Thai Style Tempeh Lettuce Wraps

Since going vegetarian for Lent, I've been trying out some different veggie recipes. I'm not really a tofu fan, but I like tempeh, so I've been looking for some ways to use it. Tempeh is made from cooked soybeans, sometimes mixed with rice or other grains, that have been inoculated with  mold with mold (as blue cheese is) and fermented. It is originally from Indonesia, and has become popular with vegetarians because of its strong, funky, blue cheese-like flavor. This recipe comes from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, by Jack Bishop. You can find the book here. It's a really easy recipe that requires basic ingredients, and can be on the table in 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch squares
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced **
• 1 medium carrot, shredded on the large holes of a box grater
• 4 medium scallions, white and green parts, cut into 1/2 inch lengths
• 1/4 cup whole fresh cilantro leaves
• romaine lettuce leaves

** I used Persian cucumbers, because they are seedless. So, all I had to do was peel and slice them.

Some of the ingredients. 

Instructions:

• Whisk the hot water, soy sauce, lime juice, peanut butter, and pepper flakes together in a medium bowl. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the peanut sauce to a small bowl and reserve. Add the tempeh to the bowl with the remaining peanut sauce and marinate, tossing occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
• Place the cucumber, carrot, scallions, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Set the salad aside. 
• Reserve any marinade the tempeh has not absorbed. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the tempeh and cook, turning the pieces several times, until golden brown all over, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved marinade to the skillet and cook until the tempeh is glazed, about 30 seconds. Transfer the seared tempeh pieces to a platter.
• Pour the reserved 3 tablespoons peanut sauce over the cucumber salad and toss to combine. 
• Spoon some cucumber salad over the lettuce leaves, then top with several pieces of tempeh. 

I recommending giving tempeh a try, if you haven't already. This recipe combines great flavors, and makes for a really fresh, delicious lunch or dinner. 

Potato and Roasted Pepper Frittata

Here's a quick and delicious recipe that works just as well for breakfast as dinner. I love frittatas because they are so versatile, you can toss in just about anything, much like you would an omelette. All you need to recreate this version is a few simple ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 red potatoes, diced into 1" cubes
• 1 roasted bell pepper (I used yellow, but you can use any color you like)
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (I recommend Cabot cheddar)
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

• In an oven-safe skillet with some olive oil, add the onion and cook until translucent.
• Add the potatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat to avoid burning the onion.
• Add the pepper (it should be diced to pieces the same size as the potato)
• Add the eggs, salt and pepper, and cheese
• Cook for a few minutes on the stove before placing the skillet in a preheated 350F oven, or under the broiler until the eggs have cooked completely.

This is what it should look like when it has finished cooking.

It can be served warm or cold (I prefer it warm) and would be great accompanied by a mixed green salad. 

Nectarine Crumble

Crumbles have been a favorite dessert of mine ever since I was a kid. We always had them at family barbecues, and while the filling varied from rhubarb to apple to peach and plum, the crisp, buttery topping was always the same. And the topping is definitely my favorite part. I made a crumble with nectarines today, because I had several that were really ripe, but you can really use any fruit. I especially like apple with blueberry, rhubarb with strawberry, and any stone fruit, either on its own or mixed. This is a really easy recipe, adapted from a recipe for a Rhubarb Crisp from Williams-Sonoma. 

Ingredients for the Filling:

• 6 large nectarines, thinly sliced. (I kept the skin on, but you can peel them if you like.)
• 2 tablespoons of flour to absorb any liquid the fruit releases and make it into a syrup.

Ingredients for the Topping:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup butter (room temperature)

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• Place the sliced fruit in a greased pie dish and mix the flour in until it is evenly incorporated.
• Place all the dry ingredients for the topping in a large bowl and mix.
• Add the butter and use your hands to distribute it evenly, until the mixture resembles wet sand.
• Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, making sure it covers everything.
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. 

 

This is what it should look like when it is fully cooked.

I recommend serving the crumble with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy! 

Irish Soda Bread

This is actually my mom's recipe, and she's from Ireland so it's pretty authentic. When I was younger, I didn't think I liked Soda Bread because whenever we had it at school on St Patrick's Day it was really dry with lots of seeds and raisins in it. But, I've come to realize that my mom's Soda Bread is far superior to whatever we had in elementary school. The soda in Soda Bread is baking soda, not any carbonated beverage, like one of my 6th grade classmates thought when I brought it in to share on St Patrick's Day. It's easy to make, so I hope you'll try out the recipe in honor of St Patrick. 


Ingredients:

• 4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 C Sugar
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 3/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 oz Butter (Room Temperature)
• 1 C Raisins
• 2 C Buttermilk

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Combine dry ingredients.
• Rub in butter by hand.
• Add raisins.
• Add buttermilk and mix.
• Pour batter into 2 (1 lb) loaf tins. 
• Bake for 45 minutes. 

To serve, slice and spread with butter. You could also add jam, but I like it best with just butter and a steaming mug/cup of Irish tea. Lá Fhéile Pádraig!

Short Scones

This is another recipe from my mom's birthday lunch. Unfortunately, the ingredients are measured using the metric system, so you'll need a scale to measure everything. They're called "short scones" because they are somewhere between a scone and a shortbread cookie, so they're delicious. They go really well with some butter or clotted cream and strawberry jam, and a cup of tea.

From Clodagh McKenna's homemade
Ingredients:

• 300 grams flour
• 60 g sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 130 g butter (cold)
• 1 egg
• 100 ml heavy cream

Instructions:

• Sift the flour, sugar, and baking powder into a large bowl.
• Grate the butter into the flour and mix together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.**
• In a separate bowl, beat together the egg and cream. Pour into the flour mixture, and bring the liquid and flour together until they form a dough. 
• Dust both hands with flour and transfer the dough from the bowl to a floured working surface. Roll out the dough until it is about 2cm thick and cut out 8 rounds with a pastry cutter.
• Brush lightly with some beaten egg and put in the fridge for 1 hour to chill.
• Preheat the oven to 220C (428F).
• Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the scones are lightly golden brown. 

** If you have a Kitchenaid mixer, I would recommend using it. It's much easier than mixing in the butter by hand, and then it's not necessary to chill the scones before baking because the dough hasn't been warmed by your hands.

Roasted Red Pepper and Asparagus Quiche

I made this quiche during the week, for lunch on my mom's birthday. I found a recipe here, and made a few alterations to it. I made my own pastry for the crust, using this recipe. I roasted the bell peppers whole, with some olive oil on a baking sheet at 500F for 30 minutes. Then, I covered them with foil for another 30 minutes before removing the seeds and skin. I followed the recipe for the filling, adding 2 sprigs of thyme (chopped) and using extra sharp cheddar cheese in place of the parmesan and onion cheese recommended. I think the quiche really needs the sharp, salty bite of the cheese to contrast with the sweet peppers and asparagus.

This quiche is really hearty, and full of vegetables. When I make it again, I don't think I'll use quite as much asparagus. The recipe calls for a pound, and I think it's a bit too much. I might add tomatoes or zucchini for a bit of variety. Other than that, this recipe makes a delicious vegetarian quiche.

To accompany the quiche, I made a salad with spinach, sliced pear, feta, chopped pecans, and currants, drizzled with a strawberry vinaigrette. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the salad. Maybe next time!