Category: grains

Tahini Bulgur Bowls with Charred Broccoli and Crispy Tofu

Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, gluten free, grains, vegan, Vegetarian

Another vegan dish from Purple Carrot. I read the recipe 5 times, and I changed the directions around in a different order. My prerogative as the chef 😉 Says it can feed 2, but I am getting 4 meals out of this…

What is bulgur?

Bulgur

Bulgur

Bulgur (from Turkish: bulgur;[1] also burghul, from Arabic: برغل‎[2] bourghoul, “groats”) is a cereal food made from the cracked par boiled groats of several different wheat species, most often from durum wheat. It originates in Middle Eastern cuisine.

It cooks like Couscous, because it is parboiled and tastes like a cross between couscous and rice. You can substitute any grain you want to in this bowl, but I think you should give bulgur a shot. It is light, but very filling!

Ingredients

6 oz. broccoli florets (1 small package or 1 small bunch)
1 lemon, zest and juiced
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and dried with a paper towel
1 oz. fresh ginger. peeled and minced
3/4 cup bulgur wheat
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp tamari (vegan, gluten free soy sauce)
1 tsp. agave (like honey, but vegan)
3 tbsp sesame oil (my favorite ingredient, but don’t let the smell intoxicate you. Use sparingly!)
2 oz. of red cabbage (garnish only…pretty for pop of color)
1/2 cup edamame (I may have eaten more than I put in the actual dish! Addictive with salt!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475. Roast the broccoli in a couple tablespoons of olive oil with some salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes. Toss with the lemon zest at the end and put aside.

2. Add 2/3 cup of water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Ad the bulgur, mix, cover, and remove from heat. Let it rest covered for a bit until the end. The steam will cook it through.

3. Cook the tofu in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss occasionally, until browned on each side, about 5-6 minutes.

4. While the tofu cooks, make the dressing. In a medium bowl, add the garlic, juice from half the lemon, ginger, tahini, tamari, agave, and 2 tbsp of sesame oil. Whisk the dressing to combine. This dressing is a FLAVOR BOMB! LOVE IT!

5. Now they give directions on adding everything together. I think I just used smaller bowls than them? You are split everything in 2 bowls and top with the edamame and cabbage. I just did one bowl, ate it, then made 3 more bowls to eat and share this week.

It is a super yummy dish! I even think I could make this with more veggies, tempeh, seafood, chicken, or steak. Deconstructed Tahini Bulgar Bowls that everyone could add what they want!

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Teriyaki Stir Fried Tofu and Veggies with Quinoa

Asian, grains, Vegetarian

Hey guys! Another Monday, am I right? My last one before I have to go back to school, so I made it a good one. Slept late, made french toast, watched TV,  read with my girls, baked some hand pies (recipe soon), went to Pilates, and now I am writing this and drinking wine and eating my dinner.

Anyways, tonight while the girls were at practice, I made this yummy meal for myself. Pretty simple. Just cut up all of my veggies from the farmers’ market (red pepper, asparagus, baby eggplant, rainbow chard) and stir fried them in a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce.  I added some cooked tofu and quinoa that came in one of those steam fresh microwave bags.  So easy!

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Cheesy Mushroom Farro and Oven Roasted Acorn Squash

grains, Side dishes...veggies, Vegetarian

Evening folks! As promised, here is the recipe for my dinner tonight. The Farro is nutty and creamy and the earthy mushrooms have a great meatiness for a healthy meatless dinner. The oven roasted acorn squash is sweet and tender and is perfect for the start of fall! Have a great rest of the night!

Cheesy Mushroom Farro
Ingredients

10 ounces mixed mushrooms (or whatever you have on hand)
1/2 onion, chopped (or 2 shallots or 2 leeks)
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 cup farro, rinsed
1 cup of any dry white wine
3 cups broth (veggie broth to make vegetarian)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat a medium sized pan (I used my medium sized dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat for 30 seconds.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook down about 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the onions. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onions until soft about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Season with a bit of salt.

Add the farro to the pan and stir to coat the grains in the oil and toast slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and stir. Cook the farro, stirring occasionally, until the wine cooks down almost completely, about 8 minutes.

Add the broth about 1 cup at a time, cooking until the liquid almost completely evaporates before adding the next increment; this will take about 45 minutes to complete. Remember to stir often to create a creamy texture.

When the farro is tender and absorbs almost all of the liquid, stir in the mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano and butter. Continue to stir until the butter is melted in and the mixture is creamy.
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Oven Roasted Acorn Squash

Ingredients
1 acorn squash, washed
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Halve the squash, scrape out the insides, and slice into 1/2″ half moons.
In a large bowl, toss together the squash, oil, salt, and pepper. Lay the squash out on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until super tender.
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Chicken Tikki Masala

Chicken, grains

Hope you guys are having a great Sunday! Ours was pretty nice. We slept in until 9ish, then I made a yummy breakfast of bacon, hash browns, and scrambled eggs. Since we just got back from vacation, I thought we would be making a trip to Waffle House, but luckily we had these in the fridge. Perfect Sunday morning!

The rest of the fridge and pantry were pretty bare, so the girls and I took a trip to the market. We got enough food to last us a few days. I decided to step up my culinary game by researching and creating new dishes this week. Tonight- Chicken Tikki Masala.

I love Indian food. I mean, for real, I LOVE it. I really could eat it everyday. I know that is extreme, but there are so many things on the menu that I want to try, so it is true. Unfortunately, I am the only one in my family who likes it. My husband and girls tolerate it. Hubby doesn’t like curry or coconut. The girls are still wary of new spices. I would bathe in coconut milk and add curry to all my meat if I could. I love chickpeas more than the average American. I think lamb kebabs should overtake hamburgers. I may be on the extreme just a bit, but there are some really amazing Indian dishes out there that I think you should try.

So I thought I should try this one first; Chicken Tikki Masala. Mild flavors and one of the main dishes on the “kid menu.” I researched a bunch of dishes and here is what I came up with. Everyone loved the chicken and seemed to just be content to eat Naan and soak up the sauce. Just enough leftovers for me =)

Chicken Tikki Masala

Ingredients
3-5 boneless chicken thighs or breasts
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece whole ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 tablespoons garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika- sweet or smoked
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes- (or use roasted for a more smoky flavor)
3/4 cup coconut milk or heavy cream
Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
2 cups cooked rice, to serve

Directions

Cook the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of garam masala, paprika, and kosher salt. Cook down, about 10 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices. Mix for about 5 minutes. Add in your chicken cut up in small, bite-sized pieces. Cover and cook 30-40 minutes. Fifteen minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the heavy cream. Taste and add more garam masala or salt if needed.

Serve over white rice. I would use basmati or jasmine. I cooked it according to package with chicken stock instead of water. I also added 2 tablespoons of butter. Top with fresh cilantro if you like. Serve with a side of toasted Naan bread.

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