chickpea adobo

as i was sitting in my living room this evening trying to figure out what to cook for dinner, i knew i wanted filipino food, but what?????  although adobo is one of the easiest filipino dishes to cook, i haven't attempted to cook a vegan filipino adobo dish yet just because i wanted to stray away from using "fake chicken" or tofu.  i wanted to create something different.  so, as i was thinking about what to cook for dinner today, i was like "hey! why don't i use chickpeas!" i thought of one of my favorite indian dishes, chana masala.  if chickpeas work for that dish, i'm sure they'll work for adobo!!!!

adobo is a popular filipino dish, usually made with chicken and/or pork that is cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, bay leafs, garlic and at times browned in oil (just the way i like it).

when the spanish colonized the philippines in the 1500's, "they encountered an indigenous cooking process which involved stewing with vinegar, which they then referred to as adobo, which is the Spanish word for seasoning or marinade" (wikipedia).  rather than the spanish having an influence on this dish, we had an influence on them.

i really just put this dish together on a whim using my families basic adobo recipe.  rather than using chicken or pork, i used a can of chickpeas.  i also added potatoes to get a startchy consistency.  when most of the liquid evaporated, i added some canola oil and browned it a bit.  sorry, i didn't measure the ingredients and will update this post with the exact measurements of the ingredients.

tinola

tinola is a soup-based dish in the philippines.  it is made with chicken, chayote, garlic and ginger.  i usually eat this dish when i'm sick or when it's a cold rainy day.  this is definitely a filipino comfort food.

portobello and french bean stir fry

ingredients:
1 bunch of french string beans, cleaned and trimmed.
2 portobello mushroom, sliced
5-7 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1/4 purple onion, sliced
salt and pepper
red pepper
2 tbs oil
1-2 tbs chili oil
vegetarian hoisin sauce
1 tsp of flour mixed with 1 tsp of water (thickening agent)


Directions:
1) on medium high heat saute onions for 2-4 minutes.
2)  add garlic and cook for another 2-4 minutes.
3)  add beans and season with salt, pepper and red pepper.  cook for 3 minutes.
4)   add vegetable broth and mushrooms.  cover and cook for another 3 minutes.
5) add thickening agent.  stir and cook for another 2 minutes.

salted pepper tofu

one of my favorite chinese restaurants in sd is royal manderin in national city.  they make the best salted pepper chicken wings (when i used to eat chicken that is).  since being vegetarian, it's ironic that they came up with a salted pepper tofu dish!!!  my mom always orders it for me when we have family parties.   here is my play on their dish.  all i can say is once i was done cooking it, i couldn't keep my hands off of it while i was taking this photo! soooooo delicious!

1 package of fried tofu cubes ( i made it easier on myself but if you want, go ahead and buy a package of tofu and fry it yourself).

2 bunches of finely chopped green onions
salt and pepper
5-8 cloves of minced garlic
garlic salt
red pepper
1-2tbs red chili oil
2-3 tbs canola oil



directions:
1)  heat both oils on medium heat.
2)  saute garlic and red pepper together.  make sure you keep stirring to avoid burning the garlic.
3)  add tofu and constantly stir making sure all the tofu is coated with garlic and chili oil. cook until tofu is heated through. season with salt, pepper and garlic salt.
4)  add green onions and cook for about 2-3 more minutes.

eggplant escalivada

my favorite food on the planet are spanish tapas.  a couple of weeks ago i had dinner with some good friends at one of my favorite tapas restaurants in sf, esperpento in the mission district.  one of my favorite dishes i order is an eggplant dish that is basically sauteed with tomatoes, onions and peppers.  here is my version of escalivada.  my twist to this dish is to serve it as a stuffed eggplant.  hope you like it.

ingredients:
1 large purple eggplant
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/4 purple onion, sliced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4-1/2 cup of tempeh, crumbled
vegetable broth
olive oil
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
paprika

directions:
1) preheat oven to 400 degrees
2)  slice eggplant in half and brush eggplant with olive oil all over.  season with salt, pepper, and red pepper.  line baking sheet with foil and place eggplant face up.  place another sheet of foil on top of eggplant and wrap eggplant with both sheets of foil.  bake for 50 minutes.
3) while eggplant is baking, prepare the stuffing by heating 3 tbs of olive oil in a pan on medium high heat.  when oil is hot, saute onions until cooked.  stir in tomato slices.  cook for about 2-3 minutes.  add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and cook for another 3 minutes until some of the broth has evaporated.  add tempeh and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.  add a cup of vegetable broth, salt, pepper, red pepper, and a couple of dashes of paprika and simmer on medium low until broth has evaporated. set aside until eggplant is cooked.
4)  when eggplant is ready, spoon out eggplant into saute mixture making sure you are careful not to pierce through the skin of the eggplant.  when all the mixture is added to the saute mixture, add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and cook on medium high heat.  using a fork, smash in the eggplant while cooking.  when the vegetable broth has slightly evaporated, it is ready.  spoon eggplant mixture back into cooked eggplant shells.  enjoy!

patatas aioli

another one of my favorite tapas.  fried potatoes with a spicy garlic aioli sauce.

ingredients
6 medium potatoes, cut into medium cubes
olive oil 
salt and pepper
red pepper
paprika

1) heat olive oil in a deep frying pot/pan on medium high heat.
2)  in a large bowl combine cubed potatoes, seasoning and 2 tbs of olive oil.
3)  when oil is ready, fry half of the cubed potatoes for about 8 minutes.  take the cooked potatoes out and fry the rest of the potatoes.
4)  for aioli sauce, refer to sauce section.  i just added sriracha sauce to make it spicy.  you can add any type of hot sauce you have on hand.

bean tostada

here's one of my quick and dirty trader joe's recipes.  so easy you'll want to add this to your busy week night dinners

ingredients:
trader joes vegan refried beans
whole wheat flour tortilla
trader joes guacamole hummus
shredded lettuce
taco seasoning, 2-3 tsps ( i eyeball it.  I basically just use enough to season the beans)
salsa
shredded vegan cheese
water 2-3 tbs
canola oil to fry tortilla

directions:
1) cook refried beans on medium heat.  add water and taco season to mix. constantly stir until beans are heated through.
2)  in another pan, heat oil on medium high heat.  when oil is ready, fry up tortilla.  it will only take a minute or less to cook each side.
3)  on the tostada, add the beans, salsa, lettuce and shredded cheese.  enjoy.

mom's peach cobbler

ingredients
1 cup of bisquick
1 cup of almond milk (you can also use rice or soy)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup of melted vegan butter
1/2 cup of sugar

1 can (29 oz) sliced peaches

directions:
1)  preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2)  drain peaches and in a large bowl mix together the sugar and peaches.
3) in a round or square pan, mix the bisquick and nutmeg.  add the melted butter and milk.  stir until mixture is well blended.
4)  spoon in the peaches over the batter.
5)  bake for 55 minutes.

still thinking of a name for this recipe

recipe will be updated soon.

thai fried rice

recipe will be updated soon.

fried okra

ingredients:
okra, sliced
cornmeal (at least 1 cup)
salt and pepper
canola oil (2-4 cups)

directions:
1)   preheat canola oil in a large pot on medium high.
mix cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a large shallow dish.
2)  wet okra slices in cold water, drain.
3)  roll okra slices into cornmeal mixture.
4) fry okra slices until golden brown.

vegan cornbread muffins

ingredients:
2 cups of almond milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1/3 cup of oil
1 cup of fresh corn

directions:
1) preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) combine milk and vinegar in bowl.  set aside and let curdle.
3)  in a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.  add soy milk/vinegar and corn.  mix well.
4) spray muffin pans with nonstick spray.  spoon in cornbread mixture.  place in oven and bake for 30-32 minutes.
**adapted from Veganomigon.

vegan gumbo

1/3 cup of vegan butter
1/4 cup of flour
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 celery stalk, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic, minced
10 oz package of okra, sliced thinly
1 (28 oz) of can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 (16 oz) kidney beans
1 bag of fresh chopped collard greens
2 carrots, diced
4 cups of vegetable broth
3 tblsp tomato paste
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp allspice
2 bay leaves
4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
louisana hot sauce (depending on how spicy you want it)
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
1)  in a large pot, on medium-low heat, melt butter and add the flour.  cook the flour mixture and stir frequently until you smell a toasty aroma.  this will take about 10 minutes.
2)  add onions and peppers.  cook on medium high for 12 minutes.
3)  add the celery, garlic, carrots, and okra. cook for 6 minutes.  add the tomatoes, beans, tomato paste and vegetable broth.  stir completely.
4)  add all of the seasoning ingredients.  raise the heat and bring to a boil.  then lower the heat and cover.  simmer for 35 minutes.
5) add the collard greens.  cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
6) spoon over rice and serve piping hot.

