Main Dishes

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ORANGE TOFU – Tangy Goodness!

ORANGE TOFU

ORANGE TOFU

There are a few things I miss from my carnivorous days. Orange chicken is one. I love the tangy orange sauce clinging to the deep fried batter surrounding luscious tender chicken pieces.

Now, as a vegetarian, I’m always searching for recipes that fulfill those cravings but don’t make me feel like my food is ‘less than’. If you start feeling like you’re eating second rate, that’s when you fall off the vegetarian wagon.

Unless you’re eating a plain steak, pork chop, or turkey slice, most meat dishes use meat as a foundation – the majority of taste coming from sauce, spices, and toppings. Using that knowledge, my challenge is to find a substitute that allows the essence of the original. Sometimes I use imitation meats (such as fake sausage, hot dogs, and chicken), and sometimes I find a similarly textured food (such as jack fruit in place of pulled pork).

In the case of Orange Tofu, I’m not trying to fool anyone – clearly, this is tofu, not chicken. My very first blogpost was THE ORANGE CHICKEN DILEMMA, in which I use imitation chicken (or turkey) to give the texture of the real thing.

However, there are people out there concerned about using imitation products. “What’s in it?” is a common question. While my family prefers Orange “Chicken” (quotation marks denote “fake”), I decided to make an Orange Tofu for those leery of faux foods.

So, donning my lab coat, I began to experiment with tofu. What I found was the longer you cook it, the more rubbery it becomes. Unfortunately, this rules out batter dipped deep frying because of the time it takes to get that golden brown crispy coat. Rather, a quick fry in a teeny bit of oil on a nonstick skillet worked best for taste. I will grant you, it doesn’t look as pretty as the deep fried version, but it’s delicious.  (And your arteries will thank you!)

ORANGE TOFU – makes about 3 servings

  • 453g (1 lb) block of tofu, extra firm
  • 60g (4 T) fresh orange juice
  • 116g (1/2 cup) water
  • 35g (3 T) rice wine vinegar
  • 22g (2 T) lemon juice
  • 17g (4 tsp) soy sauce
  • 1/2 T orange zesty, packed (don’t be stingy!)
  • 64g (1/2 cup) dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 T fresh, 1/4 tsp dry,ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 15g (1½ T) cornstarch
  • 29g (1 T) water

Remove tofu from package and press with heavy plate for 1/2 hour to remove water.

Meanwhile, prepare orange sauce. In a small saucepan bring the orange juice, 1/2 cup water, vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, zest, sugar, ginger, and garlic powder to a boil. In a small bowl blend together the cornstarch and 1 T water until smooth. Slowly stream it into the boiling orange juice mixture, stirring as you pour, until sauce is thickened.

NOTE: As Queen of Freeze, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you this orange sauce freezes well. So, if you like it, double or triple the recipe next time and freeze in portion sized containers for future use.

Slice tofu into pieces 3/8″ in width. Heat about 1/2 T oil in a nonstick skillet. Fry tofu a couple of minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Be careful of oil spatter! If you don’t have a nonstick skillet, use a regular one and increase the amount of oil. Drain on paper towel.

Serve tofu on sticky rice, topped with orange sauce.

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BREAKFAST BURRITO – A Fast & Easy Dinner!

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Who doesn’t love breakfast food for dinner? By then, we’re wide awake enough to enjoy it. Plus, the last thing I want to do in the morning is cook – which is why my breakfast consists of tea & biscuit.

Breakfast Burritos are more a concept than a specific recipe. Generally, they include scrambled eggs, but after that – the sky’s the limit: avocado, tomatoes, cheese, peppers, “sausage”. Whatever you have on hand.

Awww – I hear the murmuring.  “Sausage”??? Isn’t this a vegetarian blog? Note the quotation marks around sausage – that means imitation. You might cringe at the fake stuff, but “sausage” is one of those imitation products that tastes amazing. I use Morningstar’s Sausage Patties, and even my carnivorous brother loved them (I didn’t tell him ahead of time).

It’s best to have all your ingredients chopped and tortillas warmed, so that when the eggs are done you can stuff and go. Of course, you can zap them in the microwave, too.

