Coconut Tenders with Peanut Dipping Sauce

One of my favorite, beautiful besties, Shannon, LOVES coconut chicken.  It's her "fave," she says.  Shannon has been such a dear and loyal friend to me, that I am often at a loss to express what her friendship means to me.  Well, folks, I'm Italian, and, well, food is love, so I created this dish for my Sha-nan-nan, with all my heart and friendly devotion.  :-)

Coconut "Chicken"

2 packages gardein Chick'n Strips or the Barbecue Wings, without the flavor packet (I used 1 package, but the amounts are listed for 2 packages)
1 can (13.66 ounces) of light coconut milk
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
3 teaspoons Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons water (or two eggs)
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
Canola or sesame or peanut oil, for frying (I mixed 1/2 cup canola with 1/4 sesame)
Peanut Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Marinate the gardien in coconut milk and rice vinegar for at least an hour.
2.  Do something fun for that hour, like straighten your hair (which is what I did).  You could also prepare the peanut sauce to give its ingredients some time to meld before you start cooking the coconut tenders.
3.  Pat the excess milk off the gardein with a paper towel (be careful, because the tenders may feel like falling apart a little)). In a small bowl combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, and chili powder. In a separate bowl, mix the Egg Replacer until foamy.
4. In another bowl, place the coconut. Coat the gardein with the cornstarch and shake off any excess. Dip into the egg replacer and then press into the coconut to get full coverage. Try to keep 1 hand dry, this will keep things a little cleaner.
5. In a large pan, heat the oil to 350° and gently submerge the gardein, a few at a time. Fry for about 3 minutes total or until golden brown on both sides (watch closely- they will brown up fast). Remove them to a paper towel to drain. Serve with Peanut Sauce.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

1 teaspoon minced ginger (I used 1/4 teaspoon ground because I was out of fresh)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter, plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 cup of light coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon diced hot cherry peppers
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon toasted chopped peanuts

1. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, peanut butter, and coconut milk in a small bowl and whisk together.
2. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, chili powder, diced peppers, garlic and cilantro to the bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Place the sauce in a serving bowl and garnish with more cilantro and chopped peanuts.

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No Matter How Much I Miss Summer, Canned Cherries are NOT the Answer

So, we're sliding into the end of February and I am really just DONE with winter.  I think I've been a good sport- I haven't complained about leaving in the blue-black cold at 6 am each day, haven't sweated the piles of snow, the black ice, the way the automatic door on my minivan has inexplicably stopped working due to frigid temperatures.  But I assure you:  I.  Am. Done.

To cheer myself up, I thought I'd make this summer salad for lunch on Saturday.  The original recipe was given to me by my bestie, Kate (although she used chicken instead of tempeh).  It's a pretty, happy salad and the green grapes, yellow pineapple and red cherries shout SUMMER.

Or at least, they do if it's summer and those fruits are in season.  I made the mistake of using canned cherries instead of fresh because, well, it's FEBRUARY.  Not only were they mushy, but even after careful draining they still turned the dressing pinker than I would've liked.  The result was a sad reminder that summer is still months away.  I'm posting this because the recipe is really good, the yogurt sauce is delicious, and if, unlike me, you are patient and use fresh cherries, you will not be disappointed.

2 1/2 cups cooked tempeh, cubed
2 cups seedless green grapes, halved
2 cups pitted sweet cherries, quartered
1 cup sliced celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 cups pineapple, cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup Vegenaise
1/2 cup vanilla coconut yogurt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup toasted coconut

1. Cut the tempeh into 1" cubes and cook in a little olive oil and salt, until the tempeh is golden.  Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
2.  When cooled, combine tempeh, grapes, celery, and onion.
2. In small bowl, combine Vegenaise, yogurt, ginger, and cinnamon. Combine with large bowl, tossing gently to coat.
3. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Stir in pineapple and cherries and sprinkle with coconut to serve. 4 to 6 servings.

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Wholesome Whole Wheat Bread

Bread bread bread . . . I love you so!  One of my favorite appliances in the kitchen is my breadmaker because it allows me to make delicious, healthy loaves without actually knowing how to bake.  I have a whole collection of flours and love to experiment with mixing them to come up with something new.  With very few exceptions, there is no "bad" bread: even my total fails are good in my book.  I prefer dense bread with nuts or seeds mixed in, but that doesn't go over well with the rug rats in my house.  So, to keep the peace, I compromised with this recipe.  I mixed whole wheat, spelt (super healthy) and garbanzo bean (high protein) flours.  It's denser than, say, Wonderbread (not that my kids have had that for years), but still soft enough that it gets gobbled up by my boys. 

1 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temperature
2/3 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons Earth Balance, room temperature
2 tablespoons agave (or honey)
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup spelt flour

¾ cup garbanzo bean flour
2 1/4 teaspons active dry yeast (1 packet)

Optional add-ins:  3/4 cup old fashioned oats (or and combination of nuts and seeds you like)

 

1. Place all ingredients in the order they are listed into the baking pan of your bread machine up to add-in ingredients (if using).
2. Follow the directions on your machine for rapid whole wheat bread, 2 pound loaf.  Don’t forget to select crust color (I chose “light.”)

3.  When prompted, add in your oats or seeds or nuts (if using).

4. Remove from machine when done and allow to cool on a baking rack for at least one hour.

 

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"I-Made-the-Hell-Outta" Vegetarian Salisbury Steak

    I think a lot of people my age remember when a t.v. dinner was just that:  an aluminum tray of slightly recognizable food that was meant to be devoured in front of "Brady Bunch" episodes.  My favorite was Salisbury steak with corn, half frozen potatoes (always a marble-sized chunk of ice in the potatoes for some reason) and baked apple slices.   I eventually tweaked a really delicious recipe and my version was better and (bonus) served on actual plates.  When I became a vegetarian, Salisbury steak was something I just let go.  Then I discovered Match Meats.  When I saw the "ground beef" version of Match Meats in the Whole Foods freezer my first thought was "I'm going to make the hell outta vegetarian Salisbury steak!"   Here's my version, vegetarian-ized.   Doused with mushroom gravy it's fit for dinner in front of the t.v. for sure.  It retained all the flavor of my old favorite and is healthier (although adding a ton of gravy probably isn't going to help you win any marathons). 

    This was really delicious the next day.  I had packed it in the gravy for lunch and my fellow teachers thought I was "cheating" and eating meat.

1 pound Match Meat ("ground beef" version)
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
10 saltine crackers, finely ground into crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Olive oil for frying (I added a splash of truffle oil to boost the mushroom flavor, but that's optional)
2 cups mushroom gravy (recipe follows)

1. In medium bowl, combine Match Meat, onion, cracker crumbs, egg, sour cream, horseradish, salt and pepper, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape into four 1/2” thick oval patties.
2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook patties in skillet and cook 5 minutes or so per side, or until they brown and firm up, turning once. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
3. Prepare gravy (recipe follows). Pour gravy over patties. This should be swimming in gravy (I didn't put much on in the picture because I didn't want to hide the steak, but the gravy adds more flavor and keeps the "meat" moist).   Serve with mashed potatoes and a pretty green vegetable.



Cheater Mushroom Gravy

I fully intended to go the whole 9 yards and make my gravy from scratch, but I didn't start dinner tonight until really late.  Then I fully planned on using some jarred mushroom gravy, but . . . um . . . I didn't have any.  So what follows in a super fast "gravy" that was a really nice complement to the Salisbury steak. 

1 can condensed Cream of Mushroom soup

2 cups vegetable broth

4 large portobella button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 onion, diced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water

Salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste

1.  Brown the mushrooms and onions in the same pan used for the steaks.
2.  When mushrooms and onions begin to carmelize, add the condensed soup and vegetable broth.  Stir to mix and bring to a boil.
3.  While you are waiting for the soup and broth mixture to boil, combine the cornstarch and water in a mug and mix well, getting rid of any lumps.  When soup is boiling, add the cornstarch and water and stir until it returns to a boil.
4.  Lower heat to a simmer and stir constantly until it reaches the desired thickness.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste.

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You Can Lead a Girl to the Whole Foods Bulk Bin, but You Can't Make Her Cook All Those Bags of Grains She Bought . . .

As I've mentioned before, I'm a teacher in real life, and my mornings and evenings have no real "down time."  Here's an example of my weekday schedule:

 

Morning

 

5:00 am:  Wake up and get ready

5:30 am:  Wake the 3 kids, and get them washed up and wrangled into the car

5:45 am: Pile into the car with kids for the 40-minute commute to our respective schools

 

Evening

 

4:00 pm: Head home from school

4:40 pm: Homework time while I get dinner on the table

5:00 pm:  Dinner

5:30 to 6:30 pm: A random hour that gets wasted before I realize how late it got

6:30- 7:00 pm: Bath, book and bedtime for my littlest guy

7:00-8:00 pm:  Bath, books, bedtime for my big kids

8:05 pm: Passing-out-on-the-couch-time for me

 

 

So you can imagine how I love a snow day.  To me, a snow day is like a gift you open in your pajamas; I don't get dressed and I try to use the time to do the little projects I always put off.  

 

 

 

So when this month's "Snowpocalypse" hit, I pulled out all the bags of grains I bought months ago.   I collected them with the best of intentions but never used them because they take too long to cook in time for a weekday dinner.  A few days earlier I was disgusted with myself as I bought 6 packages of "Ready Rice" at $2.00 each, knowing damn well I had about 10 pounds of all manner of rice lurking in the deep dark recesses of my pantry.  So when I was blessed with a snowday this Friday, I planned a morning of making up packs of rice and other grains for the freezer.



 

(I also pre-cooked a lot of the dried beans I've been hoarding.  The process is the same:  soak overnight, cook until about 5-10 minutes shy of perfection, then freeze.  The only difference is that most people, myself included, add some of the cooking liquid to the freezer bag before sealing it up)

 

There is no real "recipe" to pre-cooking rice and grains and then freezing them, but I thought I'd post it just to show how a lazy morning spent in the kitchen can make it much easier for you to add healthy whole grains to your diet. It is also a fraction of the cost of packaged cooked rice at the store.

 

Step one: prepare your grains as you normally would, but "undercook" them by about 5 minutes.  For today's monster batch I made quinoa, barley, wheat berries, jasmine rice, Spanish rice, bulgar wheat, and a rice mix I threw together of wild rice, brown rice and forbidden rice.

 

 



 

 

 Step two: Spread cooked grains out in cookie sheets and/or baking dishes and cool until lukewarm.

 

 

Step three: portion out grains into freezer bags.  I did 1-cup portions.  I use a Foodsaver and the special bags for this.  Lots of people just use regular Zip-loc freezer bags.  Whatever you use, make sure you are getting all the air out, and flattening the contents as much as possible before freezing.

 

 

 

Step four: Freeze bags for up to 3 months.  When you're ready to use them, cut a small slit on both sides of the top on each bag and microwave for 90 seconds.  If your grains are a little "mushy" for your taste, try undercooking them a bit more next time before freezing them.

 

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Miso Happy Soup

Some days, Folks, you gotta take a mental health day and just make some soup.  Today was one of those days.  It's freezing, work has been beyond stressful, and I just wanted to huddle under a blanket, watch reality t.v. and eat soup out of a mug.   Unfortunately, I haven't gone shopping in about forever, so I had to create something from my nearly-bare cupboards.  Good news is that I am ALWAYS up for a soup challenge and as long as I have water and some random ingredients I usually luck out.    I made today's soup with wheat berries because, as a whole grain, a wheat berry is a veritable powerhouse of nutrition.  I also used wheat berries because I didn't have anything else on my empty shelves!

4 cups water
1 cup wheat berries
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon Earth Balance (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 (.7 ounce) packet of powdered miso soup mix (enough for 2 servings.  This is optional.  If you don't have it, just taste the broth and add more of the other seasonings to taste)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup collard greens, drained
1/2 brick of extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed

1.  Bring water to boil with all the ingredients added except collard greens and tofu. 

2.  Once boiling, add the collard greens and tofu, cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the berries soften.  Wheat berries will not be as tender as, say, barley when done, but will soften up quite a bit.  They have a chewy texture and a nutty flavor.

3.  Stir occasionally as it simmers, making sure that the wheat berries are not sticking to the bottom.  When berries are tender, taste broth again and add seasoning if needed.

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