Crunchy Tofu Nuggets

Ah, "kid food."  Who doesn't love kid food?  Personally, if I made the rules there would be no such thing in this world as "kid food" -- kids would be exposed to a wide variety of different cuisines (and receive lots of praise from their grown-ups for trying new things,) while adults would be "allowed" to love things like macaroni and cheese, french fries, and crunchy nuggety-type things!

Enter Crunchy Tofu Nuggets.  I based my recipe on this recipe from Fine Cooking, but after careful thought and a couple of trials, I learned my version was MUCH better than the original.  What changes did I make?  For starters, I really wanted to bake these nuggets.  Yes, baking is healthier than frying, but really ... I was motivated by laziness.  I didn't want to stand over a splattering pan of hot oil, likely watching the crispy coating I had so artfully applied to my tofu nuggets disintegrate in the oil (because, you know, I suck at frying things); I also didn't want to clean up said splattering oil from my stovetop.  Baking sheet, parchment paper, cooking spray ... love you guys.

After following the original recipe the first time, I realized Fine Cooking erred on the side of using WAY too much cornstarch, liquid, and breadcrumb for the coating.  Who loves dumping ingredients down the drain?  Not I.  The original recipe also made WAY too much dipping sauce, in my opinion, and could easily be replaced just by a tablespoon or so of extra hoisin sauce.  Love it when things are simpler AND tastier!

I also prefer to use "super firm" tofu these days, because, well ... like I said before, I can be just a wee bit lazy sometimes.  Who wants to spend all that time pressing tofu when you can buy it pre-pressed? Not me, I tell you!  (Plus, the super firm tofu has a little more protein per serving than regular tofu -- a bonus for this slave to MyFitnessPal.)

So, after several tweaks to the original recipe, I'm happy with my version of Crunchy Tofu Nuggets -- and hope you are, too!

Crunchy Tofu Nuggets

serves 2 or 3

Ingredients:

olive oil or cooking spray

one 10-ounce package "super firm" tofu (or regular firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed well)

1/3 c cornstarch

1 egg

1 1/2 tbsp prepared hoisin sauce

1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp salt (divided)

1/4 tsp chili-garlic sauce

3/4 c panko (I like to use a combination of white and whole-wheat crumbs)

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spray or lightly brush the parchment with olive oil.

2. Cut your tofu into sticks, triangles, or cubes.

3. Grab three shallow bowls.  Add the cornstarch to the first bowl.  Whisk together the egg, hoisin, vinegar, oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and chili-garlic sauce, and add to the second bowl.  Combine the panko, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper in the third bowl.  Visual aid:

4. Bread the tofu: coat each piece of tofu first in the cornstarch, then in the egg mixture, then in the crumbs.  (Helpful tip: assign yourself a "wet hand" and a "dry hand" for this process, because things get frustrating if your hands get all mucky.  I like to remember to keep my dominant hand my "dry hand," because there are more dry steps than wet.)  Arrange the tofu on the baking sheet with plenty of room between each nugget.  Brush or spray the tops of the nuggets with oil.

5. Bake the tofu for about 15 minutes.  Use tongs to flip the tofu pieces, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until your nuggets are golden brown and very crunchy.  Serve immediately, with extra hoisin for dipping and some steamed broccoli (and if you're really feeling the comfort kid-food vibe, sweet potato tater tots, too!)

(Note: leftover nuggets are just okay.  They reheat well enough in the oven, but the coating tends to fall off.  They are not great microwaved.)

I have been loving these for quick dinners for myself, and served them to an omni friend who was also really pleased.  I have been toying with the idea of coming up with a honey-mustard version sometime soon.  :)  What traditionally "kid-food" meals do you enjoy?

400-calorie dinners (vii)

Two more 400-calorie dinners we've enjoyed this week . . . 

Stir Fry:

So far, the "tricks" I've discovered to making a delicious, 400-calorie stir fry are these:

1. Use only a little oil (or cooking spray) to brown your tofu and cook up your veggies
(Let's face it . . . most stir-fries can end up a little greasy, can't they?)

