Recipe for Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry

We love making stir fry. It is so easy and it is a great way to sneak in lots and lots of veggies!! This time we added in tofu for protein...and we like the stuff!

Josh volunteered to make the sauce, so I chopped up the veggies. This time we used snow peas, zucchini, green and yellow peppers, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and eggplant. We marinated the tofu in the sauce and then grilled it on our indoor grill pan. I think this helps the texture and it also holds together better.

We used a big wok to stir fry everything together. We served the veggies and tofu over rice. It was most delicious. Josh's sauce was incredible...he still thinks it needs perfecting, but I thought it was perfect:) The recipe is below, sorry there are no exact measurements on the sauce. Josh never measures, but I am sure you can figure it out. It is easy, just make the sauce to your taste!!!

My sister's family came over for dinner and everyone enjoyed the meal. Sometimes I get nervous serving tofu to a crowd, but they loved it! There is no reason to be afraid...it is good stuff!! My niece even ate it!! We had a fun night!













Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry

Sauce:
Onion, chopped
Garilic, minced
Olive oil
Lite soy sauce
Water
Honey
Orange Zest, from one orange
Fresh Squeezed Orange juice, from one orange
Light Brown Sugar
Jalapeno, sliced
1 Red Thai Chili
1/4 teaspoon Red Thai Chili paste
Pepper to taste
Corn Startch

Extra Firm Tofu, one package
Vegetables, we used snow peas, zucchini, yellow and green peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, and bean sprouts
Rice

In a large pan saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil. Cook until tender. Add in the soy sauce, water, honey, orange zest, and juice. Stir to combine. Add in brown sugar and stir. Next, add the jalapeno slices, thai chili, and chili paste. Simmer for about five minutes. Taste, if you need to add anything, do so now. Add salt and pepper.

Stir in corn starch that has been mixed in a little water. Stir until the sauce thickens. If you need to add more corn starch you can. Just don' t get it too thick.

Marinade the tofu in some of the sauce, for at least 15 minutes. Grill on a grill pan on high heat.

Stir fry the vegetables in a little oil in a big wok. Add in the sauce and tofu. Stir fry until everything is cooked and tender. Make sure the sauce is coating the veggies and tofu. Serve over rice with extra sauce, if desired.

Recipe for Salmon Tacos

Our good friend Lincoln recently came up for a visit. He is a big supporter of our blog, so he knows that we are always in the kitchen. We decided to make him Salmon Tacos for dinner, since they are one of his favorites. We had to spoil our guest of honor!

We grilled up some salmon on our indoor grill pan. Thanks All-Clad! It was too cold to go outside:) Josh made a basic rub with cumin, chili powder, and black pepper.

We spiced up the tacos with fresh pico, lime crema, chopped cabbage, fresh cilantro, and lime. The perfect pairings for fish tacos! We also made our favorite cilantro lime rice and some black beans to go with.

It was one tasty meal! And most importantly, Lincoln approved! It was fun cooking for him. He is the best!

And a BIG thanks to our friend Celsa, for helping us design our new header! We love it!!

Salmon Tacos

Fresh Salmon

Cumin

Chili Powder

Black Pepper

Cabbage, chopped

Fresh corn tortillas

For the Pico:

Tomatoes, diced

Garlic, minced

Onion, diced

Jalapeno, minced

Fresh cilanto, chopped

Fresh lime juice

Salt

Pepper

For the Lime Crema:

Sour cream (I used fat free)

Garlic, minced

A bit of diced onion

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Fresh lime juice

Salt

Pepper

1. Mix cumin, chili powder, and black pepper together. Josh didn't measure so just guess:) Rub this on the salmon filets. Grill salmon for a few minutes. Make sure the fish is tender and moist. Don't overdo it.

2. Prepare the fixings. Heat up the corn tortillas. Place them in tin foil and heat them in the oven or on a skillet on the stove. Chop the cabbage.

3. Make the Pico. Chop up all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix. Taste. We don't measure, we just do it to our taste!

4. Make the Lime Crema. You can add mayo to the sour cream, do half and half...but I hate mayo, so I just used sour cream. Again, I didn't measure, just add ingredients to your taste.

