Vegetarian Tikka Masala, Turmeric Brown Rice

Meat lovers pizza twice in one week? Ugh. Time for another vegetarian meal to lighten things up. I decided on a meatless version of my Chicken Tikka Masala (recipe: here), subbing out the chicken for cauliflower and potatoes. 

And since I keep reading articles (like this one) that remind me about the amazing health benefits of turmeric, it seemed a good idea to add a scoop in with the brown rice... Wow! The rice turned out gloriously golden, a brilliant pop of color that contrasts vibrantly with the curry! 

I also served this with store-bought naan (boo :( still haven't got my homemade whole wheat naan recipe right) because the curry is pretty spicy and you'll want more than just your mouth soaking up the heat directly! 

Serves 4

• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 inch fresh ginger
• 2 dried red chili peppers*
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cups cauliflower
• 2 red potatoes (2 cups)
• 1 roma tomato
• 2 tsp garam masala, heaping
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne*
• 1 can (6oz or 170gr) tomato paste
• fat-free milk (enough to fill emptied can of tomato paste twice)
• dollop of fat-free, plain yogurt
• 1 1/4 brown rice (2 1/2 cups water)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder, heaping
• cilantro, garnish (All I had was fresh mint and that worked too)
• 1 pkg naan

* Feel free to adjust the amount of dried red chilis and cayenne powder to taste! 

Start by prepping the veggies -- Mince garlic, ginger and dried chilis together. Dice the onion. Wash and chop 2 cups worth of cauliflower florets. Dice the potatoes and tomato. 

Measure out the spices and set aside. 

Heat a small amount of olive in frying pan over med-high. Add minced garlic, ginger and chilis. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring, til fragrant and edges of garlic turn golden. Add diced onion and cook for another few minutes. 

Add the spices which have been set aside and stir. Then add diced tomato, tomato paste, skim milk, and yogurt. Stir well to incorporate until the paste becomes a thick sauce. 

Add cauliflower and yogurt, mixing well to coat the veggies in sauce. Once the curry starts to bubble, turn heat to low, cover with lid, and let simmer for about 40min. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom. Feel free to add more skim milk or water to achieve desired consistency. 

Once the curry has been set to simmer, set the brown rice and scoop of turmeric powder to cook (rice cooker or stovetop are both fine).

Closer to serving time, preheat oven to 350, wrap naan in tin foil, and bake for 5-10min so the naan is soft and fresh for dinner.

Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and enjoy! 

Vegetarian Delight: Tofu & Mushrooms, Spicy Satay Sauce

Last night, B had a business dinner. I normally don't love solo dining, but I took the opportunity to create something using ingredients B cringes and shudders at the thought of. Tofu and mushrooms are definitely high on his list of things not to put in his mouth, but I happen to find both delightful, so why not throw the two together! Mmm! 

This vegetarian dish is nutritious and packed with protein (the one brick of tofu alone contains 35gr of protein!). Feeling somewhat weighed down and guilty from the late night meat lovers pizza the dinner before, I had this tofu stir fry on its own. It would make a fantastic topper for a brown rice bowl though. Quinoa would work just as well. 

Serves 2

• 14oz extra firm, reduced fat tofu
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 dried red chili pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 1 small zucchini
• 8 medium mushrooms
• 1/3 cup frozen shelled edamame peas
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Spicy satay sauce: 
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp peanut butter (not chunky)
• 1/2 tsp green thai curry paste
• 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper 
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander 
• Optional: brown rice or quinoa (cooked per package instructions)
• Sesame seeds, garnish

Carefully remove tofu from packaging, and set aside in a colander to drain excess liquid while you prepare the veggies.

Mince the garlic and chili pepper together. 

Dice the onion. Slice zucchini lengthwise into 4-5 strips, then dice. Chop washed mushrooms into bite-size chunks (I cut each mushroom up into 6 pieces). 

Measure out 1/3 cup of frozen shelled edamame peas and set aside.  

Carefully slice the tofu into rectangular cubes. I sliced a 14oz brick into 20 mini bricks of approximately the same size. 

Heat no more than 1 tsp olive oil in a medium frying pan over high, swiveling the pan around so the tsp of olive oil evenly coats the pan.  Once the pan is hot, add the sliced tofu, taking care to ensure the pieces don't break (extra firm tofu is easiest to work with). Reduce to medium heat and cook for about 3 minutes. Carefully flip each tofu slice over (I find using chopsticks allows the most precision and control, but a spatula should work fine too), letting each side cook for approx 3min until the tofu is golden all around. Meanwhile, measure out all spicy satay sauce ingredients and mix together in a cup or small bowl, stirring well to incorporate. Once the tofu is finished cooking, remove from pan and set aside on a plate, covering with a pot lid to keep warm. 

