Posts by admin:
- 2 oranges, peeled
- 1 apple
- 1 1/2 cups packed spinach
- protein powder
- flaxseed oil
- distilled water
- 2 cups watermelon
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 cup packed spinach
- 1/4 cup distilled water
- Ginger Root Beer
- Dr. Zevia (tastes like Dr. Pepper)
- Cola
- Ginger Ale
- Black Cherry
- Lemon Lime Twist
- Orange
Italian-Tofu Steak Sandwiches w/ Red Pepper Mayo and Pumpkin Gazpacho
September 28th, 2010
Greetings all! I am finally back in my kitchen and have started to cook in a frenzy. I have been missing creating dishes, but I have been creating something else meanwhile, like music! I had to make some sacrifices this weekend but it was VERY much worth it.
I took advantage of creating 2 recipes tonight that feature a company that will be part of the Foodbuzz Festival in November in San Francisco. When I saw the coverage last year, I really set my mind to be part of it this year. Foodbuzz has given Featured Publishers an opportunity to create dishes with Nature’s Pride breads. They will be choosing six new Bread Ambassadors to have the opportunity to showcase unique recipes using Nature’s Pride breads at the Foodbuzz Taste Pavilion. As a thank you for their participation, Nature’s Pride will cover their accommodation and airfare costs! Folks, it is expensive to get to California, but I am really determined to go and am even nervous as I type this post. 🙂
Monday is a great day to make good meals, because there is more time and more opportunity to create, at least this is the way it works for me. Autumn welcomed this morning at 6am with chilly weather so I decided to make an Autumn-inspired soup as a starter. I have not had the opportunity to make my own pumpkin, but I was able to snag a can or organic pumpkin so that I could make this dish.
In the summer I made a Spanish Gazpacho so I decided to work off my original recipe and create one for the this great fall weather. Even though I used a Vitamix to make this quick and delicious soup, it can be warmed up quickly on the stove, for those who like warm soups. Vitamix has the option of letting the mixture blend as long as you want to for the blade to create some natural warmth. Either way, I had mine at room temperature and it was super creamy.
I carefully used my bread slices appropriately like using the sad bread butts that everyone usually ignores.
I pulsed these 2 slices in the food processor and toasted them in the oven.
I quickly washed all my vegetables and added them to my high-powered blender and processed until completely smooth and creamy. I definitely could not wait to have this soup. But was is a soup with a nice hot sandwich?? Nothing! Well, not entirely but it would be a little naked, ya know.
I whipped out my lovely tofu press and pressed a block of tofu. I was in the mood for something with meaty consistency. DANGER VEGETARIANS and MEAT-EATERS! This sandwich is OUT of this world! I have prepared this sandwich 3 times and my non-vegan husband loves it and even said that it was my best creation yet. Thanks babe!
After pressing the tofu:
I sliced in half and then slice it in thirds width-wise. I marinated it with olive oil, Italian spices, salt and white pepper.
I grilled them and then sauteed the onions and peppers.
I then sliced the tofu in strips and added it to the veggie mixture.
I then prepared my special Red Pepper Mayo and added some to 2 slices of toasted Multi-grain Bread and added the Tofu Steaks mixture to one slice.
I then added some cheese for my hubby and some vegan cheese on mine and placed in the oven to broil until melted.
How about a little bit more? I then topped it off with Pepperocini Peppers and sealed the deal folks.
This was my favorite part of the meal as it was for Ryan. It was so flavorful and it definitely satisfied my protein factor. Meat-eaters, Vegetarians, and Vegans! This dish is for you!
Vote for me so I can get to go this this fantastic festival. Make the sandwich too while you are at it!
I also added this to the Kitchen Bootcamp series for this month which focuses on sandwiches.
