Stir Fry (Vegan)

serves 3-4

This is one of my favorite meals to make because it's relatively easy since there aren't many side projects. As far as choosing your vegetables, buy whatever is in season, as most vegetables will taste great in this recipe and almost everything could be substituted or added. Try it out and enjoy any time of the year!

Rice

• 1 cup short grain brown rice (or your favorite rice, note that brown rice takes about 10 minutes longer to cook)
• 1tbsp coconut oil
• 1-2 tsp salt
• love

Add all of the ingredients to two cups of boiling water. Stir once while it simmers and then reduce the heat to low and cover with aluminum foil and then the lid as shown below.

Cook on low for 30 minutes (or 20 if it is white rice) and then remove lid. Fluff with a fork and its ready to go!

Stir Fry

• 2-4 tbsp coconut oil (or whatever oil you have, I find that coconut oil has a very light and sort of exotic flavor that blends really well with shoyu)
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 inch "arm" of ginger root, minced
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 2/3 cup (or to taste) Nama Shoyu (or whichever soy sauce or liquid aminos you prefer)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp black pepper

*The following vegetables can be substituted for most any other, I just happened to use these:

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 broccoli, chopped
• 5 large kale leaves and stems, chopped
• 4-6 bok choy leaves and stems, chopped
• 2 serrano peppers, minced
• 6-8 crimini mushrooms, sliced
• love

Chop all of vegetables up as shown here:

Now melt the coconut oil in a hot sauce pan and add the green onion, garlic, serrano peppers, and ginger. Cover and sauté until soft.

Now add the "firm" vegetables. In my case, this included the broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper and bok choy. Cover and sauté until soft.

Add the kale and mushrooms and again, cover and sauté the vegetables until soft. Now add the nama shoyu and the spices and cook until soft. Finally, add the rice and stir well, letting the flavors simmer into the rice. 

Serve with avocado (my favorite!) and enjoy!

Cheers,

FY

Tomato Sauce from Scratch Served over Angel Hair (Vegan)

serves 2

I absolutely love this dish! It's perfect for almost any type of weather or day. It tastes even better if served with fresh garlic bread.

* I also like to cook a variation of this recipe, where I add mushrooms and kalamata olives after mashing the tomatoes and garlic. This adds salt naturally from the olives and give a bit more texture. Enjoy!

Tomato Sauce

• 8-10 Tomatoes, diced as shown below (you can blanch and peel these as well as shown in the video below)
• 10-15 fresh basil leaves, torn into smaller chunks if the leaves are as large as your palm
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, whole
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• love

Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and turn heat up to medium until juices are released and are simmering. turn down to medium low and cover for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the tomatoes and garlic soften, crush them with either a wooden spoon or a potato masher (as shown below) to create a thicker sauce.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile bring a pot of water (salted until it tastes of the sea) to a rolling boil and cook your favorite type of pasta (I prefer Angel Hair) to perfection. Drain and lightly rinse the pasta. Now you can either add the cooked noodles directly to the sauce or put it back in the now empty pot and add olive oil. Plate the pasta and pour the sauce on top. Either way is delicious! I show the former below. Garnish with some basil and you have yourself an awesome pasta dish from scratch!

Cheers,

FY

Arab Salad (Vegan)

serves 2-3

If you're looking for a great summer salad or something to accompany any arab or rice dish, arab salad is the way to go. I love making it with arroz con pollo or macluba (recipes that I'll post at a later date).

Arab Salad

• 1 large cucumber, diced finely
• 1 sweet onion, diced finely
• 3-4 tomatoes, diced finely
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1-2 lemons, squeezed
• 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 handful of parsley, minced
• salt to taste
• love

Dice the cucumber, then set in a large bowl and salt generously (I find that this really cures any bitterness the cucumber may have). Cut and add the onion, tomatoes, garlic and parsley.

Now add the lemon juice and olive oil and mix well, adding salt to taste. 

*Be careful though, its generally a good idea to let the ingredients sit for 10-15 minutes BEFORE adding salt so that the salt from the cucumbers settles into the juices and other vegetables. 

Serve with your favorite rice dish or as a compliment to any arab dish (particularly hummus!), and enjoy!

