Menu 7: Spiced Sweet Corn Soup, Mozzarella Pesto Melt, Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok-Steamed Collards and Quinoa, Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles...

Photo credit: Lolo at www.veganyumyum.com

When I was growing up, and would occasionally go out to eat with my family, I dreaded the moment when our food would arrive. Because, when our food came, it was not time to eat. “Wait, wait,” my mom would say. Despite collective groans from my brothers and me, she’d use her fork to poke around each dish, explaining, “I want to see how they made it, so I can make it at home.”

What was the point of going out to eat if we weren’t going to just enjoy our food? Did we have to reconstruct each recipe as we were eating?

Some years, later, I have (admittedly) become my mother (only now, I type notes into my BlackBerry while I’m eating.)

In this week’s menu, I continue to enjoy Lauren’s delicious recipes from Vegan YumYum, and aim to recreate two of the dishes I’ve enjoyed at restaurants in the last week. And, in the spirit of mothers, I bring you a recipe for soup from my friend Arathi’s mom. Enjoy!

This week’s dishes:
Spiced Sweet Corn Soup and Spring Greens Salad (in Teriyaki Ginger Lime dressing)

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok-Steamed Collards and Quinoa

Mozzarella Pesto Melt

Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles

This week’s menu:

Sunday
Dinner: Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok-Steamed Collards and Quinoa
Cook: Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok-Steamed Collards and Quinoa, Mozzarella Pesto Melt (For Monday’s lunch)

Monday
Lunch: Mozzarella Pesto Melt
Dinner: Tofu with Collards and Quinoa
Cook: Mozzarella Pesto Melt (for Tuesday’s lunch)

Tuesday
Lunch: Mozzarella Pesto Melt
Dinner: Spiced Sweet Corn Soup with Spring Greens Salad
Cook: Spiced Sweet Corn Soup with Spring Greens Salad

Wednesday
Lunch: Spiced Sweet Corn Soup with Spring Greens Salad
Dinner: Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles
Cook: Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles, Mozzarella Pesto Melt(for Friday’s lunch)

Thursday
Lunch: Mozzarella Pesto Melt with Sweet Corn Soup
Dinner: Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles
Cook: Prepare Spring Greens Salad for Friday lunch

Friday
Lunch: Spiced Sweet Corn Soup with Spring Greens Salad

This week’s recipes:

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok-Steamed Collards and Quinoa
Since I’ve read and heard so much about the nutritional benefits of quinoa, I’ve been looking for easy quinoa recipes with flavorful components – and this looks like it.

Click here for the Tofu with Collards and Quinoa recipe.

Mozzarella Pesto Melt
This is a simple sandwich that has incredible flavor because of the pesto – cilantro and walnut, instead of the traditional basil and pine nut combination. When we ate at the Chaco Canyon Café, and I ordered this sandwich, my boyfriend was surprised that I actually did a better job of ordering than he did. (This does not usually happen.) He was also happy that it was simple enough (for me) torecreate (for him).

Ingredients for cilantro walnut pesto:
2 cups, cilantro (packed down)
8 tablespoons, olive oil
2/3 cup, walnuts
Juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves, garlic
Paprika, to taste

Ingredients for sandwich:
1 foccacia roll
2 tablespoons, cilantro-walnut pesto
2 slices, vegan mozzarella cheese
¼ small red onion, sliced
½ small tomato, slices
1 handful, alfalfa sprouts

Steps:
1. Pulse cilantro and olive oil in food processor or blender. (Add a bit of water if it’s not mixing well in the blender.)
2. Add remaining ingredients for pesto, and pulse or blend until smooth.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of the pesto on each half of the foccacia roll.
4. Layer one slice of mozzarella on each half of the focaccia roll.
5. Layer one half of focaccia roll with red onion, tomato, and sprouts.
6. Place other half of sandwich on top of layered ingredients. Enjoy!

Note: Store the remaining pesto in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Spiced Sweet Corn Soup
Since I’ve started the blog (and feeding my roommate, Arathi), Arathi has wanted to contribute to the cooking that’s happening in the apartment. She’s tried her hand at chickpea tacos, and on Saturday, I came home to the smell of vegetarian chili wafting down the hall. Here, she shares her mom’s recipe for spiced sweet corn soup.

