Ginger Veggie Stir-Fry

Last night's recipe was Ginger Veggie Stir-Fry. I really love making stir-fry recipes! So simple, and I get to pretend I'm a major chef flipping the veggies in the air... :)

This recipe comes from allrecipes.com like many of the recent ones have. I find myself going to that page a lot! Especially when I'm feeling creative! I love that learning how to cook can be such a creative thing.

The only alteration I made was to add tofu chunks, about two servings worth. I love to stir-fry tofu!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root, divided
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1/2 cup snow peas
• 3/4 cup julienned carrots
• 1/2 cup halved green beans
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 tablespoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, blend cornstarch, garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until cornstarch is dissolved. Mix in broccoli, snow peas, carrots, and green beans, tossing to lightly coat.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Cook vegetables in oil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Stir in soy sauce and water. Mix in onion, salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon ginger. Cook until vegetables are tender but still crisp.

Tomato and Basil Quiche

My plan for today was to do chair massage all day at Earth Day, but since Columbia's Earth Day Celebration was postponed (due to rain) to NEXT Sunday, I hopped on the internet to find a recipe for this morning's breakfast. The lovely recipe I found was a Tomato and Basil Quiche from my old fave, allrecipes.com.

Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake pie shell in preheated oven for 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until soft; remove from skillet. Sprinkle tomato slices with flour and basil, then saute 1 minute on each side. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread 1 cup shredded cheese in the bottom of pie crust. Layer onions over cheese, and top with tomatoes. Cover with egg mixture. sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until filling is puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.

This was indeed a yummy recipe! I love eating warm food and drinking warm tea on a chilly, rainy day.

Honey Mustard Tofu

This was a great recipe! So easy and yummy. I served it with rice. I got my monthly wine pack from Wine Library Tv last night and drank Sancerre with this dish. Too delish!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound firm tofu, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 cubes vegetable bouillon
• 4 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/4 cup honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge tofu slices in flour and place in hot butter. Brown slightly, then turn over and brown the other side. Add water, wine and bouillon cubes; simmer for 10 minutes, or until bouillon completely dissolves. Stir in mustard and honey. Simmer until thickened.

Serves 4, and this recipe comes from allrecipes.com. I love mustard. I add it to everything!

Creamy "Chik'n" Casserole

I found this recipe on VegCooking.com. For anyone who wonders, yes, I DO have a cookbook, but it's so fun and easy to google my way to a new recipe! Oh wow was this a tasty dish! And so easy to make. I went exactly by the recipe this time, no substitutions. This was quick and easy, which was good because I had to get back in to the taxes... blegh. It reminded me of the recipe my mom used to make called Chicken a-la-King. I love how food can remind you of memories and feelings from the past. Quite possibly one reason I love learning to cook - it's like I'm building bridges to my past!

‘Creamy Chicken’ Casserole

This easy-to-prepare casserole is hearty and delicious. For more variety, try adding cauliflower and spinach.

1 container vegan sour cream (try Tofutti Sour Supreme)
1/3 cup faux-chicken stock
1 pkg. onion soup mix (try Fantastic Onion & Mushroom Soup/Dip Mix)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 bag faux-chicken strips, defrosted (try Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 can mixed carrots and peas
1 cup breadcrumbs

• In a bowl, stir together the vegan sour cream, faux-chicken stock, and onion soup mix until smooth and runny. Add more stock if needed. Add the salt and pepper.
• Pour into a small casserole dish and add the faux chicken, broccoli, and carrots and peas, mixing well. Top with the breadcrumbs.
• Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until the center is hot and the breadcrumbs are browned. Serve with rice.

Makes 2 to 3 servings