Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Rainbow Fried Rice #vegan


Rainbow Rice is such a fun dish to serve to our guest. I have been making this version of fried rice for years. We use a ton of fresh vegetables, some from our garden, and make it every week. My kids eat Rainbow Fried Rice as a snack or a replacement for any of their meals, breakfast included.

The recipe is basic but you can definitely alter any of the ingredients and add some too. I love to top mine with fresh avocado and black sesame seeds. If I am daring, then I will also include Sriracha Mayonnaise. I use my VEGAN MAYONNAISE and a little bit of the red hot stuff.


This is a sneaky parent trick, sneaking in as many vegetables as possible under the guise of fried rice, into a dish they love. I think using the rainbow as a guide when preparing our daily meals is a great way for me to think about the variety of vegetables available to my family each day. It encourages me to think outside the box and look for vegetables that might not be in our family's top ten list. We are often trying new things in order to achieve our "rainbow a day" mentality of eating our vegetables.

My kids, who mostly eat a plant-based diet, are still kids. They love their pasta, top ramen, noodles, crackers, bread, and all things carb related. I have to keep on top of their choices, otherwise, they would eat only pasta and bread. It's an easy habit to form and one that I hope we are teaching them to reevaluate. Some ways that I ensure they get at least a few fruit and vegetables in their diet each day are with morning smoothies. We fill them up first thing in the morning to start their days off with a bang of rainbow flavor. Then we have our favorite, Rainbow Fried Rice, available for lunch and dinner. I often make a homemade marinara sauce (which they love) that is also packed with vegetables.

It is challenging feeding our families nutritionally dense meals with how expensive groceries are becoming. This is another reason why we eat a lot of rice and beans in our diet. These are staples in many homes around the world and cost a fraction of what processed food or meat does. It makes our food budget stretch in the right direction. I went to the store yesterday and our bill was much higher, for the same foods I buy each week, by about $75.00. I was shocked! The events that are occurring in our world surrounding the flux in weather patterns are starting to affect the prices at our local grocery store.



We are trying to enlarge our garden for next year because I feel that the prices of our food may continue to increase. In some ways, being the Mom, I feel it is my job to find easy meals to prepare that are budget-friendly and still feed my kids the nutrients they need to extend their playtime, keep their minds sharp, and their bodies strong.

I am passionate about eating the rainbow and I will try my best to teach my kids this philosophy through preparing meals that introduces them to the rainbow of foods available, through my own example, and through educating them on the benefits of eating a plant-based diet.

I would love to hear your ideas of dishes you prepare that use an array of ingredients that represent the rainbow. Also, are you planning on changing the way your shop for food or starting your own garden, given the current tone of our nation and weather-related issues (hurricanes, tornados, fires, etc...)?

That was a lot of chatting just to get to the recipe below but we are living in some different times and different times require us to approach things, well, differently. I felt that I needed to share a bit about some of the changes we are trying to make possible in our own family to keep our food budget on track and plan for the future.


Rainbow Fried Rice #vegan

4-6 cups of day old rice (new rice seems to be a bit too sticky)
1/2 cup red onion, diced small
1/2 cup diced carrots, diced small
1/4 cup red, orange, or/and green bell pepper, diced small
1-2 small zucchini, diced small
1/4 cup celery, diced small
soy sauce, use gluten-free if necessary
oil, to fry vegetables in

Optional toppings: sesame seeds, avocado, minced nori sheet, Sriracha mayonnaise

1.  I prefer to use day of sushi rice to make this dish. I make it the night before, stir it, and leave it in the rice cooker. The next morning I stir it again to loosen up the clumps and ready it to be thrown into the fry pan.

2.  Slice and dice all  of the vegetables listed or of your own choice. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to hot pan and saute vegetables for 4-6 minutes.  Add rice and stir.

3.  The soy sauce is added to taste. My family prefers a darker looking rice so we add a few squirts. Soy sauce is salty so you don't want to add too much. Also, if they want more, they can add it to their own bowls of rice later.

4.  Remove from heat and serve. Serve with or without the options. Store all left overs in the refrigerator up to a week.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Aquafaba Mayonnaise #vegan



This recipe really excites me!  

