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Fast & Easy Dinner: Vegetable Stir-Fry

partysugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:45:35 -0700

Chock full of crunchy vegetables and Asian flavors, this vegetarian stir-fry is hearty and delectable. The meal comes together in minutes, because the vegetables - bok choy, snow peas, radishes, and spinach - are flash cooked in a large sauté pan. Meaty, soy-glazed tofu and a fresh ginger vinaigrette add layers of delicious depth to the veggies. This recipe is highly adaptable, so feel free to substitute bell peppers, mushrooms, or any other vegetable.

Chicken, pork, shrimp, or beef are nice alternatives to tofu. To get the versatile recipe, read more.

Vegetable Stir-Fry
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large head bok choy (about 1 1/2 pounds), stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces, leaves shredded
1/2 pound snow peas
10 radishes, quartered
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 pound spinach, stems removed and leaves washed well
1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch dice

Directions

In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the ginger, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil, the sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Set aside.
In a wok or a large nonstick frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons cooking oil over moderately high heat.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the bok-choy stalks and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the snow peas and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the radishes and the soy sauce and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.
Add the bok-choy leaves, the spinach, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pan. Cook, tossing gently, until the leaves just wilt, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add all but 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Remove the vegetables from the pan.
In the same pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of vinaigrette over moderately high heat. Add the tofu and cook, turning occasionally, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Return the vegetables to the pan and stir gently to mix.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Stir Fried Tofu with Vegetables

partysugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:40:18 -0700

I've said it before and I'll say it again: stir fries make an excellent last minute meal. Why? Because the food is sautéed at a higher temperature meaning it will cook quicker. This stir fry is jam packed with vegetables making it hearty and healthful. Choose a firmer tofu to ensure that it won't fall apart when stir fried. For this mouthwatering recipe, read more.

Stir-Fried Tofu with Vegetables
From Good Housekeeping magazine

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 package (16 ounces) extra firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1-inch by 1/2-inch pieces
3 green onions
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 bag (10-ounce) shredded carrots
1 medium red pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed with garlic press or finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
cooked rice, optional for serving

Directions

In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot.
Add tofu, and cook, about 4 minutes, gently tossing until heated through and lightly golden. Transfer to plate; set aside.
Meanwhile, thinly slice green onions, separating white parts from green tops. In 2-cup measuring cup, mix broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch.
In same skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Add white parts of green onions, carrots, red pepper, garlic, ginger, and salt; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Return tofu to skillet. Stir broth mixture, and add to skillet; heat to boiling. Boil 30 seconds, gently stirring.
Spoon over rice, if desired. To serve sprinkle with remaining green onions.

Serves 4.

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Fast Vegetarian Dinner: Szechuan Veggie Tofu Stir-Fry

partysugar — Thu, 03 May 2007 08:57:32 -0700

A stir-fry is a marvelous choice for a busy Thursday night - it cooks quickly, is super filling, and reasonably healthy (depending on what ingredients you throw in your wok). Asian flavors and lots of vegetables pack this vegan dish with complex freshness. To ensure success when stir-frying, maintain a fairly high flame and keep the elements of the dish moving constantly around the pan (hence the name stir-fry). I like this served over steamed white rice, but you could easily substitute slippery noodles. To make a grocery list for tonight's dinner, read more

Szechuan Vegetable & Tofu Stir-Fry
From Vegetarian Times magazine

2 tsp. peanut oil
1 small onion, cut in half, then thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets
1/2 cup baby carrots
2 scallions (white and light green parts), slivered
2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 tsp. honey
2 1/2 Tbs. hoisin sauce
1 lb. firm or baked tofu, well drained and cut into strips

In wok or large, heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add onion and bell pepper and stir-fry 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add broccoli, carrots and scallions and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add ginger, red pepper flakes and honey; cover and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix hoisin sauce and 2 1/2 Tbs. water until well blended.
Add to stir-fry and mix gently, then add tofu strips and toss gently.
Cook, stirring occasionally, just until heated through. Serve right away over rice or noodles.

Serves 4.

