Soba Noodle Pasta Toss with Edamame and Tomato

Don’t hate me, but it was about 76* and sunny today and I had to break out this oldie but goodie that I didn’t get to post about during the summer because all I am craving tonight is chilled salad. The day I created this recipe was an absolute scorcher! The hottest day of the year thus far… Coming in at an almost record high of 108* today. Cooking something hot was the last thing on my mind and I wanted something heartier than a salad. I dug around in the back of my pantry among the ‘I’m open, use me’ pastas and found some buck wheat soba noodles. I instantly knew that I was going to want this salad to have Asian flavors and some serious heat. What can I say…? I am a glutton for punishment. Although I used soba noodles here, whole wheat pasta (or whatever pasta or grain you like) would work well here. Same goes for the tomato. If you have plum, beefsteak, cherry, roma tomatoes, use those. This chilled vegan salad is packed with heaps of protein, antioxidants and fiber all while not heating up your already hot kitchen. What’s your go to meal when you don’t feel like something hot for dinner ?

What You Need:

3 servings – 6 oz soba noodles, cooked in vegetable broth according to package and drained
1 ½ cups cooked and shelled edamame
1 cup cooked red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (any bean would work here)
1 cup on the vine tomato (2 small), chopped
1/3 cup red onion (1/3 med onion), thinly sliced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped



Wisk Together for the dressing:
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey (or to taste)
Juice and zest of ½ lime
1 tsp sriracha hot sauce (or to taste)
¼ - ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled.



Serves 3 as an entrée or 6 – 1 cup servings



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Mirepoix Tofu Stir Fry

I know what you’re thinking… A French stir fry?! Nope! But the word mirepoix (pronounced: meer-pwa) is a French name for the combination of vegetables: carrot, celery and onion. I always have carrots, celery and onions on hand in my pantry, but sometimes I don’t end up using them before they start getting tired. That was the case this fine evening and so another tofu stir fry was in order, featuring a mirepoix.

What You Need:

1 block extra firm tofu, cut into 1” cubes

1 package snow peas, cut into bite sized peices

½ large sweet onion, sliced

¾ yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2” pieces
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 – 8 oz package mushrooms, roughly chopped
6 - 10 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ Tbs minced ginger
3 green onions, thinly sliced

The sauce:
Hot sauce to taste (sriracha)
2 Tbs oyster sauce
Soy sauce to taste
2 Tbs sesame oil

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil



What To Do:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once oil is hot add tofu and cook until well browned, about 8-10 minutes.

Add celery, carrots and onion and cook for 4 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.

Next, add yellow pepper, snow peas, garlic and ginger. Cook for 4 minutes or until vegetables are cooked, but still have some crunch.

Turn heat down to medium low and add hot sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Serve with green onion and additional hot sauce.





Serves 4-6



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Gingery Maple Stir Fry with Snow Peas, Broccoli and Kelp Noodles

My gingery maple stir fry has the same basic components found in all of my stir frys: vegetables, protein and sauce. This spin off is sweet, savory and spicy. The kelp noodles are a fun way to bulk up this quick and easy dish. They are low calorie and add a nice, somewhat crunchy texture to this meal. For those that cannot find these, I would substitute Thai rice noodles. Although the texture is quite different, they’re still very noodley. Not only are kelp noodles a great low carb substitution for rice noodles, but they are nutritional power houses! In a Natural News.com article by Matt Monarch (http://www.naturalnews.com/025816_kelp_food_health.html), it spells out why on earth we’d want to eat these seaweed noodles. Turns out they’re not just a low cal noodle solution.

“Kelp grows in oceans and so is rich in all the nutrients which the ocean contains, most of which are needed also by the human body in various amounts. These include over 70 minerals, trace elements, enzymes, iodine, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and 21 amino acids. The complex range of nutrients makes it an essential promoter of glandular health. Kelp is also a natural antibiotic because of its iodine content, which helps the body fight bad bacteria and infections. “

What You Need:

16 oz firm tofu, cut into 1” cubes

12 oz kelp noodles, cut into bite sized lengths

4 carrots, peeled and sliced
5 cups broccoli pieces
9 oz snow peas
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp ginger
3 Tbs maple syrup
1 ½ Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Hot sauce to taste



What To Do:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, brown tofu for 10 minutes and set aside.

Combine broccoli, peas, carrots and mushrooms in the same skillet and sauté for 5 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally.

After vegetables have been partially cooked, add kelp noodles, tofu, garlic, ginger, green onions (reserving some for garnish), syrup, soy sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce. Stir fry for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with soy sauce and hot sauce, garnished with green onions.

Serves 6

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Asian Marinated Chicken

This dish incorporates all of my most favorite Asian flavors and the marinade can be thrown together in under 3 minutes. The chicken can be the star of an Asian chicken salad or eaten alongside some steamed brown jasmine rice and oven roasted green beans. By using a hand grater for the garlic cloves and pre-minced ginger, you can significantly decrease your prep time. Feel free to use pre-chopped garlic as well. I had all of these ingredients on hand; all I needed was some chicken. This marinade could also be used on pork, beef, shrimp or tofu as it is very versatile.

What You Need:

1-1.25 lbs chicken tenders

1 Tbs soy sauce or tamari

1 Tbs sesame oil

4-6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 rounded tsp minced ginger, eyeball it
2 rounded tsp honey, eyeball it


Optional: 1 Tbs mirin (sweet Asian cooking wine) and hot sauce                                                    
Garnish: thinly sliced green onions, black pepper and hot sauce

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in a bowl with a wisk and set aside. Rinse chicken well and pat dry. Marinate chicken in a Ziploc bag for 2 to 24 hours.

Bake chicken at 375* for 10-14 minutes or until juices run clear.

Serves 4

Bon Appétit !
Mary