We’ve been on a bit of an Asian food kick.
Trashy takeout teriyaki, to be honest.
I finally decided to class it up and make a healthier version of our current teriyaki addiction using our Sizzlefish stash.
When you eat the take out variety of teriyaki, you’re limited to chicken. At home, you can teriyaki any protein you like. I chose to make a Shrimp Teriyaki Stir Fry.
…
Asian food is addicting.
Even without the MSG.
I am a sucker for Italian food. And Mexican. I could eat them every day. Asian food… I don’t crave it daily but when I want it, I need my fix NOW.
When I got Skinny Noodles’ new kale shirataki noodles in the mail, I knew they called for a good Asian dish!
…
I have a few confessions:
Last week’s theme was edamame, which I LOVE. I did link up a tasty old recipe – Edamame Jicima Salad – I still felt like I owed Heather a little something extra this week… so I went for the 1-2 punch with the ingredient themes.
You might remember when I did this with the Overachieving Cauliflower Crust Pizza. I used all 3 of the first ingredients – artichokes, beets, and capers.
For my recipe this week, I made a gain salad of Kamut berries (see this post for more info on Kamut), edamame and figs. Never one to eat a mild dish, I spiced this up with my favorite flavors: cilantro and sriracha.
I know there are a few of you who aren’t fans of cilantro. Basil or parsley would also work well here!
The figs may sound a little odd to add to this combo (another Strange But Good candidate?), but their sweetness worked well to tame the sriracha heat. The slight sweetness of the edamame also had a cooling effect. I am a texture feign, so I especially adored the chewy Kamut berries with the crisp edamame and soft figs.
I wanted to keep it vegan for Heather, but another great add here would be some Greek yogurt. Kamut berries are high in protein. The yogurt would give you even more protein, and also add a luscious creaminess.
Aren’t figs gorgeous?
[Tweet “Figs and Sriracha come together for a sweet heat in this whole grain salad!”]
Workout Recap
It has been quite the workout week! Monday’s leg day with my trainer left me damn near paralyzed. My second-day-soreness on Wednesday left me gripping the handicap rail in the bathroom.
BUT… it’s paying off. This exciting news this week came on Saturday (leg day #2). I got the green light from my trainer. I AM competing in November!!!!!!
No, I won’t be to the point we want yet. I’ll probably be the leanest person there (read: too lean), but I’m going to work even harder to grow between now and then (and maybe have another piece of chocolate cake). BAM.
Workout Recap (9/10 – 9/16):
Fig and Edamame Kamut Berries with Sriracha-Lime Vinaigrette
Prep Time: 10 mins
Keywords: entree salad low-sugar nut-free soy-free vegan vegetarian fig kamut lime cilantro Asian
Ingredients (2 servings, easily doubled)
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together cilantro, lime juice, oil, sriracha, and cumin to make the vinaigrette.
Place berries in medium bowl and toss with vinaigrette.
Stir in edamame and figs.
***
Time for important decisions… like what color should my suit be. Blue? Green? Aqua?
What is your confession today?
Is your next-day or second-day soreness worse?
Cheating gets a bad wrap.
Cheat day, that is. That cheatin’ man doesn’t deserve a second look.
This cheat day weekend was a little spread out… but I had trainer-blessings in my quest to gain more weight.
Saturday was Take Your Mom to the Gym Day. This Saturday Mom joined me at my gym for a workout, and scheduled time with my trainer to being a program of her own. Mother-Daughter Beast Mode = ON.
Mamma has gotten on pain relief (she was sidelined for a long time after a bad surgery), and has decided to refocus on fitness and building muscle. I am SO proud of her!
After out workout we headed to Buford Highway, Atlanta’s ethnic food mecca, for a refuel. Korean BBQ at Hae Woon Dae (5805 Buford Hwy., Doraville, GA 30340, 770-451-7957). If you’re in ATL, I highly recommend it – don’t be scared by the fact that you practically have to turn into a “Gentleman’s Club” to get there.
If you’ve never experienced an authentic Korean BBQ meal, I cannot recommend it enough. They cook the meat over charcoal at your table (they also have tofu), and serve it with a boat-load of tasty sides like cabbage kimchi, cucumber kimchi, pickled radishes, sprouts, lettuce, and soy bean paste. Also, don’t skip the Korean pancakes. The egg and flour-based pancakes are traditionally laced with scallions, but often include other add-ins. Ours also contained carrots, zucchini, and kimchi.
Sunday my friends Summer and Annette had a baby shower celebrating the impending arrival of TWINS!
I had the honor of creating a few desserts… I may have gotten a little carried away with the baking, but it is fun to cut loose and get creative with the full-fat sugar-loaded treats every once in a while.
If you follow me on Instragram, you may have seen this shot of my grocery basket on Friday night:
You may have also seen the following scene as I cooked. This is what happens when you’re frying bacon, creaming an obscene amount of butter and sugar, and it’s time for your 20g of protein (yup – that’s salmon).
The bacon and the creamed deliciousness were for 2 things that I could eat 24×7 and never tire of (though my waist line may say otherwise): Maple Bacon Pancake Cookies and Banana S’More Nut Bars.
These S’more Bars are the best I’ve ever had. I only wish I could take credit for the recipe! They are the ingenious work of Eric Wolitzky from Cake & Ale in Decatur, GA.
The restaurant serves some of the best food in Atlanta (they are responsible for getting me to like seafood), but their bakery was recently recognized by Bon Appetite as one of the best in America.
The only liberties I took were to replace the milk chocolate with dark, use plain peanuts instead of salted, and toast the marshmallows before mixing them into the fudge-y chocolate-banana-peanut butter fudge. Next time you have the occasion to go all-out with a dessert, MAKE THIS. Click here for the full recipe.
Creation #2 was my own. A pancake in cookie form. It’s like breakfast for dessert. I cooked bacon for the first time in years (I’m not actually a bacon fanatic as this post would indicate). The only downside is that my condo STILL smells like bacon. 🙂
Maple syrup is a must with pancakes, so I added extract to mine to acheive that deep sweetness. I wasn’t sure I’d want to add anything else, as bacon is potent stuff… but I decided to stir in some dark chocolate chips. What’s better that chocolate chip pancakes?
Sweet, salty and indulgently amazing, these chewy cookies are fit for any cheat day. I’d say my trainer agrees since his sample were gone almost as fast as I could hand him the baggie.
Recipe at the bottom.
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First we need to recap what I did to EARN that incredible day of cheats! No huge news to recap this week. It was a good week of workouts, and I’m excited to keep seeing gains as I keep pushing and amp up the protein.
I don’t ever get to see my back, so I recruited Mom to take a pic while we were at the gym this weekend:
Workout Recap (9/4 – 9/9):
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Cream butter and sugar together in large mixing bowl. Beat in egg and maple extract, mixing well.
Slowly stir in pancake mix. Fold in the crumbled bacon and chocolate chips.
Drop by the spoonful (~1.5 T) onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake for 12 mins.
Makes 2 dozen cookies.
***
Back on track! I’m determined to make this the cleanest week ever, and to keep increasing my weight.
What is your favorite “cheat?”
Have you ever had Korean BBQ?
Dry is the new fry.
I had never even HEARD of such a thing until a recent dinner out at The Lawrence. One bite of their Salt & Pepper Tofu and I knew it must be mine.
Dry fried tofu is an interesting dish. You pan fry pressed tofu without any oil, leaving it more dense and pleasantly crisp. It’s almost creates a tofu version of fried chicken – though much less greasy. The trick is to cook it slowly to remove the water from the tofu without burning it. The dried tofu soaks up marinades more effectively, making it incredibly flavorful.
Faux fried rice was almost an after thought to this one. I was concocting my tofu recipe and eyed a box of Kamut® Khorasan Wheat I received to sample.
Asian dishes need fried rice… this isn’t exactly rice, but it worked. I think it is better because I do not like especially like rice, and thanks to this box I discovered that I DO like Kamut.
Kamut has crazy-high amount of nutrients vs. other wheats, and has selenium, fiber, and… drumroll please… a good amount of protein (7g per serving)! Kamut sent me flour, pasta, and berries. The Kamut Berries* (sold under the Bob’s Mill Label) are what I used here. It was my first time cooking them myself and I was quite pleased. The package suggests soaking them over night, but I ignored that little detail and they turned out just fine. Wheat berries have long been my favorite carb on the hot bar at Whole Paycheck Foods, and these Kamut berries are very similar. They are fairly large in size (think large pearl couscous), chewy, nutty, and a little on the sweet side.
*Yes, I received this for free. No, it didn’t affect my opinion… I had a hard time keeping my mouth shut if I don’t like something. 😉
After it as all dried and fried, I marinated my tofu in rice vinegar before coating it in a mixture of rice flour, pepper, and Chinese 5-Spice. 5-Spice is an awesome blend of fennel, cloves, Szechuan peppercorn, star anise, and cinnamon – encompassing the five primary flavors of Chinese cuisine (sweet, sour, pungent, bitter, and salty).
That peppery goodness with the ginger and sweet red pepper-laced “fried rice” was so good made me wonder how I ever ate Chinese take-out.
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For the Tofu:
Cut pressed tofu into cubes or triangles, about 1 inch thick. Place tofu in a non-stick pan over low-medium heat (my electric stove top was on 4), leaving room between pieces. Slow cooking important so that tofu doesn’t stick or burn before the water has time to evaporate out. Do NOT use oil – you are trying to leech all of the moisture.
As the tofu cooks, use a spatula to frequently press down on each piece. Once the bottom sides are firm and golden in color, flip the tofu pieces and fry the other side, again pressing each piece. They are done when they are golden and firm on both sides.
Place tofu in just enough rice wine vinegar to submerge and stir. Marinate 10-15 mins.
Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
Lightly coat tofu in the flour mix. Lightly spray pieces with oil (I have a can of EVOO from Trader Joe’s) and place in pan over medium heat. Cook until outside are once again golden, turning once. Note: If you don’t have spray oil, just place a small amount of oil in the bottom of your pan.
For the Faux Fried Rice:
Heat a small amount of olive oil In a wok or skillet, and sauté garlic and ginger.
Add the other veggies (except spinach) and sauté until just softening.
Add your grain and spinach, stirring to mix it with the other veggies. When spinach is slightly wilted, add the egg (if using) and turmeric. Cook until egg is done, ~5 mins.
Plate with your tofu and a twist of lime.
Enjoy!
***
This is a little more time-consuming than my bakedChili Nutty Tofu, but totally worth it!
Have you ever dry fried tofu?
What is your favorite dish at Asian restaurants?
Sushi befuddles me.
How do they wrap it so tight and get the rolls to stick together?
I got a wild hair and decided to try my hand at veggie sushi. No sushi mat, mind you. I still have no idea how sushi chefs’ rolls don’t fall apart. Mind did as soon as I picked a bite up. But they tasted wonderful! (Halfway through I discovered that cutting them with wet knife helps, FYI.)
I used parsnips to create the rice, making these rolls a light, veggie-only treat.
Even better was the sauce I served with them – a beet-wasabi puree. I used Greek yogurt to achieve a creaminess that pleasantly contrasted with the crisp veggies in these roll. The Greek yogurt I used was the Olympus brand I reviewed here. Its a super thick and creamy yogurt – perfect for a hearty sauce.
The roasted beets gave the sauce an earthy flavor that was really neat with the nori wraps, and accented with the heat from the wasabi.
This sauce truly is a fun, unique alternative to spicy mayo that works perfectly with the milder, more sweet flavors of the cucumber and carrots in these veggie rolls. I had some leftover, and it was quite tasty spread on a veggie burger, too!
Looking for protein in your sushi? Click here for a protein-rich vegan sushi roll idea.
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For the sushi:
Scoop a few tablespoons of the parsnip rice onto the nori sheet and spread it across half. Add toppings and roll nori sheet as tightly as possible.
Slice into sushi pieces, or eat whole. Note: wetting your knife before slicing help to achieve a cleaner cut.
For the Beet-Wasabi Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
If you are sensitive to heat, add the wasabi slowly, tasting to control for spice-level.
***
Totally unrelated, but I need to whine. I had leg day with my trainer Tuesday night. My muscles are so sore it hurts to even think about walking. Second day soreness is the WORST!
When are you the most sore – the next day or the second day after a workout? Or immediately? 😉
Do you eat sushi? What is your favorite roll?
Do you watch Food Network?
I did when I had cable.
It’s actually one of the 3 things I miss about cable. The other 2: Bravo and sports channels. Side note: this would indicate I’m some combo of a gay man and a jock. Nope – I’m a Southern girl. 🙂
Food Network’s new shows for 2012 were announced a while ago and I’m super-sad to miss one in particular – Blind Dinner Party.
Slated for October of 2012, this new show will be hosted by none other than The Notorious CHO! This may call for an order of cable… of a standing self-invite to a friend’s house.
The premise is that she hosts a dinner party for 7 total strangers “who come from completely different backgrounds, beliefs and views on everything – come together to break bread in the most dysfunctional family dinner imaginable.”
I want to be at that dinner party!
Maybe they would let me cook for the party/show? I’m sure someone would be offended that I didn’t serve meat…
…but who doesn’t love baked goods? Cookies, cakes, cupcakes, brownies… tofu.
If you haven’t tried it before or if you *think* you don’t like tofu, come on over and let me serve it to you baked. It will only cost you a good bottle of red. Kidding. Sort of.
If you saw the dinner I posted for yesterday’s WIAW, you know that I made a Sesame Baked Tofu. The biggest difference between baked and grilled tofu is the inside. When baked, tofu’s outside gets crisp, but the inside gets soft and fluffy. It’s a wonderful texture to bite into!
