Honey Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry

Never doubt the beloved cast iron skillet. It is the best, most perfect nonstick pan, and is a healthy cooking choice. TRUST. I originally opted for my wok when making this, but regretted it as soon as the tofu was sticking like crazy to the bottom of the "nonstick" pan. I irritably moved the tofu to my cast iron, and everything was peachy again. I'm sorry my dear cast iron for ever doubting you.

Aside from the minor tofu meltdown, this stir fry was very successful. I love a good stir fry! They're super quick, making them perfect for a weeknight, and they're pretty easy to improvise. I used carrots and snow peas, but mushrooms (always say yes to mushrooms), broccoli, or asparagus would be awesome as well. Feel free to switch out the veggies in the recipe, and use whatever you have on hand!  To me, what usually makes one stir fry stand apart from another is the sauce, and this one is super! Full of fresh ginger and garlic, it's savory and delish. You may have a bit leftover, so don't be afraid to get creative. I'm sure it would be crazy good with fried rice, or on top of fish or chicken. Regardless, I'm sure you'll hoover this recipe, just like we did. 

Honey Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry

Notes: I used coconut oil in place of canola oil to make a healthier stir fry. Coconut oil has a high smoke point, making it work just as well as canola oil. Plus, it's tasty. I shredded the carrots, but I think I'll either chop them next time or use match sticks. Though they were pretty, the shredded carrots tended to clump up, and it was difficult to separate them.

Ingredients

For the stir fry

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice

2 tablespoons coconut oil

14 ounces extra firm tofu

2 cups chopped snow peas, or green veggie of choice

2 cups carrots, shredded, chopped or julienned-your call!

3 green onions

For the stir fry sauce

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons fresh ginger

2 tablespoons honey (more to taste)

1/2 cup tamari, or low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 

1/4 cup coconut oil

Directions

First, make the sauce. Puree all the sauce ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.

Cook the rice according to package directions (remember, brown rice needs about 45 minutes of cooking time!). Cut the tofu into slices and press with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Wait a few minutes and press again-there's a lot of water in there! Cut the tofu slices into small cubes. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet (cast iron is dreamy here!) over medium heat. When the oil is shiny, add the tofu and about 1/4 cup of the stir fry sauce (watch out because the sauce and oil will splatter a tiny bit. Have a cover, just in case). Pan-fry the tofu until golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel lined plates.

Return the pan to the heat and add the snow peas, try not to stir too much, as you want the veggies to get a little charred (at least I do!). When the snow peas are bright green and slightly charred, add the carrots and 1/4 cup of stir fry sauce, and toss. Arrange the veggies and tofu over the cooked rice, and cover with more sauce to taste. Sprinkle with the green onions.

Recipe Source: adapted from Pinch of Yum

Peanut Soba Noodle Bowls

In the past month, I think we've had about three days off, so I've had little motivation to cook. We're tired! Plus, what I have cooked hasn't been blog worthy. That is, up until now. 

I first fell in love with soba noodles with this soup, and have been itching to try them in different recipes ever since (I think I just love buckwheat, because I've also found I love buckwheat tea). I thought a peanut sauce sounded perfect, plus, I've never made one myself. I found this recipe on Eat Live Run, and made my own adjustments that I felt were necessary. First, I added garlic to the peanut sauce, and also decided to garnish the noodles with green onions in addition to the cilantro. So delicious, and good for you. The more colorful the plate, the better it is for you! The peanut sauce yields a lot, so feel free to half the sauce recipe. I made the full amount, so I think maybe I'll use it for a salad, or another batch of soba.

Peanut Soba Noodle Bowls

Ingredients

Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari, whichever you have on hand works

1/3 cup warm water

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 knob fresh ginger, chopped or grated (about 2 tablespoons)

1 clove garlic

Noodles:

8 ounces soba noodles

4 small bok choys, rinsed

2 bell peppers (she used 2 red, I used 1 red and 1 yellow, as that's what was cheapest)

16 ounces firm cubed tofu*

1 tablespoon canola oil

Green onion and freshly chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

Make the peanut sauce by combining all ingredients in a blender or food processor, blending until smooth. If a thinner sauce is desired, add more warm water.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and heat up the oil. Once the skillet is very hot, add the tofu, and sear for about 8-10 minutes. Don't stir, but toss with the pan instead.

