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Monday

31

August 2015

Thai Basil and Peanut Soup

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, Sides, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Soup, how I have missed you!!

I’d kinda forgotten about soup. I don’t know how. It’s one of my favorite things to cook and eat. Ever. Ever. EVER! I’m aware of the weather. It’s been about 97,000 degrees out lately and it’s just going to get hotter. But, I just can’t help myself.

This is my take on a Thai-peanut-kinda-spicy-oh-so-good soup. And yes, I said peanut. Peanut butter, to be exact. Just trust me, it works.

To start, I raided the veggie drawers in the fridge. Cabbage, green beans, lemongrass, and chile peppers all made the cut (bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, and greens could also be added, but you’re not missing out without them).

Then I went to the pantry. Found some peanut butter, ginger, liquid aminos (gluten-free soy sauce substitute – I ran out of the real stuff yesterday), and onion. Along with some tofu from the freezer, the veggies went into a soup pot with some coconut oil to cook away. A few minutes later, the peanut butter and other goodies went in. This soup came together in no time at all.

I added some veggie stock. Keeping things vegan today. A 30 minute simmer was all it took. If you’ve got less time, that would work too. Just cook until it tastes great to you.

In the last few minutes of cooking, I added the noodles to some boiling salted water. You can use whatever kind of noodles you prefer – I used soba, but rice noodles would be great too. You can totally add a little more liquid to the soup and cook the noodles that way. I thought about it, but wasn’t sure if we’d have leftovers and didn’t want to risk soup-logged noodles the second time we’d eat it. Since we’re trying to conserve water in the kitchen, I let the pasta water cool and dumped it on the lawn a few minutes ago (ahem – I have no idea if lawns like pasta water, so try at your own risk).

There are many things that you could do differently. As noted earlier, you could swap some of the veggies and you could use rice pasta if you want to go gluten-free. You could also use rice instead of pasta. It’d be a different soup, but I think it’d still be great. You could also add some coconut milk. I would have done this, but my grocery shopping was already done when I made up the recipe, so it was a use what I have on hand kinda day. However you make it, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. We had it for lunch today and Tim said that it tasted like something you’d find at a fancy restaurant. Well, shucks, honey, that was a nice thing to say. (I agree… I may or may not have licked the bowl.)

Happy Eating!

Thai Basil and Peanut Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 42 minutes

Total Time: 57 minutes

Yield: 2-4

Thai Basil and Peanut Soup

Ingredients

2 T coconut oil
1 C tofu, chopped
1 C green beans, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1-2 chiles, ribs and seeds removed (if desired), diced
1 C cabbage, chopped
could also add: bell pepper, summer squash, carrot, broccoli, greens
2 stalks lemongrass, use only an inch or so from the bottom, tender inside layers, chopped
to taste salt
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 t ground ginger (or 1/2 to 1 t fresh, diced)
1-2 T liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar, divided
1/4 C peanut butter
4-6 C veggie stock
1/4 lb. soba noodles or rice noodles (or rice, cooked)
1/4 C Thai basil, chopped, some reserved for topping

Instructions

Heat soup pot, add coconut oil. When oil is hot, add tofu through salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic (and if using fresh ginger, add it now), cook for 1 minute. Add dried ginger (if using), soy sauce/liquid aminos, 1/2 T rice vinegar, and peanut butter, cook for 1 minute. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. During the last few minutes of the soup's cooking time, add the pasta to the water. Cook according to package's directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Remove soup from heat. Stir in Thai basil and remaining 1/2 T of rice vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
To serve, pile some noodles in a bowl and pour soup around them. Top with the reserved Thai basil.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/thai-basil-and-peanut-soup/

Thursday

20

August 2015

0

COMMENTS

Tofu and Eggplant Lettuce Wraps

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, One Dish Dinners, Quick and Easy, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Lettuce is one of those oft neglected veggies. I fall into the trap of thinking that lettuce is meant for sandwiches and salads alone. Never mind the fact that I’ve made it into Caesar Soup, which is at the other end of the spectrum for sure. You know, I think that soup would taste great with a sandwich. Double whammy on the lettuce.