Ingredients:
4 cups, water
2 cubes, vegetable bullion
2 tablespoons, Earth Balance vegan butter
1 sweet onion (Vidalia), chopped
½ teaspoon, coriander powder
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon, curry powder
4 cups, fresh white corn kernels (frozen is ok, too!)
1 cup, unsweetened coconut milk
Salt, to taste

Steps:

1. Bring 4 cups of water and 2 vegetable bullion cubes to boil in a saucepan. Reduce to medium heat, and stir occasionally until cubes have dissolved. Once cubes have dissolved, turn heat off.
2. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onions, stir, cover, and let cook for five minutes.
3. Stir in coriander powder and curry powder and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add corn and vegetable broth and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
6. Remove pot from heat. Stir in coconut milk. Set aside for 30 minutes, allowing flavors to infuse.
7. Transfer all soup, except for 1 cup, to blender or food processor and puree. (You may have to do this in batches.)
8. Return soup to pot. Add reserved cup back to soup. Season with salt to taste. Serve!

Spring Greens Salad
This salad is inspired by one that I ate at Café Blossom on Saturday. I couldn’t find jicama when I went shopping – so I took it out of the salad. But, if you can find it, add about ¼ cup of diced jicama.

At Blossom, the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds were “tamari toasted”. In an attempt to recreate this, I will mix the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in about ¼ cup of tamari, and then “toast” them in a pan over low heat for about 3 – 4 minutes, stirring and flipping occasionally. You can also just use them raw in this salad.

Ingredients for salad
1 cup mesclun greens
1/3 pint of cherry tomatoes
1/3 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup carrot, shredded
1 ½ tablespoons, pumpkin seeds
1 ½ tablespoons, sunflower seeds

Ingredients for dressing
6 tablespoons, fresh lime juice
8 tablespoons, teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons, honey
2 teaspoons, ground ginger
1 teaspoon, salt

Steps:
1. Mix all ingredients for salad in a large bowl.
2. Whisk all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl.
3. Toss salad with 2 tablespoons of dressing. Serve.
4. Store extra dressing in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Notes: The ingredients that you are buying for this salad for the week are enough for 3 servings. The first two are dinner and lunch, back to back. The third is lunch on Friday. The recipe above is for one salad serving. So, on Tuesday night, I am going to make two servings worth – save the rest of the cucumber, tomatoes, and carrot (unchopped and unshredded) for Thursday evening, when I will cut them fresh and prepare Friday’s salad. Always store the dressing separate from the salad – this will keep the salad from becoming soggy. Additionally, I buy loose mesclun greens – so at the store, I am putting them into a plastic produce bag. But, when I bring them home, I transfer them into a plastic storage container (it has locks that snap shut on the sides), and store in the fridge. Keeping them in a box like this will help them stay fresh – don’t store salad greens in those plastic produce bags from the store. Alternatively, you could buy the greens that come in a plastic box.

Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles
While I’m so far from being a raw foodie, I enjoy having a raw, (or nearly raw, in this case) dish occasionally because it’s super fresh, and also is cleansing and energizing. Having a food processor makes this dish super quick, because you can chop all of the vegetables in it. While I’m now coveting a VitaMix, the food processor was definitely one of my best kitchen purchases.

Click here for the Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles recipe.

This week’s grocery list:
This morning, I got all of my produce from the farmer’s market, and everything else I needed from the grocery store – and the total bill was just over $40. (I do already have most of the oils and spices, but it just shows how inexpensive this is!)

Produce
1 bunch, cilantro
1 bunch, mint
1 bunch, collard greens
4 stalks, fresh white corn (frozen is ok, too!)
3 cups, mesclun greens
1 head, green cabbage
1 stalk, broccoli
1 pint, cherry tomatoes
2 roma tomatoes
1 cucumber
3 carrots
3 limes
1 lemon
2 bulbs, garlic
1 sweet onion
1 red onion
1, 8 oz. package, sprouts

Oils, Spices, Condiments
Coriander powder
Cumin powder
Ground ginger
Black pepper
Salt
Sugar
Curry powder
Vegetable bullion cubes
Vegetable oil
Honey
Red Chilli Flakes
Cinnamon sticks

Canned and Bottled Goods
(Buy these items in a size that you feel is appropriate for how frequently you cook.)
Teriyaki sauce
Soy sauce
Tahini
Rice vinegar
Chili sauce
Stone-ground mustard

Dry Goods
¼ pound, pumpkin seeds
¼ pound, sunflower seeds
¼ pound, sesame seeds
½ pound, walnuts
1, 12 oz. package, quinoa
1 package, whole wheat spaghetti
4 foccacia rolls

Refrigerator/Freezer
20 oz., frozen white corn kernels (don’t buy this if you’re buying fresh corn)
Earth Balance vegan butter
1, 8 oz package, vegan mozzarella

Menu Five: Spinach Kofta, Tomato Basil Cream Pasta, TLT Sandwiches, Pan-Fried Tofu, Kale and Noodles

Photo credit: Lolo at VeganYumYum.com

This week’s menu is about the simplicity of ingredients.

While I am always excited to try new combinations of flavors, and to find those specific little ingredients that elevate a dish to something I might have never conjured up in my own culinary dabblings, it’s nice to bring a list to the grocery store knowing exactly what you’re looking for, and feeling assured that you will find all of it.

(Last week, I couldn’t find dried lemongrass, or canned straw mushrooms at the grocery store. And, I almost walked out without nutritional yeast, which was central to the macaroni and cheese recipe, until the guy at Whole Foods told me I could find some near the vitamins – I know it’s nutritional yeast, but should I really know to look there?)

Hence, the simplicity of ingredients. This week’s menu is also great because I’ll be using some of the things that are already in my pantry from previous menus, like the chickpea flour, yeast flakes, chili sauce, rice noodles, and soy sauce. Here are this week’s dishes:

Spinach Kofta with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
TLT Sandwiches
Pan-Fried Tofu, Kale, and Noodles

This week’s menu:

Sunday
Dinner: Spinach Kofta with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Cook: Spinach Kofta, Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Monday
Lunch: Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Dinner: Spinach Kofta with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Cook: Marinate tempeh for TLT sandwich

Tuesday
Lunch: Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Dinner: TLT Sandwich
Cook: TLT Sandwich

Wednesday
Lunch: Spinach Kofta with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Dinner: TLT Sandwiches
Cook: TLT Sandwich

Thursday
Lunch: TLT Sandwich
Dinner: Pan-Fried Tofu, Kale and Noodles
Cook: Pan-Fried Tofu, Kale, and Noodles

Friday
Lunch: Pan-Fried Tofu, Kale, and Noodles

This week’s recipes:

Spinach Kofta with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
This recipe comes from the Fat-Free Vegan blog – which is also the source of the sweet potato falafels that I made a couple of weeks ago. Those were delicious, so when I saw this recipe for kofta, I had a feeling it would be a good one. (We’ll find out if I’m right this week.) I’ll plan on eating this with naan, or rolled inside of lavash bread with the cucumber yogurt sauce.

Click here for the Spinach Kofta recipe.

Note: Tofu generally comes in a 14 oz. container, and you’ll only use 2 oz. for this recipe. Store the remaining tofu in Tupperware – fill the container with water so that half of tofu is under water. You’ll use the rest for the Pan-Fried Tofu, Kale and Noodles on Thursday.

Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
I found this recipe on Vegan YumYum, and was excited that many of the recipes (including this one) are written for 1 – 2 servings – the perfect amount for people like me and, possibly, you! While it’s nice to have dishes that last for a long time, (read: less cooking), it’s also nice to have just the right amount for a couple of servings, so that you’re regularly eating fresh food.

I have a recipe on file that uses linguini, which I think I’m going to include next week. So, I’ll substitute linguini for the spaghetti in this recipe, and only buy the one box.

Also, if you don’t like eating lots of pasta because you find it heavy, buy a gluten-free version. I’m not gluten-free all the time, but I do buy gluten-free pasta often for this reason – gluten-free pasta does not weigh me down, and I find it’s better for digestion.

Click here for the Tomato Basil Cream Pasta recipe.

TLT Sandwich
So, I’m not a big fan of tempeh, which I discovered when I made the Tempeh Tikka Masala.

Then why are you including a tempeh sandwich in your menu, Julie?

Well, firstly, you might like tempeh.

And, secondly, this recipe looks great – a satisfying and complimentary combination of crispy lettuce, creamy avocado, and a spicy protein kick. Because I personally don’t love tempeh, though, I’m going to substitute with seitan. And, I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Click here for the TLT Sandwich recipe.

Note: In the interest of using freshly grilled tempeh/seitan in each sandwich, I’m going to keep the tempeh/seitan in its marinade in the refrigerator until I’m ready to assemble the next sandwich. I’ll roast the tomatoes all at once and store those in a separate container for each sandwich.

Pan-Fried Tofu, Kale and Noodles
According to Vegan YumYum, there are three things that create the perfectly pan-fried tofu: "a cast-iron pan, a decently long cooking period, and a rest period afterwards."

I don’t have a cast-iron pan currently, but I will follow the rest of the advice provided in this post closely to see if I can come close to achieving the right consistency without one.

I am also excited to cook with kale again, because it’s supposed to be so good for you – and in the right dish, it also tastes surprisingly good. (As confirmed by my roommate, who was hesitant to eat the Chickpea and Kale soup when she saw all the green, and then happily had seconds.)

