California Tacos

I love tacos. I love being creative with them and amping them up with new, unexpected ingredients. Inspired by Aaron's incredible Korean/Californian tacos - I decided to try something different than the usual tacos. I made a quick trip to the wonderful Mi Pueblo supermarket in San Rafael to pick up cheap ripe avocados, 10 limes for a buck (haven't seen that since my days of China Town in NYC!) and a few other seasonal staples. A few hours later and with a hungry mom and sister waiting at the table - I laid out the spread for these California Tacos. Why California? Because I can't figure out where else they would be from!

California Tacos

I serve these with whole wheat flat bread tortillas (low carb, high fiber - sorry if this sounds like an infomercial - but Trader Joe's has some excellent low cal tortillas!)

Ingredients + Directions:

Cabbage salad:
2 cups red cabbage, shredded to extract the juices
3 carrots grated
2 corn ears - husked
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons apple juice
half a lime - juiced
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions:
1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl, mix to combine, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Arugula Pesto
2 cups arugula
6 cloves garlic - mashed in a mortar and pestle
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup walnuts
lemon juice

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add lemon juice to taste.

Tofu Pieces:
Tofu chopped into rectangles
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Ground pepper

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Place the tofu rectangles on the skillet. Sprinkle with garlic powder and ground pepper. Fry for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Guacamole
2 avocados
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
1/3 white onion, chopped
1 ear corn, husked
1/2 lime juiced

You know the guacamole drill. Prepare and combine :)

Spring Pepper Stir-Fry

 There are so many colorful peppers at the farmer's market these days it's rather exciting! For a quick, easy, healthy, satisfying meal - the wok will be your best friend. Some friends were over for dinner and we had this beautiful seasonal stir-fry over a bed of quinoa with a side spinach salad. Along with a glass of white wine - it was a perfect evening meal. There isn't much to this dish - it's just having really good ingredients. One important thing to keep in mind when making this is because there are so many ingredients that need to be prepped - it is key to slice or cut them so that they are all the same size, or as close to as possible. I know I bring it up all the time, but I am seriously obsessed with the Saturday Embarcadero Farmer's Market in SF. The selection is truly incredible. It is hard to go wrong. I made this dish vegetarian, but you can easily add chicken.

Spring Pepper Stir-Fry

(Makes 4-5 generous servings)

Ingredients:

5 garlic bulbs, minced

2 red bell peppers, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 orange bell pepper, sliced

3/4 cup sugar snap peas, ends removed

1/2 cup firm tofu, cut into matchsticks

1 fennel bulb, sliced

1/3 cup corn kernels

3 eggs

Vegetable oil

Lemon Juice

Ginger oil

Turmeric

Directions:

1. Heat vegetable oil in the wok over medium heat and add the garlic. When garlic is brown and fragrant, add the fennel and stir-fry for 1 minute. 

2. Add in the tofu and season with turmeric and a dash of ginger oil. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, or until tofu starts to brown slightly.

3. Add in the bell peppers, snap peas and corn kernels. Season with more turmeric and garlic powder (optional). Drizzle some fresh lemon juice and the ginger oil over the vegetables. 

4. In a separate skillet, over medium high heat, add some olive oil and crack the eggs and scramble until cooked through. 

5. Add the scrambled egg to the vegetable stir-fry. Squeeze on some more lemon juice, sprinkle some turmeric. Battam bing batta boom. 

Steamed Vegetarian Dumplings

I had a little dumpling wrapping and eating extravaganza which satisfied our dumpling appetites for a month. I had made three different kinds of dumpling fillings and put three eager wrappers to work. We had too many dumplings to count in pork and chive, shrimp and bamboo shoot and vegetarian. Andy, who has wrapped dumplings since he was a kid, had some fancy little folds that made his dumplings look like they are from a restaurant! Here is a picture of dumpling wrapping in action:

                         

I really liked the taste of the vegetable dumpling wrappers which get their green color from spinach. The tofu mixture for the vegetarian dumplings did not adhere as well as the pork and shrimp mixtures, but it still tasted great! Unfortunately we ran out of wrappers before we finished the mixtures, I thought those little packets of dumpling wrappers from Twin Marquis seemed infinite. We used tofu and mushrooms for this mixture because that is all I had, but I think these would taste great with the additions of Chinese cabbage and carrots.

