Day 2: Brussels Sprouts and Tofu Stir-Fry with Black Rice with Coconut

Status update: I haven't felt that hungry yet (I only heard my stomach growl awkwardly loudly in a quiet meeting once) and the food has been delicious. Tonight's dinner I will definitely make again. Some people are anti-tofu, and those people should not make this meal. Luckily I am a tofu person, and as far as "cleanses" go, this one is a damn treat. A pro-tip: having fresh cut flowers on your table makes your meal taste better. It might even help your water taste a little bit like wine. Once you make it a habit, you'll miss them when they're gone. 

We had a close call tonight. I avoided near disaster by managing to squeeze the last few drops out of the sriracha before the. end. 

In a nutshell, here was day 2:

- Breakfast: Old fashioned oats, dried figs, cinnamon, roasted hazelnuts + some fresh strawberries from my morning meeting

- Lunch: Leftover mahi-mahi with white bean puree and spinach

- Snack: Orange, carrot sticks

- Dinner: Brussels sprouts and tofu stir-fry with black rice with coconut

- Dessert: Grapefruit with honey and toasted pine nuts + some pineapple (not pictured)

Brussels Sprouts and Tofu Stir-Fry 

2 14-oz. blocks extra-firm tofu, drained, sliced lengthwise ¾” thick
2 tablespoons coconut oil or canola oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) *I used 2 tablespoons miso paste + 1 teaspoon sriracha
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, sliced ¼” thick
1 8-oz. can water chestnuts, drained, sliced ¼” thick
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil1 teaspoon sea salt

Lay a double layer of paper towels on a large plate. Place tofu on it and cover with another layer of towels. Cover with another plate and place something heavy on top as a weight. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, then cut into ¾” cubes.Heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Place half of tofu in skillet and season with salt. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 8–10 minutes. Remove to a plate and cook remaining tofu. In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce, and ¼ cup water. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. coconut oil in the same skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add Brussels sprouts and gochujang mixture and toss to combine. Cover skillet and cook until Brussels sprouts are bright green, about 2 minutes. Add water chestnuts, tofu, and 2 Tbsp. water and cook, stirring frequently, until Brussels sprouts are tender and sauce coats the vegetables, about 4 minutes. Add sesame oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with sea salt. *Serve with black coconut rice.

*To make black coconut rice, cook black rice per instructions with a 2" piece peeled ginger in the pot. Toast 1/4 cup coconut and stir into cooked rice before serving.

Thai Red Curry with Vegetables

I'm sure most of you have seen the news about how red and processed meat increases your risk for cancer. Of course I read the article the morning after I made my pork tenderloin recipe. While it isn't a new claim, it is a great reminder to limit weekly red meat intake. (Treat treats as treats) 

For me, a more interesting study came out of our neighbors at UCSF that puts hard facts against the claim that "a calorie is a calorie." When 44 overweight children changed their diet to dramatically reduce sugar, but kept caloric intake the same (eating hot dogs, potato chips and pizza) they showed significant improvements in health measurements in just 10 days. It is studies like these that will wear down the big sugar industry and government to eventually have to step their game up against sugar. This brings me to my recent life update - I signed up for an online General Nutrition course through Berkeley Extension! I'm excited to share things I'm learning in "class" on my blog, and put a little formal education behind all of my ranting and raving. 

This brings us to tonight's meal. My mom trekked across the bay to come to my house for dinner tonight. I made a seasonal thai curry with big chunks of velvety butternut squash and other vegetables in a spicy coconut broth.

Gratitude journal entry: I'm so grateful to have my mom only a few minutes away. We went many years across the country from each other, so we don't take any of our visits for granted. 

 
With mom's help, this dinner was done in just about 20 minutes from start to finish. I recommend pairing with a glass of red wine and Adele's new song "Hello" to get the full effect. 

Thai Red Curry with Vegetables

Recipe: Cookie and Kate

1 cup white rice, cooked per package instructions

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 white onion, chopped

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 cups 1" cubed butternut squash

6-8 baby carrots, chopped on diagonal

3 tablespoons red curry paste

1 can coconut milk

1 1/2 cups kale, roughly chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sriracha

squeeze of lemon juice

4-5 large basil leaves, sliced plus more for garnish

In a rice cooker or large pot, cook rice. Leave covered.

In a large skillet, heat coconut oil and add onions, butternut squash and salt. Cook onions and butternut squash for about 5 minutes until lightly softened. Add in bell pepper and carrots and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Add curry paste, garlic and ginger and cook until aromatic, a couple minutes. Add in coconut milk, kale, vinegar and soy sauce. Cook down until kale is wilted and butternut squash is tender. 

Stir in basil leaves, lemon juice and sriracha. Taste to make sure no additional salt is needed. Serve over rice with basil on top. 

