Fried Apples

Here's a wonderful recipe for fried apples from Williams-Sonoma.  These are the perfect breakfast side dish to vegan Southern-style biscuits (recipe here) in the fall and winter.

Ingredients:

3 T. vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance.)

6 Fuji apples, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. cornstarch

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. salt

2 t. vanilla

Method:

In a medium nonstick skillet, melt vegan margarine over medium-high heat.  Add apples, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally to coat apples, about 18 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat and stir in vanilla.  Serves 4 - 6 as a side dish.

Soy and Ginger Tofu in an Asian-Inspired Meal

In a 2011 issue of Martha Stewart's Living magazine, there were recipes for an Asian-inspired meal including the herbed rice and steamed bok choy recipes I previously posted.  The magazine's entrée was soy-and-ginger pork chops, but I was able to substitute tofu very well in the recipe, making it even more Asian-inspired and, of course, vegetarian.  Here is a photo of the meal along with the entrée recipe as I made it:

Soy-and-Ginger-Marinated Tofu Steaks or Cubes

I made the recipe using tofu steaks, but I think cubes would have worked even better.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. plus 1 T. soy sauce (tamari or shoyu may also be used)

1/4 c. plus 1.5 t. canola oil

1/4 c. finely grated fresh ginger (peel it before grating)

1/4 c. plus 1.5 t. light brown sugar

2 scallions, finely chopped

3/4 t. freshly ground pepper

1 lb. extra-firm tofu (not the silken kind - NOTE:  Tofu's texture often is improved by freezing it, then thawing it.  To do this process, plan ahead.)

1 T. canola oil (plus more, if needed)

1 scallion, thinly sliced, for garnish

Method:

Whisk together the soy sauce, 1/4 c. plus 1.5 t. canola oil, ginger, brown sugar, chopped scallion, and freshly ground black pepper.

Squeeze any excess water from the tofu.  Cut the tofu into 4 steaks or into 1-inch cubes, as you wish.  Arrange the tofu in a nonreactive baking dish, reserving 3 T. of the marinade.  Pour the remainder over the tofu, and cover the dish with plastic wrap.  Marinate the tofu for 45 minutes, flipping the steaks or tossing the cubes halfway through that time.

Heat the remaining 1 T. canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove the tofu from the marinade and sear the steaks or cubes for about 4 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium.  Flip the steaks or cubes and sear again until just cooked through (3 - 5 more minutes).  Transfer the tofu to a platter and allow it to rest 5 minutes.

In the meantime, add the reserved marinade to the skillet.  Simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 30 seconds.  Spoon this sauce over the tofu.  Garnish with thinly sliced scallion.  Serves 2 - 4 as an entrée.

I served the meal with iced green tea to complete the Asian theme.

Steamed Bok Choy With Chile, Garlic, and Ginger

With ingredients like bok choy, chiles, garlic, and ginger, I'm not sure if this recipe from Martha Stewart's Living magazine is for good food or for good medicine!

Ingredients:

2 t. canola oil

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced (leave the seeds in for more heat)

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 lb. baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise (I couldn't find baby bok choy, although I'm sure it's more tender than standard bok choy.  At the recipe author's suggestion, I used regular bok choy and sliced it lengthwise into 1 1/2-inch pieces.)

3 T. water

coarse salt

Method:

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  Cook the jalapeno, garlic, and ginger for 1 minute.

Add the bok choy and water to the skillet.  Steam, tightly covered, until tender.  (7-8 minutes for baby bok choy.  Test with a fork.)  Uncover bok choy, and cook until any remaining liquid evaporates.  Season with coarse salt.

Lo Mein with Tempeh Cubes

Below is a photo of the vegetable lo mein recipe (recipe here) I previously posted.  At this meal I served it with tempeh cubes, and the easy recipe for them follows:

Ingredients:

4 T. canola oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. soy sauce

8 oz. tempeh, cubed into about 1/2-inch cubes

1 t. sesame seeds

Method:

In a medium skillet, heat the canola oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Sauté the minced garlic in the warm oil, about 1 minute.  Add the soy sauce and tofu cubes.  Brown tofu in oil until golden.  Sprinkle with seasame seeds.

Serves 2 as a side dish.