Vegetarian Dumplings

Ingredients:

Vegetable dumpling wrappers

1 lb tofu, crumbled

1 lb Shitake mushrooms, rinsed and diced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 1/2 tablespoons fake egg

Directions:

1. In a bowl combine the crumbled tofu and diced shitake mushrooms.

2. In a separate small bowl or glass, mix the ginger root, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and fake egg. Pour mixture over tofu and mushroom and combine to incorporate.

3. Wrap one tablespoon of mixture into each wrapper and gently pinch sides together to seal (see method in pork and chive recipe post)

4. Heat water in a wok and place steamer on top, cover and let heat until wok is boiling hot. Place the dumplings in a circle, place cover on wok and steam for 10-15 minutes.

This is what the inside of a vegetarian dumpling looks like!

Mushroom Pad Thai

On another recent China town grocery store trip I picked up some bags of different kind of mushrooms; Bunapi (White Beech Mushrooms), Bunashimeji (Brown Beech Mushrooms) and Enoki. These mushrooms are typically used in Japanese dishes; Enoki is especially used in hot pot dishes. I've developed a strong likening for Japanese mushrooms; they tend to be more meatier and chewy than other mushrooms I'm familiar with. In Japan, the most popular mushrooms are shitake and enoki. Below is a picture of the beech mushrooms. The reason they are called beech mushrooms is because they usually grow on beech trees that have fallen down. They don't have an aroma but their texture is fantastic!

                            

Here is a picture of all the lovely mushrooms in their packaging. Enoki on the left, white beech on top right and brown beech on bottom right.

I have never cooked tempeh before so I thought this would be a great time to learn and make this a vegetarian dish. Tempeh is Indonesian and it's made from the fermentation of soy beans to solidify into a brick. I learned that it is high in protein, fiber and vitamins! Here is a picture of the tempeh I used.

                           

Mushroom Pad Thai

Ingredients:

3.5 ounces of white beech mushrooms (Bunapi)

3.5 ounces of brown beech mushrooms (Bunashimeji)

3.5 ounces enoki

Tempeh, cut into small strips

Tofu, cut into small strips

Pad Thai noodles

10 garlic cloves, diced

Fish sauce, about 2 tablespoons

Mushroom Sauce (can use Oyster sauce), about 2 tablespoons

Chinese cabbage, shredded

Canola oil

Directions:

1. Soak the noodles in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes, or until they feel ready. Wash the mushrooms thoroughly and trim their stems.

                            

2. Heat canola oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic and constantly stir with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. When garlic is golden and fragrant, add in tofu and tempeh and saute until the tempeh turns golden brown.

3. When tempeh is brown add in the mushrooms and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon mushrooms sauce. Saute until the ingredients are all incorporated. Add in the noodles and 1 tablespoon more of fish sauce and mushroom sauce, mix until incorporated. Turn off heat, add in the shredded cabbage and cover until ready to serve.

Szechuan Broccoli, Carrots and Tofu

My first encounter with Szechuan sauce was at my freshman dorm cafeteria. For dinner they had a stir fry station set up where you could put together your own bowl of fresh veggies and pick your sauce and the cook who fry it all up in a wok. I tried all the sauces but eventually would only request the Szechuan sauce; it carries the perfect amount of heat from chilies. This dish was a healthy accompaniment to the Kimchi pancakes I  made last week. I served this over brown rice which was a great starch to absorb the spiciness of the sauce. While you could just fry all the ingredients together, I prefer to prepare the tofu separately so that I can get it to my desired firmness and allow it more time to marinate in the Szechuan flavors.

