Spicy Peanut & Tofu Stir-Fry

Is it possible to die of sleep deprivation? Is it normal to fall asleep in the shower? Will the baby ever sleep? I'm sure every new parent ever has asked these questions. What does this have to do with stir fry? Not a thing. Wait, maybe I can salvage a decent segue:

If someone this tired can pull off this yummy stir fry recipe, then anyone can!

Did you see that? I still have some brain function left.

Joking aside (but really, I'm so tired), This recipe is super easy to make, really healthy, and so freakin' flavorful. Join me in making it, and feel free to use it to impress your friends.

Let's get started!

Spicy Vegetable Stir-Fry

With the holidays mostly under my belt (literally), new resolutions just around the corner, and self-righteous bathing suit collections on the horizon, I'm feeling pretty motivated to start the new year off right. That means trading in the stuffing and pie (so much pie) for something a little healthier. I'm sure I'm not alone in this, as any overworked piece of gym equipment will tell you over the next few weeks, so I thought it would be the perfect time to share this quick and healthy stir-fry recipe.

Chicken-Less Orange Chicken Wraps

I'm just going to be honest here; I came thiiiiis close to pouring a bowl of cereal tonight and calling it a day, but I convinced myself, despite feeling totally exhausted, that I could make something relatively healthy and tasty in a short amount of time. My internal conversation went something like this:

"You know, I think I'll feel much better if I make a healthy meal tonight. I'm sure I could throw something together really quickly if I wanted to."

"No."

"But I already have all the stuff I need. It really won't take that long."

 "Noooooooo!"

"I even have that orange 'chicken' I can use."

 "Orange 'chicken', you say? Well, maybe just this once."

I'm actually not sure how I prevailed in that conversation, but moving on!

Peppers Stuffed with Couscous & Veggie Sausage

Lately it seems like I’ve had zero energy when I get home. I feel all kinds of motivated on my drive home, thinking about all the cleaning, cooking, and general productiveness I’m going to accomplish; but the second I kick off my shoes and put on my comfy clothes, all of that is pretty much out the lounge-loving, internet-surfing window. But today I found the solution…caffeine! Ha ha

I’ve been excited to make these peppers for a while now, so I took advantage of my sudden burst of energy and decided to finally give it a try. I used flavored couscous and Italian veggie sausages to make it easy, and even used baking time to do the dishes AND a load of laundry. That means I don’t have to be productive for the rest of the week, right?

By the way, I apologize for the bad pictures – I was hungry and impatient!

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

This recipe started as most of them do, with meanderings in the grocery store. As usual, I was in the produce section picking out my week's larder, sorting through yams and gathering up potatoes, when my eyes wandered to the plump little acorn squashes nearby. I was intrigued by their shape, so without thinking much about what I would do with it, I nestled one in my basket and continued with my shopping.

A few days later when I realized that I actually had to cook the thing, I started looking for recipes online. I started out thinking I would make a savory dish, possibly stuffing it with rice and fresh herbs, but I started seeing all kinds of recipes that called for butter and sugar instead - it didn't take me long to jump on that train and pull out of the station! And, despite my husband's skepticism once it came out of the oven, it was delicious! I can't wait to make this one again.

Baked Asparagus with Sea Salt and Lime

If you're anything like me, then you probably have some fall back side dishes that don't really taste that great but never get an upgrade because they're quick and easy and comfortable. Asparagus has been one of those side dishes for me - I always prepared it in one of two ways: steamed, or baked with lemon slices...adventurous, I know.

As you may have guessed, I recently upgraded my lowly side dish and wanted to share. Purely by improvisation I used lime juice instead of lemon slices one night when I forgot to pick up lemons at the store (see, being forgetful can have its good points!). And bingo-bango: I had a yummy new side dish! Honestly, I really can't believe what a big difference this small change made.

Mushroom Medley Burger with Feta and Herbs

Every now and then, while perusing my local grocery store, and usually while feeling totally unispired, I will come across something that totally sets my wheels in motion. What starts out as a mundane venture turns into a sudden surge of possibilities. A furry of ingredients leap into my basket, piling up into precarious positions; bags are flying; produce is being squeezed; and I can hardly keep up with my own train of thought.