BREAKFAST BURRITO

  • tortillas, warmed
  • eggs
  • imitation sausage patties, cooked per instructions
  • stuffings: avocado, tomato, peppers, etc.
  • cheese (pepper jack, cheddar – whatever you like)

Warm tortillas in microwave and keep in plastic gallon sized bag, foil, or tea towel.

Scramble eggs and add in torn up “sausage” patties.

Layer eggs/”sausage” on tortilla, followed by your other add-ins. (Don’t overstuff or you’ll never be able to wrap the tortilla.) Top with cheese and fold up tortilla.

 

 

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CHINESE “CHICKEN” CASSEROLE – An Old Favorite Vegified

CHINESE “CHICKEN” CASSEROLE

Sometimes I find myself in a meal-time rut, especially when I’m busy (which is a frequent occurrence as a wife, mom, actress, and writer). So every now and then I rummage through my recipe box for forgotten gems. Many of these are from my carnivore days of yore.

But now, with the advent of some very tasty imitation meats, I’m able to substitute the fake stuff for real beef, chicken, ham, etc. CAUTION: Not all of these products are created equal. Some are excellent, some are nasty. Try different brands to see which (if any) appeal to you.

A bonus to using imitation meats is that they’re already cooked. When I used to make the original Chinese Chicken Casserole, it would take me 30 minutes to boil the breasts, then they’d have to cool, and finally I would cube them (an unpleasant job). All that took about an hour. By using faux chicken, this recipe becomes one of those throw-everything-into-a-casserole dish, mix, and bake recipes. Fast and easy – my favorite!

Note:  My fake chicken of choice is by Worthington (see photo). It may seem a little pricey at first glance, but unlike real chicken, every bit is edible – no skin, fat, or bones in this baby! Plus it’s already cooked. Of course, there are other brands out there that are also good.

chicken fake cropped

CHINESE “CHICKEN” CASSEROLE

  • 425g (3 cups) (15 oz) cubed fake chicken
  • 227g (8 oz) pineapple rings (save the juice), cut into bite sized pieces
  • vegetable stock – about 400g (1.75 cups) – homemade or purchased
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 153g (2/3 cup) (5.5 o) dry sherry
  • 70g (1/4 cup) (2.5 oz) soy sauce
  • 35g (1/4 cup) cornstarch
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • 35g (1/3 cup) (1 oz) slivered almonds, toasted

Drain the pineapple juice into a measuring cup. Add in enough water to equal 484g (2 cups).

Into a casserole dish combine all the ingredients.

Cover with lid or foil and bake at 375º Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes, stirring now and then.

Serve over rice.

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TANGERINE “TURKEY” (or TOFU) SALAD – Not Just A Pretty Picture!

Colorful MANDARIN TOFU SALAD

Colorful TANGERINE TOFU SALAD

Not all salads are created equal. There are dinner salads, meant to whet the appetite. There are fruit salads, often eaten in lieu of French fries (so we can justify dessert). And then, there are meal salads. We feel proud of ourselves when we eat a meal salad. They fill us up with healthy stuff (so we can justify dessert).

My friend, blogger Angie Thompson at Peas For Two, posted a mouth-watering photo of a chicken salad from Umalu restaurant in Hawaii. People post a lot of food on Facebook, but this photo grabbed me like an iron vice.

Thanks to the internet I was able to find Umalu’s menu, read a description of the salad, and then promptly changed several things to make it vegetarian and mine.

As you may have noticed, I called this salad “Turkey” (quotation marks denote imitation) OR Tofu. That’s because they both work and are tasty. My husband and I prefer the fake turkey in this recipe, but I know there are those of you leery of imitation products. Tofu is rather bland and doesn’t really add much tastewise to the salad, whereas the faux (I’m feeling posh) gives a nice turkey-ish flavor and texture.

NOTE: There are lots of imitation turkey products out there. Some are fabulous, and some taste like cardboard. Don’t give up if you don’t like the first brand you try. My favorite is by Worthington and it’s called Meatless Smoked Turkey Roll (See photo below). Don’t be put off by the price – this baby weighs in at 4 pounds and it’s all edible. It comes frozen so I let it thaw enough to cut it into meal sized portions, then refreeze it. And, no, they’re not paying me to promote it.