Szechuan Broccoli, Carrots and Tofu

Ingredients:
Broccoli, cut into small florets
Carrots, sliced
Cabbage, sliced
Tofu, cut into small cubes
Szechuan sauce
Olive oil

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat, put in the tofu cubes and a bit of Szechuan sauce. Stir fry up the tofu cubes until they are firm. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a wok over medium high heat and add in the broccoli and carrots and drizzle the Szechuan sauce over the vegetables. Using a wooden spatula, stir fry the vegetable until they have softened, then add the cabbage and tofu cubes with more Szechuan sauce. Enjoy with some brown rice!

Garlic Ginger Bok Choy with Cabbage and Baked Tofu

We have a lovely little nearby supermarket that specializes in Asian ingredients. From sashimi grade fish to rows of seaweed to Japanese mushrooms, this market has it all. I often go there for cooking inspiration. The oils and the different vegetables can spark an idea. I have never cooked with bok choy before but I figured I should start. The market had was selling bushels of baby bok choy which has pale green stems and dark green leaves. I learned that when buying bok choy, it's best to find stalks that are pure white and firm and with non wilted leaves. Bok choy is a Chinese cabbage and it literally means "white cabbage," so I cooked it as I would cabbage but I included much more ginger because I love the fragrant smells of fresh ginger root. Served over some brown rice, this meal was flavorful, nutritious and filling!

 

Garlic Ginger Bok Choy with Cabbage and Baked Tofu

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

3 heads of baby bok choy

5 cloves of garlic minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced

Olive oil

3/4 cup sliced red cabbage

7 ounces tofu cut into cubes

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking pan with olive oil and place tofu cubes on pan. Bake for 20 minutes until tofu firms.

2. Soak bok choy in a large bowl of cold water to loosen any dirt. Clean and drain to remove all excess water. Cut off the bottom inch of the stems. The white stems have a delicious succulent taste, but the very part can collect a lot of dirt and is much thicker so it cooks unevenly.

3. Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute the minced garlic and ginger until it is slightly browning and fragrant. Add in bok choy, rice vinegar and soy sauce. Saute the bok choy for a minute so that the stems become slightly translucent and the leaves soften, then add in the cabbage and tofu and mix around to blend the flavors. Cook for two more minutes.

4. Remove from heat and garnish with some peanut halves. Serve over brown rice and enjoy with a glass of white wine!

Dressingless Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes, Baked Potato & Baked Tofu

A full and fresh salad is the perfect late summer dinner when heirloom tomatoes are at their best. The combination of all the natural juices and flavors of the vegetables make dressing unnecessary. Because this salad is "dressingless" it won't become soggy overnight, so you can actually have it for lunch the next day! The baked potato and baked tofu add a lot of substance to this dish to make a proper meal. When I moved in with my wonderful roommate in 2008, she gave me a large wooden salad bowl with serving utensils. Similarly to pastas, it's important to put your salad in a non-reactive bowl (it ought to be made of a substance that won't react chemically to the foods put in it).

Ingredients:
extra firm tofu, cut into small even rectangles
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced and cut into small even rectangles
mixed greens (baby arugula, baby spinach and lettuces)
1/2 large cucumber sliced into 1/2 inch rings then chopped into quarters
2 large carrots sliced
6-7 sundried tomatoes chopped into small pieces
3/4 cup corn kernels (you can buy bags of frozen corn kernels in most supermarkets)
2-3 hearts of palm, sliced and halved
1 avocado cut into small pieces
1/4 cup black olives sliced
2 cups heirloom tomatoes, halved

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 420, sprinkle olive oil on a baking pan and place the tofu rectangles and potatoe rectangles on the pan
2. Season tofu and potatoes with garlic powder and ground  pepper
3. Bake for about 25 min until tofu is browned on top and firm

4. While tofu and potatoes are baking cut all the vegetables and combine with mixed greens. Add tofu and potatoe bits. Top it all off with a couple sprinkles of flax seed for extra nutrition and enjoy!