Sunday, January 30, 2011

Sweet Potato Conchiglie Pasta with Sugar Belle-touched Asparagus

I put 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely, into a stock pan with a little olive oil, and sauteed over medium heat for a few minutes. Then I added half a container of tempeh, chopped finely. After about 6 or 7 minutes, when the tempeh was gently warming after occasionally stirring, I added about a cup of chopped sweet potato. As the sweet potato was cooking, after about 3 or 4 minutes, I added a dozen or so baby spinach leaves. Two minutes later, I added a tablespoonful or so of pine nuts, stirred for almost a minute, then added 1/8 cup or so of pinot noir wine, a dash or two of salt, a little hot red pepper (dried flakes - maybe 1/2 teaspoonful), and 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano.

I let the wine cook down (for maybe 2 minutes), then added 1/4 cup or so of tomato sauce. I simmered till I was ready to serve atop Conchiglie seashell-shaped pasta.

I also grilled some asparagus quickly with very little oil on a cast iron pan. I served with a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper. I'm a citrus enthusiast, and one of my favorite citrus fruits is Sugar Belle mandarin orange hybrid. I love its juice, as well as eating it fresh. I usually like to put a little lemon or lime juice on fresh asparagus, but instead used a slice of Sugar Belle.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Punjab Eggplant with Mashed Potatoes and Corn-off-the-Cob

Tonight, my wife and daughter ate on their own as I was out till late. I made a simple but tasty meal of Punjab Eggplant from Tasty Bite (that just required being boiled a short while) along with mashed potatoes and corn-off-the-cob.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Kale-Rice Noodles with Tempeh and Baguette

I hand stripped as best I could long, thin (maybe 1/2" x 3") strips from about 8-10 kale leaves and put them in boiling water. A few minutes later, I added around two dozen wide fettucine-style rice noodles. I cooked for another 5 minutes or so till the noodles were soft and the kale deep green.

I drained the noodles and kale, then sprinkled on about a teaspoon of sesame seeds and a tablespoon or so of raw coconut aminos (a nice product that tastes a bit like soy sauce). (At the table, I realized it needed a bit more seasoning, and added some jerk seasoning; really, I should have had a sauce.) I served sauteed tempeh on the side. A fresh baguette that I had gently warmed on my cast iron pan then topped with lettuce and tomato completed the meal.

Saturday, January 08, 2011

Satay Partay Cauliflower with Cauliflower-Stuffed Malaysian-Style Paratha

I enjoy the quality convenient foods from Tasty Bite, and recently picked up some of their Satay Partay simmer sauce, which I've not had before. I cooked some cauliflower and a few other vegetables with the sauce and served it with a salad and Malaysian-style cauliflower-stuffed bread ("paratha"), that I had picked up frozen. It was tasty!