There are many recipes to be found in vegan cookbooks for eggless egg salad. I am not a lover of tofu so they never seemed that appealing until I tried one from M Cafe de Chaya in Los Angeles, California. The flavors were quite delicious, but what truly astounded me was the texture of the tofu. It was firm with a pleasant consistency unlike the soft milky tofu I was so familiar with from dishes in Chinese restaurants.
Sunomono (pronounced SOO-noh-moh-noh) is the Japanese word for “vinegared things”. A Sunomono salad generally refers to raw vegetables marinated or pickled in rice vinegar (su), but may also include seafood, meat, or poultry. The most common sort of Sunomono salad is one made simply with cucumbers and bay shrimp often served in Japanese restaurants. I have always loved how this little salad is so refreshing, crisp, and tangy. With this recipe, I have added rice noodles, additional vegetables, fresh soft herbs, and mango to stretch the flavors into a more substantial meal or side dish.
I was chatting with a friend recently about food and cooking and the typical struggles of not always having the time and energy to prepare healthy dinners for our families day after day. The conversation led to questions about kitchen gadgets and appliances; the things that are supposed to help us out not just take up space in our cabinets. Indeed, there are a few workhorses that I rely on. She asked me if I had a Vitamix, the ne plus ultra of all blenders. I chimed in with great enthusiasm about my love for this powerful and indispensable small appliance that I acquired last year. I went on and on about how I use it almost every day and make smoothies, peanut butter, dips, soups, dressings, etc. She told me that it was something she has had her eye on and really wanted one.
Over the past few months, fresh wild caught Halibut from Mexico has been steadily available from my local fish purveyor. It is more delicate in flavor and texture than than the Halibut we are most familiar with from Alaska, it’s sustainable, and it’s delicious. I have not only been addicted to the fish, but to the way I have been preparing it. I suppose I could get a little more creative, but it has been a hit with my family and is so easy to make.
Lentils are another one of those foods that rank high on the who’s who in the world of nutrition. With 30% of their calories coming from protein, they are one of the best and most inexpensive sources throughout the world. They rank among the most protein rich legumes or nuts with only hemp and soybeans being higher. However, they do not provide a complete balance of essential amino acids and must be combined with rice for a complete protein. Sprouted lentils provide sufficient levels of all of the essential amino acids.
You will have to take my word for it when I tell you that this soup is divine and worth making. I know that Broccoli Soup sounds like something you would get from a hospital cafeteria, but this recipe produces a soup that is far from anything of the sort. The flavor is sublime and the texture is creamy.
All hail to kale. It seems to be the biggest food trend these days and believe it or not, this is the recipe people request from me most often. Kale Chips are the perfect snack for those of us who crave crunchy and salty but prefer to avoid the calories and fat that come along with things like potato chips. Nutrient packed and satisfying, go ahead and indulge in bowl full or even two. They are good for you and easy to make.
It is best to grill corn if it is wrapped in the natural wrapping of it’s own husks, but if you have purchased it from a market where the husks have been removed, wrapping them in foil seems to be best. I have been trying to not use aluminum when cooking lately, but if I wrap the corn in parchment it will just catch on fire. My solution is to wrap the corn in parchment and then wrap the packages in aluminum. It works well and at least keeps the foil out of direct contact with the food.
When local heirloom and vine ripened tomatoes start to show up in the grocery store and farmer’s markets, it is a sign that Summer coming up quickly. I stumbled across this year’s debut last week while I was looking for ideas of what to make for an upcoming party. When I saw them and inhaled the aroma indicating the fact that they were truly vine ripened tomatoes, I knew that a panzanella salad was going to be on the menu. There is just something immensely satisfying about croutons of crusty bread that have soaked up the sweet and tangy juices of tomatoes combined with fruity olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. Even though I personally don’t eat gluten any longer, I can still appreciate how good it is and want to share this dish with others.
Among the things that are so spectacular about portabella mushrooms are their size. Simply roasting them and arranging them on a platter with fresh soft herbs and a drizzle of olive oil can make an impressive presentation. With such a beautiful vegetable, it might seem a shame to chop them up, but with flavor to rival their good looks, its worth it. There are smaller varieties of portabella mushrooms available; baby bellas and even cremini mushrooms. Sadly, along with being smaller, I think that they lack the complexity of flavor.
This is among my favorite salads to make myself for lunch when I am home. I am a lover of peanut butter and how well it blends with Asian flavors such as ginger and cilantro. I created this flavor packed dressing based on one of my favorite Chinese dishes; cold noodles with peanut dressing and cucumbers. It will work well with such a dish as well as for a dipping sauce for something such as chicken or beef satay or grilled vegetables.
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