Without adding any more oil to the same frying pan, add the minced garlic, red chili and diced onions over medium heat. Cook for 2min, adding a tablespoon of water to help steam fry. Add the frozen edamame peas to the pan and stir for another minute. 

Add mushrooms and zucchini to pan. Give the satay sauce another big stir, then pour into pan with veggies.Cook for 5-10min until sauce has thickened to desired consistency. 

(If serving as a brown rice/quinoa bowl, portion out brown rice/quinoa, arrange tofu slices over top, then drizzle sauce and veggies on tofu. Garnish with sesame seeds.)

Serve saucy vegetables over bed of tofu. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy! 

Spiced Almonds

Last summer, during a trip home to Vancouver was when I discovered Ayoub's Dried Fruit & Nuts shop in English Bay. We were initially drawn into the store by the elegant Persian decor, but after a few samples, we were all hooked and had to make a few purchases. 

Ever since, I've been dying to make my own! I made a batch of candied almonds (see recipe here) around Christmas, but now it's time for a savoury version. My first attempt turned out pretty good, but being the flavor-fiend I am, I think I'll up my spice measurements for next time! The recipe written below already  reflects my flavor adjustments :)

• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 egg white
• 2 cups almonds

Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray (I didn't have any on hand, so I lightly rubbed a stick of margarine over the baking pan). 

Preheat oven to 275°F.  

Measure out the spices in a large bowl and mix together.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until foamy.

Add 2 cups almonds to the egg white, using a spoon to mix well and evenly coat the almonds. 

Transfer the egg white coated almonds to the large bowl and mix well again to evenly coat with spices. 

Spread evenly on the baking pan. Bake for 45min. Let cool completely before storing in air-tight container. 

Spicy Chicken & Vegetable Stirfry on Udon

More often than not, I make noodle stir fries using the thin yellow chow mein noodles (see: Kung Pao Chicken Chow), but it's a delicious change of pace, when I remember to mix things up a little with udon. Udon is usually served as a hot noodle soup, but I find these fat, juicy noodles are particularly susceptible to soaking up sauce, so I like to use them in stir fry. 

This recipe also uses red cabbage, which I recommend over the usual green variety, because it contains significantly more protective phytonutrients (cancer-fighters) and 6-8 times more Vitamin C! 

Serves 4

• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
• Chicken marinade: 
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sriracha
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne 
• 7-8 cloves garlic (less if you don't prefer garlic)
• 2-3 dried red chili peppers 
• 1 small onion
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 small head red cabbage
• Sauce: 
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 2 cups water 
• 1/3 cup oyster sauce
• sriracha, to taste
• 4-5 packs of fresh udon (200gr per pkg)
• 4 cups packed fresh spinach
• 1 small bunch cilantro
• sesame seed, garnish

A couple hours in advance, trim any fat off chicken breasts, and slice into bite-size pieces. Mix well with all marinade ingredients and set aside in fridge, allowing marinade to soak in.

Mince garlic and dried chili peppers together. 

Prepare the remaining vegetables: Thinly slice the onion. Julienne (matchstick) the carrots and red cabbage. Chop cilantro. 

Heat a small amount of olive oil over med-high in a large non-stick frying pan. Add minced garlic and dried chilis. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, til fragrant and edges of garlic turn golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside (use a large bowl or container so you can continue adding stir fried items to the bowl before mixing together at the end).

Using the same frying pan, and without adding more oil, add marinated chicken over high heat. The moisture from the marinade will keep the chicken from sticking to the pan. Stir for a few minutes until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. 

Using the same pan, add onion slices, reduce to medium, and let cook until onion softens and becomes clear (about 5min). Add small amounts of water occasionally as the pan becomes dry. Remove from pan and set aside when cooked. 

Add half a cup of water to the pan, increase heat to med-high, and add julienned carrots. Let steam-fry for 1min, then add the red cabbage to the carrots in the pan. Stir, and allow to steam-fry for another minute or two. Remove from pan and set aside.

Prepare the sauce in a small bowl, mixing together the cornstarch, soy sauce, ground pepper and water. 