Fresh Mango, Avocado & Tofu Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

A fact of life: you’re going to cook what you have around the house. Or at least that’s a fact of my life. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel every time dinner rolls around. The way I’ve been able to branch out – slowly, but surely – is to start accumulating interesting or exotic ingredients. Rome wasn’t built in a day (I became the proud owner of a bottle of soy sauce only earlier this week) but having things like fish sauce and rice noodles around the house encourages stepping-out-of-the-box.

Rice paper sheets are the best because you can stuff them with essentially anything you want. I haven’t yet attempted a dessert version but it is absolutely doable (I’m thinking pan fried banana and peanut butter spring rolls??) This time I had stocked up on vegetables from my neighborhood cheap Asian grocery store – avocados, mangoes, green onions, tofu, etc. Hence: avocado mango spring rolls.

Fresh Mango, Avocado & Tofu Spring Rolls

4 rice paper sheets
4 leaves Romaine lettuce
1/2 block firm tofu, pressed dry and cubed
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red Thai chili, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 green onion, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1 small mango, sliced
bean sprouts/carrots/cucumber

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon/lime juice
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Heat peanut oil in a pan and add garlic and ginger. After about a minute, stir in tofu and sauté until tofu has lightly browned sides – set aside. Dip rice paper sheets into 1 inch of water and soak for 10 seconds.  Remove, lay on plate or flat surface and blot dry with paper towel. Lay leaf of romaine lettuce on top of rice paper and layer tofu and remaining desired ingredients. Scoot lettuce leaf to edge of rice paper and pick up edge of paper to wrap ingredients with rice paper and lettuce together. At the half way point, fold in sides of paper and continue wrapping until a tight spring roll. Set aside, and repeat.

In a small bowl, whisk together dipping sauce ingredients and serve with spring rolls.

Asian Chicken Tenders with Peanut Sauce

So far I’m not 100% for my new year’s resolutions. Working out everyday - unrealistic. Talking to my sister every other week – actually on target, so far. Cooking more Asian – struggling. So, maybe the Asian categorizing of these chicken tenders just comes from the sesame seeds in the breading…It counts.

I’d venture to guess that 97% of of all resolutions are forgotten by February 1. Asian or not, these were yummy!

Asian Chicken Tenders with Peanut Sauce

1 pound chicken breast, sliced into tenders
1 egg white
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
salt, pepper, cayenne

2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1-2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
dashes hot sauce/sriracha
1 tablespoon maple syrup/honey
fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with nonstick spray. Stir together bread crumbs, sesame seeds and spices and spread on a plate. Salt and pepper chicken strips. Dredge through egg whites and bread crumbs. Lay strips onto baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

While chicken cooks, stir together ingredients for peanut sauce. Taste and add ingredients as needed.

Spicy Asian Shrimp Soup with Glass Noodles

Well, I made it in to work today. The two other people in the office appreciated it, I’m sure. Unfortunately, I am afraid what I once thought were allergies are turning into flu-like symptoms and I spent most of the day freezing at my desk, sipping hot water and staring into space. It was then that I decided I needed soup, and my planned dinner of shrimp lettuce wraps would have to be converted into a hot, liquid version. You crave strange things when you don’t feel well. For instance, for lunch I had to have a sweet potato. I walked far and wide through the blustery streets of Chinatown to find one.

But it is the cheapest, healthiest and easiest homemade lunch around. ($0.40 sweet potato - microwaved for 5 minutes, free apple from work – chopped on top) All covered with cinnamon. Worth it.

One of my new year’s resolutions is to cook more Asian food. I must sound like a broken record: sweet potatoes, goat cheese, kale, quinoa, spinach, wahh wahh. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my staples and will continue to cook them, but it’s good to stretch yourself. So, I’m starting with this spicy shrimp soup.

I walked the 8 blocks to the cheap Asian vegetable market near my house, found all of the Asian ingredients foreign to my pantry, and walked back arms brimming with groceries – homeless people didn’t even ask me for change because it was clearly going to be more hassle than it’d be worth. But dang, it hit the SPOT. Spicy, warm (after the fever-like chills I had while preparing it) and flavorful.

Spicy Asian Shrimp Soup with Glass Noodles

1 bundle glass noodles
½ pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 small heads bok choy, leaves separated and halved lengthwise
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini but shiitake would be nice too)

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
½ jalapeno, diced
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Juice of half a lime
1-2 teaspoons rice vinegar
salt and pepper
Handful cilantro, chopped

Soak glass noodles in warm water for about 15 minutes to soften. Wash and prep all ingredients before beginning to cook.  In a large skillet or wok, heat olive oil and add shallot and garlic. Briefly cook until aromatic, and add mushrooms and bok choy. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until mushrooms start to soften and add ginger and jalapeno, followed by vegetable broth and water. Bring to a simmer and add shrimp and glass noodles. While shrimp cook, add fish sauce and lime juice. When shrimp are cooked through, drizzle with rice vinegar, salt, pepper and chopped cilantro.