Vegetarian Cubana

Two weeks ago, my husband and I went out to dinner to celebrate with some friends; their engagement and our pregnancy. Since they live in Daytona, we decided to meet in St. Augustine for dinner. My husband was born and raised in St. Augustine, and knows the restaurants well, so we had a hard time deciding where to go. We finally settled on The Columbia. We had an absolutely delicious meal, and I am hoping we can make it back there again soon! They specialize in Spanish, Cuban, and Mexican food, and since we're in Florida, the seafood is top notch. We each ordered something different: the paella, ropa vieja, mariscos diablo (spicy pasta dish with the entire ocean of seafood), and the vegetarian cubana.

The Vegetarian Cubana was simply listed as yucca, black beans, rice, plantains and sauteed fresh vegetables. It wasn't as intriguing as the other vegetarian dishes, but it had all of my favorite ingredients, and I knew The Columbia would put their twist on it. The meal was a bed of soft white rice topped with simply seasoned, tender black beans, two tostones, two maduros, a piece of steamed yucca topped with a spicy tomato relish, sauteed snap peas with strips of bell pepper, and the dish was sprinkled with diced raw onion. Though each element wasn't very complex, when it was all together it made a complete, delicious meal. Each individual component was perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, and complimentary of one another. 

I couldn't get the meal out of my head since we left the restaurant, and knew I'd have to recreate it at home. After all, it costs only pennies to make (but wasn't too expensive at $16.95 in the upscale-restaurant). While I loved the yucca and two kinds of plantains, I decided to skip them this time to make this meal weeknight-friendly with less cooking time and preparation. A few other options are to make your rice ahead of time (I prefer brown rice, which takes 30 minutes to cook, sometimes I make a big batch on the weekends) and to use your slow cooker to make beans (dried beans are cheaper and cans don't contain BPA, organic is easily available as well!). 

While scouring recipes for tostones and maduros, I found there were no baked versions, but I was determined to not fry them. If you'd like to see authentic fried tostones, I've made them here. Instead I opted for Maduros made in the oven in a foil packet, they still caramelized and were tender and sweet with a crisp coating, very similar to the fried version and my new go-to for plantains! I hope you try this meal out and enjoy it, it's simple but fancy-looking and absolutely delicious!

 Vegetarian Cubana

black beans, rice, roasted maduros, vegetable saute'   

2/3 c. brown rice blend

1 1/3 c. water or vegetable stock

2 c. black beans (or 1 15 oz. can drained)

1/2 c. water or vegetable stock

2 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

Salt

2 very ripe plantains

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tsp. turbinado sugar

2 c. sugar snap peas

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips

1 tsp. EVOO

1 tsp. adobo seasoning or chili powder

Salt and pepper

Diced raw onion, if desired

Preheat oven to 425*

In a small stock pot, bring water to a boil, add rice and turn to simmer.

Cook covered for 30 minutes, or how long package directs.

In another small stock pot, bring beans, water, garlic, bay and salt to a boil.

Turn to low and simmer uncovered while rice cooks.

Place a piece of foil on a sheet pan. 

Peel plantains and cut 1" rounds on a bias.

Place on half the foil, drizzle with EVOO and sugar, toss to coat.

Bring the other half of the foil over and pinch closed, making a packet.

Place in the oven, bake for 15 minutes, open, flip and close, baking for another 10 minutes.

Heat a saute' pan over medium heat, add EVOO, snap peas, peppers and adobo.

Toss and cook for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are just softened. 

Plate rice, top with black beans, arrange plantains and snap peas on the side and sprinkle the dish with raw onion. 

Vegetable Lo Mein

Last week I recieved an email from a reader who asked if I had any lo mein recipes. I haven't made traditional lo mein before, but after she asked, I was instantly craving it!
I looked through many recipes online, and found some with oyster sauce, some with hoisin, and all with a little soy sauce or mirin. I wasn't sure what would give me the most authentic lo mein, so I knew I might have to try a few recipes to perfect it.
I am pretty certain that hoisin isn't in traditional lo mein that you'd find at a Chinese take out restaurant, so I decided to try the oyster sauce.
While it was still a good dish, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Do you have a recipe for le mein that's just like take out? I'd love to try this again.


For this recipe, I added some vegetables I had on hand, but some other options are water chestnuts, bean sprouts, baby corn, carrots, and bok choy. I used udon noodles because I couldn't find fresh lo mein noodles.

Vegetable Lo Mein

6 oz. udon noodles

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

6 oz. snap peas, sliced

4 scallions, chopped

2 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. oyster sauce

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 block of firm tofu, cubed

Cook udon noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat.
Add EVOO, sesame oil, red pepper, snap peas, tofu and crushed red pepper.
Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, be careful not to burn anything.
Add noodles, scallions, soy sauce and oyster sauce.
Toss to combine and distribute sauces, plate and serve.

Island Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing

One of my favorite salad dressings is Ginger-Carrot, the kind you get on a salad at a Japenese Steakhouse. When I saw this dressing on Cheeseburger in Paradise's menu, it sounded similar, and I was intrigued. I decided to go for it on a house salad, and it was so delicious.
Though I had this dressing months ago, I haven't gotten it out of my head. Since I had a large lunch, I decided to make a lighter dinner. I had some coconut milk left over, and always keep a few types of curry on hand. One thing I added to this salad that I normally don't is asparagus. They served it on the house salad at CIP, and it was great, so I blanced a few spears and threw them on the salad along with some masala spiced tofu.

Island Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing

Salad:

1 head of romaine, chopped

1 c. mixed cabbage slaw

10 asparagus spears, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 c. mandarin orange segments

1/2 c. snow peas, chopped

4 oz. Firm tofu, any variety, sliced

Dressing:

1/2 c. light coconut milk

2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne powder

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. vinegar

1 tsp. brown sugar

Arrange salad ingredients in a bowl.

Whirl together dressing ingredients in a blender, pour over salad and serve.

Spicy and Sweet Tofu Curry Bowl

You may have noticed I haven't been blogging much. Since moving to Jacksonville, it's been a mix of family dinners, events, new restaurants at my disposal, and mosly wanting to get out of the house while I'm searching for jobs all day! This week is going to be the last of JJ's 2-a-day practices with the soccer team, so he'll be gone during dinner and I'll be cooking for myself.
Although dinnertime with JJ is probably my favorite part of the day, sometimes I like when he's not here so I can create some new dishes that he might not like, specifically tofu and cauliflower dishes. I also like to be creative, which is usually a great victory or bitter defeat. I don't mind eating the remains of a defeated meal, but I feel bad feeding JJ a failed dish.
I knew tonight's dinner would be a winner though, because it's something I often make for myself when he's not around. Somehow it never made it to the blog! Maybe because it's so simple, or maybe because I devour it before any photos can be taken... I can't say for sure!
The dish is essentially a beginner's guide to cooking a curry. It's not the most traditional, but it introduces you to the flavors you'll experience at your generic American Thai restaurant. It's totally up to the cook to decide which vegetables to use, how much spice to add, and what starch you want. I enjoy using rice noodles because they cook so quickly and they're much easier to cook than basmati rice (if you don't have a rice cooker).
Again, this dish is a building block. The protein can be switched out, the vegetables, the type of curry (green curry paste, golden curry powder), and the starch. And best of all, it's very healthy and vegan!
I want to note that I usually use Thai Kitchen brand products (noodles, coconut milk, etc.) but tonight I used Hokan brand, which was on sale at Publix. The light coconut milk was much thicker than Thai Kitchen, I definitely liked it much more and highly recommend it!

Spicy and Sweet Tofu Curry Bowl

(This recipe feeds 2 big eaters, with some leftovers)

3 oz. rice vermicelli noodles

1 12 oz. can Hokan brand light coconut milk

3 tbsp. Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste

1/4 tsp. cayenne powder

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. light brown sugar

1 lime, halved

1 head of cauliflower in florets

1 orange bell pepper, in 1" chunks

1 12 oz. can baby corn

1 6 oz. can diced water chestnuts

6 oz. snap peas

1 block of tofu, diced (I used Indian Masala spiced tofu from Whole Foods, any firm/extra firm tofu will work just fine)

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add rice noodles.

Cook according to package directions, drain and set aside.

Bring an inch of water to a boil, place a steamer basket over the water, add cauliflower, peppers, snap peas, corn and chestnuts.

Steam for 4-6 minutes, or until tender.

In a small saucepot over medium, whisk together coconut milk, curry paste, salt, pepper, cayenne and brown sugar.

Bring to a simmer, add tofu turn heat off.

Plate noodles, top with vegetables.

Add the juice of 1/2 the lime to the sauce, plate over vegetables.

Serve with an extra wedge of lime to squeeze over top, if desired.

And now I must take a minute to wish my wonderful husband a very happy 24th birthday (a day late!) I love you!

And also, Happy 700th post, A Year in the Kitchen!

Goat Cheese Potato Salad

For dinner last night, I did a little clean out the produce drawer potato salad. It was a delicious combo, I just wish the goat cheese crumbles stayed crumbly and didn't melt and smear so much (the potatoes were still a bit warm). I paired mine with a gardenburger and JJ's with a buffalo burger for a delicious complete meal.

Goat Cheese Potato Salad

1 lb. baby yukon gold potatoes
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz. snap peas, sliced into thirds
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp. EVOO
salt and pepper
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, minced
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled


Slice potatoes in half and place in a pot.
Fill with cold water to cover, bring to a boil and simmer until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, EVOO, salt, pepper and rosemary.
Add tomatoes and snap peas, toss and place in the refrigerator.
Drain potatoes and rinse with cold water.
Place in a bowl and chill.
When potatoes have chilled, mix with other bowl of salad ingredients, crumble in goat cheese, gently mix and serve.




PS - Happy 26th Birthday to my big sister, Kristine! She said I won the award for "Best Birthday Song Sung" today for not only this birthday, but every birthday she's EVER HAD!

Mmmm, Ice cream cake :)

Coco-Peanut Noodle Salad

I absolutely love Asian flavored Peanut noodle salads. Since I was not going to be eating the 2 other dishes, I decided to make one of my favorite and fill my plate! I added a few different things, like coconut milk and lime. It was delicious as always, full of veggies and very filling!

Coco-Peanut Noodle Salad

12 oz. wide rice noodles

8 oz. snow peas, roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2 c. shredded cabbage

1 c. shredded carrots

4 scallions, sliced

Sesame seeds, for garnish

Sauce:

1/2 c. light coconut milk

1/2 c. creamy organic peanut butter

1/3 c. light soy sauce

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tbsp. Thai chile paste

Juice of 1 lime

1 garlic clove, grated

In a large bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients.

Cook noodles accoring to package.

Add noodles, snap peas, bell pepper, carrots and cabbage to mixing bowl.

Toss to coat everything in sauce.

Top with sesame seeds and scallions.

A Year Ago: Dark Chocolate Sorbet

Spicy Thai Coconut Tofu Soup

A few weeks ago my sister sent me a recipe for Thai Shrimp Soup that she created with her friend, Kelly. I thought it sounded great, but I don't eat shrimp. I decided to sub in tofu. I also wanted to bulk up the veggies, so I added in the snap peas. This was very spicy and delicious! There was much more broth, but to see the veggies and noodles, I strained it a bit for the photo, then re-plated it with more broth.

Spicy Thai Coconut Tofu Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 yellow onion, minced
4 tsp. ginger paste
Crushed red pepper
4 cups chicken stock

1 15 oz. can light coconut milk
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 c. sliced snap peas

1/2 package thin rice noodles
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. hot red curry paste
2 tsp. honey
1 block extra firm tofu, diced

In a large pot, heat olive oil, sautee onion, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper (to taste, about ¼ tsp.) till fragrant, about one minute.

Add chicken broth, coconut milk and carrots.

Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Add the noodles and snap peas.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and warm water.

Add slurry, curry paste, honey and tofu.

Cook for about 5-10 more minutes.


Serve the soup with a lime wedge. It adds great extra flavor. (I didn't have one, so I added scallions)

A Year Ago: Sausage and Peppers Rustica Pizza and Country Challenge - Argentina

Roasted Sweet and Sour Tofu with Peanut Soy Noodles and Veggies

About two weeks ago, during my quick/cheap/few ingredients challenge, I made a Peanut Soy Chicken and Noodle Bowl. It was so great, I honestly wanted to make it the next night. I was originally going to make it with tofu, but since my husband isn't a big tofu fan, I went with chicken.

