Ginger Cashew and Cauliflower

I adore stir-fry!!! They are super simple and quick.  I looked the my refrigerator to see what I had on hand.  I found the ginger and did not want to go to waste so I decided to try a take on one of my favorite dishes, cashew chicken.  I'm determined to reduce my salt intake but I felt some extra seasoning was necessary. Instead of rice I used red quinoa, which in turn made this a low-carb dish compared to the inspiration. Score!!

The ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted cashews halves
• 1 medium head of cauliflower (use the colorful one while they are in season. Imagine this dish w/ the orange!)
• 1 chopped red bell pepper
• 1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons ginger (Adjust to your taste but I like it spicy)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons scallions (for garnish)
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa

Cook quinoa according to package directions. The next steps can be completed while the quinoa cooks.

In wok, heat the sesame oil on medium heat. Once the oil is heated add the garlic and ginger and saute for 2 minutes, be careful not to burn the ginger. Add the cauliflower, bell pepper, soy sauce and cumin and saute for an additional 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the cashews and and saute just enough to warm.  

Spoon 1/2 cup of cashew mixture over  1/2 cup of quinoa. Sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon chives. Serves 4

Tempeh Cakes??

Allow me to begin with the obvious. In most venues paper plates are not seen as the proper display for a culinary dish.  Yeah, yeah ya'll ain't washing these dishes.  Anyway.... I must admit I did not concoct this idea on my own. I found a version of the above on my current favorite hobby forming website, PINTEREST!!! It really caught my eye because my husband is allergic to shellfish but happens to love seafood, po' thang  So these are my version of tempeh cakes. I used my own Cajun spice blend in these which made them very spicy. So I cooked the couscous with lemon zest to kind of add a cooling balance. Don't be afraid of the tempeh, just boil it first to get rid of the bitter flavor.  Now these DO NOT taste like crab cakes, but they are indeed delicious.

 Here we go :

For the cakes:
8 oz tempeh
1 c water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf

3 tbsp Vegenaisse
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp Sirachi sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 c very finely chopped red bell pepper
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
fresh black pepper
1 1/2 c panko/rice breadcrumbs, plus extra for dredging

Oil for pan frying

For the remoulade:
2 tbsp Vegenaise
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp hot sauce
2 tsp capers (try not to get too much brine)

Crumble the tempeh into a small pan. Add the water, soy sauce, oil and bay leaf. The tempeh won’t be fully submerged, but that’s fine. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let boil for 12 to 15 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated. Stir once during boiling.

Transfer contents to a mixing bowl, remove bay leaf, and mash with a fork. Let cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to hasten the cooling process. Make sure the tempeh is barely warm before you proceed, or the cakes may fall apart when you cook them. Add the mayo, mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, chopped bell pepper, spices salt and pepper, and mix well. Add the bread crumbs and  use your hands to incorporate.

Once you are ready to form the cakes, preheat a thin layer of oil in a heavy bottomed non-stick skillet (cast iron is great) over medium heat. Pour a few tablespoons of panko into a bowl. Scoop a little less than 1/4 cup batter into your hands and form into a ball. Flatten between your palms and then roll the sides gently with your hands cupped to smooth them. You should have ten 2 1/2 to 3- inch patties. I do them in batches of five. Press them into the panko to lightly coat  them.  

Fry a batch of five cakes for 4 minutes on one side and flip when dark golden brown. Fry for 2 minutes on the other side and transfer to a paper towel or paper bag to drain. Do your second batch and in the meantime make your remoulade by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl.

The Breakfast of Champions

It's 100 degrees here in Texas and I was dreading turning on the oven. Yeah it's already 80 degrees at 8:00 am!!!!!!!
So I sat holding the refrigerator door wondering what I could put together that would help me on my journey and actually taste, well unhealthy(good).  The lovely picture above shows my tasty concoction.

And it shall be called:  Sweet and Sassy English Muffin

Makes two servings.

• two 100 calorie toasted English muffins
• 4 stripes Lightlife "bacon", cooked
• two grilled pineapple slices, still warm 
• 1/2 avocado 
• two rice cheese slices
• 1 tablespoon veganaise divided (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Layer sandwich beginning with half English muffin, followed by cheese, pineapple, bacon, avocado, salt and pepper, veganaise and top of English muffin.  Enjoy!!

Taking Control

All change is originally uncomfortable and this my dears is not any different. This is is such a major decision especially when it failed so miserably the first time. Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism here I come! At some point a vegan life may make the most sense but baby steps.

This is the chronicle of my glorious growth. A dedicated road to improved health! The hope is to share information learned about cooking methods, tasty pairings and most of all how to make getting healthy fun and interesting. Happy eating.



P.S. Expect lots of pictures of all the many new combinations of food I try.