I've been making this mayonnaise for about two years. It really does taste, feel and look like mayonnaise.  I guess that's because, to me and my family, this is our vegan mayonnaise.  

We use it on and in everything that calls for mayonnaise. What makes it so special to me is it taste just like mayonnaise used to taste when I was a kid. It could be my taste buds have changed but the mayonnaise, especially the vegan mayonnaise on the market, is bland and boring.  This has a hint of lemon, a touch of garlic, and a slight twang of salt.  

We have a friend staying in our home and he is slowly being introduced to all types of new flavors and foods.  This is his favorite!  Just the other day he had a good laugh.  He said, " I can't believe that I love fresh tomato on sliced bread with VEGAN mayonnaise."  


What is aquafaba?   It is the liquid that comes in a can of garbanzo beans or white beans.  I have used the liquid from great white northern beans too with great success. I personally do not notice a change in flavor if I use different liquids from different canned beans.  You can also make the beans from scratch and save the liquid.  I have yet to try this method.  If you google aquafaba you will be directed to a variety of recipes.  For me, I think egg whites describe what it looks like best.  The liquid has the same consistency and reacts the same in similar situations.  So far, I only have used the aquafaba to make this mayonnaise. Others have made meringue, frosting, omelets (egg free), cookies, cakes, etc...The list is getting longer and longer and for that, I am so excited.


As far as the oil goes, you can use a variety of oils to achieve slightly different flavor profiles. I personally have used Algae oil from Thrive, a light olive oil brand, avocado oil, and coconut oil (melted).  HUGE SIDE NOTE: if you decide to use coconut oil, then prepare for the mayonnaise to become hard in the fridge.  Not all is lost though. This happened to me. I simply warmed it up, stirred it, and then took my stick blender and re-whipped it to perfection.  I did this twice and each time the mayonnaise was successfully whipped to mayonnaise perfection.  

I really like the flavor profile when using the refined coconut oil. I might use this oil if I am making a small batch and I know that it will all be eaten that day or night.  





Eating only plants allows me to be creative in the kitchen, even more so than before when I ate meat, dairy, cheese, and eggs.  I have to get creative with flavor profiles and ingredients.  Some times I see myself as a mad scientist speaking a foreign language.  This happened last week.  In my excitement of sharing our plant based lifestyle with others, I decided to start a monthly potluck dinner for those who are transitioning to plants only, are already vegan, or have questions of where to begin. Everyone is welcome.  At our first meeting, we had three people. Two were brand new. I started rambling about ingredients, techniques, and recipes.  I could tell that I was losing them and I had to back up a little bit. The ingredients alone are quite foreign to those who don't prepare plant based foods from scratch: nutritional yeast, amino acids, aquafaba, miso paste, etc....

We are excited to meet next month. I met two new people today at the grocery store while standing in line to pay for our groceries. She looked at me and noticed that our purchases were very similar. I asked them if they were vegan. They said YES.  I invited them to our meeting next month along with their daughter.  I love to teach and share my ideas. This gathering is a place for us to find a community of like minded souls, to share in this journey, and to build a strong foundation for helping those who wish to also eat plants only.

Today while at church a lady said to me that it must be hard to be vegan at the beach.  I had to think about that for a minute. I replied, "not really."  I don't crave seafood anymore. I don't want to kill animals.  I believe living at the beach is the perfect place to practice a plants only lifestyle. I see the animals in our area not merely as food anymore. I see them as a friend.


Aquafaba Mayonnaise #vegan

1/2 cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite oil in liquid form
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh if possible
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
salt--start with 1 teaspoon and then add/taste, repeat
2 teaspoons minced garlic from a jar (raw garlic will be too strong)

TOOLS:  A stick blender is the only thing I have ever used to make this mayonnaise. Trying anything else may deliver different results. (The link is not an ad, it is only to show you what I mean when I say stick blender).  

1.  I use a quart canning jar because this recipe will make about 2-2.5 cups of mayonnaise.  Our family uses one quart a week. Add the aquafaba and all ingredients EXCEPT the oil.  Blend on low until bubbly.