Turkey fake color bkg

My favorite fake turkey!

The only real work to producing TANGERINE “TURKEY” SALAD is pan frying the “turkey” (or tofu, if you choose), and the tortilla strips – but neither of these steps is too time consuming. For the most part, this salad is fast and easy.

Of course, me being the perennial DIYer, I made the tortillas myself, which added a bit of extra work. I see you rolling your eyes, thinking that I could just pick up a pack of pre-made tortillas and save the trouble. Hear me out! Those tortillas come in packs of 12 and I only needed 1 or 2 (depending on size). Unfortunately, tortillas don’t freeze well. So I made only what I need and there’s no waste. As you may have noticed by now – I hate waste! I included the recipe for flour tortillas below – they’re really easy.

TANGERINE “TURKEY” (OR TOFU) SALAD – makes 3 servings

  • about 6 oz tofu or imitation turkey (3/4″ slice of Meatless Smoked Turkey)
  • 2  6″ flour tortillas (recipe below, for the adventurous)
  • about 3 cups red leaf lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
  • 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1 cucumber, skinned, seeded, and sliced
  • 6 scallions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup carrots, shredded (about 2 carrots)
  • 1  11-oz can Mandarin oranges, drained
  • 2-3 T spicy peanuts
  • Ginger Mandarin Dressing (see photo) or a similar oneGINGER MANDARIN DRSG

Cut “turkey” into two 3/8″ thick discs. If using tofu, slice three 3/8″ pieces. Dredge the “turkey” in flour and shake off excess (you don’t have to do this with the tofu). It’s best to use a nonstick skillet if you’re using tofu – even with oil it tends to stick to pan. Fry in oil, browning both sides. Remove to paper towel and cool. Slice into bite sized pieces.

Slice the tortillas into 3/8″ wide x 1½” long strips. A pizza cutter works really well for this task. In a small saucepan or wok, put at least 1/2″ of vegetable oil and heat to 375º Fahrenheit. Deep fry small batches of the tortilla strips until they’re browned on both sides. Remove to paper towel.

NOTE:  You can reuse the deep fry oil by pouring it through a fine sieve into a container. Store in the fridge.

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, scallions, carrots, oranges, and “turkey” or tofu. Add dressing (don’t be stingy) and mix well.

Just before serving, sprinkle in the peanuts and tortilla strips.

FLOUR TORTILLAS – makes 2 tortillas

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 T vegetable oil
  • 2 T water

I used my food processor to mix the dough, but because this was such a small amount, I had to keep stopping the machine to scrape the sides and bottom. Instead, you can just mix everything together by hand, kneading until it’s well mixed.

Divide dough into 2 balls, cover, and let rest for 1/2 hour. (If you don’t do this, the dough will resist rolling.)

On a well floured board, roll out each dough ball into circles 6″ in diameter.

Either use a tortilla cooker or a 10″ dry skillet. One at a time, cook the tortillas, flipping often. You DON’T want to brown them or they get crispy – they need to be flexible. Each one will take about 1 minute total. Transfer into a plastic bag to keep them moist until ready to use.

 

 

 

 

 

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TOMATOES & BASIL & PASTA – Oh, My!

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TOMATO & CAMEMBERT TOPPED SPAGHETTI

 

It’s all happening in the garden! Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, basil, and, of course, the ever-present zucchini. Nature is in full bounty!

Whether you grow your own veggies or buy from a farmer’s market, there’s a world of difference between farm fresh and the flavorless produce at the grocery store. So let’s enjoy these garden glories while we can.

I’ve been making Tomato & Camembert Topped Spaghetti for years and have always used dried basil in the dish. It’s so much easier and I figured dried is the same thing as fresh minus the water, right? Well, as it turns out, while that may be technically true,  where taste is concerned, fresh is absolutely superior. I recently made this dish using some leftover fresh basil I had (you know me – waste not, want not!) – my mouth was aglow with flavor.

Nothing but fresh from now on in this recipe!

