Tag Archives: vegetarian

May1

Tofu, avocado, and hummus sandwiches

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Inspired by the contents of my fridge and my love of fried tofu, I made these simple sandwiches for lunch. The crispness of the tofu is a nice contrast to the creamy avocado, and the hummus added some flavor.

Tofu, avocado, and hummus sandwiches

3 pieces of whole wheat pita bread
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 block firm tofu
vegetable oil
kosher salt
hummus (I used chipotle and black bean)
(optional) pickles

To begin, slice the tofu into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Lay flat over 3 layers of paper towels, then cover with another 3 layers of paper towels. Press down to remove some of the moisture, then repeat with additional paper towels.

Coat the bottom of a heavy skillet with a little bit of oil. Heat over medium high heat, then fry the tofu until the bottom is golden brown. Flip and repeat on second side. Remove from the pan and drain any excess oil onto paper towels.

Cut the pieces of pita bread in half, so that you can access the pockets. Toast very lightly. To build the sandwiches, spread hummus on one side of the pita pocket, then add the tofu and avocado. I added pickles to my sandwich as well, so if you like pickles, give it a shot!

Apr25

Baked zucchini fries and dill dipping sauce

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I love zucchini. I usually eat it grilled or sautéed, but I wanted a vegetable/french fry substitute to go with our lamb burgers, so I made baked zucchini fries and a dill dipping sauce.

The burgers were delicious, too!  I used this recipe from Steamy Kitchen.

Baked Zucchini Fries with Dill Dipping Sauce

For the zucchini:
3 small zucchini or 2 large ones, sliced into thin french fry-like shapes
1 egg, beaten
1 c panko bread crumbs
kosher salt
black pepper

For the dipping sauce:
1/3 c light sour cream
2 T mayo
1/3 c fresh dill, finely chopped
kosher salt
lemon pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Dry the zucchini slices with paper towels. Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. On a separate plate, combine the panko, salt, and pepper.

Dip the zucchini first in the egg, shaking off any excess moisture. Then lightly roll the zucchini in the panko mixture, and place on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake or 20-25 minutes or until browned.

To make the dipping sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

Apr19

Dinner for one — Mushroom bourguignon

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One of the main excuses that I hear from people who don’t cook for themselves is that it doesn’t make sense to cook for one. If you don’t like to cook, that’s fine, but if you want a home-cooked meal and are eating solo, I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able to make something delicious in a single portion!

Paco was out late at a baseball game last night, so I decided to make myself a mushroom bourguignon. I love beef bourguignon (this recipe from Baked Bree is amazing), but it takes hours and genuinely doesn’t really make sense for one (unless you want to make a full batch and save the leftovers for later). However, it’s easy to make as many or as few mushrooms as you’d like, and the mushroom version is a lot quicker because there is no beef to braise.

I used the mushroom bourguignon recipe from Smitten Kitchen, but I added some bacon and a few touches from the beef recipe above.  The bacon adds a nice savory quality, but you can follow the original recipe to keep it vegetarian.

Mushroom Bourguignon for One
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 T butter
1 T olive oil
2/3 lb mushrooms, I used a mixture of portobello and crimini
1/3 onion, diced
1/2 carrot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 springs of thyme, leaves removed
1/2 c red wine
1 T brandy
1/2 c – 1 c water, beef broth, or vegetable broth
1 T tomato paste
1/2 T flour
kosher salt
black pepper

2 strips bacon, diced
1/2 c frozen pearl onions, defrosted
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 c parsley, chopped

egg noodles, prepared according to package directions

Begin by making the bacon and onion garnish. Brown the bacon over medium heat in a small skillet, remove to drain on paper towels once crispy. Drain off some of the excess bacon grease from the pan, but leave a little bit to fry the onions in. Add the onions, tossing in the bacon fat. When they begin to brown, add the brown sugar and continue to cook for another minute, so that a nice crust forms over the onions. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 T of olive oil and 1/2 T of butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and brown for a few minutes, until they are dark brown but before they begin to release a lot of liquid. Remove them from the pot and set aside.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pot and add the onions, carrots, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the garlic, and saute for an additional minute. Add the wine to the pot, stirring to deglaze the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the brandy, tomato paste, and water or broth. Add the mushrooms to the pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Mix 1/2 T of room temperature butter with 1/2 T of flour to make a paste, then add this to the sauce and stir. This should thicken the sauce. Simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reached the desired consistency. Taste and reseason if necessary.

Serve over egg noodles and garnish with the pearl onions and bacon.

Apr16

Grilled vegetable sandwiches with hummus and goat cheese

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I used grilled eggplant and zucchini for these, but any grilled vegetables would work.

Bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, anything that tastes good with a  bit of char would be great.  I grilled mine after brushing them with a combination of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. The key to a good vegetable sandwich, in my opinion, is making sure that it’s not dry.  You can accomplish this with a variety of spreads–aioli, cream cheese, hummus, pesto, guacamole, tapenade. . .whatever sounds good to you.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches with Hummus and Goat Cheese

Grilled eggplant, zucchini, or other grilled vegetables
Hummus (I used a black bean and chipotle harissa version that I bought at Sprouts, it’s amazing)
Goat cheese
Whole wheat pita bread

Cut the pita bread in half, then toast or warm in the oven.

Open the pita bread so that it forms a pocket. Spread hummus over the bottom half, then stuff with the vegetables. Top with goat cheese.

That’s it!  It’s not much of a “recipe,” but the combination was so delicious that I had to share it.

Apr9

Crispy oven fries

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The problem with baking french fries is that they never get crispy enough. When I saw Melissa d’Arabian make them on her show, she added a little bit of sugar to help them brown. I also pre-soaked the fries in ice water to remove some of the extra starch. The end result was crispy and quite delicious.

Crispy Oven Fries
(Adapted from Melissa d’Arabian)

2 russet potatoes, sliced into french fry shapes
2 T vegetable oil
kosher salt
pinch cayenne
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar

Place the potatoes into a large bowl, then cover with ice water. Allow to soak for 2 hours. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Toss the potatoes with oil, salt, sugar, cayenne, and chili powder. Spread into a single layer on the baking sheet, then bake for approximately 40 minutes or until crisp, turning them over after 25 minutes.