Chinese Style Fried Rice

I have been using this recipe for years! I love it - mainly because it's fast, easy, and delicious. A bonus is that it's a one-pot recipe and one dish meal (less clean up!). I mostly just guess-timate with the amounts, so feel free to do that when you make it too - - you know what YOU like! (:

1/3 block of extra firm tofu
1/4 tsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
pinch of turmeric
1/8 tsp each (or to taste): dried oregano, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

2 Tbsp of vegetable oil

2 cups of cooked (and cooled) brown rice
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 inch of fresh ginger root, grated or minced
2 carrots, shredded or finely julienned
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (or any other veggies you have on hand like broccoli or squash)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen edamamde
2 bunches of bok choy, green section sliced
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce

Press the tofu: place tofu between two folded dish towels and put a plate or skillet on top, add a couple of cans of beans (don't open!) and let sit for 10 minutes or while you get everything else ready; this will get the "extra" water out of the tofu and make it ready to soak up the sauce and flavors of what you are cooking it with.

Put a skillet over medium to medium high. Using the pressed tofu, crumble between your fingers into a bowl. You want something similar to the size / texture of scrambled eggs. Add Braggs aminos (or soy sauce), spices, and nutritional yeast. Stir well to mix. Add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil into the warmed skilled over medium high, add tofu and let sit for a minute or two then begin stirring. The tofu should turn yellow where it's hot. Continue cooking and stirring to get the the consistency that you like (I let mine almost brown because that's the way that I used to like my eggs).

Push tofu to one side of the pan, turn pan up to high, and add onion, let cook 3 - 4 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and ginger, stirring, for 1 minute, add in remaining veggies and stir constantly, 3 - 4 minutes. Add in rice, stirring to combine, and incorporate tofu. Cook until rice is warmed through, approximately 3 - 4 minutes, add in frozen peas, edamame, and bok choy, let warm (and let bok choy begin to wilt), approximately 2 - 3 minutes more. Add water and Braggs (or soy sauce), stir to combine and serve.

Make approximately 4 servings as a main entree.

A Week of Menu Ideas - Pho, Potato Tacos, & Pasta

We spent ALLLLLL day yesterday at the Aquarium of the Pacific!! They have penguins now!

It was so cool to see them up close - they literally swam right up to the glass and I got this awesome picture. You can even see the ones in the background standing up watching everything!! I loved it almost as much as Miss M. It was a tiring day though - the aquarium was crowded because they were "celebrating" the opening of this new exhibit.

On the subject of new things - I got the Skinny Bitch Cookbook - have you guys seen it? It has a whole section of awesome, vegan entrees. I can't wait to cook my way through it! lol.

Here's what I have planned for dinners this week:

{Vegan Pho - Image from the Kitchn.com}

Monday
Vegan Pho Soup

Tuesday
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
Green salads (with corn, bell peppers, and avocado)

Wednesday
Spaghetti with Spinach
in Garlic Sauce
Garlic Bread
Panzanella Salad over Greens

Thursday
Garden Burgers
Mixed Sauteed Veggies

Friday
Leftover Bonanza
Carrot Sticks, Celery Sticks with Onion Dip

Saturday
Dinner out

Sunday
Vegan Hot Dogs
Marinated Tempeh Skewers
Orange Slices

What are you doing for the long holiday weekend? Any good plans?
More later!! (:

A Week of Menu Ideas

We recently got to spend some time in Florida - not the Disney World part of Florida - the real Florida! We stayed with my in-laws at a place near Clearwater. It's so beautiful, and simple, and so south. Mr. No-No and I have both been to FL before, but we stayed on the east coast. This trip was so much better (however, we also were with my in-laws, my SIL and her family, and two of Mr. No-No's aunts and one of his uncles). I love to go places and see new things, but I am a people person - - I want to travel with my family!!

This is a picture of Miss No-No on Honeymoon Island - it looks photoshopped, but it's totally untouched. That's how beautiful and awesome the west coast of FL really is!

Hard to believe, huh? It looks like some tropical island....but it's in the states!!! We can.not.wait to go back!!!

