Marinated baked tempeh

Adapted from Love and Lemons

https://www.loveandlemons.com/tempeh/

This is a unique way of preparing tempeh, steaming it first, so it absorbs the marinade and is moist and tasty.  And it's oil-free.  I substituted water for the oil, and it worked perfectly.  I tend to prepare tofu or tempeh in the toaster oven to save energy and preheat more quickly.  Although this recipe requires a few extra steps, by steaming it then letting it marinate while you prepare the rest of the dinner, it can be quite efficient.  It's great on a salad or in a stir fry.  If you are serving omnivores, this dish makes it easy to add either tempeh or an animal protein as the last step in the dish, and please 'em all. 

Ingredients:

1  8 oz package tempeh

3 Tbsp tamari

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 - 2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp water

1 tsp sriracha

A few grinds of black pepper

Instructions:

1) Cut the tempeh into cubes, place in a steamer basket, and set over a pot with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and let steam for 10 minutes. This helps it become tender and ready to soak up more flavor from the marinade.

2) In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, vinegar, maple syrup, water, sriracha, and several grinds of pepper. Place the tempeh in a shallow dish and pour the marinade on top to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

3) Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4) Arrange the cubes onto the baking sheet, reserving the excess marinade.

Bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush more of the marinade onto the cubes. Bake 10 more minutes or until the cubes are charred around the edges. Enjoy on salads or grain bowls.

Notes

For grilled tempeh: Cut the tempeh into triangles and follow the marinating instructions above. Preheat a grill to medium. Spray the grill and grill the tempeh 7-9 minutes on the first side. Remove from grill, dip it back into the marinade to coat, then return it to the grill and grill the second side for 4-5 minutes, or until deep char marks form. 

Going Green Smoothie

From Vitamin cookbook

Great quick smoothie - I didn't used to like green smoothies, but lately I've become a fan.  By using a good blender to pulverize the greens, and just enough fruit, this one's a winner.   It's a lower-calorie-than-usual smoothie.  You can always add or substitute a non-dairy milk to the water to add some protein.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1 cup green grapes

1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks (or mango or peach)

1/2 medium banana (even better with frozen banana slices)

2 cups lightly packed fresh spinach

1/2 cup ice cubes

Directions: 

1) Place all ingredients in the order listed

2) Blend until desired consistency is reached. 

Quick Seared Okra

Adapted from a Recipe by Love and Lemons at https://www.loveandlemons.com/okra-2/ 

I've never been a fan of okra - it always seemed to be slimy and fibrous.  But maybe I just hadn't had it prepared well.  Lately, my husband has become a fan, so we've had it at a few restaurants and it was good, so i experimented with it.  I was told that cooking okra whole can keep it from getting slimy, but that also doesn't allow you to check if some are fibrous.  This recipe hit the right notes with the nuts, jalapeño and tomatoes. The okra that seemed fibrous before they were cooked remained that way.  It seemed the larger ones were fibrous; the others were fine.  Next time, I'll either cut those into smaller pieces or discard them.  

I also simplified the tomato ingredient by using a small can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. 

It's quick, nutty, tangy and spicy.  A great side dish, especially if you're a novice with okra. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 or so pieces okra, sliced in half
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• ½ jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• Small handful cherry tomatoes, cut in half (or 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted)
• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• 
  
• Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When your pan is really hot, add the okra and sauté until it starts to turn brown. Add a few pinches of salt.
2. Add the shallots and jalapeños and sauté for 1 minute, turning down the heat as needed. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the walnuts and tomatoes, and toss to incorporate.
3. Deglaze the pan with the sherry vinegar, and reduce until it’s almost dry. Remove the pan from heat.  Enjoy!

Chia pudding

 I've been wondering about chia pudding for a while - seems like it would be healthful, but what does it taste like?  What is the texture?  It usually looks like a mound of white bubbles with a hint of a black seed at the center of each one.  I knew it was some combination of chia seeds and milk, so I decided to give it a try and came up with the following recipe.  I'll be making it again to try to decide what I'd really like it to taste like.  Since pumpkin season is upon us, I did use some Pumpkin Pie Spice, but also numerous other ingredients. I'm going to try it a few different ways before it's ready for prime time!  

My first preparation ended up looking more like oatmeal than chia pudding.  It was a bit dark due to the spices and maple syrup.  Perhaps practice will make perfect?! 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup chia seeds

1.5 cups non-dairy milk (I used cashew-almond)

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1) Start by layering the chia seeds either in one bowl, or in 4 ramekins.

2) Cover with 3 times that amount of milk.  Stir immediately to get any lumps out.  

3) Add the remaining ingredients and mix.  Put in the refrigerator, with a reminder set to stir the pudding again in 1-2 hours.  Otherwise, hard areas form and are later difficult to break up.  Taste and consider more of any of the ingredients, or a sprinkle of Pumpkin Pie Spice, or another spice of your choosing.

