Coconut-Cilantro Quinoa Bowls

Welcome to the latest installment of “things to do when your due date is a week away with no baby in sight.”
1. Hit the gym. Be super tempted to stay on the elliptical until you go into labor.

2. Make bagels. Decide that while they’re pretty good, Peter Reinhart’s recipe is better, so they don’t deserve a blog post of their own.

3. Toast said bagels and top with cream cheese, capers, red onion, and heirloom tomatoes. Repeat more times than is probably healthy within a 24 hour period.

4. Practice changing diapers. Or take a picture of your husband while he practices.

5. Go see Our Idiot Brother. (It’s adorable)

6. Make this for dinner.

I hate it when people tell me “you HAVE to make this immediately, it’s SO good!!!!!!!” so I’m not going to do that to you. I will be thinking it very hard, however. It really was one of the best dinners we’ve had in awhile (yeah, I probably say that too often…)

I started with a recipe for swordfish with cilantro-coconut chutney. Obviously I don’t eat swordfish so I used slabs of tofu instead. Then I served it over quinoa, cooked in vegetable broth with a squeeze of lime. With a raw vegetable salad on the side (or mixed in), it’s a complete meal in a single bowl with a great mix of textures and flavors, and a nice amount of protein.

This was the first time I tried dredging the tofu slices in a little flour, corn starch, and salt before pan-frying them. Mike loved it, I wasn’t quite as sold, so that step is optional.

I know the ingredient list looks a little daunting because there are four different components to this meal, but it actually comes together pretty quickly.

Recipe:
(adapted from Ani’s Raw Food Asia and A New Way To Cook)

2 small red bell peppers, julienned
2 Persian cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber), seeded and julienned
1 large carrot, juliened
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
pinch salt

2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa
pinch salt
juice of half a lime

a drizzle of vegetable oil
2 tbsp all purpose flour (optional)
1 tbsp corn starch (optional)
pinch or two of salt (optional)
1 lb extra firm tofu, well drained, and cut crosswise into 1/2″ thick slices

about 2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 serrano chile, roughly chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp unsweetened, dried coconut

Start with the vegetables: Put the julienned vegetables, olive oil, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl, toss to combine, and set aside.

Bring the broth and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir in the quinoa, cover, and cook over low until all the liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and fluff with a fork.

If you’re using flour, cornstarch and salt for the tofu, place them in a shallow dish and mix well. Dip each slice of tofu in the mixture and brush off any extra. Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet, and cook the tofu slices until golden brown. Set aside.

To make the sauce, combine the cilantro, chile, cumin seeds, sugar, and lime juice in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the coconut milk and process until nearly smooth. Gently stir in the dried coconut, and adjust lime juice or sugar if necessary.

To assemble each bowl, put quinoa in the bottom, top with some vegetables, a slab or two of tofu, and drizzle with sauce.

Tempeh Salad Rolls

I’ve blogged about rolls a lot like these before, but it was back when ten people read my blog (and most of them were in my family). These are an updated vegan version, without the noodles inside because I think they’re a lot better (not to mention easier to roll up) this way. The marinated tempeh provides a nice textural contrast to the vegetables in addition to some protein. I think the marinade would also work really well for chicken, if you’d rather put that in yours.

These are perfect for hot summer days because of how little cooking is involved, and they’re superbly light and refreshing. I love dipping them in either sweet chili sauce (look at Asian grocery stores) or hoisin sauce with some chopped peanuts stirred in. If you’re not going to eat them right away, through a damp tea towel over them so the wrappers don’t dry out.

Recipe:
(marinade adapted from Haiku Tofu)

1 package tempeh
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 chopped fresh Thai chili
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp vegetable oil

8-10 rice paper spring roll wrappers
1 small bunch green leaf or butter lettuce
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh mint
2 carrots, julienned
1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded, julienned

Sweet chili sauce or hoisin sauce with chopped peanuts, for dipping

To make the tempeh, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, chili, and garlic in a medium saucepan. Cut the tempeh into thin strips and add to the soy sauce mixture. Add enough water to just cover, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 12 mintues, or until all the liquid has been absorbed, watching carefully so you don’t scorch the bottom of the pan.

Heat the oil in a wide skillet and add the tempeh in a single layer. Cook, flipping once, until golden on both sides. Remove from heat.

To assemble: Have all filling ingredients ready, and fill a shallow pan with warm water.

Submerge the rice paper in warm water until pliable, about 30 seconds. Shake off excess water, then place on a clean cutting board. Pile a little lettuce, cilantro, mint, carrots, cucumber, and tempeh in the center, fold in the sides, and roll up burrito-style. Slice in half and transfer to a plate.

Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, and serve with dipping sauce.

Lime Cilantro Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans

This is kind of a random dish, but it’s beautifully simple and adaptable. I could see using it in a burrito or taco or sprinkling the cold leftovers over salad greens, and of course it’s divine eaten warm, just after it’s been made. My mom emailed me the link to the original recipe, because she’s living in New Zealand, where apparently they eat lots of sweet potatoes. The black beans are my addition, because I think they’re such a perfect match for sweet potatoes, and they elevate this from side dish status to light main course.

It may not exactly be the perfect dish for summer because it requires a hot oven, but it still tastes nice and fresh, and with so few ingredients and minimal prep work, it’s a good dish to keep in the rotation. It’s also really healthy! Black beans are a great source of fiber, sweet potatoes provide Vitamin A, and lime juice keeps you from getting scurvy. Awesome.

Recipe:
(adapted from Epicurious)

3 tbsp olive oil
3 medium sweet potatoes (I guess they’re actually yams? The ones that are orange inside…), diced
3 cups cooked black beans (or 2 cans), rinsed and drained
juice of 2 limes
zest of 1 lime
1 tsp salt, divided
pinch or two cayenne
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat the oven to 450 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silpats.
Toss the diced sweet potatoes with oil and 1/2 tsp of salt and spread evenly on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake about 20 minutes (time will depend on the size of the sweet potato pieces), or until tender. Remove and let cool for about 5 minutes.

While the sweet potatoes are baking, whisk the lime zest, lime juice, remaining salt, and cayenne together in a large bowl. Add the black beans and sweet potatoes (after cooling slightly) and toss well. Sprinkle with cilantro, toss again, and serve.

Peruvian beans with feta and roasted red peppers

It seems like a lot of people complain about vegetarian food because most of it feels like it should be a side dish. I guess I can kind of see where they’re coming from, but since side dishes have always been my favorite part of the meal anyway, I don’t mind. A bowl of beans may not seem like a solid dinner, but add in a salad and serve them over grains (to make a complete protein – score!) and it works pretty well.

Mike found Peruvian beans at Mexican grocery store in the Bay Area, and brought them home because he knew I’d figure out something to do with them (I like those challenges). They are pale yellow and about the size of kidney beans before cooking, and they look a lot like large navy beans after cooking. I just put these in the slow cooker with a bay leaf in the morning, and stirred in a little salt after I got home in the afternoon. Then I mixed up this ridiculously simple recipe, which is even quicker if you make the roasted red pepper ahead of time.

If you can’t find Peruvian beans or don’t want to deal with cooking dried beans, 2 cans of white beans would be fine here.

Recipe:
(adapted from Seasonal Cuisine)

1 1/2 cups dried Peruvian beans
8 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 red bell pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Put the beans, water, and bay leaf in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours, or until beans are tender. Stir in the salt, then set aside to cool (or refrigerate, if you won’t be cooking for an hour or more).

Preheat the broiler.

Cut the bell pepper in half, removing the seeds. Place on a greased baking sheet cut side down, and heat under the broiler until black and blistered. Remove the sheet from the oven and move the peppers to a plate. Cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes or until the peppers are cool enough to handle. Scrape off the skin and cut crosswise into strips. Set aside

Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add the onion. Saute until soft, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the beans, bell pepper, and 1/2 cup of cooking liquid from the beans. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, then salt to taste. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the feta and cilantro. Serve with tortillas or rice.

Thai Quinoa Salad

I’ve been on such a barley kick lately that quinoa kind of fell off the radar for a little while. While perusing the bulk bins at our local natural foods store, I saw the bin of quinoa and realized it had been too long since it made an appearance in our kitchen.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it, though, so I started browsing through my cookbook collection and this quinoa salad with classic Thai flavors caught my eye. It reminds me a lot of tabouli, but with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, and cilantro instead of lemon and parsley. Obviously, it’s not a classic Thai recipe, but I love the flavor and healthy ingredients.

I added tempeh to the original recipe so it could stand alone as a main dish salad. I sliced it into really thin pieces, pan fried them until golden brown, then crumbled it up (a technique borrowed from this recipe on Herbivoracious). If you’re hesitant about trying tempeh, this is a great way to do it because you hardly notice it’s there!

Recipe:
(adapted from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider)

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 stalk of lemongrass (bottom 3″ only), finely chopped
1 kaffir lime leaf, finely chopped
3 small red Thai chiles, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 ounces tempeh, sliced very thinly
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 shallot, chopped and rinsed with cold water
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
4 tbsp unsweetened coconut milk
3 tbsp dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Toast the quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat for about five minutes.
Transfer to a large saucepan and add the water, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, chiles, and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, turn down the heat, and simmer for about 12 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.
Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork. Spread in a shallow dish to cool completely.

While the quinoa is cooling, heat the oil in a wide nonstick skillet. When hot, add the tempeh slices in a single layer and fry until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side. (This may need to be done in batches) Transfer to a plate to cool, then crumble between your fingers

Transfer the cooled quinoa to a medium bowl and add the mint, cilantro, crumbled tempeh and shallot. Toss with the lime juice, coconut milk, and sprinkle with chopped peanuts to serve.

Grilled Eggplant Salad

I LOVE the smoky flavor grilled eggplant brings to baba ghannouj and baingan bartha, but those dishes can be a little heavy. When I saw this recipe linked on Thirty A Week I was immediately inspired.

I made a few changes based on my preferences and the ingredients that are available here, but this recipe is definitely a keeper! The smokiness from the eggplant is what makes this salad, but the citrus and all the fresh vegetables keep it light and perfect for summer. I added some cubes of tofu that I browned in a nonstick pan to make a light lunch, but grilled chicken breast would work well for that too.

(adapted from Food and Wine)

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot red chili pepper, minced

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.

Salad:
2-3 Japanese eggplants (about 1 1/2 lbs total)
2 carrots, julienned
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber (cut in half lengthwise, scrape out the soft middle part and slice thinly)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1-2 cubs cubed cooked tofu or chicken (optional)

Put the eggplants on a grill or right on a gas burner and cook until all the skin is charred and the eggplants are very soft.

Set aside to cool, then scrape off all the charred skin and discard.
Cut into long, thin strips, and discard the seeds. Cut the strips into 1/2″ lengths, and mix with the dressing. Toss with the tofu or chicken, if using
Toss all remaining vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, and cilantro) together in a serving bowl, then top with the dressing mixture.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Grilled Eggplant Salad

I LOVE the smoky flavor grilled eggplant brings to baba ghannouj and baingan bartha, but those dishes can be a little heavy. When I saw this recipe linked on Thirty A Week I was immediately inspired.

I made a few changes based on my preferences and the ingredients that are available here, but this recipe is definitely a keeper! The smokiness from the eggplant is what makes this salad, but the citrus and all the fresh vegetables keep it light and perfect for summer. I added some cubes of tofu that I browned in a nonstick pan to make a light lunch, but grilled chicken breast would work well for that too.

(adapted from Food and Wine)

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot red chili pepper, minced

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.

Salad:
2-3 Japanese eggplants (about 1 1/2 lbs total)
2 carrots, julienned
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber (cut in half lengthwise, scrape out the soft middle part and slice thinly)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1-2 cubs cubed cooked tofu or chicken (optional)

Put the eggplants on a grill or right on a gas burner and cook until all the skin is charred and the eggplants are very soft.

Set aside to cool, then scrape off all the charred skin and discard.
Cut into long, thin strips, and discard the seeds. Cut the strips into 1/2″ lengths, and mix with the dressing. Toss with the tofu or chicken, if using
Toss all remaining vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, and cilantro) together in a serving bowl, then top with the dressing mixture.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Thai Noodle Salad

I am and have always been a morning person. So when I found out my working hours in Korea would be 3-10 PM, I wasn’t quite sure how I would cope with having to be a functional human after about 7:00 at night. Fortunately, the schedule seems to be working out, and it’s probably the best thing that ever happened to the food photography on this blog!

I now cook at about 11 AM, then pack up what I made to take to work for dinner. As a result, all my cooking is done during daylight hours, giving me much better light for pictures.

I know using lemon juice is not authentically Thai, but I couldn’t find limes at my grocery store. Either type will work, but if you crave authenticity, reach for the limes. If you have an aversion to fish sauce, or are vegetarian, soy sauce would probably work as a substitution, but I haven’t tried it yet. If you do, let me know how it tastes!

(adapted from Orangette)

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 limes)
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 hot red chili, finely chopped (omit if you don’t like spicy food)

Combine all ingredients, and taste. (This is really important! If it’s too fishy, add a little sugar and vinegar…if too sweet, add a little vinegar and/or fish sauce). Add a little water if the dressing seems to sugary and thick (again, this will depend on how you alter it to suit your tastes).

Salad:
12 ounces tofu (or you could use a chicken breast or two)
1 1/2 cups julienned napa cabbage
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned
10 ounces rice noodles
1/4 cup roughly chopped peanuts

Cut the tofu (or chicken) into bite-sized pieces and cook in a frying pan. (Tofu should be brown on all sides; chicken should be fully cooked). Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the vegetables and tofu.
Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Add to the bowl of vegetables.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
Sprinkle with peanuts to serve.