But...now it's back to the grind (:
Here's what I have planned for this week:

Monday
Stir Fry
Brown Rice
Kelp Noodle Salads with Ginger Salad Dressing

Tuesday
Vegetarian Taco Salads

Wednesday
Chickpea and Tomato Pitas (1)
Fruit
Salads (with Chopped Tomatoes and Bell Peppers)

Thursday
Garden Burgers

Friday
Rotini with Steamed Veggies
Seared Tofu
Salad

Saturday
Veggie-Style Colcannan
Smashed Potatoes

Sunday
Pasta Dinner
Salad
Garlic Bread

Notes:
1. Chickpea and Tomato Pitas: Mix a can of chickpeas / garbanzo beans with 2 or 3 diced tomatoes. Mix in 2 - 3 Tbs. yogurt (I use soy yogurt), diced cucumbers (if you have them), 1/4 tsp of Braggs Seasoning (or Mrs. Dash No-Salt), a pinch of pepper and a pinch of salt. Put inside of pita breads (or use tortillas or a wrap), top with chopped lettuce, and serve!

Where have you been lately? What beautiful things have you seen?
More later!! (:

A Week of Menu Ideas

We spent this weekend doing crafts and getting ready for Valentine's Day!!! (...I LOVE holidays!!)

This is what I have planned for dinners this week:

Monday
Big Salads

Microwave Beets

Tuesday
Microwave Beets and Pan Sauteed Carrots
Red Quinoa
White Beans

Wednesday
Baked Sweet Potatoes with
Black Bean "Salsa"
Sauteed Spinach

Stir Fry with Noodles

Thursday
Broccoli Stir Fry with Tofu

Friday
Peanut Sauce and Noodles
with Julienned Veggies

Saturday
Dinner out

Sunday
Pasta Dinner
Salads
Garlic Bread

How are you getting ready for Valentine's Day??
More later! (:

A Week of Menu Ideas

It's supposed to rain tonight, so we are having soup this week and roasted veggies another day. We did, however, spend the weekend outside at the farmers' market, enjoying the sunshine (while we have it!), and relaxing.

And happy Chinese New Year by the way! <-- That's today for those of you that don't know. Miss No-No and I picked out this beautiful pink and white cheongsam for her to wear to school today (it's going to be cold, but that's what leggings and jackets are for!!). We aren't Chinese, but there is a big celebration - with a parade! - at her school today, so she wanted to dress up. :)

Here's what I have planned for the week:

Monday
Leftover Minestrone Soup, Garlic Bread, Salad

Tuesday
Sesame Soba Noodles, Spring Rolls, Sauteed Swiss Chard

Wednesday
Roasted Root Veggies, Italian Bean Salad, Tri-Color Couscous

Thursday
Garden Burgers, Salad

Friday
Falafel, Pitas, Greek Salad

Saturday
Dinner Out

Sunday
Bean Tacos, Rice, Beans, Tex Mex Salad

Notes:

1. Minestrone Soup: I make 2 - 3 times what we will eat at once and freeze the leftovers. This helps on days when I am either tired, running late, or have an appointment in the evenings. I just put the soup in the fridge the night before and then defrost the rest (if necessary) in a pan on the stove; soup can also go from freezer to pot on the stove (just pour a little extra water in the pan to help it all defrost).

2. Sauteed Greens: I got awesome rainbow chard at the farmers' market this weekend! I cut it into large ribbons (don't forget to remove the rough center stem), saute over medium in some olive oil and minced garlic for a few minutes, pour in some water, cover and let cook away (on low) for approximately 10 minutes. Remove the lid and either pour off any excess water or let it evaporate as much as possible before serving.

3. Roasted Veggies: Scrub veggies (sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and whole garlic cloves), dice the larger veggies into similar sized pieces and then put on a baking pan. Pour about 1 T. olive oil over the veggies, add some salt or seasoning (I usually add thyme and a seasoning mix like Braggs or Mrs. Dash without salt), mix with your hands, and put in a 375 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes, stirring about 1/2 way through. The veggies come out sweet and caramelized!

Italian Bean Salad: This is my mom's recipe - it's basically a can (each) of red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and white beans (you can sub in black), green beans (I defrost frozen), 1/2 a red onion diced up, 2 garlic cloves minced, 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, salt, pepper, and dressing (either oil and vinegar with dried Italian seasoning or just use Italian dressing); mix to incorporate and let marinate for at least an hour or over night.

4. Falafel: I keep meaning to take a stab at homemade falafel (which I would later freeze), but for now, I have been using a box mix because it's fast and easy....and I must have gotten them on sale or with a coupon or something because I bought about 5 boxes - lol

What do you have planned this week?
More later! :)

Guest Post: Vegan Chocolate Frosting

I have the pleasure of introducing you all to Jakob, a writer for Hometalk.com. He's here today to share his delicious vegan chocolate frosting recipe with us. Believe me, you will.not.miss the dairy in this. It only takes about 20 minutes to make this (15 minutes of the 20 minutes is how long it takes to cool) and it's so much healthier for you... If you are going to make something that you could eat by the spoonful, why not make it healthy (as you possibly can!)?

Thanks Jakob for your wonderful, gooey contribution!!

Read on:

Vegan Chocolate Frosting

As an avid DIYer I can tell you it’s good to take breaks and clear the mind for a few minutes before getting back to work. I could even recommend a whole bunch of healthy snacks but my favorite, which is great with a cup ofcoffee or tea, is a piece of one of my wife’s cakes with her special vegan chocolate frosting. Yes, you heard me correctly: vegan chocolate frosting.

For a few years now my wife and I have been moving towards a more vegetarian lifestyle and occasionally dab in the world of truly vegan recipes.

We’ve done some renovations to our kitchen to make it more user-friendly and picked up a few kitchen accessories along the way to make our lives a little easier such as a cuisinart, which works wonders when making raw food, and a good set of knives.

We also replaced our chemical based non-stick pans with healthier ones and installed a kitchen ceiling rack.

Then, at a certain point my wife got into baking and experimenting with various vegan dishes which is when one of her friends told her about the vegan chocolate frosting.

The frosting can go on just about any cake so if you like to mix it up a bit the sky’s the limit. Jus tnote that my wife usually makes this recipe in one of her eight inch springform pans so if you don’t have one you may want to do some adjusting.

Ok, now here’s what to do:

Have a small saucepan ready for boiling and prepare the following:

Take two-thirds cup of your favorite non-dairy milk and put it in the saucepan. My wife likes to use rice milk though almond milk would be just as great.

Put aside eight ounces of chocolate chips or a big bar of your favorite chocolate


Have three tablespoons of pure maple syrup available. My wife sometimes uses honey-but that would only make the cake good for vegetarians and not vegans.

Bring the milk to a boil in the saucepan and then simmer.

Stir in the chocolate and maple syrup.

Turn off the heat and keep mixing until thoroughly melted.

Let it cool for 15 minutes.

Now, assuming you have a cake ready to be frosted and you’re not going to simply drink the chocolaty gooey potion, pour it over the cake tilting the pan from side to side a bit so it fills in everywhere. Then place the cake in the fridge so the frosting can solidify.

If the frosting leaks outof the bottom of the springform pan it means the pan wasn’t connected tightly.

This happened to us a couple of times until we discovered it was bent out of shape from being in an awkward position in an overstuffed kitchen cabinet. Aside from having to purchase a new one I decided to remodel our cabinets so everything would be more organized.

Meanwhile, if you want to take the vegan chocolate frosting to a whole new level try spreading something like raspberry preserves across the top of the cake before pouring on th efrosting.

If that doesn’t make you plead for mercy I don’t know what will!

Jakob Barry is a Hometalk writer. Read more articles like this one or get help with your home projects on Hometalk.com.

{imaged courtesy of Google.com}

A Week of Menus

I feel like I have been so busy-busy-busy this summer (and into September - lol). Hope your social life isn't killing you, too! :)

Here's what we are having for dinner this week:

