Lunch

Sep
1

Tofu Sandwich with Caramelized Onion

The shortest career I ever had was as a Sandwich Delivery Company Co-Owner. (wooof… to the title…;)). My then boyfriend and I decided to start up a sandwich delivery business. What could be so hard? we thought, we know how to make sandwiches, people are hungry and we can deliver to their work place. Sounds like the beginning of an empire right? The next day we woke up- early, went to the bakery and bought 50 freshly baked baguettes and some stuff to put in them. We made beautiful sandwiches, wrapped them nicely in a huge pink basket and went skipping into the horizon like Little Red Riding Hood. Well not really.. we just went to knock on office doors, car mechanic shops and other businesses.

We were so embarrassed to walk around carrying this ridiculous big pink basket and we didn’t have much success. By the end of the day we closed shop and that was the end of it. At least we ate baguette sandwiches for the next 2 weeks…

One of the things I learned from that experience is that the most important part of a sandwich is the bread, as my friend said: “If the bread is good -the sandwich is good”!

Preferably, It’s better to have it all good, the bread, the spread and the filling just like this tofu, veggie, caramelized onion baguette sandwich, Bon Appetite!

Ingredients

1 French Baguette or Hero

1 Pack Extra Firm Tofu

Adobo Spice Mix (or any spice mix you like)

Caramelized Purple Onions

1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup

Roasted Red Peppers (Better to make in advance)

Black Olive Tapenade

Bunch of Baby Arugula

2 Cloves of Garlic

¼ tsp. Dried Basil

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Preparation

The best way to save time is to make everything in advance (except for the tofu and toasting the bread with garlic)

Caramelize the onions in a non stick pan, Start with Medium heat and turn down to low heat, stir occasionally, add a little water every few minutes when the onion starts to stick to the pan. Add salt and maple syrup (to fully caramelize would takes 30-45 minutes). I use 4-5 medium onions, its enough for more than 2 sandwiches so there is left over for other uses.

Roast the red peppers: with a sharp knife, make small incisions on whole peppers, roast them in the oven until the skin is getting dark brown. remove from the oven and cover to help release the skin. after cooling peel the thin skin, cut and marinade them in apple cider vinegar and salt.

Slice the tofu into about ¼ Inch thick pieces. Dust the tofu generously with salt and spices. Fry in oil for a few minutes on each side, until golden on the edges.

Cut open and brush the baguette with a mixture of 2 Tbsp. olive oil, crushed garlic, dried basil, salt and black pepper. I recommend a garlic crusher, it makes it so quick and easy.

Toast the bread face down in a toaster/panini maker for a minute or two and start layering the olive tapenade, arugula, tofu, roasted peppers and caramelized onion.

Category: Blog, Lunch, Recipies, Sandwiches and Wraps, Uncategorized

Aug
31

Black Eyed Peas, Carrot and Kale Minestrone Soup

A lot of things I learned about cooking came from people along the way. I was inspired by friends’ mothers, cooking shows, my own mother and my own imagination. One of them, a dear lady ,told me once: “if you want kids to like your food you’ve got to add sugar to everything”. Of course I rather not use sugar and I love to discover something sweet that is actually good for you. In this soup a secret surprising ingredient adds the sweetness- dates! Everybody likes this soup and it is my favorite for winter but it’s good any time you feel like you need a warm hearty comfort food.

Usually, Minestrone soup has pasta in it, I did not add it this time. Its “rich” enough for me the way it is, I mean have you seen the purple and yellow carrots? I’m always fascinated when I see unique, rare colors in the vegetable kingdom. Whenever I see them I have to try them. Purple asparagus, yellow beets and here these beautiful carrots. I recently learned they’re called Heirloom, How interesting…

This soup is a meal by itself. It has the protein, the carbs, the vegetables, a hint of sweetness from the tomatoes and the dates, and the Megastar Green… The kale!

I served it with a freshly baked Ciabatta bread and it was gone before you could say Minestrone…!

Ingredients

1 large Onion, diced

3-4 Carrots, diced

2 Celery Stalks, diced

1 Bunch Kale, chopped

5 Medium Tomatoes, Crushed (In a food processor or store bought Can)

1½ Cups Black Eyed Peas, drained and rinsed

2-3 Medjoul Dates, chopped

2 Cups Vegetable Broth

5 Cups of Water

2-3 Tbsp olive Oil

1 tsp Italian dried Herb Mix (Basil, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, Parsley)

1 tsp Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Preparation

1. In a large pot, sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent.

2. Add the celery and carrot and cook for a few minutes until soften.

3. Stir in the beans, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

4. Add the chopped Kale , dates and spices and cook until tender -about 20-30 minutes, add water and adjust the spices if needed.

Serve with freshly baked bread and stay warm!

