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MATCH Crab Cakes and Colorful Slaw with Remoulade Sauce / Dressing
May 19th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
I was a zombie when I went to sleep last night ya’ll! I think I overdid it with the working out. I have been getting on Zumba workouts because they are so much FUN, but I think doing 40 minutes of racquetball with Ryan plus and hour of Zumba and hour apart from each other was a bad idea. I was so sleepy by 10pm and I still had to finish washing dishes and other household duties. Did anyone else’s day go by fast yesterday??? Sheesh…no time to get my laundry folded, groceries purchased, jewelry created or other fun stuff.
Yesterday Ryan made me breakfast by preparing some oatmeal the way he loves it. We ran out of cinnamon but I had recently purchased a bottle of Vietnamese cinnamon from Marshall’s. I love their food products for sure. Anyway, Ryan was a bit skeptical about using a “strange” and “unknown” cinnamon” but since his recipe called for it, he used it. What was the final result? He did NOT like it, but what he did find out was it was cinnamon in its purest form. I actually liked it alot and made the oatmeal very tasty and somewhat spicy.
I was just happy breakfast was prepared for me! Nice treat, but after 2 hours we found ourselves hungry. We later recalled later in the evening how hungry we felt the whole day. What the heck was the matter with us? Well, Maybe not enough protein the night before? We have been playing racquetball like crazy people so maybe I thought we were just feeling hunger pangs from energy having been burned from exercising. Either way, we took care of not eating junk or too much of one thing, so we had a smoothie later on. It is great to have a partner wanting the same goals. It is ENCOURAGING!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
MATCH vegan meats has NOT disappointed. I have tasted all their products except for their Italian sausage, but I bet that stuff is good too. I have even served this faux meats to Ryan and he has enjoyed all of them. While you can find their products at Whole Foods, you can order their goodies ONLINE as well! Their faux crab meat is made from Water, Texturized Soy Protein, Wheat Protein, Canola Oil, Natural Flavors, Modified Vegetable Gum. Match is a soy product with no animal ingredients. Match contains Soy and Wheat.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Last night I decided to make Cajun-style crab cakes with a raw cabbage slaw. In order to make this meal complete I decided to make a remoulade sauce for the crab cakes and use it for the slaw dressing as well. I did NOT look up recipes for remoulade sauce but imagined how it was when I had it before going vegan. My cajun friend had prepared it for me, but I remembered that it HAD to be HIGH calories. I went on a hunch and created a dressing made with silken tofu. What was the end result? Well I looked up different recipes on the web to compare how close I had gotten and BOY, was I surprised to see I was so close!
You are going to really enjoy this recipe. There is really no need for any carbs, like rice, potatoes, or bread because the meal I created is a complete meal. Protein +vegetable. A huge plate of slaw with some crab cakes was a great way to complete the LAST meal of the day. YUMMMMM!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
MATCH Crab Cakes and Colorful Slaw with Remoulade Sauce / Dressing
serve 2
Crab cakes
1 cup MATCH vegan “crab meat”
1/2 cup parsley, chopped finely
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp ground mustard powder
1 Tbsp jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp ketchup
2 tsp tamarind paste (found in Asian stores)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup + 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
Mix all ingredients except the extra 1/2 cup Panko in a small bowl. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Make into 5 cakes and pat each cake in 1/2 cup Panko.
Make slaw and dressing BEFORE cooking crab cakes so they will be hot.
Heat non-stick skillet with 2 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add crab cakes to skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side until slightly browned like above picture.
Serve 2 1/2 cakes on top of slaw and spoon 2 Tbsp remoulade sauce on top of cakes.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Colorful Slaw
serves 2
1 1/2 cups red cabbage, chopped finely as possible
1 1/2 cups green cabbage, chopped finely as possible
1/2 cup carrots, julienned (3 carrots)
1/2 cup parsley, chopped finely
1/2 cup remoulade dressing
Add cabbage, carrots, and parsley to a medium bowl. Add remoulade dressing and massage slaw until somewhat softened.
Divide between 2 plates.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Vegan Remoulade Sauce / Dressing
makes 3/4 cup
1/2 cup soft tofu, crumbled
1/4 cup pickled red pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp distilled water
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp parlsey, finely chopped
Using an immersion blender or food processor, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend well until smooth.