Click here for the Pan-Fried Tofu, Kale, and Noodles recipe.

This week’s grocery list:
So, last week, I was pleased to rediscover Stiles, a year-round farmer’s market under a tent, near my apartment. I got all of the produce that I needed for the week, and some extras (strawberries, blueberries, a pineapple, and a couple avocados), for $17. Needless to say, this cut down on my grocery bill dramatically – all of their herbs are $1, (instead of $1.99 at Whole Foods); tomatoes are $1 a pound (compared with $1.99 or even $2.99 a pound for the vine-ripened ones); and you can get 8 limes for $1. I don’t know what I would do with 8 limes (except maybe have a Corona party?) – but, you see my point. If you can, definitely buy all of your produce at a well-priced farmer’s market.

As always, this list is for everything you would need to make all recipes in this week's menu. To avoid buying something unnecessarily, I suggest that you print out this list, cross off things that you already have in your pantry and refrigerator, and then head to the market and/or grocery store.

Produce
1 small head, romaine lettuce
1 head, kale
6 oz., fresh spinach
1 bunch, basil
1 bunch, mint
1 large tomato
1 pint, cherry tomatoes
1 small cucumber
1 bulb, garlic
1 small red onion
1 small yellow onion
1, 3 in. piece of ginger
2 medium red potatoes
1 lemon
1 lime

Oils, Spices, and Condiments
Olive Oil
Soy Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Rice Vinegar
Mustard
Chilli sauce
Cumin seeds
Ground cumin
Coriander
Garam masala
Brown Sugar
Salt
Black pepper

Canned and Bottled Goods
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 small can, tomato paste
1, 12 oz. bottle, maple syrup

Dry Goods
1, 8 oz. package cashews
1 box, linguine
1, 10 oz. package, rice noodles
Nutritional yeast
Chickpea flour
1 package of naan or lavash bread

Refrigerator/Freezer
8 oz. tempeh or seitan
1, 14 oz. package of extra firm tofu
Soy yogurt

Menu 4: Mac and "Cheese", Tortilla Soup, General Tso's Tofu, Thai Coconut Soup...

I miss cheese the most.

When I became vegan, it was the hardest thing to give up - really good substitutes are hard to come by. While there is nothing that can replace baked brie with walnuts and figs in my heart and tastebuds (sigh), I have been able to enjoy vegan versions of the ever-comforting Mac and Cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Especially satisfying is that, with the vegan versions, you won’t feel overly stuffed or greasy afterwards.

So, this week, I’m making:

• Tortilla Soup with Grilled Cheese sandwich
• General Tso’s Tofu with Broccoli and Brown Rice
• Macaroni and Cheeze
• Thai Coconut Soup with Quick and Easy Noodles and Tofu

This week’s menu:
Here’s a quick view of what to eat and cook each night – it takes the stress out of figuring out what to do every night after work:

Sunday
Dinner: Tortilla Soup with Grilled Cheese sandwich
Cook: Tortilla Soup, Grilled Cheese

Monday
Lunch: Tortilla Soup
Dinner: General Tso’s Tofu with rice
Cook: General Tso’s Tofu with rice

Tuesday
Lunch: General Tsos Tofu with rice
Dinner: Mac and Cheeze
Cook: Mac and Cheeze

Wednesday
Lunch: Mac and Cheeze
Dinner: Tortilla Soup with Grilled Cheese sandwich
Cook: Grilled Cheese sandwich

Thursday
Lunch: Mac and Cheeze
Dinner: Thai Coconut Soup with Quick and Easy Noodles
Cook: Thai Coconut Soup, Quick and Easy Noodles

Friday
Lunch: Thai Coconut Soup with Quick and Easy Noodles

This week’s recipes:

Tortilla Soup with Grilled Cheese sandwiches:
One-pot dishes are great because you have almost no dishes to wash besides the cutting board, knives, and pot. This soup is also really quick, rich with Mexican flavors, and filling because of the tortilla strips and black beans. The recipe doesn’t call for it, but I like to bake the tortilla strips to make them crispy, and then put them into the soup. To keep them crispy, store them separately from the soup, and sprinkle them onto each serving of soup, as you eat throughout the week.

The soup can be eaten by itself. If you’d like to have something more filling, I’d add a simple grilled cheese sandwich on the side, because the soup has a lot of flavor on its own. As for vegan cheese substitutes, I really like almond-based “cheeses”. I find that they melt well, and have better flavor than any soy cheese that I’ve used to date. For this sandwich, I’ll buy a cheddar almond cheese, which will compliment the Mexican flavor of the soup.

Click here for the Tortilla Soup Recipe.