2. Keep an eye on your rice portion
(I find 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup is plenty for me.)

3. Make your own sauce!
(Most commercial stir-fry sauces are loaded with salt and sugar, and probably some GMOs or other not-too-desirable ingredients.)
Here's my default stir-fry sauce recipe, in case you're curious:
2 tbsp low-sodium tamari
2 tbsp water
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
Combine all of the ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Add the sauce just as your veggies finish cooking, and boil/cook the stir fry until the sauce thickens and clears.  (This should just take a minute or two.)

Biryani:

I followed the recipe for "Neelam's Festive Rice Pilaf," from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, nearly as written, making a few substitutions based on what I had on hand, (swapping in currants and dried apricots for the raisins and dried blueberries, and edamame for the frozen peas.)  I also gussied up some fat-free Greek yogurt with a pinch of salt, plenty of minced fresh ginger, chopped mint, and minced cilantro, and served the yogurt with the rice, as the recipe suggested.  Delicious!  The rice is fantastic on its own, (I love the sweet-salty-spicy-savory balance,) but the yogurt really makes the dish.  (Plus, most of us can always use a bit more calcium and protein on a daily basis, right?)

What are your favorite stir-fry ingredients?  I have a tendency to overload my stir-fries (and curries) with every vegetable under the sun, but really showed restraint this week.  :)  I loved the simplicity of using just red onion, broccoli, and shiitake mushrooms!

400-calorie dinners (vi)

Full disclosure: I've kind of fallen off the calorie-counting bandwagon this past week.  Why?  Well, I've had a number of meals involving guests, (either at my house or out,) parties, and other fun things to attend, and calorie-counting is a little bit tedious in front of others.  :)  I've still been trying to eat healthfully and keep portions reasonable, I just haven't been weighing or measuring things.

However, I did manage two "properly" counted 400-calorie meals this past week:

Biscuits and Gravy:

Really, there's nothing even remotely healthy about this meal, except for a hefty protein dose -- fat and white flour smothered with more fat, white flour, and a bit o' tempeh.  :)  Just goes to show that even when counting calories, there's room for an occasional indulgence, right?  (Plus, this is one of John's all-time favorite breakfasts, and I had a package of tempeh in the freezer . . . hard to say no to that, right?)  I used the buttermilk biscuit recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook,  make a batch of "Tempeh Sausage Crumbles" from Vegan with a Vengeance, (using extra olive oil,) then finish the mess off with a sprinkling of all-purpose flour, and half vegetable broth/half milk.  Cook until thick, and breakfast is served!  This week, I happened to be out of regular milk, and subbed in buttermilk with excellent results.  (I did omit the lemon juice called for in the tempeh sausage crumbles, as I didn't want things to get too weirdly tangy, and John is also sensitive to sour tastes in food.)  John declared this my best batch of biscuits and gravy to date!  Woot!

Bibimbap:

Why on Earth has it never occurred to me to make bibimbap at home before?  Hands-down my favorite order at any Korean restaurant, ("no beef, tofu please!"), and a cinch to make at home.  3/4 cup brown rice tossed with 1 tsp each toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar, topped with shredded carrot, diced red onion, shelled edamame, tofu, nori, sesame seeds, a sunny-side-up egg, and a dribble of sriracha.  Heaven!  Protein-packed, too, which is guaranteed to keep me full well into the evening. A great use of whatever veggie odds and ends we have on hand, I can see this becoming a frequent repeat at our house, especially with beautiful, in-season summer produce!  (Plus, anything involving eggs is always a hit with John.)

Have you had Korean food before?  What's your favorite order?  (As an aside, the syrupy-starchy-sweet-potato bite is my favorite of those little side dish ban-chan salads!)

400-calorie dinners (iv)

Life is uncertain . . . dessert first!

I know I've read a bunch in the blogosphere over the past few years about "sugar addiction" -- what are your thoughts?  I like to believe that I have a much healthier relationship with sugar these days than in years past, but honestly, I don't see myself ever giving up sugar in its entirety.  Treats are just too special a part of my life, and I love to bake!  For example . . . 

John's Valentine's Day present, which he actually finished off before Valentine's Day.  (Whoops.  Next time, I'll know better!  Bake closer to the actual holiday.)  Husband has a weakness for chocolate and peanut butter, and I thought these cookies would be the perfect way to use up some of the Hershey's Kisses that Santa left for me in my Christmas stocking.  (Confession: I really don't much care for chocolate, especially milk chocolate!  Weird, I know.)  Natural peanut butter gave these cookies a rich, crumbly, sandy texture that was . . . incredible.  At 117 calories each, these still fit nicely into my healthy eating plan!

Since the peanut butter-chocolate kiss cookies didn't last that long, I baked another batch of cookies this weekend . . .
















I'm typically not a huge fan of "light" desserts -- I feel like flavor and texture are often sacrificed, and I'd rather eat less of the "real" thing.  However, I tried swapping in a half-cup applesauce for half a cup of butter in my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe, (I did leave one stick of butter in tact,) because I believe oatmeal cookies are best when soft and slightly cakey.  HUGE success.  I also used all whole-wheat pastry flour instead of AP, which I believed also paired well with the applesauce -- whole-grain treats can get a little dry and "wheaty," in my opinion, but the extra moisture from the applesauce is a big help.  At only 86 calories apiece, they certainly don't taste "light" or lacking in anything!

And now, more 400-calorie meals we've enjoyed this past week:

Cream of Wild Rice Soup:

A Minnesota classic, which we served at our wedding just under a year ago, vegetized by doubling the mushrooms and adding a little cubed seitan instead of chicken.  (Does anyone besides me find too much seitan to be overpowering?)  The result is a nutritious, warm, comforting, and filling supper, perfect for a bitter cold evening.  (Of which we've had many this winter!  Sigh.)

Breakfast Burrito:

Fill a whole-wheat tortilla with 2 oz refried beans, 1/2 oz cheese, 4 oz shredded Yukon gold potato (hashbrowned-up using a little olive oil cooking spray in a cast-iron skillet,) one egg over-easy, home-canned salsa, and a little sour cream ... perfect for a weekend brunch or a speedy weeknight supper!

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas:

Ok, so, one "light" food I REALLY don't believe in is reduced-fat cheese.  I mean, c'mon . . . cheese is fat!  What the heck is reduced-fat cheese anyway?  I slightly adapted this recipe, choosing to use 6 oz full-fat Monterey Jack instead of the 8 oz reduced-fat cheese called for.  This meal is relatively quick to prepare, given you're making your own homemade enchilada sauce, and even more delicious leftover.  (Somebody at work is always curious about what I have for lunch!)

Polenta and Roasted Veggies:

I threw this together one evening last week when John was working late, and boy, did he miss out!  (He was able to enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day.)  I decided to roast the veggies instead of pan-sauteeing, which freed up my attention to whip up the polenta.  Although the blue cheese does lend the polenta an unusual, slightly grayish color, this was one heck of a flavorful, colorful, healthy meal!

Stir Fry:

I find that most of the calories in stir-fry actually come from the rice . . . bummer.  Keeping my rice portion down to a 1/2 cup left room on my plate for loads of broccoli and tofu!  I had been wanting to try this recipe for "Chipotle-Orange Broccoli & Tofu" for some time.  It was . . . just okay.  The tofu and broccoli were delicious, but the sauce was nothing special.  Bummer!  I think my biggest complaint was that the citrus flavor wasn't at all present!  You'd think that something with "orange" in the recipe title would be citrusy . . . notsomuch.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms:

Like artichoke dip?  You will LOVE these.  Seriously, make them tonight!

And, Quiche:

I typically cut my quiche into six slices; eight slices makes for more sensible portions for me these days.  (If you still want to enjoy a heartier portion while keeping an eye on your calorie intake, I'd recommend a crustless version -- pastry is kind of a calorie-bomb, unfortunately.)  This meal was a cinch to prepare, thanks to a homemade pie crust stashed away in the freezer and some pre-roasted sweet potatoes.  John loves quiche 'cause he loves eggs, and will take care of these leftovers before I can blink an eye most weeks.

~~~~~~~~~~

Off to make a pizza!  :)

atop brown rice

Most weeks, I spend some time over the weekend prepping meals/ingredients for the coming week, and last weekend was no exception!  I ended up cooking up three cups (dry) of brown rice for our meals this week, and it wasn't even enough!  Ha!  We stuffed some of that rice into burritos, and had the following two meals:

"Mapo Tofu," from New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant:

While this was a good, quick, easy to prepare weeknight stir-fry, (especially when I prepped all of the veggies and sauce ingredients ahead of time,) the flavor was a little . . . strange.  John exclaimed immediately how tangy the sauce was, and I tended to agree.  :(  Personally, I like my homemade stir-fry sauce better, so I guess we'll be sticking with that one!  However, this was a perfectly acceptable meal.

Coconut Curry:

I don't use a recipe for this meal -- just fry up some tempeh or tofu, add veggies, a couple tablespoons curry paste, a tablespoon each sugar and tamari, and add a can of coconut milk.  Rich, flavorful, and delicious!  This week, I used tempeh, sweet potato, red onion, and green beans.  I'm not always a huge fan of leftovers, but this meal improved with time -- bonus.  John wasn't sure about the sweet potato in a Thai-style curry, but I love it!

~~~~~~~~~~

I'm really thrilled about this three-day weekend, although it's raining this morning.  John and I have some errands to run, lots of gardening to do, and a camping trip to prepare for!!!  I can't WAIT to go camping!  What are you looking forward to this holiday weekend?

Lately I've been . . .

Watching . . .
"Stranger than Fiction."  While John and I don't watch TV, we do enjoy a movie occasionally, often over the weekend.  Blockbuster's within walking distance of the apartment, and this was John's pick this week.  Cute.  Loved Maggie Gyllenhaal and Emma Thompson.

Eating . . . 

Homemade apple crisp . . .

Tofu Steak with Miso and Ginger, carrots glazed with honey and lemon, and brown rice . . .

Whole-wheat spaghetti with homemade mushroom marinara and Nate's Meatless Meatballs . . .

Planning . . . 
On moving in a couple of weeks!  John and I decided until after our wedding to "officially" move in together, as we had so much else to do to get ready for the wedding.  So, in a couple of weeks, I'll be calling Saint Paul home.

Reading . . . 
The latest issue of Mother Earth News.  We just started subscribing to this magazine, and seriously, it's like someone went inside my head, tallied up all of the things I'm interested in, and wrote a magazine about them.  Lucky me!

Inspired By . . . 
Three-year-olds.  They drive me completely bonkers most days, but then they say things like, "Teacher Catherine, I missed you when you were on your moneymoon."

Excited About . . . 
Our garden this summer.  We're going to till up the whole backyard and grow as much food as we can! I'm going to get heavily into preserving this year -- canning and freezing for sure, and maybe some drying.  Those of you that grow a lot of your own food, what would you recommend?

So tell me, what have you been up to?

pumping up the produce

As I wrote earlier in the week, I am trying to make an effort to eat more produce these days -- specifically, more veggies!  I tried to center our meals around veggies this weekend, and chose Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers as my "focus cookbook."  (Do any of you ever do that when you are meal planning?  Sometimes when I'm overwhelmed by ideas and options, I choose one cookbook and select only recipes from it for upcoming meals.)

Breakfast Saturday morning:

How to have French toast nearly effortlessly on Saturday morning?  Slice the bread and set it out to dry before you go to work on Friday morning.  Friday night before bed, make a custard, (I used 4 eggs, a cup of milk, a tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla, several dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a pinch of cardamom,) and soak the bread in the fridge overnight.  With these simple jobs done, all you have to do is get up and fry up your toast!  Yum.  I made us a beautiful fruit salad for the side.

Saturday supper:

Since butternut squash is John's favorite soup variety, I figured I better try the recipe for "Thai Butternut Squash Soup" from my focus cookbook.  I was really pleased with the results!  I made a couple of small modifications, (I roasted a whole squash instead of using frozen puree, used more spinach, and used the whole can of coconut milk and less water,) and we both loved this.  (I especially loved the salty, savory little "tofu croutons!  Tasty delicious.)

Sunday lunch:

"Magic Kale Salad" with pan-fried tempeh.  A repeat, for good reason!  Felt so good to eat a huge plate of greens!

Sunday supper:

A favorite from my focus cookbook this week, "Saucy Hungarian Eggplant."  I haven't made this in ages, and what a shame!  Light yet hearty, this stew is totally nutritious, flavorful, and also helped me take advantage of the GIGANTIC bag of bulgur I bought from Costco not too long ago.

It wouldn't be a quiet weekend without a baking project!

I really felt like baking today, although I wasn't ready to start my Christmas cookies quite yet.  :)  I searched the interwebs for a somewhat healthy muffin recipe full of holiday flavors, and ended up adapting a recipe for molasses spice muffins . . .

Whole-Wheat Gingerbread Muffins
Yield: 24 mini-muffins plus 8 standard muffins

Ingredients:
1 stick butter at room temperature (I used salted)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch cloves

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, buttermilk, and molasses, and stir until smooth.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, and spices.  Stir into the wet ingredients just until combined.
4. Fill muffin liners 1/2 to 2/3 full.  (These puff up a lot, thanks to the buttermilk/baking soda reaction!) Bake mini-muffins for about 15 minutes, standard muffins for about 24 minutes.  Cool, and store tightly covered at room temperature (or in the fridge, if you don't think you'll eat them in a few days.)

Lately, I've been enjoying scooping some of my muffin batter out into my mini-muffin pan, and taking those to work.  I love to bake, but we can't always get through a full batch of muffins before "the fuzz" gets to them.  :(  My coworkers have been enjoying the somewhat healthy, homemade "mini-treats" I bring occasionally!  A great solution to my "problem," and a win-win for everyone!

why I think it's important to keep coconut milk on hand

Impromptu curry, anyone?

Ingredients: tofu, mushrooms, bean sprouts, green onions, carrots, cilantro, coconut milk, curry paste, sugar, and tamari.

Man, it feels good to clean out the fridge!

back in the kitchen again!

After a long hiatus from cooking much of anything, (thank you, 90+ degree heat and high humidity,) I decided I had had enough salads, and got back in my kitchen this weekend.  :)  It's still hot, but I managed to sweat my way through several meal's worth of stovetop cooking and/or baking/roasting in the oven, and boy, was it worth it!

Dinner Friday night:

A simple meal of whole-wheat pasta tossed with homemade marinara and parmesan, with roasted pattypan squash on the side.

Bunch Saturday:

Breakfast burritos!  A whole-wheat tortilla stuffed with homemade refried beans, cheese, hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.  This is one of those meals that if eaten after 10 am, will keep you full until dinner.  :)  Mmm.

Dinner Saturday:

Sloppy lentils piled on a whole-wheat bun, dilly beans, cherries, and Spud Puppies.

Dinner Sunday:

 

Tofu Steak with Miso and Ginger, Steamed Baby Carrots with Orange-Dill Butter, cucumbers with sour cream and dill, and Zucchini Fritters.  This meal was a LOT of work, (and generated a lot of dishes -- shout out to John, who washed nearly all of them!), but it was so worth it!  I had a blast finding new ways to make some seasonal produce shine.

My life is incomplete without dessert:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake!  Between the cake and the fritters, I have managed to take down about 2/3 of the ginormous zucchini John brought home from volunteering last week.  I still have about a pound left . . . muffins?  Bread?  Cookies?  What's your vote?

on sandwiches

I have a confession to make:

I kind of hate sandwiches.

Why?  Well, I can't really say.  Part of it probably stems from my early childhood, when I craved foods served separately.  You remember those huge sectioned trays you'd sometimes get at church potlucks, that had something like 7 or 8 holes in them?  Those made my day.  Even my roll had it's own compartment.  You know, so it wouldn't get "juice" from something on it and get a soggy corner.

Part of it is probably because there aren't many creative vegetarian sandwiches out there.  How many times have you had to choke down a mediocre-to-poor hummus and veggie sandwich/wrap because that was the only healthy/non-meat option?  Right.  I've had my fair share, too.

Part of it is definitely because, even though sandwiches are portable and that's probably their biggest selling point, sandwiches DON'T keep well.  Can you think of a single sandwich that is better 4 hours later?  I can't.  Soggy bread, soggy veggies, misshapen and squashed overall.  No thank you.

But, I don't hate all sandwiches.

I love egg salad.

I love avocado, mayo, and sprouts on toast.

I love sloppy joes.  (Well, sloppy lentils.  Or sloppy tofu.)

I love vegetarian "barbecue" sandwiches, made with homemade seitan and topped with tons of creamy coleslaw.

Every once in a while, I love a good PBJ.

And hot damn, do I love tofu banh mi:

More often than not, I really prefer to make my own -- and this recipe is one of the best I've found to date.  (However, I double the tofu marinade ingredients, and add a teaspoon each of grated fresh ginger and grated garlic to the marinade.  What Asian food isn't better with extra garlic and ginger?)  This sandwich has all of the things I love most about banh mi, in reasonable quantities -- plenty of flavorful tofu, plenty of sriracha mayo, and plenty of carrot/daikon pickle.  MMMMMMMM.

What are your thoughts on sandwiches?

local eats

It's official . . . locally grown produce is starting to pour into the Farmer's Market, and our garden is starting to produce!  A few meals from this past weekend, all using local eats:

A simple stir-fry dinner:

Short-grain brown rice topped with onion, carrot, red bell pepper, tofu, and local sugar-snap peas, covered in my homemade stir-fry sauce, and sprinkled with cashews for extra crunch.

A delicious, deep-dish pizza:

I used this crust recipe (halved) again, as I was in a bit more of a hurry and didn't have time for my usual Artisan Bread dough to sit for two hours.  I shaped the dough into more of a rectangle, patted it into a well-oiled jelly roll pan, and topped with more oil, parmesan, mozzarella, a big pile of spinach and arugula from our garden, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and oregano.  This soft, chewy, bready pizza hit the spot last night!

And dessert:

Rhubarb crumble, made with two big bunches of rhubarb from the Farmer's Market!  We also picked up a rhubarb plant, and cleared an area behind John's garage . . . wahoo!  I may have to wait until next year for more rhubarb, (at least rhubarb we've grown ourselves,) but that's ok -- it'll spread like wildfire back there, and then we'll have all the rhubarb we can eat!

What local food are you excited about right now?

today in food

After an incredibly busy day yesterday, which involved spending WAY too much time in the car driving all over the metro for a variety of reasons, we made today a quiet day.  We did little besides cook, eat, and lounge, although we did get out for a walk this afternoon.  Here's today in food:

Breakfast:

Homemade buttermilk pancakes, topped with strawberries and syrup, with a side of maple-glazed breakfast sausages!

Lunch:

Homemade pizza, using up leftovers from the party last weekend, with a spinach, cucumber, and tomato salad on the side.  (P.S. LOVE "Goddess" dressing.  The only bottled dressing I buy.  Anyone have a good recipe for a homemade version?)

Afternoon baking project:

I can't think of anything better to do on a dreary Sunday afternoon besides lounge around watching Forrest Gump, while periodically stirring the granola -- can you?

Dinner:

Chili-Glazed Tofu Over Asparagus and Rice was a new recipe, and a good one!  I, of course, didn't follow the recipe as written . . . I pulled the asparagus component out of the rice pilaf, roasting it in the oven instead, and added red bell pepper and mushroom to the pilaf, per a suggestion someone made the comments section of the recipe.  Kept the glaze on the tofu the same, though, which was excellent!  I'll definitely make this again -- healthy and easy.

Off to finish the movie . . . !

John's pie

Friday night, John and I were wandering through Byerly's, trying to figure out what we were going to make for dinner. (We settled on bruschetta and quiche, not necessarily related, but both tasty! And no photos, sorry!) John noticed that Friday is "pie day" at Byerly's, and half-pies were on sale. I managed to convince John NOT to buy a grocery store pie, in favor of homemade pie the following day. :)

Here's John's pie:

I used my great-grandma's recipe for piecrust, using a little bit more butter than shortening, and it turned out FABULOUSLY. Granny Smith apple filling, with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg. Mmmmm. Must have been good, as there is only ONE piece left. And I made the pie on Saturday morning! :) Do you think I have enough willpower to save the last piece for the next time I see John? I'm not sure . . . !

And a couple more meals from the weekend --

Chili!

We went ice skating on Saturday evening, and chili was the perfect post-skate, warming dinner. I have really been digging my "basic" recipe of late, containing little more than onion, garlic, bell pepper, minced mushrooms, chili powder, cumin, salt, diced tomatoes, beans, vegetable broth (or water,) and hot sauce. Plenty of toppings this time, including pepper jack, cilantro, green onions, and sour cream. (Chips and guac on the side, not pictured!)

