This is less of a recipe and more of a strategy for packing a vegan lunch that is easy to prepare the night before and you can stick in the microwave for a few minutes. I think I ate this for lunch 2-3 times a week in law school because it fits nicely in a microwavable container and it doesn't take much to prepare couscous.
Ingredients
1 cup couscous
Water
California vegetable mix or broccoli (frozen)
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Cumin
Nutmeg, pinch
1/2 can Chickpeas
Directions
Bring some water to a boil in a kettle. Put the couscus in a large bowl. When the water is ready, pour the boiling water over the couscous until it is just covered. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, and nutmeg. Stir with a spoon and cover the bowl for about ten minutes. Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly. Spoon the couscous into your tupperware/glad containers you'll pack for lunch along with the chickpeas and the frozen veggies. By lunchtime, the veggies will be defrosted and the spice from the couscous should give everything some flavor. You can always add additional spices on top for more flavor.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Rosemary Citrus Halibut
It took a little experimenting with different ways of preparing this and I think this way keeps the fish moist and helps it absorb the flavors. I think the red pepper flakes give it a nice little kick, but if you don't like spicy food, the flakes are optional.
2 halibut filets
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 2 tangerines
2/3 cup olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the white wine vinegar, rosemary, lemon juice, lemon and tangerine zest, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in bowl. Whisk the olive oil in a little at a time and continue whisking until oil is combined well into the other ingredients. Lightly salt and pepper the halibut on both sides.
Heat the halibut over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side. Add the vinaigrette so it surrounds the fish and place in the oven. Baste every 2-3 minutes. Turn the halibut over after 15 minutes and return to oven for another 10 minutes, continuing to baste every 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
2 halibut filets
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 2 tangerines
2/3 cup olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the white wine vinegar, rosemary, lemon juice, lemon and tangerine zest, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in bowl. Whisk the olive oil in a little at a time and continue whisking until oil is combined well into the other ingredients. Lightly salt and pepper the halibut on both sides.
Heat the halibut over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side. Add the vinaigrette so it surrounds the fish and place in the oven. Baste every 2-3 minutes. Turn the halibut over after 15 minutes and return to oven for another 10 minutes, continuing to baste every 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Sushi!
About a month ago I decided I wanted to learn how to make sushi. So ,I went out and got a bamboo mat, sushi rice, nori sheets, and everything else for sushi. My first attempt was a total disaster. For some reason I thought that rolling sushi would be intuitive and easy. Boy was I WRONG. Now I know why Mr. M says some people spend their entire lives learning how to make sushi. I couldn't get the rolling action going and each roll I tried ended up completely falling apart.
So, I googled "how to roll sushi" to get a clue. After reading tons of info I realized that sushi rice requires a special mix of vinegar and sugar to add flavor and that saran wrap on your prep space or covering the bamboo mat makes things so much easier. Luckily my bag of Lundberg sushi rice had a recipe on the back. My next attempt was much more successful and I made it only with cucumbers to save the expense in case this turned out to be another disaster. This attempt was a lot better, but I forgot to make the special sushi rice, so it came out very bland and the rolls were formed, but a little loose.
Third time's a charm? I felt pretty good about actually being able to make a roll, so I bought some avocado and smoked salmon for my third attempt. The rolls didn't fall apart when dipped in soy sauce! I can't claim I'm good at this, but at least my rolls stay together now. There are also a lot of rolling instructions that say to use the bamboo mat instead of your hands to roll, but I can't seem to get it right with that method, so I'm sticking with this method until someone teaches me how to do it differently.
Ingredients
2 cups sushi rice
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
Thinly sliced smoked salmon (or any other fish you want in your roll)
Sesame seeds
Instructions
Rinse the rice in a colander until the water comes out clear. Cook the rice with the water in a pot until all the water is absorbed. When the rice is done, set it aside and let it cool so you don't burn your hands while preparing the sushi rolls. Transfer the rice into a large bowl. DO NOT refrigerate the rice.
In a pan over low-medium heat, mix the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar until the sugar is absorbed. When your rice is cool enough to handle, slowly add the vinegar mixture into the rice with your hands. I tried this with a spoon at first, but it works a lot better if you use your hands.
Next, place a sheet of plastic wrap on a cutting board or whatever flat surface you plan to use to make the rolls. Lay a nori sheet on the board, add a very thin layer of rice, and then sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the rice. Flip the nori sheet with rice over (the rice should stick to the sheet).
Add a thin line of each filling toward the bottom of the nori sheet. Carefully begin rolling the sheet making sure it's not too loose or too tight so the ingredients don't fall out when you cut the roll. Once you've rolled the sheet, place a bamboo mat over the roll and give it a gentle squeeze to better form the roll. Flip the roll and squeeze with the bamboo mat again. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into bite size pieces.
