans at home.
Onions - 1/2 of a big one - approx 1/2 cup chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Spice mix:
Dry Red chillies - 3
Ginger - chopped - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 clove
Tempering / tadka: (optional)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Chana dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Method:
Pulse the ingredients for spice mix for a couple of times in the small jar of mixie/blender to make a coarse paste. A mortar and pestle also works fine. Heat oil in a saute pan and splutter the ingredients for tempering. Add the onions and saute in medium-high heat until transparent. Add the ground paste and fry for another minute. Add salt to taste and the drained cooked chickpeas and mix well. Remove from heat after 2 minutes. Serve as a side/snack.
Notes: A tbsp of grated coconut can be added at the end before removing from heat.
Linking this to My Legume Love Affair event by Lisa and Susan; Taste of the Tropics - Chilis.
It was one of those afternoons when it was just me for lunch. It was the week before Diwali and I was busy preparing sweets. So I did not want to make an elaborate lunch. I had made carrot dhal rice for Kavin and was thinking of making some quick pasta dish for my lunch. A quick fix for lunch just for me would be some whole grain pasta with some vegetables thrown in with few other simple flavours. This time it was Pasta with mushrooms and herb infused olive oil. Rosemary, garlic and lemon are those simple ingredients which I used to lift up my mood and gear me up for the whole afternoon of diwali snacks-making.
Ingredients:
Serves - 1; Total time - 15 minutes
Soba Noodles / Whole Grain Spaghetti - 1 bundle/ 2 oz
White Whole Mushrooms - 10 - sliced thick
Extra Virgin Olive oil - 1-1/2 tbsp
Fresh Rosemary - 1 tbsp - chopped
Garlic - 1 clove - smashed
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Salt & Pepper to taste
Method:
Cook the pasta/noodles according to package instructions. Heat oil in a wide saute pan and add the smashed garlic and chopped fresh rosemary. When the garlic is cooked (but not burnt), remove it from the oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until it is almost cooked. Add required salt and pepper. Add the cooked drained pasta, lemon juice and toss well in medium heat. Remove from heat and serve hot garnished with a small piece of rosemary.
Linking this up to PJ's Herbs and Flowers - Season 2.
Back home in India, Rasam is a must have in our daily lunch menu. After coming to US I do not make it quite often as it has to be featured in a South Indian Kitchen. The goodness of rasam / chaaru cannot be forgotten. It is a comforting soup which aids in digestion and regulates metabolism. Kavin loves rasam and so I make it very often. This paruppu rasam is a simple recipe and his favorite with ghee. As in many (okay, most) of my recipes I have used my favorite kitchen gadget, the pressure cooker.
Ingredients:
Toor dhal / split pigeon peas - 1/3 cup
Garlic - 2 cloves
Tomato - 1 - medium sized - cut into half
Olive oil / Castor oil - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind - size of half a lime - Soak in 1 cup of water and extract juice
Rasam powder - 1 tsp - 1 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Tempering:
Olive oil / Ghee - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - a pinch
Cumin seeds - a pinch
Curry leaves - a few
Method:
Wash and soak toor dhal for 30 minutes. Cook the dhal and garlic, tomato, oil, salt, turmeric powder with 3 times water until it is fully cooked and turns mushy when pressed with a ladle. I used my pressure cooker to cook for 3 whistles. When done, drain the water and reserve. Mash the dhal, garlic and tomato with the back of a wooden spoon or ladle until fully mashed. Return the reserved liquid back to the pan and add the tamarind extract and rasam powder. The rasam should be watery at this stage. Add half to one cup of water until desired consistency is reached. Do a taste check for salt and spice (from rasam powder) and allow it to boil in medium heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and continue to heat for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat. In another small pan heat ghee and add the ingredients for tempering viz. mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. When the curry leaves splutters pour the tempering over the rasam. Serve steaming hot with steamed rice or as a soup before meal.
Every cuisine has its own variety of bread. Though I was used to Indian breads like Roti, Poori, Chapathi, Paratha, Naan, Kulcha I did not know there are so many other breads. My knowledge of non-Indian breads were limited to white and brown (wheat) breads until I came to know about many other varieties like foccacia, ciabatta, brioche.. well the list is endless. Being a hardcore foodie and a passionate food blogger I love to explore other cuisines and try out the dishes whenever I can. It was one fine day when I tried these Home made Pita Bread from Denny's space. May be I did something wrong with the measurements the first time, the dough was very loose and wasn't perfect. The next time I tried, the Pita came out perfect but it was the chips that was too thick and hard. Apparently I hadn't separated the layers before slicing to bake chips. And as they say "third time's the charm", this time both my bread and chips came out perfectly. The process is little intensive but when you taste these homemade beauties they are worth the effort.
