Mmmmm... Just like the sandwiches you get at the Vietnamese Pho restaurants.
Tofu Bahn Mi
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup carrot, finely shredded
1/4 cup cucumber, finely shredded
1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 batch Marinated tofu, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 French baguette, warmed
1- Combine vinegar, sugar, garlic, and salt and mix well. Add carrots, cucumbers and onions and mix well.
2- Slice the baguette in half. Spread mayonnaise on one half and sprinkle the 5-spice powder evenly.
3- Layer tofu, carrot salad and cilantro, and top with other half of baguette.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Easy Weeknight Pasta I: Noodle Stir Fry
With an 8- and 6-year-old in the house, so much is at stake with every meal... Not only does there need to be enough nutrition, but every meal is also an opportunity to develop good manners, good attitudes about food, and general family bonding. There are so many expectations, and so little time. I somehow manage to do enough to keep everyone fed and fuel my culinary passions, but part of my sport is to also make meals that don't consume too much time.
Pasta is a definite go-to at dinner time. No matter what I do to it, I seem have one less food battle on my hands whenever I make pasta.
Welcome to the first of a series I like to call Easy Weeknight Pasta! For this installment of EWP, I took my inspiration from one of my favorite noodle dishes, Pad Thai. Noodles are stir-fried with vegetables, a handful of beans, a handful of nuts, and a flavorful sauce, and finished with aromatic herbs. My version does not claim to replace the Pad Thai of the world, but it definitely fills a void of flavorful stir-fried noodles on a busy Wednesday night...
Noodle Stir Fry
The noodles:
1 lb whole wheat gemelli pasta
The veggies:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small eggplant, cubed (1 1/2 cup)
a handful of shredded cabagge (1 cup)
a handful of sliced cremini mushrooms (1 1/2 cup)
a handful of garbanzo beans (1 cup)
a handful of slivered almonds (1/2 cup)
The sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
2 teaspoon store-bought curry paste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
The finish:
1 beaten egg
3 large basil leaves (thinly sliced)
1- Boil the pasta until tender.
2- In wok or large skillet, heat oil. Saute onions and garlic in oil.
3- Add all veggies and saute until golden, tossing frequently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4- In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and mix well.
5- Add noodles, sauce, and finish ingredients to the vegetables and cook on high until heated through, tossing constantly.
Pasta is a definite go-to at dinner time. No matter what I do to it, I seem have one less food battle on my hands whenever I make pasta.
Welcome to the first of a series I like to call Easy Weeknight Pasta! For this installment of EWP, I took my inspiration from one of my favorite noodle dishes, Pad Thai. Noodles are stir-fried with vegetables, a handful of beans, a handful of nuts, and a flavorful sauce, and finished with aromatic herbs. My version does not claim to replace the Pad Thai of the world, but it definitely fills a void of flavorful stir-fried noodles on a busy Wednesday night...
Noodle Stir Fry
The noodles:
1 lb whole wheat gemelli pasta
The veggies:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small eggplant, cubed (1 1/2 cup)
a handful of shredded cabagge (1 cup)
a handful of sliced cremini mushrooms (1 1/2 cup)
a handful of garbanzo beans (1 cup)
a handful of slivered almonds (1/2 cup)
The sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
2 teaspoon store-bought curry paste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
The finish:
1 beaten egg
3 large basil leaves (thinly sliced)
1- Boil the pasta until tender.
2- In wok or large skillet, heat oil. Saute onions and garlic in oil.
3- Add all veggies and saute until golden, tossing frequently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4- In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and mix well.
5- Add noodles, sauce, and finish ingredients to the vegetables and cook on high until heated through, tossing constantly.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Vegetable Mole Tacos
Long-time family friend and fellow hopeless foodie Jon "The Geek" Harmon recently caused a culinary stir here in Austin when he ate and blogged about the entire menu at a local favorite taco dive, Tacodeli. As a token for his efforts, the restaurant named a delicious taco after him and allowed him to design it. This past week was Jon The Geek Week at Tacodeli, and I got to eat the Jon the Geek special. It was so scrumptious, I wish I had ordered two! Dan, unfortunately, could not try it because Tacodeli's mole sauce has cashews in it (which he may be allergic to).
