vegetable stir fried tofu over rice

 
Hey Everyone! 

Over the past few years I have tried cooking with tofu and failed miserably. So I gave it a rest for a while. Recently I came across a recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it one more chance. I finally succeeded! This recipe is definitely much easier than it seems and is absolutely taste worthy! I altered the sugar content a bit since I don’t prefer an overly sweet sauce as most people do. So if you like it on the sweeter side you can add more sugar. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 package organic extra firm or firm tofu

2-3 Tbsp white whole wheat flour

1-2 Tbsp avocado or peanut oil 

Sauce:

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

3 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce ( I didn’t have any on hand so I used organic regular BBQ sauce)

3 Tbsp Organic Ketchup 

2 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1/2 cup water

4 scallions, chopped 

3 Tbsp Fresh ginger, grated
1-1/3 cups snow peas, washed and dried

1 zucchini, unpeeled and julienned into thin strips to resemble spaghetti 

1 large carrot, washed, chopped and julienned into thin strips

1/4 tsp red chili flakes (optional)

2 tsp Sesame oil
DIRECTIONS:

1. Drain tofu of excess water pressing gently (so tofu does not collapse) between 4 layers of paper towel. Let sit 20 minutes. to drain. 

2. While waiting for tofu, mix together the first 7 ingredients of the sauce and set aside.

3. Slice tofu into 1/2″ slices, then cut each slice into thirds. Coat each cube lightly with flour. Heat a skillet on medium with the oil. Then place tofu into pan until browned and crispy. You may have to turn up the heat under the pan a bit. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towels.

4. Add a little bit more oil if needed about another teaspoon, onions, and chopped ginger. Cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add veggies and stir fry on high heat for 2 minutes.  Add sauce mixture to pan, bring to a boil, and simmer about 2 minutes. Add tofu back to mixture, toss to coat. Add sesame oil and toss again.  Top with green onions and pepper flakes if desired. I used some sesame seeds. 

*Recipe adapted from Domestic Super Hero

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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

October 30th, 2015 | Posted by Milana in Dessert | Recipes - (2 Comments)

   
 
Good Morning and Happy Friday! Last night I had 3 over ripened organic bananas on the counter and decided to make a chocolate chip cookie that tasted like banana bread. However, I know most chocolate chip cookies require obscene amount of butter or oil. I experimented by adding more banana and omitting the fat altogether. The Result? Delicious, soft, chewy, gooey cookies! I’m absolutely in love with this recipe and cannot believe they came out so good without all the fat added! 

INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 organic mashed bananas

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 tsp organic vanilla extract

1 large egg

1-1/2 cup organic oats (make sure it’s not the instant or quick cook because it will act like flour and will not be suitable for this recipe)

1-1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (you may use regular whole wheat flour if you like. The cookies will be more dense and coarse in texture)

1/2-1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1-1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks or semi sweet chocolate chips (I used a little bit of both)

1/4 tsp of sea salt 

DIRECTIONS:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the bananas,sugars, vanilla, egg and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. The mixture won’t be smooth, fluffy, or ‘creamed’ like traditional cookie dough and will have small chunks of bananas present and it’s on the runnier side.

2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.

3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge covered with plastic wrap it up to 5 days.  This is a wetter, looser dough and isn’t suitable for baking until it’s been chilled. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.

4. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 14 equal-sized mounds of dough. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.

5. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Place  cookies on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart and bake for about 10 minutes for very soft cookies, longer for more well-done cookies, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool. Baking times could range widely due to the moisture content variances in bananas, climate and oven variances; bake until your cookies are done. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. Happy Baking!

***Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired. 

Recipe was adapted from Averie Cooks


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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

October 13th, 2015 | Posted by Milana in Lunch/Dinner | Recipes - (0 Comments)

 
Hey Everyone! Hope you guys are having a bright and cheerful morning! Last night I made my sisters Eggplant Parm recipe that she just simply adores….next to mine of course lol. She originally found it at Simply Recipes.   I loved that the eggplant wasn’t soggy and held its shape perfectly! The sauce was probably the most delicious sauce that was made from scratch! I highly recommend this recipe and hope you will enjoy it as well! 

**P.S. Don’t let the ingredient list or the long directions list intimidate you. If you read through everything first it will be easy as you start assembling everything. It took me approximately 45 minutes to dredge and bake all the eggplant after the 2 hour liquid extraction from the eggplant and an additional 10 minutes to assemble everything with the sauce and cheese. Then 35 minutes to bake the delicious concoction! 
INGREDIENTS:

Eggplant prep:

2 1/4 lbs (about 2 large) eggplants

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce:

 1 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon)

1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), tomatoes diced, reserve juices

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Dredging & Assembly:

 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat Panko)

1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided (I used fresh shredded Parmegiano-Reggiano)

3/4 cup flour (I used white whole wheat)

4 eggs, beaten (more if needed…for me 3 were enough)

1/4 cup olive oil (I used cooking spray to grease the baking sheets)

1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch slices 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick rounds. Lay the eggplant slices out on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan (or on several layers of paper towels). Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant rounds lightly with salt. Let the eggplant rounds sit and release moisture for 2 hours.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and gently cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and their juices. Increase heat to bring to a simmer, lower heat to maintain a very low simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the minced basil and remove from heat.

3. Combine 1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and place in a shallow bowl or rimmed dish. Set up your station so that you have flour in one shallow bowl, beaten eggs in another bowl, and the breadcrumb cheese mixture in another, in that order.

4. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread a tablespoon of olive oil each over the bottom of two rimmed baking sheet pans. Pat dry the eggplant slices with paper towels. Working one at a time dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour, then dip in the beaten eggs, and then dredge in the breadcrumb parmesan cheese mixture.Place on oiled sheet pan. Drizzle a little oil over the top of each breaded eggplant round.

5. Place breaded prepared eggplant slices in the oven. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, turning the slices over at the half-way point, until they are nicely browned. Remove from oven, and let cool to touch.

6.Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Place a third of the eggplant rounds in a single layer covering the sauce on the bottom of the pan.

7.Layer half of the sliced mozzarella on top of the eggplant rounds. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

8. Place another third of the eggplant rounds over the cheese. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the eggplant rounds. Layer the rest of the sliced mozzarella over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of grated Parm.

Add the remaining eggplant in a single layer on top of the cheese. Top with the remaining sauce and the remaining Parmesan. 

9.  Bake uncovered at 350°F for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into to serve.


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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)