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Cashew Stir-fry with Noodles

July 31, 2012 by epicureanvegan

Sorry for the absence…I haven’t been making new dishes over the last couple of weeks, but instead, have been relying on some old favorites like enchiladas, creamy cashew pasta, and tofu sandwiches. We are leaving Wednesday for Santa Fe and Taos, so it was a good time to use up the veggies in the fridge. I’m excited to bring you lots of wonderful vegan food and news from New Mexico. It’s been ten years since we’ve there and we’re looking forward to going back. Of course, any road trip is not complete in my household without an accident/injury a day or two before leaving. (Last year, the Eighth Grader got his two front teeth knocked out during a trampoline incident. We were supposed to drive to Southern CO for a wedding. It didn’t happen. Spring Break this year was altered after the kid’s appendectomy). It was my turn, I guess. I got a little too excited trying out my new mandolin slicer Sunday night…

I should have seen it coming. I’ve heard the horror stories associated with the mandolin, but I bought one the other day anyway. First time I use it, I slice a pretty large chunk off my right pinkie finger. I’m lucky though, it could have been worse. I was millimeters short of taking off bone and nail! Yikes. Good thing I married an Eagle Scout. He kept me calm and got it wrapped up. I ended up going to urgent care yesterday morning and they cleaned it up good, wrapped it, and I have to go back today to have it looked at. The doc said it will take several months to heal. 🙁 The mandolin is in timeout.

Had I not been an idiot and lost part of an appendage, I probably would have used it to make this stir-fry, but I decided to stick with a good old-fashioned knife. It was slow-going, but I had some help. I picked up some East-West Stir-fry Sauce and these awesome ramen noodles from Hakubaku. Both were outstanding. The sauce had a mild flavor with just a tiny bit of zip. I used about 1/2 the jar, but feel free to use as much or as little as you’d like.

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium zucchinis, cut into sticks
6 mushrooms, quartered
6 celery stalks, sliced
1 bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 can bamboo shoots, drained
6 green onions, sliced
1-2 handfuls of cashews
3 Tbs freshly grated gingerroot
1 jar East-est Stir-fry Sauce
9.5-oz Hakubaku noodles
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the zucchini, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until they begin to get tender, about 7-9 minutes.

Add the bamboo shoots and ginger. Cook another 5 -7 minutes.

The noodles will take four minutes to cook in boiling water, so when you toss them in to cook, add the mushrooms, green onion, and cashews to the skillet. Cook 2 minutes…then add the sauce. Stir well to combine and saute to heat the sauce.

Drain the noodles and serve them topped with some stir-fry. Enjoy!

Cashew Stir-fry with Noodles

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

2 medium zucchinis, cut into sticks
6 mushrooms, quartered
6 celery stalks, sliced
1 bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 can bamboo shoots, drained
6 green onions, sliced
1-2 handfuls of cashews
3 Tbs freshly grated gingerroot
1 jar East-est Stir-fry Sauce
9.5-oz Hakubaku noodles
Olive oil

Directions

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the zucchini, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until they begin to get tender, about 7-9 minutes.
Add the bamboo shoots and ginger. Cook another 5 -7 minutes.
The noodles will take four minutes to cook in boiling water, so when you toss them in to cook, add the mushrooms, green onion, and cashews to the skillet. Cook 2 minutes...then add the sauce. Stir well to combine and saute to heat the sauce.
Drain the noodles and serve them topped with some stir-fry. Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Boca Nugget Stir-fry

January 3, 2012 by epicureanvegan

Stir-fries are great ways to use up veggies and they’re typically easy to throw together. I didn’t feel like using tempeh or tofu, so I went with Boca nuggets. The sweet and sour sauce came out perfect–a great balance of both elements!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg. Boca nuggets
2 C mushrooms, cut into chunks
6-8 green onions, sliced
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 C carrots, sliced thin
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 C cooked rice
Sauce:
2/3 C rice vinegar
8 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs ketchup
2 tsp tamari
4 tsp arrowroot
6 tsp water

DIRECTIONS:
The sauce won’t take long to make, so I suggest combining everything in a small saucepan (except the arrowroot and water) and set aside for now. Bake the nuggets according to the bag’s instructions (12-13 minutes). Then cut each nugget into fourths. (And if using rice, don’t forget to get it started, too!)

