Smoky Red Pepper, Broccoli & Veggie Sausage Pasta

Has anyone experienced their first snowfall of the season yet? I've heard of snow sightings from friends further north in Ontario the past couple of days, so I hope it's not making its way down to southern Ontario - I'm not quite ready for that yet!

There's nothing like a hearty dinner to warm you up on cold days like this though, which is why I'm sharing this pasta recipe today!

When I eat a bowl of pasta, I like it to have lots of sauce and lots of "extras" in it so that no bite is just plain pasta, and this pasta was just that. I've been wanting to try making a roasted red pepper sauce for quite a while now, and I finally got around to it a couple of weeks ago when I had a lonely red pepper in the fridge that needed to be eaten before it went bad.

I used Colourful Palate's recipe for vegan mac & cheese as a guide for the sauce, but turned it into a more smoky and spicy dish by adding some spices to the sauce, roasted broccoli, and Mexican veggie sausage (one of three flavours from Field Roast and the only brand of veggie sausage I've found that I really like!).

The sauce was an interesting change from the tomato-based pasta sauces that I'm used to. It had a bit of a chunky texture from the cashews and sunflower seeds, a nice smoky flavour and a hint of cheesiness from the nutritional yeast.

This can be a quick and easy dinner if you make the pasta sauce ahead of time like I did, and to save even more time, you could just cook some noodles and toss it with the sauce for a simple meal. If you like veggies in your pasta like I do though, the roasted broccoli was the perfect addition.

The spicy veggie sausage complemented the flavours in the sauce really well too, while also making it more of a hearty and filling dish - just what I crave to warm my belly on a chilly night!

Smoky Red Pepper, Broccoli & Veggie Sausage Pasta
Sauce adapted from Colourful Palate

Red Pepper Sauce

1 red pepper

2 tbsp raw cashews

2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds

3 tbsp nutritional yeast (or more if desired)

1 tsp tamari

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

Turn oven on to broil and rub the outside of the red pepper with a bit of oil. When oven is ready, place the whole pepper on a baking sheet and broil for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until it starts to blacken. Remove pepper from oven and place in a bowl of water to help loosen the skin. Peel off as much of the outside layer of skin as you can and discard. Roughly chop the pepper into pieces and remove the seeds.

Place the cashews and sunflower seeds in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the red pepper pieces and the remaining ingredients and puree until as smooth as possible (it may still be a bit chunky from the nuts). Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

Makes about ¾ cup sauce (enough for about 2 servings of pasta).

Pasta

Half a head of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1-2 tsp olive oil

2 servings of dry penne pasta (I just eyeballed the amount I wanted)

1 Field Roast Mexican Chipotle veggie sausage (optional)

red pepper sauce (recipe above)

Preheat the oven to 400°F and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Toss the broccoli pieces in a bit of olive oil and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until it starts to brown.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and spray the pan with cooking spray. Cook the veggie sausage for about 5 minutes total, turning often, just until it is heated through and browned on all sides. Chop into pieces.

Add the broccoli to the pasta and pour the sauce over top. Toss well to mix. Gently mix in the sausage pieces, or divide the pasta into bowls first and then top with the sausage.

Makes 2 servings.  

Mini Paneer Tikka Skewers

After my brief trip to New Delhi a couple of weeks ago, I was re-inspired to make another Indian recipe, since it's been a while since I've cooked Indian food for myself!

I know Indian cuisine has a reputation for being overly complicated and difficult to cook, but as long as you have a few key spices, you can make simplified versions of classic Indian dishes, like these miniature bites inspired by paneer tikka!

Paneer tikka is a vegetarian alternative to the popular dish of chicken tikka, and is basically just cubes of paneer cheese marinated in a creamy spiced sauce and grilled on a skewer with vegetables like onion and peppers.

For my version, I kept things pretty simple by making an easy marinade for the paneer out of yogurt and spices and cooking everything on the stovetop, since I don't have an authentic tandoor oven!

Once you've browned the paneer and cooked the pepper and onion, you just have to assemble one piece of each item and stick a toothpick through them to make these cute miniature skewer bites!

While these may not be perfectly authentic, I think they're a fun idea to serve as an appetizer at a party if you're looking for something new and different to bring. I brought these to a party last week and they all got eaten up, even though they were cold by the time I served them. They aren't too spicy so they're a good option to serve a crowd of people who have different levels of spice tolerance, although you could serve them with a bowl of spicy cilantro chutney for people who want an extra flavour kick!

Mini Paneer Tikka Skewers
Adapted from The Spice Tailor and Sanjeev Kapoor

1 (350g) package paneer cheese

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger (I used ground)

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (the Indian spice, not the Mexican one)

1/4 tsp turmeric

Dash of salt (to taste)

1 tbsp chickpea flour (gram flour)

1 red or green pepper

1 medium red onion

1-2 tbsp olive oil

chaat masala (optional, if you have some)

Slice the paneer in half horizontally so that you get two bricks the same size as the original. Slice each brick into equal sized cubes (about 12 pieces per brick).

In a bowl or blender, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, spices, and chickpea flour until smooth. Pour some of the mixture into a shallow baking dish or a large ziplock bag. Add the paneer cubes, then pour on the rest of the liquid mixture. Let the paneer marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Slice the pepper and onion into about 1” square pieces (you want approximately equal sized vegetables, and they should be about the same size as your paneer cubes).

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Remove the paneer cubes from the marinade and add them to the pan. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes, then flip over and cook the other side, until all sides are lightly browned. Remove paneer cubes from pan and let sit.

Meanwhile, toss the pepper and onion pieces in the leftover marinade while the paneer is cooking. Once the paneer is done, add another tbsp of oil to the pan (or spray with cooking spray) and add the vegetables. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers and onions are softened.

To assemble skewers, place one piece of pepper and one piece of onion on top of a paneer cube and skewer with a toothpick. Repeat until all the vegetables and paneer are used up. Sprinkle assembled skewers with a bit of chaat masala spice.

Serve warm or at room temperature. You can pour a bit of the leftover marinade over the skewers, or you can eat them dipped in a chutney (I would recommend a spicy green Indian chutney).

Makes about 24 mini skewers.

Sesame Soba & Cucumber Noodles with Tofu

The past week has been a pretty stressful one for me, having to deal with frustrating visa and passport issues.  Back in July, I sent my passport away to apply for an Indian Visa to attend a conference there this September, and the processing time has taken weeks longer than it should have. That wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that I'm supposed to be leaving the country for another conference tomorrow, and my passport is still with the Indian consulate office! They've assured me I'll be able to go pick it up today, so fingers crossed!

It's been hard to be excited for my trip this week with the thought that I might not even be able to go looming over my head, but assuming all goes well, I'll be headed to Japan tomorrow for a conference just outside of Tokyo.

Japan actually never used to be one of the countries on my list of places I'd like to travel in the world, but the more I read about it and hear from others, the more interesting it sounds!

So in honour of my trip, I thought I would make a Japanese-inspired dish to prepare myself for trying a new cuisine, with these sesame soba and cucumber noodles.

I love soba noodles, but I usually pair them with a peanut sauce. This time, I adapted a recipe for sesame noodles from the blog Cookie & Kate, using tahini as the main ingredient in the dressing. Combined with other Japanese ingredients like mirin, rice vinegar, and miso, the sesame dressing was super flavourful, and nice and creamy so that it coated the noodles well.

Along with the soba noodles, I used my spiralizer to slice up a cucumber into long, thin strands about the same size as the soba (it's hard to see them in the pictures because they blended in so well!). I thought the mix of the cucumber noodles with the soba noodles helped to lighten the dish up and make it even more refreshing.

Add in some other vegetables like red pepper and bean sprouts, some simple sauteed tofu for extra protein, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top, and you end up with a complete meal that has everything I like in a noodle dish!

I'm sure once I go to Japan, I'll realize how very inauthentic my soba noodles are, but for now I can enjoy it as my own tasty vegetarian version of Japanese food!  I'm looking forward to sharing more about my trip when I get back later next week!

Sesame Soba & Cucumber Noodles with Tofu
Adapted from Cookie & Kate

1 (350g) package firm tofu

1 (8 oz) package soba noodles

1 cucumber

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 a bunch of green onions (about 4), diced

2-3 cups bean sprouts

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp sesame seeds

Dressing

1/4 cup tahini

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp white miso

2 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)

1 tsp mirin (or a liquid sweetener like agave or honey)

1/2 tbsp water

First, slice the tofu horizontally into three large slabs and press the pieces using a tofu press or a heavy book (lined with paper towels) for at least 30 minutes to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the soba noodles, and cook according to package directions (mine took 5 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water.