2.  Slowly start adding the oil.  I have a way of holding the measuring cup on the rim of the canning jar and letting the oil sssllllooooowwwwllllyyy drizzle into the aquafaba mixture.  This takes about 8-10 minutes.  BE patient.  It will be very loose, and then suddenly it will come together. More oil will make the mayonnaise thicker.

3.  As you go, periodically taste your mayonnaise.  Add more salt, lemon, garlic, or mustard powdered based on how you and your family want your mayonnaise to taste.  Our family likes it to have a slight lemony flavor with a hint of garlic.

4.  When finished, refrigerate.  It should stay thick, unless you used coconut oil, for up to 7-9 days.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Cipollini Onion Vegetarian Sandwich


This sandwich is my new favorite. Why I never added these little sweet/tart onions before I don't know.  But I do know now and they are added regularly to all of my vegetarian sandwiches.

These little onions are pronounced (chip-oh-lee-knee) and are naturally sweet and white. The onions in my pictures are marinated and have an added flavor profile with tart and sweet results. I buy my onions from our local grocery store. They are found in the olive section. I have bought these before at Whole Foods too.

If you decide to buy these little morsels be prepared to encounter some peeling issues. Cooking Light has a nice piece about how to deal with the skin.

You can see from the picture below that adding them to your sandwich is easy. They are a little bit slippery-so be prepared. I slice the amount I need and then add them to the bread first. The bread kind of holds them on the sandwich.  I also use my favorite plant based mayonnaise. Recipe coming soon for the mayonnaise.


Of course, add as many as you want but I like to add a few more options to my sandwiches. For this sandwich I added: avocado, tomato, spinach, red onion, crispy jalapeno's, and orange bell pepper. Basically I want to eat the rainbow so I choose the ingredients that reflect that.

For the bread, I buy from our local bread shop a sour dough variety that is delicious. The name of it is Panini and the shop is small, smells amazing, and has really good baked goods.

This sandwich is not hard. I just wanted to share with you my new found obsession for these little onions.  They are an easy addition to any sandwich or bagel.

Eating vegetable sandwiches can get boring if you stick to the same basic ingredients and this is why I am always on the hunt for additional toppings.

ENJOY!

Sherron

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Sweet Potato Tacos





Mini tacos are the best.

I bought these 4in round corn tortillas from Fred Meyer and can't stop using them. I thought for sure they would be too small but the reality is they are just right.  

Sweet Potatoes make a great alternative filling to meat.  The sweetness countered with any spice you add to your taco sets the tone for a yummy experience. 

The sweet potatoes can be baked the day before and reheated for a quick and easy dinner on the go or midnight snack.  School keeps me up at night and midnight snacks are once again something I contend with. 

The cool thing about tacos is they can be layered with a variety of toppings to create a variety of flavor profiles.

Some of my favorite toppings are: avocado, lettuce, onion, tomato, Chalula, jalapenos, black olives, and cheese.  (Use vegan cheese if you need to.)

Overall, the mini's are just fun!  They look cute on your plate and are just the right size to hold.  A couple of bites and your done. On to the next one. 

To prepare my sweet potatoes I preheated the oven to 400 degrees.  Cubed them about all the same size and tossed them in a bowl with: oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.  Baked until crispy on one side. My oven took about 45 minutes.

The tortilla's I heated on my cast iron griddle for a few seconds on each side. No oil needed.

I precut the toppings and grated our favorite cheese.

We each made our own taco's using which ever toppings suited our fancy at the time.

Then, we went back for seconds.

Another easy dinner idea and option for busy parents and families on the go.

ENJOY!

Sherron


Friday, July 15, 2016

Black Bean Nachos


Easy meal preparation is where I am at with summer school in full swing and running in a variety of directions with kids and their never ending list of activities.

Nacho's are quickly becoming a staple on my menu of easy recipes.  The key for me is finding new and creative ways to reinvent an oldie but goodie.  I know I sound like a broken record but we have slowly been cutting back on our meat consumption and replacing our decision with more beans, rice and vegetables. Insert Charlie Brown and his wha wha wha blah blah blah voice.