For the Pita Bread
Ingredients:
Yield - 8
Whole wheat flour - 3 cups
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Extra virgin Olive oil - 1 1/2 tbsp + more for brushing
Honey - 1 tsp (can substitute sugar)
Active dry yeast - 1 pkt (approx 2 1/4 tsp)
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Method:
Whisk the flour and salt together. Add 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and mix together until it is well incorporated. Heat 1/2 cup of water until lukewarm. Add honey and the yeast. Mix and set aside to proof the yeast. When the yeast is frothy add this yeast mixture to the flour and knead to form a dough using the remaining water. Use water as needed to form a smooth pliable dough. Coat another bowl with oil and place the dough ball (coated with oil) and cover. Set aside in a draft-free space to rise. I set aside for 2 hours to fully rise to double the original volume.
When risen, punch down and form equal sized balls out of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside again to proof for 15 mins. Place a cookie sheet inside the oven in the center rack and preheat it to 500 F. In a rolling board, place one dough ball and roll to form a flat bread (about 6" diameter). Transfer to a plate and cover with damp kitchen towel until other balls are rolled out. Repeat for other balls. When the oven is heated, place one rolled out bread and bake for about 3 to 5 minutes or until puffed. Remove carefully with tongs and brush with some olive oil. Allow it to cool slightly before being served. Can be served as pita bread or pita pockets for falafel.
Notes for Pita Bread:
You may or may not need 1 1/2 cups of water. Use as required.
For good leavening, allow the dough to rise 3 times. One as a whole dough ball, second, after making small balls when the oven is preheating. Third, After rolling out the bread (a couple of minutes is good).
To make Pita Chips
Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Pita Bread - 2
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Salt & pepper - to taste
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C. Line a cookie sheet with aluminium foil. When the bread is still warm cut it into two and gently pull apart the cut part to form a pita pocket. Use a knife to separate the pockets. Cut into wedges. One pita bread can be made as 16 or 12 wedges. Coat the wedges with oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to the cookie sheet and arrange so that the wedges do not overlap. Bake for 10-15 mins until slightly golden and crisp. Serve warm or in room temperature with hummus or any dip of your choice.
Sending this to Nayna's Flavours of Greece event; Made with Love Mondays; Swathi's Favorite Recipes event.
This is one of DH's favorite ways to make palak and dhal curry. By "favorite" I mean he makes it this way and we all love it. It is truly a bachelor way of cooking and very tasty too. Simple ingredients and easy method of preparation makes this dish a breeze to make. Paired with hot rice and some spicy side dish like Seppankilangu / Colacasia Fry it makes a happy tummy and happy heart!
Ingredients:
Serves - 4; measurements in rice cooker cup
Pigeon peas / Toor dhal - 3/4 cup
Yellow moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Whole moong bean (green) - 1/2 cup
Spinach - 5 cups tightly packed - roughly chopped
Red chilli - 4 - broken
Garlic - 5 cloves
Onion - 1/2 of a big one - chopped
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing / Perungayam - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Method:
Wash and soak the dhals together for 30 mins to 1 hour. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and splutter the mustard, cumin seeds and asafoetida. Add the broken red chillies and onion followed by whole garlic cloves. When the onion becomes soft, add the spinach and saute until wilted. Add the drained dhals and 5 cups of water with salt. Cover and pressure cook for 5 whistles. When done, mash with back of a spoon and serve over hot steamed rice. Great with chapathis and dosas too.
Linking this to Pari's Only Cooking with Legumes.
This one is not much of a recipe per se, but an idea for a quick and healthy snack with leftover chapathi. If you want a colorful and healthy makeover for otherwise regular chapathi try this one. I also have another makeover recipe for chapathi which I will post soon. Now for the recipe.
Ingredients:
Leftover chapathi - 4
Onion - 1 cup - chopped fine
Green Bellpepper/Capsicum - 1/2 of a big one, any quantity of fresh vegetables can be added to make this dish more colorful and nutrient rich
Tomato - 1/2 - chopped fine
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Chana dhal - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - few (optional)
Method:
To reheat leftover Chapathi:
Wrap the chapathi in a wet kitchen towel and microwave for about 30 secs to a minute. Hot fresh chapathis ready.
