Ginger-Cashew Tempeh Stirfry {Vegan}

Happy Friday!  I made a pretty cool discovery at Trader Joe's this afternoon - they now carry organic 3-grain tempeh!

 

Tempeh is a great source of vegan protein. It's heartier than tofu, which would lend itself well to marinating & grilling.  I had to pick some up, and glad I did.

Flyin' solo this Friday night, I whipped up this nutrient dense vegan meal for one and served with a glass TJ's Green Fin Organic White wine.

Ginger-Cashew Tempeh Stirfry

Serves 2
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 minutes

Stirfry Ingredients:
1 T safflower oil
1 package tempeh
1 oz raw cashews, roughly chopped
6-8 shitake mushrooms
1 c pea sprouts, a little more to top
1 c baby spinach
1 small white onion, finally sliced
2 carrots, finely sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1.5-2  in chunk ginger, roughly chopped

Sauce Ingredients:
2T Bragg's Amino Acid
1 T safflower oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 lemon, small orange or lime,  juiced (I used lemon)
2 tsp. Sriracha sauce (or use chili paste)

Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside. Heat a large sautee pan to medium.  Add 1 T of the oil, and warm it.   Add garlic, onions and ginger and sautee for about a minute.  Then add zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, cashews and tempeh.  Sautee for another 3 minutes or so, until veggies are almost done.  Lastly, add the pea sprouts, spinach and the sauce.  Sautee for 30 more seconds.  Top with more cashews and pea sprouts.   Serve over rice if you want...but this plant-based meal was hearty enough to eat on its own.  YUM.

Nutrition per serving:

568 calories

44 g carbs

32 g fat 

28 g protein

My Real Food Grocery Shopping List

Since I've had several people ask, here's what I generally buy during my weekly grocery stopping trip - or - make sure is in stock at home.   This is for two people, and we spend on average about $95/week and do not eat out very often.

In order of WHERE I source food:

#1 My own organic backyard garden (this time of year)!
#2 Farm Market -or-local Farmer
#3 Trader Joe's
#4 Meijer
#5 Other - Whole Foods, Kroger, Plum Market, etc.

Fresh Produce & Protein (WEEKLY):

1-2 dozen eggs (free-range)

3-5 avocados (some ripe, some firm)

1 big bunch bananas

1 big bag organic apples - OR - another fruit like kiwi, pineapple

1 bag organic white onions (used in soup bases, in rice pilafs, etc.)

2-3 heads organic garlic

1 organic, free range chicken (now found at Meijer! but I try to get from Farmers when possible)

1 block FIRM ORGANIC TOFU 

Grass Fed butter

1-2 lb carrots (whole, not baby carrots)

1 bag organic Celery hearts 

-AND- Various veggies that are on sale or look good: 

Mushrooms, most weeks

Red or green cabbage - for making ferments!

Bell Peppers

Beets

Tomatoes

Broccoli or cauliflower

Kale or other Dark Leafy Greens

Lemons

Potatoes (sweet potatoes or regular...mix it up)

Spinach or arugula (for salads)

Freezer items: 

These are not necessarily weekly, but as needed

Wild Blueberries

Organic peas

Wild Caught Shrimp

Wild Caught Cod or other White Fish

Wild Caught Salmon

Organic Yak or Lamb (local)

Pantry Items to keep in stock:

These are not necessarily weekly, but as needed

Natural peanut, almond or sunflower butter

Fair trade coffee

Raw Organic Sugar

Tea

Almonds (to make my own almond milk) - 1 lb/week

Whole Oats

Cashews, Pepitas 

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (for making dressings...just whisk together, add some herbs)

Coconut oil (great for stir frys and a body lotion)

Local Honey

BPA-free cans of organic tomato sauce, paste

Assortment of DRIED beans, garbanzo beans (Soak overnight)

Brown Rice Pasta

Rice

Herbs/spices

Specialty Items that I personally can't live without and keep on hand :)

Flax Seeds (for making my amazing knock-off Lara bars)

Dates
Sesame Seeds
Sesame oil
Tahini
Gomasio

Bee Pollen

Sea Veggies (dulse, seasonings, etc.)

Sriracha

Fish Sauce

Coconut Flour

Fresh turmeric & ginger


Notice what's NOT on the list?  ;)  milk, snack items, chips, crackers, pop, juice, ice cream (if I want that, I get my butt up and go get a cup from Treat Dreams)! 

{Perfect} Herb & Garlic Roasted Chicken

Mmm...sometimes I impress myself.  This chicken is effortless and comes out beautifully; crispy golden skin and fork tender.

With value and sustainability in mind, it's a really good idea to buy and use a make use of a whole chicken.  I generally use a bird in two meals: the breasts in other recipes (see: Chicken Piccata) and then roast the legs, thighs and wings.  If for no other reason than wanting excellent flavor, buy organic. The herbs and garlic add nutrition, and loads of flavor!

Perfect Herb & Garlic Roasted Chicken
3 servings

Ingredients:

2 chicken legs
2 chicken thighs
2 chicken wings
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 T cold organic butter, diced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced finely
1/8 tsp thyme powder
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp sea salt
Pinch black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400*.  Wash and pat chicken dry.  Remove excess fat. By excess, I mean a huge glob, not the skin.  For flavor's sake leave the skin on!  Stuff the butter chunks and minced garlic under the skin.  Evenly sprinkle the rest of the seasonings on top.  Bake for 55 min. When the chicken is at around 25 and 45 minutes, baste or spoon juices over the top to keep moist and crisp up the skin.  Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with lots of veggies, brown rice, quinoa, etc.

Make this.  Feed your friends or family.  Let me know how you liked it! ;)

{Spicy} Tofu + Veggie Stir Fry over Brown Rice

Stir-frying is a Chinese cooking method typically involving a wok, oil, protein, veggies and a sauce. I must make this about once a week or so; once you've made it, it's kind of a no-brainer!  Pick your veggies, protein, and duplicate the sauce.   Dinner in 30 minutes.  HEALTHY, vitamin rich, easy dinner in 30 minutes. ;)

So this recipe calls for tofu, which is a vegetarian source of protein. It's basically made by curdling soy milk and straining out the liquid.  Tofu might sound scary if you've never tried it.  Alone, it's really rather bland.  Bland = versatile though, and it can be flavored or marinated or sauced up or prepared any way you like.

I eat tofu maybe 1-2 times a month.  It's limited because of it's strange property: phytoestrogen, which stirs a lot of debate in the nutrition community.   I don't think it's the worst thing you can eat; probably much better than ingesting a 1/2 lb of bacon on a wheat bun. When eating tofu/soy,  its imperative to choose organic as most all of the soy crop in the U.S. is genetically modified.   If tofu and you are just NOT going to ever get along, the option is always there to substitute another protein like black beans, shrimp, chicken, scallops, or beef instead of the tofu.    

Isn't it pretty?

Spicy Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry
{Makes 2 large servings}

Ingredients:

1 14 oz block extra firm organic tofu, cut into 1/2 or 1-inch cubes

6-8 cups raw chopped veggies - pick what you like:

• kale
• carrots
• celery
• broccoli
• onion
• asparagus
• mushrooms
• colored bell peppers
• zucchini

....you get the idea

2 T minced garlic

2 T minced ginger

Sauce - combine all in a bowl or glass measuring cup:

1 T coconut oil

1 T raw honey

1 T acid (rice wine, coconut or apple cider vinegar OR lemon or lime juice)

1/3 c Organic soy sauce OR Liquid Aminos

1 tsp chili paste (Sambel Olek)

1 tsp tapioca flour (mixed in a tiny bit of warm water)

1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

Start your brown rice (1 c rice to 2 c water, tiny bit of salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover...20 minutes). 

Heat your wok to medium. Add the coconut oil and when hot, add your tofu cubes, and toss/stir frequently, until they are light golden brown on all sides.  Add your veggies, garlic and ginger and stir fry for another 5-10 minutes or so on medium heat until veggies are almost fork tender. We want to keep the color and a bit of texture. Then add the sauce and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Serve over brown rice and sprinkle with Gomasio or Sea Kelp (or both, plus Sriracha like me) for extra nutrition & flavor.  Enjoy!

Green Goddess Soup {Vegan}

Mmm...good for the body and the soul.  This creamy vegetable soup is thick, tart and super satisfying, thanks to the brown rice.  It reminds me a bit of Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar Soup...without all of the junk.  It has EIGHT organic vegetables in it, it's vegan and all-natural.  As you can tell, I'm pretty excited to have discovered it, and recommend you make it if you are:

• ...vegan or vegetarian
• ...a vegetable lover
• ...lactose intolerant
• ...on a weight-loss plan
• ...need a way to get in more veggies
• ...need a way to make veggies taste good
• ...wanting a good lunch to bring to work all week
• ...in love with cream of broccoli soup

;) ...in any case, check out this deliciousness:

Leek, Broccoli, Asparagus, Zucchini, Celery, Lake, Parsley and Garlic Soup

Green Goddess Soup

Makes about 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

2 c leeks 

2 c broccoli 

2 c asparagus

2 c zucchini

2 c celery

2 c kale, stems removed

2 T parsley (minced)

2 cloves (1 T) garlic (minced)

1/2 c organic brown rice  - I used Jasmine

3 T olive oil

2-3 teaspoons sea salt 

Black pepper

1-2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

Water 

Directions:

Step 1 - prep the veg: The first step is to wash and prep the veggies.   Chop all of the veggies (besides garlic and parsley) into bite sized pieces BEFORE measuring it. Mince the garlic and parsley.  Here's what mine looked like all prepped:

Step 2 - saute + soften:  In a large pot, heat your olive oil over medium heat.  Sprinkle sea salt over your veggies (you can always add more). Saute stirring frequently, until the veggies are very soft, and start to expel water, like this:

 Step 3 - water + simmer:  Add water - about 4-5 cups to start - enough to cover the veggies by a couple of inches (they will float up).  Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4 - thicken + season:  Mix in the uncooked brown rice, minced garlic and parsley. Bring to a boil and then return to low. Simmer for another 20-30 minutes or until rice is soft (taste test it!).

Step 5 - give it a lemony blenddddd:  Add in the 1-2 T lemon (I went with 2). Stick in the immersion blender (or, blend in a blender) and whiz away until you reach desired consistency. Add more water if you want to thin it out.  Taste and season/adjust with more salt, pepper, lemon.  You can let it simmer for a few more minutes if you'd like, but it's done.

This was really tasty with 2 teaspoons of Parmesan-Romano and a bit of Sriracha stirred in at the end.  I had 2.5 bowls for dinner tonight.  Enjoy!

FOOD RENEGADE

Maifun Noodles {Gluten Free}

Many people range from sensitive to highly allergic to gluten, the protein found in wheat.   It's in everything from cookies & cakes to crackers, cereal, bread & pasta.   Allergic or not, gluten really gums up the system. Have you ever tried mixing water & flour?  The combination turns into a pasty glue, which coats the inside of your digestive tract & intestines.  I limit my consumption of anything wheat (pita bread, cookies, pasta, etc.) to a few servings per week and am always on the look-out for wheat-free alternatives to pasta.  To be fair, white rice can have the same affect (although less people are allergic to rice), so I also limit white rice to only once a week or so.

As far as gluten-free alternatives to wheat (semolina) pasta, we've tried everything from soba, (buckwheat), to brown rice pasta to white rice stick noodles to quinoa pasta to glass noodles (mung beans) to konjac noodles to corn noodles. Some are better than others.  Quinoa noodles come out al dente.  Brown rice noodles tend to cook well on the outside, but stay a little chewy/hard on the inside.  The konjac noodles have an odd smell...  Soba are good but very hearty.

Today in the "Exotic Foods" section at Meijer (probably my favorite aisle), I discovered Maifun, or thin white rice vermicelli noodles.   Really, it's nothing new, I've had white rice noodles plenty of times, just never this tiny and never with shrimp scampi.  YUM.

They look exactly like angel hair pasta and are very mildly flavored.  They only need to be soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, which saves you the time of boiling them (although I actually did warm my filtered water on the stove because I am anal about tap water, especially when it is hot and cloudy).  Debating whether to make an Asian stir fry creation or go the scampi route, I let Matt decide.  This is not a tough decision for an Italian. ;) I served the scampi with a super flavorful & colorful Greek salad.

1 lb Argentinian Red Shrimp (wild caught) sauteed in organic butter (3-4 tbsp), olive oil, 2 minced cloves garlic, juice of a lemon, sea salt, fresh pepper, big handful of parsley.  (Toss the rice noodles with the shrimp for several minutes).  Check the flavor & adjust.  :)

Favorite kind of salad....Greek!  Organic baby spinach, carrots, steamed yellow beet, kalamata olives, gorgeous avocado.  Best Quick Greek Dressing EVER:  equal parts red wine vinegar &olive oil, pinch of salt, sumac & a clove of garlic. Whisk or shake until really well mixed.  In the summer I add fresh herbs and steep them in there. It lasts weeks on my counter.

Whether you're gluten sensitive, have celiac disease or are just wheated down, I definitely recommend trying Maifun noodles!

The International Mobile Kitchen

Cooking & traveling are two great loves of my life; for me it's only natural they go hand-in-hand. Basically, my goal is both to experience & recreate local cuisine...kind of like Anthony Bourdain...except without a camera crew, free food, tour guides...  ;)   A really important item on my packing check list besides our The International Mobile Office is the International Mobile Kitchen.  "Why?", you ask. "Don't you want to relax while on vacation?"  I should mention that when we travel, we're pretty unconventional. We usually don't have too much of a plan or a schedule, we'll be gone from 10 days to a month, look for hostels or houses to rent with a kitchen.  When travelling for 3 weeks, it starts to make sense to think about cooking some meals not only to save money, but to stay grounded.  It's lovely to stock the fridge and eat local ingredients. 

For our upcoming trip to Costa Rica, we'll be taking a "quicker" venture back to a gorgeous Caribbean nook that we first visited in 2010 and staying on the same property as last time.   It's a rustic yet polished wooden cabina; private, tucked in the jungle and a two minute walk to the beach.  Best thing about the houses is their spacious kitchens with counter-to-ceiling windows that open right into the rain forest.  {Smile.}

Sometimes we we don't know where we'll stay yet, or the condition of the kitchen.  It's really nice to be able to have my own kitchen equipment.  I learned my lesson staying in hostels and rentals with completely dull knives and unsanitary looking cutting boards.  Basically, the only things to be counted on are a pot, a pan, silverware & plates.  I definitely have more of an idea of what to pack this time, since we know exactly what our kitchen will come with.  I skipped on a few items (like a french press) because this particular kitchen is well-equipped.  Here's what's coming to Costa Rica and why: 

Knife roll 

Chef's Knife

Slicing knife

Small curved knife

Kitchen Scissors 

Wooden spoon 

Vegetable peeler

Cork & bottle opener (obvious) ;)

Sponge

Kitchen Towel

Dish cloth

Potholder

Salt

Pepper

Hot Sauce

Olive Oil

Vinegar

Cumin

Beans (1 c black)

Rice (2 c brown)

Flexible cutting mats

I chose the knives for a variety of sizes & purposes, from slicing a mango to de-boning a fish or hacking up a chicken.  Scissors have a multitude of purposes; including cutting tortillas to make chips!  The spoon and other tools have obvious purposes.  Many times, rental kitchens don't include a towel or sponges to do the dishes, so we've found it's key to bring our own.  The cutting boards found in rental kitchens are usually thick plastic with way too many well-worn crevices which are breeding ground for bacteria.  I'd rather bring these cheapies! 

As far as the provisions, salt & pepper are obvious choices.  Olive oil is used for sauteeing and dressings; the vinegar is for salads and marinades.  I'm bringing cumin (leftover from our last trip to Guatemala) because so many Latin American dishes call for in.  The rice & beans are to make Gallo Pinto, Costa Rica's signature side of beans & rice, sauteed with veggies.   It would be super easy to procure the food items there, as there is a store about a block away.  Problem is, they don't necessarily in such compact containers and at the price of  "free". By at least starting with the basics, we can just shop at roadside stands and farm markets, knowing there are already some staples from home.  In fact, I recently located an organic produce delivery service that we'll get to try out!  So excited. 

"But isn't that a lot of STUFF to bring?"  Well, not really.  I'd say it weighs about 8 lbs total.  In fact, for a 10 day trip for two, we have managed to fit our mobile kitchen along with clothing, shoes & toiletries into ONE backpack.  Pretty impressive, eh?

It feels so much "cozier" to me when I have my own kitchen items and can cook freely with local stuff: fish, plantains, coconut, veggies, avocado, beans & rice. :)   Pieces of my own kitchen + My Squeezebox + the jungle, beach + my love = priceless.   Pura Vida!

P.S. Don't forget to pack snacks for the plane and in your room!

Food Renegade Fight Back Fridays

Scottish Oatmeal with Blueberries, Raw Sunflower Seeds & Maple Syrup

This is one of my favorite breakfasts, especially on a chilly morning.  It's filling, nutritious and so yummy.  Using whole organic oats and natural ingredients here is key.  When you see "quick" or "instant" oats, it means that the grain has been processed, removing the germ and bran which contain the nutrients and fiber.  Also - most table syrup brands like Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworth's etc. use corn syrup and little to no actual maple syrup.  Enjoy your "complete" whole food breakfast! ;)

Scottish Oatmeal with Blueberries, Raw Sunflower Seeds & Maple Syrup

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 c scottish oatmeal (or any kind of WHOLE oats)

1 c  organic blueberries (fresh are best, but frozen work in a pinch)

1/2 c raw sunflower seeds 

2 tsp ghee (or sub real butter or coconut oil)

1/4 tsp sea salt

100% real maple syrup to drizzle (optional)

Directions:

Prepare oatmeal to package instructions.  Near the end of the cooking process (1-2 minutes left), stir in the ghee or coconut oil.  Top with blueberries, sunflower seeds and a light drizzle of maple syrup and serve immediately.