I had a helper for this shoot. Can you guess who?  Finnley loves being my assistant.  Especially when I put the food on the floor and she can easily sample the dishes.  I can say that most of my recipes are kid tested and approved.  She has a healthy appetite and her palate is quite extensive for only being two.  She tries everything and I appreciate that.  Unlike my nine year old who only likes three things. Ramen, candy, and cereal.  I will save that battle story for another post.  Just know it keeps me up at night trying to figure out new and creative ways of sneaking healthy food into her diet.


Cabbage on nacho's might sound crazy, and well, maybe it is.  I think it's refreshing and adds so much color to an already bright dish.

Try it--you may just like it!



Black Bean Nachos

1/2 bag of your favorite tortilla chips
1 fresh tomato, diced small
1 ripe avocado, diced small
2-4 tiny bell peppers, orange and red, sliced in rings
2-3 cups of shredded purple cabbage
2 cups of shredded white cheddar (use Vegan cheese if this is your eating style)
Salsa Verde--RECIPE HERE
Black Beans--RECIPE HERE (Use can if that is all you have)

1.  Spread chips all over a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle cheese.  Broil until melted.

2.  Add the remaining ingredients. NOTE:  You can warm the black beans up in the microwave so they are not cold from the can or fridge.



Recipe by Sherron Watson

Friday, June 24, 2016

Dang Good Black Beans


My family likes beans.  They always have and we eat a lot of beans.  I know some diets don't allow for beans and this recipe won't be for you.  I am going to assume that if you are reading this then you CAN eat beans and this recipe might just work.

I make this all the time when time is short and I want a dish that will fill my belly with food.  Rushing to and from school, I find myself, needing to eat before I go.  This can be made in a few short minutes.  I personally like it the next day.  With that in mind, I will make a batch the day before and have it pre-portioned in the fridge.  Labelled: MINE.  Just kidding.

One of the reasons we love Newport so much is this beautiful bridge.  When we left Annapolis a year ago we were always amazed by the Bay Bridge that went over the Chesapeake Bay.  To our delight we have an equally stunning bridge that crosses over the Yaquina Bay.  What we find on the other side of this bridge is amazing beaches, my school, the aquarium, and a fabulous little hole in the wall for Fish-n-Chips. 


Look at the picture above.  The cloud picture was taken just as I came out of the arc.  This image just blew me away at how glorious our world is.  The clouds reminded me of brush strokes on a painting.  They were placed almost too perfect.  The whole sky was filled with these wispy white clouds.



South Beach is a favorite of ours.  We will often take friends and family there.  The beach is long and great for walking.  It produces some great agates and sand dollars.  The views are breath taking. Many times we will get a chance to watch surfers tackling the rough seas. I would never have guessed that Oregon had so many surfers.  We do!  They come from all over to surf our waves.


Oh, and here we are again back at the Black Beans.  ENJOY!

  Dang Good Black Beans

1 can rinsed black beans
2 teaspoons oil (I use Ghee for everything)
1/2 bell pepper, any color, sliced
2 tablespoons red onion, diced medium
1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8-1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 raw jalapeno, sliced for garnish and diced small to include (if you want it spicy)
garnish-Cilantro
lime juice, to taste

1.  Be sure to rinse your black beans.  Add at the very end!  If you don't do this, they will become mushy.

2. In a saute pan, warm oil.  Add red onion and bell pepper. Saute until soft.  Add spices.  When combined, turn off heat.  Add black beans and gently fold together. Do not over stir or you will end up with mortar paste.

3.  At this time you can add jalapeno and lime juice.  Taste and adjust.  Garnish with cilantro.

4.  Refrigerate any left overs.  Good for 3-5 days.  Reheat in the microwave.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Pink Pasta...Because Why Not.


Can I tell you how excited I am to be back at work.  It has been two long years of juggling 4 kids, a move cross the USA, a husband that works from home and than my choice to return to school and all that entails.   The last two years has taught me a lot.  I have learned that I need to be constantly learning and improving or I get depressed. My brain needs stimulation or it goes crazy.  I enjoy what I do and I want to be better at it.  I want to write more and cook more.  It's been forever since I have felt that way.  

I have a gap in kids that will allow me to find the time to squeeze in a few more years of education. Isabella is 9 and that leaves me with 9 years to "edu-ma-cate" my silly self.  I am pretty excited.