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add the water chestnuts and carrots and cook until tender. Add the mushrooms, green onion, and Boca nuggets.

At this point, bring the sauce to a boil. Mix together the water and arrowroot and whisk it into the sauce to thicken it up. This should only take about a minute.

Pour the sauce over the veggies/nuggets and combine well. Serve over hot white rice and enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Boca Nugget Stir-fry

Stir-fries are great ways to use up veggies and they're typically easy to throw together. I didn't feel like using tempeh or tofu, so I went with Boca nuggets. The sweet and sour sauce came out perfect--a great balance of both elements!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 pkg. Boca nuggets
2 C mushrooms, cut into chunks
6-8 green onions, sliced
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 C carrots, sliced thin
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 C cooked rice
Sauce:
⅔ C rice vinegar
8 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs ketchup
2 tsp tamari
4 tsp arrowroot
6 tsp water

Directions

The sauce won't take long to make, so I suggest combining everything in a small saucepan (except the arrowroot and water) and set aside for now. Bake the nuggets according to the bag's instructions (12-13 minutes). Then cut each nugget into fourths. (And if using rice, don't forget to get it started, too!)
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add the water chestnuts and carrots and cook until tender. Add the mushrooms, green onion, and Boca nuggets.
At this point, bring the sauce to a boil. Mix together the water and arrowroot and whisk it into the sauce to thicken it up. This should only take about a minute.
Pour the sauce over the veggies/nuggets and combine well. Serve over hot white rice and enjoy!

Asian Veggie Salad with Almonds

July 13, 2011 by epicureanvegan

This is a simple summer salad that is ideal for parties and picnics. It’s also easy to throw together and I love the Asian dressing, too—gives it a yummy, peanutty-flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 C corn kernels, thawed (if frozen)
1-1/2 C cabbage, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 C edamame, thawed (if frozen)
1/2 a cucumber, sliced, then halved
1 C slivered almonds
1/3 C Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing (from Kraft)

DIRECTIONS:
In a small, dry skillet, toast the almonds for a few minutes, until they begin to brown.

In a large bowl, combine all the veggies. Add the dressing and coat thoroughly. Note: if you are making this ahead of time, stir in the nuts just before serving, as they can get mushy if they sit too long in the dressing. Enjoy!

Asian Veggie Salad with Almonds

This is a simple summer salad that is ideal for parties and picnics. It's also easy to throw together and I love the Asian dressing, too---gives it a yummy, peanutty-flavor.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 C corn kernels, thawed (if frozen)
1-1/2 C cabbage, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 C edamame, thawed (if frozen)
½ a cucumber, sliced, then halved
1 C slivered almonds
⅓ C Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing (from Kraft)

Directions

In a small, dry skillet, toast the almonds for a few minutes, until they begin to brown.
In a large bowl, combine all the veggies. Add the dressing and coat thoroughly. Note: if you are making this ahead of time, stir in the nuts just before serving, as they can get mushy if they sit too long in the dressing. Enjoy!

Tacos with Pear Cilantro Slaw

July 1, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I can’t make anything with cilantro in it and not think of my friend, Kerrie. She often checks out my recipes, but when one of them has cilantro in it, she’s very upfront with me about her dislike for the herb. Even just talking about it with her induces her gag reflex. I on the other hand, love it and so I apologize, Kerrie, that the last 2 recipes I’ve posted have had a cup of *gag* cilantro in them! I guarantee however, you’d like these tacos sans your least favorite herb . . . 🙂 The recipe is from VegNews and I made some minor alterations. For one, I couldn’t find Korean red pepper and I left off the avocados (much to my dismay) because they were priced at $1.99 each! They still turned out delish—especially with that cilantro!

INGREDIENTS:
For the tofu:
6 garlic cloves, crushed (I used minced)
1/4 C soy sauce (or tamari)
2 rounded Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs sesame seeds
1 Tbs peanut oil or vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 tsp tomato paste (I froze the rest)
1-1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp Korean red pepper (I used regular red pepper)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 14-oz pkg. extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into 8 slices

For the Pear Cilantro Slaw:
1 large Asian pear
2-1/2 C finely shredded cabbage
1 C chopped cilantro
1-2 jalapeno peppers, roasted and finely chopped (I used 1 rounded Tbs of canned)
2 green onions, finely chopped|
3 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs agave
1/2 tsp salt
The rest:
8 tortillas
8 leaves of green lettuce
2 avocados, sliced
(Optional): mung, soybean, or radish sprouts, hot sauce. I added a shredded carrot.
I also decided to make a sour cream dressing: 1/2 C Tofutti sour cream mixed with some lime juice, garlic salt, and cumin—to taste.

DIRECTIONS:
For the tofu, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, sesame seeds, peanut oil (or other oil), tomato paste, sesame oil, red pepper powder, and green onions.

I used an 8″x8″ baking dish, poured some marinade in it, placed the tofu on top, then layered on the rest of the marinade. Spread it around evenly.

The recipe says to marinate for 20 minutes, but since I had some time earlier in the afternoon, I made it then and stuck it in the fridge—tightly covered.

To make the slaw, quarter the pear, remove the core and grate it, using the largest holes on a box grater. Squeeze the pear shreds of excess liquid. Place in a large bowl and add the other slaw ingredients; combine well.

Over medium-high heat, heat a cast iron, or other skillet and spray with cooking spray. Cook the tofu for about 3 minutes per side, or until brown along the edges. The recipe didn’t specify whether or not to keep the marinade, so I just added it with the tofu.

I then sliced each tofu slab into 3 pieces to make it easier to eat in a taco.

Serve in a warmed tortilla with the lettuce leaf, carrot (and any other optional ingredient), slaw, and tofu. I also drizzle on some of my sour cream sauce. So delicious!! Enjoy!

Tacos with Pear Cilantro Slaw

The recipe is from VegNews and I made some minor alterations. For one, I couldn't find Korean red pepper and I left off the avocados (much to my dismay) because they were priced at $1.99 each! They still turned out delish.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

For the tofu:
6 garlic cloves, crushed (I used minced)
¼ C soy sauce (or tamari)
2 rounded Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs sesame seeds
1 Tbs peanut oil or vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 tsp tomato paste (I froze the rest)
1-1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
½ tsp Korean red pepper (I used regular red pepper)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 14-oz pkg. extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into 8 slices
For the Pear Cilantro Slaw:
1 large Asian pear
2-1/2 C finely shredded cabbage
1 C chopped cilantro
1-2 jalapeno peppers, roasted and finely chopped (I used 1 rounded Tbs of canned)
2 green onions, finely chopped|
3 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs agave
½ tsp salt
The rest:
8 tortillas
8 leaves of green lettuce
2 avocados, sliced
(Optional): mung, soybean, or radish sprouts, hot sauce. I added a shredded carrot.
I also decided to make a sour cream dressing: ½ C Tofutti sour cream mixed with some lime juice, garlic salt, and cumin---to taste.

Directions

For the tofu, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, sesame seeds, peanut oil (or other oil), tomato paste, sesame oil, red pepper powder, and green onions.
I used an 8"x8" baking dish, poured some marinade in it, placed the tofu on top, then layered on the rest of the marinade. Spread it around evenly.
The recipe says to marinate for 20 minutes, but since I had some time earlier in the afternoon, I made it then and stuck it in the fridge---tightly covered.
To make the slaw, quarter the pear, remove the core and grate it, using the largest holes on a box grater. Squeeze the pear shreds of excess liquid. Place in a large bowl and add the other slaw ingredients; combine well.
Over medium-high heat, heat a cast iron, or other skillet and spray with cooking spray. Cook the tofu for about 3 minutes per side, or until brown along the edges. The recipe didn't specify whether or not to keep the marinade, so I just added it with the tofu.
I then sliced each tofu slab into 3 pieces to make it easier to eat in a taco.
Serve in a warmed tortilla with the lettuce leaf, carrot (and any other optional ingredient), slaw, and tofu. I also drizzle on some of my sour cream sauce. So delicious!! Enjoy!

