Spicy Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry (#Sriracha)

Eeeeeh, I got so many good things in my CSA box this week. I was overjoyed by all the GREEN! In my opinion, green veggies are the best for you. Eat ‘em up for high doses of Vitamins A, C, and K and also iron and calcium.

In this week’s box:

• kale
• box choy
• watermelon
• cucumber
• onion
• green pepper
• sweet potatoes
• tomatoes
• green beans
• eggplant

Let’s talk about tofu for a minute or two. (I rhymed!) I’ve had it several times the past month and each time I have it, I’m less creeped out by it. In fact, I think I’m finally a fan. That said, I decided to pick up a slab at Trader Joe’s over the weekend. It was only a couple dollars, so worst case scenario, I’d lose about what I would’ve spent on a Diet Lemonade at Chick-fil-A. Great rationalization, no?

The first time I tried to make it was a disaster. I sliced it way too thin and had the heat up too high (so says Miss Courtney). I did want it crispy, but not this crispy.

YIKES. Is that not scary? Ok, calm down. The tofu came out better the second time around when I made…

Spicy Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz.) package firm tofu
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch thin rounds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 pound bok choy, sliced
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha
• 1/4 cup water

Preparation:

1. Pat dry the tofu with paper towels, and cut 1/2 inch thick pieces.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Stir-fry the tofu until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to the pan, then add the pepper and eggplant. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, then the garlic and  ginger. After about 30 seconds, add the bok choy and stir-fry for about 1 minute until slightly wilted. Add the water. Cook, stirring, until the water evaporates.
4. Stir in the tofu, soy sauce and Sriracha. Stir-fry for a few additional minutes until everything is seasoned. Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Serves 4.

I ate this as is, but to make a bigger meal, I suggest serving this over steamed rice. Embrace your inner Asian and get your stir fry on!

Oh, and clearly I squirted Sriracha all over it. Wouldn’t you?

What’s your favorite GREEN vegetable?

On a scale of 1 to burn, baby, burn, how much do you love Sriracha? Favorite thing to put it on?

Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic / Gruber Farm CSA Week 4

Do you want to know one of the best feelings in the world?

Okay, maybe not in the world, but at least in the kitchen.

Looking at a recipe and realizing you have all of the ingredients. Every single one. Thanks to being subscribed to a CSA, I have this feeling more often than I used to. While I’d skip over recipes if they called for an ingredient I didn’t typically buy, my CSA has encouraged me to try new fruit and vegetables that aren’t part of my regular diet. Green tomatoes are just one of the examples.

I’m 1/3 of the way through the Fall CSA with Gruber Farm and still getting Summery produce. Can anyone explain this to me? I guess I’m just disappointed because it’s October. But hey, the weather was pretty warm until yesterday, right?

In the box:

• watermelon
• eggplant
• spaghetti squash
• green peppers
• yellow squash
• green beans
• sweet potatoes
• heirloom tomatoes

Goodness grief, those tomatoes were not attractive. But let me tell you, with a dash of salt and pepper, they were divine. Moments after being disappointed in getting a box half full of Summer veggies, I was slapping myself. I ate a whole tomato in about 2 minutes and started daydreaming about warmer weather. Can we rewind to May please? And not just because I was still 27.

Back to the green tomatoes. My immediate reaction was to make fried green tomatoes, or, considering this is Hungry Meets Healthy, baked green tomatoes. I just wasn’t excited about the idea. And then came the Serious Eats recipe for Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic.

I had everything it called for. I was working at home that day. It was a no brainer.

Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic, adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 lbs. green tomatoes, cores removed, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tsp. garam masala
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

1. Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is reddish brown, about a minute or so. Stir often, making sure it doesn’t burn.
2. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, garam masala, salt, and turmeric. Turn heat down to medium. Stir occasionally, and cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Pour in a cup of water. Scrap the pan with a wooden spoon, dislodging any browned bits. When the mixture comes to a boil, cover the skillet, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and tomatoes are tender. Stir every few minutes or so.

4. You want the final sauce to be kind of thick, so mash up a few of the potatoes and tomatoes with the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and serve.

The only change I made to this recipe was omitting the cilantro. I like cilantro, but it just didn’t seem right for this dish to me. That’s the beauty of cooking– you can cater recipes to your palate’s desires.

The final result of this dish? Awesomeness. Seriously. Boding and I ate it for lunch and were so pleased with it. It was really hard to put enough away for Tuesday’s lunch. Every time I opened the fridge, it was like “Hey Christina, you know you want me…”

Kind of like that bag of pretzel M&Ms in my pantry. So rude!

Now if you’re unlike me and don’t have the above ingredients in your house, I suggest your get your cute behind to the store and buy them. It’s worth it. I never thought I’d use the garam masala I bought for my Spicy Chickpea & Lentil Stew, but now I want to put it on everything.

Which spice/herb did you shy away from before and now love?

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

I miss my CSA with Gruber Farm so much! I’m going through withdrawals. I’m seriously having a countdown until the Fall season begins on August 28th. On Tuesday, Boding and I stopped by the Mount Pleasant Farmers’ Market so I could restock my refrigerator. One of the greatest health tips I can give you is that having fresh fruit and vegetables on hand will discourage you from eating processed foods. You also save a ton of money by not eating out. It’s not rocket science, I promise!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend (or just plain quinoa)
• 2 medium ears of fresh corn, kernels removed
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• juice of 1 lime
• fresh cilantro, for topping

Preparation:

1. Prepare grain blend or quinoa as directed on package. Let cool and place in a large bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and toss gently until evenly combined. Top with fresh cilantro or sliced avocado.

This is one of those recipes that is satisfying on so many levels.  It’s delicious, healthy, and full of flavor. It packs a bunch of fiber and protein to boot. Share with your friends – they’ll love you for it! Here’s the nutritional information that I calculated on Livestrong.

Meals like this are the reason I’m okay with frequent visits to frozen yogurt shops because it’s all about the balance. But, as of 1 week ago, I haven’t had any desserts/candy AT ALL. At work the other day, Dane (pushups partner) and I decided we should try giving up sweets for 2 weeks. I’m happy to say that I didn’t go into cardiac arrest OR a deep depression. One week to go!

Ironically, I got 3 cavities filled yesterday. Another reason to abstain from sugar! Wells Fargo was not happy when I swiped my card for that dentist bill.

And then I bought this Sonicare toothbrush. : )

Favorite vegetable combo? I can’t get enough of fresh corn & avocado!

Do you regularly eat sweets or are they a random treat for you?