Posts filed under 'Veggie Mains'
I was tempted to make Basil Green Beans with Tomatoes again, but decided I ought to try something different with my CSA green beans this week. This stir fry did not disappoint. It reminded me of Chinese take-out spicy green beans — mild heat, slightly sweet (that’s the hoisin), lots of garlic, and silky (but not greasy) sauce coating still-crisp green beans. The tofu remains neutral here, soaking up the sauce and adding protein to make this a whole meal in a pan.
Spicy Green Bean & Tofu Stir Fry
Adapted from Stir-Fried Tofu and Green Beans in Hot Sauce
1 quart green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
2 Tbsp. canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
14 oz. block extra firm tofu, drained & cut into 32 pieces
1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. fresh ground ginger (I use bottled)
1 tsp. chili oil
crushed red pepper for garnish and extra heat
In a small sauce pan, cover beans with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and drain thoroughly. Set aside.
In a wok or large frying pan (that’s what I use) over high heat, add canola oil; once the oil is hot add drained green beans and garlic. Keep the beans moving quickly around your pan with a spoon or spatula so they do not burn, cook for two minutes and then add tofu pieces. Allow tofu to caramelize for several minutes, taking care not to let your garlic burn.
Once tofu is golden, add remaining ingredients and continue stir-frying for a few minutes until ingredients are well-coated and no extra sauce remains in the pan.
Garnish with crushed red pepper and serve hot over rice or noodles.
September 15th, 2008
I’m so pleased with this recipe — not only is it a solid vegetarian crock pot meal, it also took advantage of a lot of my CSA haul for the week. Plus, as the original recipe notes, ratatouille is very multi-purpose. Use it over pasta, as I did, or on pizza, in a baked potato, scrambled into eggs, etc. I used half and froze the rest for another meal.
J. thought this ratatouille was very good (he had it over spaghetti). Neither boy would try it, but G. was thrilled by the baked chicken I made alongside it, saying “Thank you for making me chicken!”
If I had had zucchini from my farm share, I would have added it, too.
Slow Cooker Ratatouille
Inspired by Ratatouille in the Crock Pot
2 small onions, thinly sliced
2 medium eggplants, skin on, diced
2 large green bell peppers, seeded, diced
1 small red pepper, seeded, diced (I used a Carmen pepper)
6 plum-sized tomatoes, quartered (I used yellow Golden Rave tomatoes)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
large handful fresh parsley, chopped
large handful fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Layer ingredients through the 1 tsp. salt in your crock pot, in the order listed. Then dot the tomato paste on top, and cover. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
Remove lid and stir to combine. Add fresh parsley and basil, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, room temperature, or straight from the fridge.
August 22nd, 2008
This dish is based on a recipe e-mailed to me by an Indian reader, Dara. (More of the story in the second paragraph of Menu Plan Monday, 8/4 - 8/10.) I wanted to be respectful of and as true to the original recipe as possible, but at the same time I knew some adaptations were required, both to use up farm share vegetables and to accommodate the difference in ingredients between here and India. I think I succeeded in keeping to the essence of Dara’s original recipe.
While I was cooking and trying to stay somewhat authentic, I wondered, what is a jalfrezi anyway? Jalfrezi is a general term for a dry Indian curry, cooked with chilies and with the main ingredients usually including peppers, onions, and tomatoes. OK, I had all of those elements nailed — I was on the right track.
The green beans, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes are all from my CSA share. As a result, the quantities that I used were based on what I received this week, and might not be what you’d buy in the supermarket. You can mix and match your favorite vegetables — IndiaCurry.com has some suggestions. The Mariachi peppers have a mild heat, while the Red Rocket is hotter. I found the finished dish to be pleasantly spicy, J. didn’t find any heat at all. The original recipe called for chili powder in addition to the fresh chilies, so if you like to sweat consider that addition.
I love the combination of ginger (I might add more next time) and cilantro. I would not have been disappointed if I ordered this meal in a restaurant. The only downside is that there’s a lot of chopping — I did some before a birthday party, and then some after.
Vegetable Jalfrezi
Adapted from Dara’s e-mailed recipe
2 large yams, peeled & cut into bite-sized chunks
1 quart green beans, trimmed & cut into inch-long pieces
6 small carrots, peeled & cut into bite-sized chunks
olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced
2 Mariachi peppers, seeded & minced
1 Red Rocket pepper, seeded & minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 tsp. fresh ground ginger (I use bottled)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
Add yams, green beans, and carrots to a pot and cover with two inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil; then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain and set aside.
While vegetables are simmering, drizzle olive oil in a large saute pan and cook onions over medium heat until they start to soften. Add peppers and cook an additional few minutes until onions and peppers are caramelized.
Add remaining ingredients plus the drained yam, green beans, and carrot mixture, and stir to combine. Continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes (no liquid should remain in the pan).
Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot.
August 9th, 2008
Is it a proper frittata if you don’t start it in a skillet on the stove? Perhaps these are just baked eggs. Either way, they’re delicious.
Preheat your toaster oven to 375° F (it was in the mid-80s today, too hot for the big oven). Saute two small onions, diced, in a little olive oil. While they are turning soft and golden, wash and trim about 10 cups of swiss chard, and then chop it roughly. Add the chard to the pan, cook until wilted. Let it cool a bit. Beat a dozen eggs with 4 to 8 oz. of shredded Gruyère, add the chard mixture, and stir. Pour into a greased pan (I used the one that came with my toaster oven, which is about 9.5″x11″) and bake for 25 minutes, or until eggs are set.
Once you’ve cooled the frittata, slices can be individually frozen.
July 29th, 2008
I put away the beets and yellow squash from this week’s farm share in the same refrigerator bin, and as soon as I saw them nestled together I knew they needed to be cooked that way, too — the ruby red and sunny yellow are gorgeous together.
The yellow squash was sliced thin, and tossed with olive oil and fresh ground pepper. I put it under the broiler in my toaster oven for about 10 minutes, until it was browned.
I roasted the beets in my toaster oven, too, and washed and chopped the beet greens. While the beets roasted, I sauteed the greens with a little olive oil and kosher salt in a very hot pan — I wanted to get as much water off the leaves as possible. Then I mixed the wilted greens in with some whole wheat rotini, and sprinkled some chunks of panquehue cheese on top (panquehue is a Chilean semi-soft cheese that is similar in texture to brie, but without a rind, and with a bit more tang).
Some of my beets this week were tiny — the size of a small strawberry — and I found myself popping the little ones into my mouth as though they were a sweet berry. Yum. I’m in love with the dark green, deep reddish-purple, and bright yellow of tonight’s dinner. I don’t think a plate can look any happier, or healthier, than this.
July 25th, 2008
I’ve been bookmarking one version of this recipe or another for months, and I finally made it Monday night. These Spinach Burritos are delicious — even J. complimented them without my prompting him for an opinion. My mom loved them, too.
I decided to use salsa verde to keep with the green theme of the spinach. I bought mine in a jar (Desert Pepper Trading Co.’s Salsa del Rio), but if you want to make it yourself I’d try Elise’s (of Simply Recipes) or Kevin’s (of Closet Cooking) version. They are food bloggers that I read and admire!
I used whole spelt tortillas from Rudi’s Organic Bakery for the first time, just because they caught my eye. I don’t think I’ve ever had spelt before (it’s a grain similar to wheat, but with a higher protein content). The tortillas were fine, pliable enough to work with but nothing special. I prefer the more pronounced nutty, grain flavor and the softness of Mission brand multi-grain tortillas.
Spinach Burritos with Salsa Verde
Adapted from Spinach Burritos
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 10-oz. packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed & drained
salt & ground pepper to taste
8 8-in. whole grain tortillas
1 16-oz. jar salsa verde, divided (or salsa of your choice)
1½ c. cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onions in olive oil until soft and golden. Add spinach and stir to combine. Cook until heated through and there is no extra water in the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
In each tortilla, combine spinach mixture with about 3 Tbsp. shredded cheddar and 1 Tbsp. salsa. Roll up burrito-style. Arrange burritos seam-side down on a baking pan or in a casserole dish, and bake, covered, for 25-30 minutes.
Serve with remaining salsa, at room temperature, spooned on top.
July 23rd, 2008
Our first sweet corn of the season from Roxbury Farm. The ears were small and easy to shuck, and the kernels were sweet enough that butter or salt were unnecessary. I boiled the ears for just a few minutes and served them with a quick chopped salad: lettuce, cucumber, and carrots from the farm share, string beans from my dad’s garden, a tomato, and feta for sprinkling on top.
My dad puts in a small garden every year, and when I was growing up he was always willing to experiment a bit and plant something new alongside the tomatoes and zucchini. One year we grew corn, and harvested perhaps a whopping four ears for the entire season. But we were so excited about those four! We actually put water up to boil before the corn was picked, so that we could rush it — FRESH! — from the stalk to the pot. Even more so than fruits like watermelon or strawberries, fresh sweet corn tastes like summer to me.
July 19th, 2008
This is my new favorite tofu recipe. My house smelled like a fantastic Indian restaurant while the tofu was cooking in my humble little toaster oven. It tasted great hot, it was wonderful cold, and I will make it again.
I think that next time, though, I will skip the whole skewer step and just bake the tofu cubes on a foil-lined baking dish.
Updated to add: I just read about pressing the tofu under a heavy object for 15 minutes before adding it to a marinade. I think doing so would improve the texture of the tofu in this dish, which remained a little more spongy and less chewy then I would have liked. I’ll try that next time.
Tandoori Tofu
Adapted from Tandoori Tofu Kebobs
1 package (14 oz.) extra-firm tofu, drained
6 oz. plain yogurt (I used non-fat)
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
2 tsp. crushed garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. masala curry powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper (I used 4 grinds)
1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced
Press any extra moisture out of your tofu, and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Gently add tofu cubes to the bowl, and use a rubber spatula or similar to carefully fold the tofu into the marinade until it is well-coated. Try not to crumble the tofu! Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
While the tofu is marinating, cover 6-10 wooden skewers in water and let them soak. You may need to trim the skewers so that they can hang, suspended, from the rim of your baking pan.
Preheat toaster oven to 425° F.
Line your toaster oven’s baking pan with foil. Arrange tofu cubes on your wooden skewers, and place each skewer across the pan.
Bake on the lowest rack of you toaster oven for 30 minutes, or until tofu edges are browned and crispy.
July 11th, 2008
The last time I made tzatziki, I didn’t remove enough water from the cucumber, and what should have been a creamy, thick dip turned out more like a thin sauce. This time I did it right.
I used Oikos organic Greek yogurt for this recipe. Oikos is made by Stonyfield Farm, and the company contacted me recently to see if I’d like coupons to try their Greek yogurt, and larger sizes of their regular, Stonyfield Farm brand low-fat yogurts. I was eager to do so, since our household is probably already one of their largest consumers of the 6 oz. yogurt containers — the boys’ favorite.
I often eat Greek yogurt for breakfast with fresh fruit mixed in (J. likes it with honey), but I’ve been buying Fage brand as it’s more available here than Oikos. The Oikos was just as creamy and rich (even at 0% fat) and not too tart, but because it’s organic it’s a little more expensive than Fage. In the future, I would choose whichever I found at a better price.
Tzatziki is traditionally made with dill, which I bought. But when I went to chop it this evening, it smelled of paint thinner! Even though it looked fresh, I couldn’t get a dill scent off of it even when I rubbed it between my fingers. It really put me off and I wound up throwing it out, unsure of what was going on with this bunch. Instead I used the fresh parsley from my farm share this week (the cucumber was from the CSA, too).
I served the tzatziki with falafel, pita, sliced tomatoes, lettuce mix, and some Kalamata olives. It’s the perfect cool and creamy condiment for this meal (especially when you add hot sauce to your falafel, like J. does). We almost finished the batch in one sitting.
Just after dinner tonight I saw a recipe for Yogurt, Dill, & Walnut Dip in the July 2008 Real Simple. Doesn’t that sound delicious as well?
Tzatziki (Yogurt & Cucumber Dip)
Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen
1 medium cucumber, seeded and cubed
1/2 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. parsley, roughly chopped
2 c. plain Greek yogurt (I used Oikos 0% Fat)
1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Arrange cucumber pieces in a collander or chinois, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Allow the cucumber to drain for 30 minutes to an hour. Then, remove remaining water from the cucumber by either pressing with a spoon against the collander, or wrapping the cucumber in cheesecloth and wringing it out. (I was able to remove 1/4 c. of water from 1 medium cucumber.) Set aside.
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse garlic and parsley until they are minced. Add yogurt and the juice from the lemon, plus the cucumber, pulsing to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Refrigerate tzatziki for at least 2 hours before serving. Taste and adjust salt and pepper before serving.
July 5th, 2008
I used a (buggy) cabbage and zucchini from our CSA for this Indian-inspired dish. I’d planned to include some edamame as well, but mistakenly bought a bag of unshelled pods so I left them out. I do think they’d make a nice addition.
I preferred the flavor of this palya, or dry curry, when it was warm — the flavors of tart lime, sweet coconut, and hot cayenne combined and highlighted the fresh vegetables. When it was cold, those flavors took a backseat to the more pronounced cabbage. (My mom liked it cold, though.)
This recipe would be delicious served with grilled chicken, stir-fried tofu, or alone with basmati rice.
Cabbage, Red Pepper, & Zucchini Palya (Dry Curry)
Inspired by Cabbage Pallya with Bell Pepper and Peas
1 small zucchini
1 arrowhead cabbage
1 red pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dry ground mustard
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. curry powder (I used red roasted masala curry powder)
1/3 c. grated, unsweetened coconut
1 lime
1/2 c. cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
Clean and dice zucchini, cabbage, and red pepper. Set aside.
In a large saute pan with a cover, heat olive oil with mustard, cayenne pepper, and curry powder. Stir for a moment to begin cooking the spices, then add the diced vegetables. Stir to coat with the oil, then cover and cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Uncover and add coconut, juice of the lime, cilantro, and salt. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve warm.
June 29th, 2008
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I'm Dara, the chick in the kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two boys, ages 3 and 5, and husband. Trying to feed my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Reach me at .