** recipe adapted from Veganomigon**

portobello avocado sandwich

ingredients:
1/2 portobello mushroom, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
4 slices of red bell pepper
spinach

olive oil
whole wheat bread

directions:
1)  brush olive oil on mushroom and bell peppers.
2) on medium- low heat, cook the mushrooms and bell peppers in a pan.   set vegetables aside.
3)  brush olive oil on bread.  toast bread in pan.
4)  assemble sandwich by layer a slice of toast, avocado, spinach, peppers, mushroom and the other slice of toast.

vegan pho

i love pho!!! pho is a vietnamese beef noodle soup garnished with mint, basil, lime, and bean spouts.  i researched on different pho recipes online and put this recipe together. 

this is my first attempt trying to cook pho.  with all the spices that are used in this dish, it was quite overwhelming and discouraging.  although i could have easily gone down the street from my place and ordered vegetarian pho for $4.00 (pho broth is usually made with beef broth and there's no compassion in that!), i was determined to make this dish!   not only was it DELICIOUS but it's VEGAN!    when you're actually making the broth, the spices may seem overpowering but when all the ingredients come together at the end, it all seems to balance out nicely. 


broth ingredients:

1 filter ball

5 star of annise

1 tbsp corriander

1 tbsp fennel

6 whole cloves

1 dried cardamon pod

1 cinnamon stick

3 inch sticks of ginger, peeled

1 white onion halved and peeled
8 cups of vegetable broth

garnish:

jalepenos, sliced
lime, sliced
basil
mint
cilantro, chopped
1 stalk of green onions, sliced
1/2 white onion, sliced thinly
sriracha hot sauce
vegetarian hoisin sauce



Rice Stick Noodles:
Banh Pho Viet Mien Lao
** soak for 25 min

directions:

1)  in a large pot bring vegetable broth, onions, and ginger to boil.  add all of the spices, except the cinnamon stick, into the filter ball.  add the filter ball to the broth mix and the cinnamon stick.  cover and turn the heat down to medium low.  simmer for about 20-25 minutes.  when the broth is finished, take out the filter ball and spoon out the ginger, onions, and cinnamon stick.
2)  while you're waiting for the broth to cook, prepare soup garnish and soak rice stick noodles with warm water in a large bowl.
3)  in another pot, boil water and add noodles.  cook briefly for about 3-5 minutes.
4) when the noodles are soft, drain and spoon into a large bowl.  add the pho broth and garnish with

fresh guacamole

ingredients:
1 large haas avocado
1/2 roma tomato, diced
1/4 white onion, diced
1 serrano pepper, diced (add as much pepper depending on how much heat you want)
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup of cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
1)  spoon out avocado in a bowl and smash with a fork until there all the lumps are out.
2)  mix in the rest of the ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.

tempeh fajitas

ingredients:
2 oz of tempeh
2-3 cups of spinach
1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes
1/4 of a medium onion, sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 portobello mushroom, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green onion, chopped
1/2 package of fajita seasoning
1/4 cup of water
chopped cilantro and serrano peppers, to your tasting
whole wheat tortillas
2 tsp of olive oil

directions:
1) heat olive oil in pan on medium heat.
2) saute onions, tomatoes, and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
3) add tempeh, water, and seasoning.  cover and simmer on medium low for 3 minutes.  constantly stir.
4) add the mushrooms and bell peppers.  cover and cook for 3 minutes.
5) add spniach. cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.  lastly, add the green onions, serrano peppers, and cilantro.
6) wrap in a tortilla and garnish with fresh guacamole.  see posting for guacamole recipe.  enjoy!

back in the kitchen...

for the past couple of weeks i've been studying for the art cset and have gone back to my college ways of eating!!!  with not enough time to cook during the week i've been dining out like it's nobody's business!!! not only do i feel like i've gained a hundred pounds but i've been neglecting home cooked meals and updating my blog.

i just got back from the bahamas last week and it's time to get back in the kitchen!!!