My busy life has forced me to simplify my cooking.  My eating habits have evolved as well.  I find myself in the kitchen with less prep, tastier dishes, and more time to do other things.  I made macarons the other day with my daughter and holy shit those take a long time.  SOOOO much work! Secretly, they tasted amazing; but, I realized how much my approach has changed in the last two years and I love it.  

I love simple foods, with whole ingredients.  I like having my shopping cart bulging to capacity with vegetables.  My family appreciates this too. 


This recipe is fun.  It made the kids smile to see pink noodles.  Easy slip of a bit of red food coloring during the final stages of boiling the noodles and presto-bammo you have a kid friendly dinner.  

Cory made the sauce the night before (he is a keeper that guy of mine) which made dinner even better because all I have to do is reheat the sauce and grate some cheese.  


I even had Cory pose with the spaghetti.  This is a comical process seeing how our 2 year old is not used to both of her parents being tied up with photographing food. She wanted in on the action and while I snapped away, she tried to climb Cory's legs.  We laughed so hard at our life.  We are almost 50 and dealing with a two year old.....crazy!  She does keep us young and we love her so much.


Cory's sauce is simple (recipe below).  Add the following ingredients and let it simmer until reduced to the desired thickness.

Ingredients:  1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/4 diced red onion, 1 cup of fresh mushrooms sliced, 1 small zucchini sliced, and two cans of diced tomato with juice, and one can of tomato sauce.  For the fresh herb he added fresh basil and oregano.

He's a man that does not cook in the kitchen very often so his technique is "throw it in a pan with some oil and let it simmer".  Seriously, this is what he does and it turns out great every time.

As I always recommend with my recipes, taste the sauce and make your own assessment.  Be your own quality control and add salt as needed.  Let me know if you have any questions. I'm around.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Kale Salad with Maple Dijon Salad Dressing



Well, here I am.  Two weeks into school and my life is busy and exciting.  I have not felt so alive in a long time.  I struggled for quite some time to justify my decision of returning to school and pursuing my education. I was taught that my job was in the home.  I have supported my family and husband and watched with elation as they have met their goals, dreamed their dreams, and obtained their educational degrees as well.  I played the part of supporting actress, high spirited cheerleader and motivational speaker for some time.  I have been a stay at home mom for 21 years.  This role has brought me great joy, and yet recently, I have felt empty.

Something inside of me was not right.  I struggled to place my finger on exactly what was causing me to drop into depression, suffer from anxiety, doubt myself, and, I was aware that I was slowing drifting away from my life.  The island, that is my family, was slowly drifting further from the raft that I was floating in.  I felt the embrace of being pulled under or away.


It wasn't until things came to a head this summer after moving into our home that I realized I needed a direction.  I needed to do something for me.  My unhappiness with myself was affecting my family, my relationship with my husband, and with my life.  I needed a life line.

Facing the strange fear of possibly losing it all--I made a decision.  Cory has never ever once told me to not go to school.  It's the opposite.  He never wanted me to quit and has pushed me onto this course for some time.  I finally took the bait and did what I thought was impossible, I enrolled in school.  Knee shaking, heart pulsing--I was accepted.  I told my family and they have supported me 100%.
  

This one decision will affect our family.  Cory is still working from home but he still needs to work so I have been able to adjust my schedule so that he can work and then take care of Finnley while I am away a few hours each day.  Isabella is back in school for this school year.  Rye is working and her schedule allows her to help while I am at class too.  This whole process is teaching us to work as a team.  I am learning that I can let go of the steering wheel for a while and someone else in my family can drive the "home" ship just fine without me.  I needed to learn this lesson.

 
Cory and Rye are so cute because the other day they reassured me that I did not need to do all of the cooking.  They were capable of making a variety of dishes and they had my blog to fall back on.  I can't tell you how happy this makes me feel.  I still cook a lot but the responsibilities are being shared.

As for me, I feel good.  My spirits are high.  I am like a kid in a toy shop.  I never knew how addicting learning could be.  I am like a sponge.  I don't want school to end.  My goals are hefty and I am looking at 6 years of college but I can do this.

