Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘meatless monday’

Baked Vegetables

Posted in Home Cooking, Meatless Monday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »

So, last night’s Meatless Monday was an absolute disaster. I have no desire to fill you in on what I made. I’m just damn glad it wasn’t in front of my brother-in-law like last week cause I’d never hear the end of it. I still get shit for a failed attempt at Nudi Ravioli from he and my sister. Instead of writing about last night’s mess I want to tell you about a successful vegetarian endeavour from a few weeks ago.

Yuki and I were invited to a pot-luck, so I decided to make these baked vegetables in golden crust. It was cheap, simple, and absolutely delicious!

To start, I poured 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet and threw it in a 425 degree oven. I just wanted to get the oil hot to help give the veggies a better sear instead of them soaking up cold oil. Once the oil was hot, about 10 minutes or so in the oven, I added some sliced eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and red onion. I coated them in the hot oil and put back in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, I made the batter. I beat an egg and then gradually beat in 1 cup of flour. Then I beat in a quarter cup of soy milk to make a smooth, thick paste. After that I stirred in another full cup of soy milk, some rosemary, salt, and pepper.

After the 20 minutes were up I took the vegetables out of the oven and quickly poured the batter all over to cover the pan. Much like a Yorkshire Pudding, you need to pour the batter into really hot oil for it to puff up and be light. I put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes until crust was nice and golden and the vegetables were nicely roasted.

When we got to the party I garnished it with some fresh grated parmesan cheese and some fresh rosemary. Cut it up into squares and you have a great party dish. I think it would also go well next to some roasted chicken.

Read Full Post »

Skirt Steak

Posted in beef, Home Cooking, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Last night I made the dinner that my brother-in-law probably would have preferred over Meatless Monday, I grilled up some skirt steak!

I got a steak that weighed about 1.3 lbs. For it to fit in my largest dish to marinate, I had to cut it into thirds. I marinated it in a mix of 6 tbls of soy sauce, 4 tbls of sake, 2 tbls of mirin, 1 tbls of sesame oil, 5 minced garlic cloves, a bunch of chopped cilantro, black pepper, and nanami togarashi. I wrapped it and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour. I took it out about 30 minutes before grilling to bring it up to room temperature.

For vegetables I found these great little sweet onions at Stanleys. I halved them and set them on the upper rack of the grill so that they’d get real sweet but not burned. They also had some great little purple potatoes. I quartered them, drizzled them with olive oil, threw some salt and pepper on, then grilled them as well. They get a nice crisp skin and get real soft inside. I love grilled potatoes! I also cut a couple of red bell peppers into disks. I waited until everything was about 10 minutes from being finished on the grill. Since they were pretty thin, I didn’t want them to burn.

I served everything with some sliced avocado and halved cherry tomatoes. Some cilantro garnish, a beer, and we were set! Yuki had to have some white rice too, she has white rice with everything.

Read Full Post »

Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers

Posted in Home Cooking, Meatless Monday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Last night for Meatless Monday I made these stuffed bell peppers. I do want to apologize to my brother-in-law. You see, he was in town and stopped by for dinner. My sister is a vegetarian (well, she will eat some seafood) which basically makes him one when he eats at home. In the past I would treat him to a big honking piece of meat since he doesn’t eat that at home. He just happened to be in during Meatless Monday. Sure, I could have made this week Meatless Tuesday, but that just doesn’t sound quite right. Sorry Dave. I did dig on that wine you brought over though.

To start, I made the stuffing. I took a medium onion and sliced it. That got sautéed in olive oil with three minced garlic cloves. After a few minutes I added a zucchini that I diced as well as a handful of sliced cremini mushrooms. I let that all cook for a few minutes and then added a 14oz can of crushed tomatoes. I let that all simmer at a low boil for about 15 minutes to thicken up the sauce, then I added a drained can of Italian brown beans as well as a bunch of chopped basil. I set all of that aside.

Meanwhile, I took 4 large yellow bell peppers and halved them. I scooped out the seeds and the white pith and then dropped them in boiling water for just a few minutes. I didn’t want to cook them, just get them slightly pliable.

Then I laid the peppers on a large baking sheet and stuffed them with the tomato sauce mixture. I covered it all with foil and cooked at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Then I took them out and sprinkled some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano over the tops and put them back in, uncovered, for another 10 minutes just until the cheese and the edges of the peppers started to brown a little.

I served them with a mixed green salad with cherry tomatoes and shiitake vinaigrette as well as white rice. I sprinkled some fresh basil and more cheese on top. Dave brought over some kick ass white wines. It was a good Meatless Monday.

Read Full Post »

Eggplant-Paneer Curry

Posted in Home Cooking, Meatless Monday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I made a vegetarian curry for Meatless Monday last night. For the protein I used paneer, but since it’s expensive ($8.99 for 8oz!) I decided to add a bunch of this really nice Japanese Eggplant they had at the store (only $2.99 a pound). I know eggplant isn’t protein, but it helped add substance to the dish while cutting the cost.