Sauteed Baby Collard Greens for Luck in the New Year

Happy New Year!  In the Southeastern US, we have a lot of food traditions.  One of them is that on New Year's Day, you are supposed to eat black-eyed peas for luck and greens for money.  And when people say "greens" in the South, they usually mean collard greens that are cooked with meat.   Here's a vegetarian "greens" recipe you can use for luck and money (and important nutrients!) in the new year.  It's not traditional, but it's good.  I got it from Jennifer Biggs's column in The Commercial Appeal.  She credited http://www.sweetandsavoryfoods.blogspot.com/.  I served the sautéed baby collard greens with black-eyed peas and sweet potato casserole (recipe here, topping here) for a delicious, balanced, and pretty seasonal meal.  The greens serve 2 - 4 people as a side dish.

Ingredients:

baby collard greens (The recipe calls for "one bunch" of collard greens, which is pretty ambiguous.  I got a bag of baby collards from a vendor at our local farmers' market, and I'd say it was about a 1.5-gallon bag that was full.  Remember that greens reduce in bulk significantly when cooked.)

2 T. olive oil

1 T. crushed red pepper flakes (The amount here scared me a little, but it was totally fine with the quantity of greens I used.)

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

salt, to taste

vinegar (optional), to taste (I didn't use it, but it's pretty common in the South to put vinegar on greens, so feel free to give it a whirl.)

Method:

Wash the collards well in a sink full of water.  You may need to wash them twice to get all the grit and dirt off.  Remove the thick stems by folding the leaves in half at the stem and ripping the stem out.  Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces, and whirl them in a salad spinner to get most of the water off.

In a large pan with a well-fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the red pepper flakes and the minced garlic, then add the collard greens and salt to taste (I salted pretty generously from a shaker...maybe 3 generous passes or so to start.), stirring everything to coat the leaves thoroughly.  Cover the pan, and allow the greens to steam for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until they have wilted.  Reduce heat to low and allow greens to continue to steam until a taste test reveals they are tender and flavorful.  Serve, splashed with vinegar if desired.

Herbed Rice

I got this recipe from Martha Stewart's Living magazine.  Although the thought of putting that much cilantro on anything does not turn me on and the thought of putting peppermint on rice is about equal in its attractiveness to me, something told me to give it a whirl.  And, of course, it works.  This rice is very fresh tasting, and it goes well with Asian-inspired or Middle-Eastern-inspired foods.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 c. water

1/2 c. packed fresh cilantro

1/4 c. packed fresh mint (I used peppermint.)

2 T. minced onion

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 T. olive or canola oil

1 c. jasmine rice

1 t. salt

Method:

Purée the water, cilantro, mint, onion, and garlic in a blender until smooth.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Add the jasmine rice, and stir to coat.  Cook until slightly toasted, 1 - 2 minutes.  Add the herb purée and salt.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand - still covered - for 10 minutes.  The herbs will have floated to the top of the rice.  Use a fork to evenly distribute the herbs into the rice and to fluff the rice.  Serve immediately.

Beth's Lentils

I got the original version of this recipe from Peta's cookbook The Compassionate Cook, which I highly recommend for great vegan food.  I don't know who Beth is, but her lentils are great!  And the ease of a one-pot meal is welcome on work nights.  Serve it with cornbread for a perfect cool-weather supper.

Ingredients:

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

between 1/2 and 1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced

crushed red pepper, to taste (optional - This dish is good with and without this ingredient.  Decide whether you're in the mood for something spicy tonight!)

1/2 t. dried thyme

3 c. vegetable broth or water

1 c. lentils (I used the tiny black French lentils, which gave the dish an elegant feel, but the the plain green lentils work fine, too.)

1 t. salt (or to taste)

2 14-oz. cans of chopped tomatoes (or maybe even the fire-roasted type of tomatoes)

4 or 5 large sprigs of fresh oregano (You can substitute 1 T. dried oregano if fresh is not available.)

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a small Dutch oven or large pan over medium heat.  Sauté the onion, carrot, and crushed red pepper (if using) in the oil until the onion is transluscent, about 5 minutes.  Add the thyme and sauté one minute longer.

Add all remaining ingredients except oregano, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook until the lentils are tender, about 50 minutes.  Add the oregano after simmering 40 minutes.  Serve immediately.