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

Quinoa Salad for One

Sometimes it’s hard to get motivated to cook for just one, but this quinoa salad is so simple you can chop the veggies while the quinoa cooks (in 15 min or less). The vegetables I chose are the ones I happen to have on hand, but use whatever you have, just cut everything about the same size. If you’re out of limes, simply use a lemon or balsamic vinegar in its place. A fun addition here would be some flavored oil to complement the citrus juice or vinegar. This salad is loaded with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals… making it a great one dish meal.

What You Need:

1 serving quinoa (1/4 cup dry), cooked
¼ cup baby carrots, sliced
¼ cup green onion, sliced
¼ cup yellow pepper, diced
¼ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup raw baby spinach, chopped
1 tsp honey
Juice of ½ a lime
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 freshly cracked black pepper



What To Do:

Combine all ingredients and enjoy.



Serves 1


Bon Appétit!
Mary

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

My grilled vegetable sandwiches can be made mostly ahead of time for those busy evenings. Grill up the eggplant, portabella and red pepper in the morning or the day before so all you need to do is layer up that bad boy and you’ve got dinner. If you’re not into aioli, or don’t feel like taking the time to make it, substitute plain mayo. I had a few pieces of the grilled eggplant left over… If you do to, just use them in a wrap with hummus, red onion, thinly sliced romaine, fresh basil and Dijon mustard.

What You Need:

1 small loaf ciabatta, divided into 3 even pieces and sliced horizontally

1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2” rings

2 portabella mushroom caps, stem removed

1 red bell pepper, cut into 2” strips

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, about 6 large leaves
1 tomato, thinly sliced
¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced

1 recipe aioli, recipe follows

2 Tbs Dijon mustard
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (optional: salt free grill seasoning)

What To Do:

Drizzle red pepper, eggplant and portabella with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper ( and grill seasonings if desired).

On an outdoor grill over medium low heat, grill red pepper, eggplant and portabella mushroom caps until browned, but still has some crunch (al dente) - about 15 minutes.  Slice mushrooms into 1" strips.

Dig out some of the bread in the center of the ciabatta to make room for all the goodies.

Spread both sides of the bread with the aioli and mustard.  Layer both sandwiches with all remaining ingredients.

Serve immediately.





Serves 3



Bon Appetit!
Mary

How To Make Aioli:

What You Need:

3 Tbs light mayo
2 small cloves garlic, grated
1 ½ Tbs capers
Zest of one lemon
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper



What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a small food processor.

Whirl away until smooth. Set aside.

Chicken Noodle Soup

My favorite thing to make on a gloomy day like today is soup. Nothing is more soothing and heartwarming at the end of a long day than chicken soup. Once you’ve made your chicken stock and cut your vegetables, this hearty soup comes together in under 10 minutes. If you’re out of stock or don’t feel like going to the trouble, simply use store bought chicken stock or broth. Enjoy this soup with some freshly baked bread and a dinner salad.

What You Need:

12 cups home made chicken stock
2 cups cooked chicken (bite sized pieces)
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrot, sliced
½ medium brown onion, small dice
1 ½ cups egg noodles
Freshly cracked black pepper



What To Do:

Bring stock and vegetables to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 6 minutes.

Add noodles and simmer for an additional 3 minutes.

Serve with freshly cracked black pepper.





Serves 6



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Lemony Garlic Chicken Kebabs with Herbs de Provence

This non-traditional Easter dinner began with a call to Chicken Dijon, a local Greek restaurant, who was not answering their phone. Closed on Easter! What to do? With my sister in law on her way, I foraged in the fridge for something to serve. I spied a package of chicken, always a staple in my pantry, and some crispy vegetables. After selecting the main components of my meal, I decided I wanted the chicken to have a sweet and herbaceous marinade. Lemony garlic chicken kebabs with herbs de Provence was born. Herbs de Provence is comprised of basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory and thyme. You can buy it pre-mixed from the market. This quick and easy dinner was perfect for this sunny, warm Southern California afternoon and can be prepared a day ahead, which is perfect for entertaining. Serve with mixed grilled vegetables.

What You Need:

• 
  
  1 recipe marinated chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (recipe follows)
• 
  
  1 ½ red bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
• 
  
  1 ¼ red onion, cut into bite sized chunks
• 
  
  1 – 8z package cremini mushrooms
• 
  
  9 skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

What To Do:

Impale vegetables and meat evenly on each skewer.

Grill on an outdoor grill until chicken is no longer pink, about 12 minutes, over medium heat. Serve with grilled vegetables.

Serves 4


Bon Appétit!
Mary


Lemony Garlic Marinated Chicken

What You Need:
1 – 1.25 lbs chicken tenders
1 tsp herbs de Provence

Juice and zest of one lemon
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
3-6 cloves garlic (to taste), grated or minced
2 tsp honey
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in a bowl and wisk until smooth.

Put chicken and marinade in a Ziploc bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours.

Thyme Scented Vegetable Soup

My inspiration for this simple soup was a bunch of vegetables that needed to be used up from the fridge. If you don’t have fresh thyme on hand, feel free to substitute 1 ½ tsp dried thyme in its place. By tying the thyme bundle with kitchen twine and removing it at the end, you save yourself a lot of time by avoiding pulling off those tiny thyme leaves. After the soup has simmered, you’ll notice that most of the leaves have fallen off. Mission accomplished! The best part about this soup is that everything can be substituted for something else. If you don’t have garbanzo beans, but you have red kidney, use that. (Or whatever bean you have.) If you have zucchini, but no yellow squash, use that. If you don’t have thyme, but you have rosemary, use that. You get the idea. The soup comes together so quickly, you’ll never want canned soup again. You can really use anything you may have in the back of your vegetable drawer, plus broth and herbs to create your own version. This soup could be vegan/ vegetarian by using vegetable broth. Play around with it!

What You Need:

2 - 32oz boxes low sodium chicken broth

4 sm-med carrots, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 med brown onion, diced

8oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 lrg yellow squash, cut into bite sized pieces

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 bunch thyme tied with kitchen twine

3 cups baby spinach

6 cloves garlic, minced or grated

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Once hot, add bundle of thyme, onions and mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes over medium to medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. The vegetables will turn a golden brown in color, but should not be burned. 

Next, add carrots, celery and garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Season vegetable mixture again with salt and pepper.

You then add the squash, broth and beans. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. After soup has simmered, remove from heat and add spinach and stir until wilted. Remove thyme bundle and serve with hot bread and dinner salad.

Serves 6-8
Bon Appetit!
Mary