PER SERVING: 122 CAL; 9 G PROT; 6 G TOTAL FAT ; 8 G CARB.; 82 MG SOD.; 2 G FIBER;

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Scape: The Other Side of Garlic

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:00:47 -0700

When browsing the farmers market, I'm drawn to things I don't recognize. The minute I saw these beauties, I stopped to learn what they were. Called scapes, these vegetables are flowering stalks of still-developing garlic.Only certain varieties of garlic produce these delicate shoots. They are similar to the stems you find on leeks, scallions, and chives. When young, scapes are tender and have similar properties to green onions; when scapes mature, their stems grow too woody to eat, but they develop edible seed pods. To learn how I experimented with scapes in the kitchen, read more.

To get a true sense of their flavor, I decided to use the seed pods to make a deconstructed garlic bread. Here's how to recreate the dish in your kitchen:

Remove the woody stemmed pods from the papery bulbs. Leave the edible, purple skin around the pods.
Sauté the seeds on medium-low heat in extra-virgin olive oil and butter for about 20 minutes until they are soft and fragrant.
Pour the mixture over freshly baked French bread and enjoy immediately!

This different take on garlic bread was delicious: the flavor is decidedly garlicky, but it's much milder than the common garlic clove. Here are some other unconventional ideas for enjoying garlic scapes:

Substitute the usual garlic clove for the scape pods in a stir-fry.
Use garlic scapes and scallions in a frittata.
Make pesto with garlic scapes.
Replace garlic cloves with the same amount of scape pods for a milder garlic soup.

Have you experimented with scapes or their seed pods? What did you think of them?

Make Use of Your Summer Vegetables with a Skillet Stir-Fry

YumSugar — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:00:57 -0700

At the farmers market this week, there was so much gorgeous Summer produce - okra, fresh corn, English peas, tomatoes, zucchini - that I bought it all. Then I got home and wondered: What should I do with this Summer bounty?

My question got answered as soon as I came across this dish while browsing The Kitchen Sink. I was drawn to the vibrant colors, the seasonality of the vegetables, and the effortlessness of throwing them all together in one skillet. The original recipe didn't include peas, and called for more okra, but I modified it to my own personal tastes, as can you. To get my version of this scrumptious skillet, read more.

Summer Vegetable Skillet
Modified from Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh English peas, shelled
1 cup fresh yellow corn kernels (about 2 ears)
2 teaspoons minced jalapeno
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 cup okra, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shelled peas and enough water to barely cover. Cook over high heat for two minutes.
Add corn; sauté 3 minutes.
Add jalapeño, garlic, and okra; saute 3 more minutes.
Stir in spinach leaves, and cook another 2 minutes, until leaves have begun to wilt.
Stir in tomatoes, then remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients.

Serves 4.

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Pasta Shapes 101

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 12:01:17 -0800

While spaghetti is the ideal pasta shape for thin, light sauces, when making a thicker hearty sauce a larger pasta shape is ideal. It's important to choose the pasta shape that best compliments the sauce, for example a chunky meat sauce adheres best to pasta shapes with holes and ridges like rigatoni or mostaccioli and rich creamy sauces work best with the slippery noodles of fettuccine. Since today we are all about pasta I thought it would be fun to overview pasta shapes...until I realized that there are over a hundred various kinds! To see a list of interesting pasta shapes, what their name means in English and which type of sauce works best with them, read more

Rotini: (spirals or twists)
Rotini's twisted shape holds bits of meat, vegetables and cheese, so it works well with any sauce, or you can use it to create fun salads, baked casseroles, or stir-fry meals.

Bow Ties, Farfalle: (butterflies)
Bow Ties brighten any meal with their interesting shape. Thick enough for any sauce, or make into a salad or soup.

Ditalini: (little thimbles)
This versatile shape can be used as the base of any dish. Bake it, stir it into soups, or create great salads and stir-fry dishes.

Spaghetti: (a length of cord)
America's favorite shape, Spaghetti is the perfect choice for nearly any sauce, or it can be used to make casseroles or stir-fry dishes. Go beyond tomato sauce and see what your favorite becomes.