But, if we can get away from tradition, here’s another way to use lettuce. As a wrap. Ok, I know, it’s been done before. In fact, one of our favorite Asian restaurants has the most amazing lettuce wraps. I hadn’t ever tried a lettuce wrap until we tasted them. They were a bit of the inspiration for this recipe. However, the main inspiration was that I need to be more creative with lettuce.

We normally have red leaf lettuce on hand. It’s a bit more delicate, so I thought that it might be best to double up on the layers. In the end, doubling up was fine, but they were messy no matter what (and I think they’d be messy no matter the variety of lettuce used). So, fair warning: be ready to eat with your hands, and have a big napkin ready to catch falling food and wipe sticky fingers. 😉

Here’s where things get so simple. This is a quick and easy meal. Perfect for a working lunch break on a busy day, as an appetizer before dinner, as a mid-day snack… Whenever you eat them, they’re a cinch.

I used eggplant, tofu, hot pepper, and onion. But, you could also add: mushrooms, bell pepper, summer squash, and julienned carrots. They’d be fabulous! I wanted to include some fresh herbs, so I used Thai basil and mint. The mint can be added to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. I have some in my garden, which is just outside the door, so I didn’t want to miss out on the freshness that mint adds to a dish.

I cooked everything in some coconut oil, because coconut lends well to Asian flavors. The chiles added a hint of heat, the tofu got a bit crispy, and the veggies softened and browned just a bit.

Each wrap was topped with some diced cucumbers for a bit of cool crunch, then I added a splash of rice vinegar and a few flakes of sea salt. I find that a variety of textures is important in wraps, so the cucumber met that need. And the salt and vinegar both help to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.

I decided to go vegan today and didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. But, if you wanted to add meat, some beef, chicken, or pork would be great. However you decide to cook it up, it might pair nicely with a Sweet and Spicy Lemongrass Stir Fry… maybe for dinner tonight?!

Happy Eating!

Tofu and Eggplant Lettuce Wraps

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Total Time: 24 minutes

Yield: 2

Serving Size: 2 lettuce wraps

Tofu and Eggplant Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

1 small to medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
salt
2 T coconut oil (or olive or canola)
1 C tofu, excess water squeezed out, chopped
1 chile pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
1/2 C onion or shallot, chopped
could also add: mushrooms, bell pepper, summer squash, and julienned carrots
to taste salt
big pinch ginger
1 clove garlic, diced
1 1/2 T soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 T mint, chopped
1 T Thai basil, chopped
1-2 lettuce leaves per serving (1 if sturdy, 2 if more flimsy)
1/2 C cucumber, diced, for serving
rice vinegar, for serving
pinch salt, for serving

Instructions

Peel and slice eggplant and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 15 to 30 minutes to draw out some of the moisture. Rinse and pat dry. Chop as directed.
Heat a skillet over medium or medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add eggplant, tofu, chile, onion/shallot, and salt. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring often. Add ginger, garlic, and soy sauce/liquid aminos and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and toss with herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Take 1-2 lettuce leaves (layering 2 if desired) and lay them flat. Spoon tofu mixture in the center. Top with cucumber, a splash of vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Roll up and serve immediately.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/tofu-and-eggplant-lettuce-wraps/

Monday

15

June 2015

0

COMMENTS

Bean and Veggie Mélange

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Beans, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Legumes, Lunch, Potlucks, Quick and Easy, Salads, Sides, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I called this a “mélange”, which is French for “mixture”. It seems so versatile that I don’t want to limit it by calling it a dip or a salad. A dip implies the need for some sort of scooper. Corn chips would work well. I’m planning to try this tonight. A salad or a side implies that it’s a dish meant to compliment something else. Served alongside some grilled chicken or pan seared tofu would be fabulous. It could be a topping for brown rice/quinoa/bulgur wheat, breakfast burritos, fried eggs, or crispy potatoes. It could be a part of a taco salad. It could become an appetizer and top a garlic rubbed crostini.

This makes enough for about 4-5 servings, so I’m looking forward to trying as many of these as possible.

