Stir Fry with Panko Breaded Tofu

Tofu
1 container extra-firm tofu
about 3 tbsp flour
1 egg
about 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
spices (to taste): garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper
1 cup vegetable oil

Stir Fry
handful of dry udon noodles
stir fry vegetables (I used broccoli and green beans. You could also use red pepper, mushroom, carrot, onion, baby corn, water chestnut, etc.)
10 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
fresh grated ginger
sesame oil
dash of soy sauce
Sriracha (chili sauce)
sesame seeds

1. Prepare noodles.

2. Prepare tofu: slice into rectangles. Coat first with flour, then with egg, and finally with panko bread crumbs that have been seasoned with the salt, garlic powder, and cayenne. Fry in oil until GBD.

3. In a pan, heat up sesame oil. Saute vegetables and garlic with soy sauce and Sriracha. After vegetables have cooked for several minutes, stir in noodes and tofu cubes. Add more Sriracha and soy sauce if necessary. Add fresh ginger and sesame seeds and cook for another minute before serving.

Lentil Soup

This recipe is very inexpensive and makes a lot of soup. I freeze individual servings to warm up on a rainy day.

1 bag dry lentils
60 oz. tomato sauce (mine has: water, tomato paste, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, citric acid, natural flavors, dried bell pepper).
2 large white onions, diced
5-10 garlic cloves, sliced
3-4 carrots, sliced
4-5 celery sticks, diced
3-5 zucchinis (green squash), diced
2-3 tomatoes
2 packages frozen spinach
2 bay leaves
juice of 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
spices (to taste): cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper

In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery with about 1/4th cup olive oil, cayenne, and black pepper. When soft, add tomatoes and zucchini. Cook for several minutes. Add spinach, tomato sauce, bay leaves and lentils. Fill pot to the top with water. Cook until lentils are soft, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and spices, and cook until flavorful. After soup has cooled, add fresh lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, and more extra virgin olive oil for flavor.

Pizza Margherita

Special hardware required: pizza stone

Crust
1 envelope (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
3 cups flour, plus extra flour for kneading
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp corn oil

Toppings
1 large ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
fresh basil leaves
thinly sliced tomatoes
crushed red pepper
oregano
extra-virgin olive oil
tomato sauce (I start with canned tomato sauce, which includes: water, tomato paste, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, citric acid, natural flavors, and dried bell pepper. Sometimes I add other ingredients to the sauce, including olive oil, herbs, butter, spices, and white wine)

Crust (prepare at least 1 day before making pizza)

1. In a large bowl, mix yeast and warm water until yeast is dissolved, and allow to sit for a few minutes.

2. Add flour, salt, olive oil, and corn oil. Stir until a dough is formed.

3. Knead dough for about 5-10 minutes, adding more flour until dough is no longer sticky

4. Cover dough and allow to rise for about 45 minutes.

5. Split dough into 2-3 balls and place in plastic bags. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for one day before making pizza, or freeze for later use.

Pizza

1. Preheat oven (with pizza stone inside) to 500 degrees.

2. Cover dough with flour, and roll thin. I like to fold the dough over on itself several times to create flaky layers. Finally, roll out the dough so that it is about 1/4 inch thick.

3. You can use a different technique here, but I find it easiest to quickly build the pizza directly on the pizza stone. I remove the pizza stone from the oven (mine has convenient handles), place the dough on the pizza stone, and then follow with the toppings in the following order:

• olive oil (make sure to get the outside edges of the crust)
• oregano
  
• sauce
• mozzarella slices
• tomatoes
• basil leaves

4. Bake for about 10-15 minutes (or until GBD).

5. Top with crushed red pepper.

6. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Refreshing Herb Pasta Salad

I had something similar at a deli yesterday, and this is my version of the recipe. The mint and lemon juice make this salad very refreshing, and the feta gives it a nice creaminess.

1 box shell pasta
1 quart grape tomatoes
1 English cucumber
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
4 scallions (green onions)
1 bunch chives
1/2 cup feta cheese
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
spices (to taste): ground black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper

1. Prepare pasta. Drain and rinse.

2. Slice grape tomatoes lengthwise. Chop cucumber, chives, mint, basil, and scallions. Mix in a large bowl.

3. Prepare dressing by mixing olive oil, lemon juice, and spices.

4. Add dressing, pasta, and feta to vegetables. Stir together.

Allow to marinate overnight before serving.

Spicy Asian Salad

This summer salad would be perfect to bring to a pot luck lunch.

Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs
1 bag prepared shredded cabbage and carrots (coleslaw)
1 English cucumber
1 red bell pepper
2 jalapeno peppers
2 oranges
3 red and/or yellow tomatoes
4 scallions (green onions)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
8 cloves fresh garlic
1 handful fresh cilantro

Dressing
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp Sriracha (chili sauce)
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp Asian spice mix (mine includes: sugar, paprika, onions, garlic, chili, salt, coriander leaves, cumin, curcuma, chive, lemongrass, and lemon peel).

Toppings
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
crunchy Chinese noodles (optional topping)

1. In a small saucepan, heat sesame oil, Sriracha, soy sauce, sugar, and Asian spice mix. Stir until sugar and spice mix are dissolved.

2. Roughly chop orange, garlic, and jalapenos. Puree until smooth in a blender. Pureeing the jalapenos ensures that the hotness of the jalapenos is evenly distributed throughout the salad.

3. To finish dressing, mix sesame oil mixture from (1) and jalapeno puree from (2) with vinegar and ginger.

4. If sesame seeds and/or slivered almonds are not toasted, lay them flat on a tray and toast in the toaster oven for about 5 minutes.

5. Chop cucumbers, red bell pepper, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro. Mix in a large bowl with coleslaw.

6. Pour dressing, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds over salad and mix until thoroughly blended.

7. If desired, top with crunchy Chinese noodles immediately before serving.

TIPS:
-The hottest jalapenos are the ones with the most "stretch marks" or scars.
-Always keep sesame seeds and sesame oil in the refrigerator to prevent them from going rancid.
-English cucumbers are usually sold wrapped in plastic, not covered in wax like other cucumbers. You can quickly rinse them off and eat the skin.

Hi! Welcome to my food blog!

Welcome to my food blog! My name is Juliet, I'm a vegetarian, and I like to cook. People often ask for my recipes, so I started this blog.