So, I googled "how to roll sushi" to get a clue. After reading tons of info I realized that sushi rice requires a special mix of vinegar and sugar to add flavor and that saran wrap on your prep space or covering the bamboo mat makes things so much easier. Luckily my bag of Lundberg sushi rice had a recipe on the back. My next attempt was much more successful and I made it only with cucumbers to save the expense in case this turned out to be another disaster. This attempt was a lot better, but I forgot to make the special sushi rice, so it came out very bland and the rolls were formed, but a little loose.
Third time's a charm? I felt pretty good about actually being able to make a roll, so I bought some avocado and smoked salmon for my third attempt. The rolls didn't fall apart when dipped in soy sauce! I can't claim I'm good at this, but at least my rolls stay together now. There are also a lot of rolling instructions that say to use the bamboo mat instead of your hands to roll, but I can't seem to get it right with that method, so I'm sticking with this method until someone teaches me how to do it differently.
Ingredients
2 cups sushi rice
3 cups water
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
Thinly sliced smoked salmon (or any other fish you want in your roll)
Sesame seeds
Instructions
Rinse the rice in a colander until the water comes out clear. Cook the rice with the water in a pot until all the water is absorbed. When the rice is done, set it aside and let it cool so you don't burn your hands while preparing the sushi rolls. Transfer the rice into a large bowl. DO NOT refrigerate the rice.
In a pan over low-medium heat, mix the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar until the sugar is absorbed. When your rice is cool enough to handle, slowly add the vinegar mixture into the rice with your hands. I tried this with a spoon at first, but it works a lot better if you use your hands.
Next, place a sheet of plastic wrap on a cutting board or whatever flat surface you plan to use to make the rolls. Lay a nori sheet on the board, add a very thin layer of rice, and then sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the rice. Flip the nori sheet with rice over (the rice should stick to the sheet).
Add a thin line of each filling toward the bottom of the nori sheet. Carefully begin rolling the sheet making sure it's not too loose or too tight so the ingredients don't fall out when you cut the roll. Once you've rolled the sheet, place a bamboo mat over the roll and give it a gentle squeeze to better form the roll. Flip the roll and squeeze with the bamboo mat again. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into bite size pieces.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tofu & veggie stir fry
I've always had trouble getting tofu to stir fry with a nice texture. So, this time I looked up how it's done on Cooks Illustrated and learned the secret--cornstarch. A quick dip gives the tofu a nice slightly crunchy texture and makes the tofu so much more enjoyable.
Ingredients
1 package of low fat extra firm tofu, cut into triangles
1/2 cup cornstarch
4 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 clove minced garlic
1 tbsp powdered ginger
1 bag frozen Asian veggie blend
1/2 package lettuce salad mix (I used a 5 lettuce blend)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 tsp. sesame seed oil
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Instructions
Place the cornstarch in a bowl and dip the tofu triangles in the cornstarch and set aside on a clean plate. Once all the tofu is lightly coated with the cornstarch, heat 1 tbsp. of the vegetable oil in a large pan. Add the tofu and cook for 8 minutes on each side over medium heat. In a separate bowl, mix the 2 tbsp. of soy sauce and sugar. Add the soy sauce and sugar mixture to the tofu and cook the tofu with the mixture for another 3-5 minutes and making sure you coat the tofu.
Remove the tofu and place on plates. Heat the other tsp. of vegetable oil and sesame seed oil in the pan. Place the garlic, frozen veggies, and carrots in the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until the carrots are soft and the other veggies are warm. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of soy sauce, ginger, and lettuce. Stir continuously until the lettuce wilts and place on the plates with tofu immediately.
Ingredients
1 package of low fat extra firm tofu, cut into triangles
1/2 cup cornstarch
4 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 clove minced garlic
1 tbsp powdered ginger
1 bag frozen Asian veggie blend
1/2 package lettuce salad mix (I used a 5 lettuce blend)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 tsp. sesame seed oil
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Instructions
Place the cornstarch in a bowl and dip the tofu triangles in the cornstarch and set aside on a clean plate. Once all the tofu is lightly coated with the cornstarch, heat 1 tbsp. of the vegetable oil in a large pan. Add the tofu and cook for 8 minutes on each side over medium heat. In a separate bowl, mix the 2 tbsp. of soy sauce and sugar. Add the soy sauce and sugar mixture to the tofu and cook the tofu with the mixture for another 3-5 minutes and making sure you coat the tofu.
Remove the tofu and place on plates. Heat the other tsp. of vegetable oil and sesame seed oil in the pan. Place the garlic, frozen veggies, and carrots in the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until the carrots are soft and the other veggies are warm. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of soy sauce, ginger, and lettuce. Stir continuously until the lettuce wilts and place on the plates with tofu immediately.
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