Add the udon noodles to the frying pan over high heat, and add half a cup of water. Add more water as necessary as the water will steam off. Once the noodles have warmed up a bit, you can use a pair of chopsticks to loosen them up from their packaged brick form. When the noodles have been loosened, stir in the spinach, cilantro and all other stir fried ingredients set aside in the bowl. Give the sauce a stir as the cornstarch will have clumped at the bottom, then add to the pan, along with the oyster sauce, and sriracha to taste. Reduce to med-high heat and stir to mix everything together. Add more water to achieve desired sauce consistency. 

Serve in deep dish bowls (the noodles are slippery!), and garnish with sesame seeds. 

Spinach Omelette

I love eggs. Boyfriend does not. Yay ME!!!

Yields 1 large omelette

hello kitty kitchen essentials

• 2 cups raw spinach, packed
• 1/4-1/3 cup grated colby jack cheese (or any cheese or your choosing)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• splash of skim milk (approx 2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp olive oil

Measure out 2 cups of fresh (washed & dried) spinach, packed, then place in a medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat with a teaspoon of water. Cover with a lid. Once the spinach has wilted, place in colander to drain any excess liquid. Squeeze if necessary. 

Grate as much cheese as you like (I tend to use about 1/3 cup), and feel free to use whatever kind of cheese you have on hand! 

Crack eggs into a bowl with salt, pepper, paprika and skim milk. Beat thoroughly using a fork or whisk. 

Add 1 tsp olive oil to the same non-stick pan and heat to medium-high. Pour egg mixture into pan and reduce heat to medium.

Let sit for one minute before sprinkling cheese over the eggs. Leave for another minute, then add wilted spinach over the cheese. Leave for one more minute before folding the omelette over. Serve immediately if you prefer runny - Let sit until cooked through if you don't! 

Blackberry Spinach Salad

Blackberries are my favorite of all the berries - not as tart as raspberries and not as sweet as strawberries - perfect! I might also be partial because black is my favorite color, but these juicy little guys are also a great source of fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and manganese!

Yields 2 large salads

• 4.5oz baby spinach
• 1/2 hot house cucumber
• 170gr blackberries
• 1 small avocado
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• balsamic vinaigrette (I used a sweet strawberry balsamic blend with blood orange organic evoo from Olive Crush, but any other kind will do!)

I bought a 9oz bag of washed baby spinach so I wouldn't have to wash and wait for the spinach to dry. Just dumped about half the bag into a large salad bowl (makes it easy if you're doubling the recipe too, just use the whole bag!). 

Wash hot house cucumber (I prefer these to the English ones as the seeds are smaller), section off the half you are using, and refrigerate the rest for another use. Cut lengthwise in half again, then into thin semi-circled slices. Toss with spinach. 

Wash blackberries and pat dry before adding to salad bowl.

Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Slice lengthwise into 8 strips and remove the peel. Give the peeled avocado a quick cold water bath to prevent them from turning brown. Remove from water and cut into bite size chunks. Add to salad bowl. 

Add sliced almonds to the salad and toss with 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette, or to taste. 

This salad goes great with grilled chicken and a large glass of white wine.

Quinoa Salad with Beets & Avocado

Think pink! And think of all the iron, fiber, folate, potassium, and cancer-fighting betalains these brightly colored beets have to offer (not to mention the rest of the nutrient-dense, pink-stained, ingredients in this salad)! The salad alone is pretty filling with walnuts and fiber and protein packed quinoa, but I'll include a spicy grilled chicken breast option for those who need meat. 

Yields 2 dinners with chicken, and 2 leftover vegetarian lunches

• 2 small, boneless, skinleses chicken breasts (I've sliced 1 large breast in half)
• Chicken marinade*:

• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne
• Quinoa*: 
• 1 medium onion
• 7 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 1/3 cup quinoa
• 2 1/3 cup water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 medium beets
• 1 ripe avocado
• Spring mix greens (5oz bag)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• Dressing:  
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp fresh chopped basil

* I marinade the chicken and cook the quinoa well in advance to allow the flavor to soak into the chicken, and the quinoa to cool.

Trim any fat off chicken breast and slice lengthwise to create 2 chicken breast halves (or use 2 small breasts). Add all marinade ingredients to chicken and set aside in fridge.

Dice onion, then peel and mince garlic. Heat olive oil over med-high in a small pot with a lid. Add diced onion and let cook for 5min, stirring. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, chili flakes and fresh ground pepper, and continue to cook for another 5min. Add a tablespoon of water if things start to stick to the bottom. When the mixture looks slightly caramelized, remove from pot and set aside in a large salad bowl. 