5. When the salmon has cooled, pull it apart so it is in chunks. Place the salmon on the hot tortillas. Load on the toppings: cabbage, pico, lime crema, fresh cilantro, and lime juice.

6. Serve with black beans and cilantro lime rice.

Easy Vegetable Stir Fry with Brown Rice

I had a bunch of vegetables that needed to be used so we threw together a quick stir fry for dinner. Nothing too fancy, but it was tasty! I love quick, easy, meals that are also good for you!

We used our new rice cooker and the brown rice turned out beautifully. We sauteed onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and yellow squash. Josh made a quick sauce with soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and red pepper flakes. We let the veggies simmer in the sauce and we called it good! We were ready to eat in no time!



So when you are in a hurry and craving something delicious and nutritious try a stir fry! I am sure you will come back for more.



We are going to Boulder Colorado this weekend for a quick get away. Josh's cousin, Rob, is flying us out for a visit...it is our wedding gift. Nice huh? He is a football coach at CO so we are going to the game on Saturday. Should be fun! What are your weekend plans? Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Zucchini, Tomato, and Eggplant Risotto

I enjoy a good risotto. Arborio rice brings such a great richness to the table. I don't even mind all of the stirring involved. I think of it as a bonus arm workout for the day!

We tried a new version of risotto. This one doesn't have any white wine involved, only stock. And you add in the vegetables at the beginning. We went with zucchini, tomatoes, and eggplant since we are overwhelmed with them at the moment:)

The risotto turned out nice and creamy. The veggies added a wonderful flavor and the fresh basil was the perfect finishing touch. This dish is perfect for fall, grab a plate or bowl and ease your way into the comfort zone!

Zucchini, Tomato, and Eggplant Risotto
Adapted from “The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook” by Jack Bishop

Ingredients

6 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
3 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium eggplant, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper
4 medium plum tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup Parmigano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

1. Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Keep it warm on low heat.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed medium pot. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about five minutes. Add the zucchini and eggplant, cook until tender. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for 1-2 minutes and stir in the tomatoes.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Add ½ cup of the stock , stirring frequently, until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding more stock in ½ cup increments, stirring, until the rice is creamy and soft but still al dente, about 25 minutes.
4. Remove from the pot and heat. Stir in the cheese and basil. Adjust the seasonings if you wish. Serve warm.

Chicken and Vegetable Fajitas and Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

We recently celebrated my sister's birthday!! Her family came over to our house for a special dinner. She wouldn't tell me what she wanted to eat so we came up with the menu on our own. Luckily, she was happy with the outcome!

We made chicken and vegetable fajitas, cilantro lime rice, black beans, and an apple streusel cake for dessert. Everything turned out great!

Cooking up our veggies!


Chicken for the meat lovers in the group!


Cilantro Lime Rice to go on the side!


Our spread of toppings!


My veggie fajitas! So colorful and delicious!


Josh's chicken fajitas! He knows how to fill a plate:)


Aubrey enjoying her dinner!


Connor and Aubrey did a good job singing for mommy!


Time for Dessert! Cake al a mode!


We really had a fun night with the Fail Family. Crissy, thanks for letting us celebrate with you. We hope you had the best birthday ever!

Here are the recipes for the cilantro lime rice and the apple streusel cake. Both are fabulous! The cake is actually healthy too! It is low fat but not lacking in flavor at all. The apples are crisp and the topping adds a nice sweet crunch. This is a great fall dessert!

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice) 1 tsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) vegetable broth (you can use chicken)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 2 teaspoons of lime juice, broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

We did this in our new rice cooker and it was super easy! Just add all the first ingredients to the rice cooker and press start. When done, add the rest of the ingredients and fluff!

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

Coffee Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
2 cups thinly sliced, unpeeled apples

Toppings:

¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8- or 9- inch round spring-form or 8-inch square pan with non-stick spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, mix well. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, blend well. Alternately add flour mixture and yogurt to margarine, beat well after each addition. Spread batter in pan and arrange apple slices over batter.

In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients except butter. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples.

Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. If desired, remove from pan. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream!