Fried Tofu and Pineapple Brown Rice

Yummy flavors blend together in this scrumptious stir fry creation.

What is more perfect than a sweet and savory meal that can be made in minutes?
A stir fry is always an easy hunger fix. One could throw anything in the skillet and lunch/dinner is quickly done to the tune of three feel-good songs (and a few dances).
I love ordering pineapple fried rice with tofu whenever seen on a menu. It's an incredble melding of sweet, juicy pineapples and crispy tofu (usually cute little squares) surrounded in seasoned veggies and brown rice. Although I didn't have green peas, broccoli, and carrots, the mushrooms and onions provided great contrast to the pineapples and tofu. And sesame seeds are a much appreciated substitute if peanuts are not on hand.

Fried Tofu and Pineapple Brown Rice Ingredients and Preparation

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup mushrooms
2 cup cubed tofu
1 1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup pineapple, chopped
2 teaspoon sesame seeds or peanuts
dried or fresh basil (used dry here)

In a skillet, combine olive oil, garlic, and red onion, stirring for three minutes.
Add mushrooms and tofu, browning tofu on all sides.
Toss in brown rice, soy sauce, cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika, and black pepper.
Lastly, stir in pineapple. Turn off heat.
Top fried rice with sesame seeds or peanuts and basil.

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 13: Kulwha

Soy ground is seasoned to perfection next to lemon-garlic brown rice.

Eritrea is located in Northern Africa, with parts of its coast adjacent to the Red Sea-- coincidentally the ancient Greek definition of Eritrea. Although the country has no official language, Tigrinya is mostly spoken and written, seen as the de facto for national identity. Eritrea's cuisine has influences from Italy--their former conquerors-- for there is a tremendous penchant for tomatoes.
Also, I watched the delightful Life Is Fare at the Blackstar Film Festival this past summer-- it stars a first generation Eritrean, artist Sephora Woldu, who also wrote and directed.

Eritrea and Ethiopia (the Southern neighbor that has always had great plight) have quite similar cooking styles. For example, Kulwha (Eritrean stir fry) calls for berbere (Ethiopian spice) and nit'r kibbeh (spiced ghee very popular in Ethiopia). I made my own nit'r kibbeh using coconut oil as a basis as opposed to butter. Miyoko's Kitchen could have worked, but at the same time, I wanted a simple, cost effective solution. As for lamb (something that I never had), I always replace with soy ground. There are apparently vegan lamb varieties somewhere in existence as well as recipes for homemade seitan creations.
I quite enjoyed the process of making the nit'r kibbeh and prepping the overall meal. It is time consuming, a learning curve that ups the value of how we see our pantry ingredients (some of which we probably rarely use). Plus, it amazed me that one could get so much flavor into soy ground, enhance its properties into complex and intriguing to consume.


Kulwha Ingredients and Preparation

coconut nit'r kibbeh
1 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cardamom
6 whole cloves
1 teaspoon fenugreek
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup Lightlife Soy Ground
1/4 cup onion, sliced
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon coconut nit'r kibbeh
1 tablespoon berbere
1 teaspoon spice pulp*
pinch of salt

This coconut nit'r kibbeh is modeled after My Darling Gourmet's recipe with slight alterations to make less. 

Simmer coconut oil with ingredients for thirty minutes, stirring to keep from burning. Separate with sieve or strainer into an air-tight container, and place in refrigerator for four hours or longer until it becomes a golden yellow solid. Retain the spice pulp. But discard the cinnamon stick.

In a skillet, combine olive oil with soy ground, onions, coconut nit'r kibbeh, spice pulp, and salt.

Dinner is served.

Very tasty.

Wild Blend Rice With Black Sesame Seed Pan Fried Tofu

There is nothing wrong with revisiting an old favorite-- rice and fried tofu, a heartfelt vegan classic.

Last week, a slew of Lundberg Family Farm rice varieties were on sale from jasmine to brown to short and long grain. I selected the Lundberg Wild Blend, a mix of long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, wild rice, whole grain Wehani rice,  and whole grain black Japonica rice.

It was only right to make classic fried tofu alongside a beautiful, delicious compilation of rice.


Wild Blend Rice With Black Sesame Seed Pan Fried Tofu Ingredients and Preparation

1 cup Lundberg Farms Wild Blend (or any rice of your choosing)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 14 oz extra tofu block, pressed as close to dry as possible and cubed
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Liquid Aminos
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup red onion

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

Prepare wild rice according to package directions. Set aside.
Heat a skillet with generous olive oil drizzle.
In a bowl, hand toss cubed tofu with sesame oil, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, liquid aminos, ginger, black pepper, and red onion. Let this marinate for a minute or two.
Cook tofu for a few minutes on each side. Serve hot with rice. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on top.