Freekeh with Shiitake Mushrooms, Leeks and Edamame

 This is adapted from a washington post recipe by Joe Yonan October 13, 2021.  It caught my eye because it is made with freakeh, which I've had before, but thought it had an unusual flavor and couldn't figure out what to prepare it with.  Now I know that although there are competing stories about it, the end result is that it is the inner portion after the outside of the wheat has been burned and removed.  So the grain is relatively hearty and has a smoky flavor.  

This dish pairs it with mushrooms and leeks, and was supposed to be with sugar snap peas, snow peas or  green beans.  Any of those would have to be blanched and drained first.  For better or worse, the green beans I thought I purchased didn't make it home with me.  Instead I used a combination of frozen edamame and peas, so all I needed to do was defrost them by rinsing them in warm water.  

At the end I also added some extra lemon, pepper and mint, but feel free to garnish or not as you wish.  This is a great use of freakeh, a healthy 'broken' grain that cooks quickly and has some substance.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (5 ounces) freekeh (I didn't have enough, so I also used cracked bulgur, another quick-cooking grain).

2 cups water

1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt or table salt

2 cups frozen edamame or peas, or combo

1 leek, white and light green parts

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

3 cups (5 ounces)  fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced

2 cups (2 ounces) baby spinach

2 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste - just as you might on a green salad

DIRECTIONS:

1) In a medium dry saucepan over medium heat, toast the freaked, tossing until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.  Add the water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the freekeh is tender, ~14-16 minutes.  Drain any excess water and transfer the freaked to a large salad bowl. 

2)While the grains are cooking, rinse the frozen veggies with warm water until the centers are defrosted.  Drain.

3) Rinse off the obvious dirt, cut the leek in half lengthwise, then slice into thin half moons.  Put all the slices in a bowl and cover with cold water to remove remained dirt.  Pour into a colander, then rinse again if there is any grit left. 

4) In a large saute pan, over medium-high heat, heat 1/4 cup oil until it shimmers.  Add the cleaned leeks and 1/4 tsp of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their liquid, darken and soften, 4-5 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to the salad bowl and let cool.

5) Roughly chop the spinach and add it to the salad bowl. 

6) Pour the lemon juice into a small bowl.  Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil in a thin, steady stream, while whisking vigorously.  Whisk in the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt.  Add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to combine.  Taste and season with more salt, and or pepper and/or lemon juice if needed.  

7) Serve at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator and serve cold.  

Butternut Squash Soup - Afghan Style - with the Hashimi

This was prepared on October 11, 2021, as part of KindSoups efforts to deliver food to those in need.  Each week for the past year, we've been cooking together, making enough soup for our own family’s dinner, plus enough to freeze and deliver meals for 6 families affected by COVID19 and the resulting economic stress. More recently we've been sharing with those who have been relocated to our area from Afghanistan, so that they too can enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal!

Dr. Nadia Hashimi is a pediatrician, novelist, and a former Democratic congressional candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Maryland’s 6th congressional district!  Hashimi is the author of three international bestselling novels, The Pearl that Broke Its Shell, When the Moon Is Low, and A House Without Windows.  She and her dad, Said Hashimi, led us in conversation and instruction, for a delightful session this week.

 

Said Hashimi left Kabul, Afghanistan in 1971 and landed in New York City to begin his American Dream. He has built his American dream around food, and spent the last three decades of his official working career as the co-owner of an Italian Deli in Warwick, NY. He built bridges with people in the community and the Afghan cuisine he introduced into the weekly lunch special rotation quickly became a hit. Among his kitchen specialities were a rotation of soups for the fall and winter seasons. These days, he spends his time being a best friend, chaperone, and chef to his 6 grandchildren and volunteering with newly arrived Afghans.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP –  AFGHAN STYLE

INGREDIENTS: 

• 3 Large Butternut Squash peeled and cut in small cubes (I cheat and buy it pre-cut)
• 4 Large Carrots Pealed and cut in small cubes (add or sub sweet potato)
• 2 Large Onion cut in small cubes
• 6 Cloves of Garlic peeled and chopped
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro washed and chopped
• 2 Teaspoons of salt
• 2 Teaspoons of white pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of Curry powder or Ground Turmeric
• 2 Tablespoon of powdered Vegetable Base or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in a small amount of water (I use vegetarian Better Than Bouillion)
• 3/4 Cup of Vegetable oil
• 2 Quart of boiling Water
• One small spoon of sour cream for each serving of the soup

DIRECTIONS:

1- Heat oil in a 10 Quart Pot.

2- Add onions to hot oil and stir until they are almost brown.

3 – Add garlic and stir for one minute at medium temperature.

4- Add the salt and stir for one minute.

5- Add the cubed butternut squash and carrots in the pot and stir for around 5 minutes. Add Curry powder (or Turmeric), Vegetable Base, white pepper, and most of the chopped cilantro. Stir for few more minutes.

6- Add two quarts of boiling water to the pot or enough to just cover all the vegetables. Stir it and cover the pot. Cook on medium heat and stir once in a while until the squash and carrots are soft enough to be cut by a fork or spoon,  then turn off the heat.

7- Now it is time to pour it in the blender in batches, pouring the blended portions into a separate pot. Repeat until the full pot has been blended.  Some blenders don't tolerate hot liquids, so you may need to let it cool.  Leave plenty of room at the top of your blender container, and you can remove the center part of the lid and cover with a clean dish cloth. 