Category: Blog, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Recipies, Soups, The Main Dish, Whole Meal

Aug
31

Mediterranean Style Quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced ‘keen-wah’) is a grain-like seed and is nicknamed ‘The mother of all grains’. It has a nutty flavor and is considered a high quality plant-based protein that is rich in fiber. Visually, it looks like it could pass for the healthy cousin of couscous… I see it as a basic ingredient that I can shape into patties, mix into salads, Tabbouleh or Stir-Frys. A good way to introduce it, is to serve it with your favorite sauce like you might serve rice, pasta or any other grain we think of as “side dish”. Quinoa is easy to cook and can be served hot or cold.

4-6 Servings

Ingredients

1 ¼ Cup Quinoa

½ Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives

½ Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes –OR– ½ Cup Dried Apricot (my favorite)

½ Cup Fresh Mint finely chopped

½ Cup Pine Nuts

Juice of Half a Lemon

2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil (If you use Sun-dried tomatoes in Oil, you might need less)

½ to 1 tsp Sea Salt (depending on your taste)

Freshly ground black pepper

(Optional: add 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced)

Preparation

1. Cook the Quinoa in 3 cups of boiling water for 15-20 min and then drain.

2. Lightly toast the pine nuts on a hot non-stick pan for a minute or two. Flip and toss them around; be careful because they can burn easily. Set aside to cool.

3. Chop the olives, sun-dried tomatoes (or dried apricot if you choose) and mint leaves.

4. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and let it sit for a while so the quinoa soaks up the flavors.

Serve warm or cold. Yummm…

Category: Easy & Simple, Gluten Free, Holidays, Lunch, Party, Recipies, Salads

Aug
31

The Real Happy Meal

One of the challenges I had with cooking vegan food for kids was competing with “classic” kids- menu food like chicken nuggets, Mac n cheese and such. Why is there a kids menu anyway? I’ll get to that in a later post… But really, when it comes to kids I think it all depends on the presentation and the consistency of the parent. I would like the food I feed my daughter to be tasty but still healthier and more wholesome than the junk food that surrounds us everywhere. This recipe is my answer to this challenge. Finger food like tempeh nuggets and sweet potato fries served with a coleslaw salad make a kids-friendly happy meal that you’ll be happy to serve your family, and I even have the toy prize. 🙂

These vegan strips are made out of Tempeh. Tempeh is a soy product made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans. It is a good source of protein and calcium with a nutty flavor. I have tried three types of tempeh: Three grain, Soy, and Flax. My favorite is the three grain type. Some people find the taste of tempeh a bit bitter. The solution to that is to boil it first but I did not try it yet because my family and friends like it just like that. I served it with fiber-rich sweet potato fries, a tricolor coleslaw salad, and organic ketchup. In your face McDonalds!

*Serves about 4 hungry kids

Vegan Nugget Strips

Ingredients

2 Packages Tempeh

For the Marinade:

½ Cup Soy Sauce

1 tsp Mustard

1 Tbsp Water

1 tsp Ground Flaxseed Meal

For the Breading:

1 Cup Bread Crumbs (I prefer the Panko breadcrumbs)

½ Cup Sesame Seeds

1/4 Cup Corn Flour

1 tsp Adobo Seasoning (or any spice mixture you like)

½ tsp Salt

Oil for frying

Preparation

Cut tempeh into half inch strips.

In a shallow bowl mix in the marinade ingredients.

Dip the tempeh strips into the liquid mixture so it is fully submerged . The flax seeds helps the tempeh stick to the breading.

In another shallow bowl mix bread crumbs, sesame seeds, flour and salt.

Transfer the tempeh into the breading mixture and fully coat.

Lightly fry on both sides until golden brown.

Tricolor Coleslaw Salad

Ingredients

½ Purple Cabbage Shredded

½ White Cabbage Shredded

2 Carrots Shredded

Juice from ½ Lemon

1½ Tbsp Sunflower Oil

Drizzle of Toasted Sesame Oil

Sea Salt to taste

Preparation

In a big bowl mix all ingredients together.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

4-5 Sweet Potato

Oil for tossing

Sea Salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450º.

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes.

In a large bowl toss sweet potatoes with oil and sea salt to taste.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Spread out sweet potato in one layer so it will get crispy.

Bake until golden brown and crispy. If needed turn the fries halfway through baking.

Enjoy and be happy!

And here is an interesting video to watch about: Tricks to Get Kids to Eat Healthier at Home

Category: Kid Friendly, Lunch, Recipies, Whole Meal

Aug
31

Beet Orange Salad

A blog named “The Beauty & The Beet” should live up to its name and I feel like I owe it to the beets to share a beet recipe first!

Here is a colorful and beautiful salad with a special tip to help you make it like a pro…and the dressing is so good you could use it on any fresh salad!