1 – 14 ounce extra-firm tofu, water-packed
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasonings
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Red Pepper Mayo
3 strips Mezzetta Roasted Bell Peppers (3/4 cup)
1/3 cup Veganaise (or regular mayonnaise)
2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper and Onion Fry
2 onions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 slices of Nature’s Pride Healthy Multi-Grain bread
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (or Daiya vegan mozzarella)
1 cup deli-sliced Golden Greek Peperoncini
Use a tofu press to press tofu for 45 minutes. If a tofu press is not available, wrap extra-firm tofu in papertowel and place on a plate. Place another plate on top and wiegh down with several heavy cookbooks. This will release the excess liquids.
Meanwhile, mix the olive oil, seasonings and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Using a food processor, blender or immersion blender, place the red peppers, mayonnaise, garlic cloves, and salt in a bowl and blend well until completely smooth. Place in the fridge for chilling.
Slice the onions and red peppers thinly and set aside.
As soon as the tofu has finished pressing, remove from press or from paper, and pat dry with a dry piece of paper towel. Heat a griddle on the stove on medium heat.
Turn the oven on broil and place the rack on the next to top level.
On a cutting board, slice the tofu width wise. Take each half and slice in 3 slices each for a total of 6 slices. Using a kitchen brush, brush the olive oil and seasonings mixture to each side of the tofu steaks. Lay each steak on the griddle and cook for 20 minutes(10 minutes on each side) until slightly browned. Remove steaks from the griddle and add the red pepper and onion mixture and fry for 10 minutes until the veggies are slightly caramelized.
Slice each tofu steak in slices and place on the griddle along with the grilled veggies and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slightly toast the 8 slices of bread in a toaster. Place those slices on the baking sheet. Add 2-3 teaspoons of the Red Pepper Mayo on each slice. Divide the Tofu Steak Mixture on only 4 slices of bread.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella on each slice and place the baking sheet on the rack. Broil until cheese is completely melted.
Remove the sandwiches from the oven. Add 1/4 cup of sliced peperoncini on top of each sandwich and cover with the other of the bread. Slice in half and enjoy.
Pumpkin Gazpacho
serves 2
2 1/2 cups tomatoes (2 large tomatoes)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
2 garlic cloves
1 carrot, peeled
2 slices Nature’s Pride Healthy Multi-Grain Bread, pulsed and toasted
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 Tablespoon agave nectar or honey
2 teaspoons dulse flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pulse 2 slices of bread in a food processor until all crumbled. Place bread crumbs on cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned.
In a high-powered blender, add all the above ingredients, including the bread crumbs, and blend until smooth and creamy. Allow the blender to blend for a 1-2 minutes on high so that the soup will be warmed, if not eat as is. Enjoy!
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a coupon for any free product in Nature’s Pride line of buns and bread. For the purposes of this contest I selected Nature’s Pride Honey Wheat Bread to make my recipe
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Vocal Competition Success + a Recording
September 27th, 2010
HI folks! This has been an eventful weekend and I can’t help but feel like my head is in the clouds. I mentioned Friday that I was preparing for a vocal competition in Holland, MI among 24 singers on Saturday afternoon. Saturday started like all others. I decided to go to zumba class at 9:30am after drinking a green smoothie.
I had an amazing hour workout with the BEST zumba teacher and then continued on with my normal morning chores. I cleaned the kitchen, folded laundry and just made sure the house was in order. Does a singer do this before competing??? I have to tell you that this is the VERY 1st time that I have felt complete peace and free of nerves before performing. I guess it is because I was on a high with my endorphins. I had my second smoothie instead of eating lunch because I usually do not eat before singing EVEN if it is 4 hours beforehand. 2nd smoothie:
Sounds interesting right? It was delicious and it gave me energy and kept me phlegm-free and dry-free, which is always a vocalist’s nightmare.
It took us 1.5 hours to get to Holland which meant that my voice would be at rest. Well, I warmed up my voice in the car while Ryan drove since I had plenty of time to review words and notes. I arrived to the hall with 45 minutes to continue warming up and mentally preparing.
Ryan brought a recording device so that I could listen to my performance. I sang for these judges last year but had only reached the semi-finals. This year I also reached the semi-finals with 11 out of 24 singers. I was asked to sing the Verdi aria again, called O Patria Mia as my repeat performance. Guess what? I was the last singer to perform out of the 11. The judges assured us that the order did not mean anything at all.
After 45 minutes of deliberation the judges reached a conclusion and named 2 honorable mentions and 2 finalists. We had been told that 2 singers would be chosen as finalists so my friend Jeff and I split the cash prize. When I heard my name I could not believe it! Such an amazing feeling especially when I have been working a whole year with my new voice teacher. He has been a blessing and a God-send. I can’t understand why I did not have this teaching before but God knows why at this time in my life he has chosen for me to learn what I have very much longed for.
Did I mention I was only running on 2 smoothies and water? He he he, well someone was starving after this competition was over. Even though it was 9:30pm before we got home, I made garlicky hummus with a side of red peppers and MAry’s crackers with a big green salad. So delicious and worth the wait!
Enjoy the performance! I thank my wonderful and loving husband for putting this video and recording together.
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Buckwheat and Oats Waffles with Apples, Figs, and Maple Syrup
September 24th, 2010
Today is such a windy day, so windy that our power went off for 20 minutes and could possibly go out again. These 40 mile an hour winds can be scary but at least it is sunny and cool. Hopefully the day will be much better tomorrow! Tomorrow I compete with 24 singers in the Nicholas Loren Vocal Competition.
I am very excited to perform becasue I will be singing a brand new aria that is nearly 5 minutes long. I have prepared and memorized and have learned SO MUCH from my new voice teacher than I have ever in the past 10 years. Ryan will be recording it so I look forward posting it here soon. Pray for me! It is hard for me not to mentally get nervous but I am also somewhat confident in my new techinque. I pray that God gives me the strength to sing my BEST!
I wanted to leave you with a quick recipe for this weekend. I tried a gluten-free and vegan recipe yesterday that I loved! It is very fast and easy and requires a high-powered blender. I have LOVED my Vitamix, because it is in these type of recipes that I want to be ready to make something delicious.
I ran across Lexie’s Kitchen through The Spunky Coconut’s website and saw a great recipe for gluten-free waffles. I immediately jumped at it since I had all the ingredients at hand. I started heating my waffle maker and I started mixing my waffle ingredients. Here is the recipe, ready to be made wither for dinner tonight or breakfast anytime this weekend! Cheers!
Buckwheat and Oats Waffles
makes 6 waffles and 1 1/2 cups fruit
slightly adapted from Lexie’s Kitchen
Add to high-powered blender in this order and blend on medium for 30 seconds or until smooth:
1-1/4 cup filtered water
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Add and blend 10 seconds. Then the fun part—watch it grow and expand:
1 tablespoon BAKING POWDER
Pour batter into heated waffle iron lightly coated with oil. Cook 5 minutes or to desired crispness.
Apples, Figs and Maple Syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
1-2 apples, diced and cored
4 figs, diced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts
Mix all together and place on top of hot waffles and eat!
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Apple Cobbler Parfaits + Giveaway #2
September 23rd, 2010
Good morning! I see that people have enjoyed signing up for the GREAT giveaway I posted yesterday. Do not feel intimidated. You can leave ONE comment and still have a chance to win. Check out yesterday’s giveaway HERE.
This past weekend I bought lots of apples to serve as a snack to the college students before performing in Ryan’s recital. I bought Gala apples at a GREAT price but I also ended up taking 2 bags home with me too. No problems. It just meant I was going to be making several apple recipes in the next few days.
I decided to try my hand at creating a brand new raw recipe using only natural ingredients. It took only 10-15 minutes to put these desserts together. Ryan had asked for coffee so that he could stay up a little longer, but what he did not know is that I was making dessert too. He was on the phone so he was quite distracted, so wehn he got off the phone and saw this dessert, his eyes got big.
What could it be? I could tell that from his eyes. 🙂 As he sat down to talk to me about his phone conversation he started eating his parfait. How long did it take him to eat it? Well how about 5 minutes? He also ate the rest of my parfait too! Ha ha ha. I am happy that my husband liked it because no matter how many times he tries raw desserts, there is not quite enough sweetness factor to it. I think he is getting used to it.
Even though this dessert requires a high-powered blender and a food processor, you might be able to make both steps by food processor. This dessert would also be perfect for breakfast since it had apple pectin and is perfect for the digestion. No problems going to the bathroom, that is for sure! Okay, maybe too much infomation but it is all about the FIBER folks. Make sure you get your daily dose and this is one way, for sure!
I created this post for the SOS Kitchen Challenge being held by Ricki from Diet, Desserts, and Dogs and Kim from Affairs of Living.
Apple Cobbler Parfaits
makes 2
Apple mix
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored, and cubes (1/4 inch)
1/2 cup dried and sweetened cranberries
Cut the apples in cubes and mix in the cranberries. Set aside.
Apple puree
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut in 4
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons almond milk
3 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place all ingredients in a Vitamix or food processor and blend until smooth.
Almond crumble
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried and unsweetened cranberries
3 dates, pitted
Place all ingredients in the food processor and process until mixture resembles wet sand.
Assembly
Mix Apple mix into the Apple puree to make the apple cobbler mix. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of Apple Cobbler to a parfait glass. Top with 2 Tablespoons of the almond crumble. Alternate until you end with 1 Tablespoon of the apple cobbler. Enjoy!
You think I forgot my second giveaway?? HEck no! The people at Zevia sent me a variety pack to sample. It is a natural soda sweetened with stevia and erythritol. It is very bubbly and it is not ladened with all the high fructose syrups but is a good substitute. I am not a huge soda pop kind of gal but this pop is a great substitute for those who can’t get away from soda.
One lucky reader will be able to receive a 6-pack variety of Zevia to enjoy. Even though there are 7 flavors shown above, you will only receive a 6-pack of the following flavors:
I personally enjoy the Black Cherry and the Cola the best. They have a great flavor and go with any meal.
Leave me a comment telling me which flavor you would like to taste. Last day to enter will be tomorrow, September 24, 2010.
I will announce the winner on Monday, Spetember 27th in the morning. Thanks!
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TofuXpress GIVEAWAY!
September 22nd, 2010After yesterday’s post I figured it was time to let you all know that this month is my blogiversary! I cannot believe I have been blogging for a year now! It has been very rewarding and very exciting, especially when one starts building a community.
The next 3 days are going to be featuring 3 different giveaways to celebrate my new year of blogging. Today, the folks at TofuXpress have decided to give away one of their tofu presses to one my readers! How exciting! This gadget is the best for pressing foods other than JUST tofu, but is perfect for pressing salads, spinach, or anything that may create excess liquids.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
It comes in 4 parts. It has the base, where the food item is placed, the press plus the handle and then it comes with a cover if you happen to want to marinate the tofu. It is very durable and is easy to wash.
If you want one of these babies, please do the following:
1. Tell me how you would use the press! (Leave a comment)
2. Sign up on Google Reader or Subscribe to Opera Singer in the Kitchen. (Leave a comment)
3. “Like” Opera Singer in the Kitchen on Facebook (Leave a comment)
4. Tweet this message: Check out the @tofuxpress giveaway @singerinkitchen #win http://bit.ly/aEkr8U
5.. Follow OSK on Twitter @singerinkitchen (Leave a comment)
6. Follow @tofuxpress on Twitter (Leave a comment)
7. “Like” TofuXpress on Facebook or subscribe to their newsletter at www.TofuXpress.com.
Deadline to sign up will be Monday, September 27th. Winner will be announced next Webnesday, September 29th. Good luck!
