Friday, May 22, 2020

Cucumber Spaghetti (vegan/oil-free/WFPB)


 Servings Active Time Total Time Calories
 2 5 min10 min636 

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. dry whole wheat spaghetti
  • 3 Persian Cucumbers, chopped into half circle chunks
  • 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
  • 1 small serrano chile, sliced thinly
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
  • Schichimi tagorashi and sesame seeds for garnish 
  • kosher salt

Instructions:

  1. Bring pot of 2 quarts of water salted with 2 tsp of kosher salt to boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve water if the pasta finishes cooking and you drain it before the rest of the steps are completed.
  2. Toast the caraway seeds in a dry saute pan until fragrant. Add a few tablespoons of water, vegetable stock or cooking wine to prevent burning.
  3. Add garlic and serrano, cook for 2 minutes on high heat.
  4. Add cucumbers and a dash of kosher salt and cook for 3-4 minutes on high heat.
  5. Add tahini, soy sauce and vinegar and stir to combine.
  6. As pasta approaches al dente, transfer the noodles to the saute pan with tongs, and add about 1/2 cup of the pasta water along with it.
  7. Stir in the pasta, agitating the pan thus bringing the pasta water and tahini together in an emulsion.
  8. Turn off heat and fold in fresh dill. Garnish with schichimi tagorashi and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Pad See Ew (vegan/oil-free/WFPB)


 Servings Active Time Total Time Calories
 2 15 min15 min688 

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. brown rice noodles (dry weight)
  • 1 large head of broccoli
  • 8 oz white button mushrooms
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • kosher salt
For the tofu "eggs":
  • 4.5 oz tofu of any firmness (1/4 block)
  • 1/4 tsp MSG
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric
  • 1/8 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/8 tsp black salt
For the Sauce:
  • 3 tbsp date sugar (ground dates)
  • 1 tbsp Golden Mountain Seasoning
  • 1 tbsp mushroom flavored dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp hot water (to dissolve the date sugar)

Instructions:

  1. Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions, then drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
  2. Slice the mushrooms and broccoli, sprinkle with kosher salt and par-cook in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Dissolve the date sugar in 2 tbsp of hot water and add golden mountain seasoning, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. 
  4. Crumble the tofu and combine with MSG, turmeric, mustard powder and black salt. Mix well.
  5. Add tofu "egg" to a dry saute pan at high heat. Grate in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring as necessary. Add a few tablespoons of water, as needed, if any food begins to stick to the pan.
  6. Add the par-cooked broccoli and mushrooms to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is tender.
  7. Add the rice noodles and sauce and toss to combine and distribute the sauce. Serve immediately. 

Collard Greens (vegan/oil-free/WFPB)


 Servings  Active Time  Total Time  Calories
 4  15 min 30 min 70 

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb frozen collard greens 
  • 1/2 onion (diced)
  • 1 stalk celery (diced)
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/4 tsp MSG
  • 1 7.75 oz. can El Pato hot tomato sauce 
  • 1 lemon (juice of)
  • 1 tsp hickory liquid smoke
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
  • kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Add the onions and celery to a dry pot or dutch oven on high heat. Add kosher salt and cook until soft. Add a few tablespoons of water, as needed, to deglaze the pot.
  2. Grate in garlic. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add paprika, mustard powder and MSG. Add a few tablespoons of water to prevent burning.
  4. Add the collard greens along with the can of tomato sauce, as well as a can-full of water. Cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is mostly evaporated.
  5. Add the liquid smoke, lemon juice and vinegar. Cook for 1-2 minutes until most of the liquid is involved. Taste for seasoning and add salt and black pepper as desired.
  6. Grate in about 1/2 tsp of fresh nutmeg, or to taste. Serve immediately.

Tabbouleh (vegan/oil-free/WFPB)


 Servings Active Time Total Time Calories
 6 15 min15 min70 

Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches of flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)
  • 2 green onions (sliced thinly)
  • 2 roma tomatoes (diced)
  • 1/4 of a cucumber (about 1/2 cup diced)
  • 2 lemons (juice of)
  • 1/2 cup dry bulgur
  • kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Cook bulgur according to package instructions. Set aside to cool.
  2. Finely chop the parsley, thinly slice the onions, and dice the tomatoes and cucumbers to roughly the same size. Add salt and black pepper to taste and juice from 2 lemons.
  3. Once bulgur has cooled, (about 15 minutes) combine everything on a bowl and let fully cool in fridge before serving.

Ghormeh Sabzi (vegan/oil-free/WFPB)


 Servings Active Time Total Time Calories
 6 15 min45 min265 


Ingredients:
  • 5 bunches parsley (any combination of flat and curly)
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1/2 bunch mint
  • 6 dried Persian limes
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 green onions (sliced, tops separated from bottoms)
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2/3 cup walnuts
  • 2 15.5 oz. cans of kidney beans
  • 1 lime (juice of)
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 20 turns of coarse black pepper
  • freshly grated nutmeg to taste* (accidentally omitted from video)

Instructions:

  1. Add herb stems, red onion, garlic and turmeric to a blender and pulse until smooth (Or finely chop by hand)
  2. Add herbs, blended mixture, green onion bottoms to dry pot or dutch oven at high heat and add about 1 tsp of kosher salt, or to taste, as well as a copious amount of fresh coarsely ground black pepper (about 20 turns)
  3. Add the liquid from the canned kidney beans and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the herbs begin to darken.
  4. Add kidney beans and walnuts and stir to combine. Cook for another 15-20 minutes.
  5. Add fenugreek rubbing between your fingers to maximize the release of aroma.
  6. Turn off heat, add lime juice and stir in green onions.
  7. Finish off with 1/2 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste. Serve immediately with brown basmati rice or toasted pita bread.