I started by melting 3 tablespoons of ghee in a medium-high pan. I added a teaspoon of ground cumin and let it cook for a minute. Then I added an inch of grated ginger and 4 minced garlic cloves. Once those became fragrant but not burned I added a small onion that I had roughly chopped and then put in a processor to finely mince it to the point just before it became liquidy. I let the onion cook for about 6 or 7 minutes before stirring in 2 teaspoons of freshly ground coriander seed. Then I added a large russet that I had peeled and small diced. That went for about five minutes before I added one 28oz can of diced tomatoes. To that I added 1 teaspoon of turmeric and 1 teaspoon of garam masala.

Once that all got to a slight boil I threw in five 5-6 inch Japanese Eggplants that were cut into chunks. Then I turned the heat down to medium-low, covered it, and let it stew for about 15 minutes.

Once the eggplant and potato were cooked through I added the block of paneer that I had cut into smaller chunks, about 3/4 inch cubes, and 3/4’s cup of peas. I just needed to the paneer and peas to heat through, so I let them sit in the simmering stew for about 8 minutes uncovered which also allowed it to thicken up a bit.

I wish I had some naan, but I did make some white rice to serve with it.

Read Full Post »

Mushroom-Poblano Quesadillas

Posted in Home Cooking, Meatless Monday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 6, 2010| Leave a Comment »

For Meatless Monday last night I made some quesadillas with sautéed mushrooms and poblanos. I served them with some mashed black beans, simple salad, and some white rice.

The first thing I did was make the mushroom and poblano filling. I heated a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and threw a sliced red onion in to saute for about 5 minutes. Then I added a couple of minced garlic cloves for about two more minutes. After that I added two sliced poblano chilis. I let that all cook down for another 5 minutes. I had sliced a bunch of shiitake, cremini, and button mushrooms (not sure how many of each, but a lot since they cook down) and threw them in to cook down. That took about 7 minutes or so. I seasoned with some salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Once all the flavors were mixed in I took it off the heat and let it all rest.

To make the quesadillas I had to do them one at a time since I don’t have a big griddle. So, I melted a little butter in my big saute pan and laid down a 10 inch flour tortilla. I topped half of it with some of the mushroom-poblano mix and then topped that with a little shredded jalapeno-jack cheese.

Then I carefully folded it over and let the tortilla crisp up for a couple of minutes on each side. To keep them warm I put a baking pan in the oven on warm and let them sit in the heat while I made up the rest. It’s that simple.

To make the mashed black beans I heated a tablespoon of vegetable oil and sautéed 5 minced garlic cloves for about 3 minutes. Then I dumped two cans, partially drained, of black beans. I let them heat through for a few minutes and then mashed them with a potato masher. I added some salt and pepper to taste and that was about it. If it got too thick I’d simply add a tablespoon of water at a time until the texture was right.

I dressed the salad with a shiitake vinaigrette. I garnished it with sliced tomato and avocado. I garnished the entire plate with some cilantro.

Read Full Post »

Vegetable Stir-fry with Tofu

Posted in Home Cooking, Meatless Monday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Last night’s Meatless Monday was quite possibly the most simple one yet. Not feeling up to doing too much in the kitchen for some reason, I decided to keep the cooking minimal and quick. The answer? Stir-fry!

I first pressed the water out of a block of tofu. Lay some paper towels on a plate, set the tofu on top, cover with more paper towels, put a cutting board on top of that, and lay a weight of some sort on top of the cutting board. I kept that in the fridge while I cut up the rest of the vegetables.

I cut a bunch of asparagus, green onions, a yellow pepper, a red pepper, and about a half pound of fresh shiitake mushrooms. I let the shiitake sit in a sunny window for about an hour before cutting them up. Sunlight helps the mushrooms produce higher levels of vitamin B.

To start, I fried an inch of minced ginger and two chopped garlic cloves for about 3 minutes. Then I added the green onions, followed by the peppers, and then the asparagus. After a few minutes I added the shiitake sliced in quarter inch strips. I let that all stir fry up for a few minutes then added about 4 tablespoons each of soy sauce and sake along with some black pepper.

While the liquid was reducing a little I cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces then threw them into the stir-fry. I let the tofu absorb the flavor, then took off the heat and drizzled some sesame oil in it, and then served with it white rice.

Read Full Post »

Quinoa

Posted in Home Cooking, Meatless Monday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 16, 2010| 1 Comment »

I’m on the tail end of a bad cold and Yuki is in the midst of battling one too. In light of that, last night’s Meatless Monday was all about getting healthy. There isn’t much more healthy than quinoa, except for maybe the hemp seed. I also wanted to keep it really simple.

I first sautéed a bunch of chopped green onions in some vegetable oil for a few minutes, then added three chopped garlic cloves. A couple minutes later I tossed in a diced carrot and a diced yellow pepper. I didn’t want the veggies to get soft, just slightly cooked so shortly after they were sweating I added a cup of rinsed red quinoa. When you saute quinoa for a few minutes it brings out some of the nuttiness in its flavor. After that I poured in a cup of vegetable stock, a drained can of chickpeas, a drained can of sweet corn (I can’t wait for corn season!), about a half cup of peas, salt, pepper, garam masala, and a dash of turmeric. I brought that to a simmer and covered over low heat for about 10-15 minutes.