Reserve 1/4 cup remoulade sauce to drizzle over crab cakes. Use the remaining 1/2 cup as a dressing for the slaw.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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Mexican-style Tofu Scramble with Vegan Chorizo and Vegan Jerky Winner Announced!
May 18th, 2010Happy Tuesday!! Or as Ryan called it “Tantalizing Tuesday!” LOL. First of all I want to thank everyone for entering the Primal Vegan Jerky mini giveaway. I was glad to have a giveaway so I just wanted to let you know that Kirsten @ Kirsten’s Kitchen. She has a great vegan blog and I hope you enjoys these faux meat jerky! Thanks for entering Kirsten!
Remember that I have a Hand Mixer and Cake Mix Giveaway still going so don’t forget to enter!
Thank you everyone for the lovely comments on our anniversary blog post. It is incredible how time flies. We topped of the last day of our vacation in Ohio by going to a deli in Perrysburg, Ohio called JB Sarni Shoppe that was very much like a New York Deli. We found out that the owner orders the bread from New York Bakery and finishes baking it in his Deli in Ohio. Cool! It was delicious bread too! Ryan ordered a Muffaletta sandwhich while I was happy that he pointed out that they had a portabella sandwhich on ciabiatta bread. Look at this:
So what do we actually do on our anniversary day? We worked. I had to get to my normal schedule, but this also included getting back into exercise mode.When I plan tripsI incorporate ALOT of walking. When Ryan plans them well, let’s just say this was the first time. We did not walk too too much. I can get a little out of hand. Just ask my mother when I planned the London and Italy trip. Either way, we missed our regular racquetball games and we got a great workout yesterday for a good HOUR. So good.
Mexican-style Tofu Scramble with Vegan Chorizo
serves 2
1–12 ounce box of extra-firm tofu, pressed for 30 minutes
1/2 cup (1/4 link) Trader Joe’s vegan chorizo
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 1/2 cups asparagus, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
In a medium non-stick pan, add the pressed tofu and crumble with a wooden spoon and heat on medium-hit heat. Add the chorizo and garlic and cook and semi-fry the mixture for 15 minutes.
Add spices and 1 Tbsp water to prevent tofu from sticking. (I try not to add oil to make this healthier). The chorizo has a little oil so this helps all the flavors to come together.
Last thing to add is the asparagus. Add 1 more Tbsp of water and asaparagus and mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with oven roasted potatoes w/onions.
See recipe. Add 1/2 onion and chop 1-inch thick.
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Lavendar-infused Rhubarb and Almond Torte and 2nd Wedding Anniversary
May 17th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
After a great 4 day anniversary trip with my husband, we have returned to reality. Not so depressing though. There is always something nice about returning to the normality of everyday living, especially when laundry is awaiting you in the basement, ha!
Our acutal anniversary is May 17th, but we knew that it did not fall during a weekend so we decided to celebrate it early. Ryan planned the whole trip and did VERY well. We visited Ohio for the first time and learned more about 3 late Presidents’ home and enjoyed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well!
It is incredible how 2 years go by but they have been super fun and amazing! God has been great in our lives and we have been blessed. We glorify His name and thank Him everyday for bringing us together. Here are a few memories of our wedding day:
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Lavendar-infused Rhubarb and Almond Torte
serves 20
Preparation time-30 to 45 minutes
Assembly-5 minutes
Refrigeration-2 hours
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup dates
1 cup raw almonds
1st layer
2 cups blanched almonds
2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp orange zest
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup So Delicious coconut milk
2nd layer
4 rhubarb stalks, (aprox. 2 1/4 cups), chopped
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cups palm sugar
2 tsp lavendar, dried
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
2 Tbsp agar agar flakes
You will need a 9-inch spring-form pan. Spray with coconut non-stick spray.
Preparation
Crust
Soak almonds and dates in distilled WATER for 2 hours. The water should cover the almonds and dates. After 2 hours, blend almonds and dates with 2 Tbsp of the reserved liquid in a food processor. Mixture should be a little coarse.
Remove from processor and add mixture to the bottom of pan. Press evenly on the pan.
1st layer
Soak and cover almonds for 4 to 6 hours in distilled water . The more the merrier so that the almond will not be too mealy. Drain liquid and process in a food processor. Add almond extract, nutmeg, coconut milk, orange zest and agave. Process until very smooth.