General Tso’s Tofu with Broccoli and Rice:
This recipe comes from my friend and college roommate, Lauren, who was visiting me with her husband this weekend. Before she shared this recipe with me, I struggled with getting tofu to that nice consistency where the crispy shell absorbs all of the sauce, and the inside is just the right shade of chewy. The key is freezing the tofu when you bring it home from the store, and then setting it out to thaw before you’re going to use it.

To make a complete dish, Lauren serves the tofu with broccoli and rice.

For the broccoli, I’ll cut up half a cup of florets and steam them in my microwave steamer. If you don’t have a steamer, you can put the broccoli into boiling water for 2-3 minutes. It will turn bright green, and retain some crunch while softening up a little bit on the inside. Add some salt to taste, and serve with the tofu and rice.

I prefer to use brown rice, which can take longer to cook. To speed along the process, I soak the rice in water overnight. When it’s in the rice cooker the next day, it’s pretty much guaranteed to cook all the way through, so you don’t get any of those grains that taste half uncooked.

I make the vegetable stock using water and bullion cubes. If you’re doing the same, before you begin any other steps, mix 1 cup of water and ½ of a buillion cube in a small pot, and bring it to a boil. You can then begin the rest of the steps, stirring the broth occasionally, stirring until the cube dissolves in the water, and reducing the heat to low once the broth has formed.

Lauren’s recipe for General Tso’s Tofu:

Ingredients:
1 package of extra firm tofu, frozen and thawed
¾ cup and 1 tbsp. cornstarch, divided
¼ cup, olive oil
1/3 cup scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon, crushed red pepper, (or more to taste)
1 tbs. vinegar
1 tbs. ginger, minced
1 tbs. garlic, minced
2/3 cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp. soy sauce
4 tbsp. sugar

Cooked brown rice
Steamed broccoli (optional)

Steps:
1. Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes.
2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Put the ¾ cup of cornstarch into a plate or shallow bowl. Roll/dip the tofu to coat each piece in cornstarch. Pan-fry the tofu until browned.
3. Add the scallions, ginger and garlic. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
4. In a bowl, mix the vegetable stock, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, sugar, vinegar, and tablespoon of corn starch. Whisk until mixed well.
5. Pour the sauce onto the tofu mixture, stir gently to coat the tofu in the sauce. Turn the heat to medium low, cover, and let cook 2 – 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
6. Serve hot over brown rice, with steamed broccoli on the side (optional).

Macaroni and Cheeze
I like to have a vegetable side with my macaroni and cheese – just for variety. So, this week, I’ll sauté some asaparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper for 2-3 minutes, and have it as a side with my mac and cheeze. You could also do this with broccoli, or have the mac and cheese with a spinach salad. Or, if you’re not like me, and don’t need greens on the side, just enjoy as it is!

Click here for the Macaroni and Cheeze recipe.

Thai Coconut Soup
Here’s another soup for the week, because with the cold biting at me, I need something that will warm my whole self. Thai flavors are perfect for that.

Click here for the Thai Coconut Soup recipe.

Quick and Easy Noodles with Tofu
And, in case the soup isn’t enough by itself, here’s a really quick noodle dish to have on the side.

Click here for the Noodles with Tofu recipe.

This week’s grocery list:
This list includes every ingredient needed to make all of the dishes on this week’s menu. Just print it out, cross off what you already have in the pantry or fridge, and go shopping.

Produce
1 bunch, cilantro
1 bunch, scallions
4 medium-size tomatoes
1 medium-size zucchini
1 medium red bell pepper
1 head, broccoli
½ pound, asparagus
1 small jalapeno pepper
2 limes
1 lemon
1 onion
1 bulb, garlic
1, 3-inch piece of ginger

Oils, Spices, Condiments
Olive oil spray
Olive oil
Vinegar
Cumin
Chilli powder
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dry Mustard
Smoked paprika
Turmeric
Cayenne pepper
Dried lemongrass
Black pepper
Salt
Brown sugar
Nutritional yeast
Vegetable bullion cubes (for broth)
Teriyaki sauce
Chilli garlic sauce
Thai red curry paste
Tahini
Soy sauce

Canned and Bottled Goods
1 can, tomato paste
1, 15 oz. can, black beans
1, 15 oz. can, coconut milk
1, 15 oz. can, straw mushrooms

Dry Goods
1 pkg. rice noodles
Cornstarch
1 pkg. brown rice
1 pkg. whole wheat bread

Refrigerator/Freezer
1 pkg. of 6 -8 corn tortillas
3 pkg. extra-firm tofu
1 quart, soymilk
1 pkg. almond-based cheddar “cheese “