Tasty Harmony

November 18, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 18

Doesn’t that look wonderful! They are Asian Lettuce Wraps that my favorite restaurant makes (and they happen to be the only vegan restaurant in town). They are amazing! Tasty Harmony is a fabulous restaurant downtown that seems to always be packed when we go there. Thanks to them, I’ve discovered jackfruit tacos, sea vegetables, and an incredible nondairy raw key lime pie! I love to bring meat-eaters there because it’s impossible not to love their food!

Photo: Feasting Fort CollinsSo if you ever find yourself in Downtown Fort Collins, CO, hit up Tasty Harmony. If not, try my own version of Asian Lettuce Wraps.

Tofu in Tahini Sauce

November 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 4

I know, a very monochromatic meal! The recipe called for mixing half the sauce with the rice, or other accompaniment, but feel free to omit that step, especially for a less beige result. I also recommend adding some steam asparagus and/or mushrooms, or broccoli. This is simple and the sauce is rich and delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
1-14oz pkg firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 Tbs olive or peanut oil
1/3 C chopped peanuts, cashews, or a combination of both
Toasted sesame seeds

Sauce:
1/4 C soy sauce
1 Tbs tamari
1/4 C tahini
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp hot pepper sesame oil
1/2 a small white onion, chopped
1/3 C water
Salt, to taste

Accompaniment:
1 C Arborio rice (risotto)
1 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
1-1/2 C water

DIRECTIONS:
I recommend making the sauce first so that you don’t have to pan-fry the tofu at the same time. In a food processor, combine all of the sauce ingredients and puree until smooth. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine the water, margarine, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover tightly with a lid for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil. Slice the tofu into 7-8 steaks, then slice each diagonally in half. Add to the pan and fry each main side until golden brown.

Pour sauce over tofu and coat each piece of tofu.Remove from heat and stir in nuts. If using, add steamed (or roasted) veggies of your choice. Serve over rice, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!

Recipe: Adapted from Epicurious

Tempeh and Peanut Stir-fry

August 25, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is another quick meal to make when you’re short on time. You can substitute the soba noodles with rice if you’d like and add other ingredients such as bamboo shoots or Chinese snow peas.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg tempeh, diced
1 Tbs olive oil
1 med zucchini, sliced then quartered
1 red bell pepper, cut into large pieces
1/2 a med onion, cut into large pieces
8-10 mushrooms, quartered
1/2 C lightly salted peanuts
12-14 oz soba noodles or 2 C cooked rice
Sauce:
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/8 C water
1/2 C shoyu, tamari, or soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1/2 tsp brown rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp ginger
2 Tbs Hoisin sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. In the meantime, cook the noodles or rice. Add the zucchini, tempeh, onion, and bell pepper to the pan and saute for about 15 minutes. Drizzle with a little mirin. While these are cooking, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients, then whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce mixture. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook just a few minutes–I don’t like shriveled mushrooms, so I always add them last. Stir in the sauce and the peanuts and combine well. Let it simmer a couple of minutes, then serve on the noodles or rice. Enjoy!

Asian Coleslaw

August 14, 2010 by epicureanvegan

We received another head of cabbage from our CSA this week and I wanted to try making an Asian version of coleslaw.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cone-headed cabbage before. . .anyway, this is would great as a side dish, in a wrap with Asian-spiced seitan, baked tofu strips, or with plum sauce and sauteed tempeh.

INGREDIENTS:
1 head of cabbage, sliced thin/shredded
3 Tbs rice vinegar
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1-1/2 Tbs Shoyu (you can also use tamari or soy sauce)
1-1/2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs grated ginger root
1 tsp garic, minced
1 large carrot, grated
1 yellow or red bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 C fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/8 C Vegenaise
3 green onions, sliced thin
1/4 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together vinegar, vegetable oil, shoyu, brown sugar, ginger root, Vegenaise, and garlic. Add cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, sunflower seeds, and slivered almonds. With a rubber spatula, fold and stir all the ingredients together until well combined. Enjoy!

