Confession time: we probably eat stir-fry at least twice a week. It’s a great way to pack a ton of vegetables into a meal and the warm, spicy sauce tastes like comfort food to me. I recently made this for our stir-fry night and it was a big hit. I used seitan in this recipe, but you could substitute any protein you have on hand.
Sweet and Sour Stir Fry
1 lb seitan, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups sugar snap peas, halved
3 carrots, sliced
2 tbsp. oil or vegetable broth
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. corn starch
3 tbsp. ketchup
3 tbsp. maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
1/4 cup water
Mix together the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce and set aside. Heat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Add 2 tbsp. broth or oil. Once heated through, add the garlic and quickly toss for 1-2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and stir.
Add the seitan to the garlic oil and fry for 5-6 minutes until the seitan cooks through and has a nice crust on it. Add the carrots, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas and cook for another minute. Turn the heat down to medium low and add the sauce. Stir and let cook for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Serves 4. Per serving: 240 cal, 7g fat, 33g protein
If you haven’t tried tempeh before, I don’t blame you. Although it’s becoming a much more popular food item, the un-known of how to prepare it can turn you away. Tempeh, hailing from Indonesia, is a nutrient cake made with fermented soybeans. It has a nutty flavor and nougat like texture. It’s also packed with protein, soy, manganese and riboflavin. But, that’s not the main reason DK loves it so much… it’s also a very inexpensive source of protein with zero cholesterol or saturated fat ($1.99 a lb at my Trader Joe’s in California).
So, onto the main question at hand: how do you cook it? I sometimes forget that while I enjoy quirky ingredients, they are not of mainstream know-how. Today’s post is a back to basics approach in learning how to prepare tempeh for my taco salad recipe.
Tempeh is showing up in more and more grocery stores around the country. Look for it near the refrigerated tofu section. As with all soy products, you should really try to only purchase organic soy. I’m definitely not a stickler on using only organic produce but I am really adamant about organic soy. Non-organic soy is a genetically modified organism (GMO) and as bad for your health as it is for the planet. This now motivates me to write a post on GMO’s but until I explain in more detail, try to only purchase soy items that are organic or specifically say Non-GMO.
I almost always steam my tempeh first before using it. I find that softening it this way allows for better flavor absorption. Set up a steamer like you would for any food item. Cut the 1lb tempeh package in 1/2 and place in steamer basket. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
Remove the tempeh from the steam basket and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Depending on what you want to do with it, there are different approaches you can take. I often use tempeh to replace ground meat in dishes like tacos, spaghetti, sloppy joe’s, ect. If you want to use it as crumbles, you can grate it on a wide cheese grater, use a food processor or chop it finely. You can also leave it as steaks, add a sauce or seasoning, then bake or fry.
From here, I added the chopped tempeh to a large frying pan, with a can of pinto beans and taco seasoning. This is a really easy filling and can be used to make burritos, enchiladas, tacos, taquitos, ect. I love to make a salad with this filling plus lettuce, corn, salsa, and my own 1,000 Isle dressing.
What are your favorite ways to prepare tempeh? Let me know when you try this and how you like it!
I think everyone has a favorite version of these. Nothing beats the combination of fresh vegetables and herbs rolled together in a chewy rice wrapper. I love bringing these appetizers to parties, at least I know there will be 1 healthy option for everyone and it’s just as easy as a vegetable tray! Clean out your fridge when you make these, using whatever vegetables and herbs you have lying around. I haven’t found a combination that I didn’t like.
Fresh Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
1 package rice wrappers (Can find at most grocery stores in the international aisles or at Asian markets/whole foods)
1/2 package smoked tofu (Savory or other flavor)
Vermicelli noodles, 8 oz.
Assorted Vegetables, all cut into matchsticks: yellow and red pepper, carrots, lettuce (shredded)
Herbs: Thai basil, mint, and cilantro: chopped and mixed together
Cook vermicelli or other rice noodle according to package directions. Prep the vegetables and herbs while the noodles are cooking. Slice tofu into matchsticks equal size to the vegetables. For easier assembly, I placed all of the finished ingredients into separate ramekins. When making the rolls, I just went down the line of ingredients adding a little from each ramekin onto the roll.
To prepare the rolls: fill a 9X13 casserole dish with hot water. Take 1 spring roll wrapper and place in the casserole dish and submerge for 15-20 seconds until soft. Place the softened wrapper onto a damp paper towel. Place a small pinch of herbs in the center of the wrapper, top with vegetables and then a small handful of vermicelli noodles. If you want to make these more filling, use more of the noodles and vegetables. You decide how thick to make them. Once the are filled, take one end up and over the vegetables, tuck the sides in and roll like a burrito. Place seam side down in a separate dish or plate and continue with the next one.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 lime, juiced
1 pinch red pepper flakes or 1 tsp. sriracha
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. sesame oil
3tbsp. water
1 tsp. maple syrup
Blend all ingredients together (except the fresh chopped peanuts) in a food processor or bullet. Top with fresh chopped peanuts.
Enjoy!
Good afternoon DK followers! Hope the New Year has been good to you, I know I’ve been packed helping people define their new year’s resolutions to get healthier this year. I’ve also been working on a few new recipes that are designed to be easy and quick for meal planning. If you haven’t tried wheat berries before… what are you waiting for? I love this grain and love even more that I can buy it from the bulk food store for $.80 a pound! Oranges are in season now, so you can usually find a good deal for those as well.
Citrus Wheat Berries
1 cup uncooked wheat berries
2 oranges
1 large handful basil
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 red onion, minced
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
salt/pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. canola or olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Mince onion and place in a small bowl with 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar, set aside. Boil 2 1/2 cups of water in a sauce pan and add wheat berries. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 45-50 minutes until berries become tender.
To remove the orange slices: peel the orange with a knife so that no skin or pith remains. Run your knife on either side of the membranes until the orange slice “pops” out. Place slices in a separate bowl and squeeze the juice 0ut of the remaining membrane and skins into a blender/food processor/bullet. You will use this for the dressing. Combine the juice with the remaining vinegar, garlic clove, cayenne and generous pinch salt/pepper. Blend to combine. With blade running, add the olive oil until an emulsion forms. (This dressing is also really yummy on arugula)
Combine the red onions, basil, orange slices, and cooked wheat berries. Toss with the dressing.
Enjoy!