tofu lettuce wrap

ingredients:
1 carrot, diced
1/4 white onion. diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 block of firm tofu
1-2 tbsp thai chili sauce
1 tbsp hoison sauce
salt and pepper to taste
5-6 butter lettuce leafs for wrap
1-2 tsp olive oil

directions:
1)  in a pan, heat olive oil on medium heat
2)  saute onions, celery, and carrots
3)  when the onions are tranlucent, crumble in the tofu.  add salt and pepper and mix.  cook for about 5-7 minutes.
4)  add chili and hoison sauce and mix in.  cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5)  spoon in mixture into lettuce leafs and wrap.  enjoy!

artichoke wrap

**recipe will be posted soon! i'm off to bed!**
thanks for the picture deb!

edamame and mushroom brown rice with japanese steamed spinach

protein and veges... yuummmmm!  ever since i made the brown rice and kidney bean dish (see previous post), i've been all about cooking up brown rice and veges in my rice cooker.  it's so easy!!! i love it!!!

i just whipped this recipe up off the bat.   here's a brown rice dish that i put a japanese spin on.

ingredients
1 1/2 cups of uncooked brown rice
1/2-3/4 cup of cooked edamame beans
5 cremini mushrooms, sliced
vege bouillon, 1/2 cube
japanese rice seasoning

directions
1) cook rice according to directions.  add vege bouillon.
2) 10 minutes after rice has started cooking, stir in edamame beans and mushrooms.

ingredients for japanese steamed spinach
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of soy sauce
2 tbs of sugar in the raw
1-2 cups of spinach

directions
1) boil water, soy sauce and sugar.
2) add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.
3) remove from heat

** plate brown rice mixture.   top with spinach and garnish with japanese ricve seasoning.  i added some of the spinach soy sauce mixture to the rice for a bit of flavor.**

kidney bean and brown rice salad

prepared my lunch for tomorrow.  one word for you... delicious!

ingredients:
1/2 cup of uncooked brown rice
1/2 cup of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups of vege broth
1 tbs of olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh lime, juiced
tbs plain vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
2 green onions, finely sliced
a handful (or more) of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsb parsely, chopped

directions:
1) cook brown rice and kidney beans in vegetable stock.  let completely cool when finished
2)  in a separate bowl, whisk the olive oil, garlic, lime juice, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
3)  when rice is completely cooled add tomatoes, onions, and parsley.  toss in dressing (to your tasting)and serve chilled (i personally like it warm!).

** this recipe was adapted from the eat clean cook book**

note-  i personally set aside half of the rice and bean mixture to make a different meal later this week as well as some of the dressing to use for a salad dish later this week

cabbage and brussel sprout vegetable soup

back to reality and back to work this week.  today, i cooked up a soup that i'm going to take to lunch this week.  the great thing is, i can freeze the rest of the soup in individual containers and take the left over for lunch anytime!  

ingredients:
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 bunch of celery, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 head of garlic, minced
2 medium sized potatoes, cubed
1/2 of cabbage, shredded
8 oz of brussel sprouts, halved
1 -15oz can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
280z plumbed tomatoes, drained and chopped
10 cups of vegetable stock
1 tbs of salt
1 tbs of pepper

directions:
1.  In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat.
2.  add celery, onions and carrots.  saute until onions are translucent.
3. add garlic, potatoes and vegetable broth.  bring to boil then simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.
4.  add the rest of the vegetables and simmer until the brussel sprouts and cabbage are soft.

** i adapted this recipe from the eat clean cook book. tweaked it and made it my own.**

mini vegan frittatas

i was inspired to make these today from a dish i tried a couple of weeks ago in palm springs.  when i was having brunch with my friends, i ordered a cheese frittata. i tried to eat the dish but since i have not eaten eggs in forever, my stomach could not hold the food down.

frittatas are a spanish/italian dish that is made with egg and is similar to quiche and omelletes.  they are usually filled with cheeses, meats and vegatables.

today for brunch, i decided to whip up my take on a vegan frittata.  although i wanted to make a light and healthy meal, this dish ended up to be extremely rich and fulfilling.  i thought a great way to serve this was making individual portions so i baked them in muffin pans. 