I appreciate moments like that because they remind me of why I love cooking so much - that spark of an idea that gets ignited into something I can share with the people I love.

That is exactly what happened when I got the idea for this burger. I came across a package of fresh herbs, diced onions, and cheese intended for topping a steak, and instantly the mushroom medley burger unfolded in mind. I picked up some fresh herbs, two kinds of onions, crimini and oyster mushrooms, and some delicious onion rolls; I couldn't wait to get back and start cooking!

Red Pepper Quinoa and Chipotle "Sausage" Stuffed Yams

Nothing says fall like the vibrant orange and earthy goodness of my favorite root vegetable. Yams, with their rough and tumble outside and surprisingly sweet inside, are the one thing I always have to have after the long summer months are over. Even though they’re available all year round, they just don’t taste the same to me unless the air is a little cooler, the breeze a little stronger, and the leaves a little yellower.

I like to use yams in many different ways; they really are a versatile vegetable, pairing well with both sweet and savory dishes. I like to bake them, roast them, add them to stews and casseroles; sometimes I’ll even throw leftover yams into a nice autumn salad. This time I decided to bake them and stuff them with roasted red pepper quinoa and Mexican chipotle veggie sausages. I let flavored ingredients do most of the work for me, so this one is super easy!

Vietnamese Tofu Lettuce Cups

Recently I came across a recipe in one of my cookbooks for Vietnamese Pork and Lettuce Cups that looked incredible. As per usual, the first thing I did was think about how I could turn this scrumptious looking dish into something vegetarian friendly. The usual ideas popped into my head, i.e. using mushrooms or eggplant in place of the meat, but I’ve been wanting to try tofu for a while now and decided that this would be the perfect opportunity.

Although I’ve had tofu plenty of times, I’ve never actually cooked with it myself. To be honest, I was a little unsure about how it would turn out and, specifically, whether or not it would mimic the crumbly texture of ground pork, but a quick internet search regarding how to cook tofu gave me the extra boost I needed to give it a shot.

The end result was surprisingly good, and although the texture of the cooked tofu did not quite match what I saw in the original recipe, it was nevertheless tasty. Fresh bell peppers, carrots, and peanuts added a punch of color, gave the dish the crunch it needed, and also served to keep everything together in the lettuce cups. The peanuts and bell peppers were not in the original recipe, but paired well with the ginger and garlic and gave the dish a little oomph! I will definitely be trying this one again soon.

Black Bean Tacos with Lime Infused Rice

I know I haven't finished part 3 of my European Adventure, but I made these yummy black bean tacos the other night, and I just couldn't wait to share it with you! More of my adventure to come soon, but in the mean time - enjoy!

One thing I adore about tacos is that there are literally endless possibilities for ingredients, flavor combos, textures, and presentations. The resourceful cook (and scattered cook alike!) can cultivate any number of wildly different and seriously mouthwatering recipes by ever so slightly tweaking ingredients, adding fresh herbs, trying out flavored rices and tortillas, adding different types of beans or tofu, grilling, sauteing, chilling, infusing, adding hot sauces, cheeses - whatever your heart desires! In fact, you could probably have tacos every day of the week and never eat the same thing twice! That may be going a little far, but you get the point.

Due to its aforementioned versatility, tacos are a steady thing around these parts, and with the bounty of agreeable veggies during the summer months, you simply can't go wrong!

For this particular recipe I combined lime infused white rice, black beans, and a few simple toppings that paired well, looked great, and tasted even better!

Impromptu Greek Salad

Hello friends! I’m leaving for Europe tomorrow (yay!!), so I thought I would leave you with a quick post before disappearing for 2 weeks! This one is super simple, and I’m sure many of you have had some variation before. It’s one of my summer favorites.

Tomatoes and cucumbers are at their peak during this time of the year, and this salad is the perfect way to take advantage. It’s a cool and refreshing snack or side dish on those extra hot days (106 yesterday?!), and I often just eat it for lunch when I’m feeling lazy and need to get rid of my fruit stand bounty.  I always buy more fruits and veggies than I need and then scramble to find uses for them before they start to wilt, dimple, shrivel, and other unsavory things that make me feel guilty. It all just looks so good; I can’t help myself!

Quick Post: Vegetarian BBQ

Just a quick post today! The 4^th of July got me thinking about BBQ’s and how easy or hard it may be to partake in the festivities if you’re a vegetarian. But if you think you can’t enjoy a good old fashion BBQ without the meat, I am here to tell you that you’re oh so wrong! There are just too many delicious vegetarian options out there, especially during BBQ season, for you or anyone else to end up with an empty plate!

Here’s proof:

What you see: Grilled garden burger on a toasted Kaiser roll with fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and Ranch dip (made with light sour cream); Assorted grilled vegetables, tossed with a little olive oil and seasoning; and corn on the cob.

What I couldn’t fit on my plate: Baked potatoes with various toppings, grilled pineapple, pasta salad, and fresh watermelon.

Yum!

Off the top of my head, other vegetarian options include:

Potato salad

Macaroni salad

Endless varieties of green salad

Grilled veggie kabobs

Grilled fruit kabobs (peaches, watermelon, and pineapple are great fruits for grilling!)

Assorted fresh fruit

Grilled asparagus

Veggies and dip

Bean salad

So, if you’re worried about having an empty plate at your next backyard BBQ – don’t be! Anyone else have suggestions/tips to add?

Pin It
Thanks for reading my blog! Please leave your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or meals you would like to see me cook, in the comments below. Follow, share, and enjoy!

---

Roasted Herbed Vegetables with Red Wine Sauce and Toasted Garlic Bread

Last night I really wanted to have a date night at home. I love getting dressed up and going out to eat, but sometimes it’s nice to put the extra money into a nice home cooked meal, turn on some music, and relax instead. Needless to say, I wanted to make something a little more special than the average weeknight.

I immediately thought about our first trip together to New Orleans and recalled this amazing French bistro we tried on our first night in the vibrant city. I ordered coq au vin (obviously pre-vegetarian days), which I had never had before, and I simply cannot remember what Dustin ordered…probably because I was too busy focusing on my yummy meal! I wanted to make something reminiscent of that dish, only without the meat. It seemed a difficult challenge!

In the end I decided to brown some potatoes in a little oil and butter (you can’t have a French dish without butter!) and then threw them into a pot with loads of mushrooms, a couple of carrots, pearl onions, garlic, lots of herbs, and a beautiful wine sauce. I served it over toasted sourdough French bread, and it turned out perfect! I think I will definitely make this again, only next time I will use a full cup of wine, and will remember to put candles on the table – ooh la la! (Cheesy, I know!)

Hodgepodge Pot Pie with Biscuits

What a crazy week this has been so far! Mostly due to the fact that I’ve waited until the last minute to make an overly elaborate costume for Halloween (as usual), but also because it seems like a million other things have come up. As to be expected, when it came time to make dinner tonight I realized that I never made it to the store. I stood in front of my recipe graveyard, aka the fridge, and wondered what on Earth I could make.

I noticed the biscuits first, which gave me the idea for a pot pie. I knew I had potatoes, onions, and veggie broth, so I scrounged around to see what else I could find. I found a bag of rotting carrots in a forgotten corner of my crisper drawer – gross – so those were out, but I did have yams, so I picked those up. Next I found some leftover cream I had from the corn chowder I made a few days ago, and the peas popped out at me as soon as I opened the freezer. I picked up some dried thyme, salt and pepper, and a little bit of flour, and I was good to go!

Not only was this recipe delicious, but I was able to use a lot of ingredients that otherwise would have gone bad, which is always a plus!

Grilled Eggplant Fajitas

I’ve been spending some time revisiting a few of the classics lately, and finding ways to make them fit into my vegetarian lifestyle, whether they want to or not! ;) This week’s lucky dish was fajitas, and with the help of one of my favorite nightshades, I can now add this usually meat stuffed delight back into my rotation - yay!