For this, I layered on some plum sauce, the coleslaw and some teriyaki baked tofu on a tortilla, then warmed it in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Fold in half and enjoy a quick and tasty lunch or dinner!

Quick Szechuan Stir-Fry

August 12, 2010 by epicureanvegan

CAUTION: this can get hot very quickly—that is, when I make it. I tend to get a little heavy handed with the hot spices, much to the dismay of the rest of family. Once again, I put a little too much heat on this stir-fry, earning a few glares from the Husband and 6th Grader. They agreed that it was really tasty and liked the udon noodles a lot, but the numb lips interfered a little. Next time I’ll go easy on the szechuan sauce.

INGREDIENTS:
1-8oz pkg Koyo Organic round udon noodles
1/4-1/2 C szechuan sauce like San-J brand
1/4-1/3 C tamari sauce
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1″ pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 Tbs olive oil
1 small summer squash, cut into small pieces
1 can sliced water chestnuts
8-10 mushrooms, sliced
4-5 green onions, sliced
Toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:
Cook noodles according to package instructions (they take about 7-8 minutes). Heat olive oil and garlic in a skillet. Add bell pepper, water chestnuts, and squash; saute for about 15 minutes, or until softened. Add mushrooms, green onions, tamari, and szechuan sauce. I’d start with about a 1/4 cup of the szechuan sauce and go from there. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, then add the cooked noodles to the pan and stir to combine everything. Top with sesame seeds. Depending on how hot you make it, serve it with a hankie to wipe the brow! Enjoy!

Broccoli Almond Sweet-and-Sour Tofu

July 19, 2010 by epicureanvegan

There is definitely a method to this recipe and I learned that there are easier ways to make this dish than what the original recipe instructs. I also doubled the sauce recipe because I tend to wish I had done that with other sauces from this cookbook (Vegan Yum Yum). I’m glad I did because not only is the sauce delicious, it was made the tofu gooey with yumminess.

INGREDIENTS:
1 14-oz package extra firm tofu, drained
2 tsp egg replacer, plus 4 teaspoons water, mixed (I had to make a little more)
1/4 C cornstarch (Again, I needed a tad more)
1/4 C canola oil
1/2 C sliced almonds
1-2 cups steamed broccoli (I used 2 heads of broccoli)
Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Sweet and Sour Sauce: (recipe below is doubled)
6-1/2 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 C plus 2 Tbs water (I left this out for a thicker sauce)
4 Tbs plus 4 tsp sugar
4 Tbs tamari
4 tsp ketchup
2 tsp molasses
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 Tbs cornstarch, plus 2 Tbs water, mixed (I didn’t double this–didn’t need to)

DIRECTIONS:
Slice the tofu into triangles or cubes. Toss the tofu with the end replacer/water mixture until coated . I would use a large ziploc bag–much easier than a bowl. Then toss in cornstarch. Again, I recommend using a ziplock bag for this and coat each piece thoroughly.

I would then make the sauce. You can also make it while frying the tofu, but I found it hard to do both at the same time. To make the sauce: In a small saucepan, mix rice vinegar, water (if using), sugar, tamari, ketchup, molasses, ginger powder, and salt and whisk over medium heat until the sugar and salt is dissolved. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and whisk until the sauce thickens.

Place the tofu in the hot oil—you can do all at once, or in batches. I transferred pieces to a plate lined with paper towels. Fry for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add the almonds right before removing the tofu. (I did this after I drained the oil first). I then combined the tofu, sauce, and almonds in a large bowl and stirred to thoroughly coat the tofu. I served over rice and the steamed broccoli and topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Recipe source: Vegan Yum Yum

Cashew Stir-fry with Noodles

Sweet & Sour Boca Nugget Stir-fry

Asian Veggie Salad with Almonds

Tacos with Pear Cilantro Slaw

Tasty Harmony

Tofu in Tahini Sauce

Vegan MoFo, Day 4

Tempeh and Peanut Stir-fry

Asian Coleslaw

Quick Szechuan Stir-Fry

Broccoli Almond Sweet-and-Sour Tofu

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