The magic all starts with the fruits and veggies. I chose summer squash, carrot, garlic, jalapeño, and these fabulous Kingsburg Gold cherry tomatoes that I’ve been waiting a year for.

Seriously.

Cherry tomatoes are one of my favorite things about summer. They bring back memories of eating tomatoes, still warm from the sun, from our garden when I was growing up. No matter how large or small my garden is, I always try to grow tomatoes. I plan to save some seeds from these Kingsburg Golds to plant next year.

If you want to swap out any of the veggies, I have a few suggestions: eggplant (finely chopped), corn (fresh off the cob), bell pepper (in place of or in addition to the jalapeño), red onion (I don’t have any on hand, or I would have added it), radish (finely grated – don’t use too much so it doesn’t overpower), and avocado (ripe, but not too).

I like to grate carrots when they’re in a salad or a dip. I thought they’d be easier to scoop up than chunks. Plus they’re a little less in your face with the crunch. Grating tames them a bit. If you like chunks, chop away.

It’s all so super simple. A quick oil and vinegar dressing with some paprika for fun flavor. It’s one of my favorite spices. If you don’t love it, chili powder would be great, cumin could be good, or you could just stick to salt and pepper and add a few fresh herbs (like basil and parsley, and maybe even cilantro).

Everyone gets tossed around, then they get to stand for a few minutes to marinate a bit.

We ate this for lunch with plain old cheese quesadillas. The fridge is a little bare right now, so we’re all out of the usual quesadilla toppings (salsa and Greek yogurt). But, let me tell you, I may just skip them from now on. I liked this better.

I think dinner tonight will be corn chips with this little mélange. That counts as dinner, right? And then breakfast burritos tomorrow… I wonder if I’ll ever get sick of it. 😉

Happy Eating

Bean and Veggie Mélange

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4

Bean and Veggie Mélange

Ingredients

2-3 T balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T chives, minced
1 t paprika
to taste salt
to taste pepper
2-3 T olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 C beans (black, kidney, white, garbonzo), drained and rinsed if canned, cooked and cooled if dried
2 C zucchini, grated
1 C carrot, grated
1/2 to 1 C tomatoes, chopped
1/2 jalapeño (about 1-2 T - use more for more heat), ribs and seeds removed if desired, minced
could also add: bell pepper, red onion, radish, corn, avocado, or eggplant

Instructions

Whisk together balsamic through pepper. Stream in olive oil as you whisk some more.
Toss beans and veggies with dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Wash hands after cutting jalapeño and be careful not to touch eyes while cutting. Serve this dish on its own, as a side, or with corn chips for dipping. Use it to top rice/quinoa/bulgur wheat, breakfast burritos, fried eggs, crispy potatoes, taco salad, or crostini.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/bean-and-veggie-melange/

Monday

27

April 2015

0

COMMENTS

Nopales and Tomato Relish

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Condiments, Dairy-Free, Fruit, Gluten Free, Quick and Easy, Sauces, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

After eight years of subscribing to Abundant Harvest Organics, one might expect that I’d know all the fruits and veggies. There wouldn’t be any that I still needed to try… right?! Wrong.

Nopales.

The nopal is the pad or leaf of the cactus. It has a bit of an aloe vera or okra like feel to it. You could eat it raw, with tomatoes, in a salad. But, I wanted to do a little something more.

I’ve heard of people making tomato jam. That intrigues me. There are relishes, chutneys, confit, fruit butters, conserves… I wanted to try something fun like this with the nopales. We got tomatoes in our box this week – the first of the season for us. I love when tomatoes are in full swing. There’s nothing quite like a ripe tomato still warm from the sun. These tomatoes weren’t warm. Nor was it sunny. But, they were the perfect compliment to the nopales.

This is a super simple recipe. It’s a little like a salsa as there are tomatoes, onions, garlic, and a bit of heat. But, I also added a bit of sweetness. It really could be almost any of those aforementioned condiments, but I think it’s most like a relish.

I brought it to a quick boil, then let it simmer and reduce down for about 15 minutes. After just a quick chop for the tomatoes and nopales, spring onions and fresh garlic, all you really have to do is give it the occasional stir and mash it a few times. Easy.

