So as much as I enjoy going out for my meals, I equally enjoy conjuring up new recipes in my oh-so tiny kitchen (picture of mi cocina above). Because I have limited preparation space, I have decided to not purchase, prepare, or cook raw meat at my apartment. Call me a slight germaphobe, but I think putting raw meat on my kitchen table (even on a cutting board) is a bit disgusting. Don't get me wrong, I still eat meat, but I now choose to enjoy it on the weekends....already cooked.
With that said, I have turned into a half-vegetarian where I only eat meat on the weekends. I discovered the alternative meat section at Whole Foods.....seitan, tempeh, flavored tofu, even fake bologna! To my great surprise these new found proteins are quite delicious, and I have figured how to incorporate them into dishes that usually contain meat. So I am taking the opportunity to share my simple vegetarian dishes for all of you meat-eating or non-meat-eating people.
Sunday's Dinner (8/17/08): Seitan Summer Rolls
Boy do I love summer rolls (called 'goi cuon' in Vietnamese). I bought a pack of rice paper (called 'banh trang') in Chinatown for $1.25. To bring these round pieces of hard rice paper to life, all you need is a bowl filled with about an inch of water, then place the piece of rice paper in the water and let soak for about a minute. It will get softer in the water and is ready to blanket any tasty licks you have. I decided to fill my goi cuon with chicken-like seitan (wheat protein), cilantro, cucumber, fresh spinach, and white nectarine. Yes people, fruit is a great thing to wrap in these savory bites (peaches, mango, nectarine, etc). To roll the paper to keep your filling on the inside of the roll and not on your plate is to place your filling to one side of the paper, take both ends to make an envelope for your filling, tuck and roll...then you are good to enjoy!! Dip them in a little hoison sauce/Sriracha hot sauce mix, and Mmmmmm!
Monday's Dinner (8/18/08): Coconut-Curry Rice Noodles
I am Vietnamese and am fortunate to be knowledgeable about rice noodles. When purchased in Chinatown, these easy-to-make noodles are super cheap at less than $1 a bag. Also purchased during my Sunday stroll through Chinatown was cilantro, cucumber, sliced bamboo shoots, summer squash, and coconut-curry paste (Lee Kum Kee brand). I combined all of these tasty ingredients with some dried mushrooms (cooked at the same time with the noodles to re-hydrate), sweet soy sauce (also purchased in Chinatown), toasted sesame oil, and my secret...peanut butter... to make a delectable sweet and savory noodle dish. I don't use any form of measuring, so a dash here and spoonful there works for me.
Tuesday's Dinner (8/19/08): Refried Pinto Bean Nachos
I looovveee taking something unhealthy as tex-mex and making it a bit more healthy by adding lots of veggies, and using low fat dairy items. First off, Whole Foods' brand Organic 365 has awesome refried bean varieties. I usually get vegetarian refried black beans with red jalapeno, but decided to try the pinto beans with smoked chile and lime. I chopped up some red onion, tossed it in a pan with olive oil, added some frozen corn, then put my refried beans in the mix. I took this bean mixture and put a large spoonful on a plate, topped it with fresh cilantro, salsa, cheddar cheese (full fat), and topped it with some non-fat plain yogurt (tastes just like sour cream, but sooo much better for you). I had some three-pepper blue corn nacho chips to dip, and enjoyed my mini Mexican fiesta (all of which took about 10-15 minutes to make).
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