Cut or tear the chapathi into small pieces. In a kadai heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Add urad dhal, chana dhal, curry leaves and onion. Saute until the onions turn soft and add the bell peppers. Fry for about a minute and add the chopped tomatoes with chilli powder and a pinch of salt. When the tomatoes are almost cooked add the cut chapathi pieces and mix until the vegetable mixture coats well on the chapathi. Serve hot for evening snack.
I picked up this bag of soy chunks on my grocery shopping last time, hoping to make something as a protein-rich snack. Not being a vegetarian myself I was not crazy about these when I was young. But tastes change as we grow, don't they. I thought I would give it another try and this chukka is my first attempt. When I came to know about Radhika's Tickling Palates being the featured blog in Tried & Tasted this month I knew I was definitely going to participate. Her's is a lovely space with so many homestyle and authentic recipes. I was going through her Recipe Index and guess what I found.. This easy to make Soya Chukka! I bookmarked it immediately and tried it pretty soon. This is great as an evening snack or as a side dish for rice or roti.
Ingredients:
Serves - 2; Preparation Time - 30 mins
Soy Chunks - 1 cup
Pearl onions / Sambar onions - 12 (peeled and halved)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (1 tsp if using kashmiri, I used spicy chilli powder so used only 1/2 tsp)
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind extract - 2 tbsp (optional)
Pepper powder + Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp (recipe called for crushing fresh pepper and cumin seeds but I took a shortcut)
Cilantro / Coriander leaves - a little for garnish
Salt - to taste
Oil - as needed
Method:
Heat about 5 cups of water in a saucepan. When it comes to a rolling boil, remove from heat and add the soy chunks. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze the excess water and repeat rinse and squeeze with three exchanges of water. After final rinse and squeeze cut the soy balls into small pieces as desired. Set aside. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a kadai and saute the pearl onions until pink. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute in medium heat for 2 minutes. Now add the spice powders (except pepper + cumin) and fry for a couple more minutes. Add 2 tbsp of oil (if the onion mixture is dry) and add the cut soy chunks with salt and tamarind extract and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes or until the soy chunks are cooked through. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot as a side for rice.
Notes:
1. Definitely use pearl onions. Substituting with regular onions would not even be close.
2. I am planning to skip the tamarind next time.
Linking this to Tried & Tasted event by Lakshmi.
Pizza anyone? Home-made? Gluten-free? Low carb? Eggless? If you answer "yes" to the above questions, this is for you. When I was searching for a flourless pizza I arrived at this recipe. This is an easy to put together pizza and the step which would take time is just the chopping of the vegetables. The original recipe was a farinata crust which is similar to the crispy thin crust pizza. I wanted to make a more foldable crust and reduced the water and the set time for the pizza base. Totally loved the outcome! A gluten-free low-carb pizza which we enjoyed guilt-free..
Ingredients:
Adapted from here
Serves - 2
Besan / Chickpea flour - 1 cup
Water - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp
Part skim mozzarella cheese - sliced thin - as needed
Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
Vegetables toppings:
Red bell pepper - 1/4 cup or more
Eggplant - chopped into 1/2" piece - 1/4 cup
pablano pepper - 1
Pitted Black Olives - 5 - sliced thin
Baby Spinach - handful
Sun-dried tomatoes - 1 tbsp - drained - chopped
Red onion - julienned - 1/4 cup or more
You favorite Pasta sauce - 1/4 cup or more
Red pepper flakes / Pepper - to taste
Method:
Whisk the chickpea flour with water without any lumps. Set aside for about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Meanwhile chop the vegetables and prep the cheeses. Mix the pasta sauce with a pinch of salt, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes. When the oven is preheated, put a 9 x 9 inch square (or round) pan into the oven 10 minutes for preheating. Skim the froth (if any) on the flour mixture. Mix in salt and italian seasoning. Pull the pan from the oven and spray some olive/canola oil. Pour the flour mixture and put the pan back in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes until the top of the base looks cooked and passes a fork test. When done, spread the prepared pasta sauce and top with sliced mozzarella cheese. Layer the vegetables all over the pizza and top with grated parmesan cheese. Put the pan back in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve hot.
Linking this up to the following events Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids - Italian event by Nithu; Flavours of Cuisines - Italian event by Julie; Vardhini's Bake Fest #18.
Vegetable Fried Rice is my ultimate go-to dish when I run out of ideas, have no mood to think or simply have to finish off its and bits of vegetables hanging out in the fridge. It is a family favorite too. Paired with a simple dhal tadka or a sabji it is a great meal altogether.