Our meals have become easier and more fresh.  This kale salad is delightful.  The kale and swiss chard work well together to create the base for this winter salad.  I have added a few crunch elements that my family likes but you can always exchange those for things you like more.  


Our favorite part about this salad is the Maple Syrup Dijon Salad Dressing. Twang meets sweet.  Together the flavor is "moorish" in the fact that I want more and more and more.

I hope you can appreciate Finnley as my photo assistant.  I have come a long ways since the first few years of taking pictures.  I had this idea that they needed to look perfect.  Those days are long gone.  The pictures you see are my life.  A busy Mom trying to blog, cook, photograph, write, go to school, clean house, help with homework, do homework, be a partner for my husband and still find time to pursue the things I like to do.  Finnley is my life right now and for now on you may see her foot, finger, hand, head, or shoulder in a picture or two.  I wouldn't have it any other way either. I love those little glimpses of her still small frame.

Too soon, I will have an empty home and my life will slow down.  I am trying so hard to find the balance and help my whole family achieve their goals, dreams, and personal educational needs.

It's challenging but so worth it.

Kale Salad with Maple Dijon Salad Dressing

Salad:

4 large winter kale leaves, center vein removed
4 large swiss kale leaves, center vein removed
1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried pomegranates
1/2 cup sesame seed covered cashews
1 lemon, juice only

Dressing:

1/4 cup sunflower oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
REAL maple syrup, to taste
salt if needed
pepper to taste
dash of garlic powder

1. Cut the kale and swiss chards into bite size pieces or narrow strips. I like the strips personally.  Add the remaining ingredients; toss to combine.  Squeeze the whole lemon over the salad and massage into the kale and swiss chard.  This should be done before adding the salad dressing.  Let sit for 15 minutes.

2.  In a small bowl, combine salad dressing ingredients.  Taste you product.  Add more mustard or syrup depending on how you think it taste.  Add salt if you think it needs it. Pour all of the dressing over the salad.

3.  Store left over salad in air tight container and refrigerate.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Jalapeno Fried Rice




My family has decided if I put jalapeno in any dish I make, it instantly becomes a hit.  This rice dish did not disappoint the family on a day when it was cold, rainy and gray.   

Very, very gray is how I would describe this time of year at the beach.  We get very few brights sunny days and having a bit of color in our food and on our walls helps with the blues.  When we were looking at homes the one thing that seemed to be common in each of the homes we liked were the painted walls.  Not white, cream or beige but bright orange, vibrant blue, canary yellow, and cherry red.  Bright and cheery and a bit of an eye sore when you see these rooms in person.  

I get it now though.  I see why the homes here have a lot of personality on the inside.  Those of us that live on the Oregon Coast spend a great deal of time inside the walls of our brick and mortar dwellings.  What has saved us from being down on these extended gray days are the windows in our own home.  Our living room has 10 huge windows and each and every day we get to watch the gray roll in and the gray roll out.  There is beauty in a monochromatic scene that I did not appreciate until we found ourselves immersed deep inside the gray-dom of living along a stretch of the West Coast that is simply breathtaking.  


I have never lived in a place that is constantly changing.  One day the beach has sand dunes and the next day it is flat.  The logs the size of telephone poles come to the shore with such ease that you forget that they are 25 feet tall.  They stack themselves like toothpicks near the sand dunes and in any nook they can find. Walking on the same beach you will have sun and then rain and probably more sun.

The weather is always changing and the weather is always changing the landscape.    Change, in my opinion, is good.

I guess this why I need to change up our fried rice a bit.  I won't lie and say I don't miss the bacon, egg and fried onion of my old fried rice recipe.  Bacon just adds a level of saltiness and smokiness that is hard to find in other products.  I don't like the Vegan Bacon and so I am learning to live without bacon.  My mind misses it but my body does not.  This body of mine does not process meat very well and we have been eating a plant based diet for some time.  

For this recipe I went with the spicy route.  We love all things hot.  Jalapeno's are a great way to infuse flavor and color into any rice dish.  This dish is flavored with a combination of Tamari (wheat free soy sauce) and Braggs Amino Acids.  I kept the veggies simple: garlic, onion and bell pepper with jalapeños and green onions thrown in at the very end.  

The ingredients on the list are the basics--designed for individuals who don't want raging hot fried rice, BUT, if your dinner crowd likes it extra HOT HOT HOT, well then, you might want to up the Sriracha Sauce and the jalapeños. Just go for it!


Jalapeno Fried Rice 

2-3 cups of day old prepared rice
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1/4 cup bell pepper, sliced
1 teaspoon garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari sauce
2 tablespoons Braggs Amino Acids
1/2-1 whole fresh jalapeno pepper, I remove the seeds
salt to taste
chopped sliced green onions for garnish
Sriracha Mayonnaise 

1.  Heat oil in large saute pan.  Add onion and bell pepper.  Let cook until tender.  Add garlic.  Cook for 1 minute.

2.  Sprinkle day old rice over cooked vegetables.  Add the soy sauce/tamari/ Braggs and stir.  At this point--add more of these liquids--as needed.  If it looks dry, then add more.  Stir to combine.

3.  Slice jalapeno's thinly and add to cooked rice and vegetables.  Remove from heat and let jalapeños warm and wilt a bit.  

4.  Prepare Sriracha Mayonnaise by combining equal parts--if your brave--and mixing well. OR add more mayonnaise and a dab of the red stuff.   Dish up rice, criss cross the sauce across the top with a piping bag or a spoon and sprinkle with green onions.

OH, and be prepared to share the recipe--people want this one!


Friday, January 1, 2016

Gooey Hasselback Sweet Potatoes


Sweet potatoes in January?  Yep!  We are starting our year off right, in my opinion.

We eat these all year round plus I needed a reason to make marshmallows.  I think everyone needs a reason to make marshmallows.  They are beyond amazing.  I personally don't like the texture of store bought marshmallows and was leary of making them for the kids.

Little did I know that I would be hiding said "crack" from the kids because if they touched my marshmallows--someone was going down.  They are ridiculously easy to make and WAY better than the store bought version.

Now don't go crazy--you can use the store bought marshmallows for this recipe. I still buy them on occasion BUT just in case you want to try and make them yourself--GO HERE!  I love this recipe and mine turn out great each time.



Back to the sweet potatoes.  I was curious about this thing that people are always posting titled " hasselback" this and "hasselback" that.  I dug deeper and found that it has to do with the way you cut your potatoes and there is a recipe that was originated in Sweden. If you would like to see that one--go here!  I'm not sure they would approve of using a sweet potato so don't tell them.  It's our secret.

It's fancy and different.  I wasn't too impressed with it because of the stress I put on myself of cutting the damn thing in half--then what?  I like mine just fine baked the old fashion way but for variety I would suggest trying it for company. A gourmet presentation with a simple technique.

I gussied mine up with homemade marshmallows and a pecan crumble.  After that I didn't care how they were cut.


Gooey Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

4 sweet potatoes
1/4-1/3 batch fresh marshmallows or 4 large store bought marshmallows
pecan crumble--recipe below

Pecan Crumble (Make ahead--see below)
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. chopped pecans 

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Wash and slice sweet potatoes into thin rows.  Do not cut through the entire potato.  To make this easy, I laid a set of chopsticks out and put the potato in the middle.  Then I held all three together while I sliced away.  The chopsticks prevented me from cutting the potato all the way through. 

2.  I baked the potatoes until soft, about 45-60 minutes in my oven.  I laid the marshmallows across the top and returned to oven until melted.  I added the premade crumble before I served them.

To make the Pecan Crumble: Mix ingredients together and spread in the bottom of a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Check and add time if needed.  Once cooled, use a metal or plastic spatula and break apart.  I would recommend parchment paper--this helps because you can lift the parchment and break it apart.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Ramen



Ramen rules the roost in our house.  I bet we make it twice a week. It is a dish everyone in our family will like and slurp up.  I rarely hear grunts, moans or words of displeasure of what we are having for lunch or dinner on these nights.

Our recipe for this dish is simple.  We use Japanese ramen noodles that I buy from Mai's (our local asian store in town) and use a vegetable broth seasoned with Tamari Sauce (gluten free soy sauce).  I have also thrown in a spoonful of miso soup base for added flavor. We include carrots, green onion, red onion and mushrooms.  We have also added: zucchini, hard boiled eggs, meat (if our guest eat meat), and celery.