Monday
Left over Bonanza

Tuesday
Peanut Sauce Veggies with Zucchini Noodles

Wednesday
Garden Burgers and Sliced Cucumbers

Thursday
Marinated Mushroom Wraps
Veggie Tray with Homemade Dressing / Dip

Friday
Tortilla Soup
Taco Dinner

Saturday
Dinner out

Sunday
Pasta Dinner with Make-your-own-Salad and Garlic Bread

1. We did our Leftover Bonanza last week, but for some reason (!) we didn't get through everything. So, we will be doing in on Monday this week instead of towards the end of the week, like usual.
2.  Peanut Sauce Veggies are sooooo simple and easy - - everyone will think you slaved over this!! I just cut up a couple of zucchini, julienned some carrots, added some frozen peas, and topped it off with cilantro (or you could use italian parsley). To make the sauce: in a blender add 1/4 - 1/2 cup of nut butter (I used cashew butter, but peanut butter works great too), 1 clove of garlic, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 cup of water, and some cubed ginger (alternatively, you could use about 1/8 tsp of dried, ground ginger); Reserve some sauce to pour over the finished dish or make extra for use later in the week. Mix the veggies in a large bowl, pour the dressing over the top, mix again, then put in the oven on a low heat (200F, or so) and "easy bake" for about 1/2 an hour. I premade these (they are in the fridge right now) so that they will be ready when dinner is. Making them ahead of time is great because it gives the veggies time to soak in all the sauce. I will be putting this on top of my zucchini noodles.
3. Garden Burgers are store bought... I have been hoping to make my own, but haven't had the time!!
4. Marinated Mushroom Wraps: Slice small mushrooms and put in a 2:1 marinade of olive oil and either Braggs Aminos or (water-diluted) soy sauce... Add in some sliced white onions, if desired. Let marinate 10 - 20 minutes. Using either rice paper wrappers (found in Asian stores), trimmed collard leaves, or even tortillas, lay down a little bit of romaine lettuce, the marinated mushrooms, some julienned carrots, bean sprouts (if you have them) and some sauce (either left over sauce from the veggies from Tuesday or a similar sauce). Wrap up like a very small burrito and serve!
5. Tortilla Soup: I just make this in my blender....no cooking required - it's fast and easy to make and a snap to clean up. I don't have a recipe here, I just add stuff in until it looks right and then adjust to my taste as necessary. Generally, I put in three halved roma tomatoes, 1/2 peeled carrot stick (chopped), 1/2 stalk of celery, 1/8 of white onion, some cilantro, a little bit of taco seasoning (1 - 2 T), a garlic clove, a little bit of juice from a lemon, and a little bit of water or veggie broth to get it all moving around really nice.
For the tacos, I either use store-bought taco shells or use a collard green, a tortilla, or some kind of wrapper to wrap everything up!

What new things are you eating this week?

Have a great week!
More later!! :)

Colcannan Veggie-Style

I had this beautiful cabbage from my CSA basket - so I decided to try something where I could use up most of it at once...sometimes, things like cabbage tend to get pushed to the back of my fridge since they aren't every day staples. Whenever I find something old and no longer usable, I always feel bad - I think I should have thought of something before I let that go to waste.

I found this recipe in an old Whole Foods "magazine". Why I was saving that issue, I have noooo idea, but it was full of cabbage recipes, which worked out good for me!! I adapted it slightly to fit what I had in my cupboard, but otherwise, it's true to form.

I used tempeh here - - it's a soy bean product (read: vegetarian substitute for meat). It used to only be sold in health food stores and Whole Foods, but now I can buy it at my local Ralphs grocery store if I need to.

Colcannan Veggie-Style
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 onion, diced
1 package tempeh, cubed
1/2 cup of veggie broth
2 large baking potatoes, scrubbed (but not peeled or diced)

Prick potatoes with a fork a couple of times, put in a glass baking dish, cover with a wet paper towel and add a little bit of water in the dish. Microwave on baked potato setting or for 7 - 10 minutes until a fork goes all the way through with little or no resistance.

Meanwhile, saute tempeh cubes in canola oil until browned on both sides; add in onion, let cook (stirring occasionally) until translucent, about 5 - 7 minutes, add in veggie broth, bring to a simmer and let cook for another 5 - 7 minutes, until liquid is mostly evaporated. Add in sliced cabbage and stir to combine pan ingredients and wilt cabbage.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon on top of split and baked potatoes.

Serves 3 - 4

You could add a cheesy-type sauce on top to make the whole thing more creamy. You can see how nice it looks when you DO add the sauce. However, THIS particular sauce did not come out good (boo-hoo), so I won't give you the recipe or tell you where I got it. But, I will say, add your own sauce to up the flavor of this dish.