I had been wanting to make a mushroom mole dish for a while, and Jon's creation inspired me to make some mole tacos Dan could eat. These came out very yummy, and to add my joy, Daniela helped me make them. She jumped right in, declaring her love for sauteing vegetables. I never thought I would say this, but I have Nintendo's Cooking Mama to thank for this. :-)
The first time I made these, I used storebought mole sauce (La Coste~na brand) and really liked them. But, I have since then updated the recipe to use my homemade crockpot mole. As all things from scratch, that was even better.
Vegetable Mole Tacos
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 large onion, cut into thin strips
1 green bell peppers, cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 small eggplant, cut into thin strips
1 lb assorted mushrooms (I used a mix of portabellas and cremini), thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup mole sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 warm tortillas (I prefer corn)
1- Heat oil in a large pan. Saute all vegetables until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.
2- Add mole and water and mix well. Cook on medium until heated through.
3- Divide the mixture among the tortillas, and top with avocado and cheese.
I had been wanting to make a mushroom mole dish for a while, and Jon's creation inspired me to make some mole tacos Dan could eat. These came out very yummy, and to add my joy, Daniela helped me make them. She jumped right in, declaring her love for sauteing vegetables. I never thought I would say this, but I have Nintendo's Cooking Mama to thank for this. :-)
The first time I made these, I used storebought mole sauce (La Coste~na brand) and really liked them. But, I have since then updated the recipe to use my homemade crockpot mole. As all things from scratch, that was even better.
Vegetable Mole Tacos
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 large onion, cut into thin strips
1 green bell peppers, cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 small eggplant, cut into thin strips
1 lb assorted mushrooms (I used a mix of portabellas and cremini), thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup mole sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 warm tortillas (I prefer corn)
1- Heat oil in a large pan. Saute all vegetables until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.
2- Add mole and water and mix well. Cook on medium until heated through.
3- Divide the mixture among the tortillas, and top with avocado and cheese.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Garbanzos a la Vizcaina
Each year, my mom made for Good Friday a very traditional Spanish dish for the Lenten season, Bacalao a la Vizcaina. Flaked salted cod was layered with thin potato slices, onion rings, and a very savory tomato-based sauce, infused with garlic and olives, and then baked until the potatoes were tender. This was then served hot with white rice and eggs in some shape (usually hard boiled and sliced).
As young honeymooners in Spain and Portugal, Dan and I enjoyed bacalao in many dishes during our travels. Every year since starting our family, I have continued the Lenten tradition by making Bacalao a la Vizcaina at least once a year. If I had to pick a dish that represents Spanish cooking, Bacalao a la Vizcaina would be right up there with Tortilla Espa~nola for me.
I love this dish so much, I needed to find a backup in case the world runs out of cod someday. Garbanzo beans and diced eggplant offer textural elements similar to the salted cod, and a splash of soy sauce adds a remarkable umami note.
Garbanzos a la Vizcaina
1 14 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 8oz can tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup Spanish olives with pimientos, chopped
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, sliced
3 cups cooked garbanzo beans, roughly mashed
1 small eggplant, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1- Combine fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, cilantro, olives, and vinegar into a bowl and set aside.
2- Toss the potato slices with 2 tablespoons of oil and salt and pepper to taste.
3- Toss the eggplant with the soy sauce.
4- Brush remaining oil onto the bottom and sides of a 4-quart slow cooker insert.
5- Layer the following into the slow cooker insert:
1/3 of the potatoes
1/2 of the garbanzos
1/2 of the eggplant
1/2 of the tomato sauce mixture
1/2 of the onions
1/3 of the potatoes
rest of the garbanzos
rest of the eggplant
rest of the tomato sauce mixture
rest of the onions
rest of the potatoes
6 - Place the tomato slices as the top layer.
7- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
As young honeymooners in Spain and Portugal, Dan and I enjoyed bacalao in many dishes during our travels. Every year since starting our family, I have continued the Lenten tradition by making Bacalao a la Vizcaina at least once a year. If I had to pick a dish that represents Spanish cooking, Bacalao a la Vizcaina would be right up there with Tortilla Espa~nola for me.
I love this dish so much, I needed to find a backup in case the world runs out of cod someday. Garbanzo beans and diced eggplant offer textural elements similar to the salted cod, and a splash of soy sauce adds a remarkable umami note.
Garbanzos a la Vizcaina
1 14 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 8oz can tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup Spanish olives with pimientos, chopped
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, sliced
3 cups cooked garbanzo beans, roughly mashed
1 small eggplant, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1- Combine fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, cilantro, olives, and vinegar into a bowl and set aside.
2- Toss the potato slices with 2 tablespoons of oil and salt and pepper to taste.
3- Toss the eggplant with the soy sauce.
4- Brush remaining oil onto the bottom and sides of a 4-quart slow cooker insert.
5- Layer the following into the slow cooker insert:
1/3 of the potatoes
1/2 of the garbanzos
1/2 of the eggplant
1/2 of the tomato sauce mixture
1/2 of the onions
1/3 of the potatoes
rest of the garbanzos
rest of the eggplant
rest of the tomato sauce mixture
rest of the onions
rest of the potatoes
6 - Place the tomato slices as the top layer.
7- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Meatless Tortilla Lasagna
Similar to my Mexican Lasagna, this dish uses homestyle corn tortillas instead of lasagna noodles. Everything else about it is similar to traditional meatless Italian lasagna.
Meatless Tortilla Lasagna
1/2 batch of Lentil Spaghetti Sauce
12 homestyle corn tortillas, cut in semi-circles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
2 cups lowfat cottage cheese
3 cups spinach or arugula leaves
cooking spray
1- Coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
2- Combine the mozarella, Parmesan, and fontina cheeses. Set aside.
3- Layer the following on the pan:
1/3 of the sauce
6 of the tortilla semi-circles
1/2 of the cottage cheese
1/2 of the spinach or arugula
6 of the tortilla semi-circles
1/3 of the sauce
1/2 of the mozzarella cheese mixture
6 of the tortilla semi-circles
rest of the cottage cheese
rest of the spinach or arugula
rest of the tortilla semi-circles
rest of the sauce
rest of the mozzarella cheese mixture
4- Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. Overnight works nicely.
5- Bake covered at 400 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or so, until the cheese starts to brown on top.
6- Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Meatless Tortilla Lasagna
1/2 batch of Lentil Spaghetti Sauce
12 homestyle corn tortillas, cut in semi-circles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
2 cups lowfat cottage cheese
3 cups spinach or arugula leaves
cooking spray
1- Coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
2- Combine the mozarella, Parmesan, and fontina cheeses. Set aside.
3- Layer the following on the pan:
1/3 of the sauce
6 of the tortilla semi-circles
1/2 of the cottage cheese
1/2 of the spinach or arugula
6 of the tortilla semi-circles
1/3 of the sauce
1/2 of the mozzarella cheese mixture
6 of the tortilla semi-circles
rest of the cottage cheese
rest of the spinach or arugula
rest of the tortilla semi-circles
rest of the sauce
rest of the mozzarella cheese mixture
4- Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. Overnight works nicely.
5- Bake covered at 400 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or so, until the cheese starts to brown on top.
6- Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Samosas
As far as I am concerned, no other cuisine prepares potatoes better than the Indian, and samosas rank near the top of my list of favorite eats. My good friend and colleague Vyshali recently clued me into her trick to take the hard work out of samosas. Now we can enjoy them any night of the week! Good timing for this too... Daniela recently had a samosa pastelillo and was in love. I should have known... potatoes wrapped in crispy dough... What's not to love?