Once everything was cooked and most of the liquid had evaporated I took it off the heat and let it sit for a few more minutes. Then I fluffed the quinoa and served. A salad of green leaf lettuce and tomatoes with a shiitake vinaigrette on the side along with some toasted pita. Our immune systems got a nice boost last night.

Read Full Post »

Chiles Rellenos Japonese

Posted in Home Cooking, Meatless Monday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I’ve been mulling this recipe over in my head since my trip to Merida. I wanted to somehow make a Japanese flavored Chiles Rellenos. Last night, for Meatless Monday, I gave it a shot. Not sure it’s exactly the way I had originally planned, but it turned out pretty good.

First thing I did was roast the poblano peppers on the open flame of my stove-top till the skin was completely charred. Then I let them steam themselves in a bowl covered with plastic-wrap for about a half hour.

While that was going on I made the filling. I sautéed some green onions and garlic in a little vegetable oil for about 5 minutes. Then I added one teaspoon of mirin, two teaspoons of sake, and three teaspoons of soy sauce. I also threw in some chili powder. Once that was all mixed together I dumped in some diced tofu and let it simmer for a few minutes and absorb some of the flavors.

Next, I peeled the skin off the poblanos and made a slit down one side to remove the seeds. Once the poblanos were all cleaned out I stuffed them with the tofu and set them aside.

The sauce was very simple to make. I first sautéed a half onion, diced, in some vegetable oil for a few minutes until soft but not burned. Then I added some grated garlic and let that cook for a couple of minutes. A couple tablespoons of red wine, a couple tablespoons of soy sauce, a can of diced tomatoes, and a few dashed of chili powder then let it simmer till it thickens up a bit. Just before serving I turned the heat off the sauce and added a little sesame oil and some chopped cilantro.

For the veggies, I just doused some yellow string beans and maitake mushrooms in some olive oil, salt, and pepper and threw then under the broiler for about 10 minutes. For the last few minutes I also put the peppers under to heat them back up.

I served everything with white rice, slices of avocado, cilantro garnish and a simple salad. The salad was green leaf lettuce and cherry tomatoes with a shiitake-sesame vinaigrette. It all turned out better than I expected.

Read Full Post »

Soba with Tofu

Posted in Home Cooking, Meatless Monday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

After eating an entire feedlots’ worth of animal Sunday night we really needed Meatless Monday. We tried to make this one as healthy and simple as possible in order to ease the recent strain put on our tummies. Soba noodles, being about as healthy as you can get in the way of carbs, seemed like a good route to go.

For this one we cut up some green onions, carrots, and mushrooms and added them to some boiling konbu dashi. Once they were cooked a little we added some aburage and dried wakame. It takes the wakame a few minutes to soften. Then we dropped in a block of tofu that was cut into smaller pieces.

To put it together we simply put cooked soba noodles in the bottom of our bowls then ladled the broth and veggies on top. A dash of togarashi, a beer, and you’ve got a light, healthy, satisfying dinner.

Read Full Post »

Meatless Monday a la Yukiko

Posted in Home Cooking, Meatless Monday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

So, Yuki made dinner for Meatless Monday this week. As you can see from the pic, she cooks a totally different style than me. She prefers numerous different plates with different items while I usually cook more of a one-pot gig. But, with it being Presidents Day and a day off work it was her turn.

Starting with the top left dish, she simmered some daikon radish. For the broth, she boiled niboshi (small dried sardines) in water to extract that flavor into a deliciously light dashi. Then she simmered the daikon until they were softened, but still retained some texture. She topped the daikon with yuzu-miso and some sliced green onion.

The top right dish is sato imo, a hairy potato that made my fingers itch when I peeled it. It’s worth it though as it has a more pronounced earthiness in its flavor than the potatoes we’re used to here in the States. She first had boil them in some vinegar. These potatoes are very slimy and by boiling them in vinegar the slime is removed. After they were boiled she sautéed them in olive oil with some onions and garlic. Then she added some ponzu and a little mayonnaise.

The bottom bowl is harusame soup. She used konbu dashi for the broth, a very typical broth for Japanese soups. The noodles are harusame, made from mung bean starch. Also in it were some enoki mushrooms, shiitake, wakame seaweed, sliced aburage (deep fried tofu skin), baby bok choy, and an egg that was poached in the dashi.

She also made dessert, shiratama dango. They’re little dumplings made out of mochi rice flour. Simply add water to the flour, roll the dough into little balls, and boil them till they float. They’re usually grilled afterword to make them a little more savory before adding various sweet sauces. We used three of the more common sauces. On the left is azuki bean paste, the middle is mitarashi (a sweetened and thickened soy sauce with mirin, sugar, and corn starch), and the right is kinako (soy flour mixed with sugar).

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »