"Brown Fried Rice 3 Ways"

At the forefront is a basic fried rice with pan-seared tofu, broccoli and onions.  To the left is a mexican inspired dish made with vegan protein crumbles, pinto beans and onions.  To the right you will find vegan ham, peas and onions.  As you can see, I enjoy eating onions, but of course you can omit this vegetable.  

Which one did I favor?  I would have to say the vegan ham, peas and onion. The nuttiness of the brown rice with the petite sweet peas and slightly salty ham made for a wonderful flavor combination.

"Salad 3 Ways"

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For the next few days, I thought theme posts would be fun. Therefore, my theme will be "Making a dish 3 Ways."  Today, I've posted about 3 different salads.  

The first is a simple mixed green salad (organic heirloom lettuce, english cucumbers, mushrooms, grape tomatoes and red onion).  

The second salad has the same base ingredients as the first, but with crispy vegan chicken.  This chicken has been a long kept secret by the owners of vegan/vegetarian restaurants around Philadelphia and New York.  I finally found it and would like to share it with everyone.  Let me finish the theme post and get back to this wonderful vegan chicken.  

The third salad, is my version of a chef's salad (organic mesclun, mushrooms, baby carrots, marinated tempeh, extra firm tofu, and oven roasted flavored tofurky).  

Each salad had a different dressing.  The first (balsamic and extra virgin olive oil), the second (homemade vegan caesar) and the third (braggs liquid aminos with a little nutritional yeast flakes). 

Back to the tasty chicken.  You can find this product at May Wah Vegetarian Food Inc., which is located at 213 Hester St. New York, NY. 10013.  On May Wah's website, there is a link for vegan specialties.  Here you will find an abundance of products such as vegan ham, vegan steak, vegan citrus spare ribs etc.   For those of you who don't like fake meat, give these products a try.  They have lots of flavor and are simple to prepare.  So...next time you're in New York, be sure to stop by May Wah for their vegan chicken:)

Upcoming posts for "Making a dish 3 Ways" include fried rice and sandwiches.  Also, if you have any ideas for this theme, just leave a quick comment.  Thanks!

Tempeh, Red Cabbage and Swiss Chard

Sometimes I like to cook extra protein and veggies to use as a quick access meal.  Today I made:

pan-seared wild rice tempeh

red cabbage 

and swiss chard.  Just saute each ingredient separately with a little olive oil then add to your recipes throughout the week.  I store each ingredient in a separate container. 

Tofu Scramble Recipe

1 Block Extra Firm Tofu (16 oz), drained

extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/2 onion

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1-2 cups spinach

1 TB braggs liquid aminos

2 TB nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. tumeric

1/4 tsp. parsley

pinch garlic powder

1/4 tsp. thyme

salt & pepper

1-2 TB water

grape tomatoes

fresh cilantro

1) Add olive oil to non-stick pan and then crumble the block of tofu into little pieces.  Cook the tofu for about 6-8 minutes on med-hi heat or until golden brown.  Remove tofu into a bowl and set aside. 

2)  Add onions and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Then add the mushrooms and spinach. 

3)  Once the veggies are cooked add the braggs, nutritional yeast, spices and water.  Stir until well combined.  

4) Finally, add the tomatoes and cilantro.  

Serve your scramble with Ezekiel Toast, homefries, soy bacon, vegan sausage or fresh fruit. Or simply add it to a tortilla, roll it up and top it off with soy sour cream and salsa for a tofu scramble burrito.  Other types of scramble include:

Vegan Ham, green peppers and onion

Tomatoes, fresh basil

Garden-Chopped broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, onions

Soy chorizo, pinto peans, vegan cheese

For a video tip...click on this link, which will lead you to Julie Hasson from Everday Dish TV. This is where I learned how to make tofu scramble the right way:)

Sunday Brunch

The weather yesterday was rather dismal.  The morning felt more like a late afternoon.  Therefore, I decided to make tofu scramble, crispy potatoes, toast and cut up some fresh organic strawberries and apples for brunch.  Tofu scramble is one of my favorite meals to make on Sundays.  The recipe I use is rather simple.  Stay tuned for a recipe post tomorrow.

When making banana muffins last week,  I tried three other variations.

 Peanut Butter Muffins
Dark Chocolate Dream Muffins
and Coconut Carob Muffins

My favorite were the coconut carob muffins.  To make these, I just added the carob chips and shredded coconut on top of the batter before baking.