You could just leave it chunky, but I like my salsas and jams a little smoother, so I blended it up a bit with a hand blender (a regular blender or food processor would work fine too).

After that, all that’s left to do is decide what to serve it with. May I suggest serving the relish atop avocados on toast, on crostini, like salsa (for quesadillas, taco salad, or corn chips), with brie and crackers, or use it to top fried tofu, chicken, or beef.

Happy Eating!

Nopales and Tomato Relish

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 24 minutes

Total Time: 34 minutes

Yield: 18 oz.

Nopales and Tomato Relish

Ingredients

3 1/2 C tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 C nopales, chopped
1/2 C spring onion (or green or regular onion), chopped
2-3 T chopped fresh garlic (or 2-3 garlic cloves), diced
to taste salt
good sprinkle cayenne
1 T plus 1 t lemon juice, divided
3 t maple syrup (or 2 t maple syrup and 1 t honey)

Instructions

Place the tomatoes through maple syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat. After about 5 minutes/once tomatoes have released some of their juices, mash (with a potato masher), bring to a rolling boil and cook for about 1 minute. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened about 15-18 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining lemon juice.
Optional: Blend with hand blender (or regular blender or food processor) (it can also be left chunky). Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Notes

Serve with avocados on toast, on crostini, like salsa (for quesadillas, taco salad, or corn chips), with brie and crackers, or use it to top fried tofu, chicken, or beef.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/nopales-and-tomato-relish/

Monday

29

September 2014

0

COMMENTS

Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Salads, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Creamy dreamy salad. Perfect for these last days of summer. The tomato is ripe and sweet, the cucumber crisp and cool, the dressing bright and herb-filled. It’s one of my favorite ways to eat salad.

A couple of months ago, I planted a sprig of mint in the dirt. No roots, just thought I’d try it and see if anything happened.

It grew.

I have more mint than I know what to do with. And I’m not complaining.

It adds a wonderful refreshing taste to this dish.

I’m also growing some parsley and basil in my garden. I can never have enough of these fresh herbs. When they come in our Abundant Harvest Organics box, sometimes they’re gone in a day (like when I made Basil Pesto). I love being able to step just outside the door and snip off whatever I need for a dish.

Those fresh herbs are the highlight to an easy dressing. I’ve also added some Greek yogurt, fresh onion and garlic (just a bit), some balsamic vinegar, and some olive oil for flavor. The herbs might be the star, but those flavors all go so well together.

Also, raw onion, I know… But, try it – it’s not too much, and when it’s minced and mixed in with all those other flavors, it’s not overpowering. If you don’t feel like braving onion breath, just leave it out, or use some chives. They’ll work just fine.

I thought I’d peel the cucumbers. Not a requirement. But, I thought it would be nice. It’s one of the few veggies that I do peel.

Tomatoes are sliced, not too thick, not too thin.

And just like that, dressing is drizzled over and you have a great side.

You could make double the dressing and save it so you can eat this salad every day. It could be used as a dip for carrots and celery, you could dip a Grilled Cheese into it, you could dip pretzels, crackers, or sesame sticks in it.

But, the best way to eat it, I think, is to use it on this salad, and to pair it with the Fish Wellingtons that I made the other week. I’d definitely suggest making both, then inviting a good friend over for lunch.

Happy Eating!

Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Recipe Type: Salad, Side, Lunch, Vegetarian, Quick and Easy

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

Dressing: 1/2 C Greek yogurt
1 T fresh basil, chopped
1 T fresh mint, chopped
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 T onion or shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
to taste salt
to taste pepper
splash balsamic vinegar
Salad: 1-2 cucumber, peeled and sliced into rounds
2-3 tomatoes, sliced into rounds

Instructions

Whisk together dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Place cucumber and tomato on plates, alternating slices of each. Top with dressing.

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appetizers Archive

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Thai Basil and Peanut Soup

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Tofu and Eggplant Lettuce Wraps

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Bean and Veggie Mélange

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Nopales and Tomato Relish

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Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Salad

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