8 – It’s ready to serve in a bowl. Consider adding a small spoon of sour cream mixed with mashed garlic and garnish with touch of cilantro. Enjoy! 

Tempeh Italiano

 https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-baked-stuffed/tempeh-italiano/

I want to try this again with less tamari.  I ended up drizzling a drop of date syrup, then agave, to soften the taste.  Maybe less garlic next time.  I'll look for other recipes and try to blend them.  Overall, though, it was a very good result.  I had it cut into smaller squares on a salad, with sweet potato (microwaved).  I like preparing 2 packages of tempeh at once so I can add it to different dishes over the course of the week. Marinating it helps to keep the outside firm, but allows it to soften in the middle.  Photos 10/6/2021.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup wheat-free tamari 
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
• 1 ½ tablespoons garlic, minced 
• ¼ cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed a bit with your fingers 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon ground fennel seed 
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into quarters
• 
  
• INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner. I used a toaster oven.
2. In a medium bowl, combine tamari, balsamic vinegar, garlic, vegetable broth, rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, ground fennel seed, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add tempeh cutlets, and stir well to evenly coat. Transfer tempeh cubes to the prepared cookie sheet, and spread out into a single layer.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Stir tempeh with a spatula, and spread out into a single layer again. Bake for 10-15 more minutes or until tempeh is golden brown around edges. Remove from the oven. Serve hot or at room temperature as desired.
4. (In the toaster oven, I baked it for about 12 minutes, drizzled a little marinade, turned the pieces, and baked for another 6 minutes or so.)

Aracosia's Aush - Afghan noodle soup with KindSoups

 

I'd say this is the most delicious of all the KindSoups yet.  It would probably be good to do a vegan version of it with non-dairy yogurt.  The yogurt should be whipped up, and you can add a few spoonful of the soup liquid to make it a good consistency.  Add as much mint as you'd like.  I used fresh mint.  If it's dried, be sure to crush it in your hands before eating it.  Somehow the combo of mint and yogurt and the spices tasted almost lemon-y. SO delicious!  One hour from start to finish - 

Aracosia’s Aush (enough for 15-20):

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 can (15oz) of Tomato sauce - Rao's tomato basil.

2 cans (15oz) of Garbanzo beans

1 can (15oz) of red Kidney beans

8 garlic cloves ( crushed) 

Salt ( to taste) - shy of 1 Tbsp

1 tablespoons of Turmeric

Black pepper (to taste) - 1 Tbsp

Noodles (eggless, preferred)- use max 16 oz; noodles expand, leave almost no liquid

12-15 cups of water - use 16 cups 

Labne or Greek Yogurt - ~ 8 oz

Dry Mint ( as desired) - used lots of fresh, ? 1/3 cup finely chopped

Red Crush Pepper (pinch)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Place oil in a pot and turn on heat to medium high.

2) Once oil is hot place chopped onions and sauté until a golden color is reached and onions are tender

3) Once desired color is reached, put in the tomatoe sauce, spices and 1/2 of the crushed garlic.

4) Stir and pour in your water.

5) Put into the pot the 2 cans of Garbanzo beans and 1 can of kidney beans ( Liquid drained for both)

6) Let this boil for about 5-8 minutes

7) After about 8 minutes of boiling, put into the pot the noodles.  Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package.

8) While the noodles and beans are cooking, please check salt level and water level.

9) At this time you can also get your Labne or Greek Yogurt ready.

10) In a separate bowl empty the desired amount of Labne or yogurt, mix in the other half of the crushed  garlic and a pinch of salt.  Mix well

11) When noodles are ready.  Turn the heat off, so it stops boiling.

12) Take the dry mint and crush it into your palms to bring out the fragrance and drop that into the pot.

13) Take a pinch of Red Crush pepper and put that into the pot as well.

14) Finally add your Labne or Greek Yogurt to the pot or individual bowls as desired.

Vitamix tomato spinach mint pesto

Love using my new vitamix.  Just trying out recipes to get used to the best settings to use.  Good thing it comes with a tool to push all the ingredients down while chopping, without risk of getting the 'pusher' in the blades.

This recipe is good - a little heavy on the garlic but I guess that's what its supposed to be.  The fresh basil stood out.  I was happy to use almonds (raw slivered) instead of the usual pine nuts, as I usually don't have those around and they go rancid rather quickly. 

Might add nutritional yeast next time, since pesto often has cheese in it.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large (730 g) tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup (20 g) fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup (15 g) fresh spinach
• 6 small garlic clove, peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt, optional
• 1 cup (145 g) blanched almonds
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place olive oil, half of tomatoes, basil, fresh spinach, garlic, salt, almonds, and black pepper into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
2. Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed, using the tamper to press ingredients toward the blades.
3. Blend for 10-15 seconds. Stop machine and remove lid.
4. Add in remaining tomatoes and secure lid. Select Variable 4.
5. Pulse 10-15 times using the tamper to press the ingredients towards the blades.