I’ve actually had this idea since I made the Vegetarian Gyros a couple of weeks ago, and finally decided to give it a go. I used eggplant in place of meat, which gave it a great texture and soaked up all the flavors of the fajita mix really well. I almost used mushrooms (as I’m prone to do), but was glad I chose the eggplant in the end. It was very yummy, and healthy to boot!

Grilled Portobello Mushroom “Steaks”

Is calling them “steaks” going a bit too far? Perhaps, but that’s what I thought of when I was grilling these yummy portobello mushroom slices. I spotted a tidy package of these beauties while perusing the produce department recently. I almost walked right past them, but their gleaming white flesh, dark gills, and perfectly curled edges looked so pretty…how could I not throw them in the basket? My mom had recently told me about a grilled mushroom burger she had seen on the food network, and grilling seemed like the perfect thing to do, so in they went!

Making them was super easy. They were the focus of our meal, but they would also work great as a side, would be perfect for burgers or sandwiches, and would be even more fantastic with some melted cheese on top…darn, now I’m hungry again!

Breaded Eggplant Mini Pizzas with Homemade Sauce

What a wonderful few days this has been! It’s amazing what just a week’s time can do to change the seasons of our lives. Not only has the actual season turned from summer to fall (my favorite time of year!), but I also got a new job that I know I will love, after months of searching and hoping. As I write this blog post with a purring cat curled up on my lap, an oversized sweater keeping me cozy, and a bright outlook for the near future, I feel content (now someone knock on wood, so I don’t jinx it!).

And in honor of my contentment, I present to you: Eggplant Mini Pizzas! Because they are sure to make your bellies content…okay, not the best segue, I admit; but they are really tasty, and they did make my belly quite happy! 

Spicy Bean and Veggie Soup

Today is officially the first day of fall, and despite summer’s attempt to spoil it with near triple digits (seriously, summer?), I am rejoicing the coming of leaf piles, scarves, umbrellas, and the smell of pumpkin pie. No longer will I have to longingly stare of my sweater collection, or burn my hands on the steering wheel after leaving my car in a parking lot for 2 milliseconds! So, in honor of this occasion, I made a spicy bean and veggie soup that is sure to keep you warm on the cooler days to come. 

As I’ve mentioned before, one of the things I love about soup is how healthy and incredibly easy it is to store and reheat for leftovers. Not to mention the fact that it’s a great way to use up ingredients that are soon to spoil. I make soup at least once a week, so my husband and I will have healthy lunches to take with us, and am always sad when we run out. This one is one of my standbys, and if you like things spicy, then you are sure to love it.

Monster Veggie Sandwich with Homemade Pesto

Today was definitely a "scattered cook" day. I started out wanting to make simple sandwiches for lunch with a pesto recipe I found. I was inspired by a sandwich I had yesterday with some great friends of mine, which also had a yummy pesto sauce on it. I thought to myself, 'sandwiches will be quick and easy,' so Dustin and I headed off to the store to get the ingredients.

While at the store I decided to pick up other things we needed as well (why make more than one trip, right?), plus the artisan bread in the bakery looked so good...and the cheese was on sale...and I'm sure I can find a recipe for those mushrooms, etc. After an hour, $100, and a serious case of zombie face from my husband, we were finally back home, and I was finally getting to work on the pesto recipe. This is how things developed:

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Green Chile Sauce

If you know me, then you know I LOVE Mexican food. When I became a vegetarian it was one of
the things I had the hardest time adapting to. All of the wonderful, yummy Mexican meals I liked before contained mass quantities of delicious meat, and trying to make them vegetarian just wasn't the same. 

One of my favorite dishes, pre-vegetarian, was my mom's chicken enchilada recipe, which was absolutely amazing. She used chicken, chipotle peppers, black beans, olives, jack cheese, and green chile sauce. I was really craving some of these delicious enchiladas recently, so I decided to recreate my own meat free version, and see how it compared. To my surprise, I think I like the vegetarian version better! I was really happy with the result, and to top it off, I decided to make my own roasted green chile sauce from scratch. The best part? This recipe made enough for two dinners and two lunches, meaning I didn’t have to cook tonight!