Cheers,

FY

Penne Pasta with Sauteed Vegetables

Okay, this is a pretty simple recipe and only takes about 15 minutes. Bring some water mixed with a generous amount of salt to a boil. Also, put some olive oil in a pan over medium. While you are waiting for the water to boil and the oil to heat up, do the following:

-Cut several grape tomatoes in half

-Chop up a few green onions (or slice a few asparagus spears diagonally, once they become tough stop cutting)

-Mince a couple garlic cloves

-Chop up a good amount of parsley leaves

When the water is at a boil add enough Penne Pasta to feed yourself. Of course, adjust this amount and amount of vegetables depending on your appetite. Once you add the pasta, throw the tomatoes in the olive oil. Stir and season generously with salt and pepper. After a couple minutes throw in your green onions (or asparagus) and again season if you desire. About 6-7 minutes in add the garlic. Cook for a few more minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften. Drain the pasta and mix in the vegetables (including olive oil) along with the parsley. Add cheese if desired. Or, to make a creamier sauce add a little butter in the saute pan just before finishing.

Smiles!

ZB

Tostones (Fried Plantains - Vegan)

serves 2-4 as a snack or side dish 

Tostones, or fried plantains were always such a staple snack food in my family, and really goes well as a side dish to traditional latin american dishes, such as rice and beans or cazuela (a traditional stew). They're very easy to make, and timely as well.

Tostones

• 2 plantains (best taste usually comes from a green plantain that has begun to turn yellow), sliced
• olive oil, amount varies with the size of your frying pan
• salt, to taste
• love

First, slice the plantains into 11/2 inch pieces. Heat the pan on Medium for a moment. Cover the bottom of the hot frying pan with a cm thick layer of olive oil. Place the pieces of Plantain in the oil, and fry until the bottom develops a golden color and then flip them.

Once both sides are golden, remove the plantains and place on a plate. Now place one on a cutting board and use the base of a large mug to flatten it. Repeat until all of the plantains are flattened. Now fry the flattened plantains in the same frying pan, until they develop a darker golden color (but aren't brown or black, burnt). Remove them from oil, place on a plate (I like to put a paper towel on the plate to absorb some of the oil) and salt them to taste.

Enjoy!
FY

Dandelion and Dragon Fruit Summer Salad (Vegan)

serves 2-3

A lot of people I know seem to hate salads. I'm not sure why this is, but I think it has to do with the bland iceberg and romaine variety lettuces that are staples in almost every cheap restaurant salad. A good salad has a variety of greens, and a great salad has that AND a simple but delicious dressing. I found when I was young that I didn't like salad because I didn't like viscous, sugary dressings like ranch or italian and I certainly didn't like a dry salad. This was all solved, however, when I studied abroad in Chile. My host mother would only use freshly squeezed lemon, vegetable oil, and salt as the dressing. I now find myself going back to this recipe very frequently because it saves time, is brilliantly simple and tastes marvelous! The dressing I use in this salad is a little different, although feel free to try the base dressing alone with any greens. I have found that it tastes best with a sugary fruit to soften the sour bite of the fresh lemon juice.

*Dragon Fruit is pretty exotic but can usually be bought at a large grocery store. If you can't find it, you can easily substitute an apple or even a couple of kiwis, although kiwis can be pretty sour.

This meal is perfect for a hot sunny summer day or a simmering autumn afternoon (in which case it goes great with pumpkin ale!)

Dandelion and Dragon Fruit Summer Salad

• dandelion leaves (as many as you think are necessary for a salad), stems removed, cut into thirds or in half
• 1 cucumber, peeled, sliced, and salted
• 2 lemons, cut in half
• 1/2 dragon fruit, chopped into cubes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• love

Toss the dandelion leaves in a large bowl with the cucumber and then squeeze the two lemons on top. Add the olive oil, garlic, and pepper and toss so that everything is evenly mixed. Add salt to taste.

Throw in the dragon fruit cubes and toss the salad thoroughly.

Cheers,
FY

Tofu Scramble with Avocado Toast, Fresh Berries, and Fresh-Squeezed OJ (Vegan)

serves 2-3

I decided to surprise my girlfriend this morning by making some breakfast! This recipe is delicious and super easy to make.

Fresh-Squeezed OJ

• 7-8 oranges (depending on the size)
• love

Cut the oranges in half and squeeze the juice out with your hands into a large bowl or measuring cup. This will create a large amount of pulp which I personally love but if you don't, you can use a colander or cheese cloth to strain the juice and then set in fridge while you cook!