Ingredients:
Brown Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Water - 1-1/2 cups
Carrot - 1 - chopped
Red Bell Pepper - 1/2 - chopped
Green Bell Pepper - 1/2 - chopped
Asparagus - 4 spears - chopped
Zucchini - 1/2 - chopped
Spring Onions / Scallions - 2
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Sesame oil / Gingelly oil - 1 tbsp
Method:
Cook the brown basmati rice according to below instructions. When done fluff with fork and spread on a plate to cool completely. Heat oil in a wok in medium-high heat and add the spring onion whites. After 2 minutes, add the chopped asparagus. In 2-minute intervals add the carrots, zucchini, green bell peppers, red bell peppers one by one and saute continuously. Add the salt and pepper and immediately add the cooked cooled brown rice and mix well. Remove from heat, check for seasoning and mix in the spring onion greens. Serve hot with ketchup or any curry of your choice.
How to cook brown basmati rice in Pressure Cooker:
Wash and soak 1 cup of rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and pressure cook with one and a half cups of water for 6 whistles. This is a rice-water ratio and number of whistles I got through trial-and error method. Other non-basmati brown rice may need different amount of water and cook time.
Linking this delicious rice bowl to Kid's Delight - Street Food and to Leftover Makeover.
I am always in the lookout for more brinjal recipes. DH being a big lover for Ennai Kathirikai Kulambu, Chinese Stir-fried eggplant or Eggplant Parmigiana we cannot get enough of the dishes which has eggplant. This is one particular recipe I arrived at when I was watching the cookery show by Chef Dhamu. I made it for lunch one day and it was a big hit at home. I love how the aroma of the fennel seeds and curry leaves flavours this dish.
Ingredients:
Brinjal / Indian eggplants - 8
Fennel Seeds / Sombu - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 4
Onion - chopped - 3/4 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Black Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tbsp
Cilantro / Coriander leaves - for garnish
Method:
Cut the stem off the brinjals and chop them into wedges. Place the cut brinjals in a bowl of water to prevent discoloration. Heat oil in a non-stick kadai over med-high heat and temper the fennel seeds and curry leaves. When the fennel seeds stops sizzling add the chopped onion. Fry until the onion shrinks and turns translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and follow the 2 minute rule (below). Drain the water from the brinjals and add to the pan. Spread in a single layer and allow it to sear for a couple of minutes. Using a wooden spoon turn over the pieces carefully. Sprinkle some salt and continue cooking until the brinjals are three-fourth done, turning over only occasionally. Add the turmeric, chilli and coriander powders and mix. Check for seasoning and add pepper as needed. Cook until completely done and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot as a side for rice. Best pair for curd rice.
Ginger Garlic paste and the 2 minute rule:
This is a trick I follow to fry ginger-garlic paste without burning them. Before adding the paste reduce the heat to medium. Add the paste and fry continuously for 2 minutes. Perfectly fried, raw smell gone and not burnt!!
Linking this to Cook like a Celebrity Chef event; Taste of the Tropics - Ginger and HITS - Diabetic Friendly and to Veggie/Fruits a Month - Eggplant.
Our weekend lunches are mostly simple. I would prefer to keep cooking time to minimum to spare more time for cleaning or other chores. If you are looking for a simple and wholesome meal look no further. This is a fusion of two of my favorite pasta dishes, Pesto Pasta and Pasta Primavera. I used the vegetables I had at hand to make this dish. It is a simple dish with whole grain pasta, loads of vegetables complete with a cheesy and filling omelet.
For the Pasta:
Serves - 2
Spaghetti - 1/4 of a box (angel hair)
Asparagus - 6 spears
Zucchini - 1/4 cup - julienned
Red bell pepper - 1/2 - julienned
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp or to taste
Basil Pesto or any Herb pesto - 1/4 cup (Click here for Home made Pesto recipe)
Milk - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste (optional since pesto and cooked pasta already has salt)
Method:
Cook pasta in 4 to 6 litres of salted boiling water until done. Drain and set aside to cool. Heat oil in wide skillet and toss the vegetables in high heat. Add the red pepper flakes, italian seasoning and salt to taste. Add the cooked cooled pasta and toss well. Remove from heat and add the milk and pesto. Mix well and serve garnished with fresh basil leaves.
One bowl Eggs Florentine
DH being a vegetarian, I made this One Bowl Eggs Florentine just for me. This recipe can easily be doubled. Traditional eggs florentine are poached eggs on a bed of spinach on a cheese sauce. I took a shortcut and made this omelet style eggs florentine with egg, spinach and cheddar cheese.
Ingredients:
Egg - 1
Spinach - a handful chopped
Low fat Milk - 2 tbsp
Grated Cheddar cheese - 2 tbsp
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Method:
In a bowl whisk the egg well until frothy. Add the other ingredients and mix well. Coat a skillet with 1 tsp of oil. Pour the egg-spinach-cheese mixture and let it cook on medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes. Patience is the key to not change this fluffy omelet into scrambled eggs. Anyway, it tastes awesome either way. Flip over with the spatula and continue cooking for another minute. Serve with Pesto Pasta Primavera for a complete meal.
Sending this plate to Pari's Only-Continental event; Your Kitchen in Spring and Let's Cook for Kids.
Being an Indian, I love the other Asian cuisines very much since the complexity and levels of flavours are so similar in all of them. Grazing through my menu one could see that I love Thai food and tried quite a number of varieties. One of my favorite go-to dish in thai restaurants is Pad Thai (meaning "Fried, thai style"). While the authenticity of the origin of the dish is still in question, I do not mind where it originated given it being tasty. Another cuisine I love is the Chinese and the PF Chang's Tofu lettuce wraps is an inspiration for making this dish. This recipe is vegetarian and Vegan too.
Ingredients:
Serves - 2 as a meal; 4 as an appetizer
Firm Tofu - 1/2 block
Lettuce wraps - as needed (I used iceberg lettuce)
Peanuts - 3 tbsp
Scallions / Spring onion - cut on a bias - for garnish
Lemon juice - for garnish
Oil - 2 tbsp
For Tofu Marinade:
Low sodium Soy sauce - 3 tbsp
Agave syrup - 2 tbsp (see notes below)
Red pepper flakes - 1 tbsp
Grated ginger - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
For Sauce:
Tamarind extract - 3 tbsp (see notes below)
Agave syrup - 1 tbsp (see notes below)
Low Sodium Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Red pepper flakes - 1 tbsp
Salt - as needed
Method:
Press the tofu and remove excess water. Cut into tiny pieces or into desired size. Mix the ingredients for marinade in a ziploc bag and put the cut tofu in the bag. Close the bag and mix well for the marinade to coat the tofu pieces. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Anywhere from 4 to 24 hours is good.
Dry roast the peanuts until toasted. When done, allow to cool, remove skin and crush into little pieces. Mix the ingredients for sauce and do a taste check. Balance out the flavours according to your palate.
When ready, heat oil in a wide pan and add the marinated tofu. Let it sear for a couple of minutes in med-high heat and then toss. Allow it to sear for couple more minutes and then transfer to a plate. Add the sauce to the same pan and allow it to boil. Reduce the heat and add the tofu and mix. Remove from heat after about 3-5 minutes and garnish with crushed peanuts, lemon juice and spring onions. Serve over lettuce cups.
Notes:
1. I used big gooseberry sized tamarind to make the extract. If using ready to use tamarind paste, mix about 1 tsp of the extract with water to make 3 tbsp.
2. I have used salt very sparingly since the soy sauce already has salt.
3. I used agave nectar for a mellow sweetness. Feel free to substitute with brown sugar or honey. Increase the amount though, since agave is sweeter than sugar or honey.
Sending these beauties to PJ's Celebrate Women's day; Susan's MLLA#57; Taste of the Tropics - Ginger; Flavours of Cuisines - Chinese;
I have a sweet tooth and I often crave for simple desserts which does not make me spend hours in the kitchen. This is one such recipe I came across. It is similar to ice cream but has just one-third of the calories in ice cream and is actually good for you. The part-skim ricotta cheese fills you up without weighing you down. And how can anything chocolate-flavored does not taste good.
Coming to the "Celebration" part, my space crossed 5 lakh hits last week. Whats more perfect for a celebration than something chocolatey?!!
Ingredients:
Preparation time: 10 mins; Serves - 2
Part skim ricotta cheese - 1 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 1 tbsp
Bittersweet / Semi sweet Chocolate chips - 1 tbsp
Instant coffee powder - 1/2 tsp
Low fat milk - 2 tbsp
Sugar or Sugar substitute - 2 - 3 tbsp
Method:
Mix all the ingredients except cheese in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Mix well and allow it to cool. When cooled mix with the cheese and pulse a couple of times in a blender. Serve Chilled.
Linking this yummy goodness to the following events..
Anu's Healthy Recipe Substitution; PJ's Celebrate Women's day; Sumee's Bon vivant - Kid's Delight; Let's Cook for Kids; Nithu's Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids; Jagruti's Choc Full Easter.
Ingredients:
Method:
Linking this up to Vegan Thursdays.
