Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Orange Ginger Tofu Triangles


Make your own baked tofu! This is a salty, sweet marinade made with orange juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and seasoned with garlic and ginger. I made the marinade yesterday on my lunch break and marinated the tofu for 3-4 hours. I put the triangle cut tofu pieces in a pyrex dish while it marinated.

Please note: the recipe called for canola oil and red pepper flakes, but I did not use them.

I served this dish with steamed rice and vegetable eggrolls with dipping sauce. What a treat! Enjoy!

Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 pound firm tofu (15 oz. tofu package)
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup canola oil
4 teaspoons dark sesame oil 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 green onions, cut into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. Turn the tofu on its side, and cut it into 4 thin slices. Lay the tofu flat again, and cut the block diagonally to make 8 triangles.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, oils, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.

3. Separate the pressed tofu pieces, and arrange in a baking dish in a single layer.

4. Cover with the marinade, and sprinkle with the green onion and cilantro. Cut the stems off the chiles, remove the seeds, and place the chiles in the baking dish.

5. Cover with plastic wrap (or pyrex lid), and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

7. Pour off some of the marinade, so the tofu is covered halfway. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, without turning, until the tofu is golden and most of the marinade has been absorbed.
**You can cook as long as needed to make it your desired texture. I cooked it for an extra 10 minutes for extra golden texture**

Friday, July 17, 2009

Zucchini & Sun Dried Tomato Salad


I am proud to say that the picture you see is an organic zucchini grown in our home vegetable garden. This is an easy to prepare, healthy and fresh salad great for BBQs or as a side dish with your main dish. I found it while browsing through Shape Magazine. Always remember that when preparing vegetables to use an organic, enviornmentally friendly fruit and veggie wash, especially if you do not buy organic.

Zucchini & Sun Dried Tomato Salad

Ingredients

- 4 Zucchini

- 1/2 small jar of sundried tomato w/ olive oil and herbs

- 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

-1.5 teapoons of fresh lemon zest

Directions

1. Peel the Zucchini and place in a bowl

2. In a food chopper or processor, pulse and chop the sun dried tomatoes

3. Add the chopped sun dried tomato, zucchini, oilive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix well.

4. Serve right away or refrigerate-Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Vegan Blueberry Muffins

Vegan Blueberry Muffins
This is the easiest recipe! Enjoy with your morning coffee, tea or as a snack.

Tips:
1. I have substituted bananas for the blueberries to make vegan banana muffins.
2. If you prefer to not use soy milk, you can try rice or almond milk. I used vanilla soy milk.

Serves 12
Ingredients
· 1/4 cup soy margarine
· 1/2 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
· 1/2 tsp. salt
· 1 cup granulated brown sugar
· 2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 Tbs. baking powder
· 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
· 1/2 cup soy milk
· 2 cups fresh organic blueberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners, or spray with cooking spray.
2. Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl. Spoon into muffin cups, filling three-quarters full.
3. Bake 35 minutes, or until tops are firm. Cool slightly on rack.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Recipe: Homemade Veggie Burgers

I have been really wanting to try making homemade veggie burgers ever since I have enjoyed local restaurants such as The Counter who pride themselves on fresh veggie burgers! I had often turned to buying the frozen brands such as Moringstar or Boca, which I love, but I decided to use fresh ingredients. This was delicious. Gary and I served on fresh rolls with tomato and avocado. You can add any of your favorite toppings. This is a sure hit and I plan on making it again :)

Substitutions: The below recipe is vegetarian. If you want to make it vegan, substitute the shredded cheese for soy or rice cheese and use an egg substitute.

Tip #1: I added half a can organic garbanzo beans for more protein.
Tip #2: To chop up all your veggies and beans, use a food chopper or food processor.

Veggie Burgers
Serving Size: 8

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, grated
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 carrots, shredded
1 small summer squash, shredded
1 small zucchini, shredded
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over low heat, and cook the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until tender.
2. After the onions and garlic are cooked, add in the chopped carrots, squash, and zucchini. Continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Remove pan from heat and transfer everything to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add to the mixing bowl, the oats, cheese, and egg.
5. Add soy sauce to the bowl and mix well. Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator and refrigerate 1 hour.
6. Preheat the grill for high heat. You can also use a grilling plate on the stove.
7. Place the flour on a large plate. Form the vegetable mixture into eight 3 inch round patties. 7. Drop each patty into the flour, lightly coating both sides.
8. Apply non-stick spray onto grill, and grill patties 5 minutes on each side, or until heated through and nicely browned.