Stir fry #2

I love stir fries, this is not the first or last time you'll hear read me say it.

This one has zucchini (green & yellow), mushrooms, bok-choy and, the seasoning goes a little like this: soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, mirin, spicy thai sauce... can't remember what else.

With this I have some nutty tempeh, a steamed bun and this amazing cooling cucumber spicy sweet sauce. My only advise about the sauce is that it should probably be puréed. Or else you can't grab on to the cucumber and cilantro bits, which defeats the purpose of the sauce :( you know?

Hope you enjoy!!

I brought my dog camping, we call him a poule mouillée - wet chicken!

Fresh summer plate

Think of this as a flat, untossed, prettily placed salad.

I've got home-made humus, room-temperature quinoa, diced avocado, grated beet, cucumber, "heirloom" style tomatoes, lettuce and orange bell pepper.

Honestly, a pleasure to eat and to look at the colors. I bet if I put that picture upside down, you'd see a funny face.

A note about home-made humus
If you are a student, and you have a food precessor, making your own humus is not only more delicious, it becomes incredibly cheap and a standard food to eat. Eating it, for example, in wraps, in salad and as a snack. Chickpeas are high protein and high fiber, which means that they actually do fill you up and keep you going. Plus, when you make your own humus, you control what's in it. The secret to my humus: caramalized onions and garlic. That way, the flavor is a little less raw and the sweetness of the caramalized onions will help give it the extra yummy factor. Oh, add parsley too!

For those who it scares them to eat garlic because of bad breath: you are silly, garlic is probably one of the healthiest things to have everyday, and it's nothing brushing your teeth and eating gum won't get rid of. Also ginger is really good for you!! Your immune system will be thankful for you.

 Enjoy!!

Blueberry-nana-corn muffins

Mmmmmuffins!

Oven: 350°F
12 mmmmuffins
Cook 35-40min

Dry ingredients in one bowl:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups corn flour
2 teaspoon baking powder

Wet ingredients in another bowl:
1/2 brown sugar (or less) (I put less)
1/4 oil
1/4 apple sauce
1 1/2 cup soy milk
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
1 cup blueberries

Put wet ingredients in dry ones and gently mix until "just mixed". Spoon into oiled muffin cup things.

Enjoyyyy!!! And try not to eat too much batter :( I did, I always do. Nasty habit.

Quinoa!

I made quinoa, zucchini and stuffed tomatoes for supper the other day.

I put mozzarella cheese and herbes de provence in the tomatoes, I peeled some zucchini slices and I roasted both in the oven. Take care that you watch your zucchini slices - they cook fast. And brush them with oil.

For the quinoa, I cooked it with stock to give it a little more body and color.

As for the funny nutty looking thing: chopped roasted pine nuts, chopped parsley and lemon zest. (loosely based off gremolata)

The tomatoes were really delicious!! ^___^

Cauliflower, my beloved secret weapon

Have you ever had cauliflower mash? I never had until last week. I hold no words (right now) to describe the most delicious flavor that I got out of the recipe I followed from my September issue of VegTimes. The special ingredient in the recipe is miso. Weird I know, but key in the comforting flavor.

Oh my gooooooood I'm still all in a daydream about it.

It's also a less starchy alternative to mashed potatoes. So rejoice diabetic people!!

Here, because of the flavor of miso, I paired the cauliflower mash with mirin and soy sauce.

p.s.: If you think I'm not having any protein in these meals, it's a lie!! I omitted to mention I added tofu with my cauliflower.

Steamed broccoli and zucchini with the heaven sauce

Stir fried zucchini and mushroom with the heaven sauce

Sushi Time

I really like sushi and have recently been pursuing the art of making it properly, without the heart wrenching frustration having it fall to pieces before it reaches your mouth.

I learned it all at this wonderful site!!

That is with smoked salmon -- I know I said I was veg, it's for my parents!

I'm to cut smaller pieces of cucumber next time, they look like fossils here

mm breaded eggplant ^__^

Easy food!

You'll find that for lunch I usually like to make myself salad or stir fry. And that I'm crazy over soy sauce and mirin together. Mirin is sweet cooking wine made from rice. It is delicately sweet and paired with soy sauce makes that sweet & salty combination some of us often crave. It is heaven.

Vegetable gyoza with orange peppers and greenbeans

Really simple to make. Gyoza is a type of asian dumpling popular in japanese cuisine. These are frozen and I got them from the supermarket.
First, fry the gyoza. Once the bottom is golden, add water to the frying pan and cover to steam 3-4min. Set aside.
Second, fry minced ginger (if you like it) and vegetables. Add equal amounts of mirin and soy sauce to pan. Let the alcohol evaporate a little. Add the gyoza and cook a little more.

P.S.: When I say fry, I really mean put a touch of oil, not 3 tablespoons of oil.

Salad with black beans and avocado dressing

Ok so this salad might not look too appetizing because I didn't place the vegetables all nicely, but it's quite delicious.
The avocado dressing is a little spicy and gives a creamy guacamole-like flavor.
There's romain lettuce, grated carrots, tomatoes, black beans, cucumber, red and orange pepper. And probably other things. My salads are like tornados, they have a lot of things in them.

Yeah, so stir-frys and salads make great one dish meals when you are eating solo either for lunch or supper. You are obviously allowed to make them for other people too! ^__^ Share the joy!!