Use a julienne peeler or a spiralizer to slice the cucumber into thin noodles (I used the thinnest setting on my spiralizer). Sprinkle the cucumber noodles with a bit of salt to draw out the water and let sit for at least 5-10 minutes. Squeeze out as much water from the noodles as you can, then add to a large bowl with the soba noodles. Add the sliced red pepper, green onions, and bean sprouts to the bowl as well.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Slice the pressed tofu into cubes and add them to the pan. Cook until lightly browned on all sides, flipping as needed. Remove from heat and add to the bowl with the noodles.

To make the dressing, stir all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.  Pour dressing over the noodle mixture and toss until the dressing is thoroughly mixed in. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over everything and toss again.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings.

Tropical Detox Salad

I spent a few days in Boston last week at a conference - hence the lack of activity around here - and I came back home craving fresh and healthy meals, which always happens when I go away on trips. So this detox salad is what I'm eating this week!

I'm sure there are plenty of great vegetarian places to eat in Boston, but I didn't have any time to explore the city on my own, so my only meals consisted of the Starbucks in the lobby for breakfast, boxed lunches provided by the conference, and dinners at a restaurant nearby chosen by the group. That meant my options on the menu were somewhat limited to things like cheese pizza or pasta with tomato sauce, but I still had a good time which is what counts!

Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get back into my own kitchen and make a huge fresh salad to enjoy. The only vegetable remaining in my fridge was the rest of the parsnips from this recipe, so I searched through my bookmarks for other parsnip ideas and was reminded of this raw parsnip rice with pineapple from the taste space.

A raw salad full of fresh ingredients sounded like just the thing I wanted, so I headed out to the grocery store to pick up the rest of the components.

I ended up changing up Janet's recipe quite a bit to squeeze in even more fruits and veggies and turn the dish into more of a tropical inspired salad than her Thai version.

The base of the salad is a mixture of raw parsnips, carrot, and cauliflower all ground up to resemble the texture of couscous. Next, I added fresh pineapple, mango, red pepper and cucumber, plus some dried apricots, all finely diced to the same size.

Once you've got your fruits and veggies, the next component is to add more layers of flavour with lots of herbs - I used cilantro, mint, and green onion. And of course a great salad in my mind needs some kind of nuts, so I went with Janet's suggestion of adding chopped roasted cashews.

Finally, to bring everything together, I made a light and fruity dressing by pureeing more pineapple with some lime juice and ginger.

This turned out to be exactly what I was craving! The best way to describe this salad is that it's super refreshing, and how could it not be, with all of those raw ingredients? I loved the combination of sweet ripe tropical fruits with the crisp veggies, crunchy cashews, and fresh herbs.

My favourite salads are ones with lots of different ingredients so that every bite is interesting, and I thought all of the components in this salad were balanced out nicely so that one flavour didn't dominate.

This recipe also makes a big batch, and I'm happy to have a full container of it to eat for meals over the next few days until my cravings for comfort food come back!

Tropical Detox Salad
Inspired by the taste space

2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 a small head of cauliflower, chopped

1/2 a large red pepper, finely diced (about 1 cup)

1 cup finely diced cucumber

1 ripe mango, finely diced

1.5 cups diced fresh pineapple

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

5-6 tbsp chopped cashews (I used unsalted roasted cashews)

1/4 cup finely diced apricots

Dressing

1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple

Juice of one lime

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 tsp tamari

1 tsp mirin

1 tsp honey or agave nectar

1 tsp olive oil

Dash of herbamare or salt

Add the parsnips, carrot, and cauliflower to the large bowl of a food processor. Pulse until veggies are finely minced, but not pureed (the texture should resemble rice).  Transfer to a large bowl.   It should look like this: 

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, stirring to mix thoroughly.

To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.  Pour dressing over salad and toss to mix.

Store salad in the fridge until ready to eat. Serve cold or at room temperature.  Season each serving with additional lime juice and/or herbamare if desired.

Makes 4-5 large servings.

Thai Yellow Curry with Squash and Tofu

Hope you all had a nice weekend! Mine was full of rest as I'm getting over a cold and fever that came on really suddenly and is taking its time going away.  I hope to get back in the mood for cooking this week because I have some new recipes in mind that I want to try out!

In the meantime, I thought I would share this hearty Thai yellow curry that I made last week before I got sick. I love Thai food, and I've already experimented with my own versions of Thai red curry and green curry, so I wanted to try something new.  I actually started with the idea of making a panang curry, which I've only ever tried in Thailand and loved it.  Unfortunately, I could only find a giant tub of panang curry paste, which wouldn't have been very practical for me, so instead I picked up some yellow curry paste as a substitute!

Yellow curry typically has a mix of vegetables simmered in a creamy coconut based broth and tends to be less spicy than other Thai curries.  For my version, I used squash, kale and red peppers as the vegetables, and added some tofu for extra protein and substance. Any type of squash should work here - I wanted to use delicata but went with buttercup squash instead, since I couldn't find any delicata at the grocery store.

Instead of using canned coconut milk, which I sometimes find too rich, I used coconut milk beverage from a carton.  I thought it worked well in the dish, although it made for a slightly less creamy curry, so feel free to use canned coconut milk for a thicker, richer dish!

Most of the flavour in this dish comes from the yellow curry paste, which contains ingredients like lemongrass, kaffir lime, turmeric, and lots of other spices.  I also added fresh ginger, garlic, shallots, chilies, kaffir lime leaves, and tamarind paste to add deeper layers of Thai flavour and create a fragrant broth.

The broth smelled amazing as it was cooking on the stove, and the vegetables turned out perfectly - the squash was nice and tender and practically melted into the curry. The tofu was soft and chewy and it absorbed lots of flavour by cooking it in the spice paste before adding the other ingredients.

Overall, I thought this was a nice mellow version of Thai food - it wasn't very spicy but still packed a nice amount of heat. Sprinkle with chopped cashews to add some crunch and serve over rice for a nourishing vegan dinner that should warm you up on these cold nights we've been having lately!

Thai Yellow Curry with Squash and Tofu

Adapted from Bon Appetit

1 package firm tofu (12-14 ounces)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 tbsp yellow curry paste

2 cups + 1/3 cup coconut milk beverage

3/4 cup vegetable stock

4 kaffir lime leaves

1 thai red chili, seeded and minced (or more if you like it spicier!)

1 buttercup squash (1.5 to 2 lbs), seeded, peeled and diced into pieces

1 red pepper, sliced

2 tbsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar

Kosher salt to taste

1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into pieces
Cooked rice for serving

~1/4 cup chopped cashews for topping

Slice block of tofu in half and press between layers of paper towels, under a heavy book. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, then cut into cubes.

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, ginger, garlic and curry paste. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the tofu pieces and stir to coat in the curry mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes.  Add 1/3 cup coconut milk and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 cups coconut milk, vegetable stock, lime leaves, and red chili. Add the squash pieces (you may have to remove some of the tofu to make room for the squash, so that the squash is immersed in the liquid, then return the tofu to the pot on the top). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the squash is near tender.

Add the red pepper and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes. Stir in the tamarind, tamari, lime juice, sugar and salt. Add the kale leaves and cover for about 2 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the kale is wilted.

Serve over rice.  Top each serving with a handful of chopped cashews.

Makes 4 servings. 

Laotian Tofu Larb Lettuce Wraps

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned a new vegan cookbook that I've been enjoying - Blissful Bites.  When I first looked through the book, this recipe for Laotian larb was one that I skipped over without really stopping to see what it was. With a name that I had never heard of, plus no picture to show me what it was supposed to look like, it just didn't stand out as something I would want to make. And to be honest, something called "larb" didn't sound that appealing to me!

But when I re-read the book looking for recipes I wanted to try next, the ingredients in this recipe made me stop and think - hey, this actually sounds like something that I would love!  It was basically a cold tofu salad with lots of flavourful South-East Asian ingredients that I love to cook with.  Plus it sounded really easy to put together once all the ingredients were prepped!

Before going ahead and making the recipe, I did a bit more internet research on laotian larb and learned that traditionally, the dish is made with minced or ground meat, which can be raw or cooked, and flavoured with fresh herbs, fish sauce and lime juice.

This vegan version replaces the meat with crumbled tofu and the fish sauce with tamari. The recipe also included fresh veggies like shredded cabbage and carrots, and diced red pepper, and I decided to add some shelled edamame as well.

For the herbs, I used the cilantro that the recipe called for, and replaced the mint with Thai basil for more of an authentic flavour.  I also added a few other ingredients to enhance the flavour and spice of the salad, including shallots, garlic and jalapeno. Finally, I decided to brown the tofu in a skillet instead of steaming it, but you could probably just leave it uncooked and the salad would still be good!

After not really knowing what to expect with this dish, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It was light and fresh and the mix of textures and ingredients came together to create such a flavourful salad with the perfect amount of spice for my taste!  You could eat the salad on its own, but I served mine on top of cabbage leaves and rolled it up to eat it like a lettuce wrap.

I'm not sure how authentic my version of Laotian larb was, but all that mattered to me was that I discovered a new dish from a cuisine I hadn't tried before and loved it!

Laotian Tofu Larb Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from Blissful Bites and The Mistress of Spices

1 package (14 oz) firm tofu

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 large shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup finely diced red pepper

1/2 cup shelled edamame (thawed if frozen)

~5 leaves napa cabbage, shredded, plus more for serving

1 large carrot, shredded

1 jalapeno or other chile pepper, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tbsp chopped thai basil (can substitute mint)

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Cabbage or lettuce leaves for serving

Drain the tofu and crumble into pieces. 

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Add the crumbled tofu and cook for another 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl except for the peanuts and cabbage leaves and stir well to distribute ingredients evenly.  Place the bowl in the fridge to chill for 15-30 minutes.

When ready to serve, spoon large portions onto large cabbage leaves and sprinkle with chopped peanuts (or eat as a salad without the lettuce leaves). 

Makes about 4 servings (or more as an appetizer)

Spicy Rice Noodle Salad with Tofu

My wishes for warmer weather have finally been answered - today is the first day we've had in weeks where the sun has stayed out and the breeze is nice and warm.  It felt so good to be outside that I actually willingly went for a brief run around the park near my apartment when I got home (trust me, it's been a long time since I've done that!).

The recipe that I have to share with you today is perfect for this weather - a big salad made with rice noodles and full of fruit, veggies, and some tofu for protein, all coated in a spicy pineapple dressing!

The recipe comes from Vegetarian Times, although I made some changes as usual.  I was actually inspired to make it because it called for green curry paste, and I still had some homemade green curry paste leftover from the Thai Green Curry that I made a while ago.

Along with the curry paste, the rest of the dressing is made by blending pineapple juice with other Asian ingredients like soy sauce, ginger, garlic and rice vinegar.  For the salad, I used the red pepper and carrot that the original recipe called for, and I also added bean sprouts, mango and edamame beans.  Since I wanted this to be filling enough to serve as a main course for dinner, I added some tofu that I sliced into thin pieces and sauteed briefly on the stove.

The dish is finished off with a generous sprinkling of fresh cilantro, some hot chilies, and a handful of chopped peanuts.  The result was a very colourful plate with lots of flavour! I also liked that it tasted good warmed up, at room temperature, and straight from the fridge.  I did find it pretty spicy, so feel free to reduce or eliminate the extra red chilies.  I also think fresh pineapple would work well instead of mango.

I hope you're all enjoying the warm weather too... I'm off to make another big salad for tonight's dinner!

Spicy Rice Noodle Salad with Tofu
Adapted from Vegetarian Times


Dressing:

1/2 cup pineapple juice

2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp Thai green curry paste (I used homemade)

1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

Salad:

7 oz rice noodles

3 tsp vegetable oil, divided

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 ripe mango, thinly sliced

1/2 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed

1 cup shredded carrot

2 cups bean sprouts

1/2 cup chopped scallion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided

1-2 red chilies, minced (optional)
12-14 oz package firm tofu, drained and pressed with towels for at least 15 minutes

About 1/2 cup finely chopped or crushed peanuts

Place all ingredients for the dressing in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.

Place the rice noodles in a bowl or saucepan and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until the noodles are soft (check your package directions – mine needed at least 10-15 minutes).  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Transfer noodles back to the bowl or saucepan and toss with 2 tsp vegetable oil. 

Meanwhile, prepare all the vegetables (red pepper through to chilies) and transfer them to a large bowl. Set aside half of the cilantro for topping. 

Slice the tofu into thin strips.  Heat about 1 tsp of the vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add the tofu pieces and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned.

Combine the noodles with the vegetables.  Pour about half of the dressing on top and toss to mix thoroughly, until all the noodles and vegetables are coated.  Add the tofu pieces and pour a bit more dressing over top.  Stir to mix again.  Add more dressing if necessary (you might not need all of it).

Serve immediately, or place salad in the refrigerator to chill until serving time.  Garnish each serving with the remaining cilantro and a handful of crushed peanuts.  


Makes 4-6 servings.

Broccoli Tofu Stir-Fry with Peanuts

It seems like I make a lot of dishes with peanut sauce, but I can't help it - it's one of my favourite things to eat! Besides, pretty much anything tastes delicious when its smothered in a creamy, spicy peanutty sauce!

So naturally, this recipe for spicy stir-fried broccoli with peanuts on Eating Well's website caught my eye. The original recipe looked more like a side dish, so I took the suggestion of adding tofu to turn it into a main dish.

I marinated the tofu in some soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sesame seeds - flavours that went well with the rest of the stir-fry. Once you have your ingredients prepped, the rest of the dish doesn't take very long to put together - just cook the tofu, broccoli and red pepper, mix in the sauce and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

I loved the flavours in this dish and I thought the tofu and vegetables were cooked just the right amount!

When I ate the stir-fry on its own, I ended up with some leftover sauce at the bottom, which I was happy to slurp up because it tasted so good!  But the next night I decided to serve the leftovers over some plain rice and that was the perfect way to soak up the extra sauce, so I would recommend cooking some rice to eat with your meal.

Broccoli Tofu Stir-Fry with Peanuts
Adapted from Eating Well

For the tofu:
1/2 lb extra-firm tofu (I used the small 175g package of Soyganic Super Firm Tofu)
3/4 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Press the tofu between paper towels for at least 5-10 minutes to remove some of the moisture.  Slice tofu into pieces and lay in a shallow bowl.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over tofu. Let the tofu marinate for about half an hour, turning occasionally to coat all sides. 

Heat about 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the marinated tofu and cook for 5-7 minutes,   flipping occasionally, until all sides are browned.

For the Peanut Sauce:

1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

dash of hot sauce (optional)


Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.


For the Stir-Fry:

1 tbsp canola oil

~ 1 lb broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 large red bell pepper, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (depending on your taste)

1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add broccoli and cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften and turn brown, about 6 minutes.

Add water and soy sauce to the pan along with the red pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the pepper has softened and the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cooked tofu. Stir in the reserved peanut sauce and sprinkle with chili flakes. 

Serve hot, over plain rice or on its own. Garnish each serving with chopped peanuts.

Makes 3-4 servings. 

Ginger-Peanut Noodles

While I don't like to repeat meals and recipes often, one thing that I do make regularly for a quick and easy dinner is Asian noodles with veggies. I have tried a few different variations on this dish - changing up the vegetables or the sauce, but my favourite version is peanut noodles. I love peanut sauce and it's so easy to make yourself using ingredients from your pantry.

I know there are a ton of recipes out there for peanut noodles already, but this one for a soba noodle salad with ginger peanut dressing from Vegetarian Times that I tried recently was so good that I had to post about it! One thing that makes it different from any other recipe that I've seen is that you actually blend cilantro into the sauce as well as adding fresh cilantro on top. The sauce was delicious - it had the right amount of peanut butter and it was a bit tangy, which I liked.

Another part of this recipe that made it stand out from others was that it includes sliced cucumber, which I have never tried adding to my noodles before, but it was perfect in this recipe!

I loved this recipe on its own, but I think it would also be good with some tofu added in for a more substantial meal.

Ginger-Peanut Noodles
Adapted from Vegetarian Times

6 oz dried noodles, preferable soba noodles but spaghetti would also work (I used kamut udon noodles)
1 red pepper, sliced thinly
about 1/2 to 2/3 of a large English cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced into half moons
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Dressing:
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
2 tsp soy sauce
zest and juice of one lime
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro
a dash or two of hot sauce, such as Sriracha (optional)

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water, then set aside.

Prepare all the vegetables (red pepper, cucumber and carrot) and add to noodles.

Add all ingredients for the dressing to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add 1-2 tbsp of water to thin out if necessary.

Pour the dressing over noodles and mix thoroughly. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until serving time. Garnish each serving with the chopped cilantro and peanuts.

Makes 4 servings.

This recipe was submitted to Wellness Weekends at Diet Dessert & Dogs.