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Lasagna in a Bowl (Lasagna Soup)
May 20th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Sounds a bit like burrito in a bowl from Chipotle right? Not quite the same dish though.
I took a bit of a break from zumba yesterday but I stilled worked out. Do you know you can still burn calories by running errands and cleaning house?? Yes indeed! I felt like I had a low intense workout but it was good. Loading groceries in and out of your car is definitely a workout!
I totally did not feel inspired cleaning house or folding laundry but I did it. You know what inspires me? Listening to techno or dance music. Crazy I know but it gets me going and keeps me going. I worked like a fiend!
What is your inspires YOU to clean house?
At the beginning fo this week I made a simple meal for bof of us at home. One of my favorite cuisines to cook is Italian. I could make pasta all the time, but yet again when I choose to make it during the week, I try to make a healthy version. I made a lasagna soup for the first time. I had leftover noodles from the previous week so I knew I had to use it in an innovative way.
While perusing Whole Foods on Sunday, I met a gentleman who was promoting a new product to me called Upton’s Naturals, even though it has been out since 2006. For a vegan, I am always on the lookout for any sources of protein. If I am not eating meat I am getting my protein through veggies and beans but sometimes I prefer tofu.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Upton’s Natural’s makes seitan products made from vital wheat gluten. The owner was actually cooking some and let me sample their “ground beef seitan that was SO good. Ryan also tried it and thought it was pretty delicious. I quickly picked up two different packages to take home.
What to make with my new product? In comes the Lasagna in a Bowl. I cooked the ground beef version like I would do regular ground beef and it surprisingly looked very much like it.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
This is a quick soup that can be made any busy night of the week. If you are NOT vegan, substitute with regular meat and top with mozzarella cheese. I used a GREAT vegan substitute called Daiya cheese.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
*Lasagna in a Bowl (Lasagna Soup)*
serve 4
…
1 cup *Upton’s Naturals* ground beef-style seitan, crumbled
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup carrots, diced
1 cup spinach, chopped (optional)
2 cups diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 bouillon cube
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
1 1/4 cups lasagna noodles, cut in 1/2 inch strips in width
1/2 cup Daiya mozzarella crumbles (or regular mozzarella)
Fry seitan (or ground beef) in 1 Tbsp olive oil along with onions and garlic for 7 minutes.
Add carrots and cook for 5 more minutes. Add water, tomatoes, tomato sauce, bouillon cube, and seasonings and bring to a light boil for 10-15 minutes.
The soup should get a little thick. Add the noodles and spinach (if desired) and simmer on medium low heat for another 10-15 minutes.
Serve while hot and top with cheese. Enjoy with a green salad!
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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.