Tomato & Camembert Topped Spaghetti obviously calls for spaghetti (or linguine) noodles. I make my own pasta (no surprise to those of you loyal followers of my blog). I’ve included the recipe for the brave souls out there willing to give it a go.

TIP:  An easy way to chop basil is to put the leaves in a cup and snip away with kitchen shears.            This photo shows me chopping parsley, but it’s the same principle.

parsley snipping

TOMATO & CAMEMBERT TOPPED SPAGHETTI – makes enough for 3

  • 10½ oz spaghetti or linguine pasta (recipe follows – or buy pre-made)
  • 3 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 lb Camembert cheese, torn into bite sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil (chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • ground pepper to taste
  • about 1/3 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, shredded

Boil pasta until done. Drain.

As pasta is cooking, put the tomatoes, Camembert, olive oil, basil, garlic, and salt into a large serving bowl and blend. Mix in cooked pasta. Can be served immediately as a warmish dish, or refrigerated and served cold.

To each serving sprinkle on Romano (or Parmesan) and ground pepper.

HOMEMADE PASTA – makes 10.5 oz (approximately 3 servings)

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • additional water, if needed

Into the workbowl of your food processor, put the eggs, olive oil and flour. Whirl, stopping now and then to scrape the loose flour into dough. The goal is for the dough to be able to form a ball when dough is squeezed. Add a teaspoon of water at a time, if needed. However, you don’t want it too wet.  If it’s sticky, add a tablespoon at a time of flour and mix.

I use the Atlas hand crank pasta machine. For my pasta maker, I start with a setting of ‘1’ and work my way to ‘5’. Then I run the dough through the spaghetti cutter.

There are a number of youtube videos about making homemade pasta that would be a good idea to watch.

 

 

 

 

 

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TOASTY TOMATO & PESTO SANDWICHES

TOASTY TOMATO PESTO SANDWICH

TOASTY TOMATO PESTO SANDWICH

After picking my first tomato of the season, I wanted to make the most of this tempting treat. So I came up with an amazing sandwich:  a toasted focaccia bun topped with melted provolone cheese, slathered with pesto, and a fat slice of my precious tomato.

I’m a firm believer in cooking from scratch – it not only saves big bucks, but it empowers you to choose what goes in your body. So, of course, I made the pesto and focaccia myself.

However, I understand not everyone shares my passion as a diehard DIY-er. So you can simply purchase the pesto and focaccia and STILL have a great tasting sandwich.

As a glass half full kind of gal, I’ve included recipes for the pesto and focaccia, along with the sandwich directions, in my optimism that some of you will give them a try.

TOASTY TOMATO PESTO SANDWICH – makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients:

  • thick tomato slice (preferably home grown or from a farmer’s market)
  • 2 or 3 Tbsp. pesto (recipe follows below)
  • 2 slices provolone (or whatever cheese you prefer)
  • focaccia bun (recipe follows below)

Directions:

  1. Slice the focaccia in half horizontally and toast it.
  2. Lay the cheese on bottom half and zap in the microwave for 15 seconds or so to melt the cheese.
  3. Slather on pesto.
  4. Add the tomato.
  5. Place the top half of the roll.

Now open wide and enjoy the feast!!!

PESTO – makes 1 cup

  • 2½ cups (4 oz) basil, packed
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2½ T lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup Romano cheese, shredded
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree. You’re going to need to start and stop the blender a lot in the beginning in order to mix things around by hand.  WARNING:  Do NOT push down with any utensil while machine is running. Been there, done that. Turn machine off before mixing things up! Pretty soon everything will blend on its own.

FOCACCIA BREAD – makes 5 buns

  • 1 cup water, 100º-104º Fahrenheit
  • 1¼ tsp yeast
  • 1½ (7 oz) cups white bread flour
  • 1½ (7¼ oz) cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • coarse salt in grinder for top of bun
  • extra olive oil for soufflé dishes

Proof yeast in water.

Into the work bowl of food processor put all of the white flour, 1 cup of the whole wheat flour, the olive oil, salt, and rosemary. Turn on machine and slowly stream in the yeast water through the pour spout. Add the remaining wheat flour one tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a firm ball. Let the machine run 45 seconds more to knead the dough. (If you don’t own a food processor, you’ll have to do this by hand. As you undertake this task, think about buying a food processor!)

Plop dough into an oiled bowl, then flip dough and place back in bowl. Now both sides are oiled. Cover with tea towel and let rise 1 hour.

Cut dough into 5 pieces. If you have 4¼” individual soufflé dishes (see photo) use them – you’ll need 5.

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The buns will turn out nice and rounded. If you don’t have soufflé dishes, just use a well oiled cookie sheet. As you can see from the photos, the soufflé dishes turn out prettier focaccia buns – but they taste the same!

BAKED IN SOUFFLE DISH VS FREE FORM

BAKED IN SOUFFLE DISH VS FREE FORM

Pour about 1½ tsp olive oil into each soufflé dish. One by one, take a piece of the dough and work it into a 4″ disk, smooth on one side. Place the smooth side down into the oiled dish, and press. Flip dough and press down again, so the dough fills the dish bottom – try not to mar the smooth surface. Cover and let rise 1/2 hour.

Using a finger with a short fingernail (or the stick end of a wooden spoon), make several deep indentations in dough. Brush with a little olive oil (not absolutely necessary to do this), and grind sea salt over top.

Bake in preheated 400º Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before removing from soufflé dishes to a wire rack to cool.

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MUSHROOM & SPINACH TOPPED POLENTA – Easy Peazy!!!

 

Polenta topped with mushrooms and spinach

Polenta topped with mushrooms and spinach

I realize there are people that have neither the time nor the inclination to do a lot of cooking from scratch. But there are certain costly foods that are so easy to make, I feel it my duty to encourage (some might say “nag”) you to give it a try.

One such food is polenta. With such an exotic name, you might assume it’s a time-consuming process made from a variety of expensive ingredients. Uh, no. It’s merely cornmeal mush. If you want to be fancy, you can add some spices and maybe throw in a few dried tomatoes. But, basically, it’s boiled cornmeal and salted water. So, before you fork out big money for a tube of polenta (which you’re going to have to heat up) you may as well buy some cornmeal and try cooking it yourself.

I topped my polenta with a quick stir-fry of mushrooms, scallions, and spinach, then spooned on some brown sauce for a delicious, easy meal.

TIME SAVING TIP:  As the Queen of Freeze, I suggest you double or even triple the brown sauce recipe and freeze the extra in portion sized containers. One less thing to do in future! (Make sure you like the recipe before you load up your freezer with brown sauce, though.)

POLENTA TOPPED WITH MUSHROOMS & SPINACH

Polenta – serves 2 or 3

  • 2/3 cup cornmeal
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • optional: 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (for a little kick!)

In a saucepan, bring the cornmeal, water, salt, and cayenne to a boil – stirring often. Reduce heat slightly to keep the water at a simmer. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes). Add in any extras, such as dried tomatoes, herbs, cheese, etc.

If you want the polenta mushy, serve immediately. But if you want it firm, pour the hot mixture in a container such as a loaf pan lined with waxed paper, smooth top, and refrigerate for several hours. To serve, remove from pan and cut into serving sizes. To heat, you can either fry or broil polenta in butter or oil.

Mushrooms & Spinach Stir-fry – serves 2 or 3

  • 9 oz mushrooms, chopped
  • 1½ cups spinach, chopped & packed
  • 1/2 T butter
  • 1/3 cup scallions, sliced

In a skillet, melt butter and add in mushrooms, spinach, and scallions. Sauté for several minutes – until spinach is just wilted.

Brown Sauce – makes 1 cup

  • 1 T cornstarch
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 5 T soy sauce
  • 1 cup water

In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. Smash any lumps. Turn on heat to medium and add the water. It will be the color of coffee with cream. Stir often (constant is best) and bring to a boil. The color will now be coffee WITHOUT cream, and the sauce will be thickened slightly. Remove from heat.

To Assemble:

Place Polenta on plate. Top with Mushrooms & Spinach and ladle on Brown Sauce.

 

 

 

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VEGGIE-CHEESE WAFFLE: It’s What’s For Dinner!

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I’m a gal who’s cooool (notice the extra “o’s”? – oh, yeah!). So when there’s a new food trend, I’m right there with fork in hand.

The pop-food that caught my eye recently was waffles. No longer just for breakfast, dripping in maple syrup, today’s waffles are topped with ice cream for a hot fudge sundae, made into a Monte Cristo sandwich, baked into a 7-layer cookie bar, ice cream wedged between 2 waffles for an ice cream sandwich. I’ve gained 5 pounds just thinking about those luscious delights.

Since I like to think outside the box, I wondered what if I added veggies to the batter and topped it with caramelized onions, thus creating a dinner (or lunch) waffle? Epic win! (See – I’m SOOOO with it!) They were delicious, filling, and the calories were quite reasonable since I left out the oil in the batter and the syrup on top.

So grab that waffle maker you have hidden in the back of the cupboard and go make dinner!

DINNER WAFFLES – makes 2½ large waffles

  • 2 T cider vinegar plus enough milk (I use nonfat) to equal 1 cup
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 2 T butter
  • 1/8 tsp salt (this is separate from salt below)
  • 1 zucchini, shredded, chopped, or cut into half moons
  • 4 mushrooms, chopped
  • 2/3 cup fresh spinach, chopped & packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 T Dijon mustard
  • 1/8 tsp dried dill
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
  • optional: 3 strips imitation bacon (I use Morningstar), cooked crispy, then crumbled
  • oil to grease waffle iron, if needed

Combine cider vinegar and milk – we’re making buttermilk. Let sit as you prepare the rest of the recipe. If you already have buttermilk, then just use 1 cup of it instead.

Caramelize onions by melting butter in a skillet at medium heat and frying onions for about 20 minutes – until they’re golden brown. (Don’t worry about the skillet – an SOS pan takes care of that in no time) Stir often. Sprinkle in 1/8 tsp salt.

In a saucepan, sauté the zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach in a drop of oil until cooked.

In a mixing bowl (preferably one with a spout for easy pouring), beat egg and Dijon. Beat in buttermilk. Gently stir in by hand the dill, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt. Don’t over mix – there can still be streaks of flour. Add in cooked veggies and cheese, and stir just enough to mix everything.

Preheat waffle iron. Brush with oil, if needed. Pour on batter. If using “bacon”, sprinkle on. Close lid and cook.

NOTE: The secret to prevent waffles from sticking to the iron is not to lift up the lid too early.  If you do that, you’ll have a big mess on your hands. I set my timer for 4 minutes before I check – by then, the waffle has baked enough to hold together. I usually have to cook it another couple of minutes.

Top with onions and serve hot.

 

 

 

 

 

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NAVAJO TACOS – Worth The Effort!

IMG_0218Navajo Tacos are one of those dishes I tend to forget about until I flip through my recipe box. (This is the device we used before the days of computers to store our recipes.) When I do make them, I chide myself for not doing so more often – they’re uber yummy…and not as time consuming as I think it will be.

If you’re unfamiliar with this dish, Navajo Tacos are fry bread topped with chili. Really, what’s not to like?!

In order for the chili and fry bread to be done at the same time, start the chili first. Then, as it’s simmering prepare the fry bread.

NOTE:  You can shorten the chili cooking time by using pre-cooked beans. Reduce the vegetable stock to 1 cup since you won’t need the extra 1/2 cup to be absorbed into the raw beans.

ADDITIONAL NOTE:  The fry bread is cooked in oil – not just a tablespoon or two, at least 2 inches. I’m all about saving money. Make sure you strain and save the oil after you use it in a plastic container you designate specifically for used cooking oil – don’t mix it back with the clean oil. Then, you can use the same oil over and over until it’s too grungy to use again. You can actually freeze it, if you like. When it’s time to dispose of it, check online for places to donate used cooking oil (they actually exist!)

NAVAJO TACOS – makes 6 servings

     Chili

  • 1/2 cup raw Great Northern beans
  • 1/2 cup onions, chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic, pressed (1 clove)
  • 1/2 T vegetable oil
  • 1 lb fake ground beef (I use Worthington Redi-Burger – see photo below)
  • IMG_02121½ cups vegetable stock – or 1 cup if using pre-cooked beans
  • 1 T chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Put beans in a saucepan and cover with an inch of water. Bring to boil, lower flame to simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off stove, cover pot, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain. You can do this step ahead of time.

Sauté onions and garlic in oil for 5 minutes. Add in fake meat, breaking it up with a flat headed stirrer, if necessary, depending on the brand (I have to do this with Redi-Burger). Add in the stock, beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, basil, and salt.

Bring to boil, lower flame to simmer mixture, cover, and let cook for 1½ hours, until beans are done.

Chili can easily be frozen so if you like this recipe, next time double or triple the recipe and then freeze for future use. No point in cooking and cleaning more than you need to.

     Fry Bread – makes 6

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup instant nonfat dry milk
  • 1 T baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 T shortening (I use Crisco)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • vegetable oil for deep frying

Put flour, dry milk, baking powder, salt, and shortening into the work bowl of your food processor. If you don’t own a food processor you’ll have to do this all by hand. (During the next 15 minutes of tedious work, think about how you really need a food processor.)

Turn on machine, then slowly add in the water through the pour spout. Allow machine to run 30 seconds after dough has formed a ball. (This is how fast and easy it is to knead with a food processor!) Divide dough into 6 equal balls, then flatten with your hands as much as possible. Cover with a tea towel and let rest while oil is heating.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a wok or deep pan to 375º Fahrenheit.

On a floured board, roll out a dough piece with a rolling pin to make a 5″-6″ circle. (See photo below)

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Carefully pick up dough and gently pat excess flour from bottom. Drop into hot oil. Let cook for 3 minutes, then flip and fry 2 more minutes. Both sides should be golden brown. (See photos below)

fry bread frying

Remove to a large cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Keep warm by storing in an oven heated to 200º Fahrenheit.

While one dough is frying, roll out the next so it’s ready to go. Keep the uncooked dough covered with a tea towel so they don’t dry out.

Assembly

Ladle chili over fry bread. Top with tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, olives, guacamole, or whatever you like.

 

 

 

 

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CURRIED LENTIL STEW – A Slim-Down Special

CURRIED LENTIL STEW

CURRIED LENTIL STEW

I have to admit, I’m not a huge lentil fan. They’re a little bland and mealy, as a rule. But they are a superfood – full of protein, fibre, and all kinds of nutrients, so I was determined to find a recipe that was, at least, palatable.

CURRIED LENTIL STEW goes beyond palatable – it’s downright good! I also found that it actually gets better the next day – thicker and more flavorful. Bonus! That means it can be made ahead of time, which I love. One less thing to do during the dinner-time rush hour.

This dish is low-fat, low-calorie, and easy to throw together.  Who could ask for more?!

NOTE: Lentils are high in phytates, which reduce the bioavailability of nutrients. To counteract this problem, soak the lentils overnight in warm water.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: If you’re daunted by all the spices, you can simply use 1 T curry powder. It’s not as flavorful, but it’s quick.

CURRIED LENTIL STEW – makes about 7 cups

  • 1 cup dry lentils (I used red)
  • 1 cup dry rice (I used Chinese white rice)
  • 4 cups vegetable stock (I used homemade: VEGETABLE STOCK)
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 3 tsp garlic, pressed
  • 1 cup carrots, sliced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 2 cups cabbage, sliced thinly
  • 15 oz can whole tomatoes, diced
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • 3/4 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves (or leave it out completely – my husband doesn’t like it)
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder
  • 1 T lemon juice

If you’ve soaked the lentils, drain them in a sieve. If not, rinse the lentils and let drain.

Cook the rice.

In a saucepan, sauté the onions in a tablespoon of the vegetable stock for several minutes. Add in carrots, garlic, celery, and cabbage. Sauté another 2 minutes.

Add in turmeric, dry mustard, cumin, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and ginger powder. Sauté another minute or two – until you can smell the spices.

Add in lentils, remaining vegetable broth, lemon juice, and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, lower flame to bring down to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Adjust seasoning to taste. Add in cooked rice.

Can be served immediately or refrigerated and served the next day (which is better, IMO).