Using the same pot (no need to wash/rinse so any tasty bits left on the pot will lend flavor to the quinoa), combine quinoa, water, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and set timer for 15min. When the timer goes off, remove from heat, let stand 5min before fluffing. Empty the contents of the pot into the salad bowl and toss with onion and garlic. Cover and set aside in fridge. 

Preheat a double-sided grill (ie. George Foreman). Peel beets and slice approx 1cm thick. Grill beets for 10-12min or til tender. Transfer to cutting board and cut each slice into 6-8 pieces (bite size). Add beets to salad bowl. Once the grill has cooled, clean it off so it can be used again later for the chicken breast.

honey basil vinaigrette

Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Slice lengthwise into 8 strips and remove the peel. Give the peeled avocado a quick cold water bath to prevent them from turning brown. Remove from water and dice into bite size pieces. Add to salad bowl and toss. Can be served while beets are still warm, or refrigerate until closer to serving time. 

Just before serving, preheat double-sided grill. Place marinated chicken on grill and set timer for 7min (or until cooked, depending on thickness of chicken breast). 

Meanwhile, put all dressing ingredients into a jar, then shake/stir to mix. Pour over quinoa salad, tossing well to combine. Add chopped walnuts and as much spring mix greens as you like and toss again. Serve with grilled chicken.

For the Love of Instant Noodles

Clearly I have wayyy too much time on my hands. 

Amen.

Beyond jealous. My sister recently traveled to Japan and discovered Nissin instant noodle flavored chips!! My two true loves, coming together as one <sigh>. Pretty sure she only bought them to rub it in my face. Mmm actually, literally, I would enjoy every moment of that. 

#sups #lifestaples #love

Sweet & Smoky Almonds

It's that time of year again... The scarves and mittens have come out of storage, storefronts are being decorated with snow dust, your eager neighbors have already put up their blinky Christmas lights, and one of my work-moms has brought in tins of her homemade, highly anticipated, candied almonds!  Except THIS year, I moved down south, and left behind my annual almond binge fest :(  Well, change is hard. And during these tough, work-mom-less times, I had to pull myself together and attempt my own batch of festive nuts. With a few taste adjustments, of course, to give these almonds more of a salted, smoky flavor. 

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1/2 cup white sugar

Line a cookie sheet in advance with waxed paper. 

Measure out brown sugar, cinnamon, paprika and salt, and dump into a medium sized pot. Add water. Stir to mix over medium-high heat. 

Bring to a boil. 

Add almonds, increase heat to high, and stir continuously until most of the syrupy mixture has evaporated. Keep stirring, even when your arm gets tired. 

When there is just a little bit of liquid left in the pot, add the white sugar, reduce to low heat, and continue stirring to mix. 

Keep stirring until any liquid left has become a sticky, grainy coating, then remove from heat and pour over the prepared cookie sheet. Separate almonds with a fork. 

Let cool completely before transferring to an air-tight container for storage. 

These also make sweet gifts if you package them in festive tins or clear jars decorated with ribbons. 

Cucumber Grape Salad, Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Mmm, cool, crunchy, juicy, and sweet, but not too sweet... I don't typically dream up salads that don't involve quinoa or spinach, but this quick and simple combination turned out quite nicely! 

Cukes (with peel!) are loaded with water, fiber, vitamins & minerals, grapes are rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins & minerals, and walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamins E & B-complex, various minerals, and of course, protein! 

Note: I chose hothouse cucumbers because I prefer fewer seeds and a peel that isn't so tough. 

Makes 2 large sides

• 2-1/2 cups hothouse cucumber (approx 1 medium-sized cuke)
• 1-1/2 cups seedless green grapes
• 1/2 cup (heaping) walnut halves
• Dressing: 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
• fresh ground pepper, to taste

Wash the skin of the cucumber thoroughly to remove any pesticides. The peel contains many important nutrients, so we definitely want to make sure to include this!  Cut into approximately 1cm thick slices, then quarter. 

Wash the grapes thoroughly as well and slice in half. 

Combine the sliced cucumber and grapes in a salad bowl. Do not add the chopped walnut halves until just before serving so the walnuts stay crunchy!

Each dressing ingredient can be added directly to the salad before tossing. When measuring out the liquid ingredients, start with olive oil as the slickness that remains on your measuring spoon will ensure all of the measured honey slides right off the spoon. With the dried parsley and tarragon, I measured out what was needed, then rubbed the herbs between my fingers to sprinkle over the salad. Rubbing the dry herbs this way releases essential oils and flavor. Make sure your hands are clean and dry before doing this! 

Toss salad and dressing with walnuts. Enjoy :)