This also makes nice, easy leftovers. If you add some fruit, you have a complete meal!

Have you ever used tempeh?
What do you make with it?


I'm linking up at these awesome parties!
More later!!

What's for Dinner?

 

We went to a birthday party at a Gymnastics facility this weekend. It's the first time we have ever done anything like that and it was a blast! If that place wasn't so far from our house, I would be thinking about having Miss No-No's next birthday party there! The kids got to run on trampolines, on mats, jump on spring boards, and into a huge "pool" that was full of foam blocks! There was also this HUGE rope swing. If none of the other parents would have been around, I think I would have just dove right in and joined my little Miss No-No - - it looked like so much fun!!! She loved it and the birthday girl's parents did such a fantastic job (no, they don't read this blog - lol), but they did such a great job with the food and the goodie bags, the cake and cupcakes, and just getting the kids psyched. I loved it!!

So - on with the meals for the week. :)

Monday
Nori Rolls
Miso Soup

Tuesday
Spinach-Stuffed Tomatoes
Quinoa Salad

Wednesday
Healthy Dinner Bowls

Thursday
Homemade Black Bean (Veggie) Burgers
Salad with (homemade) Avocado and Cumin Dressing

Friday
Peanut "Noodles" with Veggies and Tofu

Saturday
Left over Bonanza / Beach Picnic

Sunday
Pasta Dinner / Salad / Garlic Bread

Notes:
1. Nori Rolls: Brown rice (made ahead of time), matchstick carrot and cucumbers, and sliced avocado. I will either roll these into a hand-held "wrap" using a nori sheet or will wrap them "roll-style" using a bamboo mat (from the Asian market) and then cut in 1" sections.
Miso Soup: I have a recipe for this, but to be honest, I haven't tested it yet; if it doesn't come out well, I have a packaged soup mix (just add hot water type of mix) as a back up.
2. Stuffed tomatoes: Mix spinach, scant onions, diced red bell peppers, salt, pepper, garlic, and some italian spices into cored out tomatoes.
Quinoa Salad: using pre-made quinoa, add in salt, pepper, fresh mint, diced cukes, and diced tomatoes; mix well; serve next to tomatoes
3. Healthy Bowls: Usually a mish-mash of what I have left over or around (!): brown rice on the bottom, beans (black, brown, or pinto work really well, but anything works here) layered on top, slightly steamed veggies over the beans (I usually add some kind of greens - like kale or spinach - and other veggies - carrots, broccoli, squash - basically, whatever I have on hand); pour a lite (homemade, if you have it) salad dressing over the top. Easy, quick and nutritious!
4. Black Bean Veggie Burgers: there are recipes allllll over the place for this - I'm substituting homemade burgers this week (but, lately I have been using pre-packaged garden burgers - both work well, although one is easier on a busy night!).
5. Peanut Noodles: Zucchini noodles dressed with peanut sauce (home-made or store bought works); add slightly steamed or sauteed veggies with either baked or pan-fried tofu cutlets.


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Averie's No Bake Cookie Balls

I just discovered this wonderful website called Love Veggies & Yoga. The girl who runs it, Averie, makes all kinds of delicious things. While looking for a little sweat treat on the web, I checked into her site and found these amazing No Bake Oatmeal and Carrot Cake Bites. They are made with carrots and oats and are quick, easy, and (best of all!) delicious.

I wasn't sure if I could copy the recipe directly to my own blog page, so I just had to give you guys the link and the picture of my finished product!

Miss No-No helped me make these so you could easily make it a "family" project and revel in the fact that from start to finish the whole thing has seriously minimal clean up time!

What do you make that is quick and easy like this - - but tastes DELICIOUS?

Thanks for all the comments to my Roasted Mushroom Tacos recipe. It really is fast and easy and you should check it out if you need inspiration for what to make for dinner (and you have mushrooms in the fridge!).

Also - - Sarah from Shaklee and I are co-hosting a wonderful giveaway for natural home and beauty projects. Please stop by and enter - our entries are low, but the gift of a clean environmentally-(and family) friendly home or clean natural makeup is priceless.

More later! :)

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