Quick Pickle Red Onions

I eat these like popcorn when I make them. Even if you don't want to make them to eat as a snack on their own, they are great on tacos, wraps, sandwiches or salads. In my opinion, these have just the right balance of tangy, salty and sweet. I love them on corn tortillas with Black Beans, Guacamole, and Scotch Bonnet Salsa.

1 c. cold water
1 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. unrefined sugar
1 large or 2 small red onions

1) Whisk everything but the onions together in a glass container large enough to hold the liquid and the onion (I use a pyrex 4 c. measuring cup)

2) Slice the onion into thin strips. You could do rings, or any shape you want, I just think strips are the easiest shape to deal with.

3) Place the onions into the liquid and weight them down with a small glass or ceramic object (such as a small plate, bowl or lid). Let the onions sit at room temperature in the liquid for 1-5 hours.

4) Drain the onions in a strainer and briefly rinse them off in cool water. Store the onions in a glass container in the fridge for at least a week, maybe longer.

This makes about 2 c. of onion pickles depending on the size of your onion. The photo to the right is of my taco spread with pickled red onions.

Kimchi Tofu Scramble

I've been keeping a secret this winter. I never thought I was superstitious until I considered sharing my secret and realized that I was afraid I would jinx it if I said it out loud. So I'm not going to say it out loud, I'm just going to quietly type it. The flu has been going around this winter, and from my understanding it's pretty nasty. I was fully expecting our family to get infected, but we never did. In fact, most of us have not even gotten a cold this winter. With two kids in elementary school and a toddler who puts everything in her mouth, including other people's tooth brushes, I couldn't figure out how we were avoiding getting sick. Then I realized that it's probably from eating fermented foods so much.

My husband and I eat lacto fermented sour kraut, kimchi, curtido or jalapenos several times per week. My daughters eat lacto fermented cucumber pickles almost every day. The fermentation process develops the good bacteria that help to build the bacteria colony in your gut (which I heard likened to a second brain in a TED Talk recently). If you have a well developed bacteria colony in your gut, you are able to obtain maximum nutrition from the foods you eat during the digestion process which may enable your body to fight illness because it's not lacking in nutrition. I think this is what has kept us from getting sick.

You can find lacto fermented kimchi (and other products) in the refrigerated section of most health food stores, but they are very expensive. I think they're so costly because they need to remain refrigerated and cannot sit in hot warehouses or trucks. At least that's the only reason for the high price that I can come up with because they're extremely inexpensive to make yourself. For this recipe I add the kimchi at the last moment after the greens have been wilted to just heat it through so as not to kill the good bacteria with high heat. It's best to prep everything before you start cooking because the dish goes quickly once you start adding things to the pan.

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 small onion (any color), diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
10-12 mushrooms (crimini, button or shiitake work well), diced
White or black pepper to taste
1 lb. firm or extra firm tofu, crumbled to look like scrambled eggs with your fingers
1 Tbsp. fermented Korean bean paste or chile garlic paste
2 1/2 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari 
1/2-1 c. Kimchi, home made or store bought
5-6 leaves kale (or other green), thinly chopped

1) Slice the vegetables and have them ready to add. Rinse the tofu and pat it dry. Preheat the sesame oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.

2) Add the scallions, onions and diced stalks of your greens (if you're using a hearty green like kale, collards, gai lan or broccoli) and onions and a bit of white or black pepper. Toss to combine and let the onions cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

3) Add the tofu by crumbling it with your fingers into the pan and toss to combine. let the mixture cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, then add the mushrooms, toss and cook for another 3 minutes.

4) Add the fermented Korean bean paste (or chile garlic paste) and shoyu or tamari and toss it around to dissolve the paste into the scramble and coat everything with the sauce.

5) Add the greens and cook until wilted (kale or gai lan will take longer than spinach or watercress).

6) Once the greens have just wilted add the minced kimchi and toss to combine everything well. Remove from the heat once the kimchi is warmed and serve. 

This serves 4 and looks nice garnished with black or tan sesame seeds and minced fresh chives.

Curried White Bean Spread

In my Indian Chickpea Salad post I likened that salad to a deconstructed hummus. I like that salad so much that I decided to reconstruct it into a white bean spread/dip. You can use this like hummus. I like using cannellini beans rather than chickpeas (aka: garbanzos) for this dip because they get smoother and creamier. You could also try navy beans.