Orzo: (barley)
This small, grain shaped pasta can be topped with any sauce, added to soups, or baked as a casserole. Perfect as a side dish as well as a main course.

Fusilli: (twisted spaghetti)
This long, spiraled shape can be topped with any sauce, broken in half and added to soups, or turned into a beautiful salad. Fusilli also bakes well in casseroles.

Penne, Mostaccioli: (quills and small mustaches, respectively)
This tubular pasta goes well with sauce, used in salads, baked in casseroles, or made into stir fry dishes. There are both ridged and smooth versions. The ridged version will allow sauce to cling a bit more.

Ziti: (bridegrooms)
A medium-sized, tubular pasta shape, Ziti is perfect for chunky sauces and meat dishes. It also makes wonderful salads, baked dishes and stir-fry meals.

Rigatoni: (large grooved)
Rigatoni's ridges and holes are perfect with any sauce, from cream or cheese to the chunkiest meat sauces.

Fettuccine: (small ribbons)
Perfect for heavier sauces, like cheese, meat and tomato sauces. For variety, try breaking in half and putting in soups, or use for a salad.

Have I forgotten to mention your preferred pasta shape? Tell me about it below. If you want to learn more about pasta shapes, check out this complete list of the pastas of the world.

Source

In Season: Spring Onions

YumSugar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:30:48 -0700

It's hard to appreciate the onset of Spring without considering the glorious bounty of new produce options at the farmers market. This week, I was enraptured by the spring onions.

Don't confuse a spring onion with its close counterpart, the long, thin scallion (or green onion). Spring onions are more petite than leeks, and look different from scallions because they will bulge near the root: they are simply young onions that have been pulled before they develop into conventional onions. These seasonal vegetables are milder than regular onions yet zippier and sweeter than green onions. Learn how to pick and enjoy them when you read more.

Select bunches of spring onions that have perky leaves, a vivid green color, and a firm bulb that may be either white or purple (there is little difference in flavor between the two). They will store in a perforated bag in the refrigerator for several days. They don't last as long as regular onions and, like scallions, will turn slimy. To prepare, soak and wash thoroughly of all dirt and sand, and trim off the roots; cut off the top of the greens, and slice the bulb into rounds.

Because of their mild flavor, spring onions taste great in raw salads; they can also be grilled, roasted, or stir-fried. Use them in place of onions or scallions in a dish, or consider one of these ideas:

Glaze onions in a sauté pan and serve as an agro-dolce appetizer.
Reserve the tougher green tops for use in vegetable or chicken stock.
Stir into mashed potatoes to make the classic Irish dish, champ.
Caramelize and purée them in a creamy bisque.

What do you think of spring onions, and what are your favorite ways to enjoy them?

In Season: Japanese Eggplant

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:00:11 -0700

The other day I was thrilled to spot Japanese eggplant at the farmers market. In case you don't know the distinction from the American globe eggplant commonly found at the store, Japanese eggplant has a thinner skin and a sweet, delicate flavor. Like most eggplant, it grows in season from July to October. To find out what to look for, read more.

Choose firm, dark-colored vegetables with smooth, shiny skin. They should be light for their size.
Select young eggplant varieties. The younger they are, the more tender they will be.
Avoid older eggplant, which will have a dull color and soft texture. The eggplant will take on a bitter flavor as it ages.
Avoid eggplant with bruised patches.
Store eggplant uncut and unwashed in a plastic bag in the cooler section of your refrigerator for up to a week. Beware that eggplant does not fare well in extremely cold settings.

Some preparation tips:

Soak eggplant in salted water before cooking to prevent them from turning brown.
Because eggplant is highly absorbent, add extra oil when stir-frying or frying eggplant.
Toss with garlic and oil in a stir-fry.
Sauté with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and just a hint of sugar until soft.
Deep-fry and sprinkle with minced garlic and salt.
Use in place of globe eggplant in any dishes calling for eggplant - you won't have any of the bitterness.

What are your experiences, if any, with Japanese eggplant? I'd love to hear your preparation suggestions!

You've Seen the Pics, Now See the Menu

YumSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:16:31 -0800

The Oscars are just around the corner - fill in your ballot for a chance to win fab prizes! - and last week I tempted you guys with photos from the Governors Ball preview However, I didn't give a full rundown on what was going to be served. If you were wondering what was pictured in the sea of tastiness, get prepared. I've got the full list - it's huge, over 350 people are on the culinary staff! - and let me tell you, it reads as tasty as the photos. To check out the complete menu, read more.

Antipasti Platter
Smoked Salmon Oscars With Caviar and Crème Fraîche
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad With Citrus Chili Dressing
Thai Spiced Shrimp With Holy Basil and Candied Garlic
Bruschetta of Figs, Goat Cheese, and Organic Prosciutto
Smoked Eggplant With Toasted Flatbread
Asparagus and Chickpea Salad With Mustard Vinaigrette

Butlered Course
Gold Foil Wrapped Baked Yukon Gold With Tsar Nicoulai Caviar and Crème Fraîche

Entrée
Snake River Farms Wagyu Beef With Chinese Broccoli Shiitake Stir-Fry With Red Wine Sauce
Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Vegetable Entrée
Roasted Winter Vegetables Wrapped in Leeks
Black Olive Couscous and Tomato and Radish Compote

Dessert
Sherry Yard’s Oscar Tribute - We'll have more on the dessert station next week!

Sushi Station
Maki Rolls - Spicy Tuna, Sweet Shrimp, Crab, Vegetable
Nigiri - Tuna, Sweet Shrimp, Yellowtail, Salmon, Snapper
Sashimi - Tuna, Yellowtail, Salmon, Snapper
Cucumber Salad, Edamame, Wasabi, Soy, and Pickled Ginger

Noodle Station
Pad Thai Noodles With Tofu, Egg, Bean Sprouts, Thai Basil, Mint, and Peanuts
Short Lo Mein Noodles With Pork, Scallions, Sweet Peppers, and Plum Ginger Sauce

Ceviche Station
Shrimp With Mango, Basil, Golden Tomatoes, and Habanero
Sea Bass With Avocado, Tomatillo, Cilantro and Jalapeño
Scallop With Tomato, Orange, and Chili

Shellfish Station
Shrimp, Oysters, and Crab
Cocktail Sauce, Mustard Sauce, and Mignonette

Tray Passed
Spicy Tuna in Sesame Miso Cone; Mini Kobe Cheeseburgers With Remoulade; Tomato Goat Cheese Tart; Miso-Glazed Black Cod on Rice Cracker; Cucumbers and Smoked Salmon, Steak Tartare Crostini, Spicy Chicken Mango Rice Paper Rolls, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Assorted Pizzas

If the menu has you captivated, check out the pics!

Fast & Easy Dinner: Orange Beef Stir-Fry

partysugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:00:57 -0700

Never underestimate the extreme flavor power of fresh squeezed citrus juice. The acidity stops foods from oxidizing and adds a bright unprocessed taste to quick fix foods. The juice from one orange is used to jazz up a simple beef stir-fry. Stir-frys are excellent because they can be made rapidly and provide a mixture of tender meat, crisp vegetables, and sticky rice. You'll give Rachael Ray a run for her money when you make this savory stir-fry in under thirty minutes or less so get the recipe now and read more

Orange Beef Stir-Fry
From Everyday Food magazine

1 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, (from 1 orange)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
1 pound top or bottom round steak, cut into strips, 2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 (1 pound) broccoli, florets broken into small pieces (reserve stalks for another use)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, (ribs and seeds removed), cut into strips, 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide

Cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl or liquid-measuring cup, combine orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar; set aside.
In a medium bowl, toss beef with cornstarch; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large skillet, combine broccoli with 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high; cook, partially covered, until broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Discard any water in skillet; wipe with paper towel.
In same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high. When pan is very hot, add half the beef; cook until browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to plate with broccoli. Repeat with remaining oil and remaining beef, but leave beef in skillet.
Return reserved beef and broccoli to skillet; add orange-juice mixture and bell pepper.
Continue cooking over high heat until sauce thickens, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve over rice.

Serves 4.

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