The coating of liquid aminos (or soy sauce) and sesame seeds is awesome with just a bit of heat on the end from Chinese 5-Spice (you could also use red pepper flakes). Garnish with a bit of refreshing cilantro (unless you are one of those people who thinks it tastes like soap).
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil, or spray with cooking spray.
Drain liquid from tofu, cut in half horizontally, and press for 15 mins. You may use a tofu press or – if you’re fancy like me – stack 5-6 large cookbooks on top. Slice pressed tofu into cubes.
In a medium bowl, mix together liquid aminos, vinegar, and 5-spice. Toss tofu in mixture to coat evenly.
Spread tofu out evenly across baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the seeds, flip, and sprinkle the opposite side with remaining seeds.
Place in oven and bake for 10-12 mins on each side, or until golden brown and looking “fluffy.”
***
Spring weather and festival season make the work week longer.
Have you ever baked tofu?
What is the biggest reason you have (or don’t have) cable?
Monday was a day for firsts.
Thank you for all of the supportive comments yesterday! Many of you asked what my first post-cleanse meal was… I don’t know if you could count it as a meal, but at midnight on Sunday I ate a massive spoonful of peanut butter. It was everything I hoped it would be. 🙂
Monday morning I had a PB&J protein shake post workout. I had good intentions of taking a picture, but got a little too excited.
Many of you commented that giving up caffeine would be hard, but a cup of coffee didn’t even cross my mind yesterday morning!
For an afternoon snack I enjoyed a carrot + PB “sandwich”:
Oh, and there was a handful of pistachios for snack too. I love nuts. You can quote me on that. 😉
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I’m really excited about today’s recipe – it was courtesy from my Foodie Penal this month, Laura @ Laura Lives Life. In one of the most creative penpal boxes I’ve heard of, Laura sent me the (non-perishable) ingredients to make her favorite meal: Bimbibap.
Thank to Laura, the other first on Monday was my first time making the Korean dish. The traditional version is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéed vegetables, gochujang (chili pepper paste), a raw or fried egg, and beef.
Asian foods are some of my favorite, so I couldn’t wait to try out my own version of her recipe (and this NYT recipe she based it on) and share it with you all! I took un-traditional, vegan liberties.
The coolest part about this dish was the crispy rice. I was nervous about it because, as Laura mentions in her post, this is usually made in a clay pot. Making it in a skillet worked out perfectly though! Mine certainly didn’t stay in perfect pieces, but it had a fantastic crunch. I don’t know how I’ll ever eat rice the “normal” way again!
The other thing I loved about this dish was the nutty flavor from the sesame seeds and the rich saltiness from miso tamari. It perfectly complimented the zucchini and the meaty shiitakes. Add to that the sweet, raw carrots… it was texture nirvana.
You guys know how I love heat, so I was of course in love with the gochujang. It is a chili paste, but is different from sriracha in that it has just a hint of sweetness. I tossed in a few more red pepper flakes for good measure. 🙂
This recipe is several steps, but you can have the rice going while you prepare the veggies. It actually helps since you forget about the rice long enough for it to get a proper crunch. I would have been messing with it too much if the rice had been given my undivided attention!
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Before we get to the recipe… don’t you want a cool Foodie Penpal too???
To sign up for a Foodie PenPals in March, send an email to the great and wonderful Lindsay at theleangreenbean@gmail.com with the following deets:
Join in by March 4th as pairings will be emailed on March 5th!
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Prepare rice according to package instructions. Spray a medium-sized skillet with lubricant (oil or PAM) and place over medium heat. Add cooked rice and flatten to form a pancake-like covering bottom of pan (~1/4 in thick). Cook until crisp and light brown on underside (7-8 mins). With spatula, flip rice over, and continue cooking until crisp (~5 mins. Remove from heat until veggies are prepared.
In a medium skillet a medium skillet over medium heat, and add 1/2 tsp sesame oil, zucchini, garlic, and stevia. Sauté until zucchini is tender (7-8 mins). Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Return pan to burner and add remaining 1/2 tsp teaspoon sesame oil, shiitakes, and miso tamari. Sauté until tender (5-6 mins), then transfer to plate and set aside.
Return pan to burner and spinach with rice wine vinegar. Sauté until just wilting (4-5 mins), adding green onions in for the last 30 seconds (just long enough to warm them). Remove from burner.
On a large plate, arrange rice in a layer across the bottom. Next, place vegetables on top in individual piles. Top with toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, chili sauce, and red pepper flakes. Serve with lime wedges.
Makes 2 servings (easily doubled).
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Major plus to being single: I have the second serving for lunch today. 🙂
Have you ever made a traditional Korean or Asian dish?
If you were going to mail ingredients to a penpal, what dish would it be for?