3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon juice (I like it better with the vinegar)
2 Tbps. water, plus more for thinning during mixing if necessary
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans (or 2 cups cooked)
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. curry powder (hot, sweet, whatever you want)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. tahini
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1) Place all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender or a food processor and mix until fully combined and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add more water 1 Tbsp. at a time to facilitate blending if necessary.

2) Taste and add more curry, vinegar or lemon, or salt if needed.

This makes about 2 cups of bean spread.

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Recently I had what I can only call the one true tomato soup that I have ever enjoyed. However, upon later reflection I realized that it probably had cream in it and I just didn't realize it at the time. So, of course, this prompted me to create my own version of a creamy tomato soup, and what better way to get a nice, rich flavor than by roasting the ingredients first?

2 containers Pomi diced tomatoes, or 2 28 oz. cans whole or crushed tomatoes
1 large red onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. dried parsley
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. dried rosemary
3/4 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 c. vegetable broth
2 c. plain milk alternative such as soy, almond or oat (don't use anything too thin like rice milk)

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the tomatoes, onion, herbs, salt and pepper into a 2-3 quart baking dish and toss to mix. Roast the mixture for 3 hours. Add the garlic after the first our and then stir the mixture every 20 minutes after the first hour (this ensures even roasting and keeps the top bits from burning).

2) When the mixture is done roasting let it cool a bit and then transfer to a blender and blend until completely smooth.

3) Add the mixture to a large soup pot along with the vegetable broth and milk alternative. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.

This makes 4-6 servings and would go excellently with homemade Garlic Bread, Spicy Kale Chips, Sauteed Italian flavored Tofurkey pieces, cured olives, a salad or Pizza. 

The photo to the left is so that you can see the Pomi tomato product I used. I find it in the "Natural Foods" section of my local grocery store. I like this product because it's not in a BPA lined can.

Hummus and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

I keep hearing how good raw apple cider vinegar is for you so I've tried to use it more but the flavor is a little stronger and more sharp than I like. However, when mixed with a little hummus it makes a lovely creamy vinaigrette.

1 heaping tsp. dijon mustard
1 small drizzle of pure maple syrup
Small pinch of sea salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar (the raw fermented kind if possible)
2 heaping Tbsp. hummus (I used my Edamame Hummus recipe)

Place all of the ingredients into a small jar and whisk or shake until blended well.

Mung Bean Dal

I'm calling this Mung Bean Dal, but you could use any kind of split peas or lentils. If you use lentils or split peas you will need to reduce the cooking time to about 35-45 minutes. Once you begin the cooking process things go quickly at first, so have all of your vegetables prepped and spices measured and ready to go.

Often times when making Indian food it's OK to make substitutions when you don't have a certain spice. However, I think that the fenugreek seeds are what give this recipe the most delicious aspect of it's flavor. You can find fenugreek seeds at Indian or African grocery stores, specialty spice stores, some well stocked spice sections in the regular grocery store, or online. They look like a malformed tan grain (maybe kind of like buckwheat groats). Once you smell them you will recognize the scent if you eat a lot of Indian food.

Since fenugreek is a big, chunky, whole spice (as are some of the other spices you'll be using) you either need to toast it and then grid it, or cook it in a screaming hot pan until it explodes (I prefer the second method because it's easier).

2-3 Tbsp. unrefined coconut oil or canola oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. corriander seeds
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp. brown mustard seeds
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 large white or yellow onion, minced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 large tomatoes, minced with their juice or 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 c. mung beans or split peas or lentils, sorted, rinsed and drained
Vegetable broth (8 c. or more)
Juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon, about 2 Tbsp.
Fresh cilantro (1/2 c. or more as you like)

1)  Heat the oil over high heat in a large soup pot. Once small wisps of smoke arise from the oil add the cumin seeds, corriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. Quickly throw the seeds into the oil and place the lid on the pot. The seeds should immediately begin popping and then calm down after about 30 seconds.

2) After 30 seconds of popping seeds, turn the heat down to medium and put in the onion, garlic and ginger and stir to mix. You want to do this step quickly so that you don't burn the seeds. Continue to saute the onions, garlic and ginger until soft but no browned, about 5-7 minutes.

3) Once the onions are softened add the other spices (curry powder, salt, turmeric, paprika, and cumin powder. If you happen to have some amchur around you could toss in 1/2 tsp. of that as well).

4) Mix the spices with the onions to coat and then add the 2 Tbsp. of tomato paste and let it melt as you stir it around to mix it with the onions.

5) Add the diced or crushed tomatoes, the mung beans and about 4 c. of vegetable broth (or more if you need it to submerge the beans). Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a low boil/high simmer, and let it cook for at least1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until the beans are completely tender. Make sure to add more liquid as necessary if it starts to evaporate too much, I usually end up adding another 4 c. of broth as the beans cook.

6) Once the beans are completely tender, continue to let it cook until the liquid evaporates to your desired thickness, keeping in mind it will continue to thicken a bit after it cools. Add about 1/2 c. of fresh cilantro and the fresh lemon juice, and stir to incorporate. Serve garnished with additional cilantro over rice or with naan bread.

This makes about 8-10 servings.

Pad Thai

As I said earlier in my Pad Kee Mow recipe, Thai food is my favorite. I will go to any length to enable myself to make good Thai food. There is a secret to making great tasting Thai food at home. The secret is to seek out authentic ingredients rather than trying to create shortcuts by using ingredients like ketchup. It will never taste right unless you take the time to find the right ingredients.

For Pad Thai, tamarind paste is what you need to try to find. It's a thick, tangy dark paste made from...tamarind. There are several places you can look to find it. Your best bet is to go to an ethnic grocery store (Asian, Middle Eastern, African, Mexican) if you live near one. You may also be able to find it in one of the various ethnic sections of your local grocery store (ours used to carry it but now they don't). If all else fails, and you really love Thai food, you can order it online. It's not expensive.

Note: Sometimes tamarind comes in a brick form and if that is all you can find it's fine to use that, but make the sauce in a blender instead if you have a brick of tamarind (or in a sauce pan and melt it over low heat). Also note: you can make the sauce saltier with more shoyu or tamari, tangier with more vinegar or tamarind, sweeter with more sugar, or richer with more peanut butter, but you really should add the lime and Asian hot sauce at the end.

I use peanut butter in my sauce even though Pad Thai normally has crushed peanuts in it. I don't like to use crushed peanuts because they get soggy in the left overs. If you'd rather use peanuts, go right ahead.

For the Sauce
3 Tbsp. shoyu, tamari or light soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar (I don't usually like to use sugar, but you need it for this sauce, this amount is greatly reduced from most Pad Thai recipes)
2 Tbsp. distilled white or rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
2-3 Tbsp. tamarind paste (there is no substitute for this)
1 Tbsp. paprika (not smoked)

For the Stirfry
2-3 Tbsp. canola or peanut oil
1 lb. firm or extra firm tofu, cubed into 1/2" (1 cm.) squares
1 large white onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
5 cloves of garlic, minced (yes, 5)
8 oz. mushrooms (crimini/baby bella or button), sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 c. cilantro leaves
10-14 oz. rice stick noodles, the thickest ones you can find
Lime wedges and Sriracha hot sauce to garnish

1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat off and place the rice noodles into the water. Give the noodles a stir and then let them soak according to the package directions. This is usually somewhere between 7-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the noodles you are using. Err on the undercooked side because you're also going to stirfry them. It's an art, really, if you over soak them they will fall apart but if you under soak them they will be crunchy in places...do it for just the right amount of time.

2) As the water comes to a boil mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl, making sure to dissolve the sugar, tamarind and peanut butter, and set aside.

3) As the water comes to a boil and the noodles soak, prepare all of your stirfry ingredients and have them ready to go. Heat the oil in a large wok or your largest pot over high heat and then add the tofu (if the heat isn't high enough the tofu will stick to the pan). Let the tofu sit and fry while you finish chopping the vegetables.

4) After about 5 minutes the tofu should be browning. Give it a toss and then add the onions and toss to combine. Let the onions cook with the tofu for another 3 minutes until the onions begin to soften.

5) When the onions are just softened add the garlic and toss to combine. Cook for 1 minute and then add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Right now would be the perfect time for the noodles to be done, but if they still need time turn off the heat on your stir fry until the noodles have finished soaking.  Once the noodles are done you can turn the heat back on the wok as you drain the noodles.

6) Once the noodles have been drained and the mushrooms are softened a bit, add the noodles to the wok. Pour the sauce over the noodles and add the peppers. Toss to coat all of the noodles with the sauce and continue to stirfry for about 5 more minutes.

7) Remove from the heat, add the cilantro and toss to combine.

This makes about 4 servings (or more if you have a light appetite and are serving other items) and should be served with fresh lime wedges and Sriracha hot chili sauce.