Brown Rice With Lentils, Mushrooms, and Spinach Stir Fry

Enough stir fry to feed a small hungry unit.

Mushrooms are a running trend-- only because I wanted to eat them before travels. They're no good after a certain period of time passes by. They were perfect in this amazing stir fry that leaves the body satiated thanks to fibrous brown lentils and brown rice, seasoned with garlic, and loaded with spinach.

Brown Rice With Lentils, Mushrooms, and Spinach Stir Fry Ingredients and Preparation

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cup mushrooms (Portobello, white button, shitake, any one you want)
2 cup brown rice (I used Tasty Bite's 90 Second Pouch)
1 15oz can brown lentils (drained and rinsed)
2 1/2 cup spinach
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a hot skillet combine garlic and mushrooms, cooking this for three to five minutes.
Add cooked brown rice and lentils, evenly stirring together to prevent sticking.
Turn off heat and fold in spinach. Once the spinach has wilted add onion powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper.
Serve hot and steaming.

Lentil, Tofu, & Veggie Stir Fry

Rainbow carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, lentils, and tofu aka that kitchen sink vegan meal.

Every now and again, I make horrible food presentations. This is one of those times.
Recently, I spied a bag of rainbow carrots (orange, yellow, purple) at Trader Joe's for $2.69. Sounded like a great deal. The idea was to make a delicious carrot soup- after all chillier weather is just around the corner. Instead, I created a stir fry incited by having many cravings occurring at once.
My stir fry doesn't look pretty and beautiful, seeming to muddy once lentils were added, but the hearty lentils and broccoli combined with rustic mushrooms and sweet colorful carrots were a pleasing delight. I kept the tofu naked so that it could soak up surrounding melodies.

Lentil, Tofu, & Veggie Stir Fry Ingredients and Preparation

4 large carrots
1 cup broccoli
2 tablespoon olive oil (use 2 tablespoon water for oil free)
1 cup mushrooms
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup extra firm tofu, chopped and cubed
15 oz. lentils, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
basil

Prepare carrots and broccoli and drain.
In a medium skillet heat olive oil. Add red onions and mushrooms. Stir in tofu and lentils.

Stir in carrots and broccoli. Let cook for five minutes. Turn off heat.

Add basil.

Plate and eat. Do not dwell on the presentation. Just eat.

Vegan Spicy Tofu And Veggie Rice Bowl

Spicy, crisp tofu cubes provide much needed comfort for Day 10 of Vegan Mofo!

Is spicy a relaxing kind of cuisine?
Warm and melted oozing cheesy goodness always initiates those feelings, but what about food that makes you want to gulp water after several bites? Does that too inspire need to be comforted by seductive food. It gives heat from within. That must be elicit some kind of satisfaction.
For the extra firm tofu (Trader Joe's organic line), I rubbed in crushed red pepper, smoked paprika, and chili powder for a spin on my usual fried tofu dish. The vegetables and brown rice picked up on the kicking flavor, making lunch a fiery meal that was as hot as the outdoor humidity. For added flare, may I suggest diced jalapeños to really amp up fired to perfection tofu!
And a glass of ice cold water would be a definite must!

Vegan Spicy Tofu And Veggie Rice Bowl Ingredients and Preparation

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 extra firm tofu, drained and diced
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup tomato, diced
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 cup broccoli, steamed
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Heat up olive oil in a skillet.
Marinate dried tofu cubes in garlic, salt, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika.
Toss tofu cubes into the skillet.

Little tofu cubes dancing in olive oil.

Add red onions and tomato last. Stir in brown rice & broccoli. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle with basil & oregano.

Looks nonthreatening....

Until you take a bite.

Coconut And Flax Seed Tofu

Coconut and flax seed rule this tofu's world!

There's nothing like sweet, flaky coconut embracing tofu.
It's provides a tasty exterior that hides the firm, meaty yumminess of tofu's succulent white flesh.
This delicious, crisply tender dish is embraced with coconut oil and coconut shreds plus Simply Asia's Sweet Ginger Garlic Seasoning that lists toasted coconut as an ingredient. An intriguing stir fry that is downright irresistible. Flax seeds provide amazing crunch and a beautiful coating.

Simply Asia's Sweet Ginger Garlic is a lot of awesome ingredients in one! And yes, I bought more.

Coconut and Flax Seed Tofu Ingredients and Preparation

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 block extra firm tofu, cubed
2 teaspoon Simply Asia's Sweet Ginger Garlic Seasoning
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
3 tablespoon flax seed

Heat up skillet and melt coconut oil.
Hand toss tofu in sweet ginger garlic seasoning, turmeric, and black pepper and add this to skillet.
Sear each side for about 3-5 minutes, adding coconut flakes and flax seed on fourth flip.
Serve with desired grains.

Crisp and ready to roll! Perfect topper for rice, quinoa, or ramen noodles.

Vegan Tempeh Soba Noodle Stir Fry

Soba noodles have a touch of Pad Thai flair with lime wedges, nuts, & cilantro.

I didn't have all the necessary ingredients to make a genuine Pad Thai, like tamarind sauce, but this made for an interesting complement of flavors. The Soba buckwheat noodles are a recently new grocery purchase and they cook similar to ramen, taking so little time to prepare and have far less sodium. At $3.39 each, I thought to finally trying them out and found modestly designed packages in the Asian cuisine section, far below the coconut milks and such. Cannot wait to try out all varieties!
Balanced in the myriad of flavor profiles, this ode to Thai features succulent tempeh, a light sauce, citrus-y lime love, and crunchy nutty layering noodles perfectly. Very delicious and quite simple to make!

Vegan Tempeh Soba Noodle Stir Fry Ingredients and Preparation

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup diced red onion
4 oz. tempeh, cubed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper

1/2 package Hakubaku Organic Soba Japanese Buckwheat Noodles
1 cup steamed vegetables (used broccoli and carrots)
1 1/2 teaspoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos Soy Sauce Alternative
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
handful cilantro
juice and wedges of 2 limes
1/2 cup nuts (peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts)

Prepare tempeh first.
Heat up a skillet on medium heat with olive oil and and hand mix tempeh cubes in chopped onion, garlic powder, turmeric, ginger, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
Pour tempeh into the skillet and cover.
Turn over repeatedly, making sure its light to dark brown on each cooked side.
Takes 10-15 minutes.
In a little bowl, combine soy sauce alternative, turmeric, ginger, garlic, agave nectar, basil, garam masala, and black black pepper and set aside.

Look at what's new!

Soba Buckwheat Noodles take only 4 minutes to prepare.

Stir in steamed vegetables to cooked noodles. Add tempeh, sauce, cilantro, and squeezed lime juice.

Top with nuts and lime wedges.

Ready to eat!

Curried Tofu, Portobello Mushroom, & Garbanzo Bean Stir Fry

Meaty portobello mushrooms, tofu cubes, & garbanzo beans come together  flavored with Indian spices.

It's become a major habit, but I'm starting to enjoy cases of "How To Sync These Random Ingredients."
As an avid procrastinator, not quite sure if I love that fact, grocery store shopping is always put on minor hiatus. Fridge and pantry often have condiments and spices galore, but not enough requirements to make something satisfactory and fulfilling. The kitchen then turns into a battleground for an episode of vegan Chopped with both good and bad results. (It happens so much that I'm actually considering making a Youtube web series of this!)
Today's recipe is a very delicious meal woven from the threads of potential catastrophe. The "meaty" texture of portobello mushrooms joins gently spiced miniature tofu chunks and protein enriched garbanzo beans for an amazingly compelling belly filler. After one bite, I gobbled like a happy turkey I kid you not! 
Now for other variations do feel free to add coconut milk (if you have any) for a rich curry and a side of basmati rice for balance.

Curried Tofu, Mushroom, & Garbanzo Bean Stir Fry Ingredients and Preparation

1/2 cup extra firm tofu (half a block), cubed
1 cup portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoon coconut oil (or olive oil is fine)
2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 15oz garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon each of garam masala, turmeric, ginger, cumin, and coriander
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Coconut oil a pan on medium heat.
Add in the mushrooms.
Hand mix tofu in garam masala, curry powder, basil, turmeric, and garlic. 
Stir tofu with the mushrooms, turning every 5-7 minutes and covering.
After fifteen minutes, mix in the garbanzo beans, extra spices, salt, and white pepper.
Drizzle lemon juice, stir, cover, and let cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve.

Stirring dinner.

Yum!

Little sprigs of cilantro to top it off! For extra spice add a 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper!

Lemon Tahini Tofu Stir Fry

Friends will beg you to make this for them over & over.

Occasionally, I pick up a new item every once in a while in the produce section. Italia brands had these little yellow and green bottles of lemon and lime juice on sale for 99 cents. Naturally intrigued, I picked up the lemon (lime was from concentrate), and read the ingredients which included lemon juice and lemon oil.
At home, the last of tofu looked rather scrumptious. I'm certain no one will believe it, but yes, that rectangular, very plain white block wrapped in cellophane truly attracted me like a fine dinner date. He just needed be lightly dressed up in an experimental seasonings, tahini, and lemon juice outfit.
From skillet to plate, caught mingling deliciously with brown rice, broccoli, and green peas, slightly crisp and savory flavored, this tofu is mouthwatering succulence that a fork alive couldn't stop digging into!
When I made it to that final, inevitable bite of addictive appeal, I mourned lost, so sad to see it go and made a mental note to stock up on next grocery trip.
Tofu is just that damn good!

Lemon Tahini Tofu Stir Fry Ingredients and Preparation

1/2 block extra firm tofu, diced small
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup unsalted tahini
2 teaspoon Italia Garden Italian Lemon Juice
2 teaspoon Simply Asia Sweet Ginger Garlic seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup brown rice (or quinoa will do too)
1 cup green peas
1 cup chopped broccoli

Prepare brown rice, green peas, and broccoli together and set aside.
Fork stir tofu with olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, ginger garlic seasoning, onion powder, basil, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
Toss mixture onto a heated and well oiled pan. Cover.
Flip over tofu every 3-5 minutes.
When a few sides are desired golden brown, add in the brown rice and veggies and stir together for only about 3-5 minutes longer.

For a very delicious suggestion- a smidgeon of extra lemon juice & basil atop for fresher taste & enticing presentation.

I keep learning that staring at yummy food for too long only makes the stomach growl harder.

Just a splendid stir fry!

Got A Little Curried Away...

Curried veggie stir fry with black beans.

Once again, I used another dish with curry, having fallen in love last night!
With a bit of last week's market vegetables waiting to be used, now seemed a good time to put that zucchini, squash, and readily cooked asparagus to the forefront.
Why not have a little Thursday night stir fry?
The idea sounded so tasty in my mind, especially with curry happiness sprinkled on top!

Ingredients
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup, drained and rinsed canned black beans
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium squash, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cup asparagus
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder

Bring brown rice to a boil. This is the 10 minute kind.

Zucchini and squash- sliced together.

Drained and rinsed black beans. This takes a lot of that excess saltiness away.

Zucchini & squash getting hot with olive oil, garlic, & balsamic vinegar in a preheated skillet- set at medium heat.

Cover for about 3- 5 minutes. Flip the veggies over. Repeat.

Add asparagus. Now this was cooked days ago. So it doesn't need to be heated that long.

Lastly, toss in black beans, rice, and seasonings. Stir for 2-3 minutes more & cover.

Voila!

Very satisfying!
OMG!
Incredibly addictive. So hard to put down the fork to write a sentence, much less think coherently.
There's just something about that sweet savory curry that makes the world disappear in a marvelous blend of compelling spices. On the plate, it brings a delightful specialness to the stir fry and for once, I'm not thinking, "what if I add this? Or what if I add that?"
It's perfect all on its own.

Sweet Curry Tempeh

Curried Tempeh With Leftover Brussels Sprouts, Chickpeas, And Spinach Salad.

My bff bought me a spice I've yearned to try- curry powder.
Cumin, turmeric, coriander, black pepper, fenugreek (what is that?), red pepper, ginger, celery, & cardamon come together in this one little canister to bring a rich, exotic flavor to dishes.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 block prepared tempeh (see instructions below)
2 sprigs basil
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Dice up tempeh.
In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings blend, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Soak tempeh cubes in the mixture, making sure to evenly coat.
Heat skillet on medium, adding olive oil & garlic.
Gradually toss in mushrooms & balsamic vinegar.
Pour tempeh into the skillet.
Cover.
Should take 5 minutes on each side, until browned.

Yummy. Look how balsamic vinegar beautifully darkens the mushrooms.

Add basil and cover again.

Paired with leftovers for a more fulfilling meal.

Mmmmmhmmm, good.
Curry is so darn mmmmmmhmmmmmmm.
I could eat this over and over.
It's like having cake with no frosting. Well, a spicy vegetable cake that is.
That tempeh is really something. I quite enjoyed the two ways of utilizing it on the skillet this week, especially with that delicious curry blend! At only $2.49, it's reasonably affordable and the thought of experimenting further brings about secret cheer leading abilities. Bookmarked a couple of recipes, including raw ones, so be on the lookout for more tempeh loving in the future! ;)
As for the curry, I think I'll just sprinkle a little of this powder on my tongue before bed....