Vyshali's original direction suggested frying the samosas. But, unfortunately, whenever someone says "fry" I always hear "bake". Ooops. ;-) These did great in the oven. And Daniela promptly claimed the leftovers for her lunchbox.
Samosas
8 flour tortillas, cut in half (semi-circles)
2 cups frozen hash brown potato cubes, thawed
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon All-Purpose flour
1-2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1- Preheat oven to 400.
2- Place the potatoes, spices, stock, salt and pepper in a sauce pan, and cook on low until heated through and stock has evaporated.
3- Whisk the flour and enough water to make a moderately thick slurry. It should be the look and consistency of Elmer's glue.
4- Warm the tortilla semicircles in the microwave (about 20 seconds on high).
5- Shape each tortilla piece into a cone. Brush some of the flour "glue" along the loose edge and press it against the body of the cone to secure the shape. Hold the edge in place for a few seconds and place the cone to dry in a wire rack while the rest of the tortilla cones are shaped.
6- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of potato filling into each cone and pack well into the cone. Pinch top edges of the cone together and secure with more flour "glue". The filled cones should now look like triangular pillows.
7- Place the filled tortillas on a baking sheet and brush the oil.
8- Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the tops start to brown. Turn each tortilla over and bake and additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Vyshali's original direction suggested frying the samosas. But, unfortunately, whenever someone says "fry" I always hear "bake". Ooops. ;-) These did great in the oven. And Daniela promptly claimed the leftovers for her lunchbox.
Samosas
8 flour tortillas, cut in half (semi-circles)
2 cups frozen hash brown potato cubes, thawed
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon All-Purpose flour
1-2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1- Preheat oven to 400.
2- Place the potatoes, spices, stock, salt and pepper in a sauce pan, and cook on low until heated through and stock has evaporated.
3- Whisk the flour and enough water to make a moderately thick slurry. It should be the look and consistency of Elmer's glue.
4- Warm the tortilla semicircles in the microwave (about 20 seconds on high).
5- Shape each tortilla piece into a cone. Brush some of the flour "glue" along the loose edge and press it against the body of the cone to secure the shape. Hold the edge in place for a few seconds and place the cone to dry in a wire rack while the rest of the tortilla cones are shaped.
6- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of potato filling into each cone and pack well into the cone. Pinch top edges of the cone together and secure with more flour "glue". The filled cones should now look like triangular pillows.
7- Place the filled tortillas on a baking sheet and brush the oil.
8- Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the tops start to brown. Turn each tortilla over and bake and additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Black Bean Brownies, Semi-Homemade
One day I got home from work and decided everyone wanted black bean brownies. But it was one of those days... After a long day at the office I just didn't feel like measuring and whisking a gizillion ingredients. So I channeled my inner Sandra Lee and grabbed that box of brownie mix from my pantry...
It IS perfectly fine to take a shortcut sometimes. Right?
Black Bean Brownies, Semi-Homemade
1 18-20oz box brownie mix*
1 teaspoon corstarch
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Optional:
a dash of cinnamon
a dash of cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk brownie mix and cornstarch (and optional ingredients). In a medium bowl, whisk the water and oil. In a food processor, process the beans until smooth. Add the water and oil mixture to the beans and continue processing until completely blended. Add the bean mixture to the brownie mix mixture and stir to combine. Pour onto prepared pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack.
* I have tried this recipe with the following brownie mix brands:
Ghirardelli Double Chocolate (20 oz)
Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies
It IS perfectly fine to take a shortcut sometimes. Right?
Black Bean Brownies, Semi-Homemade
1 18-20oz box brownie mix*
1 teaspoon corstarch
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Optional:
a dash of cinnamon
a dash of cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk brownie mix and cornstarch (and optional ingredients). In a medium bowl, whisk the water and oil. In a food processor, process the beans until smooth. Add the water and oil mixture to the beans and continue processing until completely blended. Add the bean mixture to the brownie mix mixture and stir to combine. Pour onto prepared pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack.
* I have tried this recipe with the following brownie mix brands:
Ghirardelli Double Chocolate (20 oz)
Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies
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