Avocado Toast

• 2 avocados, mashed
• your favorite type of bread for toast!
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• love

First, cut the avocados in half and remove the seed (I've found that the easiest way to do this is to quickly chop into the seed with the sharp side of a large chopping knife so that it is firmly stuck and then slightly turning the knife). Then spoon the avocado into a bowl and mash it with a fork. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. Remember not to toast the bread until after the rest of your breakfast is ready so that it is warm! Once toasted, spread the avocado mixture onto it and serve.

Tofu Scramble

• 1 lb of tofu, sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 of a yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (or to taste, I usually don't use a teaspoon to measure, I just sort of put a dash of it in)
• 1/2 tsp cumin (same as turmeric, maybe a little more because the taste isn't as pungent)
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• love

So you want to start by draining and then slicing the tofu into 1 cm thin slices. Lay the slices out onto a either a towel or a paper towel and then cover with another layer of towel in order to slightly dry the tofu.

Next, finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat a large frying pan on medium and then add the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds before adding the onion. Sauté the onion-garlic mix until soft (onions are clear) while slicing the mushrooms (I recommend buying in bulk, its much cheaper and fresher) and chopping the slices of tofu into little cubes. Once the onions are soft, and the tofu and mushrooms. Keep the heat at medium and cover until the water is released from the tofu (3-4 mins).

Now add the yeast, turmeric, and cumin, stirring it to make sure the spices are spread evenly. Lower the heat to low and continue cooking until most of the water has evaporated. Add salt and pepper and serve  immediately. Add the avocado toast and fresh berries as a garnish.

Cheers,
FY

Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Quinoa (for One)

Chicken and Vegetables Roasted in wine with Caramelized Onions and Quinoa. 

Chicken roasted in white wine with tomatoes, asparagus, and green beans: 

I adapted the Roasted Chicken Recipe with Asparagus from Jamie Oliver (Thanks Josh Garrison for introducing me to his cooking). It is a nice simple recipe.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In the meantime, halve some grape tomatoes, cut some asparagus into diagonal pieces, add some green beans if you would like or alternate them as a cheaper alternative to asparagus.

Mix all of this in a bowl with some olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and of course, your chicken. I use bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs from Costco*.

Create an aluminum foil tray. Put this mixture in the tray and pour some white wine, I hear dry wine (such as chardonnay) is good for cooking. Put it in the oven for 35 minutes.

People would kill for that tan

The nice thing about this recipe is that you are now done with this part and you can go about your busy life. For me that means quantum physics homework, chatting my fiancee <3, or research for my lab. Or, you can make a nice side dish such as caramelized onions with quinoa.

*****By the way, Costco chicken thighs are only $1/lb and come in packs of 11 pounds. You may wonder, "I can't eat all that chicken, it will surely go bad!" Fortunately, the chicken comes in 6 separable freezer ready packs with 4 thighs each. This way you can always have a few thighs in the fridge which you can easily use in a week before they go bad. 

Caramelized Onions with Quinoa:

While the chicken is in the oven slice half of a jumbo yellow onion (more/less depending on your love of onions). If you aren't very confident with you knife skills I suggest watching some Youtube videos, they really improved my cutting abilities. Here is one for slicing and chopping an onion I like.

Slicing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coxVzC4tcYw
Chopping:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDjNl5gs4nM
Important here: Do not cut all the way through as they stated, this keeps the onion intact.

With about 25 minutes left on your timer for the chicken, heat some olive oil over medium heat. As well, mix 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of quinoa*** (also very reasonably priced at Costco) in a pot and bring to a boil. Once the quinoa is boiling turn down to low heat, cover, and let cook for approx 15-20 minutes.
With about 20 minutes left your olive oil will be plenty warm so throw in the sliced onions and stir/flip periodically for the next 20 minutes to a get a nice caramelized flavor. Add some salt and pepper while they are in the pan.

*****Quinoa is a great substitute for rice in both flavor and healthiness. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice

Bringing it all Together:

The quinoa is ready when all the moisture as been absorbed and the quinoa has "popped" open to reveal it's inner white germ.  Mix the quinoa with caramelized onion mixture (including the leftover oil), paprika, and salt/pepper to taste. If desired, mix in a small amount of balsamic vinegar as well.
Finally, remove the chicken when the timer is done (you should have a nice brown on the skin) and drizzle balsamic vinegar. For presentation, keep the chicken mixture in the foil and serve; however, later on in the meal I suggest mixing the chicken/wine juices with the quinoa for a great taste!
Serve with an Orange and Enjoy!

Best,
ZB