Honestly, you can add anything you want to your ramen bowl.  The broth is a blank canvas and you can fill it up with what your family enjoys.  Make it your own. This is just what we do because its quick and makes the kids happy.  The kids don't want fancy or sophisticated.  It took me a while to figure this out but I am finally catching on to this whole parenting thing....kind of.

In fact, we eat ramen so much in our house during these cold and rainy days that I invested in a set of Ramen bowls.  I love them.  I tried to buy them all a bit different. I love how they all work together with their own vibrant patterns showing off their own ramen noodles.  I paid about $14.00 a piece for them.  I have no idea if this is a good deal or not...but, they have been used a ton in the last month we have owned them.

A few weeks ago Cory brought home a selection of ramen noodles.  I am not talking about the prepackaged/all in one ramen noodles that sell for 5/1.00.  These are ramen noodles sold like Italian pasta noodles.  We tried fresh, frozen and dried.  They were from 5 different countries.  To be honest, the differences were minor but we kept going back to the Japanese brand as our favorite.  The taste and texture fit with what our expectation of a ramen noodle should be like.

The kids could care less...they just want ramen noodles.

The Japanese ramen noodles were the most expensive so beware of price.  They all have different price points and different ingredients.  Some were made with 2 ingredients and others had 5-6.  If this is important to you then read the labels.

Ramen
This is enough for 4 bowls.  The amounts will vary based on how many bowls you are preparing.  We usually plan on one cup of broth per bowl.  People are here for the noodles..LOL

4 cups of broth-vegetable, beef, or chicken
1-2 tablespoons of Tamari or Soy Sauce
1/4 cup of sliced red onion
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup green onion
1/4 cup sliced carrots
1/5 cup sliced mushrooms

optional additions are: meat, hard boiled egg, zucchini, or what ever you want

1.  Cut vegetables into small slices, dices or pieces.  Add to broth.

2.  Heat broth to very hot.  We never boil the broth.  Keep broth very hot until vegetables are tender.

3. In a separate pot bring desired amount of water to a boil (see noodle instructions).  Add noodles and cook.  Drain and add to individual bowls.  Our noodles take about 6 minutes to cook.

4.  Add broth and veggies to noodles.  Add any other toppings to your ramen bowl. Serve.

This is a version where we used larger rice noodles and added fresh cilantro.  Keepin' it different!





Friday, December 11, 2015

Chinese Tofu Salad with Cashews



Cory and I used to make Chinese Chicken Salad all the time.  You may remember, it was the salad with Top Ramen added and sometimes served with chicken.  Since we are staying away from a lot of process food the Top Ramen is out.  We also have cut back on our meat.  Cabbage salad sounded boring.  I took the initiative to mix and match my ingredients to come up with a new version for our family and renamed it Chinese Tofu Salad.

It's not exactly like the salad we used to make but it had familiar notes to it.  I think he liked it because he went back for seconds and then thirds.

I used the Fried Tofu from Tuesdays recipe to top our salad.  I like warm protein on my salads.  The process of making fried tofu is in Tuesdays blog post. It is simple and creates a nice warm element to this salad.  

I also toasted sesame seeds and cashews.  The fried tofu, toasted sesame seeds and cashews create a party in your mouth.  The different flavor profiles with the simple dressing explode with flavor and freshness. 


Chinese Tofu Salad with Cashews and Sesame Seeds

1/2 head of cabbage, cut any way you like
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup toasted cashews
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
2 stalks of celery, sliced thin
green onion for garnish on top
Fried Tofu-optional (see post for instructions on how to make)

Dressing:

3 tablespoons rice wine
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
3-5 drops of sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1-2 teaspoons sugar or coconut sugar

1.  Mix salad ingredients together.

2.  Combine dressing ingredients together.  Taste to make sure it is balanced correctly. Adjust with more rice wine, soy sauce or sugar.

3.  Pour dressing over salad and toss.  Add tofu to individual plates of salad. Garnish with green onion pieces.

Donut Breakfast Casserole

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