Pour mixture on top of the raw crust. Place in freezer while preparing the rhubarb portion.
2nd layer
Chop the rhubarb stalks and place in the food processor. Blend well.
In a medium pot, add rhubarb sauce, water, nutmeg and palm sugar. Using an empty tea bag or cheese cloth, add lavendar. Place sachet in with rhubarb mixture.
Boil on medium low heat for 20 minutes. Mix arrowroot powder with 1 Tbsp of water in a small bowl and mix well. Add to rhubarb mixture along with the agar agar. Blend well. Remove from heat for 5-10 minutes.
Remove spring-form pan from freezer and pour rhubarb mixture on top of 1st layer.
Place in refrigerator and cool for 2 hours. Ready to serve. Decorate with sliced almonds. Remove spring from pan and place torte on a large plate. Slice and eat. Refrigerate the remainder for up to a week.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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Anniversary Trip: Day 1 in Cleveland, Ohio
May 15th, 2010I left it up to Ryan to plan our anniversary trip and I had been waiting a while to find out where exactly we were heading. I was told that I would not find out until we got in the car. Ryan hands me a sheet a paper with Day 1 itinerary. How exciting. I never realized how much fun it is NOT knowing where you are going. The element of surprise has not been in my life of travel. I usually immerse myself in a city and pack my schedule but not planning a trip was actually very relaxing.
When I saw the schedule, I was excited to know we were going to Cleveland, Ohio. I had never been and it had been a while for Ryan. We started early so that at least we could arrive by lunch time.
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Sunbeam hand mixer and Naturally Nora product GIVEAWAY
May 11th, 2010Hello to all! It has been a torrential day and definitely a day to stay indoors. I switched from working from two different places to get WiFi and it has been a mad house since it was not the sunny day it was yesterday. No problems.
It does not help that it makes me miss my sister like crazy. I find that when my family comes for a visit I have a hard time getting back into the emotional groove. Even though my sister and I are 4 years apart, we have a tight relationship. I find that I meet people who are not very close even to a sibling with a 4 year difference. Not so with my sister. We have been longing to sit together and have a heart to heart conversation, even though my grandmother was in our company. We managed to take a break to Starbucks, bought our favorite drinks, a soy matcha latte for my sister and a grande Americano for me with a little soy milk.
If I could get more of these sessions with my sister, I would relish them! For the mean time, I tuck in my heart and wait till I see her in July. DO you have someone you are close to and really miss?
Last night, I had a last minute opportunity to join a new group I heard through a friend on Twitter, called the West Michigan Bloggers, so I was happy to find out I was going to a blogger meet-up! I only knew Megan, through our Blogger Bake Sale, but I got to meat 8 other women who keep up blogs with different subjects. It was a networking seesion, where most of the ladies shared what types of plug-ins they like for their blogs and what brings more readers to their website. Who would not want to learn about that?
We also enjoyed some good eats as well. I was not able to take any pictures but imagine a nice plate of hummus with homemade flatbread and a glass of Malbec. It was a perfect dinner! We took a picture at the end of the evening. Thanks ladies!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
So, seeing that I am going to be out of town this week again, I will not have too many recipe posts but I leave you with some giveaways! Yes. It has been a while but if you have not seen my recent post on a small giveaway of Primal Vegan Jerky, go check it out! NOW! 🙂 What is the next giveaway?
How about a nice hand mixer?? I know someone out there could use this lovely black Sunbeam hand mixer.
“Sunbeam Heritage Series 6 Speed 250 Watts Hand Mixer – Black – 2561
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Here are the details:
This Sunbeam hand mixer not only looks great, it’ll help you whip up your favorite recipes in no time. With its 250-watt motor, this powerful little mixer is up to almost any beating or mixing job. Its attractive retro styling also makes this one appliance that you won’t hide in the cupboard.”
DO you still want it? How about I throw in some Naturally Nora products? Now I know I have vegan and non-vegan readers, but just to let you know that not all her products are vegan. Her brownie mixes and cake mixes can be made vegan using egg-replacer and oil, but her frosting mixes have egg whites. FYI!
Here is what I would be adding to the Hand Mixer set:
