Vegetable Lettuce Wraps with Soy Dipping Sauce

When the temperature starts to rise I can’t help but want fresh veggies all day long. These wraps are great for just that purpose. They are very versatile because you can use any vegetables you like. The dipping sauce is so good I could drink it. Goodness I sure do love a big, colorful plate of deliciousness.

Vegetable Lettuce Wraps
serves 4

1/2 – 1 cup each of fresh vegetables, I used tomato, carrot, scallions, avocado and shelled edemame
1 cup chow main noodles, I used these
4 cup lettuce leaves

Ginger Soy Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 lime, juice and zest

*If you want to add meat I would suggest shrimp or flaky fish like tilapia or swai.

 

Greek Wraps with Crispy Tempeh

I can’t wait to tell you about this:

But first, a confession. I know that I challenged you last week to try tempeh but I feel the need to tell you that I know it’s not easy to just buy a package of something you’ve never tried before. Specially something that could be as foreign as soy in the typical American diet. My best friend, Ashley, has been wanting to try tempeh for a while but can’t bring herself to buy it!

To which I responded with brutal honesty. If you’ve read my story on becoming a vegetarian, you know that it wasn’t an easy decision. I was very freaked out about meat substitutes and had (have?) no clue how to prepare them. But I try! This recipe is definitely a success. If you’re on the fence about trying tempeh, or any other meat substitute, I encourage you to just try it once. You never have to eat it again if you don’t like it!

Back to this amazing recipe. Uhmm, this yogurt sauce? HEAVENLY. Make this and slather it on everything. You hear me? EVERY.THING.

Greek Wraps with Crispy Tempeh
Serves 2

4 oz soy tempeh, cut into strips
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp granulated garlic
Salt & pepper to taste
Garlic & mint yogurt sauce, recipe follows
1 large pita loaf, about 10″ in diameter, split in two. I use these, but you can use any wraps you like.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a small skillet. Add the tempeh in one layer so the strips begin to crisp. Season on each side. Cook until both side are crisp and golden brown.

Optional Wrap Fillers:
Olives
Tomato
Cucumber
Feta cheese (do this. amazing.)
Spinach
Scallion
Peppers

Garlic & Mint Yogurt Sauce
Yields about 1/4 cup

1/4 cup keifer cheese (you can substitute Greek Yogurt)
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together!

To assemble the wraps spread half of the yogurt sauce on each loaf half. Layer your fillers and roll. 

I can’t wait for Ashley to try this! This recipe is for you, my dear :).

Note: This can be made vegan if you use vegan yogurt substitute, vegan cream cheese or vegan mayonnaise.

Tempeh Tortilla Stacks

Bev made this recipe and it looks amazing. Have you checked it out yet? I wanted to make a similar recipe for the vegetarian palate and with ingredients I had on hand.All you need to know is that these rock and you have to shove them in your face ASAP.

Tempeh Tortilla Stacks
seves 2

1/2 onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup yellow corn kernels, I used frozen
1/2 cup canned black bean, drained & rinsed
4 oz tempeh, crumbled*
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 – 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, torn or chopped
1 avocado, sliced
4 small flour tortillas

Preheat the oven to 400º F. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tempeh, corn, black beans, spices and lemon juice. Cook the mixture for 5 – 10 minutes. Lay a tortilla on a greased baking sheet and start to build the stacks.
Tortilla > 1/4 of the cheese > 1/4 of the spinach > 1/4 of the tempeh mixture > torn cilantro > 1/4 avocado > 1/4 cheese > REPEAT

Bake the stacks for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp. 
A little hot sauce on top MAKES THIS. You could also top these with salsa, sour cream, MORE CHEESE, fresh tomato. Pretty much anything.

*You can absolutely make this with ground beef/chicken/turkey but I want to challenge you to make this with tempeh if you’ve never tried it! I promise you will not know the difference if you give it a try. The best way to crumble the tempeh is to slice it and then rough chop.

**Make these vegan by using vegan cheese!

Falafel, Take Two

It’s hard for me to choose which falafel recipe I like better. I don’t think I can choose because I adore falafels, specifically these two recipes. This particular one is very similar to the black bean ‘meatballs’ I made last week.

Falafels are usually fried but these are baked and have very little fat. When you bake them they get so fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Pretty much a match made in heaven.

Baked Falafel Balls
Makes about 15

1 – 15oz can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/4 cup onion or scallion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Juice of one lemon
salt, to taste
1/4 – 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
*Optional – cilantro would be great in this!

Preheat the oven to 425º F. Add all the ingredients to a food processor except for the water and breadcrumbs. Turn on the processor and slowly stream in the water just until the mixture comes together, keep in mind that you may need more or less water. Place the mixture in bowl and mix in the breadcrumbs with a spatula. Working with your hands, roll 1″ balls and place on a baking sheet lined with cooking spray. Bake the falafels for 15 – 18 minutes.

I ate mine with tahini dressing and some veggies on the side.

BUT Pierre ate his in a pita. Sorry for the crumby phone pic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this meal and will probably be making a new version again this week.

 

Parmesan Cilantro Potatoes

I have a love / hate relationship with potatoes. I love the taste and versatility and the way they make me feel about myself. But I hate the fact that they go straight to my thighs. Ugh.

This recipe is so easy and you can modify the ingredients if you don’t like cilantro (what??). I made these because I love you. Oh, the sacrifices I make for the blog.

Parmesan Cilantro Potatoes
Serves 2

1 large russet potato, cut into wedges
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Toss the potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until they are cooked through and start to crisp on the edges. Meanwhile, mix the cilantro and cheese.

Toss the potatoes with the herb and cheese mixture while they are still hot from the oven and serve.

You’re welcome, thighs.

Quinoa Taboulie Zucchini Boats

I can say with 100% certainty that this is one of my all time favorite recipes. Ever.  I talked about my obsession with taboulie a long time ago. Please excuse my sorry excuse for a photo in that post, whoa. Anyway, I actually make and eat taboulie about 5 times a week. Eva loves it and now that I’ve made it over a million times in my life, I can pretty much make it in 10 minutes or less for a quick lunch.

As a die hard taboulie lover I can tell you that the store bought stuff doesn’t appeal to me and when restaurants add ingredients that, in my opinion, have absolutely no business in taboulie, it makes me mad (I’m looking at you, cucumber). Well, I broke my own rule and added quinoa. In my defense this isn’t taboulie with quinoa in it, it’s more like quinoa with taboulie flavors. It helps me sleep at night.

Quinoa Taboulie Zucchini Boats
Serves 2 – 4

4 mini zucchini (about 6 in in length), cut lengthwise and pulp removed*
1/2 cup cooked quinoa, any color (I made 1/2 dry white and red combo and ended up with about a cup total because I like having cooked quinoa in the fridge for quick meals)
1/2 cup tomato, chopped and seeded
1 tbsp onion or scallion, chopped
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp olive oil
salt to taste
Feta cheese or parmesan cheese, optional

Preheat the oven to 425º F. Mix all the ingredients together and fill the zucchini boats.

Bake on a baking sheet, with a little cooking spray or olive oil, for 15 – 18 minutes and serve hot! Sprinkle a little cheese on top for some added amazing flavor.

*Carefully scoop out the zucchini pulp with a spoon. Try and get as much out as possible without tearing the outer skin. Don’t throw away the pulp! It’s great to add into any veggie stir fry or salad. I actually made a pasta sauce and tossed some right into the pot. Also, these were pretty tender for I left the tops on but feel free to chop those off if you’d like.

Black Bean Taco ‘Meatballs’

These are amazing. I know I say that a lot, but really, these are amazing. They look just like regular meatballs, right? These are anything but ordinary.

I was in the market for a new easy, go to meal and I got it. Eva popped these back like they were candy. Well, not really because I broke them up for her, but in theory. You catch my drift. I had a pretty happy husband, too.

Black Bean Taco ‘Meatballs’
serves 4, about 16 ‘meatballs’

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup onion or 2 scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
Cooking spray
Small tortilla wraps
Any taco/burrito toppings you like!

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor except for the oli and breadcrumbs. Turn on the processor and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until everything is mixed together. You may have to stop the processor and scrap the sides down a few times. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs and stir everything together until it’s all combined. Roll about 1 tablespoon of  the mixture with your hands to make 1″ balls. Lay them on a baking sheet lined with foil and cooking spray or a light coating of oil.

Bake for 25 – 28 minutes or until they are slightly crisp on the outside.

Assemble these as you like! I just mashed up and avocado and wrapped them in a small tortilla with tomatoes.

So delicious!

Notes:

• You could made this recipe with ground beef/chicken/turkey
• These will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months if tightly sealed
• These make a wonderful salad topping or lettuce wrap filler
• You can play with the spices and make this your own flavor
• Simply omit the cheese to make these vegan
• These will last up to 6 months in the freezer if tightly stored

Coconut Curry Seafood Stew

This recipe totally hit the spot.

I think we’ce seen the last of winter around here! But some days we wake up to chilly temps and it sometimes sets the mood for a soup dinner. I’m pretty sure this is the last soup you’ll see for a few months.  Here’s to wishful thinking!

Coconut Curry Seafood Stew
Serves 4

1 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp tomato paste
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cup butternut squash, cubed into bite sized pieces
2 tsp grated ginger root OR 1 tsp ground ginger
15 oz can coconut milk
15 oz vegetable stock or water (after I dumped the coconut milk into the pot, I filled the can with water and added that)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
2 lb fresh seafood*
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup roasted cauliflower
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a heavy dutch oven, or stock pot, over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until they are fragrant. Add the grape tomatoes, tomato paste and butternut squash and cook for another minute or two. Add the coconut milk and stock or water, scraping any bits at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the spices and seafood. Allow the stew to simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through. Turn off the heat and add the cilantro.

Serve with roasted cauliflower on top and a biscuit (or naan) on the side!

*Use your favorites! Pierre is allergic to shellfish so I used white fish cut into 1″ cubes. You can use shrimp, lobster, muscles, clams, scallops and even crab! This would be delicious with any of those! Make sure you discard any muscles or clams that do not open after cooking.

Baked Zucchini Fries

We are finally over this cold! Well, I am, Eva is still working on hers. But thankfully she almost back to 100%. It’s been a rough week, sorry for my lack of posts! I made these zucchini fries, delicious and healthy, as a peace offering.

4 ingredients and an oven is all you need. And a knife. And some garlic aioli to dunk them into. you catch my drift.

Baked Zucchini Fries
Serves 2 – 4

2 medium zucchini squash, cut into match sticks about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick.
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 Panko breadcrumbs

Mix the Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Toss the zucchini sticks in olive oil and then coat in the crumb and cheese mixture. Lay on a greased baking rack* and roast in a preheated 425ºF oven until they start to brown, about 15 – 20 minutes.
These are great with any garlic aioli (mayo, grated garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and lemon juice) or even ranch dressing. I can’t get enough.

*I lined a baking sheet with foil and used a cookie cooling rack! If you do not have a rack you can just lay them on a baking sheet and turn them over halfway through cooking so they brown on all sides.

 

Kale + Squash Salad

This salad is so amazing. For a while, I only ate kale in delicious chip form because I was too nervous to try it raw. Sometimes, when the leaves are a little larger and tougher, it can be bitter and I just didn’t know what to do with it. But now I do and I am no longer afraid. I guess it’s true what they say about your palate maturing with age.

This salad totally hit the spot. I also added this almond and pomegranate combo I found at the grocery store. Sorry for the obnoxiously bright photo.

Kale & Squash Salad
Serves 2

4 -6 cups kale leave, washed, dried and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup butternut squash, (I cut mine into half-moons about 1/2 in thick but you can cut it however you’d like)
1 tsp each ground cumin, garlic powder, chili powder & smoked paprika
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup Almond Accents
2 tsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Lime & Garlic Dressing
1 lime, juiced
1 small garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

Heat the oven to 350ºF. Toss the squash in olive oil and spices and roast for 15-20 minutes.

While the squash cooks, add the kale and a small amount of salt to a skillet over medium heat and wilt for a few minutes. The idea isn’t to completely cook down the kale, just to get to lose some volume and crisp on the edges a little. Toss continuously until all the volume has reduced by half.

Add the wilted kale to a bowl and top with all the ingredients and a light drizzle of the dressing.