And Pad Thai!

I augmented the recipe for "Brooklyn Pad Thai" from Vegan with a Vengeance by adding some shredded cabbage (and cutting back a wee bit on the noodles,) a couple scrambled eggs, and extra peanuts. Spicy-sweet-salty-tangy and delicious! I love Thai food.

one cannot live on eggs alone

I'm back! After a couple of long bus rides, (and a lot of nose-blowing . . . traveling with a massive head cold isn't much fun, let me tell you,) and some quality time spent with grandpa in the middle, it's good to be home. :)

John picked me up from the bus on Monday afternoon; by dinnertime, we were both massively hungry, but I was so sick and tired and cranky that I couldn't come up with anything that possibly resembled dinner. And I needed to hit the store . . . desperately. John's suggestion? "I'll make eggs."

There we go. Dinner/breakfast is served. :)

And, since one cannot live on eggs alone . . .

"French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme," from Veganomicon:

I stuck pretty tight to the recipe this time around, although I didn't use all French green lentils, as I wanted to use up the mixture of lentils I had on hand. So . . . the soup has a blend of green, brown, and red lentils -- and what an amazing soup this turned out to be! I also cut back on the salt a bit, as I thought it would probably be too salty as writ. (I think I was right, at least for my palate!)

I was due another baking project -- Apple-Molasses Spice Cake:

I cannot say enough good things about this cake . . . moist, flavorful, intensely-spiced, warm, and just plain cozy. A perfect "ordinary" dessert, in my opinion!

Last, rice bowls with peanut sauce:

This is one of those amazingly-tasty, super-healthy dinners that come together in seconds if all of the ingredients are prepped ahead of time. I cooked up a bunch of brown rice, fried up some tofu, prepped a bunch of veggies, and made a batch of peanut sauce from Vegan with a Vengeance. Ta-da! Pile it all in a bowl, re-warm (or not, if that's your thing,) and dig in. Mmmmmmm. Peanut sauce is the BEST.

Ridiculous Eggs

I've been hinting at something . . . and here it is: I've found myself someone to cook breakfast for. :) Er, should I say, he cooks breakfast for me? John doesn't do much cooking to speak of these days, but he is a vegetarian, (which, oddly, is pleasantly refreshing -- I never thought it was a big deal, but it kind of is, I'm starting to realize), appreciates amazing and healthy food, and is awesome at making a few key things; eggs are one of his specialties. John makes what I have come to think of as "Ridiculous Eggs," not ridiculous in the "causing or worthy of ridicule" definition of the word, but rather, ridiculous in their absurd excess.

See?

Saturday morning's breakfast: Ridiculous Eggs with onion, garlic, shallot, spinach, feta, and tomato. Pumpernickel toast with homemade strawberry jam on the side.

And, Sunday morning's breakfast:

More Ridiculous Eggs, this time with onion, spinach, tomato, avocado, parsley, cream cheese, mozzarella, and cumin. Mmm. I am pro-cumin in eggs, let me tell you! More toast with homemade strawberry jam on the side, but this jam was made by John's three-year-old cousin. I think she might have something on me in the jam-making department!

Even though part of me would like to try to eat eggs three meals a day, I know it would be a bad idea, ultimately. :) Dinners from the weekend:

Masaman curry, with tofu, red bell pepper, sweet potato, broccoli, mushrooms, and onions, all over short-grain brown rice.

A simple, yet delicious, pasta and salad dinner:

I sauteed a bunch of garlic in a bunch of olive oil, added some dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and artichokes, and tossed the lot with hot pasta, parsley, parmesan, and goat cheese. This was kind of made up on the spot, and pretty damn awesome. Definitely worth repeating again in the future. :)

And, a giant salad for Sunday night:

Mixed greens topped with apples, fennel, walnuts, buttermilk blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. A wedge of Wedge focaccia on the side. A delicious and reasonably healthy way to end the weekend!

And, don't forget dessert . . .

Lemon bars! We managed to take down the entire pan over the course of the weekend . . . ha!