In a large bowl, add the tofu slices to the bell peppers. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and quickly blanch the bok choy for about 30 seconds. Remove, and carefully squeeze away extra water (I used paper towels). Coarsely chop, and add the the bell pepper mixture.

Using the same pot of boiling water, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. When ready, rinse under cold water and add to the bowl of veggies, and combine.

Divide noodles amongst four bowls, and add about a tablespoon of peanut sauce to each bowl. Top each bowl with fresh minced cilantro and green onions.

*Tofu. It's not my favorite, though I do like it fried and crunchy. I could live with or without it in this recipe, so feel free to leave it out if tofu isn't your thing. That being said, Chris thought there could've been more tofu!

Recipe Source: adapted from Eat Live Run

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

After months of pinning recipes on Pinterest, this is my first one to actually make. Oddly enough, I found it only a few days ago, and thankfully had the perfect reason to test it out. Chris and Eloy have been playing soccer with other members of our orchestra the past few Saturdays. The game starts at noon, but they leave around 10am, because of the hour long commute and to catch a ride with a friend. The big question? When to eat lunch. There is no time for them between 10am and about 3pm to eat. Enter this amazing pasta salad.

I made the pasta salad the night before, but decided not to add the green onion and cilantro until right before. I didn't want it to get soggy, but looking back I think it would've been fine. This was perfect because they were able to get their carbs in before playing, and it traveled incredibly well. The next time I talked to Chris, he told me he loved the pasta salad, even before I had a chance to ask him. This is coming from a man who I have to bombard with questions after I make something to get some kind of concrete response. Am I the only girl out there who hates the word "sure" in response to a question?

Not only is this salad delicious, it takes no time to make. If you already have cooked chicken, this dish will take you all of 15 minutes to prepare. You can also use the sesame dressing recipe for other salads. I'll definitely be making this again, especially if I'm going back to graduate school next year. It's the perfect lunch!

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 (16oz) package bow tie pasta

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/4 cup without any problems, though if you plan of having this last you a few days, maybe use the full amount of oil)

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 cups cooked chicken (shredded or cut up into small chunks)

1/3 cup cilantro (chopped)

1/3 cup green onion (sliced)

Directions

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add sesame seeds and cook while stirring until they are lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook according to package direction until Al Dente. Drain pasta and cool. Transfer to a very large bowl.

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, add the sesame seeds, vegetable oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, and black pepper. Shake well. Pour the dressing over the noodles. Add the chicken and mix well. Add the green onions and cilantro and serve.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Blog Chef

Bok Choy with Bacon

I never had bok choy until I moved to China. I would always see it in grocery stores, but never knew what to do with it. Do you eat it raw in a salad? Soups? Steamed? 

In China, most of the time it's served hot and wilted, usually cooked by a quick fry. The first time I had it in a restaurant here, I was immediately in love, and every time it's served on one of our trips, I scoop a big pile onto my plate. Since bok choy is so abundant here (and super cheap!) I decided I wanted to try cooking some at home. As you can imagine, we eat a lot of Chinese food, so Chris hasn't been in the mood for Chinese when we have another choice. Well, today Chris and Eloy went to play soccer with some people from our orchestra, so I had the afternoon to myself and decided I would make what I wanted: bok choy with bacon. 

I bought the bok choy weeks ago, and it kept amazingly well. When I first saw this recipe, I immediately added it to my list, because anything that has bacon in it has got to be a winner. Bacon is magical, period. I made this as a side to some rice with green onions and steamed dumplings. Of course it was amazing. Such a simple side dish with lots of flavor, and a little kick of spice. I think I made this awesome lunch from start to finish in about 20 minutes (and I'm not the fastest chopper..gotta take care of the flutie fingers!) If you're new to bok choy, or are searching for ways to cook bok choy (hi Katie!), give this quick and simple recipe a go. You'll really love it!