Since he was gone again for dinner, I decided to make another version of it, but with roasted tofu and some different veggies. I also had the noodles warm this time. It was so delicious, even better with the tofu!

Roasted Sweet and Sour Tofu with Peanut Soy Noodles and Veggies

(serves 2)

1 brick of extra firm tofu, drained and diced

2 tbsp. light soy sauce

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. thai chili paste

1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter

3 tbsp. light soy sauce

5 oz. Barilla plus thin spaghetti

1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 scallions, sliced
1 6 oz. bag snap peas

2 carrots, peeled and shredded
handfull of cilantro, minced

Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, honey and thai chilie paste. Toss tofu in mixture, refrigerate for 30 minutes to a few hours.

Preaheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Line a baking sheet with foil, spray with nonstick spray. Place tofu on the baking sheet, and roast for 15 minutes, tossing a few times to brown all over.

Add pasta to boiling water, during the last minute add snap peas. Drain, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine soy sauce and peanut butter, whisk until smooth. Add veggies and pasta, toss to combine.

Plate, top with tofu cubes and cilantro.

A Year Ago: Chicken Enchiladas

Cous Cous, Asparagus and Chickpea Salad with Walnut Dressing

For my last Moroccan meal, I decided to do a giant dinner salad. I love to have salads for dinner when I know we're eating late or I just feel like I want a lighter dinner. I love this one because it's vegetarian, and has many of my favorite veggies! The author doesn't say anything about this recipe, but it does contain many traditional Moroccan ingredeints - like walnuts, cous cous, lemon, chick peas, and paprika. I hope you've enjoyed my Moroccan selections this week!

Cous Cous, Asparagus, and Chickpea Salad

with Creamy Walnut Dressing

2 bunches asparagus spears

2 1/4 oz. snow peas

1 head of butter lettuce

1 bunch of curly endive

2 c. prepared cous cous

10 oz. chickpeas

Sweet paprika, to dust

Dressing:

1/4 c. walnuts

1/2 c. lowfat plain yogurt

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. lemon zest

1 tbsp. thyme leaves (fresh)

Salt and pepper

To make dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 minute or until smooth. Keep refrigerated.

Steam asparagus and snow peas for 2 minutes, shock in cold water, drain and set aside.

Arrange lettuces on a platter, place cous cous in the center, top with snow peas and asparagus, chick peas, and dressing. Dust with sweet paprika.

Vegetable and Tofu Pad Thai

After seeing Katie’s post about Pad Thai last week, I’ve been craving it. I’ve also been staring at the half used box of rice noodles in the pantry for weeks, trying to think creatively….but the creativity wasn’t there, and a craving for pad thai was!

Pad thai can be a very unhealthy meal, loaded with calories and fat. I like to make mine a little healthier by using less noodles, and more veggies. The secret to the perfect pad thai is having everything prepped and sitting on your cutting board, because the meal takes no time to come together! The vegetables should not cook for a long time, or the dish will get soupy, they should just be heated through. I like to use marinated tofu in mine, but chicken or shrimp are good substitutes.

I have tried many pad thai recipes over the years, and never found one that was perfect. This is a mixture of Alton Brown’s, Bobby Flay’s, and a few others I’ve tried.

Tofu and Vegetable Pad Thai

6 oz. rice noodles

1 tbsp. tamarind paste

1 tbsp. fish sauce

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. peanut butter

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg, beaten

1 shallot, sliced

2 c. bean sprouts

1 c. shredded carrots

1 c. sugar snap peas

1 red bell pepper, sliced

½ c. sliced scallions

1 block of thai peanut marinated tofu, cubed

Peanuts, Cilantro, Lime wedges (all optional garnishes)

Bring a few cups of water to a boil, pour into a dish with noodles and let them sit for 15 minutes, until soft.

Prep all veggies, set aside.

In a small bowl, mix fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, peanut butter, and vinegar.

Heat a wok over medium-high. Add 1 tbsp. EVOO, shallot and garlic, stir fry for 30 seconds, add the beaten egg, stir until cooked. Turn to high, add the drained noodles and the sauce mixture, heat through, toss in the tofu, bean sprouts, carrots, and snap peas. Toss to heat through for no more than 3 minutes. Plate, garnish with peanuts, scallions, cilantro and lime wedges.