ingredients:
1 potato, cut into small cubes
5-6 slices of vegan bacon, cut into ity bitty bacon bits
1/2 cup of chopped green, yellow and red bell peppers
1 bunch of spinach, chopped
1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms
1/4 onion, chopped
2-3 tbs olive oil
your favorite all purpose seasoning
salt, pepper and red pepper to taste
2 tbs lemon juice
firm tofu, blended (you may need to add 2-3 tbs of soy milk to get a creamy texture)
1/4-1/2 cup of panko breading
vegan shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese **for topping**
non-stick spray
muffing pan
large pan

directions:
1) preheat oven to 350 and coat muffin pans with non-stick spray.
2) mix all the ingredients together except for the cheese, panko breading, tofu and the non-stick spray of course! and let ingredients sit and marinate for about 10mins.
3)  heat a large pan on medium heat.  saute mixture and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
4)  transfer cooked mixture into a large bowl.  add tofu mixture and mix until everything is covered.  then add panko breading.  the panko breading is just used to bind the mixture together.
5) spoon in mixture into muffin pans and top with shredded cheese.
6) bake for 25-30 minutes.
7) top with louisana hot sauce and enjoy!

bon apetit!

tomato basil vegetable quinoa

one of my favorite thai dishes that i order at a local restaurant is a thai basil vegetable dish.  rather than eating this with rice i decided to toss in some quinoa instead.  i'm a big fan of this nutirent filled grain!  here's my vegan take on one of my favorite thai dishes.

ingredients
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 cup of yellow onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped basil
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup of broccoli
1 cup of shredded cabbage
1/2 cup of sliced carrots
1/2 cup snow peas
1/4- 1/2 cup cashews
1/2-1 cup of bean sprouts
1-2 tbs sweet chili sauce
1-2 tbs vegetarian stir fry sauce
peanut oil
serrano pepper chopped (optional)
2-3 tbs of water
1-2 cups of cooked quinoa

directions:
1)  on medium heat peanut oil in a large pan.
2) saute onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes.
3) add cashew and cook for 2 minutes.
4)  add mushrooms, peas, broccoli, carrots and cabbage.  add water and stir fry for 2 minutes.
5)  add tomatoes, basil, pepper, chili sauce and vegetarian stir fry and cook for 1-2 minutes.
6)  turn stove off and toss in cooked quinoa.
7) serve dish with a side of bean sprouts.  mix bean sprouts together while piping hot on your own plate.  enjoy!

vegan sinigang (filipino soup)

sinigang is a soup dish from the philippines that is sour in taste because it is flavored with tamarind, calamansi, or gauva.  this soup usually made with beef, pork, milk fish and shrimp and stewed with onions, tomatoes and veges.  here's my take on vegan sinigang, which is really easy to make.  just don't add meat! ha.

                                        

penne pesto pasta with green beans and potatoes

ingredients:
2 cups of penne whole wheat pasta, cook as directed
french green beans, halved and steamed
1 potato, boil in water then cubed when fully cooked
red pepper, salt and pepper to taste
*toss all of these ingredients together and chill in fridge while preparing sauce.**

pesto sauce:
1-2cups of basil
3 large cloves garlic
6 tbsp raw pine nuts
3/4 – 1 tsp salt, or to taste
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
vegan parmesan cheese 1/4-1/2 cup

directions:
1)  blend all pesto sauce ingredients together.
2) mix sauce with potatoes, green beans and pasta.
3) enjoy!

rasberry banana soy protein shake

one of my favorite shakes after a run.  and yes, i do use the magic bullet!  i made this shake with soy protein powder, soy milk, one banana and a couple of rasberries.  quick and easy!  great for breakfast too!

cuban black beans with chard greens

a couple of weeks ago i tried chard greens for the first time at a restaurant in the city.   it was sauteed and tasted similar to spinach.  i loved it!  here's my take on that dish along with an easy black bean and rice dish.

ingredients for chard greens:
12 oz sliced chard greens
5 cloves of minced garlic
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp of vegan butter
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
1)  heat olive oil and butter in pan on medium heat.
2)  when butter is melted, add minced garlic.  constantly mix to avoid burning. cook for about 3-4 minutes to flavor the oil.
3)  add chard greens and saute until greens have welted.

ingredients for black beans:
15 oz of canned black beans
1/2 cup of chopped green peppers
1/2 cup of  cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
1 tbs of red wine vinegar
5 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp oregano
2-3 tbs olive oil

directions:
1)  on medium heat, saute onions and garlic.
2)  add tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes.
3)  add beans along with liquid.  once liquid comes to a slight boil, add seasoning and constantly stir.  simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes.
4) lastly add red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

vegan bacon!

yes sirrrr!!! vegan bacon!  fixed myself a tofu and vegan chees whole wheat muffin with morning star's vegan bacon for breakfast today.  y'll need to try it!  tastes like the real thing!

pancake cupcakes

for an academy meeting last week, i decided to make some some pancakes.  since i was short on time, i thought that the perfect way to pop pancakes out fast was to turn them into cupcakes.  all i did was prepare a vegan pancake mix (use your own or from the box!), coat a 12- cupcake pan with non-stick spray, bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, and garnish with confectioners sugar.  serve with maple syrup or try my banana topping!

i served these pancake muffins with a banana topping.  sorry i forgot to take a picture of the finished product will be sure to take a picture when i bake these up again!

banana topping recipe

ingredients:

one banana sliced
4 tbs of brown sugar
4 tbs of vegan butter
cinnamon (optional)

directions:
1) melt butter on medium heat.
2) when butter is melted, add brown sugar and cool until caramalized.
3)  add bananas and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4) top with cinnamon

tofu teriyaki

the other day, i popped in some ready made chicken terryaki  trader joe meal in the oven for my hubby.  when i pulled out the chicken i felt sick to the stomach from the smell of meat.  although the teriyaki sauce heating up in a seperate pan smelled pretty darn good. i was inspired to cook up some tofu teriyaki during the week.

running short of time during the week to prepare my dinners ( i'm currently taking 2 night classes on tues/wed/thurs this spring) i decided to make the terryaki sauce last night and marinate the tofu overnight to save time before i head to class.  all i had to do when i got home from work today was fry up the tofu.  i even garnished it with onions from my garden!  yummmm.

teriyaki sauce marinade ingredients:
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 cup of water
2 tbsp of ginger
4 tbsp of brown sugar
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup of cold water

directions:
1) combine 1 cup water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
2) in a bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup of cold water and add to sauce.
3) stir constantly to allow the sauce to thicken on medium low heat. if the sauce is too thick add a little water or soy to thin.
4)  set sauce aside to cool.

teriyaki tofu ingredients:
a block of tofu
1/2-1cup of cornstarch
teriyaki sauce
vegetable or canola oil
sliced chives or green onions

tofu preparation:
1)  cube a block of tofu.  http://www.cookthink.com/reference/309/How_to_cube_tofu
2)  place in a container or large ziplock bag.
3)  pour teriyaki sauce over tofu making sure that all the tofu is completely covered.  marinate  a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.  do not use all the teriyaki sauce.  make sure you reserve at least 1/2-1cup for the finished dish.
4) in a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat.  put enough oil in the pan brown the tofu cubes.  you are not deep frying them!
5) on a flat surface or plate sprinkle a 1/2 cup of cornstarch evenly coating surface.  take tofu cubes out of the marinade (make sure you shake off any extra marinade) and lightly coat all sides of the tofu cube with the cornstarch.

6)  fry tofu cubes until all sides are brown.  about 2-3 minutes on each side.
7)  in a bowl, toss fried tofu and the remainder of the teriyaki sauce.  garnish with chives and enjoy!

vegan red velvet cake with vegan butter cream frosting

this past weekend, i celebrated my 31st birthday. to celebrate my hubby baked me a vegan red velvet cake!!!! omg!!!! it was sooooo freakin' delicious! i'm having a slice right now as i type up this blog. haha.  he found the recipe on My Vegan Planet.com.

here's the website where you can make your own scrumptious red velvet vegan cake!
http://www.myveganplanet.com/2009/01/vegan-valentine-red-velvet-cake

cucumber chickpea quinoa salad

i just put this together for dinner using left over cucumber salad that i ate the night before. this is a great salad to eat that light, yet fullfilling and loaded with nutrients.

ingredients
1 cucumber sliced, cubed what ever you like.
1/2 cup of japanese rice vinegar
a handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced
1-2cups of cooked quinoa
1/2 cup of chickpeas, drained
salt, pepper and red pepper to taste
fresh parsley for garnish

directions:
1) marinate cucumber, tomatoes, onions, salt, pepper and red pepper in vinegar in a large bowl.  cover and chill for preferably and hour.
2) in another bowl mix chickpeas and quinoa together.  when cucumber mixture has fully marinated, drain vinegar and add the mixture to the quinoa and chickpeas.

fried tofu with sweet chili sauce and chilled peanut soba noodles

there's a thai restaurant close that me and my husband love!  besides the delicious authentic thai food, they have a separate menu for vegetarians!  my husband usually gets a crispy fried sweet chili fish dish topped with mushrooms and bell peppers.  when they deliver the dish to our table the smell of the of the chili sauce is unbelievable.  although i wouldn't eat the fish, i would sneak a dip of the sauce with some of my tofu.

today for dinner, as i made a peanut soba noodle dish  i was trying to figure out what type of tofu dish would go with it.  as i was preparing the soba dish and adding the rice vinegar to the mixture, i thought to myself if thai dishes used rice vinegar.  i then realized that the secret ingredient to the chilli sauce from the thai restaurant was rice vinegar!!!  so i tried adding rice vinegar to sweet chili sauce and that was it!!! i've been trying to figure out what was in that sauce for sooooo long!

**fried tofu with sweet chili sauce recipe**

ingredients
4 oz of tofu, thinly sliced
2/3 cup of sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
4-5 tbs saracha hot sauce
1/4 cup of red and green pepper
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
1) fry tofu until golden brown and set aside.
2) while your frying the tofu get started on making the chili sauce. whisk rice vinegar, hot sauce, sweet chili sauce, salt and pepper in a bowl.  add peppers after about 5 minutes into cooking the sauce.
3) add sauce into a small pot and heat on medium low.  once the sauce starts to boil, set temperature to low.
4)  arrange fried tofu on a platter and spoon sauce over tofu.

chilled peanut soba noodles
*adapted from food network*
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/chilled-peanut-soba-noodles-recipe/index.html
ingredients:
kosher salt
8 ounces soba (buckwheat) noodles
1/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 to 3 teaspoons chili sauce (recommended: Sriracha)
chopped cilantro for garnish (my twist)

directions:
1)  Bring a large pot of water to a boil; overt high heat. Add a generous amount of salt and stir in the noodles. Cook according to package instructions; drain and rinse well under cold running water.

2)  Meanwhile, whisk the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce and chili sauce in a large bowl until smooth. Add the drained noodles, and with tongs, toss until coated with the dressing.  Garnish with cilantro.  Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Note: If chilling noodles, toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons water to loosen them before serving.

green onions... woo hoo!!! the beginning of my garden!

i grew up to vegetables gardens and fruit trees and my dad making sure we had vegetables every night on our dinner table.  he grew eggplants, chillies, tomatoes, green onions, lettuce, avocados, oranges, calamansi, bitter melon, bananas, string beans, mallungay, guavas, persimmons, strawberries.. you name it!!! i grew up on all these fresh organic vegetables and didn't even realize how fortunate i was!

one of my goals this years is to start a small balcony garden.  this past weekend when i went to visit my family, my dad gave me some tomato seeds (these seeds were actually dried from tomatoes from his garden) and green onion roots.  i went ahead and bought a couple of starter pots and soil a couple of days ago and planted my green onions.  they've already grew a couple of inches!  after a couple of weeks i'm going to transfer them to a bigger pot.  i can't wait!  in the spring, i'm going to go ahead and plant the tomato seeds.

black bean and potato soup

lately, i've been in the mood for soup.  i think its a mixture the cold weather and me getting over a cold. here's a soup recipe i just put together.  enjoy!

ingredients:
1 1/4 cup chopped carrots
1 1/4 cup chopped onions
1 1/4 cup chopped celery
1 can of organic black beans, drained
2 large sized russet potatoes, cubed
4- 5 cloves of chopped garlic
14 oz can of diced tomatoes with juice
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 can of corn (optional)
1 teaspoon finely minced jalapeño pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
2- 4 tbs of olive oil
chopped cilantro
garnish with sour cream and chopped avocados or guacamole (optional)

directions
1)  heat olive oil in a large pot, on medium high heat
2)  saute carrots, onions, and celery for 6-8 minutes
3) stir in cubed potatoes and garlic. cook for about 5 minutes.
4)  add broth (at this time, you can add the vegetable bouillon) and stir occasionally.  cook until the potatoes are close to tender
4) add black beans and corn. cook for 8 minutes.  at this time, add jalapeno, cilantro and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
5)  transfer soup into a food processor or blender and puree soup.
6) transfer puree back to pot and simmer on low for another 10 minutes.
7) ladle into a bowl. garnish with cilantro.  dollop with vegan sour cream or guacamole (even better... chopped fresh avocados).
** pictured with the soup- vegan whole wheat quesadilla**