Bok Choy with Bacon

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 pounds baby bok choy, with ends cut off

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 a small red onion, chopped

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt to taste

Directions

Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy (or medium low heat, depending on your stove). Remove bacon, reserving one tablespoon grease in the skillet. Add the olive oil, onion, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until the onions start to become tender.

Add the bok choy, toss, and place a lid on the pan. Let cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove the lid; cook and stir until the bok choy is tender but still crunchy, about 2 minutes. Stir in the bacon, and season with salt. Serve piping hot!

Recipe Source: adapted from AllRecipes.com

Chicken and Soba Noodle Soup

This was another great recipe I found from Apple a Day. This soup caught my attention immediately, because I happened to have the two odd ball ingredients on hand: soba noodles and miso. I inherited the soba noodles from a former roommate, and had miso to use up from a soup I made. The end result was terrific! It was very flavorful and a definite feel good food. It's incredibly light, though very filling. I had a hard time finishing this serving! Next time I make this soup, I will half the recipe, as it yielded 8 or more servings! From start to finish, this soup was ready to eat in under thirty minutes, making it a perfect weeknight meal.

Chicken and Soba Noodle Soup

Adapted from Apple a Day, who adapted it from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients

3/4 lb. dried soba (buckwheat) noodles

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1/4 cup yellow or white miso

1 1/2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 large boneless, skinless whole chicken breast, cut into thin strips

2 cups packed baby spinach leaves

3 green onions, white and green portions, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until just tender, about four minutes. Drain and set aside.

Using the same pan, reduce heat to medium high and whisk together the stock, water, miso, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the miso is completely dissolved, about three minutes.

Add the chicken strips and cook until just opaque throughout, about two minutes.

Add the spinach and cook until slightly softened but still bright green, about one minute. Add the green onions and cook for one minute more. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Using tongs, divide the noodles evenly among warmed bowls. Ladle the soup on top of the noodles. Serve immediately.

Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame

THREE MORE DAYS until I'm home in Mississippi with my family. I can't wait. It has been an incredibly long seven months here in Beijing. Since I wasn't home for Thanksgiving or Christmas I'll have both when I get home, including a big turkey dinner. My mom and I will be cooking up a storm, and I can't wait. It will be nice to have access to an actual oven, not the "easybake" oven I have here (aka toaster/convection oven). I already have a list started for all the things I want to make while I'm there, so stay tuned!

The second I saw this soup on Smitten Kitchen I knew I had to have it. First of all, I love carrot soup, second, if Deb doesn’t love carrot soup but loved this one it has to be good, and third, I knew it would be easy to get the miso and sesame. HELLO...I am in China after all, and there’s a Japanese grocery store down the street.  Being that we’re all still recovering from Christmas binges, this soup is perfect for those of us who made resolutions to eat better.

Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame

Ingredients

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds carrots, peeled, thinly sliced*

1 large onion, chopped

4 large or 6 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed (naturally, I did 6 large. I love garlic)

1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger, or more to taste (could easily be doubled)

4 cups vegetable broth

¼ cup white miso paste

To finish:

Drizzle of toasted sesame oil

2 scallions very thinly sliced

Directions

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and garlic, and sauté until onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add broth and ginger; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer about thirty minutes, or until carrots are tender.

Carefully puree soup in a blender in batches, blending in the miso during the last batch. Return soup to the pot, and season with salt and pepper (I found that the miso was salty enough, so I didn’t add any salt).

Ladle into bowls and garnish with a TINY drizzle of sesame oil and a small amount of scallions.

What you see in the picture I took was my bowl of soup, where I added way too much oil. It just needs a teensy bit to reach carrot miso sesame perfection. I even tried some without the oil and it was still very flavorful.

*Save the peels! I always save scraps of onions, carrots, and celery (especially the leaves), and put it in the freezer. Once I have a bag full, which doesn’t take long, I use the scraps to make stock.

Recipe Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen